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Affinity Fish

@affinityfish

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Lunch Service Thursday - Saturday 12-4pm
Dinner Service Thursday - Saturday 7pm seatings.
@canadasbest100 recommends 2026

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After four years at 1581 Dundas St. W, and six years total building this company, we’ve made the difficult decision not to renew our lease and to close this chapter of Affinity Fish. This wasn’t taken lightly. We made many personal sacrifices to build the fish shop and restaurant we believed Toronto needed, and we’re incredibly proud of what we accomplished. But the reality is we haven’t been able to make the business financially sustainable in its current brick and mortar.
Over the past five years, we’ve worked closely with local fisheries to help improve the systems and quality behind the fish that reaches your plate, and we feel we’ve enriched food culture in Ontario through it. It hasn’t been easy: the industrial food system creates an expectation of convenience that small local fisheries struggle to meet, and weather, equipment failures and seasonal changes make it hard to compete with industrial giants. We had chances to lower our standards and source from large commercial distributors, but we chose never to compromise.
Despite all of this, we feel lucky to have had the chance to try. We couldn’t have done it without our families and friends, our staff, our fishing partners, the chefs who believed in us, and most importantly you, our customers. Thank you for letting us dream this dream.
This isn’t the end of Affinity Fish, just a chapter in its existence. We’ll operate as normal, wholesale, retail, a-la-carte and tasting menus, until our lease ends January 16, 2027, so come enjoy our last dinners and lunches.
Matt is starting his next project: Satchmo, a robatayaki-inspired restaurant with local Canadian fish and seafood, with pop-ups and residencies coming soon. Jon plans to stay in the food world, helping restaurants and fisheries make better decisions for the environment and local food culture.
If you’d like to support us in these last few months, reserve a dinner through the link in our bio, swing by for a-la-carte, or grab some fish to take home.
With eternal gratitude, Matt & Jon. taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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a month ago

We are now taking orders for Osechi

Osechi Boxes are a Japanese New Year’s tradition. These elaborate bentos are eaten throughout the day and feature a variety of culturally symbolic foods, each with its own meaning for the year ahead. The days surrounding New Years are traditionally devoted to cleaning the home and preparing for the coming year. Osechi can be thought of as a reward for a day of cleaning and a year of hard work.
Many of Affinity Fish’s early supporters will remember the days of Toronto Bento, @jonklip ‘s pandemic project. During the COVID lockdowns, he was selling bootleg-bentos out of the back of his apartment. For four consecutive years, we have continued the bento tradition at Affinity Fish.

With the shop closing soon, this Osechi will be your second last opportunity to try our food. We will only be doing 2 weeks of dinners in January 2027 before we close the shop.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us from the very beginning. We are looking forward to sharing one last Osechi with you.

We have updated our order radius for delivery this year to be a touch smaller so please refer to the photo in the gallery to see where will accept delivery requests for this year.

What you receive in with this Bento:
-1 Large Bento Box meant to be shared between 2 hungry people (Or 1 Really hungry person), with around 30 different components.
-Soba Noodles, with tsuyu dipping sauce, and wasabi to ring in the new year per Japanese tradition.
-Menu Card explaining all the different components and their significance. taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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15 days ago

Octobers lunch Menu starts next week! (Thursday October 1)

We’ve decided to keep the menu mostly the same. The noodle set will be similar seasoning to last month but served warm and with udon noodles. And for our sides we have brought back one of our staples: Aka dashi also known as red miso soup.

We make our base dashi for this soup with our whitefish ushio broth, our miso is a mix of Japanese hatcho miso and red miso from our friends at @umisora2021 we add some Sansho powder at the end to make it extra refreshing.

We are so happy that we have been receiving so many reservations for our dinner events since announcing our closure that we have had to make the change to not offer our lunch menu from 6-9 pm anymore. Going forward the lunch menu will only be available Thursday to Saturday 12-4pm and we will only be doing our single seating for our tasting menu in the evenings on the same days.

Thank you so much! Hope to see you in for lunch soon!

📸: @mattmatt_taylor

#misosoup #lunchmenu #fishbybish #affinityfish #wildcaughtfromthegreatlakes taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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18 days ago

*FULLY SOLD OUT! THANK YOU!!!*

Wow! We are so blown away with the support from you all since we announced our impending closure last week. We have since fully sold out the rest of September and are almost sold out for October as well.

We noticed that we have a lot of folks on the wait list for our current omakase that is sold out, so we have decided to open up reservations for November early so that you can all have a chance to reserve!

This will be our last sushi omakase in this format. We’re definitely planning more sushi in December and January at a different price point for our final send-off.

Diners can expect a Whitefish gravlax Isobemaki to start, followed by Shinjo Stuffed Shiitake with pickerel cheeks and chrysanthemum ankake. Simmered Pacific Octopus with kabocha dengaku, and for the soup course we will have a poached daikon with shiso miso and clear soup to wash the palate before sushi begins.

Exciting sushi toppings for this meal include one of our favourites: Cisco (Lake herring) and plump Lake trout roe that we’ve just been receiving as the fish start to spawn in the fall. And finally for dessert, we will have an amazake and kinako burnt Basque cheesecake with cardamom syrup-poached Ontario apples.

We’re definitely feeling a touch bittersweet as we get closer to our final dinners, but we are so happy to see everyone come out and support us! We think these seats are going to fill up fast so don’t wait

The format for this meal will be as follows:

-$150, 12 course seasonal omakase with seasonal summer appetizers, nigiri sushi, and dessert.

-20% gratuity / service fee charged per ticket on the day ($30).

-Total ticket cost is $180.

-6 course sake pairings available ($95) pairings with the savoury courses of the menu.

-Additional dessert pairings available.

-Full drink list available: beer, wine, Sake, mead, non-alcoholic beverages. taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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25 days ago

This may be a few weeks late, but I just wanted to dedicate a post to what was truly one of the highlights of my career so far. It was such a pleasure having @chefjackielin and the @shoushinca team join us for a night of indulgence and celebrating Canadian seafood.

This was easily the most food we’ve ever done in a single menu, and it was amazing to see all of your responses to the food. Thank you to everyone that came out, supported and enjoyed!

Looking forward to the next one!

-Matt taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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a month ago

We are truly so blown away by the support that we’ve received since announcing our closure, thank you!

Ok now for our October Dinner Series: Wild Foraged Mushrooms & Wild Caught Fish. Celebrating the beginning of fall with a mushroom focused menu is something we’ve done since our first year here at the shop and it’s certainly one of our favourite times of year to cook.

Diners can expect 8 courses of kappo kaiseki inspired Cuisine with highlights being: Shiitake Mushroom and Hot smoked whitefish chawanmushi with plump whitefish roe garnished atop, our House made Agedashi tofu paired with fried maitake mushrooms and sweet sicely, our grilled course will be a shioyaki Whitefish seared in aged beef tallow, and for our dessert we will be bringing back a favourite from last year: Burnt Basque Kabocha cheesecake with amazake, Dry sherry and Macerated Niagara cherries.

We are super excited for this menu and to ring in fall with all of you for the last time here at Affinity Fish. We hope to see you all there!

The format for this meal will be as follows:

-$150, 8 course seasonal tasting menu with grilled fish, house made tofu, Chawanmushi and dessert.

-20% gratuity / service fee charged per ticket on the day ($30).

-Total ticket cost is $180.

-6 course sake pairings available ($95) pairings with the savoury courses of the menu.

-supplemental “Chinmi” course available with sake pairing.

-Additional dessert pairings available.

-Full drink list available: beer, wine, Sake, mead, non-alcoholic beverages.

📸: @mattmatt_taylor taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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a month ago

New à la carte menu!

Will start on Thursday September 3rd (next week). We’ve decided to go with a mix of familiar favourites and new favourites for this months à la carte menu.

Back to the classic fried whitefish sandwich for the Sando set, the noodles will be a cold soba (pictured above) with kalamansi, ramp oil, and a side of fried whitefish. And for the rice set we have decided to keep the tekka don because it has officially become our most popular dish.

Also of note, we have decided to bring on our housemade agedashi tofu, with a thickened dashi sauce and grated radish.

This menu is looking like a greatest hits of our previous menus, so we hope to see you soon!

📸: @mattmatt_taylor

#affinityfish #fishbyfish #wildcaughtfromthegreatlakes #freshwaterikejime #freshtofu taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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2 months ago

follow @jess.eats.the.world for more hidden gems:)

@affinityfish is one of my favorite restaurants in toronto. featured in canadas best 100 recommends, they do à la carte and tasting menu services in their fish market that are super unique and delicious. remember to book early—i reserved a month in advance! they also have fish + other goodies for sale if you’re stocking up on high quality goods.

shoutout to the owners @jonklip and @mattmatt_taylor for an amazing time 🫶🏻

#torontofood #torontoeats #torontorestaurants #torontofoodie

best omakase toronto, best japanese restaurant toronto, best hidden gems toronto, canada 100 best restaurants toronto, local gems toronto, best sushi toronto taken in Toronto, Canada by @affinityfish

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2 months ago

A cozy little fishmonger that opens its doors for à la carte & dinner tasting service 🐟✨

@affinityfish serves a monthly-changing à la carte menu, seasonal tasting menus, and hosts different events throughout the year. We came hungry and basically tried one of everything on their current menu 😭

What we had:
🐟 Sando Set — $24
🍜 Noodle Set — $24
🍚 Tekka Don — $29

Everything felt simple and thoughtful, really letting the ingredients speak for themselves. The service was amazing too, and I was lowkey surprised to find out one of the partners previously cooked at Sakai Bar and apprenticed under Shoushin’s Chef Jackie Lin 👀

And speaking of Chef Jackie Lin… they’re hosting a one-night-only omakase with him this September 👀🍣 definitely one to keep on your radar.

Their à la carte menu also changes every month, so there’s always something new to come back for. Personally, I’m eyeing their tasting menu next.

✨ Save this for your next cozy Toronto dining spot.

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📍 Affinity Fish · Toronto

affinityfish torontofoodie torontoseafood fishmonger torontorestaurants tastingmenu torontoeats torontodining torontofood taken in Downtown Toronto by @affinityfish

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2 months ago

•Dish Dive•

A new section where we highlight some of our favourite dishes on our current tasting menu:

For our August tasting menu we knew we wanted to use Ontario corn in some capacity. For this menu we decided to pair it with the beautiful swordfish from our friends @onetuna_inc served fried in a katsu style with panko bread crumbs and cooked till still juicy and pink in the center. Ontario corn kakiage, fried ginger, calamansi wedge and kuroshichimi: a spice blend from Kyoto with mouth numbing citrusy goodness.

This is just one of the many courses that you receive in our Cold udon menu this month. So what are you waiting for?! Link in bio to reserve.

📸: @mattmatt_taylor

#swordfish #affinityfish #fishkatsu #ontariocorn #fishbyfish taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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2 months ago

*Link in Bio to reserve!*

It always feels bittersweet announcing our final dinners for our summer months, this is a time of year that we look forward to for so long and for good reason, but alas here we are:

For the month of September we are back to our Canadian omakase menu format. With our P.E.I. fishing season in full swing, we have been receiving beautiful specimens of both swordfish and bigeye tuna recently. On the west coast, the albacore tuna grounds have blessed us with an abundance of one of our favourite fish that seems to be a crowd favourite in each and every sushi menu we do. Produce is also aplenty here in Ontario as we’re sure you all have noticed: Niagara stone fruit, summer squash, first of the season carrots, and of course nightshades are all literally popping off right now.

Diners can expect a few appetizers including house-made corn tofu with whitefish “ushio” broth and tender caraflax cabbage. A nightshade “sunomono” with heirloom tomatos, Itachi cucumbers, and a red miso / ponzu jelly. For the sushi portion of the meal we have a mix of familiar favourites as well as some new techniques that Matt has been working on. And finally, for dessert we decided to listen to our farmers do our take on peaches and cream with our amazake whipped cream, anise hyssop, and a brown butter cake. This menu screams “Summer isn’t over yet!” come and see if you agree!

The format for this meal will be as follows:

-$150, 12 course seasonal omakase with seasonal summer appetizers, nigiri sushi, and dessert.

-20% gratuity / service fee charged per ticket on the day ($30).

-Total ticket cost is $180.

-6 course sake pairings available ($95) pairings with the savoury courses of the menu.

-Additional dessert pairings available.

-Full drink list available: beer, wine, Sake, mead, non-alcoholic beverages. taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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2 months ago

Omakase & Sake Pairing 🍶

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Affinity Fish is a Toronto-based fishmonger specializing in high-quality Canadian fish, dry-aging, and Japanese techniques. Beyond that, they also run a restaurant where they showcase their fish through a variety of delicious dishes 🥢

🧊 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐮: 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐔𝐝𝐨𝐧
An 8-course Japanese-inspired tasting menu featuring local fish and seasonal ingredients, from house-made tofu and dry-aged fish to cold udon. 6-course sake pairing is also available as an add-on, perfect for drink lovers 🥂

They also offer an à la carte menu with options like the Sando Set, Noodle Set, and Tekka Don 🍣

Thanks for having us!

Affinity Fish
📍1581 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1T9, Canada

Toronto omakase · Toronto Japanese restaurant · Toronto sake pairing · Toronto tasting menu · Dry-aged fish · Canadian fish · Seafood restaurant · Dundas West · Date Night · Night Out Toronto taken in Affinity Fish by @affinityfish

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2 months ago