newborn to the restaurant scene, Toko Bistro and Bar is looking to roll right into Toronto’s sushi community. Located on Yonge just north of Wellesley (much to gawk at while you graze), Toko takes over the old Toronto Hemp Company space, which means one thing – they’ve got a lot of space to deal with. But in the cutthroat restaurant industry, that space needs to be filled.

The main attraction, and really the first thing you notice when you walk in the door, is a 62-metre rotating conveyor belt, with a handful of sushi chefs smack dab in the middle. Grab a seat, become mesmerized by the consistent hum of the belt and watch the treats tread on by. In an unusual arrangement, Toko churns out little sushi plates in plain view of salivating diners. Sushi pizza? Spicy Maki? Some Shark Fin Nigiri, perhaps? The possibilities are endless. Simply take what grabs your attention. That's this eatery's buoyant moral.

No matter how sophisticated your internal sushi detector is, the eye is distracted by this huge conveyor belt of food. The rest of the design, sadly, is genericlly bland. Wall-Mart white fans stand in random corners. A Pepsi fridge is stuck behind the cash. A wide-screen TV takes up one wall. And the floor tiles scream Tim Horton’s.

Still, one can't deny the relatively healthy ambitions Toko has about sushi, and isn't without peripheral vision. Toko offers up a monstrous array of product for more of a top-of-the-line price. The sushi is well crafted, with a good shape and size but don’t expect anything extraordinary. And be careful of hidden cream cheese that seems to creep into rolls you wouldn’t normally expect it in (a la Rock ‘N Roll). But with that said, the selection is there with dishes ranging from your basics (California Roll) to your fancies (Ikura Nigiri) to your guilty pleasures (Tempura).

A neophyte sushi eater will be thrilled to the core, yet someone who has been around the global block will realize that these blocks have a lot to offer. Still, Toko got it right in terms of the presentation. Simple plates with cute-as-a-button Japanese designs are a great surprise. And forget about those ubiquitous wooden chopsticks – Toko takes it up a notch with a heavier, black chopstick ensuring a splinter-free experience.