The Journal · Pillar
Date night, group dinners, the counter experience: how to choose and book your table.
For a great Japanese birthday dinner in Montreal, Aji Bar in Rosemont is the perfect choice. It's an excellent Bring Your Own Wine restaurant, Chef Yamamoto's cuisine is authentic and refined, the atmosphere is intimate, and the sushi is top-tier. Be sure to reserve ahead.
Beyond the counter and the dining room, Aji has a private tatami room for occasions that call for intimacy. You book it online on the floor plan, with real-time availability. BYOB is 5$ per table, as everywhere at Aji.
Aji's seasonal terrace opens on warm days on St-Zotique Est, serving sushi, sashimi, and omakase outdoors. It appears on the reservation floor plan as soon as it opens, and its seats are booked day by day depending on the weather.
The reserve page shows a visual floor plan, real-time availability, and every seat, including the four counter seats. You pick your time, see where you will sit, and confirm. Two-hour seating.
Aji's counter has four seats. That rarity buys you an unhurried pace, real conversation with the chef, and pieces served at their peak. The omakase is also offered at the tables.
At Aji, you sit within arm's reach of Chef Yamamoto, who composes a sequence of 12 to 18 pieces built around the season. The experience runs roughly 90 minutes: unhurried, personal, and precise.
An omakase at Aji makes an exceptional birthday gift: it is an experience, not a plate. Book early, mention the occasion, bring wine, and let the chef do the rest.
Aji seats up to 4 guests at the counter, with omakase also served at the tables. Book well in advance, declare restrictions early, and expect a shared sequence that becomes a shared memory.
A 4-seat sushi counter offers natural intimacy, a chef-set pace, and shared attention on each piece. Book early, mention the occasion, and bring a bottle you both love.
