RA - this is Miami

My last day in Miami was spent as a very hung over lady.. I was in pain but was pushed to be active and out and about... Finally after a full day in agony I began to feel normal again and was satiated! Being that it was my last evening in town, I wanted to treat my host to a nice dinner too so we made our way to a fun place that he know and lucky for us - we were in the cusp of happy hour!   

Sushi Roku - Vegas Chronicles

Oh what a night of culinary delights with my colleagues in Las Vegas at Sushi Roku.   In the famous Forum Shops at Caesars on the 3rd floor, this dark and sensual place is a great intimate place to gather with friends or on a romantic date.

Yumei sushi in the Beach

"Yumei" the word for famous in Japanese is an established neighborhood favourite in the beach, and our friend Martin's as well.. I did put up a protest as I don't enjoy going to generic sushi places especially ones that have also Korean dishes on the menu. However there were many surprises during the meal prompting me to even write about the experience.

Wabora - sushi galore!

tuna tataki appetizer

As the super uber chic Thompson Hotel  has opened for the glamourati to be seen, another famed restaurant import opens for business.  Wabora where the original hails from Bracebridge Ontario showcases it's sushi strength by highlighting 52 rolls on the menus all complete with glossy photos which run from a reasonable they run from $6.50 to as high as $16.95.  Korean born owner, Min Soo Kim, who seems to be a well seasoned smooth operator was a former minor league pitcher greets us with a bow and smile and floats around the restaurant ensuring guests know that he's around and not above serving tables.  I immediately spot the controversial but decadent bluefin tuna on the extensive menu causing him to be on foodies hit lists and concerned consumers hate lists.  Let me remark that if you wanted creative sushi rolls, this is the destination and Kim is definitely not afraid to use spice, crunch or cream cheese in these rolls.

choose 4 plate

Samba-ing with my sushi

Sushi Samba is a franchaise, yes i know this.  I've been to the one in New York, South Beach and when I was craving sushi in Las Vegas, we stumbled upon it.  And every time I walk through the entrance, I feel like doing a shimmy!  It's a sexy and fun environment with a DJ playing some latin beats and with innovative cuisine from 3 different culture - Japan, Peru, and Brazil. I'd think this melange of cultures would intrigue anyone to come here at least once.  And I'm never disappointed, the food here is really outstanding.  We settle on a tasting menu based on our server's recommendations and I loved being surprised every which way so it was perfect that no decisions needed to be made.  Each dish came to us as a work of art, beautiful and delicious!
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Allez Cuisine! Lunching at Morimotos!

I have been a follower and a fan of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto since his Iron Chef Japan days.  His creativity and innovation are incredible and he has such finesse and skill in the kitchen as he delicately prepares and creates culninary masterpieces while kicking a** with the secret ingredients he gets thrown!  His dishes always tell a story and he is a whiz at balancing flavours!

Blue Ribbon Sushi at Columbus Circle

One of my nights in the Big Apple, I dine with my colleagues at the newest addition to the Blue Ribbon restaurant group - Blue Ribbon Sushi in the Thompson Hotel at Columbus Circle.  The restaurant is very subtle and minimal and reminds me of a sauna as the restaurant is a series of windowless rooms with pale wood everywhere you look.  However it's a big space, with about 115 seats divided up into 3 basic areas including the front bar, main room and sushi bar.  It’s the biggest of the five Blue Ribbon restaurants.  There is an extensive menu that serves cooked/grill as well as raw foods and I was very excited to try a mixture of both.

Raaw Japanese Cuisine

A group of my co-workers went to try the newest kid in the Liberty Village block which was a stylish Japanese restaurant called Raaw. The interior of the restaurant is slicked black with hanging light bulb chandeliers from their ceiling. It's a very minimalist styled restaurant where you feel very zen when you walked in.

Omi Sushi

Even if the food is the most amazing food but your service is poor - it colours the entire restaurant experience which is what happened at OMI. I was there with my friends Catherine, newly home from her honeymoon in French Polynesia and Jackie who was on a deadline and needed to get back to work so we were looking for a light catch up; an easy japanese dinner.

Sushi at Yonge and Eg

So where I live there are plenty of sushi joints to choose from. I really like Sushi Rock because it has over 100 different rolls and I love trying new things and seeing unique rolls on the menu. They have a huge variety of raw, cooked and vegetarian rolls!
I have a bit of a reputation for getting a bit carried away when I order food as once I ordered so much sushi takeout at this place for 3 people that they gave us an entire bottle of soya sauce!

the Drake Hotel

I have not been the biggest fan of the Drake hotel due to it's pretentious overcrowding and the influx of tourists to 905 crowd however I will say that recently I have been there on a few occasions and I think it deserves some honorable mentions:

Go Japango!

"O-i-shi" is how you would phonetically say 'delicious' in Japanese and that's how I would describe this hidden gem as my friend "Heather Margaret Adorable Davies" has taught me! This place is for those in the know and who are lucky enough to get seated for dinner as there are less than 20 spots in the tiny restaurant so either reserve or come early. There were only 2 servers that spoke limited English and 2 sushi chefs behind the bar and perhaps a cook in the kitchen - it's one of the more authenthic Japanese places to eat in the city but the service is a bit slow.

Toshi toshi toshiiii!

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants NOT specificially for the typical sushi and sashimi fare is in the King West area next to a strip club. It's a small, non discript place called Toshi Sushi and it's amazing for good Japanese cuisine!
The atmosphere to this place is fairly close to a traditional Japanese isakaya - which is a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food. And the great thing is that all the servers and the chefs are Japanese!