Mod Munchies

On Tuesday, I checked out a new addition to the Ossington strip called The Shozan Room. The owners used to have a traditional Japanese spot on Baldwin that was damaged due to a fire in the area. But when they opened this restaurant, they decided to offer a new, modern take on Japanese cuisine.

Shozan is divided into 2 rooms. The casual ground-level area offered izakaya snacks. Upstairs, the room was dark walls, with 2 long tables, and booths separated by painted glass partitions. A kimono hung by the small windows. The menu was likewise more upscale.

Looking over my options I selected Soft Shell Crab Croquettes ($14), Sea Bass Sashimi ($12), and the Red Devil Roll ($15.25). The miso garlic tartar sauce made a nice dipping sauce for the rich and crunchy croquette. However, I wonder if it was a waste of crab as like most fried food, you mostly taste the oil and batter. I'm not sure the advantage of using kombu (kelp) to cure fish. Nevertheless, the sea bass was toothsome. The balance between the fennel, apple sauce, sweet figs, and savoury smoked eggplant made a nice foundation for the fish. Finally, the 8-piece Devil Roll was also excellent. There was 2 kinds of salmon, spicy salmon centre, cured salmon on the outside. It was also topped off with generous amount of black tobiko (fish roe) and juicy ikura (salmon roe). Even the wasabi, although not real wasabi, was milder and better flavoured than the standard green horseradish.
This was a nice dinner. It was pricier than your typical sushi joint but worth the money. If you're still feeling a bit peckish for budgetary reasons afterward, Bobbie Sue's Mac + Cheese is literally just around the corner.