I suppose this spot is as good as it gets for an Izakaya. The food was good both times went. Happy hour deals are great. The food is generally pretty tasty - notable the curry tonkatsudon. As for the small plates, they could generally be better for the price, but thought they are good overall All in all, I do enjoy coming here - especially with friends as it makes for a great atmosphere. read more

See all

Great spot for food in Ottawa along Bank St! One of the better spots for Japanese izakaya. They have a great happy hour on weekdays until 7pm. I got the chicken karage and octopus (takowasa). Chicken was well portioned and fried well. Takowasa tasted fresh and came with a good amount of seaweed. read more

See all

This place is good for groups and dates. It was packed when we arrived for dinner but luckily one of the servers allowed us to sit in a bigger booth so we could be seated right away. The food here was so tasty and the vibe is really fun. The service is friendly but they are constantly running around so sometimes you need to flag them down. My SO said their miso butter enoki was one of the best dishes he's had all year. There's so many delicious options on the specials list and their regular menu. They also signal on the menu which skewers they're out of; we were fortunate enough to have tried the eel, chicken thighs, and hearts before they ran out. If I'm in Ottawa again, this'll definitely be a place to return to for dinner. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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! read more

Izakaya Shingen - Happy Hour - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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). read more

See all

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! read more

Izakaya Shingen - Assorted Sashimi, Takoyaki, and Salmon Poke Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

As with most izakayas, the atmosphere is pretty dim, with lots of decor and a loud-ish environment. Kind of felt like we stepped into another world when we walked in. We started with pitchers of sapporo and asahi which were priced pretty steep at $27 and $29 respectively. We ordered a bunch of everything, including, curry tonkatsu don, gyu don, mentaiko udon, angus beef kalbi, grilled mackerel, takoyaki, and japanese pancake. Personally enjoyed the mentaiko udon and angus beef kalbi the most but everything was actually very good. The prices for the food are fair and service is quick and attentive. The place is very good and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a great late-ish dinner spot! read more

My sister took me here when I visited her recently. First off, great space, nicely decorated, has that izakaya feel to it. We ordered a mini hot pot, chicken l'arabe, takoyaki, some skewers, sashimi plate, and the onigiri rice balls. Everything tasted good and was satisfying. Skewer options were limited tho l. I was expecting variety at a izakaya but they only had chicken which they were sold out of and some internal organs like heart which I don't eat so that was the only downside. Overall verdict: great vibes, tasty food, great izakaya option in town read 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. read more

Izakaya Shingen - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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! read more

See all

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 read more

Izakaya Shingen - Chicken Karage- $7.40 - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

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. read more

See all

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! read more

See all

Solid izakaya style place if you're looking for something in downtown Ottawa. We had sweet potato fritters (3) tofu in broth (3) sashimi (4 includes scallops and big pieces of yellowtail) onigiri (4 loved the texture diffs between inside and outside) and they came out looking just like the onigiri in Sushi Go! Also $7 for a big mug of beer was nice, most downtown places seem to be charging way more for beer wine and alcohol. We also had miso cod (5 expensive but so tasty and delicate) and salt cured grilled salmon (4). In total meal for two was $70 tax tip and drinks all in. read more

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! read more

See all

Came here on a Wednesday night with a friend and we barely managed to get a table! I personally really enjoy Izakayas and this one was no exception! I love the lively atmospheres. Food highlights: we had the miso butter enoki, as most reviewers suggested it. It was good (very umami tasting) but a little too salty for me. Assorted sashimi was nice and fresh! We also had some skewers of the day and karaage and they were delicious as well. Overall the food was good. Service was quite fast too. I had a great time! read more

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. read more

See all

Good place to have a drink and some ok Japanese small dishes. But service is not professional enough. It is our first time. We try different types food from the menu. The grilled chicken is good flavor. The steamed hotpot is quite Japanese style. The grilled Erl Don is NOT good at all, there is no Erl source on it. Creamy udon is so NOT Japanese food. And the worst part they spilt two times my beer on me. read more

Great atmosphere. Loud enough to be exciting but quiet enough to hear everyone talk. The food is great, the vegetarian curry don is absolutely worth the visit read more

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

Izakaya Shingen - Unagi-don izakaya style - Japanese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Amazing food made with good quality ingredients. Decor is really nice as well, feels like you are eating in Japan. Will definitely be back next time I am in Ottawa. Really liked the octopus in wasabi sauce! read more

Loved the food and the fun dessert, the cotton candy machine. Pretty authentic! But could be pricey when ordered enough for my appetite read more

See all

This place is a mix of Japanese and Korean flavour . I very much like the atmosphere especially the background of the bar. I especially recommend the cream udon, the karrage, and if you're a fan of a bit of alcohol, the Tamara umeshi! This is my place for when I want to unwind and de stress . Good for solo visitors ! read more

Fun izakaya place for small/medium-sized groups. Better than most Centretown restaurants. Interesting seasonal specials (they had uni for a few days when it was in season). However, service tends to be slow. As well, quality and value can vary quite a bit across the menu. Would recommend the takoyaki, yakitori (not offered on Sundays), and mentaiko udon (creamy cod roe udon). read more

Please call and make sure you get a reservation. Called today and advised to come and join the waitlist. When I arrived I Waac told they don't take any customer anymore. Such a shame... never tried the food and I guess won't try again. read more

Definitely wroth trying if you are Japanese food lover! I love the pork belly on skewer, the rice soaked in tea with salmon and a lot other side dishes. Because it's mainly side dishes at about $5 each, so you can try many dishes at one time visit. read more

Honestly, I was really looking forward to this restaurant. But my experience was so so, the service wasn't great. The food was ok, nothing too impressive. read more

Here is a cheap travel to Japan. Food is really good like the yakotori or the okonominaki, lots of fish and flavours of japan. Plus the have a great selection of Sake and the decors makes you feel just like you're in a izakaya in Tokyo. read more

The servers were very nice. I had the salmon poke bowl it was sooo good. so filling but so good. The prices are pretty good for what u get and its great. would recommend read more

Great location great food! It is a good experience to share my night with friends!! I recommend to try the salmon sashimi;) read more

See all

Great food and energy/ terrible operation. My reservation for 16 people was sat over 20 minutes late. Everyone's order was taken at random so no one got to eat together. Half of everything we tried to order was sold out. I made the reservation over two weeks ago and because of how disappointed I was with their preparation for my dinner party I would unfortunately not recommend it. The food was good but their menu is chaotic and outdated. Servers were very friendly but seemingly inexperienced or unaware of proper steps of service. read more

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

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

This restaurant looks trendy and is pretty roomy. The seats were a bit uncomfortable (they chose aesthetics over function). But it comes down to 1 thing - the food. I was excited to eat my favourite Japanese fish, Agedashi tofu. We also ordered a Yuzu nabe udon soup, kalbi beef, pork rice bowl, and chicken skewers. All were meh. Nothing worth coming back for. Sadly, the all you can eat Japanese restaurants tasted better than this. read more

Had the pork bowl and sweet potato tempura with two Asahi draft beers. It was an afternoon and not that busy. The waitresses seemed a bit inexperienced, but everyone was nice. The seating area is clean and new. The food tasted delicious, but it was a small portion for the price, so I would recommend ordering more than one dish at a time if you're hungry. The beer was also a bit pricier than I was expecting. The variety of the food on their menu was a lot better than just your generic ramen/ sushi joint, so I will probably go back. read more