I've never once doubted the power of sushi. When presented with the lingering internal debate several years ago about whether to adopt a vegetarian diet, I knew that I could only carry on for a short period of time without fish in my system. (Going pescatarian was another option, but that's another story.)
Corner by Spoon & Fork was the first to break into the sushi burrito/poke market in the GTA. Their second location, Mii'Hito Sushi Lab, found itself at the east end of Mississauga, slightly north of the 403 on Hurontario.
Neither spot was particularly convenient for me though, which led my rate of return to eventually level off to that of poke stops in the downtown core (1, 2, 3). It was only recently brought to my attention that a newcomer had entered the picture, and in the heart of Mississauga no less.
Neither spot was particularly convenient for me though, which led my rate of return to eventually level off to that of poke stops in the downtown core (1, 2, 3). It was only recently brought to my attention that a newcomer had entered the picture, and in the heart of Mississauga no less.
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Taking over half of Mii Sandwich's original spot in the food court is Su&Shi Burrito - a special division of Su&Shi located diagonally across the atrium from its parent store.
A few modifications have been made to Mii Sandwich's stall for this half-takeover: the cashier and utensil area have become more compact to allow for the implementation of an additional ingredient bar. The arrangement of the portrait LED menu screens remains the same, though there is an obvious decrease in the number that sport yellow backgrounds. The kitchen (and staff themselves) seem to comprise of the same components and members respectively - there's simply more compiling action within the same space.
It should be noted that a pillar-like structure has been put in place to separate the pho-, banh mi-, and taco-selling section for Mii Sandwich. The food stalls utilize different cashiers.
A few modifications have been made to Mii Sandwich's stall for this half-takeover: the cashier and utensil area have become more compact to allow for the implementation of an additional ingredient bar. The arrangement of the portrait LED menu screens remains the same, though there is an obvious decrease in the number that sport yellow backgrounds. The kitchen (and staff themselves) seem to comprise of the same components and members respectively - there's simply more compiling action within the same space.
It should be noted that a pillar-like structure has been put in place to separate the pho-, banh mi-, and taco-selling section for Mii Sandwich. The food stalls utilize different cashiers.
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Eager to attempt this, I penciled it into my errand-running schedule, ready to brave what I expected to be the peak of rush hour. Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as chaotic as expected; don't be misled: this did not automatically indicate a particularly swift process.
One look at the ingredient bar informed me that Su&Shi's trendy product lineup wasn't about to focus on substantial chunks of fish marinaded beforehand in a special housemade concoction. Choices of protein ranged from traditional salmon and tuna to economic choices of crabmeat salad/tofu and even chicken/unagi. Personally, it felt as if they were simply taking advantage of the culinary reference and applying it to bowls of their preference. (The Daily Special was an Unagi "Poke" Bowl with miso soup.) Nonetheless I was prepared to try whatever was to be thrown in my direction.
Their signature - or rather, pre-selected, creations took the pain out of naming out specific ingredients in a loud environment with a potentially lengthy lineup tightly winding behind. Customizable options were also available, but additional charges had been tacked onto salmon and tuna poke as well as avocado. Topping and sauce choices were typically fewer than the standard, even though the standard Ponzu, Sesame, Wasabi, and Sriracha Aioli were present. (What is "Poke Sauce"?)
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When propelled into unfamiliar territory, I usually find it best to play it safe, then venture outside my comfort zone once enough relevant data has been gathered. A Geisha's Kiss sushi burrito (No. 12), Salmon Lover Poke Bowl (No. 52), and Albacore Tuna & Crab Poke Bowl (No. 53) were selected through applying this theory.
Poke Bowls allowed for bases of white sushi rice, brown rice, and romaine/spring mix; requests for half-and-half bases were also accepted. Interestingly enough, Sushi Burritos permitted both rice bases - a first for me to witness as the sushi rice-printing machines are usually only loaded with one type of rice for the sake of convenience.
Poke Bowls allowed for bases of white sushi rice, brown rice, and romaine/spring mix; requests for half-and-half bases were also accepted. Interestingly enough, Sushi Burritos permitted both rice bases - a first for me to witness as the sushi rice-printing machines are usually only loaded with one type of rice for the sake of convenience.
Besides the daily specials, there were no available combos for Su&Shi Burrito items. I was given the option of adding miso soup at a discounted rate, but ultimately opted for a refreshing cup of Longan Iced Tea with longan meat and basil seeds.
For a food court establishment, I received service that was more prompt and friendly than I expected. Prices were also a few notches lower than Mississauga's only other rival (for this type of cuisine anyway): $10.99 - $12.99 for sushi burritos vs. the base cost of $13.99 for the Spoon & Fork spinoffs.
The location is also significantly more convenient for west-enders and commuters. On this note, I hope the team is able to develop upon their current level of service and efficiency. While the stall was undeniably more quiet than the standard weekday lunch rush, I found the wait time to be a tad lengthy for compiling three units of pre-set combinations. There wasn't exactly an assembly line present, hence the confusion that took place between the staff members tending to different aspects of my order.
For approximately 20 minutes, I hovered in front of the ingredient bar. During this time, I saw a great deal of urgent commands being called out, fried lotus root chips being sprinkled on almost every order, and a bag of romaine heads roughly being chopped and placed into a plastic black bowl (that was later discovered to be my own).
The location is also significantly more convenient for west-enders and commuters. On this note, I hope the team is able to develop upon their current level of service and efficiency. While the stall was undeniably more quiet than the standard weekday lunch rush, I found the wait time to be a tad lengthy for compiling three units of pre-set combinations. There wasn't exactly an assembly line present, hence the confusion that took place between the staff members tending to different aspects of my order.
For approximately 20 minutes, I hovered in front of the ingredient bar. During this time, I saw a great deal of urgent commands being called out, fried lotus root chips being sprinkled on almost every order, and a bag of romaine heads roughly being chopped and placed into a plastic black bowl (that was later discovered to be my own).
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Geisha's Kiss adopted an almost identical layout to that of Mii'Hito: an amusing graphic reminiscent of a Westernized geisha covered the ends and sides of the perforated hexagonal prism container. Within this sturdily sealed tube was my order wrapped in a layers of white (parchment? wax?) paper plus takeout packages of soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Unlike the contents of the sombrero-donning daruma, Su&Shi's burrito was sliced perpendicularly instead of at an angle. This made it more challenging to remove from the packaging. On the bright side, the choice of thicker wrapping paper aided the consumption process, specifically in terms of reducing wastewage and discouraging spillage.
The sushi burrito comprised of red tuna, mango, cucumber, ginger, and tobiko enveloped in a wasabi mayonnaise. Admittedly, it was less amusing to munch on due to the straight edge-cutting, but I suppose the real turn-off was the overpowering wasabi sauce. It was slathered generously between the rice layer and fillings, making for a truly nasal-clearing experience
The remaining elements were tasty, but nothing particularly worth writing home about. I appreciated the addition of mango for tartness, and also tobiko for crunch, but the tuna itself was found to be a bit lacking. Put simply, it was decently fresh but undeniably bland. (Perhaps the wasabi mayo hadn't penetrated deep enough?) I'm also uncertain about the plentiful bite of pickled ginger - it is perfectly fine when eated alone, but not quite so formidable in conjunction with others.
Unlike the contents of the sombrero-donning daruma, Su&Shi's burrito was sliced perpendicularly instead of at an angle. This made it more challenging to remove from the packaging. On the bright side, the choice of thicker wrapping paper aided the consumption process, specifically in terms of reducing wastewage and discouraging spillage.
The sushi burrito comprised of red tuna, mango, cucumber, ginger, and tobiko enveloped in a wasabi mayonnaise. Admittedly, it was less amusing to munch on due to the straight edge-cutting, but I suppose the real turn-off was the overpowering wasabi sauce. It was slathered generously between the rice layer and fillings, making for a truly nasal-clearing experience
The remaining elements were tasty, but nothing particularly worth writing home about. I appreciated the addition of mango for tartness, and also tobiko for crunch, but the tuna itself was found to be a bit lacking. Put simply, it was decently fresh but undeniably bland. (Perhaps the wasabi mayo hadn't penetrated deep enough?) I'm also uncertain about the plentiful bite of pickled ginger - it is perfectly fine when eated alone, but not quite so formidable in conjunction with others.
Salmon Lover and Albacore Tuna & Crab originated from the same base: brown rice and chopped romaine "salad".
The latter was colourful with seasoned crab meat salad, lotus chips, ginger, avocado, nori strips, and a random spoonful of sauteed red onions. Found at the centre of the bowl was a single portion of mushy albacore tuna. Whether the aim was to recreate the texture negitoro shall persist onwards, but, for the most part, it was satisfying in terms of flavour balance. Ripe avocado chunks contributed to a nice, creamy consistency.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was Salmon Lover, which should really be renamed as "Salmon Lover No More". Its unmarinated fishy stench was already unbearable when the lid was lifted, but experiencing its aftertaste even long after concluding the meal was something I could have done without. While vivid in hue, the remaining components were bland and largely unappealing. Edamame and plain romaine could have easily be levelled up with a splash of soy sauce and/or a creamy topping, but neither was present in this case. When the highlight of a dish is its ponzu sauce-drenched rice, it is one probably worth skipping.
The latter was colourful with seasoned crab meat salad, lotus chips, ginger, avocado, nori strips, and a random spoonful of sauteed red onions. Found at the centre of the bowl was a single portion of mushy albacore tuna. Whether the aim was to recreate the texture negitoro shall persist onwards, but, for the most part, it was satisfying in terms of flavour balance. Ripe avocado chunks contributed to a nice, creamy consistency.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was Salmon Lover, which should really be renamed as "Salmon Lover No More". Its unmarinated fishy stench was already unbearable when the lid was lifted, but experiencing its aftertaste even long after concluding the meal was something I could have done without. While vivid in hue, the remaining components were bland and largely unappealing. Edamame and plain romaine could have easily be levelled up with a splash of soy sauce and/or a creamy topping, but neither was present in this case. When the highlight of a dish is its ponzu sauce-drenched rice, it is one probably worth skipping.
To conclude my findings, I believe it's safe to say that the Spoon & Fork outposts have managed to uphold their status on the market. The newly introduced items from Su&Shi Burrito fell short in terms of freshness as well as authenticity (the fish was not marinated beforehand).
Thankfully, the Longan Iced Tea did not disappoint. It hit all the appropriate notes for sweetness, fruitiness, and invigorating properties.
I had also developed a massive craving for cheese tarts earlier that morning. As I was wrapping up my errands, I almost couldn't believe my eyes when several of Bake Code's Twice Baked Rare Cheese Tarts were spotted residing in Chatime's display case. Recalling the ever-pleasant memories of my first encounter with the delectable dessert, I happily picked one up.
Thankfully, the Longan Iced Tea did not disappoint. It hit all the appropriate notes for sweetness, fruitiness, and invigorating properties.
I had also developed a massive craving for cheese tarts earlier that morning. As I was wrapping up my errands, I almost couldn't believe my eyes when several of Bake Code's Twice Baked Rare Cheese Tarts were spotted residing in Chatime's display case. Recalling the ever-pleasant memories of my first encounter with the delectable dessert, I happily picked one up.
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Exactly as I recalled, the tart didn't succumb to any other competitor in terms of cheesiness nor depth of flavour not satisfaction. Our party of three relished in the cheesy goodness for a total of five minutes before the pastry vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a trail of crumbs and a sly streak of oozing cheese.
At times like these, I'm glad that I'm not too far from the nation's second largest shopping centre and Ontario's second-largest transit hub.
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