ginza – sushi galore

i can’t say that i’m a big fan of all-you-can-eat joints.  whether they be italian, chinese, indian, or any other buffet, they aren’t known for serving the best tasting food.  some of it is downright toxic.  so imagine my surprise when i tried ginza, an all-you-can-eat sushi place on st-denis, and actually liked it!  sushi is great in $100-a-meal restaurants, but somehow when you find a place that offers all the sushi you want for a set price (and the sushi is actually edible), the experience can be more than great — especially for an anemic wallet.

although this restaurant offers an à la carte menu, the better deal is the all-you-can-eat sushi.  unlike my disastrous experiences at kanda and odaki, the sushi here was not smothered in mayo and did not taste of freezer burn.  the appetizers were not oversalted or overcooked to a rubbery consistency.  the à volonté menu includes appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, maki rolls, handrolls, and dessert.

the appetizers were actually not bad considering that this is a buffet and the focus is on the sushi.  i try to limit the my choice of appetizers in order to have more room for sushi in my stomach.  there are many things to choose from, but i have my list of usuals.  the shrimp tempura was totally different from the ones i’ve had at other sushi buffets.  the shrimp is coated in just the right amount of batter and deep-fried ever so lightly that there was only a hint of oil taste.  oddly enough, the shrimp itself almost melts in your mouth. miso soup could have been made from a mix, but edible nonetheless.  the spicy seaweed salad is also a usual feature at my table.  the pièce de résistance from the appetizer section has to be the fried salmon head.  anybody who knows me knows that i don’t really like cooked fish, but i have come to like the soft and silky texture of salmon cheek. it might not be a mind-blowing experience for your taste buds, but the nasty bits/freak out your friends factor has me sold!

i don’t have much to say about the sushi other than it tastes fresher than other all-you-can-eat places.  it just wouldn’t be fair to compare this restaurant to a higher end place like jun i.  it may not be up to snuff for people who think nothing of dropping $300 on edible raw fish art, but it is way better than the stuff you get at odaki, kanda, or takeout freezer counters.

for dessert, there is ice cream (green tea or piña colada) and fried banana.  you can even get both.

just a little side note: don’t order too much because there is a monetary penalty for uneaten sushi!

restaurant ginza
4593, rue st-denis
montréal, québec
H2J 2L4
T: 514.904.0079
www.restoginza.com

payment: cash, debit, credit cards

hours:
11:30am – 2:30pm and 5pm-10pm (open until 11pm on fridays)