We had the 12 course omakase. 11 sushi plus 1 miso soup. The ingredients is very fresh - the highlight is the Anago sushi for me. The eel is still warm and matches perfectly with the sushi rice. As expected, most omakase's are not very filling but the quality is on par with most omakase. The service is excellent as we were the only ones at that time slot on a snowy weekday. Ambiance is casual no wow factor there but the food and service were good especially for a $70 price tag. 4.5 star read more

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My first Omakase experience and I was blown away by the quality. I have been to Japan and I felt like I was transported back. The sushi chef Kaito himself recommended we try the uni and I am glad we did. It makes you appreciate the art a lot more seeing him prepare the sushi infront of you. Service was excellent as mentioned above and not too many staff required for this type of experience. The ambiance was intimate with only 2 other parties sitting with us and we all shared the experience together. I highly recommend anyone to try this if they never have before. read more

I went here with a friend to celebrate his birthday, and by sheer coincidence it was both our first time at an omakase. Unfortunately for me they start promptly and I was delayed by local transit about 15 minutes or so. I got caught up with service though, and it was well worth the late. Each piece of sushi was prepared right in front of us and tasted like a dream. We both had green tea to chase down each piece, and with pickled ginger aplenty to cleanse our palate. The tuna with lime zest stood out for me, as well as the eel and scallop. There were only four of us at the counter being served, so I felt seen and important by the servers and the chef. A great ambience and setting; no loud music or noise, the focus was on the food and its preparation in front of us. Definitely would try again! read more

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Great value Omakase restaurant on St Clair W. Dinner starts promptly and the chef quietly prepares your pieces. Sake menu is quite reasonable and pairs well with sushi of course. I would definitely come again if I'm doing omakase and sake! It's a quiet restaurant. read more

This was probably some of the best sushi we've ever tasted in Toronto! The closest to the best sushi we ate in Japan! Every piece was crafted with care, precision, and tasted incredible. Each dinner seats up to 7 people for 1.5 hours and is one of the more affordable omakase spots in the city read more

This is def a hidden gem! The price and the quality of the fishes are unbelievable. It's definitely one of the most affordable omakases in Toronto. I've been here twice already and I forget every time how GOOD it is. Highly recommend! read more

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My boyfriend and I used to come to this St Clair Avenue West Area alot for sushi, but as the sushi shops around there started to close down, we stopped coming around as much. We were craving omakase and we saw that Kaito Sushi was doing a $76 + tax casual omakase for 13 courses, so we had to come and try it. It was a 1.15 hour meal and the chef would only be serving 6 people at once. Upon first impression coming into the shop, the chef bar was hidden at the back and we thought that we entered an abandon shop at first, until a server from the back came to greet us and bring us to the chef bar near the back. My fiancé and I got a green tea and a beer for drinks and the chef prepared an appetizer, 11 fish and 1 dessert piece. The fish pieces were seabream, iwashi, hamachi, light tuna, medium fatty tuna, fatty tuna, smoked salmon, snow crab, scallop, conch, and eel. The dessert was red bean konnyaku. I would say not all the fish there for the omakase meal were unique and our favorite pieces were scallop, seabream and medium fatty tuna. We did not really enjoy the snow crab and the eel pieces as much. The eel was steamed instead of grilled, and was different from the style we normally get at other restaurants. Overall, for the price of the omakase, I think $76 was a good deal for the sushi pieces we got. If you are looking for an affordable omakase meal, you should try Kaito Sushi. The fish selection do change based on availability and you may be getting different ones than us! The chef was also super friendly and nice as well, which made the dinner service very personable and enjoyable too. Definitely would come and support a local sushi shop like them. read more

Kaito Sushi - Chef at Kaito Sushi preparing the omakase meal in front of us. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Omakesa is ok. Chef was very talkative and friendly. Server was very shy and not much knowledge about the menu for food and drinks. Clean environment but had a strange smell near the bar area. There's much better places out there if comparing the prices. read more

I love a good omakase. And from a friends IG story, found this one (don't let aesthetics fool you). After dining here, I realized all the reviews I had chosen to ignore, were in fact 100% true (and not just the odd ones out) When glancing at the online booking system, policies stated that the full price of omakase would be charged for no shows and cancellations. And the dining slots allowed diners to only have 1 hour at the sushi bar. We ended up being the only 2 people in the restaurant as it was a snow day, so it made a very awkward meal, with the chef/owner watching us take every bite. The fish was NOT FRESH and his slicing methods not skilled. The sushi rice was too wet with only one smoked salmon course being memorable. The course pre-desert was a bowl of noodles with no toppings except seaweed (to try to curb the hunger). The "wagyu" was over-torched and from a cheap cut of meat hence why it was dry and tough. Needless to say, we left hangry The chef also mentioned that he started this restaurant after working at a few very westernized Japanese restaurants in Toronto (Akira Back, Kasa Moto) and found that omakase restaurants were "trendy". This was appalling because a true sushi chef puts passion in learning about the art and skills behind omakase sushi read more

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I feel so horrible that mom and pop shops continue to struggle as a result of covid. Kaito sushi serves up some really unique omakase and it's a must try for japanese food lovers. I came in during the first wave of reopening in the summer of 2020 and it was just at the height of covid. The restaurant was quiet, only another couple sat in on the same reservation. Extremely clean, socially distanced, with a cover for each party divided up the space. Custard was my favourite. Really interesting savoury notes but really refreshing. The nigiri had some pretty interesting twists and this is why kaito is really unique. Must try for anyone that's looking for a reasonably priced omakase experience. read more

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The first thing you notice about Kaito is the space. Not just because there's a lot of it (there's a large lounging area upfront, perfect for when Kaito starts serving alcohol), but because everything seems so... still. The hustle and bustle of St. Clair fade as you step into Kaito and are greeted by nothing but that stillness, and engaged by no one except for the unassuming Chef Jang, waiting behind the 6-seater omakase counter. My wife and I were running late for our booking, and worried Chef Jang wouldn't take us given the 1 hour sitting time. After some quick introductions, Jang apologetically said he would have to speed up the pace of our omakase given another party was arriving at the hour. Fair enough - we were late. But also, to keep costs down (Kaito is priced at $55 versus other omakases at over $130), Jang had to get in more traffic (hence the 1 hour sitting time). Another thing he had to do was cut out the appetizer/dessert fillers from his 12 course omakase, and source some ingredients locally. So with less time, slightly less courses, and less fancy international fish, would Kaito be good? We've been to other omakases before (most notably Shushin and Yasu, and less notably Skippa), and they are almost entirely about the exquisite experience of dining with a master sushi chef. Given the rush of Kaito's timing and the limit/sourcing of its fish, I had my doubts as I settled in to see what Jang had in store for us. He started off the meal by hickory smoking the salmon under a glass dome. If nothing else, Jang gets plus points for creativity. The rest of the offerings (11 sushi, 1 handroll) were pretty straightforward. Overall, the sushi was a lot better than in AYCEs or Japanese restaurants, but not as good as the premier omakase spots that fly in all their fish from Japan. Fair enough, given the price point. Of all that Jang served us, I liked the ikura, fatty tuna, smoked salmon, and hand roll the most. He also had his signature offering, which was a fish + pear + tobiko + Korean sauce combo. Not a big fan, but the addition of fruit gave it a nice freshness. My one main complaint about all the sushi was the rice wasn't as firm/compact as I would've liked it, and sometimes fell apart on it's way to my mouth. But otherwise, a pretty strong omakase experience, especially given how much cheaper it is compared to others. Throughout the meal, Jang kept an ongoing conversation, quizzing us about our experiences with other omakases and explaining his philosophy and what he's trying to do with Kaito. He mentored under some of the best sushi chefs in Toronto's burgeoning omakase scene and is now starting his own path. And, in a way, I think Kaito fits that profile. I'd recommend it to those who want to see what omakases are about without breaking the bank with the certified masters. Kaito is not for the elites, but perfectly enjoyable for the newbies. read more

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Came here twice now and had a good experience both times. Upon entering the restaurant, there was a seating area for the guests if you were to arrive early. Once it's time for your reservation, you are greeted by the waitress and led to the back of the restaurant. The seating of the restaurant was rather limited - seating only six people per hour. Prior to beginning your meal, you're provided with a wet wipe to clean your hands. There aren't any utensils provided, you are expected to eat each piece traditionally, with your hand. Diving straight into the meal. For $55 pp you will get 11 nigiri and one hand roll. It's definitely good for what you pay for. For my second visit, I got hotate (scallop), madai (red seabream), hirame (fluke), o-toro (extra fatty tuna), aji (horse mackerel), akami (lean blue fin tuna), katsou (bonito), smoked salmon, ikura (salmon roe) unagi (eel), sashimi roll, and tuna hand roll. I really enjoyed the ikura bathed in yuzu, gave it a nice twist and refreshing taste to it. However, I was not a of fan of his special sashimi roll - tobiko, pear, Korean spicy sauce wrapped with some fish. It was sweet, sour, spicy, cold and hot, very strange to me. My first visit, I also got their special snow crab nigiri and for my second visit, I got their uni (sea urchin) from Hokkaido, Japan ($18). Overall, I would said great place for reasonably priced omakase. One thing that I found quite annoying was the fridge for drinks being located right behind us. It was so loud and the restaurant was already so quiet that we could hear it turning on and off. read more

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I've been to Kaito over a dozen times since August of 2020. The quality has never wavered and I'm always impressed by the quality of fish. Kaito's ability to keep the favorites in the rotation and mix in seasonal items like sayori and firefly squid is top drawer. His attention to detail and the overall service and ambiance is wonderful. I highly recommend this restaurant as a great blend of quality and price. read more

A relatively new omakase location in Toronto mid town. It has only 7 seats per hour serving. Reservations are highly recommended and they required credit card deposit. We arrived 10 mins early and there is a huge empty space for you to wait. Before starting the first piece, everyone will wipe their hands because everyone has to eat with hands. No chopsticks! I admit this is a very traditional and original way to eat sushi. There are 10 pieces in total with the price of $55. Reasonable price with the quality served. They included scallop from Japan and bluefin tuna as well. The fish is very fresh, but the rice is a bit too soft and feel like it is easy to fall apart. Overall, it is great, I would come back for the second try. One thing for them to improve is that it would be better off if they included one appertizer and the dessert in the course set menu, similar to Zen or Yasu. read more

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This place is new, it has only been opened for 3 weeks. The place is pretty big, there's a whole area that is intended for customers to chill and relax or to finish their sake prior or after their omakase meal. Each omakase session is around an hour, it includes 11 sushi and 1 handroll. The chef is very into bringing new inventions on top of the traditional Edomae sushi that you get in most omakase focused restaurant. Instead of pickled ginger, you get pickled radish. There's also an interesting sashimi roll (I don't know what it is called) that is wrapped with Korean spicy sauce, some crab roe and pear, it gives an impact of spicy, sweet and savoury all in one tiny bite. I enjoyed the presentation of the meal, he basically smoked your salmon starting from the beginning of your meal, and you slowly see the smoke fading away inside the glass dome and that's when your salmon is starting to soaked up all the smokiness. And the chef knows his stuff, I actually learnt things through the conversation. Unlike many other omakase sushi chefs that they don't try to make conversations with non-Japanese customers, which I sometimes find them rude. One down side is that the shari (sushi rice) wasn't as firm to grab as I expected, it might fall apart if you don't eat it super quickly once you lift it up from the board. I even need to flip it a bit upside down just to make sure they don't break apart. The price is very affordable and it has good quality of omakase sushi. And by good quality, I mean their sushi is better than Yasu. I highly recommend this place, especially if you've never tried omakase and wanted to try out a new sushi experience without breaking the bank! I think this restaurant needs a bit more marketing. I honestly think it deserves more attention given the price and such quality it's providing. And I appreciate the effort he put in to serve us something on top of the traditional route. read more

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I've been excited to try Kaito for a few months but unfortunately was not impressed. DECOR: 3/5 Located on St. Clair West and Dufferin, Kaito is not too difficult to find parking. There's free side street parking in the neighbourhoods and there's also paid street parking on St. Clair West. The restaurant is easy to miss because - well it doesn't look like a restaurant on the outside. Looking in, all you see is a large waiting room with wooden accents. For a place that only serves 6 people max at once, it's strange that the waiting area can seat almost double. The only thing separating the waiting and dining area is a folding screen. The dining area that the bar is facing is nice, but other than that the restaurant is pretty plainly decorated. FOOD: 3/5 Food looks impressive right? The taste, not so much. They're smart to use unique/fancy plating to make the food look more instagrammable than its actual taste. The omakase was 12 pieces (including appetizers). This turned out to be 10 pcs sushi, with an steamed egg starter and.. RAMEN final course? The sushi in the omakase lacked the usual fan favourites such as Sea Urchin (Uni), Otoro (Fatty Tuna). The soy sauce and wasabi was very mild, leaving the taste of each piece a little bland. The last piece of sushi was a torched wagyu beef sushi, which ended up so torched I couldn't even taste the "wagyu" flavour at all. I guess it was more a show than for the taste? To finish it off, he served a small bowl of ramen, which washed away any remaining taste of sushi. SERVICE: 3/5 One of the other yelp reviews mentioned that the chef said that he opened Kaito because omakase was trendy. I wouldn't be surprised at all, because despite it being omakase, the chef doesn't seem to put his heart in the dishes at all. Kaito pales in comparison to other japanese owned omakases that would use different types of soy sauce for different types of fish, and the wasabi per the person's liking. This chef didn't bother to even ask if we enjoyed the piece or not. Come here if you want the IG photos, but if you're picky about taste, I would skip this place. read more

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Unlike many places, at Kaito the atmosphere is more casual. Chef Jang encourages conversation so of all the experiences, it was one where we conversed with the chef and fellow guests the most. Maybe it has something to do with the fish being pre-sliced and sitting in piles on the board. There's not that same hush that falls over the crowd as a sharp knife is yielded and you watch as a piece of well-trimmed fish is deftly cut into even slices. In fact, Chef Jang doesn't seem to cut at all, rather you're watching him assemble the sushi. To be fair, it's similar to Tachi. Tachi just hides it better with an elevated table, which keeps the fish hidden, and chefs complete finishing touches on the protein so it seems like they're actually cutting before presenting. I get it, you need all this prep work to keep the meal down to an hour, otherwise it'd be difficult to get diners through twelve pieces in such a short time ($55 a person at the time of the post, will be $65 starting September 2019). A meaty piece of hotate begins the meal, the scallop fresh and sparsely garnished so it starts off as a light bite. I rather enjoyed the quick torch the chef used on the madai, which helps warm the sea bream slightly bringing out the fish and wasabi flavours. Yet, I'd suggest scoring the skin around the fish to make it easier to bite through as it tends to be chewy cut. Interestingly, the fatty otoro makes an appearance early on in the meal - it's usually that flashy piece that chefs generally leave to the latter half. At Kaito, they're heavier on the soy glaze, but it works and you certainly taste the flavourful fish. Chef Jang followed this with two stronger mackerels. The aji's consistency was a little soft for my taste and had a very fishy finish ... I definitely consumed a number of pickled daikon after tasting this one, Kaito's version of the pickled ginger. Meanwhile, the sawa tasted cleaner, the Spanish mackerel augmented with a decent portion of wasabi and soy sauce to help balance the strong fish. When a diner asked why Chef Jang decided to branch out to start an omakase restaurant, he replied that he thinks omakase is trendy right now. It's an interesting thought, is omakase the next ramen or udon? One would hope not. No offense to the noodle makers, but being a sushi chef requires a more skillful hand and I certainly wouldn't want any Joe Shmoe to open up an omakase restaurant. After all, to leave my palette and stomach to a chef, I need to have some level of trust for the person. He also noted that he wants to do things differently and be too traditional. Some pieces in the latter half of the meal showcased this perfectly. Firstly, the tuna marinated in soy sauce so that the fish almost gets a ceviche feel, it was a tasty piece. read more

Really new omakase restaurant on st clair for a very reasonable price of $55. Because its new, currently is only bar seating (this id what you want anyways for omakase). The ambiance was a little unusual because it was such a large space with only a very small section of the bar area operating. One chef and one assistant only. Chefs approach was a twist to regular omakase- there was a sashimi roll which was very usual - a fish with hot sauce with fish roe and pear in the middle wrapped up. It was very weird. He likes to use lime, orange or lemon zest which i find very overpowering for the fish taste. It wasnt bad overall especially for the price but it has room for improvement! read more

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I would like to echo Angela Y's posting. It was just as that. Oh the rage... Where should I start... 1. Omasake costing $66+ tax = $74.58 ( FYI, it will be $69+tax in 2022) was not even close to fill anyone's stomach. It was like 9 pieces... Are you kidding me?? Shouldn't it be at least 18 pieces for the price I'm paying for this?? 2. Yes the bar is so tiny and he was trying to seat 6 of us side by side, trying to squeeze everyone into that bar. Hello? Covid19, anyone?? Just because you put flimsy partition wall, it does not mean we can sit next to each other. Lol you have to space it out by 2m at least. Is he crazy or what? 3. I noticed that the blocks of raw fishes were not refrigerated, rather it was sitting inside of a wooden box. I was wondering how long has it been sitting there?? Freshness don't apply to here then? 4. Why why why wouldn't you hire a waitress?????????? Why is the chef serving the tea, water and drinks?? Why why why do you have to be this cheap? We are paying $66 per person!! 5. When you are serving a raw meat, I don't want your hands to touch less of things, not more by topping ppl with their hot water. And just because you "rinsed" your hands with water does not mean you "washed" your hands. It's requires soaping, lathering and rinsing. 6. And yes, Angela stated the truth... He is in this for the money. Should've recognized when I knew no one was there and it was a one man show. He actually checked all of our IDs and vaccination record and listened to all of our conversations. So frigging awkward. Can we please have some frigging privacy, please???!? Bottom line, I'm pissed that I'm out of $74.58 (with tax) and I was starving!! I had to go find a other restaurant and get another dinner. Would I go back? Hell no. read more

Kaito Sushi - This was his egg thing and it wasn't that good. I guess you are paying for the quality you are getting... - Sushi Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Restaurant been open for 7 weeks and chef is the owner. Amazing experience came here today for my birthday!! We will be back! Kaito applied for their liquor license, can't wait ! The omakase was 10 piece of sushi and one hand roll! I got the Kyoto cherry rose tea, aroma and taste was on point! Oh I forgot to mention the atmosphere was out of this world! I love the intimate feel when you walk in! Very peaceful and calm with music playing in the background ! The coolest thing is Kaito sources most of the fish locally ^__^! read more

Kaito Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The good: It's a very beginner level introduction to an omakase experience. The bad: There are a lot of areas for improvement. I'll list the top 3 here: 1) Decor - the layout of the restaurant is very strange...it doesn't look like they spent much time thinking of the design (mix of odd furniture, drink freezer out next to the bar). If you are paying almost $60 for a meal, you would expect something more. Upon researching the previous establishment, which was a tea shop, you can see that they have just re-used the same furniture and probably didn't spend any money re-designing it. 2) Service - There is one chef and one waitress. We can see that they rudely dismissed customers who did not have a reservation. The coordination of food, drinks etc seemed unprofessional and you can tell they have little to no experience. After the meal, they quickly handed each person the bill. 3) Quality of food - The fish was just okay. I think with the price you pay, you can get a better meal at an AYCE. There were also a lot of flies flying around and they didn't serve ginger but instead, radish to compliment the sushi. The specialty roll had Korean hot sauce wrapped, pear and fish which tasted weird. They also don't serve apps or dessert and they charge you for tea. I heard this from blog to and was extremely disappointed. Unless they improve these areas, I would not recommend coming here. read more

This is actually my first time writing review on Yelp. I was extremely disappointed with my experience. I visited with my girlfriend about a month ago, and it definitely does not justify the price that we've paid. 1. Quality Quality was mediocre. It was almost like a regular sushi that was being served by chef. I would rather go for good sushi place such as Taro's Fish for take out 2. Portion Needless to say, we left hungry. There were about 9 pieces of sushi that was served. Thats about $7-8 a piece that I could've spent on good sushi place instead. 3. Skill I have been to several omakase places, and the chef doesnt sound knowledgeable nor skilled in treating the fish. I am never going back to this place and hope everyone takes my comment into consideration if you are planning to visit. read more

Horrible place! The worst omakase restaurant that I've ever been to in my life. First off, the food served was low quality items that you'd find in regular sushi place, definitely not worth the price. There were barely 8pieces being served, and me and my friend had to dine in another restaurant because we were that hungry. For the service, there were only a chef and a waitress there, the chef was rude af kept telling us to stop talking and eat faster, the waitress just brings removes your dishes for you only, no greetings or thank you at all. For the same price I would recommend going to tachi for much better quality dining all around. This is a honest review. If you see this and still decide to go to this trash place then gl with that. Do not come to this place, it will be a disappointment! read more

For the money you can't complain nor can you compare to other Omakases in Toronto costing over $200+ PP. This is a decent entry level Omakase restaurant in the city and is affordable for a reason. Experienced Omakase eaters will think this is a mediocre Omakase and beginners will think this is slightly above the normal sushi you have eaten at Matsuda AYCE or el la carte at some local sushi joint. Will I come back? Probably if I can't afford the pricier options. But it's nothing super special or memorable enough. read more

I would rate this 3.5. Really good value for omakase and sake pairing. 2 people for the cost of $200 taxed and tip in. If you have never had an omakase experience I would recommend coming here. Since my partner and I have been to a few omakase restaurants I would rate this slightly lower in comparison to other. Mind you the sushi chef was very nice and brings his own style to the sushi by incorporating fruit and citrus to many of pieces. The quality of fish were not as good in comparison to yasu, miku, Skippa and tora. Also you must eat with your hands but sushi rice is not as firm as I like. But I did enjoy the scallop, smoked salmon and Amber jack. The ambience was nice and intimate. You are seated right up at the bar and get a front view of the chef and food being prepped. They only opened 6 months ago so fairly new establishment. read more

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Kaito is my and my boyfriends go to Omakase in Toronto. We have been coming for 4+ years. The chef is talented and kind and on slower days it just him but busier days he has a waiter helping out. It's a small space but what matters is the food and it is always so great. Fresh and unique. My favorite is always the hamachi - I usually get one or two extra at the end to fill up! read more

I have mixed feelings about Kaito Sushi. Came here with my friend for an omakase birthday dinner in November 2019, and with our 6pm reservation we were the only two people in the restaurant. Each course was prepared carefully and thoughtfully (with exception of the mini ramen - that was a 0/5 experience), and it was a treat of a dining experience. However, we had really awkward interactions with the sushi chef given that we were the only people in the restaurant. We were in and out in about 30 minutes, and didn't really get the chance to appreciate and enjoy the food as the chef was really just staring at us each time a piece of sushi was served. The experience probably would be better had there been other people around, and the chef would be working and interacting with everyone, not just the two of us. I would return at a busier time to experience the dinner with other guests, but for now I need to shake the anxiety that was the awkward 1:2 dinner we had. read more

This was one of the better omakase experiences I've had in the city. Kaito is a very new omakase resturaunt located near St. Clair and Dufferin. The restaurant itself is a large space, but as of right now, they only do seatings of between 5-7 people, right as the sushi bar. Overall, the atmosphere is very intimate and allows for a lot of interaction with the chef, which is great for an omakase experience. The food is also fantastic, and for $55 for 12 courses, including one hand roll, it's a steal compared to similar omakase resturaunts in the city. The chef also experiments with some unique omakase dishes that incorporate ingredients like basil, gochujang, and more. The chef also smokes some of his fish in house with different wood blends, giving the smoked tuna and smoked salmon a rich smoky flavor without the overwhelming salt in typical smoked dishes. The resturaunt also serves smoked radishes instead of the traditional ginger, which is a lot less overwhelming that ginger tends to be. It's a great idea that I'm surprised more omakase restaurants havent tried. Like any good omakase resturaunt, your meal begins promptly at the time at reservation, and you should be out in under an hour to make room for the next seating. Overall, this was a great experience and I will definitely be back! 5/5 read more

The experience was intimate and casual, the fish tasty and fresh. No bells and whistles in terms of the space, reminds me of a little sushi spot you'd walk into in Japan. The highlights for me were the scallop sushi, smoked salmon, ikura and otoro. read more

Kaito is a hidden gem, with very reasonable pricing for omakase. The chef really tries to bring out and compliment the natural flavour of the fish in each piece which is something I really liked, since a lot of sushi pieces nowadays just kind of drench the sushi in sauce or pair it with ingredients that overpowers it. If you like a more of a traditional sushi dining experience then I definitely recommend omakase. Their dining room is also very intimate since they don't seat a lot of people at once and while you're eating you can see how each piece of sushi is crafted since the seats are all in front of the sushi bar. read more

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I'm a fan of traditional, high-quality omakase nigiri. My review is geared towards like-minded diners. A finger cloth was provided. Chef does come off a bit forward compared to his Japanese contemporaries: "You guys know how to eat sushi right? with your hands." One of my nigiri fell apart once lifted - at other high-end establishments they will remake the piece as it should not fall apart if skillfully pressed. That did not happen here. It's also a rushed experience as it's only a one hour seating. There's no time to order a la carte, and with 11 pieces of nigiri, you'll like leave the restaurant hungry - I did. Very reasonable price for omakase, but I wouldn't go back. read more

The ambience of the restaurant is quiet cozy seating around 6-7 people. The starting steamed egg was very unique with added honey and red dates. The first scallop dish was also juicy and fresh (good start). The following dishes were unfortunately not as intriguing. The price for the omakase is cheaper than many in the area, but the price is still pretty steep for the amount that you get. read more

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Affordable omakase option along St Clair, right next to Shunoko. It is a unique experience - there are only 4-6 seats at the sushi bar, and it is a one-man show with the help of one server. The experience is quiet and intimate as he prepares each nigiri. After the meal, you are guided to the waiting room, which is separated from the sushi bar with a folding screen. This part of the restaurant is quiet, with large benches and patio-like furniture and furnishings for you to sit on while you finish your drinks or tea. Overall, it was a unique experience. Compared to other Toronto omakase spots, it is the most affordable for the level of authenticity in the experience. I prefer Shunoko because they have more unique fish for a similar price point, but find that Kaito offers a more relaxed dining environment for a casual omakase experience. read more

Great omakase experience! Every bite curated by chef. Fresh fish with well balanced intentional bursts of flavor. We really enjoyed our time. Though it was my first, my friend has been twice now and I can see why. The smoked salmon was intriguing, the basil with white fish was a surprising twist, the scallop was so creamy, every bite was greatly enjoyable! Thank you! read more

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Loved chef Jang's creative spin on traditional sushi. The 11 course omakase is reasonably priced, with a quaint ambiance. read more

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I had tried other Omakase places in Toronto, and by far I wasn't too impressed with this menu. The sushi quality wasn't the best just a little better than AYCE sushi quality. The smoked salmon was the highlight of the night, it was like nothing I had tried before! Very unique and tasty! If it's your first time trying Omakase, maybe it's best to try another place then try this place! Goodluck! read more

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For my visit to Kaito, I had the $55 omakase which includes 10 nigiri, 1 temaki, and 1 unique piece at the end. I opted for the $10 uni add-on. It wasn't my first time at an omakase (I've had Skippa, Jugemu, and a number of them in Tokyo including a high end one at Kyubey Ginza), and I have a serious addiction to sushi. This omakase is quite good value given the variety of neta served; hotate (scallop), madai (red seabream), aji (horse mackerel), chutoro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (extra fatty tuna belly), sawara (Spanish mackerel), katsuo (bonito), hickory-smoked sake toro (salmon belly), ikura (salmon roe), anago (conger eel), uni (sea urchin; an add-on option to the omakase) negitoro temaki (handroll with fatty tuna mince and scallions), tobiko and pear with gochujang wrapped in hirame (flying fish eggs, flounder/halibut). The chef displays some creativity with the use of a smoke gun + cloche set up to infuse salmon belly with hickory smoke to great effect. Nigiri were served in a timely manner and save for maybe one or two pieces which fell apart on grasp, appeared well-formed. The moisture content of the rice felt slightly lower than normal but was otherwise acceptable and well seasoned. My main points of critique would be regarding workflow which I hope over time will improve. Firstly, any ingredient that is stored in the fridge should be pre-portioned and allowed to come close to room temperature by serving time (the uni, negitoro, and ikura were frigid when I ate it but once warmed by the inside of my mouth, I could tell they were quite fresh). Secondly, the serving surface needs to be wiped and that can be delegated to the assistant (I found sauce began to pool on the platform; while this is normal as each piece is brushed with sauce, it should be cleaned as necessary; I ended up wiping it myself). Thirdly, I would like to see more innovations/creativity/personal twists. Fresh ingredient and by-the-book technique will get you only so far; tastefully going beyond standard technique gives the food character and flair. The chef demonstrates skill and an eye for quality ingredients (the firm and sweet 'tongue' of uni from Chile is clearly high grade, as is the crispy nori used to wrap the negitoro) and I hope to see further improvement and growth as he strives to perfect his craft. At this price point, it's good value and a budget-friendly option for those looking to try the omakase format for the first time (as well as for anyone who craves sushi as much as I do). read more

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If you have the chance to try Kaito, do it! Such a good omakase for a great price! Its very intimate, with you and the chef and the group of people you're doing omakase with. The fish was so fresh! read more

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Great value for omakase (Chef's recommendation) menu. Limited to 6 seatings mean that you get served quickly and sequentially. The course is well balanced and chef has interesting technique to dress the fish in different soy sauce and citrus. read more

The chef has an appreciation for both traditional sushi and adding an original twist to things. The smoked salmon piece is delicious and unlike what I've had at any other sushi restaurant. An interesting addition to Toronto's sushi landscape that holds its own against other city greats like Yasu, albeit in a more casual setting. read more