Hello Nori Greets Toronto
The hit Vancouver hand roll sushi spot takes Hogtown.
Photo by Mark Yuen
The state of fast-casual dining has never been better. From coast to coast, traditional fast-food options are giving way to fashionable takeout spots and counter-service restaurants. Toronto has led the way in this department, with upscale burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and platters available at breakneck speeds at all hours of the day. But until now, the city has lacked high-quality, fast-casual options for one cuisine tailor-made for speedy eating: sushi.
Hello Nori, the ascendant hand-roll sushi chainlet, has arrived in Canada’s largest city, and there’s been quite a stir (and snaking lines) around its King Street West address, the first location outside of its Vancouver home base. Hello Nori’s arrival in Toronto marks the first in a series of moves for the brand that is betting big on on-the-go Japanese dining in Canada and beyond, with three locations planned for Toronto by the end of 2025. “Our vision has always been to grow our restaurant group to 100 outlets worldwide, and with three new restaurants opening in under a year, that vision has never felt more attainable,” says Hello Nori’s director of operations, Isaac Olivier.
Photo by Mark Yuen
Like many of the best fast-casual restaurants, Hello Nori is not explicitly so. Starting with its elegant interiors, featuring pillars meant to evoke the skyscrapers that dominate Toronto’s skyline and curlicuing wooden ceiling features inspired by King Street West’s historical role as the hub of the city’s textile industry, stepping into Hello Nori’s Toronto outpost delivers diners to a word far away from their local burger joint or pizza place. However, one design feature that speaks to the restaurant’s need for speed is its bar seating, the only type available and made to cut down the time between chef and guest.
Focusing on hand rolls, with a small number of aburi options and select cuts of sashimi, Hello Nori’s menu is not that of your typical sushi spot. Each roll is crafted individually and passed directly from the sushi chef to the diner, with the intention that it be consumed within seconds of its completion. Classics such as spicy bluefin tuna, king salmon, and cucumber are available for those looking for familiar flavours, while standout options such as the decadent lobster and truffle roll reward the adventurous.
The most popular item from the concise bar program will no doubt be the sake served in a masu box. Poured first into a glass sitting inside, the liquid overflows into the box itself, symbolizing boundless prosperity and good fortune. It’s a drink auspicious enough that even the most time-strapped diners at Hello Nori will want to sit down and stay awhile.
