Veggie Japanese – Remembering New Generation Sushi, Toronto, Gone but not Forgotten

New Generation Sushi was a staple in the Bloor and Bathurst area of Toronto since 1999, serving up a variety of sushi, maki, rolls, and other Japanese favorites. Sadly it closed down on January 31st, 2025 without any warning or celebration. After 26 years in business, patrons are theorizing that the owner decided to retire. I frequented the restaurant for years and it was one of our go-to takeout spots. They focused on using top-notch ingredients and delivering friendly service so they will be sorely missed. 

Photo by Ahtziri Lagarde on Unsplash

Plant Based Sushi Options

Most of the time, I can find plant-based options at sushi restaurants, even if they don’t fully cater to this type of diet. I always look for rolls packed with fresh vegetables like avocado, cucumber, and yam, or options that include tofu, edamame, or pickled veggies. Some restaurants offer more creative choices, and New Gen (our family’s nickname for New Generation Sushi) provided solid options. I think they were trying to accommodate a younger university crowd who are more open to this style of eating.

The Restaurant: Now Closed for Business

The restaurant was in the Annex neighborhood, just a short walk from Bathurst Subway Station, making it easily accessible by public transit. While getting to the area via transit is straightforward, parking can be a bit of a challenge due to the busy streets. There is a Green P parking lot nearby, providing a place to park if you are driving. 

New Generation Sushi in Toronto, Canada. Source: Google Maps

Japanese Alternatives Nearby

With New Gen now closed, I can recommend two Japanese restaurants in the area - Sushi on Bloor and Tenon Vegan Sushi.  Sushi on Bloor is similar to New Gen, and has been in the neighbourhood for over 25 years.  It's a favourite of the university student crowd due to the low prices, variety and large serving sizes.  Tenon Sushi is strictly plant-based and suitable for vegans.  It's definitely a more expensive option but a fun restaurant to try because of the simulated seafood and meat that is used in their dishes. Funny enough, Tenon decided to move from their old location in the Annex to the New Gen address! I'll be sure to do a future post on both of these restaurants.

Vegan Options

Although New Gen is gone, below is a sampling of their plant-based dishes that I usually ordered which are often available at most Japanese restaurants: 

Edamame

Edamame are young, green soybeans that are boiled, lightly salted and served in their pods. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and are often enjoyed as a healthy, protein-rich appetizer.

New Gen Edamame

Avocado Salad

Avocado Salad features creamy avocado slices on top of a salad mix with iceberg lettuce, dark greens, red cabbage and cucumber. Dressing can be requested on the side or omitted, which is what I usually do when it is mayo based.

At home, I make a quick salad dressing with yellow mustard, soya sauce and balsamic vinegar to replace the mayo dressing that comes with the order.

New Gen Avocado salad with my homemade dressing

Veg Sushi rolls

Cucumber maki is a type of sushi roll where crisp cucumber is the main filling, wrapped in seasoned rice and nori (seaweed). 

Avocado maki features smooth, creamy avocado as its filling, providing a rich texture and subtle taste that complements the rice and nori.

Inari sushi, consists of sweet and savory marinated tofu pockets filled with sushi rice, offering a slightly sweet, umami-rich flavour. 

Pickled ginger, or gari, is thinly sliced ginger that has been marinated in a sweet and tangy vinegar. Ginger is included with sushi orders to cleanse the palate between different types of sushi and enhance the overall tasting experience.

New Gen Cucumber, Avocado and Inari sushi with pickled ginger

Wasabi is a spicy green condiment that is also included with all sushi orders. It’s made from the grated root of the wasabi plant, and has a pungent, spicy flavour. Wasabi is usually mixed into soy sauce so it can be used for dipping the sushi rolls. I’m not a fan of wasabi so it isn’t shown in my pictures.

Other Specialties

New Gen offered an extensive menu of vegetable maki rolls to accommodate plant-based eaters. Some of my favourites were:

Veggie Dragon 

A standard Green Dragon Roll features a combination of ingredients like fresh avocado, cucumber, tempura shrimp, red fish roe (tobiko), and wrapped in sushi rice and nori. The roll is topped with thin slices of avocado to create a "dragon" appearance.

New Gen Veggie Green Dragon Roll

New Gen offered a Veggie Dragon Roll which was a plant-based twist on the traditional Green Dragon, focusing solely on avocado as the main ingredient. Instead of seafood, it featured slices of fresh avocado both inside the roll and on top. The roll was complemented with cucumber for crunch and inari for added flavour. It retained the visually appealing presentation of the Green Dragon Roll while being completely plant-based.

Veggie Rainbow Roll

A Rainbow Dragon Roll is another standard sushi roll that combines elements of both the Rainbow Roll and the Dragon Roll. It starts with a base of a Dragon Roll, which includes avocado, tempura shrimp and tobiko maki. On top, it’s adorned with tuna, salmon and tai sashimi slices. 

New Gen Veggie Rainbow Roll

New Gen had a Veggie Rainbow Roll which was a colorful plant-based version that substituted traditional seafood with a variety of vibrant vegetables. It contained avocado and crunchy tempura bits for the maki portion. The roll was topped with an assortment of sliced avocado and red and yellow peppers creating a "rainbow" of colors. This roll offered a light, crunchy texture and a visually appealing presentation, all while being plant-based.

Mango Fusion

Mango Fusion Rolls combined creamy avocado and crispy yam in a flavorful sushi roll, topped with strips of fresh mango. This combination was a delicious blend of textures and a sweet flavour that enhanced the overall taste of the roll.

New Gen Mango Fusion Roll

Cautionary Notes

Miso soup, a staple in Japanese cuisine, traditionally contains dashi, a broth made from bonito flakes (dried fish). Since dashi is not suitable for plant-based eaters, this means that most miso soups are not suitable. I didn’t eat New Gen’s miso soup because I avoid consuming all fish.

Vegetable Tempura isn’t always plant-based because the batter usually contains egg. The egg in the batter gives the tempura its light, crispy texture, but it’s not vegan-friendly. New Gen’s tempura batter was vegetarian but not vegan, so I also avoided eating tempura and rolls with tempura vegetables such as their Yam Tempura Roll.

New Gen had several rolls such as the Veggie Spicy Roll which contained mayo.  Even though the roll doesn’t contain seafood, the mayo and tempura make it vegetarian friendly only.  I avoided all New Gen’s mayo-based rolls, although you can request that they hold the mayo when ordering.

Where to Find Alternatives to New Gen in the Annex

Next time you are in downtown Toronto or near the University of Toronto, give Sushi on Bloor or Tenon a try!

Sushi on Bloor

525 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Canada 

Phone:  (416) 516-3456

Restaurant Hours

Monday and Tuesday: 4:00PM - 10:00PM

Wednesday and Thursday, Sunday: 12:00PM - 10:00PM

Friday and Saturday: 12:00PM - 10:30PM

Tenon Vegan Sushi (now in the New Gen location!)

486 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Canada 

Phone:  (416) 516-3456

Restaurant Hours

* currently moving to the new location so check their website for updated hours

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