Wabora Sushi – Toronto, ON: As we were staying at Toronto’s Thompson Hotel (click here to read our review of Thompson Hotel), we decided to go and try Wabora Sushi despite knowing it had gotten some bad reviews.

Once we entered the place, we were greeted by a big dining space that had and upscale design and an atmosphere that had a nice vibe. The music was not too loud, so it appeared Wabora Sushi would be a great location for people who value a good conversation while enjoying their meal. We were shown to our seats, which offered some privacy while at the same time a good view of the open sushi kitchen.

Our came to us minutes later. While she was very friendly and full of energy, she just lacked the knowledge when it came to the menu. It seemed like she had no real idea about what she was talking about. It would have helped a great deal because they had an overwhelming number of sushi rolls available, about five dozen! And no, I’m not joking!

The menu was extensive with over 20 “small plates” of Black Cod, Beef Sashimik, Tuna Tataki and Popcorn Chicken to name a few. There were 12 salads which included Spring Green Salad, Chicken Salad and Pork Belly Salad. They also had Big Bowl Rice dishes like Spicy Sashimi, Fresh Vege and Unagi. What’s more, the 18 Robata Grilled Entrée ranged from Rib Steak Pizza to Pork Baby Back Ribs and Whole Squid to Lobster Tail. Four more noodle dishes and over 15 main entrées which consisted of Steak Bulgogi, Salmon Teriyaki, Jumbo Prawn Shrimp and Fruit Chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce, plus a huge selection of sashimi and 60 rolls, we did not know where to start. This is where a really knowledgeable waitress would have come in handy. Good thing we were with a friend so we had the opportunity to try a large selection of the menu.

We tried the Yellow Tail Heaven – a yellow-tail sashimi with shaved jalapeño ponzu sauce and Asian spicy sauce. It was very delicious and they sure were not afraid to use lots of jalapeno. On the other hand, their Unagi Sushi was just average. There was nothing really special about it. We also tried their selection of sashimi – tuna, salmon and the snapper, which was not as fresh as we had hoped. We also had to taste their Wabora rolls of yellow-tail, salmon, tuna, smelt egg, avocado and cucumber. By far, one of our favorites was the Crispy Crunch Roll which consisted of fresh cucumber and avocado, crispy shrimp tempura, crab meat, spicy salmon and topped with sweet and spicy crispy crunch.

To complement our dinner, we ordered a 720 ml bottle of G Sake (an ultra-premium rice wine) which was actually made in Oregon. At $80.00, it was definitely worth every penny.

Dessert was a big letdown. The menu was quite limited compared to the dinner and wine/sake menus. We ended up having the tempura ice cream which was rather dull and boring. It was not even crunchy. Instead, it was just plain vanilla in a pastry shell.

Wabora Sushi in Toronto had all the elements to be Bombastic, maybe even Fantastic Bombastic, if only their execution would have been more spot-on. After was all said and done, we scored Wabora Sushi and it just barely squeaked in at Bombastic.

But with that said, for sushi when we are in Toronto, it will still be one restaurant that we will head back to from time to time.

What I liked: The atmosphere, the Crispy Crunch Roll, the Yellow Tail Heaven sashimi and the G Sake


What I didn’t like: The lacking service and the unimpressive dessert

Rating: Bombastic (just barely)