Asahi

200 Carlton St.
Toronto, ON
(416) 962-6565

Type of cuisine: Japanese
Date of Review: March, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Okay
Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable

Description:  We stopped into Asahi for a quick bite before hitting the Pheonix for a concert, and in short, I would not otherwise consider it a destination.

The menu is fairly typical of Japanese, and for the gluten-free eater, the restrictions are the usual:  no teriyaki as it contains soy sauce (which typically contains wheat), no tempura, rarely an appetizer as the sauces often contain soy sauce, and the usual caution even with the salad dressing (which here did contain soy sauce).  I am near to the point of bringing salad dressing along with my wheat-free soy sauce on my Japanese dining excursions.  Note that miso soup is also a hazard.  Red miso can contain barley, and most restaurants are uncertain of their source.

As for the food, our edamame were fine if not perky.  I stuck to sushi, and it was fine, although not the freshest I've had.    My fellow diner was served a borderline mushy yellowtail, and it did not sit very pleasantly in the stomach.  Her miso was standard and her tempura respectable. 

The waitress, while pleasant, was not gluten aware.  She was also in a rush, wrote nothing down, and so served my fellow diner her only allergen, avocado.  (This did have the advantage of allowing me to play garbarator.) 

Smelling mildly of cooking oils, this smallish restaurant is arranged in comfortable booths.  The decor is simple.

In sum, this is not a sushi destination, but might be suitable for a bite before a concert when time is short.

As a sidebar, the concert that night absolutely rocked.  Rodrigo y Gabriela originate from Mexico, have heavy metal roots, and now play as an edgy latin acoustic duo.  These guys make latin rock, and they exude enough energy to power a city (or at least a good size concert venue).