Toronto Free Press Restaurant Guide

Mochizuki

Reaching for the moon and stars

Co-owners Alan Chen and Kit Lam work magic

Mochizuki 655 Bay St. (at Elm) Toronto 416-348-8884 Hours: Mon-Sat: 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sun: 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Mochizuki, meaning "Inspire the Moon," is inspired indeed! Designed by part owner Kit Lam, this new Japanese restaurant on Bay St. at Elm, is a picture perfect study of understated elegance.

At the center of this spacious sanctuary is a rotating sushi bar, popular for some time in Japan, but still a relative novelty in North America. As the individual servings of sushi dishes go by on a conveyer belt, customers can simply take what they want and pay by the plate ($3.50 - $7.50), as they sit in comfort around the bar. In the middle of the bar, sushi chef and part owner Alan Chen works his magic to create the most beautiful sushi I have ever seen, all with fresh fish and seafood from their very own aquarium. It was almost too pretty to eat, but when we finally did try it, we soon realized that it tasted as good as it looked.

The outer area of Mochizuki, separated by the sushi bar with glass, is a more traditional dining room; carpeted, with an abundance of plants, this area is meant to symbolize an outdoor Japanese garden, while the sushi bar represents a more modern, indoor Japanese restaurant. The visual effect is stunning, and the indoor/outdoor concept is brilliant.

The food at Mochizuki is as delightful as the décor. My friend Dave and I started with Chawamushi (steamed egg with seafood), Chicken Yakimono (boneless chicken wings), and Shitaki Butter Yaki (fresh mushrooms with butter). The Shitaki was wonderful, with a variety of mushrooms in a garlic butter sauce. The Chawamushi was reminiscent of a seafood quiche, and the Yakimono was covered in sweet Teriyaki sauce, better than most other Teriyaki sauces that I've tried because of the way it clings to the food.

We then tried a wide variety of sushi. Mochizuki has more than 50 types of sushi, so we couldn't possibly try them all, but of the ones that we did try, the best were the Himo, a scallop- filament salad in a sweet sesame sauce, the decadent Butter King fish, and the salty Kazunoko (herring roll.) 

For my main course, I chose the Shrimp and Scallop Teriyaki, and Dave ordered Chicken Teriyaki. Both dishes were impeccably grilled and served with sesame seed rice and steamed vegetables. The dinner also included Miso (soybean with tofu and seaweed) Soup and salad. The salad dressing was particularly good, a thick, spicy blend of ginger, carrots, onion, and yellow mustard.

As always, the best part of this meal was dessert. Banana Tempura with Green Tea ice cream and chocolate sauce. The breading was surprising light, and the ice cream was cool and refreshing. Even Dave, who specifically told me he had no desire to ever try a deep fried banana, cleaned his plate.

Mochizuki is a perfect addition to downtown Toronto; the dining room is ideal for a quiet, elegant dinner, and the sushi bar is an exceptional place for a quick and healthy meal. If you don't have time to sit at the bar, there's a take out counter with fresh sushi, packaged and ready to go. Lucky for me, they are located within a block of my office. I'm looking forward to seeing my new neighbors, Lam, Chen, and their friendly staff when I go back (often) to try the rest of their remarkable assortment of sushi.