The food has really gone down hill this past year. They used to have great fries, now they are skinny and always dry and many burnt. We asked for a simple dietary consideration and it was totally ignored. When we brought it to their attention, the chef just shrugged his shoulders and said it was a mis-communication. There was no attempt to make it up to us or try to make us feel better. They just did not care. We ended up paying for food that we could not eat. We will never go back. read more

3.5 stars I saw a $10 deal with AsialiciousTO for 3 Vietnamese style pork tacos with asian slaw and salsa. Since we were kind of in the area we decided to eat here. There's paid street parking on both sides of the street. I did read a review that there's complimentary parking behind the restaurant though. Mai Bistro has a small patio out front that's covered and indoor seating as well. We opted to sit on the patio. Since it was our first time at the restaurant the waitress explained the various menus to us. There was a written menu for Today's Specials and some of them were crossed out. I'm guessing that those items have already sold out. I saw a photo of the menu from a couple of years ago and in comparing with the menu from the other day I can see that prices have increased for some dishes. To me, prices veer on the higher side. The grilled lemongrass pork with rice and asian slaw was $22 and the shrimp ceviche with fresh salsa and avocado on a crispy tortilla was $11. My Vietnamese style pork tacos were a good deal for $10. Even at the regular price of $14 the price isn't too different from tacos at other restaurants. The pork was flavourful and portions are like what I found from food trucks in LA (but leave you wanting more). read more

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food and service service is nice and fast, food delicious. Recommend it for party or couples read more

This restaurant boasts excellent service, great food and a nice ambiance. We ordered the chicken pad Thai, the spring rolls, the ginger salad, the mango salad and edamame. Everything was delicious, and this is a solid bet in the West End! They also have a nice cocktail and wine list. We enjoyed our experience and will be back. PS: they are also kid-friendly; they have special kid-friendly dishes, and a nice, welcoming atmosphere. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in the area. We didn't make reservation but they found us a table. The flavour is devin in every dish we ordered. We could have gone another round. Compliment to the chef, everything was cooked to perfection. Our steak was juicy and tender. Grilled Lemongrass Pork with the Asian slaw had a nice balance which makes our mouth water. Highly recommend, must try. read more

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Did to disappoint us. We had shrimp ceviche, shrimp tacos, steak tacos, fried calamari, and a noodle dish. We were so good! Friendly service as well. read more

What's Asian-Latin fusion? This is apparently. This place is great for groups. There's small and large tapas meant for sharing. It has a cozy, dim, quaint atmosphere. Not many other restaurants were open late on a weekday in the west end. I tried the Shrimp and Crab ceviche with fresh salsa and avocado. This was probably my favourite dish. Crunchy, healthy and with a kick. I also had the Crispy Fried Calamari with chipotle aioli and Tres Leche Cake. Tapas usually isn't huge quantities and not cheap. Everything had a great presentation. Friendly staff and it appears to be a family run restaurant? They explain all menu items to you. read more

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Thai and Latin American? What is this madness? After dining here, I realized it was genius. All the dishes I tried here were good! The portions are small, but it's quality over quantity here. Kale salad $8 - This was one of the specials and it was a simple yet tasty pile of kale with sauce and cheese on top. Garlic shrimp $18 - The rice was chewy and went very well with the dish. Vegetarian Pad Thai $14 - Great sauce and perfectly cooked noodles. Tres Leches $7 - Sweet and spongy. Japanese cheesecake $7 - Amazing cheesecake! The texture was a mix between a regular cake and cheesecake. It was very creamy and delicious. There's a parking lot in the back of the restaurant with plenty of spots during a weeknight. You'll see a large painted sign on the wall of the building that says Mai and an arrow pointing to the back entrance. ....| \ _ , , , - - , , _ , .../ , ` . - ' ` ' . _ \ - ; ; ; , _ ..| , a - ) ) _ . ; . ( ` - ` - ' - ' ' - - - ' ' ( _ / . _ ) - ' ( _ \ _ ) 2018 read more

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It was a surprise dinner place for me and initially I thought it was a Thai restaurant by the name of it. Indeed not - the Latin music made me rethink it. So it's an Asian Latin fusion of tapa dishes - to be shared with love!!! There is parking at the back of the place which seems unknown if you are new. We were just looking for free parking and found it. So there is a back entrance which is not as welcoming as the front of it. The ladies washroom is strangely situated beside the bar. It's nice but kinda dark to my liking. For tonight, we only saw one cook/chef in the house. So we waited a bit for our first dish. The waitress was friendly and gave us some advices and choices. 1. Started with a mango salad with grilled shrimps. The mango was nice. I was disappointed that the shrimp was small. It contained some peanuts which I would have liked taken out if I knew it was there. 2. Chipotle chicken guacamole dish was nice. The chicken breast was tender, not dry at all. However it didn't have any spice/kick to it. Only a small quantity of guacamole was seen. 3. The grilled seafood dish was pleasing to the eye. Very colourful and interesting. There was fish, calamari and shrimps (again). It tasted fresh and yummy. I would have like a bigger portion since this was under the large tapas menu. So maybe not worth the money, but a good dish overall. It was a nice quaint place to have a romantic dinner and not loud at all as it wasn't that busy. Verdict: I would go back for another celebration with friends. It's not an everyday restaurant as the bill can add up. And would love to try their dessert too. That night, they only had one featured. read more

Amazing local spot in the area. Asian x Latin fusion. Super delicious shareable dishes. If the octopus is available, highly recommend it. As well as the lamb spring rolls. But everything was amazing!! read more

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Fabulous food. Excellent service. Reasonable prices. Loved the shareable plates. Recommend this restaurant highly. We'll be back.

Amazing Asian-Latino fusion. The seafood is top notch, the owners (chef and hostess husband-wife team) are warm and engaging, and the ambience is relaxed. Ask for whatever is on special and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Some of the best food in the city at this price. Try the Paella read more

Amazing hidden gem in Etobicoke! Love the fusion dishes that are available! We had the shrimp ceviche, fries, fish tacos, lemongrass pork, and pad Thai. Each dish was so delicious and perfect size for sharing with a friend! My fave dish has to be the ceviche. I have never been a fan of any kind of ceviche, but this shrimp was was so delicious and perfectly plated with bite sized shrimp pieces, avocados, tomatoes, dressing, and crispy shell! read more

Mai Bistro is located near the north east intersection of Burnhamthorpe and Dundas just west of Islington Ave. My old stomping grounds. The village of Islington is my old stomping grounds in a sense that it's the area my high school used to be before they took those acres and acres of land and turned it into residential land where towers and town homes are now. The village of Islington has murals on the sides of buildings much like Philadelphia to remind you of how things used to be when things were a bit different. I swear I had no idea this place existed. While I live in central Etobicoke there are just so many places to eat in this city that little places like Mai could fall between the cracks. Mai is a small, intimate place with nice lighting and serves small plates and "large" small plates as well. Basically their menu consists of tapas but it's a mix of all sorts of things. Fish tacos, Argentinian steak with chimichurri? Yes we ordered those. If you want a nice variety of things to share why not? This place is a nice experience and they also have a nice variety of libations to compliment. While I'm not really big on small plates (haha) the thing is we literally just ate before coming here. We had a large small plate for dessert. Sometimes small plates are just the way to go and if you're going to go that route this is probably the place to do it. Oh and it's also in central Etobicoke so they're probably the closest place to my home where I can get something that has legit chimichurri. Looking back at this place, this is probably a good place to bring a date. Small eating and drinking, intimate... read more

Pondering on where to eat, we decided to come out to Mai Bistro an Asian Latin inspired restaurant whose dishes are definitely outside-of-the-box. Glad we chose this place as they've got a great selection of fusion dishes with infused Asian with Latin flavors. The chef (whose name I forgot) lived in South America for some time before coming to Toronto. As for drinks we tried their house special drink, a mix between Mojito/ Saki, truly unique. For foods we tried their spicy jerk fish served with fries, Korean fried chicken along with their grilled calamari. Overall the food was great, again tapas, so the dishes are more for sharing. Service was excellent as we also had the opportunity to chat with the chef about food and our travels. read more

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Asian-Latino fusion! Mmmm as good as it looks! Very fresh flavours with different sauces for each dish. Grilled Chicken slaw- so tasty especially with the viet fish sauce. Chicken had so much lemongrass flavour Shrimp and Crab Ceviche- crunchy chips that paired really well with the seafood and veggies Spring Rolls- Skin was so crispy and warm Cake- so nicely decorated, sponge cake and cream sauce read more

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I came with a coworker for lunch and WOWZA! We were impressed. Before I get into it, let me say they're doing a food drive now until September 22, and if you bring canned goods, you'll get a free slice of tres leches sponge cake! Anyways, the ambience is very nice with enjoyable date-Esque music in the background. The menu is tapas style, and is meant to be shared (good and fun place for a date! Hopefully your date doesn't pick something you hate and ruin the mood). There is also free parking behind the restaurant. We had two appetizer tapas and one large tapas. The first appetizer was Ontario Lamb Curry spring rolls with a sweet chili sauce. They were delicious! Not overly greasy like some spring rolls can be. They were bite sized with a very large flavor. Very delicious dish. The second appetizer was a Shrimp and Crab Ceviche which was served in a tortilla chip "dish," which came with fresh salsa and avocado. The ceviche was very refreshing, and the avocado was a delicious touch. The chip could be used as a scoop to the ceviche for a texture gradient. The large plate was grilled lemongrass pork with multigrain rice and an Asian slaw. The pork was delicious with the perfect amount of lemongrass. Not overly chewy, just right. The rice was fresh and hot and paired well with everything, and the slaw was cool and refreshing. The free slice of cake we got was a tres leches cake with whip cream, cream, cinnamon, and topped with an edible flower. I was transported to another planet when I took a bite, is all I have to say. This place is a must-go! read more

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The food is absolutely delicious. Interesting mix of Asian and Latin cuisine. All food is served on communal plates - tapas style. Be warned: if you are hungry, fill up on carbs at home before coming here - the servings are super small. Even the "large" serving portion is incredibly humble. The service is not too friendly but not rude. To the point, maybe slightly pushy in terms of trying to rush people out of the door before closing (Friday - 10:30 pm close time). If it wasn't for the miniature serving portions, this would be a gem in the West-end. read more

Mai Bistro - Mango salad - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This restaurant never fails to disappoint. Always had a great meal coming here no matter what we order. The flavours are spot on and a great mix of Asian and Peruvian flavours. Their meat dishes are always good with the meat cooked to perfection. read more

I was very excited to try Mai Bistro, given the great reviews on Yelp and the fact that - according to their website - they offered both a regular and a vegetarian menu. Upon arrival, I noticed that we were only given the regular menu and asked for the vegetarian one that I saw on the website for my spouse. I was taken aback when the waitress informed me that if I wanted the vegetarian menu, I would have to go to their website to view it?!?! A few minutes later the other waiter brought the vegetarian menu and apologized for the mishap. I started my meal with the Crispy Fried Fish Tacos (3 pieces) with salsa and avocado. The first two tacos did not have much flavor; I thought to myself that just a bit of mayo or some creamy dressing on the slaw underneath the fish would greatly improve the flavor of those tacos. When I picked up the third taco, guess what! I found out that all the creamy dressing was in the slaw on the third taco; it had soaked through the shell, and when I picked up the taco, it broke apart and was a soggy mess. For the price, those were pretty expensive lousy tacos. For my main, I opted for the day's special, seared tuna with mushroom sauce, served with baby bok choi and multi grain rice. As per the chef's recommendation, I ordered the tuna rare. Unfortunately, the tuna was served medium, which ruined the tuna. When the server came to check, halfway through my main course, I informed him of the issue; to his credit, he offered to take it back to the kitchen, but given the poor experience with the appetizer, I had lost faith in the kitchen at that point. Mai Bistro bills itself as a tapas restaurant, where the dishes are expected to be shared. When we ordered, we informed the waiter that we were not going to share our dishes, as my spouse is vegan and I'm not. To our surprise, the first course was my spouse's appetizer, which was put at the centre of the table, as if we were going to share it. So I basically sat there, watching my spouse eating the vegetarian appetizer, with no food. My fish tacos appetizer was served only after my spouse finished eating the vegan appetizer. As you can imagine, I only received my tuna main course after my spouse had finished the vegetarian main course, so my spouse just sat there looking at me eating. It was a frustrating experience. Decor of the restaurant is simple with organic touches. Complimentary parking is available at the back of the restaurant. read more

So many great things to say about this lovely little place in Etobicoke! - The food is original and very tasty. We had the Argentinian steak with fries, fried calamari and shrimp tacos. Ended with their tres leches cake. Yummmmm. - The ambience is...unexpected. Definitely date night, quiet, relaxed and comfortable. - Service is top notch. It's run by just a two-person team but you're never in want of water or waiting too long for your food. We even met the chef/owner! Outstanding. It's great to have genuine places like this in the neighbourhood. We will definitely be back! read more

Mai Bistro - Argentinian steak - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Small restaurant. Average price. Average quality food. May go with family but not friends

An interesting little place - chosen by my Event Planner girlfriend who always seems to take us to spots that she hears lots of buzz about. It's a small-ish space that's not sure if it's a Mexican, Asian, Argentinian or Caribbean...but that seems to be part of its charm. The Chef himself came out to explain our dishes and he made our Mango margaritas, which were yummy! We went on a Thursday evening and we were the only people in the place by the time we finished - it felt like a private party. We ordered edamame and fried calamari appetizers to share and between the 7 of us ladies, we ordered fish tacos (one fried and one grilled), jerk fish (gorgeous and so tasty!) and an Asian noodle dish. All of our food was really very tasty. Service was friendly and we spent about $40 each, (which covered drinks, apps, main, tip and tax). Pretty affordable. There is free parking in the back and street parking on Dundas is free after 4pm. I recommend you make a reservation to let them know you are coming and that they are prepared for your arrival! We received good service because we were the only table there - but I hate to think what would have happened if more folks came in. All in all - a delicious, fresh and pleasant experience! read more

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Highly recommend this place for food, my studio is in the area and I saw the restaurant daily, for whatever reason i hesitated going at first but when I finally did, I was in for a treaat!! Great friendly staffs and delicious fusion food. I'm often there for lunch as the prices are better for my budget. My go to dish is the vegetable pad Thai, I've had the chicken pad Thai and am normally a meat eater. But there is something special about they vegetable dish, I really like the multiple textures of the dish, it makes my taste buds happy. Generous portions Another dish I also get sometimes is their beef pho soup lunch special. I need to go back and try their dinner dishes so I will leave that for the next review! read more

Mai Bistro - Mexican cake, so soft and creamy - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

First time at this place, and I felt like I have discovered a gem! The ambience is very cozy and sort of stylish, at least they try. It is very clean. Two of us on a summer Tuesday evening, and we ordered four small tapas, one large tapa (pad thai) and the viet pork tacos. All dishes taste fresh. The salad was so crispy, calamari comparable to top notch Italian restaurants. I also really enjoyed the organic options, since that was associated with a wellness initiative. I am currently waiting for the pad Thai as I am writing this review and already to rate 5 star just for the amazing service and taste. Tapas came one by one with almost no pause in between, which is impressive. It is a shame that this amazing restaurant only had a few customers, maybe it is the area (families not many single people that eat out often), maybe it's the timing being Tuesday night. I like this place better than susur lee's restaurants. Not only is the menu more inspired, but the price is also much more reasonable. Thumbs up. read more

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Really want to give it a 3.5* but worth more than just a 3* on Yelp. Interesting combination of food. Went there for lunch and the place was empty when we arrived with just one other table by the time we were done eating. Hence this is not a touristy place. The lady recommended the fried calamari, shrimp and mango salad and chicken pad Thai to share for me and my friend which is what we did. Fried calamari were good but small portion. Sauce was just mayo and siracha. Shrimp and magi salad was also tasty but again small portion with inky 3 shrimps. Chicken pad Thai was the worse...taste was blend and I felt that I could have easier done better myself. Keep this item. We added the shrimp and crab ceviche at the end which was refreshing...again very small. I know this is supposed to be a tapas place so portion are small but it is a bit on the pricey side so I do expect a bit more food than that. Overall decent restaurant. I would go back if I'm in the neighbourhood but won't make a detour to go eat there. read more

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This place is nothing short of amazing best fusion place I've been to. If you are in Toronto and you like fusion food this is the place to be. You have Asian and Latin cuisine in one place. The small and large plate style is a very good way to share dishes. The spring rolls were light and crisp, the curry was seasoned to perfection with a hint of sweetness and finally the tacos were so good and light and well seasoned. I like that I didn't fee overly full everything was nice and light. The customer service was superb. If I ever come back to Toronto I will come and eat here again. read more

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Went here while traveling for work. To be honest, I expected it to be better from the reviews and the menu. It was still good, but feels like it has a lot of potential to be even better! Some of the dishes, like the spring rolls, were not described very well in the menu. I think their menu descriptions need a revamp. The steak was definitely the most delicious thing! And the dessert,a matcha cheesecake I think, was very very good I'd come back if I lived in the area, but next time I visit, I'll try something new. read more

Wonderful surprise in etobicoke who knew you can have a Japanese Latin fusion spot in our backyard

My wife and I also were intrigued by this new restaurant, and went by last week. It was empty while we were there, but we were told they only opened last Thursday. It will take a little while to get their name out there (I can't find their website, but am sure they had one) StillI have a feeling they won't remain empty for long! We had the Shrimp & Crab Wonton Ceviche, Green Papaya Salad with Home-made Beef Jerky and Fish Tacos with tomatillo salsa and Avocado. All were delicious and served attentively. In fact, our only complaint with the service, was we were served a little too fast! The chef even came out to deliver the jerky I had asked to take-home. He let us know it had been made fresh in-house and not to let it sit in the fridge. I ate it the next day and it remained delicious. We will be back and recommend anyone in the neighborhood pay them a visit. read more

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Everything here is delicious, but painfully expensive! Come for lunch if you can because the exact same dishes are slight cheaper! First off, all the food was expertly cooked and prepared! All the proteins were cooked perfectly and the rest was well dressed and seasoned. We had the grilled calamari (this is delicious and nicely understated), the grilled shrimp and mango salad (there were only three shrimp and a small portion of mango salad...underwhelming and way overpriced), the chimichurri steak and fries (perfectly prepared steak and frittes, the chimichurri was kind of boring and not super authentic tasting, but overall this dish was delicious), and the pork tacos (which were like Vietnamese tacos, good, but not worth the cost). The Maijito (vodka and sake) was really yummy and not too strong, but very sweet (brace for the hangover). Service was good, but nothing to boast about. The ambiance is nice and definitely has a more fine dining feel than the outside suggests. I would definitely come back, but only for lunch! read more

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This is the BEST Asian-Latin fusion restaurant I've been to. I came here for dinner with a friend who highly recommended this place. They mainly serve tapas so it's best to come here with a few people to share. The lamb spring rolls were $8.50, grilled chipotle shrimp tacos were $16 for 3, and the daily special octopus tapa was $14. I love lamb meat but it was my first time having lamb spring rolls. It was very tender and fresh and did not have a smell - lamb cuisine is difficult to get right since it has a gamey flavour to it and can have a strong smell if the fat is not trimmed. As much as I loved it, I don't think I would repurchase since it is quite expensive - $8.50 for 6 half-pieces. The tacos were also great! The shell was very soft and all the ingredients were super fresh. Would definitely come back to try the other tacos. Lastly, the octopus tapa was my favourite. It came with 2 tentacles and 2 rectangular meat pieces. This was the freshest octopus I have ever eaten and it literally melts in your mouth. It's a shame that it's not part of their regular menu. read more

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Good foods, great services, beautiful decoration and warm ambience. It is a great place to treat your special someone. read more

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First time coming here. Food and service is outstanding. All the food is made fresh in house. I can't wait to come back.... read more

Mai Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Excellent food! Beautifully prepared and full of flavour. Large and detailed menu featuring authentic south american dishes and japanese style dishes. Lots of tapas varieties. We had the jerk fish served with a really fresh mango & tomato salsa and fried ribbons of patato. Light and sesoned perfectly. Also the lemongrass pork was very good, and a fried rice and crab dish. My friend also loves theri pad thai and fish tacos. We were all to full for dessert but shared an excellent tres leche cake with fresh strawberries and pomagranit seeds. The chef made a special mojito with cucumber and sake, as well as lime and mint. Perfect when the patio opens soon. Not too busy - yet. I am sure it will be as we wil be back. read more

This is my 3-4 time here now and just love it. Food is always awesome and the chef nygen would come out to speak to his customer whenever he's free. We came on a weekday this time and so it wasn't super busy. Food was awesome! And the Japanese cheesecake is to die for!!! read more

Mai Bistro - Fluffy Japanese cheesecake - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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2nd time back after a month and ordered same dish. Argentina Steak and fries. Very tender and moist and done exactly as I asked. Comes with skin on fries. Tried the green tea creme brulee for dessert. A first for me and was not disappointed. It had a light green tea flavour and not overwhelming. Small place which makes it great for dates or small groups of 4. Although Not much privacy as tables are quite close together. Good asian fusion variety on the menu. Parking is in the back and convenient. read more

The mango salad is fantastic. We stopped in for dinner on Monday. We ordered off the short tapas menu and enjoyed everything. The service was friendly and quick. But never pushing. I recommend checking this place out. read more

We found Mai Bistro on a restaurant app, and it sounded like an inviting place for us to check out. It was a busy day at work and we were really looking forward to a nice meal. Upon entering this inviting establishment, we were very warmly welcomed by our friendly hostess. Our server was very attentive and made several personal recommendations for both beverages and food, which was wonderful, seeing as it was our first time there. They specialize in Latin-Asian tapas, and it was a lovely surprise to find four different types of sake on their menu. We started with the Japanese style fried chicken, which arrived very quickly. The chicken was juicy and subtlety seasoned. We also tried the grilled shrimp small tapas plate. The shrimp were just right, and they were served on a delicate bed of mixed greens. Flavorful and nicely seasoned. We debated over what to have next, and were eyeing our neighbor's meals trying to narrow down the options. This is how we decided on the pad Thai. It has always been a favorite of ours, but we usually only order it downtown at one of our old spots. We have to give Mai Bistro a huge round of applause because when the dish arrived, our table went silent except for the sounds of pleasure emitting from our full mouths. Soooo flavorful, with just the right amount of heat (we ordered medium), and just down right scrumptious!!! Best Pad Thai we have ever had!! One would think that we would be finished, but no, it was one of those days where work never ends, and when it does you are ready to devour the table itself! So we ordered yet another dish, which was the grilled fish tacos. Our super awesome waitress suggested if maybe we would like to make it four instead of three so it would be easier for us to share. What a great idea. The chef himself came to our table with the dish, which was a nice touch. We are not normally dessert people, but after having watched all the other diners order dessert, we gave in. Our helpful server explained us the different desserts they had to offer that evening, and we decided on their three milk cake (which has a very nice sounding other language name).... It arrived and did not dissappoint. It was not too sweet, and it somehow disappeared very quickly. The chef came around after we polished off our dessert plate, and mentioned that he had just made the chocolate cake that morning... we had just I over hear him say to another staff member that he wanted to make sure that they saved a piece for him to take home for his daughter.... So we shrugged and said to ourselves, why not? So we ordered the dessert special which was a chocolate cake. Wowsers!!! The chocolate cake was not too sweet, it melted in your mouth, and was devoured with a few moments! Thank you very much to our delightful hosts for a wonderful dining experience! It was so refreshing to see find a place with such warm service and such yummy food. We will definitely be back and give their many other dishes a try :) read more

The staff are very warm, making many great recommendations. The food were flavourable and good portion size for sharing. There was nothing we ordered, that we would NOT order again. If available, I recommend leaving space for the Japanese Cheesecake. The other stores known for long line up cannot beat this wonderful dessert. Chef cooked many years in South America, incorporating many flavours which goes super amazing together somehow. There were no short cut in any of the dishes we had. The karaage chicken is also the best I had to date in Toronto. Forget about izakaya!! read more

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