Hello Nori: The vibe
Popular Vancouver export, Hello Nori, has touched down in Toronto, bringing its innovative Japanese cuisine to King West. Known for redefining hand rolls, Hello Nori makes every roll to order to ensure that the rice inside is warm and the nori is perfectly crispy. The brand is also famous for its unique design across three Vancouver locations, and this new outpost is no different. Look up and you'll spot the ceiling's swirling wooden pattern, a nod to the Fashion District's spools of fabric.
The 36-seat, minimalist restaurant places guests around the circular bar where they have a front-row seat to all the sushi action. Throughout dinner, I feel the hungry eyes of potential diners upon me. Despite being open just a few weeks, Hello Nori fills its seats night after night, and there are often line-ups inside as customers bide their time by checking off their sushi choices on menus with tiny pencils.
If you're struggling to get a table, fear not. The Hello Nori brand plans to open three additional locations in the heart of Toronto by the end of 2025.
Mark Yuen
Hello Nori: What's on the menu
With a restaurant scene overflowing with great Japanese cuisine and excellent sushi in Toronto, I wonder aloud what makes this Vancouver export so unique. "When we go to hand roll bars, we find that's where the experience generally ends," explains Isaac Olivier, the director of restaurant operations.
"[Elsewhere] there wasn't any room to elevate that further. We wanted to take that and build a restaurant that allows for every level of experience. You can have a very quick set menu: four to six hand rolls. Or you can come here and have sashimi, oshi, featured menu items, cocktails and a list of sake."
Hello Nori uses sustainable, Ocean Wise-certified seafood, sourced both locally and direct from Japan. Ingredients like ora king salmon, wagyu, truffle lobster, spicy bluefin tuna and yellowtail make it into their warm and perfectly crunchy hand rolls, hand-placed directly onto your plate. Set menus (ranging from four to six hand-rolls and $23–35) are a great way to try a range of rolls. We recommend topping up your meal with their featured specials, like sliced sashimi in bright and flavourful sauces.
The meticulousness doesn't stop with the proteins. Hello Nori is fastidious about its signature warm rice, a premium short-grain variety that's perfect for sushi given its sticky texture. Its seasoning is designed to complement the fish and other ingredients, and it's served slightly warm to enhance the flavour of the magically crispy nori.
Though this opening is the brand's fourth location, nothing about Hello Nori feels like a chain. Service is customized and attentive, and dishes appear on plates promptly with care and context. Hello Nori recommends that guests eat their hand rolls within 10 seconds of being served, to enjoy the flavours and textures when they're at their peak — so no waiting for your date's order to arrive.
For this reason, you won't find hand rolls on the takeout menu as the restaurant is keen to ensure its integrity. However, guests can enjoy aburi oshi and cut rolls at home, as well as platters, bento boxes and sushi sets.
Hello Nori: The drinks
Hello Nori is committed to making this location Toronto-centric, with lots of local collaborations. Izumi Brewery, Ontario's only sake producer, supplies several delicious options on the drink side of the menu. Isaac Olivier, director of operations, says that after a period of research, Rorschach Brewing Co. was the top choice for their rice lager.
The sake service is something to behold, with the Japanese rice wine being poured into a sake glass, which is placed into the centre of a masu box, traditionally used for rice. "We fill the glass in a showcase of hospitality and goodwill," says Olivier. "The rest of the sake is captured in the masu box, to be enjoyed later."
"Kanpai," we say together, seconds before I spill sake straight into my lap.
Cocktails — designed to pair with the sushi, naturally — are also on the menu. Saké Sangria is a refreshing spin on the traditional cocktail while other drinks feature Japanese ingredients prominently, like the Shiso Mojito and the Yuzu Margarita. Those wanting to forgo the booze can opt for the Nitro Matcha Brew, a smooth and creamy green tea beverage.
You can't make reservations at Hello Nori, so don't arrive hungry, and expect a wait. However, the eventual hand rolls and sake upon arrival will make it all worthwhile.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $85 before tax and tip.
