The Best Cheap Sushi in Toronto

Sushi on Bloor and New Generation - can't go wrong with these classics

Love Sushi on Bloor.

Sushi Island i cant even walk after i do the all you can eat

Rikishi on Bloor near Christie is fantastic. not cheap, but it's the real deal, not mass-produced rice rolls.

Great post.. considering, HoSu has had some bad write-ups recently.. New Generation is great, but I run in to lines if I'm trying to get seated anytime before 10pm..

Hey Safari, do you have links to the bad Hosu write-ups? Im addicted to their chap jae and butterfish maki.

Everyone I know that's tried it loves Sushi Island. Friends call it their favourite. I've never been because there's always a line up when I go by. For a long time I've been saying that I've got to go mid-week but I rarely travel out of my neighbourhood mid-week. It sounds like if I did, I'd want to do it again and again.

I ate once at HoSu on Queen and won't go back.

I went into Sushi Marche once, and while I can't say whether it's value for the quality of food, I can say that in comparison to some of the places listed here, it's certainly not cheap.

I've recently moved back to Toronto after livng in Japan for several years. I've had excellent sushi in this city at places like Hiro Sushi and Fune, but it didn't come cheap. A couple of weeks ago I had a craving, and decided to try Sushi on Bloor, figuring that since it always seems to be busy, and does quite well in annual readers' polls in various magazines, it must be decent. WRONG. It was the worst sushi experience I've ever had in my life. The fish wasn't fresh, the rice didn't taste right, and the preparation was simply not up to scratch. Anyone who has anything good to say about the place simply doesn't know what they are talking about. I'll never go back. Don't believe the hype.

I find the whole idea of cheap sushi peculiar. The whole purpose of sushi is to enjoy high quality, fresh fish, unadorned, which the cheap guys don't have access to. Who wants to eat cheap, old fish slathered in mayo to cover up its provenance? I don't even find it that "cheap" -difference in cost between the bloor street places and a mid-range (i.e., not Kaji) is likely $20 per person. Well worth it to avoid the warm rice and other unwelcome aspects of the sushi factory places.

J-rock, I feel your pain. I too, lived in Japan for over 2 years and was spoiled by the sushi there. Even stuff you pick up at the conbini in the train station is better than most of what one can find here in Toronto. Often cheaper sushi joints here serve what wouldn't dare make it to customers in Japan.

Stay tuned to blogTO though... soon I'll be posting the results of our "Best Splurge Sushi in Toronto" category, which will probably be more up your alley (and make your wallet lighter). :)

I look forward to the results of the "Best Splurge Sushi in Toronto" poll. Some things are simply worth paying for.

Safari and Sheryl,
Ho Su shouldn't be on anyone's "best of" lists. go to the link below and do a search for Ho Su...you'll be surprised (actually i wasn't) on their numerous conditional passes they've racked up. inadequate pest control...yikes!! that place needs to be shut down!! just sayin'.

http://app.toronto.ca/food2/index.jsp

I used to regularly frequent Sushi on Bloor but then I tried MASA (Yonge & Charles) and I've never gone back to SoB (Well once but that was a desperate situation and I was sorely disappointed).

Most people i know like SoB bc it's cheap and has free miso and ice cream. MASA is cheap, tastes fresher/better and has better ambiance. I never hear anyone else talk about it and I don't know if it's because they don't like it, or they don't know about it.

Sushi on Bloor and New Generation. Not bad. Not great. I think it is a case of people following each other, or wanting to be where everyone else is. It certainly can't be the food, nor the service at Sushi on Bloor.

Big Sushi provides better fare, better service, AND no line up.

People - think for yourselves!! Don't be a lemming.

Masa: "I never hear anyone else talk about it and I don't know if it's because they don't like it, or they don't know about it."

It's because it's not very good food.

Although the atmosphere is nice.

Under $20, the best sushi/sashimi around is Aji Sai.

"Sushi on Bloor and New Generation. Not bad. Not great. I think it is a case of people following each other, or wanting to be where everyone else is. It certainly can't be the food, nor the service at Sushi on Bloor."

I really didn't like either. The fish wasn't fresh and there was way too much rice in the rolls. Best affordable sushi for me is Tokyo Sushi on St Joseph Street, near Bay... Tiny place, but very fresh and expertly made sushi.

New generation and sushi on bloor are both dirty and have poor quality food. I remember having chicken terriyaki that hard and chewy, but i guess you get what you pay for.
I agree that Tokyo Sushi on St Joseph is a much better bet!

I'm addicted to looking restaurants up on DineSafe (City of Toronto site) and Sushi on Bloor has been busted on some fairly big health violations. Most of the repeated problems have to do with food temperature (pretty gross when dealing with raw fish). That kind of history gives me the heebie jeebies, but to be fair they have had the green light for over a year now.

For good, cheap and much finer sushi I like Sushi Supreme on Yonge street north of Davisville (1995 Yonge St.) They have a perfect record, you can have an excellent meal for $15 - $20 dollars and the service is extremely fast. If you find yourself way up here in midtown you should give them a try.

I LOVE Big Sushi. it's the best thing I've found since living in Japan...and second to that is Sushi Island.

I have TWICE gotten food poisoning from Sushi on Bloor. Once I thought it was a fluke, but the second time the entire table I was with was ill. And I haven't been back since.