Toshi Sushi

Expensive and nothing special

Kakui was booked for the night, so we decided to try out a different montclair sushi place.
We started with an appetizer off their specials menu, fried calamari, which was very lackluster and rather overpriced. They also give you edamame and miso soup as part of your meal, which is nice especially on a cold night.
The sushi was just ok. We got a nigiri platter, rainbow roll, and cherry blossom roll. The cherry blossom is a beautiful presentation. The taste of everything was good enough, but nothing too special to draw me back. The saving grace of this place is that the service is very attentive and friendly.
So, I’d maybe go for this place if I was looking for something low-​key and more casual, but picky sushi connoisseurs will definitely be happier at Kakui.

I am a sushi snob and I really like this place! It is reasonable, never too crowded, kid friendly, and consistently good sushi. The scallop love boat roll is amazing! We always go to this place. I think it is way better then the other two sushi places in Montclair. I also think the competition has upped their game so now I find them better then before.

Me and my husband love this place. They are super friendly every time we go in. They always make our orders to perfection. Love them

This is not good food at all. The rolls were not even cut thru.

WELL… this was our second attempt to go use my Groupon at Amba. They never seem to be open — closed Friday night and Saturday morning. Who cares about making money on the busiest days of the week, right? So, Amba’s lost is Toshi Sushi’s gain.
Actually, I shouldn’t be eating after chowing down at happy hour at work not too long ago. But I had promised dinner with a friend. Sooo, I chose the entrée with the smallest portion size possible. 6 piece sushi roll. Vegetable tempura ($ 7.50 or so). For that price, I guess I expected more. They were small like small California rolls. I thought I would have enough to pack for a light snack later. I’m not a cheap person, but I do know value. Uhh… THIS for $ 7.50? Some cuisines are totally worth it, but not THIS… who do you think you are, Toshi Sushi?
But my buddy loved her mackerel. And that was a pretty sizable portion, that came with salad and miso soup.
It’s a tiny little restaurant, but it seems to be very popular with the locals. There’s street parking if you feel adventurous, but there’s also a parking garage up the hill for $ 2/​hr.

I considered giving this place 5 stars to counter all the haters. Seriously, don’t be busting out 1 star ratings when you don’t like the décor.
This place was really nice. The customer service was great; they were friendly and it felt family-​oriented. The nigiri was especially good and fresh. We ordered a handroll and they gave us two. Portions were generous. Spider roll was well-​fried: crispy but not dry.
The super special rolls looked kind of expensive. But if you want simple family-​style Japanese, Toshi is the place.

I’m surprised at the negative reviews and comments about how expensive Toshi is, but then, I only come at lunch. Service is quick and friendly, miso soup is quite tasty, and the fish is gorgeous and plentiful. They also use the brown rice green tea, which I really, really love.
Additionally, there’s always parking less than a half block away, and there’s always a table open so long as you’re there with a smallish group!
Minus one star ’cause the tea is just never quite hot enough for me, but otherwise, it’s a solid establishment. Mmmmmmfish.

Trying to figure out which Japanese joint to get lunch on Friday and I saw some credible diners going into Toshi, so I followed.
The interior is okay, but the bathroom is atrocious. I do NOT like looking at a urinal when going to the Ladies’ Room. Well, it was unisex, but really, disgusting. Oh by the way, the toilet seat was UP too, so what’s the point of having the damn urinal? I know space is a commodity in Montclair, but does the bathroom have to be in the middle of the kitchen? Again, not acceptable.
The lunch specials are standard. I had the double double salmon bento for $ 11.95. Good thing I got the teri on the side, b/​c it was watery and overly sweet. The fish was cooked medium rare the way I like it. Came with miso, I nixed the CA rolls and opted for more salad. Fairly busy in comparison to the other sushi restos in the area.

Food is wonderful and fresh and the service is very friendly. A great family place and MUCH better than the new place that opened across the street. They are currently doing a 20% off anniversary special!
Try the titanic roll!

I really wanted to support this place since it has been in Montclair so long and I hate when new business come in and kick others out. Alas, I have given up.
First off this place is quite expensive, so I waited until their 23 anniversary discount sale (20% off everything!!)…but that was the only thing I was glad of that night. After ordering you are served edamame to snack on. I was very excited about this, as I do not eat it much any more because my boyfriend is allergic. Since I was dining with him I ate most of it… that is until I got toward the bottom of the dish and discovered a fly! After feeling nauseous for a moment I took a deep breath and a big drink of water. Ew, but I had been craving sushi all week, so we stuck with it.
The sushi itself was alright. The deepfried roll was a little over done and dry. The roll we ordered with tempura shrimp was just sad. While looking down at the piece of sushi, the shrimp part of it took up maybe ¹⁄₅ of the roll… man that was a delicious mouthful or rice!
As the final straw we were only offered a water refill after we were given our check despite the fact that we had ordered a spicy roll and our waters had been drained for quite some time.
I really wish I could say I would give these guys another shot, but they have disappointed me for the last time and I am moving on.

I’m going to give Toshi some love because I think they are unnecessarily being bullied by Unilocal meanies. I had another craving for omega 3 oils so I ordered an alaska roll to go. God, it really was delicious! Way better than coach, geta, or angel fish, kirala, etc. I was watching the chef and he sliced up a rather sizeable portion of very fresh, firm and fatty salmon to stuff in to my roll. It was beautiful. The avocado was very creamy and I was in heaven. I was done eating by the time I pulled my car around the block. I really like this place, both the owner and chef are pleasant and not obsequious. Also, though this is not a takeout joint and all I order is a dinky roll (and one of their least expensive, at that) they never treat me poorly. Must take the Sweetie here for a meal soon.

Typical cookie cutter Japanese restaurant with typical cookie cutter food and prices that slightly skew to the Montclair clientele
They benefit from being the only sushi restaurant in the immediate vicinity. I think the next couple of decent sushi spots are by Grand Lake and one near Fruitvale.

Exactly, meh, there are better Sushi places in Oakland especially for cheaper.
Their service is fine, but for the prices, I don’t think this place is really worth it. The location is good for the area becasue there aren’t any other sushi places in Montclair.
But seriously, meh.

It was a fluke. I was really hungry, had a craving for sushi, and was on my way home from a friend’s house in Montclair. So I tried it.
Not impressed at all. I had a rainbow roll, and the fish didn’t look (or taste) especially fresh. I also had a dragon roll. The eel was sort of weird, the tempura soggy.
The service was great (I was one of three people in the place at the time.)
The prices were high. Won’t make that mistake again.

As you enter, you will see that this place is very cozy. I find this place to be good for 2 to get the right amount of privacy.
This time I came in here alone and sat at the bar. Usually eating alone is dull, however, sitting at the bar was extremely eventful watching this team work. The sushi chef worked skillfully and artfully, very hypnotizing to watch.
I started with hot tea and the miso soup which was surprisingly hearty with flavor and bean cake squares. It’s my favorite.
I ordered salmon and yellowtail — sushi style, to find the fish fresh and the rice the right texture, not to mention I mixed the wasabi a little too hot. My sinuses got a thorough flushing…
I followed with a dragon roll that was bursting with color and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It was full of multi-​layered flavors and way too much for one person.
I had green tea ice cream to make the perfect conclusion.
This was not my fist time here, but the first time to report my experiences. Every visit has been satisfying, and well above average.
Try sitting at the sushi bar and asking the sushi chef for his recommendation.
Parking is hell, so try parking in a large lot and walking. Or you can try parking across the street of Mountain Blvd, its metered.
Its a small cozy place worth checking out.

Toshi’s has some of the freshest sushi I’ve eaten in a very long time. I like that their California roll isn’t imitation crab chuck full of mayonnaise!!! So they get all their stars for that. My cousin and her boyfriend ordered the rainbow roll which came with a different piece of sashimi on every slice. I’ve never really seen that anywhere else.
Their menu isn’t very extensive, but I tend to prefer places with out the ridiculous roll combinations. I can’t say I’m the most adventurous eater. But it did seem like they had a more than average amount of daily specials.
The meal was fairly expensive, though I am always willing to pay if it’s going to be good. If you are price conscious can’t say that this is the place for you. But if you like fresh staples, than check it out!

trying to block the bad reviews from my periphery. I want to like this place. they made a couple (more than one) gaffs and I could tell they wanted to make it right, they «did the right thing.» somewhere (not so) deep down though, I know that «doing the right thing» is really the bare minimum. Like «3» stars, OK, you screwed up and fixed it, thanks.
the family that was obviously local, obviously a past strong patron came in at least 7 minutes after my +1 and I had been seated (after offering for my +1 and I to surrender our 4-​top for their family of 4) but somehow * they received their order easily 10 minutes before ours.
so tragic, martyr story aside, here are some details:
_​if you live in whatever neighborhood that is in Montclare/​Oakland it’s probably super convenient (I don’t)
_​overpriced? yes, very much.
_​sushi is reliable, and not spectacular, not even great.
_​ambiance, was likely smart and cutting edge at the time of it’s inception — now it just looks worn-​down local-​family friendly joint in Montclare.
_​service — they try but without a smile and definitely no passion
_​menu — weak at best. lacks the creativity of anyone /​everyone else that’s trying **
bottom line:
if you’re hungry for sushi and in [that] neighborhood, the place isn’t going to kill you, but be ready to be unimpressed and a little dismayed when the cheque arrives.
* (blatant footnote ripoff — likely won’t happen much again) obviously they know the hand that feeds them.
** (still ripping off) i get it that they’ve likely experimented and now evolved with their clientele that are now post experimental, conservative like family going folk.***
*** (seriously, i can’t help it — it’s just so handy) i’d like to be snarky in with that comment but not evolved enough in my use of standard english.
[END]

As Toshi is the singular option for sushi in a neighborhood I now work in, and a 19-​year veteran restaurant at that, and given my particular affection for the raw and slimy, you might think it sad, as I do, that I will never come back here. Toshi gets a big NOshi from me.
There’s just nothing special that justifies the inflated price*. Even the likely rent-​controlled 80’s designed japano-​lodge atmosphere was lacking.
Scorecard:
–Service? Tight-​lipped, slow, less than acomodating
–Fish quality? Nothing special. All versions of crab tasted «funny»
–Menu? Confusing in its unnecessary combination dinners. Yet still unimaginative.
–Creativity? None. I saw them use Srichacha, so they don’t even make their own sauce. Flavor combos on their more daring rolls (ie, Mexican Roll**) could have been better combined by monkeys with picture cards.
Extra credit question: What is imitation Scallop??? And what is it doing on your menu?
In essence: Not the worst sushi I’ve had ever, and not exactly gross, but the worst sushi I’ve ever had in Oakland, and surely the worst sushi at this pricepoint.
*Think paying $ 10 – 15 more than necessary on a check for two.
**OK, slight user error, I should have known better than to order this

i just ate at Toshi Sushi and I wasn’t that impressed. The maguro (tuna) was only semi fresh. The ungai (eel) was too sweet which took away from the fish flavor. The yellowtail tasted like fishy water. The highlight of the meal was the gome ae-​or steamed spinach with peanut sauce. It was cooked just right and the presentation was beautiful.
This place is expensive. It was like $ 70 for the three of us, and none of us are full or satisfied.