A Packed Room on University Avenue
On Monday afternoon, September 28, some of Toronto’s best-known chefs and restaurateurs filed into Shangri-La Toronto at 188 University Avenue. They came for an invite-only tasting that had the whole room leaning in. Plus, talent from Michelin-recognized kitchens mingled with hotel teams, seafood buyers and guests from Japan. They were all there to meet Japanese madai and buri, 2 fish that plenty of Toronto diners haven’t tried yet. We were there with our camera, and it was a full house from start to finish.
The host was the Japan Farmed Fish Export Association. This group of Japanese fish farmers, co-operatives and traders formed in 2022 with support from the Japanese government. Its goal is to bring Japanese farmed fish to kitchens around the world.
Meet Madai and Buri
The stars of the afternoon were madai and buri. Madai is the red sea bream, and in Japan, people often call it the “king of fish.” Meanwhile, buri is a mature Japanese yellowtail. Madai is the delicate one, with firm white flesh and a gentle sweetness. It has also long been a centrepiece of Japanese celebrations. Buri, however, is its rich, buttery counterpart. It’s a fatty fish with deep flavour that practically melts as you eat it.
A Chef Who Wouldn’t Stop at Sashimi
Shangri-La Toronto’s executive chef, JohnRoss Woodland, and his team prepared the menu, and you could tell they had fun with it. Spread across 8 interactive stations, the fish showed up smoked, flamed, cured and sliced raw, so guests could taste how each one changed with the technique. Bright citrus cut through the richness of the buri. Meanwhile, sourdough brought a toasty, savoury note to one of the most talked-about bites in the room. Madai showed up cold and silky in some bites and hot with crispy skin in others. In fact, it’s just as happy in a pan as on a sashimi plate.
Many will recognize Woodland from Chopped Canada. He has told reporters that his kitchen tried everything, from smoking the bones to dry-aging the fish on the bone. The goal was to see how far these 2 could go. From where we stood, the bites disappeared fast.
How They’re Raised and When You Might Taste Them
Organizers say farmers raise the fish ethically and sustainably in Japan, in conditions that mimic natural ocean currents. They also say madai and buri could reach Toronto menus as early as this winter. Plus, Woodland has said his team is already working buri into dishes at Bosk, the hotel’s signature restaurant.
It was a delicious glimpse of what could be coming to a plate near you this season. So we can’t wait to see what Toronto’s chefs do with these 2 fish next.
Watch the reel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytorontonews/reel/Dd_Rhxqu19B/