Perfect 10. Nothing can top the value of a trip to Toyoda after a hard week for the joy of eating their wonderful Sashimi dinner. Shared with my wife, the one Sashimi dinner is the exact right... More

Perfect 10. Nothing can top the value of a trip to Toyoda after a hard week for the joy of eating their wonderful Sashimi dinner. Shared with my wife, the one Sashimi dinner is the exact right amount. Each item in the Sashimi dinner is as fresh as can be. A table is fine but the bar is even better. How did we get so lucky as to have this fine establishment in our very back yard? It is worth arranging one's life so as to be at Toyoda's by 5:15. If you can't do that, get on the list as soon as you can and expect a potentially long but worthwhile wait.
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i've been to toyoda a few times and have always had decent food, but somehow my experience a few days ago will make sure that i won't be back anytime soon. my fiance and i LOVE japanese food and... More

i've been to toyoda a few times and have always had decent food, but somehow my experience a few days ago will make sure that i won't be back anytime soon. my fiance and i LOVE japanese food and were excited to give toyoda's saba shioyaki and a wine marinated fish a try. we ordered a dinner portion of the saba and a side order of the other fish and i'm sad to say that we were shocked when it arrived. the server dropped off two tiny pieces of the saba that cost $17 was the same size as my side order that was $10. we ordered kani, which is described on the menu as "cooked crab" and it was IMITATION CRAB. at $2 a piece for fake meat, we were completely taken by surprise! we also ordered amaebi and yakitori and as the meal came out to be $60 we found ourselves still hungry and eating every last bit of food (including the onion on the yakitori sticks!!!) as the server took away the dishes. for a meal to total near $70 (tip included) there are plenty of other places to get the most bang for your buck try kisaku near greenlake or i love sushi on lake bellevue. $70 at i love sushi will leave you feeling stuffed and satisfied...... not hungry and grumpy.... =(
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Oh My great service and very fresh, Highly recomend

Oh My great service and very fresh, Highly recomend
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Toyoda has good eats and a friendly staff (especially the sushi chefs behind the bar). I do wish they had a little more space in the dining area ... but I guess being crowded is a sign of being good!

Toyoda has good eats and a friendly staff (especially the sushi chefs behind the bar). I do wish they had a little more space in the dining area ... but I guess being crowded is a sign of being good!
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i went here upon a friend's rave recommendation. i thought it was "ok", but not worth the trip to get to (i live in ballard). i haven't been back since. it's a great local place, but there are so... More

i went here upon a friend's rave recommendation. i thought it was "ok", but not worth the trip to get to (i live in ballard). i haven't been back since. it's a great local place, but there are so many better places to get sushi if you have to drive.
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So, after reading all the great reviews on this place, I stopped by and got some takeout. I immediately regretted my decision to take out rather than stay in. I want to be one of the people Helen... More

So, after reading all the great reviews on this place, I stopped by and got some takeout. I immediately regretted my decision to take out rather than stay in. I want to be one of the people Helen says hello to by name as they walk in the door! I just loved the energy of this place, and can't wait to go back, sit down, and get to know the place better. Oh, I almost forgot...the food. It was basic, no frills, amazing sashimi and sushi, served in ample, generous portions. Try the spicy tuna handroll. Mmmmm. The noodle-mayo-salad thing is weird, but not bad and free, so, What the Heck? Give it a try.
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[Original Post] I have never eaten at Toyoda, but I would be curious to hear comments from people who have also eaten at Nishino. Nishino is my favourite sushi in Seattle - more for good... More

[Original Post] I have never eaten at Toyoda, but I would be curious to hear comments from people who have also eaten at Nishino. Nishino is my favourite sushi in Seattle - more for good quality food than ambience or price. How do the two stack up? [Added on 7/18/06 after my visit] They say first impressions count, so let me give my impressions of my one visit to Toyoda compared with my many visits to Nishino… My wife and I drove up to Toyoda on Friday night around 7pm. There was a small line but we were seated fast. The Toyoda décor was on par with most sushi restaurants in Seattle – functional yet unspectacular. For environment and ambience, Nishino has it beat; not that I love Nishinos atmosphere – I find it somewhat modern and sterile, but it is nicer than Toyoda. One point Nishino. After we were seated, the waitress quickly brought over complementary miso soup. The soup was average. The miso-paste was bland, it came with soggy tofu and spinach. Nishinos miso has them outclassed – the richer miso flavours, the smoky taste with clams and real seaweed is a much better experience. Before we ordered, the waitress came over with yet another complimentary dish – a small noodle bowl. I found this to be a little odd and to detract from the experience. The noodles were nothing special and seemed to serve as some sort of “filler”. I came to eat good sushi, I don’t need to fill up on blanched noodles. As we placed our order, we were informed that they had no fresh Shake (salmon) left, only the smoked salmon. Whoa, what kind of sushi place runs out of a staple like Salmon at 7pm on a Friday night? At this point I have to admit, I was starting to feel a little grumpy (low blood sugar :)) and questioning the wisdom of the pioneering Judys Book recommenders before me. My expectations for good sushi dropped as finished placing our order. Amazingly, the sushi came out really fast – much quicker than Nishino usually gets it out. My first bite was the Hamachi. Wow. I don’t think I have tasted Hamachi so fresh outside of Tokyo. It literally melted in my mouth, it was spectacular and vastly exceeded my expectations. In all the years I have been eating at Nishino, I have never tasted a piece of Hamachi this fine. Next up was the Torro (fatty tuna), which sticks our like a sore thumb on their menu. Most of their nigiri pieces are $4-5, but the Torro runs $10. My bite of Torro cannot be described as anything other than divine. I’ve only tried two pieces and I’m sold on Toyoda already. Next came the Unagi, which was also a nicer cut than Nishino – it was wider and more moist, not as saturated in kabayaki sauce. We also tried their Spicy Tuna Tempora roll; which is thinly sliced and comes in about 14 pcs in a heap on a plate. It was very good, but not spectacular. The arboretum roll at Nishino has it beat. On the service side – I felt like it was almost a little too fast. I felt like we ate fast-food sushi really quick and didn’t having a lengthy dining experience. This was a negative for me. So, where do I net out on Nishino vs. Toyoda? Nishino is where I will go when I want a longer more intentional meal, to enjoy and savor more variety of dishes. Toyoda is where I will go when I’m just craving good sushi without the expense of special-occasion-ness that Nishno carries.
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Toyoda makes very few pretensions - it simply delivers incredibly good sushi. Well worth the trip to lake city. A small restaurant tucked into Lake City, this is not the type of place you would... More

Toyoda makes very few pretensions - it simply delivers incredibly good sushi. Well worth the trip to lake city. A small restaurant tucked into Lake City, this is not the type of place you would typically seek out. Fresh, tasty sushi is the primary / only reason (do you really need another?) to come here - the decor is unspectacular and the service was mildly attentive at best. Their miso soup wasn't the best I've had, but their tempura ice cream is incredible. The sushi though, was incredible.
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I love their laid-back atmosphere at Toyoda Sushi. The workmanship is not quite top-notch, but it delivers good, decent food with fresh ingredients, and the people are so nice. Nigiris here come... More

I love their laid-back atmosphere at Toyoda Sushi. The workmanship is not quite top-notch, but it delivers good, decent food with fresh ingredients, and the people are so nice. Nigiris here come with big pieces of fish for sure :-) I like how miso soup comes out as soon as you sit down at the bar. Don't know about the last complimentary salad we received though - it was some pasta-y salad with milky bland sauce and fake crabs in it. If you gotta do a little complimentary dish (referred to as sakizuke - a little dish preceding a meal) you gotta do it right. Like kabuki, sushi was really for commoners to begin with if you trace back the history, so I hate all the fuss at some places as well as pretentious chefs. Toyoda Sushi is plain and old fashioned in a good way - it makes you comfortable and they are considerate of how you are eating. In my book their eagerness to please you gets high marks. Their ikura is good (tastes like it's cured in house) and unagi is also good. I'd ask the chef what's good that day if you are eating sushi. I haven't tried lots of their cooked dishes, and I don't intend to try tempura ice cream they push - they are usually nasty things that come pre-packaged from a supplier, ready to be fried. It's just me (I don't believe in food at a restaurant that's not prepared on-site), but who knows what preservatives went in there. All in all, eating sushi here is a good neighborhood experience when you crave sushi but don't want to have to dress up for it. Don't miss the huge model/model train store down the street if you're into that sort of thing. Also they have a Prime Minister Koizumi maneki neko (lucky cat) - pretty classic.
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Toyoda's was the first sushi place I ate at in Seattle, and it remains my favorite. Try the sashimi platter for a huge selection, enough for two people! The place is small, so arrive early or... More

Toyoda's was the first sushi place I ate at in Seattle, and it remains my favorite. Try the sashimi platter for a huge selection, enough for two people! The place is small, so arrive early or prepare to wait, but don't miss it!
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