Small Eats

On Saturday, I went to new Japanese joint Shio Tapas Bar at College and Ossington. It took over from a Portuguese BBQ and an "Iberian" restaurant, both had very little success at this corner. You walk by the kitchen station into a long and dim space, decorated with various Japanese knick-knacks. The menu was divided into sushi, cold and hot tapas. The sushi was pricier than the standard down-market joints (like Gobo Sushi directly across the street).

Looking over the menu, I opted for Yaki Nasu ($5), crispy tofu cubes ($5), black cod with saikyo miso ($10), and a 6-sushi selection ($13). The first two plates offered the best bang for the buck. Yaki Nasu was several pieces of grilled eggplant which has been chilled. The grated ginger added an occasional kick. The tofu was lightly fried and covered with a sweet sauce. The cod seemed smaller than other places, but it was nicely seared.

The sushi is pricier than its competitors at 6 pieces for $13. But each had a large portion of seafood draping over the rice. I started with the squid which was much slimier than expected. Not a good start. Luckily the remaining pieces comprising wild salmon, tuna, BC tuna, mackerel, and yellowtail were all quite tasty.