Ichiban @ Spring Garden.

sushi... I went with a couple friends to Ichiban Fish House on Spring Garden in North York. None of us we're too hungry, so we didn't want all you can eat, which led us to this close by place. Ichiban is a pretty big restaurant with a family type atmosphere. The owners of the place are Korean, much like the large population that makes up the area. One person recommended that we try the Chirashi (which is different types of sashimi on rice). The Chirashi is a box of rice with a wide selection of raw fish on top. As you can see from the picture, they give you Salmon, white tuna, red tuna, snapper, shrimp and some other stuff. None of us really wanted to waste time looking at the menu, so 3 of us ordered the Chirashi. My other friend ordered a dish called Hae Dup Bap, which is basically a variety of Sashimi on a bed of salad. It also comes with a bowl of rice (white or brown/purple) and you mix it all together with some spicy sauce as well. Both of these dishes were really good as the selection of fish was fresh and the portions were enough to fill the average person (if you're not average, just go to all you can eat sushi! haha).
Quick Notes: There are many different Ichiban locations in Toronto but they are not the same(different owners, different qualities, different menus). This location we went to is located at Yonge and Sheppard, @ 15 Spring Garden Ave. The Chirashi was about ~$10 and the Hae Dup Bap was about ~$12 I think.

• Parking in this area cost money on the street (until 9 pm) but if you wanna try, you can park across the street where the Condo Developer Showrooms are... it's still a risk, but from past experience, noone cares if you park there.

---

... btw, a post about my recent attempt at the LoneStar 72 Oz. Steak Challenge will be posted soon (I'm just waiting on some pictures from my friends)

Ichiban @ Spring Garden Pt. 2.

sushi... There was a previous entry about Ichiban Fish House @ Spring Garden in North York. We went another time to get the Chirashi (different types of sashimi on rice), but I was feeling extra hungry, so I decided to get the Super Chirashi that they had on the menu. It was around ~$14-$15 (normal Chirashi ~$10). The main difference was that the Super Chirashi is much bigger, with a box that is double the size of the normal Chirashi (see picture). The Sashimi selection is about the same, but in larger quantities. In the Super Chirashi, they also give you some other stuff like Kim Bop (korean style sushi), Large Salmon Roe (different from the smaller flying fish roe) and some other random items. If the Chirashi is not enough, this is a good choice as you get larger quantity and variety in the dish for about ~$5 more.
This location we went to is located at Yonge and Sheppard, @ 15 Spring Garden Ave.

• Parking in this area cost money on the street (until 9 pm) but if you wanna try, you can park across the street where the Condo Developer Showrooms are... it's still a risk, but from past experience, noone cares if you park there.

Canaan Bakery Walnut Cakes.

walnut cakes... Right next to the Ichiban on Spring Garden is a shop called Canaan Bakery. It is a Korean owned store that sells little Korean Walnut Cakes. These are little round walnut pastries that are like a Korean Style Timbit! They are sweet and have fillings such as redbean paste and custard.
A bag of around 20 costs $5. They aren't especially cheap at this location, although from what I remember, there is a place in Korea Town on Bloor, across from Honest Ed's that sells them for cheaper I think. They also came in boxes at that place rather than pre-packaged bags. Either way, these walnut cakes still taste awesome, they are a tasty dessert that can go with a coffee, but like most Asian pastries, they are aren't as sweet as things like donuts or biscottis from starbucks. We had a bag of the custard filled walnut cakes after eating a tasty Chirashi meal from Ichiban next door, and between three people destroyed the entire bag within a few minutes. There is also a place that sells the walnut caked in the "Heritage Town" on the second floor of Pacific Mall. Canaan Bakery is located at 11 Spring Garden Ave. in North York.