Came here with some friends for the omakase special meal…read more Such a lovely overall standard omakase experience and meal. The highlight for me was probably the set of four starter appetizers, they were flavourful, delicately prepared and perfect way to start the meal. I liked the slightly pickled dish with cucumbers the best. We also had sushi prepared with fresh seafood. The rice was probably my favorite compared to other places I've been. It was perfectly seasoned rice, warm and cooked to have just the right texture, not overcooked and not undercooked. The rice held up well when picked up by hand and complemented the flavours of the fish. Finished the meal with a matcha flavored pudding flan type dessert which had deep matcha flavours. If you're a fan of matcha, you'd probably enjoy it too. All in all, the meal was enjoyable, the torched tuna sushi was probably my favorite sushi of the set and my least favorite was the egg/eel, I was expecting a sweet egg at the end so it unexpected.

Omakase was an amazing experience. The service from the wait staff was top notch. Kept our tea…read morerefilled. Pleasantly served and cleared the courses. The sushi chef was great. A bit low on energy compared to other omakase's I've been to but maybe that's his style. Some of the bites weren't as delicious as I wanted them to be. But that's only my opinion. Beautiful space!

Really enjoyed my recent experience at KYUSHU. Shared a whole bunch of appetizers and snacks, and…read morewent all out for a yakitori (grilled skewers) omakase lol... didn't know what we were getting but I enjoyed it, especially the grilled abalone! Some must-try items: - Kawahagi (fish jerky) - Uzurazuke (quail eggs) - Tsubu Kimchi (whelk) - Aburi Mentaiko (seared spicy cod roe), must pair with sake! - Nankotsu Karaage (fried chicken knee cartilage) - Honey Ginger Soda (with or without vodka) The whole place is lit up with lights from the "trees", very spacious, and decorated with childhood manga/anime posters and action figures all over ^^ The restaurant also has daily promotions on food and drinks, and lunch specials everyday.

Delicious skewers and discounts on alcohol on Saturday…read more Not so busy tonight , very friendly service and lovely interior design and even the washroom have sailor moon stickers

I had high hopes of this izakaya but unfortunately the expectations fell short…read more The vibes were fun, but the restaurant is quite cramped and a bit too loud. I felt I had to shout in order for my friend to hear me who was sitting right across from me. I ordered: - brussel sprouts ($12) - tasty but salty - shrimp risotto ($22) - rice uncooked & salty - corn croquette ($10) - this was good - skewers sampler ($34) - quite overpriced for 6 skewers - forgot what drink was call but it was $8-$10 and was also very bland Everything was just overly salty. The only items I would order again is the brussel sprouts and corn croquette. However, portion size was quite small and not worth it overall.

The service is incredible here, and the vibe is cool-chic. Just loving the atmosphere here…read more As for the food, don't expect it to be a "traditional Izakaya" here, but that's not a bad thing. They do the "traditional" dishes with a twist / fusion. For example, the black cod is usually feel heavy with the miso based sauce, but they added some acidity to the sauce and they made the black cod taste rich and light (not to mention the black cod was perfectly cooked); traditionally the Brussels Sprouts would be finished by tossing balsamic vinegar over it. Sometimes that would still feel heavy. Instead, they tossed it with strawberry vinaigrette. So the acidity is very light and not too sweet. We finished our meal with the Yokai Signature Maki. Yes, they SHOULD be proud of this Maki enough to put their name on it. They hit it on the nail with the taste profile. I have a zero tolerance with spiciness, so they put the spicy mayo on the side, and I encouraged my wife to dip the Maki with it. She confirmed my suspicion that the spicy mayo took the maki to another level. We definitely will come to try other dishes. Edit: they comped us a slice of Matcha Cheesecake. While it is still not my cup of tea, but I was very impressed with how good it taste. My "dislike" is with cheesecakes because they feel heavy. Though it is still on the heavy side for me, but as soon as I spoon in a bit of the strawberry sauce, it just lightened up the whole thing. They have successfully amazed me with how well they play with taste.

Came here for some lunch. Meal was very hard to finish and…read morewe did not eat dinner that day. Everything was super fresh and the service was lovely. Highly recommend this spot!!

Pleasantly surprised by this somewhat hidden gem of a Katsuya location! Although it's only a short…read moredrive away from Yorkdale, the spot is in a tiny plaza with a nondescript exterior and fairly minimalist interior. It was extraordinarily quiet when we came upon this place on a Saturday night. Nevertheless, the food was absolutely delicious and arrived piping hot and well portioned. As expected from this popular chain, the katsu was superbly crispy on the outside while still maintaining the tenderness of the meat inside. The variety they have on the menu - including various sauces, cheese options, and udon - will keep you coming back for more. The most remarkable aspect of this particular location, though, was the quality of the service. Our waitress was so attentive and sweet, patiently answering all our questions and never leaving our glasses even close to empty. We were offered free refills of the miso soup as well which was a nice touch! Highly recommended to anyone shopping at Yorkdale nearby - skip the overcrowded food courts and mall restaurants and head on over here!

I've been to Yorokobi a couple times before, it's always been great! Just as good as quality sushi…read moreyou may find Downtown or in Asian neighbourhoods in the GTA. We ordered this time the Yorokobi set for 2 and upgraded the sushi to brown rice for $5 extra and upgraded the green dragon roll that came with the meal to volcano salmon roll (which is one of their popular special rolls) and paid the difference. We also added a hamachi carpaccio just for more more protein for my SO because he thinks it might not be enough, but we were left super full. I love that the sushi wasn't loaded with rice and it was thinly included, we did mention that we usually don't like that much and the server said they can even adjust the rice content in the sushi.... We didn't confirm to adjust it but perhaps they went with it because rice is perfectly thin in the maki and less than usual for a nigiri, which is great because otherwise I don't know if we would have finished the meal. $5 to upgrade to brown rice for the sushi set that didn't have that much rice is still IMO a bit steep. Other that, the sushi is fresh, the special rolls are eye catching and tasty and the hamachi carpaccio was good too, LOVE the presentation. I think the best thing here is still their special rolls though! Server is so personable and made sure we were well taken care of. Only feedback I have here is the miso soup that with the Yorokobi set is way too salty I couldn't finish mine after a sip. Ambiance was clean with little Japanese decor throughout. They have a huge parking lot at the back and you can enter and exit from the back instead of trying the front as there is very little parking in the front lot.

Came here as a party of two and it was pretty easy to get seated. We ordered the sashimi and sushi…read morecombo, along with the bulgogi udon. The food was okay, but nothing really stood out. The waitresses were friendly. Overall, it's a convenient spot for a quick and casual meal.

Finding high-quality sushi in Toronto usually means bracing your wallet for a triple-digit hit. But…read moreHay Sushi is completely rewriting the rules of the city's omakase scene, offering a remarkably premium, expertly crafted multi-course experience for just a fraction of the price - truly a hidden needle in the haystack. By focusing heavily on flawless rice technique, meticulous fish-to-rice ratios, and pristine sourcing, this low-key spot punches far above its weight class. Here is what you need to order before the secret gets out. First, they nail the sushi rice - cooked to a gently glutinous perfection, with an individual grain texture that's graced with a subtle, crisp acidity that cuts through the oil of the fish. Each nigiri favours the seafood, the rice happily content as the background. Each piece builds in boldness and flavour, reaching a climax with the luscious and fatty otoro that easily melts on the tongue with a profound oceanic sweetness. Don't skip the Negitoro Maki add-on, as the kitchen packs a generous portion of finely minced tuna belly into a roll that barely manages to contain its filling. It offers little resistance as it quietly explodes with a rich, fatty flavour and deep umami. The futomaki is loaded with a medley of tuna, salmon, shrimp, and whitefish, alongside strips of fresh cucumber, earthy shiitake mushrooms, the crunch of asparagus, and their house-made tamago. Wrapped with a subtle hint of ginger and wasabi, these elements whisper balance, but the salmon roe on top bursts with umami. The service was impeccable and the seating was well-spaced, comfy and fit a modern, wooden aesthetic.

We went there for a girls day and was happy but not blown away. The place is super cute and…read moredecorated well, and all the staff were super kind. We have reservations but it seemed like if you didn't, there was a bit of a wait. The dining area was full of patrons. They had many options and the set meals looked delicious but I ended up going for the classic salmon don. After ordering however, there was a decent wait until we got the food. It took longer than i expected. When we got the food it was went presented, but looked like less food for the price I was paying. That being said it was delicious with the salmon being great quality and the rice was cooked perfectly. There was also onions on too which I didn't expect to like but it went perfectly with everything. Overall, it was a great time if going with friends to catch up with and you're trying to have a fancier night out!

We tried the soba sets here and were completely impressed. The tempura/fried items were crisp and…read morefull of flavor, and the soba noodles had a great texture and taste. The absolute highlight was definitely the katsu (pork cutlet)--it was super crispy on the outside, tender, and incredibly delicious! Highly recommended if you're craving a solid katsu and soba meal.

The food was good, and portions are super generous. I appreciate how many options and variations…read morethere are on the menu. Got the original chicken karaage boneless - I appreciate that it comes with 3 dipping sauces so you can try various flavours and not just stick with 1 flavour like at normal fried chicken restaurants. If you're not in the mood for Katsu, there's other itemskke karaage, baked chicken , rice cakes, or udon. They also serve pizza from Pizza Maru which operates from the same premise. However, the menu was hard to read. The service wasn't super friendly - I almost felt like they were hoping we didn't dine in so they can focus on take out orders. We were the only 2 people that were waiting for their dine in orders and the food felt like it came out slow. The ambiance was quiet. Lots of empty seats. Perhaps it was the day we went, but even if the restaurant isn't busy the atmosphere wasn't as welcoming. Ie, it felt like I wanted to quickly finish eating and leave asap rather than enjoy my meal with my company. Limited parking spaces, but is free.

Came here for a quick lunch after visiting a friend in the West side. Lots of seats available for…read moreyou, small to larger groups. Also quite bright and decent decor, not too loud. Music is on the louder side though, but no problem. Quick review. You cannot sub ingredients/toppings, only noodles and if you're allergic to something. This is normal in Japan and I believe the owners are Japanese anyway. The staff girl is very kind, soft spoken and extremely patient, reminds me of staff in Japan. The broth itself was quite delicious. Only thing that put the whole dish down was the abundance of beansprouts, there were beansprouts on the top and bottom/side (?) but just a whole lot. The pork was almost paper thin and very small. Maybe if it came with more than just two thin meat, would be better. Otherwise everything else is okay. The price of $24 for the dragon is absolutely not worth it though. Should be around same price less than $20 for it. 3.6/5

Service was good, and the place had plenty of seating space which was nice…read more The ramen was just so-so. The pork char siu slices were very thin, and for the price, it didn't really feel worth it. Flavor-wise it was okay, but nothing beyond expectations. The chicken karaage was even more overpriced. $9.2 for just 4 small pieces - so basically ~$2.5 a bite, not worth it. Overall, it didn't really aligned with our expectations. We thought it was in a corner of the plaza so the price would have been reasonable, turned out that it wasn't really. Probably wouldn't revisit. Food (quality, creativity, consistency) - 3/5 Drinks (quality, variety) - NA/5 Ambience (interior design, cleanliness) - 3.5/5 Service (courtesy, knowledge, timeliness) - 3.5/5 Value (quality vs. price) - 2/5 OVERALL - 3

Tips: - Make a reservation, as this eatery can get busy…read more - This place has bento box sets every day from 11 am till 4 pm. You get a lot for a great price. On Sunday, I got together with two friends for lunch at Hana Don. Markham has a location that I have yet to visit. My friends come to this one at CF Fairview Mall often and recommended that we come here. I booked a reservation for three at 12:30 pm online. It was easy. I drove over to this mall, which has changed a lot. There are more eateries that face Sheppard Avenue East and are connected to the mall, but you don't have direct access to it. The Moxie's is still there. I didn't recognize the others. Parking was challenging. This mall was busy. I ended up finding a spot close to the former Hudson's Bay store. I then walked over. I entered the eatery and a man greeted me. I let him know that I had a reservation under my name. He found it and guided me to a table in the corner of the eatery. My friend walked in and saw me through the window. They came over and we chatted while figuring out what we wanted to eat. We got these items: - Chicken katsu udon - Yuzu matcha soda (me) - Sirloin set (me) - Chicken teriyaki set - Dynamite roll One of my friends had udon for the first time. It was in broth. The chicken katsu came on a separate plate. I had a piece and it was tasty. She loved her meal. The udon was chewy. It looked good. My other friend was recovering from a cold, so we kept things safe by not sharing anything with him. He got the chicken teriyaki set and ate everything up. He ordered a dynamite roll and we had his California roll that came with his meal. I was pleased that his appetite was in good shape. She and I shared the California roll. It was delicious. It had imitation crab and avocado. This place was generous with ingredients in this roll. It was fresh and satisfying. I got the yuzu matcha soda. It was heavenly. I stirred it up before I drank it. It had the perfect balance of citrusy, sweet yuzu with good matcha and fizz. So refreshing! I loved my sirloin set. The sirloin steak don was exceptionally filling. The steak morsels were flavourful and perfectly cooked. It came with a lot of rice that was perfectly steamed. This set came with sashimi mori. I loved the salmon, but the smoked fish wasn't the best. The veggie tempura was excellent. The eggplant, sweet potato, and squash weren't greasy. They were crispy and yummy. The amazuzuke was excellent. I got white radish cubes that were pickled in what tasted like yuzu. Each cube cleansed my palate. I need to make some at home! The miso soup was excellent. I loved the cubed tofu. The salad was okay. The dressing tasted bland compared to everything else. It needed more miso or something. The sets were a great deal. The quality was superb. They are available every day between 11 am and 4 pm. We were too stuffed to get any dessert. The ube tiramisu intrigued me. I'll need to find room to enjoy it next time. It was busy here. The downside was that we had to flag our server to get more water and the bill. Otherwise, everything that we consumed was yummy. I paid with a credit card. I tipped and was done. Yay! I used the washroom before we left. The women's washroom was clean. No issues. This eatery is a great place to catch up with friends over delicious food. I'd like to come here on a weekday and gauge the parking scene. I'd return to try more good eats and drinks. (187)

I came here on a Tuesday evening and it was packed. Luckily I had a reservation for a party of…read morefour. The menu was extensive, has a mix of don, noodles, sushi, tempura, nigiri, etc. I got the soba noodle with tempura and a sushi roll. The soba noodle was nice, it came with the sauce along with the water they boiled the water in I think... I wish they explained what that was for. I was a little confused. The sushi roll was sadly drenched in sauce, and I was not a fan. The service was very average. It took a long time for the food to come out, and everyone's food came out at a different time, like 15-20 minutes apart. The staff weren't very nice when we ask for things, and even took a long time for the bill to come when asked. My friend did mention the fish was fresh in her don but not too sure if I'd come back to give it another try...

Hands down some of the best sashimi in the city. Ordering is at the front counter where you're…read moregiven a buzzer to alert you when the food is ready. They offer rolls, sashimi, torched sushi, additional cuts of packaged raw fish (i.e. salmon belly, collar, ikura) and market items such as drinks, snacks, and Japanese condiments. The dining area is a decent size with several individual tables and shared benches. I ordered the deluxe sashimi set with an additional sushi rice. The set came with 2 large botan ebi (so sweet and delicious, head on), uni on a shiso leaf (a little fishy even though it's usually my favourite), salmon belly, yellowtail, snapper, and scallops. Each piece of fish was so thick that the meal was incredibly filling for one. For $32/18 pcs, it was a great deal, especially for the premium cuts of fish and the size.

I tried the Build Your Own chirashi box which was a nice option. The portions are quite small, but…read moreyou obviously pay a premium for being able to customize it piece by piece. I thought the fish quality was pretty good for a primarily take-out spot. I would get it again as a treat when I'm not actually that hungry.