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    Izakaya Shingen

    3.8 (37 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    IZAKAYA SHINGEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Izakaya Shingen

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    Bar Area
    Megan T.

    We visited Izakaya Shingen when we were visiting Ottawa from Toronto. We tried a bunch of dishes but our favourites were definitely their Dipping Soba Noodles, Gyu Don, and Takoyaki. For drinks, we really enjoyed their Chu Hai cocktails. We really liked the restaurant's atmosphere and their service was pretty quick because they have a buzzer at each table.

    Happy Hour
    Julie L.

    Great atmosphere and the dishes were well flavoured. I ordered the Mentaiko Udon (creamy texture) and Takowasa (spicy octopus) and I was pleased with both. The price is a bit steep for the portion. But we went during happy hour (Tues - Sun, 5pm - 7pm) so we saved a few bucks. My friend's chicken karaage (boneless!) was good too. Service was attentive. I will take out of town guests here in the future!

    Good karaage marred by weird sauce
    Jeffrey W.

    3.5 Stars A little while back I went to Shingen, finding out it might be the only serviceable izakaya in town. To be absolutely fair to them, since I'm currently not drinking it's a bit hard to completely judge an izakaya. That said, the ambience felt right, and service was generally pretty nice. The dish of the night was karaage. The chicken was well-fried, with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. Unfortunately, the strange, overly savoury soy-sauce mixture they paired with it was quite sad. It would have been superior to just leave the sauce off, or provide some kind of mayo (kewpie mayo, wasabi mayo, spicy mayo, etc) because even no sauce would have been better than what they wanted to serve with that chicken. Their butadon was a bit strange as well - from my understanding, butadon tends to use slightly thicker pork than what's available here, but I have seen variations where the pork is thin like hotpot/shabu shabu pork. The bigger issue was the use of standard ginger, which was too spice-forward compared to the mellowed out red pickled ginger that's normally used to bring some balance and flavour contrast with the pork I'm not sure if pickled ginger is not available, but I believe there are recipes on justonecookbook that should not be impossible for a restaurant to procure. When I asked for the skewers, I was told they could take up to half an hour, which was okay with me as I had other food. They were alright, though after the lead-up time it ended up being a bit disappointing. Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but I still think this could be a place worth going to for the food alone. The general thrust of the food I tried is in the right direction and with some minor adjustments they could definitely be quite delicious (particularly the karaage).

    Assorted Sashimi, Takoyaki, and Salmon Poke Bowl
    Gladys C.

    Love the vibe of this place. Felt like an authentic izakaya. It wasn't too busy on a week night but the seated the two of us at a tiny table which was not super comfortable.. The food though was excellent. We had assorted sashimi, takoyaki, and a poke bowl. Will come back to try more!

    First, write the reason for the summary at the top: the reason for giving one star is that the food is not fresh, causing vomiting and diarrhea We ordered six dishes at Izakaya Shingen yesterday which included raw salmon. But my girlfriend doesn't eat raw food, so I eats all the salmon. After two hours, my stomach began to feel uncomfortable, and then there was vomiting and diarrhea. But my girlfriend didn't experience any physical discomfort. We stayed together all day and ate the same everything except the plate of raw salmon. I barely slept the whole night, going to the toilet almost every thirty minutes to vomit. We both commented. We just wanted more people to see this. Avoid the same encounters with us. It was really uncomfortable to vomit a dozen times all night.

    Grilled Shimano the the top and agedashi tofu at the bottom
    Elizabeth K.

    Went here last night with my bestfriend for some late night eats and drinks after our massage. The street is currently blocked off and we were told that sometimes a food festival is held on the streets during the summer. All of the food we ordered was delicious, moderately priced and service was super friendly. Will definitely be back!

    Chicken Karage- $7.40
    Gordon Y.

    Basically Japanese tapas, would not recommend for one person looking for a quick meal. The place itself is very nice and modern. I ordered the chicken karage and pork rice bowl which came out to about $15 before taxes. Tastewise the chicken karage is actually very tender and seasoned well. The pork rice bowl was unimpressive and lacked flavour and texture. In terms of value it is quite poor as i was not even close to being full, i'd probably have to spend $30. Cons - Not the place for one person - Poor value - Mediocre food Pros - Great location and atmosphere Service: 3/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Cleanliness: 4.5/5 Location: 5/5 Price/value: 1/5 Food: 2.5/5 Would i return? No

    Inside
    Mii B.

    Fun place! Glad to see more Toronto style restos opening up to heat Ottawa's food scene. So many delicious novelties on the menu. Favs were the chicken karaage, roasted eel, miso black cod. Will recommend and come again for sure.

    The grilled mackerel was the bomb.
    Kevin B.

    Amazing Izakaya in downtown Ottawa? Yes, please! If you're craving Japanese food - or if you're just looking for something good and new - then you've come to the right place. When you walk through the door, you'll be greeted by friendly smiles and a trendy vibe. The restaurant has cool Japanese artwork, stylish furniture, and cozy seating arrangements, which all work together to create a sophisticated yet relaxing ambiance. The menu is a little bit confusing. It's essentially Japanese tapas, but not all dishes are the same size. Some are closer to entree sized, whereas others are truly just snacks or sides. Therefore, there's no one-size-fits-all method to crafting your meal. Just find the items that look delicious and order them. If you find yourself still hungry, you can always order more. I ended up getting the spicy edamame (I'm a fan of all edamame, but this one was especially good), the tuna tataki (good, has a smoky and pickled flavor), the negima chicken skewer (tasty and tender), the grilled mackerel (delicious and filling), and the yaki onigiri grilled rice balls (savory and more flavorful than I expected). So in short, everything was really good - I don't think you can go wrong here. Depending on how much you order, it can get s bit expensive, so don't go too overboard (easier said than done, given how delicious it all is). I don't know how you could still be on the fence, so just come eat here already. It gets busy on weekends, so call ahead to make a reservation, especially if you have a big group. And enjoy the experience!

    Interior
    Susan T.

    Japanese food in Ottawa! What a great find! Visiting from Los Angeles, we were looking for some good comfort food. Shingen didn't disappoint! Their miso cod and Saba (mackerel) we're delicious as was their agedashi tofu, oden, shishito peppers and yaki onigiri. Their kakuni was very tender and well seasoned. Of course we also enjoyed sake and Asahi black beer. The decor is typical of an Izakaya and the service from Ana was exceptional. Highly recommend!

    Stephanie W.

    An outstanding an authentic Japanese izakaya in Ottawa. Go to have a beer and share some of the many sharing plates with friends. I highly recommend trying the okonomiyaki which is as good as you would find in Japan.

    Unagi-don izakaya style
    Scott J.

    Great location, service is ok. I highly recommend the yakitori, Unagi-don, karage and avoid the dipping sauce.

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    8 years ago

    Delicious and healthy! Crunchy salmon bowl. Beautiful service even though I was alone.

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    8 years ago

    Great restaurant. Nicely prepared, very authentic Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima style. Outstanding chicken and green onion yakatori.

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    Izakaya Shingen Reviews in Other Languages

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    Gyubee Japanese Grill - Merivale

    Gyubee Japanese Grill - Merivale

    3.8
    (51 reviews)
    6.8 km
    $$$

    Wow! This is my new favourite restaurant. This restaurant…read morereminds me a tad of The Melting Pot in the states, where you cook at the table using fondue oil, cheese and choco. But this elevates that process and is Japanese, which is one of my favourite flavour profiles. The ambiance is so nice. There are screens between the tables so that you can cook and eat in private, which I really appreciated. Being new to the process and restaurant, I felt so fortunate to have Jarred as my server. He explained how everything worked and was so patient with me. Basically, you pay one price for all you can eat...and it's such a bargain! There are so many meats, sides and even desserts to choose from. Jarred helped me choose and was so patient explaining everything that had been marinated in soy sauce and was not gluten free. I was disappointed I couldn't have beef, so he told me he would grab some brisket without the marinade. I ended up ordering that brisket, shrimp and sausage for the meat. The sides were sweet potato in a brown sugary sauce, corn, pineapple, and rice. I can say that the sausage was my favourite, had a nice sweetness to it and different from the typical sausage you get elsewhere. You use the grill to cook everything which is so much more fun than just sitting and waiting for the food to arrive. Everything was so fresh and just tasted amazing. The grilled pineapple was divine! Jarred also suggested I order the Bibimbap. It was a dish with seaweed, veggies, and an egg on top. It tasted like an amazing sushi roll. I also had an UME pineapple drink. You can add an extra oz of alcohol for just $2. It was delicious. There are always staff around and they clear dishes you are finished with super fast. Everything moves there like a well-oiled machine. For dessert, I had this little creme brulee, which was just the right size not to overstuff your tummy. So amazing all warm and bubbly after it sat on the grill. One of the best I've ever had. While writing this review, I discovered there is a location relatively close to where I live in Waterloo. I will definitely be going. This isn't just an extraordinary dinner, it was an extraordinary experience. Perfect food, perfect service, and such a great value! This would be so fun for a date night or night out with friends. I will definitely frequent this restaurant, LOVE it! This location also has a parking lot, which is most welcome in Ottawa!

    I'm super duper hungry coz I just got out from work but I got so disappointed with our recent…read moredinner experience at Gyubee Japanese Grill. While eating, I found a piece of metal/steel wool in the chicken that was served to me. This is a serious safety issue, imagine if I have swallowed it. Then instead of addressing the situation properly, we were only offered 10% off, which doesn't reflect how serious this incident is. (Looks like really not) I even asked them how do they handled this situation, and they just said 10% off is the best they can do ‍ This is not just a small mistake, it's a food safety concern!! Posting this to raise awareness and hopefully encourage better standards when it comes to food safety.

    Photos
    Grill and pre food
    Grill and pre food
    All the beef and chicken options, plus shrimp, vegetables, and octopus balls
    All the beef and chicken options, plus shrimp, vegetables, and octopus balls
    Ice cream

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    Ice cream
    Edoko Japanese Steak House

    Edoko Japanese Steak House

    3.1
    (25 reviews)
    0.6 km

    Myself and 2 other guests went here on a Saturday night. We went early, due to a later commitment…read more The restaurant does have parking across the street in a small alley which is nice for a downtown place. The restaurant itself is due for a refresh without a doubt. Appears to have been last updated in the '80's. Which leaves it looking worn and shabby. Luckily we weren't there for the decor. We were greeted at the door as we came in and shown to our grill table which was preset for our arrival. We ordered some "exotic" mixed Drinks. Which were tasty but not Over the top delicious. We ordered the seafood combo, chicken and shrimp, and a chicken combo at the tapenyaki grill. Our "host" put on a chef jacket and cooked our food at the grill in front of us without the typical fanfare or show that we were expecting. This was ok with us but some might find it disappointing. The food itself was flavorful and generally properly cooked. The soup starter was supposed to be a chicken broth was tasteless and actually looked like a hot water bath with some mushroom flakes and scallions. We did find that the egg for the fried rice (which was an extra cost) was fried to a crispy rubbery texture but everything else was good with a tasty sauce that was not just soya or teriyaki. The portions were on the smaller side but enough just nothing left to take home. Overall the experience was under whelming for the price. They could easily improve by a refresh and slight changes to amounts of food. Specifically more vegetables, better soup flavor, and larger rice/noodles portions. The protein amounts were plenty even heavy compared to the rest of the portions. Overall ok, not worth a return visit though.

    It's an okay/fun experience, but not sure I'd go back…read more The sushi was very good. The rest of the food that was prepared in front of us wasn't bad per se, but it all tasted the same in the soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. We had reservation for right when they opened, but one of the dishes was already not available. The staff were all very kind, although I felt a little bad for our chef who was just doing this part-time and looking for a job in his field.

    Photos
    Edoko Japanese Steak House
    Edoko Japanese Steak House
    Edoko Japanese Steak House

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    Sushi 88

    Sushi 88

    4.1
    (67 reviews)
    1.0 km
    $$

    In my books, this place was just OK. It should be noted that this was my first time having sushi in…read moreOttawa, and this place is supposed to be the best sushi place here. I've had sushi plenty in Vancouver and Toronto, and this place was disappointing in comparison (even to Toronto sushi). I think AYCE sushi is more popular in Ottawa. This is one of the few places that do a la carte. I found the prices to be a bit expensive for what you get. 3 of us shared a sushi and sashimi party tray. It came to around $30 a person, and was quoted on the menu to be for about 3-4 people. I would say it's barely enough for 3 very small people, let alone 4. It did not come with miso soup or salad. The quality of the sushi was nothing to be amazed about. Although it was probably a bit better than AYCE, I think for the prices, I'd expect better quality sushi. If I had to, I'd choose AYCE sushi over this in Ottawa. Also, in terms of authenticity, I think this place is Chinese owned. It is a small establishment, so if you want to be sure you get a table, I'd recommend reservations. There is street parking available on Somerset. I likely won't be back, and will definitely try my hardest to persuade my friends to go elsewhere if they want to come back.

    Food was good. The sushi may have slightly too much rice in each piece but it was fresh and tasty…read more The tempura dish is very light and portion size is good. Service was good and we booked a table before their big party reservations comes in about an hour later. Dining hall was clean and tidy without feeling crowded. I would go back again.

    Photos
    Sushi 88
    Warm decor and elegant place settings
    Warm decor and elegant place settings
    Sushi 88

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    Izakaya Shingen - japanese - Updated July 2026

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