THE BIG: Japanese fusion restaurant that evolves into a club at night. Theatrics and acrobatics…read moregalore. Very vibey inside. Primarily an uber or taxi spot. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I came here with a bachelor party and we got the tasting set menu. It was already pretty loud inside the restaurant when we got there at 7pm. For the set menu, we first began with a couple of sushi rolls, followed by some sashimi, with a bunch of other appetizers that i can't remember. All were delicious and we definitely had some leftovers. Afterwards we stayed for our dining to be converted into club table with our bottles. There was a DJ and plenty of acrobatics and show to go around. THE FINAL BAMBOO: We had a group of 12 guys and with the set menu, drinks, and then the table afterwards, we spent around $450 CAD each. Fun, filling, and entertaining night.

Don't go here for the food. It seems to be a nightclub that is trying to make some extra money,…read moredoubling as a restaurant. Disgusting seating. You can tell that some people have gotten drunk and passed out on those upholstered seats. Only had one beer choice. Heineken. Seriously? Even for a nightclub that's bad. Food was good but overpriced.

Unless my K-foodie sister tells me to review another spot during our return to Canada, this should…read morebe the last Canadian initial return review I type up. After having fun at Otakuthon (merci Otakuthon staff), I decided to walk to Iru Izakaya/いる居酒屋 because I already had Cochon Dingue in Quebec City. Iru is a trio of Quebec Provence Japanese restaurants. Montreal's location, the one I went to, is on Jeanne Mance and René Lévesque (in between René and Sainte Catherine). So, to the Otakuthon staff, if anyone asks for a place to eat at as they walk towards Sherbrooke, lead them here. (It's not even a 10-minute walk.) What did I order? No okonomiyaki, but I did get the yakisoba. I also got the simple edamame, the litchi mocktail, and the ice mochi. As much as I wanted to get either sake or wine, especially since I had no other chances after this one to have some, one, I obviously was walking alone, two, the best chance I have at getting my favorite sake in Sayuri is in Vancouver, and three, making sweet red wines, my preferred type of wine, or sweet wines in general is not easy in Canada, the cold weather being a key reason why. I wanted to like the trio so much. There are parts the trio has done right. I really like you guys and your yakisoba (even though I'm still twitching at how you, all of Montreal and all of Quebec City along with all of Canada as a whole make a better pavlova than the Iyasare staff, the pavlova that makes you and I say "Yay Quebec Provence/Canadian pavlova!" now), though there are just too many good places in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Honolulu that has really good traditional yakisoba whether they're by itself or in a different layout. I do like the changes such as bacon though. The flaw is obvious if you seen my reviews enough, including Joey's, which I discussed recently, but the places' ambition is a double edged sword because while it tries to bring out some new elements that can work like bacon on yakisoba, it also hurts the group as it's bringing out an insane amount of spicy Japanese dishes. It drives me bonkers how places outside of Japan are obsessed with throwing spicy elements into Japanese food because Japanese people are not wired like Koreans or other groups of people to be good with spicy foods. If I'm not sick, having spicy elements on Japanese food ruins the food for me. I know you can remove the elements, but seeing spicy elements in Japanese food like crazy drives me well, crazy to the point I lose enthusiasm for the choice quickly. With Joey's, I only subtract a star because I'm dealing with a Canadian variety spot. Here, I'm forced to subtract a second star because I'm dealing with a Japanese trio, and if that's not enough, nearly half of the items have a spicy element. I actually have done this task before with a Los Angeles origin sushi spot in Sushi Roku. So, while I'm all for Japanese places not in Japan doing well, I'm strict with them because I expect the same precision Japan origin places are known to have seeing that I'm an old school Bay Area resident. If you don't know, the Bay Area is home to 2 of the United States's 3 Japan Towns, my city of San Jose, and San Francisco, with the other one in Los Angeles, which is why I am strict for Japanese spots. Sacramento and Vancouver once upon a time had Japan Towns, but they're long gone because of World War II, and there has not been much of a push to have them restored since then. Iru is an okay place trio. While it has a lot spunk, especially with the radical staff members and yummy food, its love of spice drops a couple of stars for the group. If you don't mind seeing something new for your Japanese food, sure, come to any of the three locations. If you prefer tradition, be careful, as you're likely to shake your head in a bad way. +/Iru is incredible at being spirited and showing foods that are actually good like its interesting take on yakisoba. -/The love of spicy elements hurts the trio a lot for me.

This place is so great for lots of shareable meals. Everything is tasty and the portions are great…read morefor 2. We ordered the karaage chicken, the crab dip, the takoyaki, the ribs, the fish croquettes. By the end of the meal, we were so full but it was so satisfying. The crab dip was warm and flavourful. The ribs were nice and smoky. We even got some mocktails that were a special mix from our server! I would definitely go back, the decor is great, it's a good location for groups with ample seating, a large menu, and tons of drink options. We got great service too, quick and helpful and friendly!

Underground yakuza themed speakeasy with a wide selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails. Busy, but…read morewe were able to get seated immediately. The Hojo makoso was a palate's dear friend, and the bunshin came with a whole smoke show but not as friendly.

In Japan, the yakuza are a powerful, dangerous yet mysterious gangster subculture, and Gokudo does…read morean excellent job of exploring and paying homage to them in a reverent, culturally respective way. This was one of my favorite speakeasies that I visited while I was in Montreal, and it wasn't super hard to find the unmarked Ryoshi sushi bar that it is hidden behind. Gokudo is a great spot to visit on a date or with a larger group of friends, with a chill, intimate vibe in a tastefully decorated, darkened exclusive lounge. I also enjoyed their cocktail menu, which features unique Japanese-inspired cocktails. My favorite was the Okame, which was a powerful, spirit-forward take on the lychee martini. Highly recommend checking out this unique speakeasy if you're in the downtown Montreal area!

Our hotel concierge recommended Le Blossom, but warned us it might be difficult to get in. So we…read moremade a reservation and got there a little early. They seated us as quickly as they could, considering it was a crowded Saturday. We sat at the sushi bar and were promptly met by our attentive server. We ordered drinks while looking through the menu. The drinks came and we ordered. The bartender was awesome and extremely friendly. We watched the sushi chefs work their magic while we waited for our food. The first set of rolls came and were delicious. The Oshi pressed rolls were the best. As the first wave of rolls finished up, the second set arrived. All of the different sushi rolls were good.

Hello from the land of Freedom and Cheeseburgers (America). Wanted to stop by say this has got to…read morebe one of the nicest bars I've been to. The decorations were absolutely amazing and definetly posting these in my insta sometime soon. We were a little afraid coming in since we speak yeehaw and have no knowledge of French, but the staff knew English and they were kind enough to give us seats under the tree. As for the food and drinks, we honestly loved it! You can never really go wrong with hot sake (in my opinion) and the cocktails were really good! The one on the left as a little to sweet to my taste, but my sister loved it. As for the Shinji Sour, that was definitely my thing. They ran out of the Venom roll, so we went with the Flame and honestly was not disappointed! Some wasabi and soy sauce and it was a complete banger

Stumbled on this spot while visiting Montreal and gotta say it was awesome!!!…read more Servers are super friendly and upbeat! Cocktails also were delicious; we had the the Orenji Sour and Hello Kitty. Ordered some vege gyoza and it was tasty as well. Shoutout to our server Johnathan for making the evening so enjoyable!

Right off the bat, the restaurant was very accommodating with my allergies but as someone that is…read moreallergic to seafood, only a few dishes were available. Ordered the short ribs and it was a bit chewy but the flavor was so good. Service was great and loved the lively atmosphere. I don't think I would come back, only because of my allergies but if you don't have restrictions, I recommend!

This place was amazing. Everything that was recommended to us to try on the menu was A+++. I mean…read moreliterally everything. Service was amazing we sat at the bar and had an awesome time. Pierre was our server he was a rockstar. Ambience and feel of this place is definitely great for date night to a group night out. Anytime we are in town we will be stopping by for sure.

Kitchen doesn't do a _bad_ job, but the service and the value proposition ain't there. Everyone is…read morenice enough but portions are minuscule and the prices aren't justified. It's fine if you are looking to impress someone with the bill. Dining room is dark and a bit loud but pleasant.

Nous sommes allé au bar seulement et c'est un beau petit bar, avec assez de place pour tout le…read moremonde. Ils ont de beaux cocktails sans alcool, et aussi de bons drinks. j'ai essayé un pisco spritz et j'ai bien aimé ! L'ambiance vous fait sentir au Pérou pour un moment ! We just went there for the bar and it's nice enough that you feel in Peru for a while ! They have nice cocktails without alcool and good drinks too. I tried a Pisco Spritz and like it a lot.

Super underwhelming. You get about two bites per plate and flavours are nothing special. Cuts of…read morefish and meat were mostly tendons and fat. Almost every plate was topped with fried noodles to give the appearance of a fuller plate. Drinks were also pricey and nothing special. The only positive points were the service, friendly staff and a cool vibe with a chill terrasse.

Very friendly place with a pleasant atmosphere. Food was fresh and yummy. Good choices on the…read moremenu to give you variety.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner here recently. The broth from the sukiyaki was a standout. Enjoyed…read morethe udon too. The salad and tempura need work. The green tea ice cream was yummy, but the serving size was one tablespoon! The ambiance is a bit tired, and could use a deep clean and refresh. The restaurant is 51 years old, and it shows. There were a number of staff rushing around, looking harried. Seems like a vacation is in order.