Lunch Revolution – Juzz Sushi B Combo
Unless you’re a wealthy retiree who has the luxury of taking three hour lunches in choice restaurants, or someone who can expense your sumptuous repast, lunch is often a dull, uninspired means of sustaining you throughout the day until the real hero meal arrives: dinner.
As much as chains keep trying to entice us with their healthy bowls and protein-packed boxes, (1 out of 10 are actually enticing), lunch, especially during the workweek, is usually fine. Okay. Not bad. But by no means memorable.
I’m setting out to change all that with my new series, Lunch Revolution.
The regular feature will showcase an eatery or menu item that actually rocks. And it won’t set you back 30 bucks either.
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Lunch Revolution #2
B Combo ($11.95 + tax)
Juzz Sushi
912 Queen St. E.
People who have spent time on the coast often bemoan the state of Toronto sushi. I get it - yours is fresher, tastes of the sea, etc.
But in recent years, our fair city’s stepped up its game and you can now get decent sushi at a reasonable price. You just have to know where to go. Which is why you’ve got to get yourself to newly opened Juzz Sushi in Leslieville.
Start with No. 62 B Combo ($11.95), featuring salmon avocado roll, dynamite roll, and two pieces of sushi (salmon, butterfish).
What makes this sushi stand out from the crowd: quality of ingredients, portion size, and price.
From the rice to the fish, everything is fresh and clean. Vegetables are bright and crisp. There’s no browning on the avocado, and as you can see from the photo, they didn’t skimp on it – or the salmon, for that matter either. Chunks are kept nice and big, but not unwieldy.
Then there’s the price. Despite the quality of ingredients, the meal is less expensive than most. And not just the combo either. An Avocado Roll for only $3.95? Seven varieties of Torched Sushi: $2.25-$2.50 each? With the exception of Party and Sashimi Trays ($28.95-$80.95) - which come in for less than similar restaurants - the priciest item on the menu is $14.95 for Combos E and F.
Pro Tip #1: Picking up your order? Have a drink at the bar while you wait. A hot sake (sm.$5.95, lg $9.95) will help keep you warm on the way home. Kanpai.
Pro Tip #2: Being new in the area, they’re pretty slammed with takeout orders throughout the week and a slew of diners in on weekends, so call ahead to place your order.
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