Out & About #413 | TORCH Pressed Sushi, North York Things + Star Wars

Leave no stone unturned, and leave no sushi restaurant untried.
​This is the principle by which one must comply to ensure not a single worthy-mention eatery is left excluded in the positive GTA listings.

The range of restaurants offering torched sushi is expansive, and not to be confused with those specializing in aburi, a more labour-intensive product generally in demand of high-quality breeds.

​Located at an unembellished corner of Yonge Street just north of Finch, TORCH Pressed Sushi is the newest installment carrying the charred, savoury sushi blocks, but in a relatively unfamiliar grab-and-go format. Alongside the trendy rectangular prisms, one can also expect to find four varieties of poke bowls, Japanese ramune soda, and classic sides of garden salad and miso soup.

​Seating is scarce and limited to backless plastic stools situated along the street-facing end of the store. Majority of the space within the eatery had been allocated to an open kitchen - which was great in that orders could be communicated easily to all crew members, but also meant that greasy fumes escaping the area would inevitably infiltrate into one's hair and clothing.

​Nine styles of torched sushi - each varying in price depending on its toppings - were available for mix-and-match in multiples of three. A 6-piece order included miso soup, while a 12-piece order included miso soup, a side salad, and a soft drink. Neither the 6-piece nor 12-piece combos entailed price reductions, though; it merely indicated that combo additions would be free of charge.

​We opted to share a 12-piece order comprising of: Torched Salmon, Torched Tuna, Tempura Shrimp, and Yam & Banana.
Having stepped foot into the establishment after peak lunch period had passed, the entire processing time approximated just under ten minutes. Our order was presented atop a silver tray, with miso soup in Styrofoam containers and condiments in tiny plastic takeout cups. Disposable chopsticks, suprisingly rigid plastic spoons, and a sample-sized portion of side salad graced their presence. All torched sushi orders were placed separately on black takeout trays, sans-lids.

​Admittedly, I was quite taken back by the quality of the sides. Instead of a batch of unseasoned spring mix, the side salad was a well-proportioned mix of refreshing wakame and leafy greens. Within the miso soup, there lay laver as well as small cubes of tofu. Neither was overwhelmed by dressing nor sodium.

Torched Salmon was, hands down, my favourite amongst our three savoury picks. The fish was fleshy and retained sufficient fat content such that it would dissolve in one's mouth upon contact. Seasonings were present in the form of soy glaze, white sesame seeds, and a thin layer of mayo, and were successful in enhancing depth without overloading the specimen.

​A little greener than I would have pictured, Torched Tuna sported a distinct smear of wasabi mayo on its surface and a section of avocado at its centre. The maguro was lean - a drastic contrast from the Torched Salmon - and had been seared till its deep red hue was no longer recognizable. The bits of pickled onion residing on top was an interesting touch.
This variation would have probably scored higher in my books had it was slightly fattier.

​Tempura Shrimp had been picked as opposed to Torched Shrimp out of curiosity. Sadly, its presentation was quite lacking when compared to the image in the menu. Taste-wise, it was enjoyable nonetheless.
The tempura strips were crunchy and satisfying with no hints of undrained oil. Tobiko made a surprise appearance at its innermost quarters, while an unexpected dusting of furikake lined the bottom.

An innovative addition to the menu was the Yam & Banana - a never-before-witnessed dessert rendition of pressed sushi. We pointed to this creation out of sheer curiosity, and were pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Yam tempura was a timeless topping choice, though the inclusion of soft, sweet fried banana was a welcome quirk. Toasted black and white sesame seeds added oomph, while a sugary mango sauce contributed a sense of cohesion. This is a unique style I'd recommend first-timers to give a try.

For a small, washroom-less spot, TORCH managed to impress with a streamlined menu of lunchtime favourites consisting of both tried-and-true poke bowls as well as more fashion-forward pressed sushi. Service was also prompt and friendly, with smiles all around.
Table space and seating was scarce, as expected of a takeout diner, though it had been made aware to us that the team was currently in the midst of installing hooks underneath for added convenience.

​Finding parking along Yonge Street is never an easy task, but we managed to secure one of the six spots located around the corner (just in front of Hair Bank's North York location!). Alternatively, I believe the small sliver adjacent to Daldongnae would also be safe from towing.

Under my suggestion, a brief series of stops were before venturing back to the west side.

First was Bake Code, where Roasted Coffee Buns and a Black Sesame QQ Bun was secured. The former is a cool approach to combining a cup of morning joe with sweet, carby goodness, while the latter was just as depicted: mochi-like and radiating with the essence of black sesame.

​Of course, I could not depart without my trusty cup of Thai Milk Tea - this time with a shot of espresso.

​Next was Cheese Garden, for I had hoped to obtain the Uji Tiramisu I had failed to achieve on the fateful day before its official release.
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As luck would have it, the item was limited to seasonal sale and unavailable for my personal pleasure. A Chocolate Double Fromage Cheesecake was chosen instead.

​Ringing in at a few price points lower than the bakery's green tea version, the cake adopted the same unsanded wooden carrying container and dual-layer wrapping paper. Its exterior was coated with dark brown cake crumbs, which were dry and a tad stale to taste.

​The interior proved significantly better, with a top layer of original frozen cheesecake that bore resistance to dissolution and a bottom layer of luscious, velvety chocolate cheesecake. Encased with the silky slice was the boldness of cocoa powder, gentle sweetness of chocolate, and satisfying consistency of cream cheese.
Under complete adherence to the provided instructions (and the recommended five- to fifteen-minute defrosting duration), the cake could be enjoyed with minimal effort.

Finally, the journey towards Square One commenced.
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Quite times were enjoyed at Playdium, before an unfortunate case of monetary loss anyway.

​The day's adventures concluded with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

With no previous background on the science fiction series, both of us waltzed into the theatre with open minds. While I cannot critique the 2-hour long production for consistency, I can declare that the 3D movie proved thrilling without prior exposure

Some transitions felt a tad amateur (ie. the Movie Maker-esque windshield wipers), but overall incorporation of graphics and colour was appreciated. Flow of the story was steady, and progression logical. The few bursts of comedic relief were refreshing as well.

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