Bar hopping on Halloween night with 7 other people. Hanmoto was our second location. They weren't busy when we came in around 9:30pm. The highlight dishes were the chicken wings, aburi & the eggs. The dishes were very unique and the cocktails were made to perfection. If you're looking for a hip cozy location - I would recommend this place. My friends and I had a lot of fun eating, drinking and hanging out. Throughout the night, the customers picked up, more and more people showed up. We definitely got here at a really good time, therefore the staff were very attentive with us. read more

Tucked away on a small street off ossington with barely a sign, this place oooooozes in coolness. Inside its dark and industrially decorated, with photocopied handwritten menus. Its also a really small place. we (table for 2) got there fairly early on a Friday night around 6.30pm, so we were quickly seated at the bar after about 10 minutes. They also dont have space to hang your jacket anywhere so theres basically a pile on top of a keg in the corner. Loved sitting at the bar watching the food and drinks being made. Everyone gets the Aburi Salmon, a good sized serving of fish, but way too much mayo for my liking. But the slightly torched crips on top added a great smokey flavour. But the Dyno Wings are the best, sticky, sweet and savory. They are large and meaty, crispy and saucy its just a whole lot of deliciousness going on. The service was good, young, hip but friendly enough, a few sentence exchanges but then back to the im too cool look. This place is good but very hyped up, Im not running to come back but I would again read more

See all

There are two ways to fall in love with a restaurant: At first look and first taste. At Hanmoto, it's hard to not be excited as soon as you come in. It's located on a residential street in Toronto and there's little telling it's a restaurant until you come close enough to see. When you open the door, you walk into a dimly lit space without much room, with about a half dozen or so tables, paired metal cans hanging from the ceiling and the back wall of the open kitchen resembling a run down, dilapidated former pharmacy. That's all if you can get a seat. The Globe and Mail has called it "the city's most annoying izakaya." It's true. There are some hoops to jump through. I went with a dining companion and were fortunate enough to get a seat quickly but you can see how the wait could pile up. We were also told that there were no knives in the entire restaurant, so if we wanted to share something then be prepared for a clumsy division or to order two. There's not much of a beer list either, unless you like the Asahi, Tiger or other top brands. Usually, subversions (I call them that because it's the restaurant finding a way to take itself down with the customer) would be so mettlesome but the food and the atmosphere here is just too good to let that get in the way. The first thing you should get are the dyno wings. Our waitress said they were blow your mind and that going back to any other wings, even the others on their menu, would be like dating "the girl next door." She wasn't wrong. They are like nothing I've had before. Hanmoto has found a way to reimagine wings. The chef pulls the meat off the chicken bone and then create an exterior and fill it with pork so it becomes a dumpling of sorts, then refry it and give it the shape of a wing. It's marvelous. They only serve two per order and in no way can you not want more. The aburi salmon is like a deconstructed sushi roll, served along side seaweed so you can pair the two and put it together again. They combination of the slightly sweet rice and the seaweed is perfect. The hamache tartare, with fatty pieces of salmon, is an interesting dish, served in a liquidy base and almost like a ceviche. The curry bun -- which is only big enough for one unless you want to get messy and split it by hand -- is a curry chicken sloppy Joe, in essence, served with slaw. The whole menu, it seems, is worthwhile and delicious. The waitress raved about the miso ice cream and her compliments ringed valid because she did not steer us wrong with the main dishes and told us to avoid several. When she called the house special that night, a less dynamic order of things, just fine, she was honest and we should have listened. But by then, we were so satiated and so delighted by everything else we had eaten, there was hardly any room to complain. Hanmoto is unique and imaginative and one of the best 10 restaurants I've visited. You won't find it on any best-of-Toronto list, so the find becomes your own revelation. read more

If you're looking for a trendy hidden gem with mood lighting and interesting sharable food, this is the spot. The outside of the restaurant looks deceivingly like the side of a regular house, so you could easily miss the entrance. There aren't many tables, be sure to arrive early. We were lucky and walked into the last open table. Customers after us were quoted 30 min - 1 hour waits. Tables have real candles and the lighting is quite dim. Unfortunately, my phone does not take good night mode pictures, so I have none to attach! Service was 5/5. We ordered 4 items between two of us: - Dyno Wings 3/5: fried chicken that comes in a cool paper box, with mayo dressing and a lettuce base. The ingredients are reminiscent of a deconstructed burger. Wayyy too salty for me. - Salmon Aburi Sushi 5/5: the seaweed comes separately from the rice/salmon, so you have to build it. It's a fun take on sushi! Salmon tasted great, and their house soy sauce is a nice touch. - Moto Bun (curry chicken) 4/5: this curry chicken bun was messy to eat. Curry sauce was great though. - Nasu Den Gaku (eggplant with beets) 5/5: eggplants topped with crispy beets are served sushi-style. Love it! Give this place a try! read more

After reading articles online, looking at instagram pics, and seeing the Yelp reviews, I was so excited for Hanmoto. The location is pretty cool. It's not real obvious and is hanging out on a residential street. It's dark and doesn't have obvious signage, so it's kinda fun. It's very low-key and does not have a fancy or pretentious atmosphere. As for the food menu, come prepared to spend a lot for small portions (think tapas), but at least I had the USD to CAD exchange rate on my side! The food menu is split into "raw" (= cold) and hot items. We ordered a bit from each, a total of 8 different dishes. My 3 favorites were: moto eggs, salmon aburi, and miso ice cream. The moto eggs are like Japanese style deviled eggs. Creamy filling, topped with roe and a piece of chicken skin. YUM. The salmon aburi is basically a deconstructed salmon aburi sushi roll. It's served as a mountain of sushi rice that is covered on all sides with salmon pieces. Then, you put some rice and salmon in a small sheet of seaweed, top it with a drizzle of soy sauce, roll it up, and stuff it in your mouth. It was very tasty and fun to eat. The miso ice cream was definitely the stand out! It was creamy and rich without being too sweet. The toppings of arare pieces and seaweed powder made for nice textural components. My least favorite items were the buns. We got both the katsu bun and the moto bun. I didn't like that the coco bread was deep fried--it just felt greasy and unnecessarily indulgent. On top of that, the buns were overfilled with cole slaw and dripping with mayo. One small bite of each was more than enough for me. People have also raved about the dynowings. They're not spicy, so don't let the name deter you. I thought they were decent, but too salty and overly fried for my taste. Not sure why they are served in a box. I'm really glad I went to Hanmoto, but for me, it's just a place worth trying once. read more

See all

Such a fun night! Went on a Friday night at 11 pm and luckily we didn't have to wait! Such a cool vibe in the restaurant, love the decor and the dim lighting and all of the staff were super friendly! The restaurant is small and all of the staff help each other out with the tables which I love! We ordered: - yellowtail hamachi ceviche - salmon aburi - surf and turf hand roll - dyno wings - eggplant - deviled eggs Everything was a 10/10 and all equally memorable in their own special way. Can't wait to come back! read more

Two words: Dyno. Wings. Also: So. Great. We visited on a Friday evening at 6:00 PM (right when they opened), and overall, great experience! Just keep your eyes peeled - there's no sign on the door, but rest assured, they are the restaurant located on the northwest corner of Dundee Street and Lakeview Avenue - the one that looks like an entrance to a back kitchen, but is really the main entrance to the restaurant. First, parking. We actually found free parking in the area on one of the residential streets a block north of the restaurant. It wasn't too difficult to find at all, and there were a good amount of spots available on a Friday evening. Second, ambiance. Hipster, rustic - a little bit of country but a lot of hip. It isn't very big and doesn't seat more than 20 people (if that). It's very intimate (read: dim lights, a nice date night spot, but still nice and laid-back). It's also very casual and good for a small group hang. Third, the food. We ordered Dyno Wings ($8.00), Moto Bun ($7.00), Nasu Dengaku - Japanese Eggplant ($8.00), Salmon Aburi ($10.00), Miso Steak ($20.00). Overall - delicious. Don't expect massive portions since this is, of course, a tapas-style menu. But, almost everything we had was delicious. The Dyno Wings (i.e. wings stuffed with dumplings (!!!)) were juicy and delicious, the Moto Bun was small but tasty, the Salmon Aburi was a highlight and it was fun putting it together (they serve your seaweed wrap separately, so you can spoon the salmon on the wraps to your liking). We wouldn't get the Miso Steak again - dry and flavourless. But overall, delicious food! We would definitely come back here again! With tax and tip, we spent around $68.00. read more

See all

We came here after the Raptors game. There was a 15 minute wait which we just walked around the neighborhood. The food here does not disappoint. Pretty cool menu, we got some drinks, Oysters, Dyno Wing, Salmon Aburi and the Surf and Turf Handroll. Everything was really tasty, but the Salmon Aburi was by far our favorite of them all. Service was great, it was packed but our food came out fast and the servers were very attentive. Would def recommend this place read more

See all

Went here after two days of trying to get a table. This small hidden resto is tucked away behind a larger restaurant. The first day we were told about 1.5 to 2 hours wait. We were way too hungry so we ate elsewhere. The second night we were told 30 Minutes so we just walked around and they called us within 10 minutes. The atmosphere and facade of the place is so cool! It feels like a garage/ typical Asian street food stall. The food was amazing. My favourite was hands down the salmon. The sauce was delicious. The uni bomb was kind of a let down. The flavours didn't marinate as well together. I wouldn't order that again, but was a good try. The only down fall was that it was very cold. Because it's so small people coming in and out of from the door let the heat out and all the cold in. Other than that, it was a great experience! read more

Hanmoto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hanmoto If there is such a thing as speakeasy restaurant, I would certainly consider Hanmoto as one of them. Hanmoto is basically a big garage that is turned in to a restaurant! Perhaps they have about 20 seats and overall ambience is quite dark and extremely casual (almost like a patio in certain way..) - also it might be little dirty too but it's hard to tell because of the lighting and the furniture of the restaurant. (I would not bring your first date here but if it is 3rd or 4th I would recommend it) most of their items are shareable like a tapas style and honestly every single dish that I had in Hanmoto was great!! If I was rating only base on food I would give 5 stars! (and the price is also fair) Despite the fact I do like Hanmoto in many ways and I would bring my good old friend if they visit toronto but if I do consider about overall experience I have to say 4 star (if you actually visit you will certainly know what I am talking about) read more

Hanmoto is a tiny, hole-in-the-wall-izakaya-dive-bar (is that even a thing?) located on Lakeview Avenue, a tiny street west of Dundas and Ossington. It is definitely easy to miss if you do not have your eyes peeled. My girlfriend and I ordered the following dishes: - Salmon Aburi: Torched salmon, sushi rice ($10) - Hamachi Tartare: Sweet chill ponzu, shiso, avocado ($12) - Uni-Bomb: Uni roe, chicken skin chips, sushi rice ($15) - Katsu Bun: Panko crusted 24hr pork belly, soy remoulade, lettuce ($7) - Dyno Wings: Stuffed chicken wings ($8) - Miso Ice Cream: Nori powder, toasted rice balls ($7) The unanimous favourites included the salmon aburi, hamachi tartare, uni-bomb, and miso ice cream. The miso ice cream was particularly an eye-opener, with the saltiness of the nori pairing exceptionally well with the sweetness of the ice cream. While the katsu bun was super flavourful, it was a bit too fatty for our palates (i.e. fried pork belly + a ton of mayo, or "soy remoulade") - it is definitely for sharing. The dyno wings were also pretty good, but compared to some of the other amazing dishes, ultimately became more of an after-thought. Overall, the food, combined with the intimate vibe and coziness of this establishment makes it great if you're taking someone on a date, or simply catching up with some friends. Definitely recommended. read more

Hanmoto - Salmon Aburi ($10) - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Behind Churchill on Dundas st. is Hanmoto, I state this because it can be a bit tricky finding the place. It's a small eclectic space, seating a maximum of maybe 20 just by eye. It's cozy, warm and dim. I wanted to come visit because I am a fan of Oddseoul, a Korean snack bar. Hanmoto is a Japanese snack bar which features Japanese flavors in very creative and delicious ways. I had the whole menu and everything was quite tasty, I was very impressed with the food they whip out of the kitchen. All items are made to share so visiting with a group of 4-6 is a get way to try a lot for much less. Portions are larger than you think and what you may be used to at snack bars, I appreciate that! My Favorites: Salmon Aburi - DIY torched salmon sushi (comes with nori sheets, wrap yourself) Nasu Dengaku - Roasted eggplant with fried beets and awesome miso Hollandaise Dyno Wings - Dumpling stuffed crispy sweet chicken wings, blew my mind Passable Salmon Face - I'm a eater, but a salmon head is a bit daunting, boney & not worth $12 Shishito Peppers - a tad flavorless despite bonito flakes, needs a sauce or mayo Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. The items were all pretty unique, prepared in creative ways but sound and taste simple. Everything makes sense, every bite comes together and portions are surprisingly larger than you may expect. read more

See all

There's very little seating available so the wait times can be long if you come during peak dining hours. Good for a date or with a small group of friends. For 2, the portions were not bad as we were pretty full off 4 dishes but I would imagine that a bigger party (of even say, 4) would have to order doubles of a single dish to get a real bite. It's a small menu but everything sounded very appealing and at reasonable prices too. We ordered the hamachi tartare, moto eggs, dynowings and salmon aburi. Hamachi tartare ($12) was very good but perhaps the least memorable dish for me. Loved all the components and it had great texture but there was just a tinge of acidity to it that I wish something else on the dish would help balance out. Moto eggs ($7) was fantastic. The chicken skin and sauce really completes it. Everything worked so well together! Salmon aburi ($10) was great too. Evenly torched salmon that comes with nori sheets for DIY wraps which was fun. My favorite and reason why this place captured my interest in the first place was the Dynowings ($8). Pork dumpling stuffed in a jumbo-sized chicken wing accompanied with spicy tare sauce? Yes please! It's a dish that really gives you a lasting impression and it would be the main thing I come back to this place for. Didn't get a chance to try any of their signature drinks. They all sounded really cool and I've heard good things but they're on the pricer side ($12-13) in comparison to the food. Food is fantastic. Service is passable. I would recommend it! read more

See all

Made a point to arrive just as they opened on a weekday as the few tables will fill up within a half hour. The pork dumpling stuffed boneless Dyno Wings are a must. The Moto Eggs were good but nothing mind blowing. The Salmon Aburi was excellent. Definitely worth a return trip to try the other selections. This is a very small place with a dirty bathroom and some food preparation happening in a stairwell on the way to said bathroom upstairs. If you're looking for a nicer overall dining experience then check out Antler just down the road. read more

See all

Probably the best izakaya I've been to this year. We had half the menu (hamacha tartare, moto bun, katsu bun, enoki miso butter, etc) and nothing disappointed! Note that they don't take reservations and the place is small, so look to come around by early if you can. We came with friends by 6:30pm on a Wednesday and got the corner table which was perfect for catching up! read more

Hanmoto - Cozy interior - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We got pretty much everything on the menu & it was so great! We were all too full by the time dessert rolled around, but I truly regret not getting the miso ice cream - it was the reason I was so excited to come here! Definitely going to try it next time. I would recommend to try anything on the menu as we enjoyed everything we got! Hamachi Tartare: super strong ponzu flavouring - a nice acidic taste that accented the fresh fish! Uni Don: the crispy chicken skin really adds to this otherwise common dish. I really love how they explored different ways to add on to their dishes in a minimalistic way Chicken Curry & Katsu Buns: I didn't expect these to be this good. The meat was fried to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender inside. However the curry chicken had better flavouring but both were delicious! So many other raved reviews about the dyno wings so I'll save my opinion on these. I can't get over how good the salmon aburi is! Everything is in their sauce & it works wonders with the charred salmon. Deviled Eggs: these eggs were so light and fluffy & the taste was phenomenal I really can't wait to go back & try the miso icecream!! read more

See all

Hanmoto is a restaurant with one of the best and coolest ambience I've ever experienced. This restaurant did an amazing job portraying all aspects of the restaurant to reflect a vintage Chinese food stall theme. Even the outside lacks a sign, and can only be identified with its red lights (haha). Onto the food. We ordered a katsu bun, dyno wings, salmon aburi, and finished off with a miso ice cream. katsu bun: the tenderness and juiciness of the pork patty, combined with its appropriate and distinct choice of sauce reminded me of a gourmet version of MCD Big Mac! Dyno wings: what makes this dish unique is that the wing has a pork dumping fused into where the drumstick should be. At first glance, the wings looked extremely appetizing. And it would've tasted just as good if the flavour was a bit toned down. The saltiness of the sauce made it a little hard to enjoy at the end. Nonetheless it was still a good dish overall. Salmon aburi: this was arguably the best dish of the night. The combination of the salmon, sauce, and oven roasted seaweed creates a melt in your mount that you can't resist and satisfied our tummies! Miso ice cream: a definitely must try! Made with condensed milk, white miso, and tiny rice cake balls was truly a delight! read more

Hanmoto - Miso ice cream - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hidden gem! A small izakaya with great ambiance and friendly staff! A variety of sakes and cocktails, recommend the cocktail with cucumber(arisaka sour), so refreshing. Highlight was the miso ice cream- to die for! Sweet and savory. But I find the foods were TOO flavorful, although delicious. I had to drink lots of water afterwards. Recommend: hamachi tartar, enoki, dyno wings read more

See all

Had a late night, so I decided to check out this place with my best friend past 12:30AM! We definitely had some confusion finding this place, if I didn't have the yelp photos, I probably wouldn't have found it, simply because they don't have any signage outside showing the name of this place. Didn't even notice it until I saw someone walk out the doors, and I thought I'd give it a shot to go inside, then the place matched the photos from here from all the yelpers! It's fairly dark in here, with some green and red lights, feels hipster, and its a small place, but like a hidden gem. We got seated right away, service was prompt. I absolutely loved the Salmon Aburi, mainly what brought me here after seeing the photos from this place. I did try the Enoki (very buttery and juicy), dyno wings (too much flavour on the outside that made the inside bland), and the miso ice cream (didn't expect the saltiness of the ice cream). I definitely would re-visit this place, but would solely get the Salmon Aburi. read more

See all

This is a hidden gem of Toronto. You wouldn't be able to spot it as it's located on a more residential street off of College - but damn! We've tried almost all of the things in their menu and we kept coming back over and over again! The Hanmoto Egg is the winner for me but my personal favorites also include Salmon Aburi and Hanmoto Bun read more

This review is based on the food and atmosphere. I was there with a couple of friends after work on a Monday night. You would need to get their early as space is extremely limited to 6 tables only (4 tables that fit up to 3 people and 2 tables that fit up to 6 people) no reservations. The good: Food was awesome, we got the salmon, chicken, okra and bao. This was split amongst 3 of us and we were all full :) The bad: The music volume in this place will literally give you a headache, they need to turn it down a notch. Can barely hear yourself. When I say it's hot in there due to tight space and an open flaming kitchen wear less clothing. It's dark and dungeon like in there, almost looking dirty which isn't a good thing, my window sill had dead bugs, not pleasant to look at when I'm eating. If you're a restaurant owner, you must take pride in the space you are serving. It's about getting repeat customers and not one timers. read more

See all

Hanmoto is literally a hidden gem in the West end. There is no sign outside - to get inside, walk through the ironically open door inconspicuously located on Lakeview, behind Churchill Pub. The dimly-lit, grungy atmosphere is perfect for their yummy, experiential dishes - from Dynamo Wings (duck-stuffed chicken wings) to Miso Ice Cream (tastes like thick salted caramel gelato) to Hamachi Tartare (make your own mini-rolls). Four of us shared seven dishes and one dessert and left satisfied. The service is casual yet personal, and the price is quite reasonable (~$20 each) for a delicious and fun dinner experience. read more

Hanmoto - Dynamo Wings - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

That freaking salmon aburi, man. Some serious stuff there. Imagine a mountain of torched salmon and within it, a kinder surprise of sushi rice with a separate woven basket of nori (seaweed) for you to DIY your own sushi. mmmmmmmm... And don't get me started on that hot hot tofu. Pure flavour. Vibe and place-wise, Hanmoto's the food version of Cold Tea :-) read more

Hanmoto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I came here with friends last week and we were easily able to get a table for 7 when we walked in close to 6:30pm on a Friday night. Hanmoto has a cool hole in the wall type vibe to it and we've easily passed by this place a few times before, not knowing it was Hanmoto. It's a small place that reminds me of OddSeoul, another whole in the wall place I like. I ordered wings (the special that night, not the dynowings on the menu) and the pork belly sandwich. The wings had a nice light sweetness with mild spice flavour to it and paired with the spicy mayo type sauce, it was flavourful. The pork belly sandwich was a bit of a disappointment as it didn't taste like pork belly to me - more like a bland burger. Another friend ordered this too and he agreed. Others tried the deviled eggs and raw fish dishes - they were happy with their orders overall. The food was definitely pleasing to the eye but I'm not a fan of raw dishes so the aesthetic look of my friends' dishes were not enough to convince me to try it. The miso ice cream (it looks like a stick of butter) was good - worth a try! It was creamy with a touch of seaweed flavour to it - can't say I've tried anything like it. We got two for the table to share among all of us. Four of us ate one stick of miso ice cream and we each had several bites of it - more than enough to share. Overall, a good experience here that night. Food was pretty to look at but the portions are small for the price (typical TO!) and be prepared to spend a bit more for this Japanese tapas place. There are some hits but some misses with the taste of some of the dishes. Good company made the night a bit more though than the food for me personally. read more

See all

Hanmoto is a new spot that serves up raw and hot items in izakaya style! The portions are snack sized and are meant for sharing. The spot is nestled away on Lakeview and the inside is VERY small. There are two larger picnic tables that can accommodate a bigger group but then there's just a few smaller two-seaters and bar stools in the rest of the space. It is dim-lit, art-grunge and the music is pumping (hip hop). The menu is small and carries hot items, cold/raw items, cocktails and beer. We ordered 85% of the menu to share between the 4 of us. Highlights: Dyno Wings - 2 jumbo deboned chicken wings stuffed with pork dumpling and glazed with some ridiculously tasty sauce! A definite winner! Moto bun - This is Japanese curry chicken with slaw on a bun! Very flavourful and messy, hard to cut in half so if you're hungry order one of these to yourself. Nasu Dengaku - Japanese eggplant, fried beets and miso sauce. BEST dish on the menu which was a shocker. I don't even care for eggplant but this dish has an explosion of texture and flavourful, that miso special sauce is DELICIOUS!!! Miso Ice cream - Shiro Miso icecream in a slab dusted with nori powder and puff rice balls. This was a nice subtle flavour. Not too sweet and the rice balls gave it a nice crunch. A nice treat to split. Basically everything we tried was really good, the only thing I didn't care for was the shishitso peppers. Usually I love these peppers at Spanish restaurants but they were quite flavourless here. They topped the peppers with bontio flakes which were wayyyyyy too fishy tasting, we barely finished this dish between 4 people. The large salmon dish wasn't really worth it either. Seemed like there was not enough meat in the salmon and it was hard to pick at and they just dumped a load of coleslaw on top. The other salmon dish was excellent though, the aburi salmon! Cocktails looked good, but were pricey. I had a beer instead. The beer list is short but some decent options. Great place, would go back just for those wings and eggplant, mmmmmmm! read more

See all

This place is really small and gives off a dingy vibe... but I did enjoy my visit here. The dyno wings are 2 deep fried chicken wings stuffed with a juicy dumpling inside. Although it was very flavourful and was interesting to try, it was way too salty. The salmon aburi is torched salmon on a bed of sushi rice. We enjoyed this a lot as it was very yummy, and it comes with nori on the side which adds great texture when eaten together. The tuna tartare was really good - more on the citrusy side. It gives off a refreshing taste after eating something oily. All the food had awesome flavour. Service was ok, but the place is really dark. read more

Heard a lot of good reviews about this place! Came here around 7pm on a Saturday night and only had to wait for 15-20mins before getting a table. This place is not that easy to find as there is no sign at the front. We got seated at the table near the washroom. The restaurant is small and gives out a cool, dive bar vibe but the bench that I sat on was very wobbly and I thought it was going to break at some point (luckily it didn't). We ordered a bunch of dishes to share. Our favourites were the dyno wings, moto eggs and the katsu bun! The flavours were so unique and definitely lived up the expectation. will definitely come back again :) read more

See all

Hanmoto was rather disappointing. The menu does lot offer a large selection and there are a lot of fried options. We got the chicken wings (3/5). They were stuffed with meat and just not very tasty. The abore sushi (5/5) was the best thing we tried although you have to roll your own sushi! I can see that appealing to some crowds. My preference is that someone else prepares the rolls. You have to walk through a part of the kitchen and climb stairs to get to the washroom which wasn't a great experience either. I won't be back. read more

It is a really good izakaya, this store is not easy to find. It is good for dinner or night snack. I like the hand roll, salmon, bun and eggs. I also want to try uni bomb and the ice cream next time. read more

Hanmoto - Hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

WOW. Don't know how it took me so long to get here. All it took was a stumble over from Churchhill's next door (with their disappointingly closed kitchen) to Hanmoto. Place was bumping at 1:15 AM on a Friday night, but a table was opening up in 10 minutes. Consider it done. The surprises kept coming, though I shouldn't have been that surprised considering this is an establishment from the people of Oddseoul. The service was ridiculously amazing and attentive, experts at not making us feel rushed. Started with a Modelo and were offered shots of Jameson to go with it. Thank you! Next the food started pouring out. Dyno wings AKA deboned chicken wings stuffed with ground pork and bacon, deep fried with Kewpie mayo, nori, cilantro and hot peppers. What?!?!? I was not ready. It burst it your mouth while staying so intact, like a combo of a wing and a dumpling. Next, the katsu bun, a sous vide pork belly deep fried in panko, glazed in miso and sprinkled with sesame seeds. In a sandwich. Insane!!!!! Had Big Mac-esque, simple flavours while decidedly Japanese. We also had the Nasu Dengaku, deep fried Japanese eggplant with miso hollandaise for our veggies friend. It was perfectly tender and satisfying. But, the showstopper was the aburi salmon. SO CRAZY GOOD. Was expecting sushi, but out came a small mound of rice, covered in freshly blowtorched salmon, fish roe, scallions. etc. Toasted seaweed squares are served alongside, so there is great enjoyment is scooping things up and making your own. Insane. read more

I've heard some amazing things about this place but since it was popular and only seated 30 people I figured my chances to get a table were slim at 9 pm. Fortunately, I managed to make it there when they opened and it was delicious. This place is hidden away at Ossington and Dundas, I walked past this place several times since it didn't have a sign. The interior was small, dark and a boom box playing beach side music. If I was ever at a Japanese beach and going to get beach food this is what I would expect. The menu consisted of 10 items and I think its best to share with your table. The prices range from $7 to $15 dollars a dish. I strongly recommend the hamachi tartare, a great blend of citrus,wasabi and that creamy taste from the avocado was amazing! Dyno wings: a deboned chicken wing, stuffed with bacon and pork. Deep fried with a sweet soy sauce and Japanese Mayo. Need I say more? The salmon face was a bit disappointing. The salmon was torched and left a bitter taste. Wasn't my favourite dish of the night. Moto eggs: Japanese style deviled eggs with chicken skin chips and king salmon roe. This was amazing, each component just worked together and tasted great! Then the moto bun: this can't be shared and is better for one person. The is a Jamaican spiced Japanese chicken curry with a coleslaw and was deliciously spicy. Oh, did I mention the bun was deep fried? This place is fantastic! A must go to hidden gem in Toronto. read more

See all

This place is so hipster it doesn't even have a sign outside and you could miss it entirely if you didn't know it was there. The menu is small (I believe 12 to 14 dishes in total) and can seat under 20 people. In fact, it used to be the two car garage of the bar next door. The decor is grunge, the music is cool, and the vibe is anything but your typical Toronto Izakaya. Of particular note are the Dyno Wings, Miso Steak, devilled eggs with chicken skin, and the hamachi and Tuna Tartares. The dishes are very unique and you are unlikely to taste similar flavours anywhere else. The only reason I cannot give it 5 stars is because of the INSANE amount of time you must wait before getting a table, even on weekdays. They do not accept reservations, only walk-ins, and if you put your name down and they tell you 40-45 minutes, be prepared to wait AT LEAST double that long. I am sure all the bars in the neighbourhood are grateful to Hanmoto for the long waits as it must bring them a tremendous amount of business. Despite the long wait, it is always worth it. However, don't show up starving expecting to eat right away or you'll end up caving and dining at one of the other establishments around popular and hip Dundas and Ossington. Not to be missed! read more

Insane. Had never heard of this place before, but BOY did it blow me away. Flavors- outstanding. Things I got that I need to do so many more times in life: - dyno wings (omg) - katsu bun (easily best I've ever had in the city) - enoki mushrooms (ridiculously good) - hand roll (also so much yes) Things I need to try next time: - the rest of the menu. read more

The food is not bad at all, but I was a tad disappointed because It wasn't anywhere near as amazing as I'd hoped. Deep fried stuff.....stuff with too much wasabi and soy.......wonder bread buns.......a bit Meh. Presentation was great. Just lacked the "wow" factor with flavour. read more

Before you even step in to this place, you'll probably need to take a double take before finding it, as there's no signs and almost hidden on Lakeview. Once inside, you're greeted with a small, grungy space, almost like you're in someone's garage, but in the best way possible. The decor is charming with vintage signs and accents here and there and neon signs to contrast. We had the Uni-Bomb, Dino Wings, Salmon Aburi, Roasted Eggplant with Fried Beet, Katsu Bun and to end off, the Miso Ice Cream. Highlights were the Salmon Aburi and Uni-Bomb as the flavours together worked really well although I felt the salmon supposedly being raw was a bit overcooked. The Dino Wings, their most popular dish, was alright. The batter wasn't great, felt a bit too fried and the stuffing just felt like eating a dumpling. Not sure why people rave about this? Also, skip the Katsu Bun, it's not worth the money at all. The roasted eggplant with fried beet was excellent, definitely recommend. Miso Ice Cream, was a bit strange.. Felt too salty and had no balance. Overall, great vibes, service was average and food was also only okay. Did not try any of their drinks this time, but I can see this as a good place for a snack and/or drinks after dinner. read more

Hanmoto - Dino Wings - comes in a cute "takeout" box - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

We checked this place out after work on a Friday around 6:30pm, nobody was there yet so we walked right in! The servers were terrific and we loved the space, it is small but cozy. Every single piece of food was spectacular, my personal favourites were the tartare and the spicy tofu. The tartare was citrusy and tangy, the tofu was not spicy (which was fine with me) and the pickled peppers matched with the sauce were tart and slightly sour, which paired well with the soft smooth tofu. Obviously the Dyno wings are a must... Honestly though, every single thing on this menu is gold. Lots of options for vegetarians too! read more

Hanmoto - Dyno wings!!! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Place was hard to find. GPS shows 2 Lakeview on the left but the store is across from it, lit with red neon lights. Must order: * Uni Bomb * Miso Ice Cream (quite rich, one order is enough for 2) * Salmon Ordered & didn't like: * Moto Eggs (salty) Fast service, good music & great vibe overall. Limited seating but feels like you're on the street of a small Japanese town enjoying small portions of good street food. Suitable for dates or adventurous family members. read more

Hanmoto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Found this place about 5-6 years ago and I haven't been back since then but went the other day and the place did not disappoint. Food was so so good and everyone was so nice. Went to celebrate my birthday and left feeling like I need to go back again! So good.m! read more

Hanmoto really impressed me. It has been a while since I've been to a restaurant and had tasted something I haven't before. The Dino chicken wings were good but you only need to eat one as they are coated in a super rich sauce. I HIGHLY recommend the Okra and Salmon Aburi. I tried the curry bun but it was not my fave. The cocktails are also solid and they compliment the food nicely. Love this place I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

Hanmoto - Cool bar decor - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I have come here a few times and have never had a bad experience. This place has a very gritty, but cozy and welcoming feel to it which I enjoyed. They played hip hop music which suited the environment very well. The drinks and food selection is small but all really unique and you can't go wrong picking any one kind because they are all delicious. read more

Hanmoto - Gin - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all