few years ago, Thai restaurants were opening on practically every corner; now, it's sushi places. Again, office workers, CEOs and grade school students alike pack sushi in their lunch bags. Dominion and Loblaws sell pre-made sushi so customers can pick up spicy tuna rolls along with their bread and milk. We can down a few pieces of Tempura and some jumbo rolls, and wash it down with sake in the same time it takes to grab a burger. Plus, sushi satisfies our never-ending quest for something fun and exotic.

Stepping into the ring with Toronto sushi heavyweights like Hiro and Omi, Sushi D holds its own in the roll, rice, and weed world.

Already luring a fairly hip crowd for soba and udon, even on weeknights, Sushi D is a contender. The space, which was previously Tavola Calda, is nicely updated, with a fresh layer of polished hardwood floor. The D's menu, boasting over 40 memorable dishes, mixes standard sushi fare (i.e. California and Spider rolls) with innovative signatures and a selection of salads, small plates, and cooked food.

The Volcano ($6) is one of the special ones. It's a wonderfully sweet, elongated piece of tender, spicy salmon with a pinch of sun-ripened chilli Sriracha. Another signature choice, the Caterpillar Roll ($8) is filled with velvety and highly spiced tuna and served with brown rice. I also love the spicy White Tuna Roll ($5) prepared with so much tuna, cilantro and scallion mixture that it bulges out of the rice/seaweed wrapper. Unforunately, the disappointing Spider Roll ($9) ignores the cardinal rule of sushi constructions: use only fresh fish and rice. This more costly product, a mellow soft shell crab roll, has a neutral, weak flavour; the concept is ingenious, though the implementation is a letdown.