Solo Sushi Ya- Japanese Bistro

"These 13 restaurants prove that fine dining isn’t limited to downtown"

 Toronto Life

 Solo Sushi Ya ***
291 Davis Dr. (at Yonge), Newmarket, 905-898-6868.
Journey to this small boîte in a Newmarket strip mall to sample sushi master Jyo Gao’s impeccable fare. Though noodle soups and deep-fried pork cutlets are available, the cognoscenti opt for the omakase tasting menu ($50) founded on classic Japanese principles. Dinner might begin with cubes of ruby tuna tartare mixed with avocado and crowned with sweet flying-fish roe and raw quail egg; or a troika of broiled beef wrapped around honey root, house-smoked Norwegian mackerel, and moist broiled salmon topped with spicy mayo. Gao entrances with pâté of monkfish liver—Japanese foie gras. House-brewed soy anoints mild raw East Coast oysters and expertly cut melt-in-the mouth sashimi and sushi. Unctuous and sweet, broiled white Nova Scotian sea bass stands out, while flavour-packed dashi broth floats bay scallops, bluefin tuna and tofu. Superb maki: shrimp and avocado topped with raw salmon, and spicy tuna with avocado. In contrast, the ice cream–only dessert carte is disappointingly pedestrian. Gracious, if somewhat inattentive servers. Mains $20–$28.