Toyoda Sushi

07/05/2008 Posted by Mish80

I've been eating here for a few years, and have tried damned near all of the sushi places in Seattle. Raised very Japanese, I've got a good sense of what is authentic and fresh, and have high standards for Japanese food. Toyoda sushi has never let me down. Their fish is some of the freshest in Seattle, and their dishes (non-sushi) have clean, fresh flavors and are well presented. I would highly recommend Toyoda to anyone who has a love of delicious, authentic Japanese food.

Pros: fresh, friendly, delicious

Cons: sometimes have to wait (small restaurant), doesn't open till 5

11/16/2007 Posted by criticly_yours

When we first walked in we noticed how small the restaurant was and how packed the seating is. The menu was limited and not everything was fresh. One of the things I noticed when sitting at the sushi bar was that the shrimp was prepped. I dislike my shrimp prepped because it means it's been handled and been sitting for a while; it's not fresh. Something else that I found disturbing was that the avocados have been precut. Not only were they browned, but they had gotten squished. Both the rolls and the nigiri were poorly made as it would fall apart when you tried to pick it up. The rice tasted like it was missing vinegar and wasn't cooked thoroughly... the service almost made up for the diappointing food, but didn't cut it.

Pros: Service

Cons: Food, Menu, Cleanliness

11/08/2007 Posted by itsthemirrors

I tried Toyoda Sushi tonight and left feeling ripped off and wishing I had invested the slightly longer drive to go to Kisaku or Rain. That's the problem with trying sushi places -- if you are unhappy, you feel especially unhappy because you end up spending a lot of money for a disappointing meal. The only consolation I can take from this experience is to log in to Citysearch and try to help others avoid the same mistake I just made. Funny thing was, my girlfriend and I just ordered a little bit in an attempt to gauge the food. After ordering and eating about half of our usual sushi night out, we decided to not order any more and leave. Then the bill came and we realized we paid as much there as we would for our full fare at our favorite sushi places! The fish was below average and the environment bright and uncomfortable. Don't make the same mistake we did.

Pros: friendly people

Cons: poor food, expensive

10/07/2007 Posted by vrbango

Restaurant is highly over rated. The sushi is not as fresh as it used to be and the restaurant needs to be cleaned, or better still - it has to have a much needed face lift. They play rock music, which does NOT add to the ambeiance of a "sushi bar/japanese restaurant". The staff behind the counter used to greet.patrons and thank you as you leave the place, but they don't do that anymore. They need to go back to basics!!!

Cons: Rock/Pop Music, Restaurant Feels and Looks Dirty!

04/26/2007 Posted by hilo93

I can't believe this restaurant gets this high rate! When we get there, the half of tables were empty and yet they were very slow and even they didn't bring stuff (i.e. extra spoons & bowls) that we asked for a couple of times. Furthermore, as we waited for so long, I asked to a server who was passing by and her response was "I'm not serving your table!" with such a rude manner. Udon had no taste - one of the worst in Seattle! Sushi roll was bad - when I picked up, the piece was falling apart. Sashimi was 'k but definately overrated. Strongly not recommended!! - you should have no problem to find much better Japanese restaurants at this price with better food and service!

Pros: sashimi was somewhat fresh

Cons: very poor service, overrated sashimi & sushi

02/18/2007 Posted by pikake21

That such a wonderful Japanese restaurant would be found on Lake City Way?! I love this place--the service is great, and everyone is friendly. The fish is always very fresh and never fails to please. You should definitely go out of your way to make it here if you can. You will be well rewarded with a wonderful meal. Oh, and I don't mind the pre-dinner salad at all ;)

Pros: great food, wonderful sushi chefs

Cons: street parking, sometimes the hours are weird..not open when the sign says there are, etc.

11/26/2006 Posted by somebozo

I eat at Toyoda because it is close, not because it is so great. Don't get me wrong -- I like the food, I like the wait-staff, ... What amuses me the most about this place is that its almost two restaurants in the same location. Some nights you can go in and dining there is a solemn occasion -- you feel the urge to bow, show off your limited japanese vocabulary, and so on.... Other nights? There's a party in there. The chefs behind the sushi bar shout greetings at anyone who walks in the door -- everyone's laughing and having a great time... In both cases the food is consistently good -- not excellent, but very good. The fish on your sashimi plate smells good and tastes better. It might not be arranged as artfully as some other sushi bars, but the presentation is more than enough to make you smile when it is set down in front of you. I like going to Toyoda Sushi and will continue to do so. Yes, Seattle has better, but Toyoda is more than good enough for me.

Pros: staff, art, food

Cons: kinda spendy, street parking

10/09/2006 Posted by bgutz

This is not your dark, hip, urban sushi restaurant with overpriced specialty rolls and trip hop playing in the background. This is a simple, clean, country-style sushi restaurant with very fresh fish, reasonable prices (very reasonable compared to some places in the area), and a great staff. Tip: Spend less time ordering ordering maguro and hamachi and find out what's fresh that day.

Pros: Very fresh fish, reasonable prices

Cons: Street parking

09/29/2006 Posted by bktrinkle

I've gone here off and on for years, partly because it's close to my house and partly because my family likes it, but I've never figured out why it's so damn busy all the time. It always smells like bleach inside, you wait forever for a seat, and the sushi is really not that special. Go to Kisaku or Chiso instead.

Pros: It's nothing if not lively

Cons: Sub-par sushi, long wait

08/20/2006 Posted by machikochan

If you go there often and tell others you know a very good Japanese restaurant, you are wrong because you are not eating Japanese food there. I don't know what you are eating. They might have gotten some kind of award a decade or so ago, but the title has been long expired. I was fully offended by how they serve dishes. A mound of very sub-par food that is spilling out of a bowl is not anywhere close to be "wabi-sabi" or "zen." Does this fact convince you better that I am Japanese? Born and grew up there?