FuZen is a small Japanese restaurant along Front Street a block or so east of the St. Lawrence Market. I'd heard good things about the maki here so a group of us decided to stop by last week to give the lunch a whirl. The menu featured more than 50 special rolls including non-traditional options like Lasagna maki (a California roll topped with creamy crab sauce and baked) and the Cherry Blossom (a salmon, avocado roll topped with fresh tuna served with seaweed salad and salmon sashimi).

Since we're all a bit more conservative when it comes to our sushi eating habits we decide to start with a standard green salad and crunchy tempura noodle soup ($4.95). The light flakes of tempura in the soup is a nice change of pace from a more refined miso. I'd order it again.

Next comes the maki. Too timid to venture to the more esoteric options, we are instead promptly served a California roll ($5.95), a yam and avocado roll ($5.50) and a lunch combo of spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls ($13.95). All are fresh and flavourful, but probably nothing different than what you can get at most sushi spots in this price range.

Finally there's the hyea dup bap ($12.95), which arrives as a giant bowl of crisp green salad, peppered with chunks of carp, tuna, whitefish, and salmon sashimi. The dish comes with a side bowl of hot sauce and a lemon that added a much needed kick.

Dessert would have been an afterthought but out from the kitchen comes complimentary bowls of rich, green tea ice cream. A nice way to end a good value, tasty meal.

Writing by Rehaana Manek. Photos by Haseena Manek