Gonoe Sushi

We were looking for food after we checked out an art exhibition at Harbourfront Centre and stumbled upon this small sushi restaurant. It's a nice a little place to eat late at night as everything else was closed on a Friday night. We ordered the sushi and maki boat and it was quite good and nicely presented. Service was good and the staff were friendly. It's a nice place to eat sushi with the nice decor and the private booths. Overall, a nice dining experience. Will definitely be back and recommend to others.

Cheap and cheerful. Never had a bad meal there. Their meals for two are ridiculously good value for money. Yes it's not high end sushi, but for the lower range their sushi is pretty darn good.

When we lived in the city, one of the closest sushi restaurants to us was Ichiban Sushi; we were constantly ordering in from there (or dining in). For reliably standard sushi, Ichiban doesn’t go wrong.

Gonoe Sushi is a little place by the Harbourfront that we’ve wanted to write about for ages. It rocketed to the top of our lists the first time that we ever went, and It’s still one of our favourite sushi joints. We consider it one of Toronto’s hidden gems, since you really don’t hear much about it. Let’s take a look at how our latest trip went, shall we? :)

The Food:

Rice Noodles with Tempura Bits (Complimentary!)

Dan: This. Is. Bloody. Brilliant. Free noodles!!! I have never in my life, seen any restaurant offer complimentary noodles, except here. Sure, the bowl is small and you really only get a (large) mouthful of noodles, but it’s free! And it’s good to boot! The soup is simple, with simple flavours enhanced by a bit of seaweed, and the noodles are neither mushy nor chewy.

Anna: Free anything pretty much gives a restaurant brownie points in my book, and this is free done right. The rice noodles were made perfectly al dente, and it came very promptly as soon as we’d ordered.

Sashimi Bento Lunch Special ($10.95)
Dan: Okay, how do I start? Everything in this bento is just really well made. The gyoza are freshly fried, with just the right amount of greasy sheen on its crisp wrap, the rolls have clean flavours and very large chunks of avocado, and the rice is…rice hehe. But the sashimi, oh the sashimi is excellent. The fish is notably fresh and good enough that some pieces will literally melt in your mouth.

Anna: It’s not very often that you see sashimi bento boxes, especially not ones with such a diverse variety of different things to try. I’d encourage ordering this as a kind of sampler to see what Gonoe has to offer. The gyoza were stuffed with pork and deep-fried to perfection. The maki rolls are a step up above those that you can get at your standard cheap sushi joint, since they have sesame seeds rolled into the rice. Of course, the sashimi is really what shines in this bento, and it’s fresh and amazing and everything you would want sashimi to be at a moderate price.

Sashimi & Sushi Combo A Lunch Special ($10.95)
Dan: The freshness of the sashimi bento carries over to this combo. I have absolutely no complaints about the taste of the food and as you can see, the presentation is solid as well. The lunch special also comes with your standard salad and miso soup that you’d get from most sushi restaurants. The salad ingredients are definitely fresh, with the crunch that I like in my salads. I’ll be honest when I say that I don’t know enough about miso soup to really be a fair critic on it hehe.

Anna: One thing I love about the nigiri sushi here is that your rice to fish ratio is perfect. One complaint I usually have with most cheaper sushi places is that there is too much rice and the taste of the fish is completely obliterated. Not so here. The fish is fresh and have a really creamy, melts-in-your-mouth texture. As for the rolls, they are quite good, though these are really just your standard rolls that you can get anywhere. Overall, the quality of the fish really stands out and makes this a worthwhile combo.

The Price:

Dan: Okay, so it isn’t as cheap as those fast food sushi locations scattered throughout the downtown core, but hey, the quality of the sushi you’re getting here is much, much better. If you go for the combo specials like we did, you can see that prices are still very reasonable. If you have more… luxurious tastes, say for bluefin tuna, call ahead and check, but Gonoe will probably be able to satisfy you.

Anna: I’ve definitely been to sushi places that are much cheaper, and I’ve even been to places where their combo specials are a much better deal. However, the quality of the fish here can’t be beat, and I’m willing to shell out the extra 3 to 4 dollars for that.

The Ambiance & Service:
Dan: This is the one part where I’m confused. Gonoe is quiet, with unobtrusive decor, making it a great spot for a date. With food and service so good, Anna and I really can’t figure out why this place isn’t just bustling with people treating themselves to amazing sushi, sashimi, and free noodles. I do miss the booths that they recently took out though…

Anna: Alright, they didn’t take the booths out, they just renovated it so it’s more open concept. Gonoe isn’t for rowdy crowds or big groups, as most of their seating is set up in tables of two separated from other tables with dividers. The booths that line the side of the restaurant are large enough for groups of 4, and there are two booths for larger groups towards the back of the restaurant. I do like how pretty the open sushi bar is, and you can watch the chefs in action. The service is also impeccable, our food came really fast and our waiter was really sweet.

The Wrap:

Dan: The service, food, ambiance of Gonoe Sushi is just top-notch across the board. I ordered takeout once and they churned out 30+ pieces of rolls and sashimi within five minutes, while still offering me water, tea, and free noodles while I waited. If you can spare the time, make the trek down if you’re looking for a quiet, date-worthy spot for sushi. Trust me, I’m a doctor. Okay, not really, but you get the idea. :P

Anna: I think one of the first things that struck me about Gonoe was how empty it was, which of course meant that I was worried that it wouldn’t be very good. However, now that I’ve been there a few times, what worries me is why there aren’t more people that come here. Don’t let the prices scare you: even though it seems pricier than other sushi joints at first glance, the impeccable quality of their sushi is worth it.

Tips and Tricks:

Gonoe’s wasabi is very strong, which we both like, but please do exercise caution when consuming. 

The Location:

Yes, we finally left Agincourt and Scarborough and have finally come to Toronto proper (which incidentally is where we usually have most of our food). Nestled in a surprisingly quiet spot on the Harbourfront, Gonoe is located a short walk south from Union Station and major tourist attractions such as the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium. Since you are in the downtown core, be prepared to pay for parking.