Canada’s Debate

I’ve always fancied myself a bit of a gourmet… I say bit because I’m just a touch off in the kitchen (just ask my sister), and you can’t be a real gourmet without appreciating wine- and I hate the stuff.

My dream job (I mean that literally and figuratively) is food/restaurant critic. Unfortunately, given my lack of linguistic studies and experience, my prospects in that field are extremely limited. Barring some newspaper/magazine/website editor coming across this post and throwing buckets of money at me to ply the trade, my future as a professional food critic is apparently non-existent. That is of course no reason to keep my feelings on food and dining to myself, so consider this the first of what I hope is numerous posts on the Gourmet perspective.

Ironically, I begin with a review on a restaurant which no longer exists… hence the title of this post. My family learned this week that Omi, a sushi restaurant located near Church and Wellesley in Toronto, has been sold. I can only speculate on how and why this transaction came to pass (and will not do so here), but the restaurant itself, and it’s proprietor John Lee will be missed both by myself and the dining community.

Omi was the personification of relaxed fine dining. Ingredients and preparation were top notch while the decor screamed “kick back and enjoy.” Others may not have approved of the Miles Davis posters and jazzy music selection, but in reality it synced perfectly with the style and quality of the meal. I never once ordered off the menu, and feel that I missed nothing. Omakase under John Lee is the way to appreciate Japanese cuisine. Sushi was always varied and perfectly fresh (of note was always the butterfish and B.C. Tuna), and rather than serve as the meal, it provided the accents and foundations for a selection of creative and flavourful entrees (more on the sushi later.) Over the years several servings stood out: Oyster shooters, deep fried sweet-shrimp in a yam nest, baked whitefish in a butter sauce, and a selection of unique and satisfying salads. There was always home-made soy sauce available (outstanding) and a careful selection of hard-to-find (and hard-to-match) sakes. Roasted garlic-oil spread across a soft piece of B.C. tuna could serve as an appetizer, entree or dessert (and for my family, often served as all three.)

What made these meals really special was the rapport that we had with John, who never really seemed to be working if he wasn’t engaged in conversation or revelry. In the end his attachment to some of his customers may have done more harm than good, but it was without a doubt a part of what made Omi great. I will miss being able to share a sake with John at the end of a long and intensely satisfying meal, and look forward to the day I once again find him toiling away behind the counter at a fine Japanese restaurant; hopefully next time you will all be able to join me.