SUSHI WITH THE STARS

Sushi Star 127 King Street East

There are so many sushi spots in the city – people are serious about their sushi! I’ve passed through the heart of downtown, along King Street, countless times before and always notice places I’ve never been. The bright yellow Sushi Star is one of those and I couldn’t wait to finally stop in. What better way to perk up a rainy day than going out for sushi.

The restaurant is very spacious – lots of tables and booths that are separated into three sections with a bar at the front. Large mirrors open up the space even more. The main colours of decor are white and gold, and the lighting is dim but just bright enough. It’s a nice, relaxing atmosphere.

With an hour and 45 minutes per seating for the buffet, Luisa and I got down to business with the menu. We brought our appetites and were prepared for a feast! Scouring the menu, we managed to sample a good variety of the categories. Being all-you-can-eat, it’s easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach, but we were up for the challenge. (It’s also important to note that there is a .50 charge for each piece left unfinished, which is a good reminder not to be wasteful.)

Here’s a breakdown of what we got (which will serve as a good reminder for me so I can remember what I liked and try new things next time).

Soup – Miso
Sushi Roll – Hamilton, California, Deep Fried Sweet Potato
Handroll – Cucumber & Avocado, California
Tempura – Pumpkin
Udon – Chicken Fried
Rice – Chicken Fried, Vegetable Fried
Appetizer – Deep Fried Spring Rolls, Vegetable Teriyaki

The chopsticks went out the window pretty fast. My sushi etiquette needs a little work and I need more practice with those. Fork to the rescue! That, or I’m super ladylike and just pick them up. The California and Sweet Potato rolls were safe choices, knowing we liked those already. We really enjoyed everything we tried and were particularly impressed with the udon and rice. There is so much to choose from, you could have a whole meal without even getting to the sushi.

Seeing a sushi roll called “Hamilton” (pictured above, on the right), of course I didn’t miss a beat when deciding on that one. How could I not? I believe it had avocado, white tuna, and some type of cheese in the middle, which was a new taste for me. We liked that the outside was deep fried, giving it a crispy texture.

By this point, you must know I’m all about dessert. I’ll break that down too, since I enjoy lists:

Ice Cream – Vanilla, Green Tea
Waffle
Deep Fried Banana

The desserts we ordered were in small portions – just the right amount. Our ice cream was one scoop each in a little bowl and was refreshing at the end of the meal. The waffle was a no brainer for me, which turned out to be the cutest little waffle I’ve ever seen, with ice cream and chocolate syrup on top. Luisa recommended the deep fried bananas, which were also tiny and cute and came with a dish of chocolate for dipping.

It was still drizzling when we left, so we didn’t get to have much of a stroll outside to walk off our delicious lunch. Instead, we popped around the corner to Homegrown Hamilton for coffee, which was a nice way to finish our afternoon.

– Kristin