Fin Sushi Bar

BYOB, great sushi, great prices, love this place!

The eastern end of Raveneswood and the far west end of Uptown are proving to have hidden gems that no written or visual media is advertising. You simply have to find yourself in the midst of a casual drive or stroll through some of the side streets and you end up stumbling upon various little oasis spots in the midst of residential dwellings. Such was the case with me wandering on Fin Sushi Bar, which initially looked like a business that had been closed. A bit empty on a Sunday afternoon, I entered to see what the menu offerings were. Ah, Pan-Asian fare and, of course, representative of Japanese and Thai.

Spicy miso yaki soup. House salad. Dragon roll. Spider roll. Thai iced tea.

The spicy miso yaki soup had the broth of customary miso soup. However, there were broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and jalapeños added. My palate is very non-American, so the soup was mild, even with the jalapeños. The house salad had the flavouring of what you get at many Japanese restaurants. The ginger dressing carried a hint of a fruit flavouring to it, something akin to the possibly the strawberries that topped the salad. Nothing artificial, just noticeable still. The dragon roll and the spider roll were more dismissive in taste than I have had from other sushi bars. I may be unfair because I was only a few days off the plane from having been to Japan and everything there burst with flavour on the tongue. So, I had an unrealistic bar set. I probably should wait a few months to let the allure of Japanese dining wear off and return for a second visit.

I don't know how long Fin Sushi Bar has been open, but it has the feel of being relatively new. Of course, I see reviews dating back as far as May of 2011. The service isn't bad, just noticeably dismissive to the point of being mildly uncomfortable. For those who enjoy Pan-Asian cuisine, Fin Sushi Bar may be a wonderful experience for you. You'll get to try something representative of Japan and something Thai, as well. It's worth the try. At any rate, I came, I ate. Ellipses.

Their Sea Bass Basil is excellent. I love the crispy sear. The broth the fish is served with is savory with a nice little kick. The vegetables it is served with are always perfectly crisp-tender. We're lucky to have Fin in the neighborhood.