A new Japanese restaurant specializing in onigiri is now open in Toronto

A new Japanese restaurant that specializes almost exclusively in the popular snack staple of onigiri, a kind of wrapped rice ball, has now finally swung open its doors in Toronto.

Onigiri Co. makes their specialty signature onigiri exclusively with 100 per cent Japanese rice and 100 per cent Japanese nori (seaweed, the wrapping that’s usually on the outside of an onigiri rice ball snack). Their onigiri sets are all made fresh every single day of operation.

Onigiri are also known as omusubi or nigirimeshi, and are typically compacted into a triangular shape. They’re usually eaten by hand, and due to the way they’re innovatively all wrapped up into a neat and convenient little package, they’re known as one of the most portable snack foods available in Japan and around the world.

It’s even possible to trace the history of the humble onigiri back to origins in Asia 2,000 years ago.

Some of the most common and popular fillings for onigiri are umeboshi (pickled Chinese plum), salted salmon, katsuobushi (smoked and fermented bonito), kombu, tarako or mentaiko (pollock roe), or takanazuke (pickled Japanese giant red mustard greens).

The restaurant has been teasing their opening for a while now, but they have finally opened up at long last so all the hungry onigiri fans can get a taste of what they’ve been promising to offer.

The varieties of onigiri on offer at Onigiri Co. include their signature Tuna Mayo, umeboshi and salmon. The tuna mayo variety is stuffed with creamy Japanese mayo mixed with tuna, the umeboshi has Japanese pickled plum on the inside, and the salmon onigiri is filled with lightly baked and broiled lightly salted salmon.

The onigiri at Onigiri Co. are also available in various sets in a selection of sizes. Set A comes with two onigiri and one side dish for $14.95, Set B comes with three onigiri and one side dish for $18.95, and Set C comes with three onigiri and two side dishes for $23.95.

You’ll find this new convenient grab-and-go restaurant in a place that’s perfect for this kind of casual on-the-go snacking: the PATH. Toronto’s PATH system connects various downtown spaces through a subterranean system of tunnels that leads to subway stations, shopping centres, office buildings and more. The best part is,

Onigiri Co. is now open at the level of the PATH at Bay Adelaide Centre at 333 Bay St.