Bazara - Sushi on Ossington

One of the most interesting parts about trying new places or going outside of your comfort zone is the feeling of not knowing what to expect.  I love walking into a new restaurant or bar and just taking in the sights and sounds while deciding if I'll end up coming back one day.  Trying to keep "my list" up to date is hard but with the help of Toronto Life, dineTO and other bloggers/sites I can at least try and keep up.  My lovely friends who keep me in the loop are also a HUGE help.

This past week I read about a  new Sushi place on Ossington called Bazara and everyone knows I LOVE my sushi.  So when RM and AC brought up a Friday night outing, I knew we had to try this place out.  Ossington is of course the area in the city that has the most buzz about it right now with new resto's opening up almost weekly and smaller more intimate bars bringing in the non-club district crowd.  All in all its a win-win situation.

Immediately when you walk in to Bazara you don't feel like you're in a typical sushi place.  Its intimately lit, plush booth seating, exposed brick walls and a GORGEOUS chandelier in the middle of the room.  Really great atmosphere for small groups or a one on one.

They don't have a drink menu ready which made ordering drinks a little bit difficult.  We went with a bottle of wine to keep things simple and because we didn't feel like complicating things for the waiter.  Their menu is made up of Chinese, Thai and sushi dishes but turns out that their true speciality is sushi and some of their special rolls.

On the menu for the evening was:
- Chicken Gyoza
- Vegetable Tempura
- Riceless Spicy Tuna and Avocado
- Spicy Salmon Sushi
- Trio Roll
- Hamachi Roll
- Butterfish Sashimi

We also ordered the Bazara roll (their house roll) which never arrived.  Sad.  Its made of smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, seaweed and black rice so we were all super excited to try it.  Check out this picture to get a visual - MUST TRY! http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/opening-daily-dish/2013/02/11/bazara/

The food was SUPER delicious and everything tasted really fresh.  The tempura and gyoza didn't feel over fried and the sushi rolls had enough special ingredients to make them different from your typical rolls but not overwhelming so you can't decipher what you're tasting.  After ordering, we thought we got too much food but it was the perfect amount for three people.  The prices are also super reasonable which makes you want to try EVERYTHING on the menu!

 Chicken Gyoza and Vegetable Tempura

 Spicy Tuna and Avocado Riceless Roll (tasted like a salad!)

 Spicy Salmon Sushi Pizza

Trio Roll

Will definitely need to head back soon if not to just the Bazara roll but also try their sweet potato tempura topped with spicy tuna and the deep fried ice cream.

Any takers?

Location:  188 Ossington (Dundas and Ossington)
Atmosphere:  8/10
Service: 8/10
Food:  8/10
Price:  $$