The Best Sushi Near Itacate, by the Record

A 200-year-old hinoki counter anchors this intimate omakase room on Avenue Road, where Chef Masaki Saito flies his fish exclusively from Japan and keeps the atmosphere warm enough that laughter genuinely competes with reverence. The room itself is a statement, all traditional woodwork and quiet ceremony, and the price is serious. It holds a Michelin star. Come prepared to surrender the evening and let the chef decide everything.

1. Michelin Guide 1 Star
2. World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Japanese Cuisine Restaurant
3. Canada's 100 Best #52 · Best Restaurants

The hinoki counter running the length of the room sets the tone before anyone's poured water. This is Edomae omakase, so settle in and let the chef lead, whether that's the shorter introduction menu or the longer, more personal progression. The nigiri moves from delicate silvery kohada up through richer cuts in a deliberate arc. The rice blend is left uncolored, its acidity calibrated to the fish. A Michelin star for those keeping score.

1. World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · World's Best Japanese Cuisine Restaurant
2. Michelin Guide 1 Star
3. World Culinary Awards 2025 · Winner · North America's Best Japanese Cuisine Restaurant

Eight seats tucked at the back of the main room, twice nightly, all ingredients flown in from Japan. Sushi Yūgen is a kaiseki-influenced omakase counter where the chef builds around 18 courses and occasionally lands something like okoze, the devil scorpionfish, which is either thrilling or alarming depending on your disposition. The wine list leans toward white Burgundy, and the Japanese whisky selection includes bottles that don't surface anywhere else in the country.

1. Canada's 100 Best #62 · Best Restaurants

Drums play overhead while chefs break down whole fish at the counter, so the omakase here functions more like dinner theater than a quiet procession of nigiri. This is a high-energy sushi counter with outposts in Vancouver and Montreal, and the room is in constant motion, everyone grilling, slicing, or frying something at once. The price tag matches the spectacle, so come ready for that conversation.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

1. Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Toronto, Canada

A strip mall omakase counter tucked between a Markham auto repair shop and wherever your expectations were parked. Inside, wood slats and careful lighting give the room a calming, considered feel. Fish arrives from Japan several times a week, the rice is warm and finely vinegared, and the nori is quietly serious. The chef's counter is where you want to sit, and the approach stays traditional, a clean swipe of soy doing most of the talking.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant