Posted : November 11, 2013
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
There’s something exciting about leaving the decision making for what to eat to someone else.
Omakase is Japanese for “it’s up you” and is a meal created entirely by the chef with little or no input from the diner.
Using quality ingredients and unique flavour combinations, omakase showcases a chef’s culinary and creative skills.
EDO at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa opened their doors this past September and offers guests the choice of ordering from a regular menu or omakase – 4 courses for $45, 5 courses for $55, 6 courses for $65.
The restaurant is quiet and cozy. Soft jazz music plays in the background and friendly wait staff are available to answer any questions you might have about the menu.
There is plenty of room between tables, a separate dining area for guests looking for a bit more privacy and comfortable padded chairs and benches.
For parents with young children, highchairs, booster seats and change tables in the washroom are not available at EDO however guests are welcome bring their own booster seat into the restaurant or use the hotel’s washrooms in the main lobby.
Instead of ordering off of their standard menu, we chose to order omakase – one 4 course and one 5 course meal.
Cold Appetizers
We started our dinner with some cold appetizers – goma hamachi and salmon tartare.
An unagi ball was included for the 5 course meal.
Presented on all white plates, the appetizers were just as delicious as they were beauitful.
Delicate, savoury and sweet, the yellowtail fish with maple tamari glaze on top was our favourite bite in this course.
Hot Appetizers
Tempura and miso infused eggplant followed our cold appetizer course.
The 5 course meal included a ginger pork dumpling.
Tempura was perfectly prepared – the batter was light and crispy.
The miso infused eggplant was good. Very good and almost addictive. It was not particularly substantial and the portion given to us could have been larger.
The ginger flavour was too overpowering in the dumpling and didn’t wow us.
Sushi Course
By far, this was our favourite course of the meal.
Fried shrimp head (completely edible and delicious), shrimp, scallop, tuna tiger shrimp nigiri and a shrimp and avocado hand roll were arranged meticulously in a line.
It was a tight race trying to choose our favourite item on the plate.
The scallop was declared the winner by my husband because it tasted like it had been brought straight from the sea.
The shrimp and avocado hand roll was most memorable for me and the pink soy paper used on the outside was a welcome change from traditional nori.
Kudos to the chef for making the tuna resemble a tiger shrimp. We really had to get up close – as in nose touching the fish – to tell it was tuna and not shrimp.
Entrée
Unlike traditional omakase meals, we were told to choose our entrée prior to the start of our dinner – we chose the tiger shrimp and black angus striploin.
Our entrées were far less memorable compared to the three courses before it.
The meat and shrimp were both cooked well – not overdone and chewy however there was just too much sauce for our liking.
The grilled vegetables could have used a bit more seasoning and the grains were very difficult to pick up with chopsticks.
Dessert
To finish off the meal we had piping hot panko crusted fried bananas – a good indication that they were made to order and not en masse.
Mango mochi (rice cake with mango ice cream inside) and several pieces of strawberries accompanied the banana.
The fried bananas were very tasty and like the miso infused eggplant, we wished our stomachs had room for more.
Final Verdict
Only two items separate the $45 and $55 meal – an unagi ball and dumpling.
We’re not completely sold that the $10 increase in price was worth it for these two items.
The $45 omakase set is very filling as is and I’d be interested to see what extras are included in the $65 omakase set.
Edo’s omakase offers affordable options for guests looking for new seafood and flavour combinations while staying within the boundaries of western cuisine.
Cheryl is founder of Kids On A Plane – a blog dedicated to family travel in North America and the Caribbean. When she’s not on a plane, you can find her exploring York Region and the GTA with her two young children and husband.
