Rating: *****
Dinner for two with drinks: $50
Signature Dish: Sashimi Dinner
Signature Drink: Green Tea

There’s something especially satisfying about Japanese cuisine. And where better to get a fine feast than at Minato Sushi in downtown Halifax? It is a comfortable restaurant in a neat old house where you can watch the chef in action. The extensive menu also includes Korean dishes.

We start our meal with Gyoza ($5.95 for five) – delicious and light vegetable dumplings with a tempura sauce. Our entrées come with Akadashi Soup, made of red soybean paste, bonito broth, tofu and seaweed. It is delicate and soothing.

My pal has the Sashimi Dinner ($19.50), a large assortment of raw fish on a salad. This stunning arrangement of fresh tuna, salmon, surf clam, octopus and yellowtail is excellent.

My Yokohama Dinner ($19.50) is equally beautiful and fresh with10 pieces of nigiri – seafood on rice – including barbecued eel, tuna, salmon, surf clam, red snapper and shrimp. There are also six salmon rolls. What a treat.

Our servers are personable and prompt. They seem as happy to be here as we are.

By Valerie Mansour for Metro Halifax