Have had brunch and dinner here and love it everytime! Always end up waiting for a table but always worth the wait. The fried smelts, the eggs benny, tan tan noodles(inspired me to try and recreate at home), their brisket dish with chimichurri, rotating pasta dish and their octupus salad. Everything is always so yum! They have some pickled items to try at the table. I love adding chili based hot sauces (especially the vinegary kinds) on any rice dish so these little jars on the table are a bonus treat! Small space so fills up quick resulting in wait times. Staff are always so friendly! Always leave Tanuki so happy. read more

Tanuki Restaurant located inside J-Town along Steeles near Woodbine is a Japanese fusion restaurant serving up brunch, lunch, and dinner options. The restaurant is fully accessible although there is a small section of the restaurant where you do have to go up a few steps if your table is there. Menu wise, brunch is served daily from 11am to 4pm from Mon to Fri and 10am to 4pm on Sat and Sun. For brunch they have unique items like the tonkatsu eggs and gravy, omurice, tonkatsu curry, and shrimp yakiudon. They also have a classic smoked salmon eggs benedict as well. For dinner, served from 4-10pm daily, they have ebi and katsu sandos, curry katsu udon, hambagu steak, and even chicken nanban. They also have some desserts and are fully licensed as well where they have sake, beer, and cocktails. They also have an expensive list of matcha and hojicha drinks as well as coffee as well. You are also able to buy merch and retail items like their Tanuki seasoning, hoodies, and even matcha powder (from Japan). My party of 4 stopped by for dinner on a Sat night around 7pm. I believe the restaurant is probably more popular during the brunch/lunch hours when most businesses in J-Town are open. The restaurant was only half full when we arrived where we were greeted and seated quickly by staff. The place is cozy and decorated with many Japanese items. Menu is viewed via QR code which takes you to their website. Service was friendly. In terms of food, we ordered the following items: - Karaage (with sauce on the side - boneless fried chicken, sesame, pickled jalapeno) - $18 - Grilled shishito peppers (seasoned with togarashi, lemon, salt) - $10 - Pasta of the week which was a mentaiko cream spaghetti (mentaiko, spaghetti, nori, onsen egg) - $23 - Omurice (soft omelette, chicken fried rice, shiitake, green peas, and gravy) - $22 - Curry katsu udon (curry broth, fried pork katsu, soft boiled egg, green onions, and wakame) -$22 - Tanuki coffee (condensed milk, evaporated milk) - $6 - Tanuki latte (condensed milk, evaporated milk, froth) - $7 The food arrived separately where the curry katsu udon took the longest to arrive. The appetizers came first which were tasty - the karaage was fried well and the sauce we asked for on the side worked well with the chicken. Each piece of chicken I had was tender and juicy. The shishito peppers were grilled nicely but lacked seasoning. We added the Tanuki seasoning to the peppers which added to the flavour. I had the pasta of the week, the mentaiko cream spaghetti. The spaghetti was decent and the cooked al dente but I would likely not order it again if I come back again. The mentaiko wasn't fresh and there was nori missing from the dish. However, the onsen egg was cooked well! I probably could have made a better mentaiko cream pasta myself. The rest of my party enjoyed their food items, however, it was just average. The appetizers were probably my favourite items from the entire meal. Others who got the coffee also stated that the coffee wasn't great either. Overall, a casual and welcoming space in J-Town for Japanese fusion items. However, food was average. Service was great though! read more

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Hidden gem in jtown! Staff are so friendly and attentive and the ambience is very cute. The curry katsu with rice was huge and super flavourful. Also tried the taro chips and their chicken sando which came with a salad and a generous portion of fries. Overall good spot and would go again! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Tonkatsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

The food was absolutely fantastic. I had a take out order and the food took a little bit, but that tells me they are making it up fresh. The inside of the restaurant was nicely decorated and comfortable. read more

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Came on a Saturday for lunch. We were seated right away, but there was a line up not long after we sat down. The food is very unique, which make sense since it's a fusion restuarant. The seafood doria sorted of reminded me of a seafood chowder, but there's a layer of rice at the bottom which helps balance the creaminess of the top. The udon and karage both had unique flavours that were very good. The karage was not deep fried, which I enjoyed as well. Most of the things on the menu you don't see at other Japanese restaurants, so I would come again to try different things The one thing was that it was somewhat cold when we went so I had my jacket on to keep warm. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Curry katsy udon, katage and baked seafood doria. - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Delicious food, nice atmosphere, patio space on good days makes this a great spot for brunch. We ordered the Duck Ramen which includes Seared duck breast, ramen egg, ginger scallion relish. And the second order we had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict which they say is Now smoked in-house! Brioche bun, house smoked salmon, spinach, hollandaise, salad, home fries. Very enjoyable food and price is reasonable! Will return! Please check this spot out!! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Service is impeccable as always. They're attentive and not in your face. Seafood doria was essentially the same as the classic Hong Kong baked seafood rice with cheese. It was very filling! Their katsu had a little too much batter for my liking but I was told it was filling too. The vibe was casual and trendy. It's a good place for snacks and lunches. We've been here a few times so it's def worth coming back for! I'd have liked if they had more fruity drink options :) or more loose leaf teas read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Katsu curry rice - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Located in J-Town this is a Izakaya styled restaurant but the menu offers quite a diverse offering than your regular small plates. They also supply the hot food items that can be found at the bakery (bakery Nakamura) in the same complex. The interior is older and shows. On weekends they have a brunch menu that includes items that are only available on the weekends. What was ordered: Chicken katsu with gravy and eggs on rice Seafood Doria Omurice Buttermilk pancakes (only available on weekends) The food was good. Decent portion sizes and good flavour. The issue was that it took a long time for us to get our food and it wasn't that busy when we arrived. We waited a good 30 minutes and then 2 out of the 5 dishes arrived. About 10 minutes later the rest of our order arrived. I would give this a 3.5. It's not quite a 4 due to the service. read more

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EXTREME BAD SERVICE I have already told them I am one person. After I had been sitting, another staff member was extremely rude and told (not ask) me to another table. read more

**3.5** Came here for brunch on Sunday around noon and luckily got a table before it got busy. My partner and I ordered the chicken and waffles (hk egg waffle) and the omurice. From looking around, it seemed like these are the two most popular dishes. The omurice egg was the perfect consistency, but I wish they gave us a sharper knife to get the clean slice. Otherwise, I found the rice quite bland and it wasn't a very special dish. My partner however did enjoy the chicken and waffle. Having the chicken on an HK egg bubble waffle was quite genius and it worked well. Overall, a decent place for brunch in J-town. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Chicken and waffles - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Delicious Japanese cafe style food! Went on a Sunday for brunch and it was easy to get a table. Drinks: Ume spritz special was delicious with a plum at the bottom. Boozy. Mango sunrise was fantastic. If you like mango and lychee, get this. Tried three dishes all were huge portions: Unagi Taro Hash - large piece of eel with delicious mix of taro and potato. A little surprised there was potato since it says taro hash. Not sure if it was a chef's choice for taste diversity or trying to save money. Either way it was delicious but it feels like I could make this at home. Omurice - classic presentation of omelette over rice where you can cut it and it oozes out. Was exactly what it should be and tasted heavy. Tonkatsu curry - Fantastic. We love Japanese curry and this did not disappoint. Nice sizes tonkatsu too. Solid. We will be back. read more

It does get really busy here, so I recommend going early! I was told it was going to be a 45 min wait but surprisingly I only had to wait about 10-15 mins. All the food we got was amazing, no complaints about the taste! Everyone was so freshly made, the pork belly was a thick cut as well. Kaki fry as this delicious aioli to dip it in! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Chicken and waffles, kaki fry, togarashi fries, and pork belly croissant - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Have been wanting to try their brunch for a while and was very pleasantly surprised. Food was extremely tasty and you can tell they are making it fresh. Plating was very thoughtful and pleasing to the eye. Staff were welcoming and whiling to answer any questions about the menu. Their seafood chowder by itself is enough to make me want to return again but pancakes were also very special and the portion of their eggs Benedict was quite substantial. Hoping to visit again soon. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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I've been seeing videos on the internet of people eating omurice for a while, so when I found out a restaurant in J-town was serving up the same, I knew I had to check it out for myself. We arrived around lunchtime on a recent Saturday and the place was already about half full. I knew what I want for my main, but I figured we should grab an appetizer to start. We asked our server what she recommended and she suggested the Seared Duck Breast ("served medium rare, chimichurri, garlic chips"). It arrived a little while later and sure looked impressive. It's great. The duck breast has been cooked perfectly and it's enhanced with that delicious, zesty chimichurri and the punchy garlic chips. I could eat that dish all day every day. But the main attraction was, of course, the Omurice ("soft omelette, chicken fried rice, shiitake, edamame, gravy"). It arrived to the table looking like a picture-perfect example of the concoction, and of course I sliced it open and watched as it unfolded itself atop the rice. I added the included gravy and began eating. This is one delicious dish. I enjoyed everything about it, from the perfectly-cooked omelette to the rich, flavorful gravy to the tasty rice. So if you find yourself scrolling through Omurice videos and you want to taste it for yourself, Tanuki is the place to go. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Omurice. - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Pork teriyaki was perfectly done, crispy and tasty Omurice can use bit more of sauce other than that the blend is really good Service and room set up is great read more

Cute spot in the heart of J-town for brunch! Here's what we ordered for 2 people: Drinks: * Kitsune Milk Tea (cold) $6 - 7/10 * Matcha Latte (cold) $6 - 7.5/10 Mains: * Omurice $20 - 7/10 * Seared Duck Benedict $20 - 8/10 Dessert: * Matcha Red Bean French Toast $15 - 7/10 We did have to wait a little bit maybe 20-25mins. They send you a text when your table is ready! Service was great, super friendly staff. We didn't wait too long for our food and they've got daily specials on the board. Love the R&B vibe of their playlist. We'll definitely be back to try their other items. read more

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I want to like this place but it's either catered to the canto taste or just soulless. We came here on a whim for a Mother's Day lunch and it was quick to get a table. Based on the vibe I was pretty excited to try some trendy Japanese food but everything was downhill from there. We ordered the pork belly ramen, matcha latte, shrimp cream pasta, karaage, grilled shishito peppers and hojicha latte. Unfortunately they were out of shishitos and offered their Brussels sprouts instead. Pork belly ramen was bad. Possibly the worst ramen of my life. The pork belly was pan fried with a thick crust that absorbed soup and became this hard gelatinous layer. Also unseasoned so... not great. The broth was some kind of beef stock with maybe anise? Either way it was also a bit underseasoned. The noodles were the biggest offender by being so over cooked. It was like the pasta you get at old school HK cafes (overcooked mush). 1/10 Shrimp pasta was the same as the ramen. Overcooked mush. Flavour could have used some seasoning 4/10 Brussels sprouts were a disappointment. It needed some acid or a sauce/dip on the side. It was legit just deep dried with sesame seeds on it. Maybe light seasoning but all I got was bitterness from the frying. 2/10 Karaage was the best part but still not great. The sauce must have been sitting for a while because it was soggy and not crisp. Flavour was good though. Nice chicken flavour with sweetness from whatever sauce was on it. 6/10, could be 8/10 if it didn't sit and get soggy. Matcha latte was ok, nothing special. A light matcha flavoured milk. 5/10 Iced Hojicha latte was also ok. It was strangely thick but not a concentrated flavour. Also had chunks of tea leaves in it, so not great. 4/10, actively did not enjoy this but not offensive. Overall I dont recommend this place. It gives off a cool vibe but the food is so soulless and lightly seasoned that I feel like it was intentionally done that way to attract the canto crowd in the area. read more

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Great service, beautiful mural and amazing food!! They sell clothes now!!! They smoke their own smoke salmon. The duck in the duck Benny is a little chewy could be better if it was a little more tender. read more

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I love Tanuki because of their rotating menu. It's a great brunch spot! Each dish is unique and delicious. I love coming back here and trying different things each time! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Restaurant's location is conveniently located in J town. Inside looks nice, clean, and is nicely decorated with cool wall art. Service..hmm...what can I say, does not stand out. The server hands an old laminated QR code for online menu. While sufficient, nothing stands out as friendly or making an extra effort. Paying was with a severely cracked screen card machine which gives an old rundown feeling to the restaurant. Food is .. interesting. We ordered the pork belly ramen, which tastes great and flavorful. We also ordered the curry with fried pork cutlet, I am not a big fan of the curry which reminds me of an Indian curry sauce. It tastes ok, just wasn't my expectation. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Pork belly ramen - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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I've dined in at Tanuki a few times since they've opened and happy to see a changing menu and improved execution. Most recently I came for dinner and we got the torched mackerel for the table and I got the Chicken Sando and Aki Crisp cocktail. The food was fresh and tasty. The salad with my sandwich was really overdressed and sitting in a pool of salty dressing. Service was great. read more

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Tanuki always has creative and unique dishes. This time, we got the duck breast eggs Benny, and squid ink pasta to share. Both were delicious and flavourful. The staff are friendly and warm, and quick to refill water. Tanuki offers both outdoor patio and indoor seating, both of which are comfortable options! Very chill environment! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

My wife and I saw some incredible photos and videos of the different menu items at Tanuki, so we decided to try it. Overall, the food was fantastic. Amazing. Out of this world. We ordered 3 things: 1. Gentle blade omurice 2. Karaage chicken 3. Dessert: apple French toast All 3 tasted amazing. So why am I giving only 3 stars? Two main reasons: Speed - the omurice came impressively fast (under 4 mins.). The karaage was average (15 mins.), and the dessert, painfully slow (27 mins.). Temperature. We want on a pretty cold spring day. Every time the door opened (which was about every minute or even more frequently), a gust of extremely cold wind would blow in, and would make it very unpleasant to dine in there. It's not a big restaurant, so you feel that gust of wind almost everywhere. Lots of people were having their meals without taking off their winter jackets. read more

A bit disappointing here. The seafood pie had one tiny scallop, one mussel and a small shrimp. It's basically a potato and vegetable pot pie! The taste was not bad but calling it seafood anything is a total stretch! Just call it what it is, Potato-Vegetable Pie. The brunch was also so-so. The eggs and rice was fine-how can you mess that up! But the fried pork was overcooked and very dry. And there was not enough curry for me to "dip it" At least the servers were polite and seating was comfortable. They need to improve food experience. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Tastes good but portion is a bit small - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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This place is always packed and there was a 30 to 40 minute wait when we came by. My partner and I have always been coming here since they opened and the food has been consistently good. The only drawback is their brunch menu changes weekly so if you like one of their dishes, there's a chance it might not be there again next time. I got the bennies with the crab stick salad and tobiko and my partner got the katsu breakfast which came with tonkatsu and eggs. We also got the Hokkaido mule and the gin and tonic. 1) Bennies The eggs were cooked perfectly (runny yolk), the Hollandaise sauce was nice. Not my favourite benny from them but it was still enjoyable for me. 4.5/5 2) Katsu breakfast The portion is really big as it came with the katsu, eggs, and rice. It was a lot of food. The gravy that it came with was good and wasn't too overwhelming. It came with salad as well (I think their previous breakfast comes with okra which we really like). 4.5/5 3) Hokkaido mule/gin and tonic The mule is my partner's favourite. It has a good ginger beer flavour and very refreshing. The gin and tonic was okay and it was a bit strong. Haven't been here in awhile but it's probably our top brunch spot. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Tanuki for lunch today....we ordered: Tanuki ice coffee Pouched egg on a bun with smoked salmon Kaarage chicken Shrimp tempura The service was excellent, the gentlemen was very kinda the explain the pouched egg meal with what it comes with either bread or rice, sauce on side It's located in Jtown, lots of parking. The restaurant itself is very cozy, washroom very clean read more

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Food and service was decent good brunch place with nice ambiance I'm looking forward to trying them again. The food was very fusionish Japanese. But we'll made overall and attention to detail was there. Great place for couples and small groups of people I would love to see if dinner is better. Perhaps try it next time. Pork hock is soft and very good with the rice. The drinks are okay. Tried some latte like hojika and thought it was okay. Decor was a highlight. Had a nice casual feel to it would recommend if your around drop by and try read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Pork knuckle and omurice - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

A little hidden gem in Japan Town located in Markham! Every Friday - Sunday they update their menus so you'll always get a chance to try something new. Taro Chips (5/5): A nice little snack with such flavourful seasoning, was pretty impressed since it was my first time getting taro chips at a restaurant! Shrimp Yakisoba Noodles (4/5): Definitely on the sweeter side! I prefer a more savoury noodle dish but it's definitely different to try Carbonara (5/5): Loved how flavourful this was and wasn't overpowered by the sauce! Pancakes (3/5): personally felt they were a little over cooked for my liking. Interesting concept tho! The staff is really friendly and accommodating with any recommendations. Would come back and try some other brunch items! read more

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My mom loves this place so we've pretty much tried all the entrees a couple times now, plus the refrigerated meals from the store across the street that the resto also supplies. Not sure why it has a bit of a lower star rating. The vibes here are casual and the service here is fast and efficient and we've always been able to find a seat regardless of the time of day. My favourites have been: chicken katsu sandwich, pasta specials, and the omurice. The alcoholic drinks here are very reasonably priced as well. It's not gonna feel like you're in Japan but the vibes are pretty close and the quality of the food speaks for itself. Would recommend if you're looking for a meal with family or friends and are in the area. read more

Overall I can only give 3 stars. We were a party over 6 which means a 18% gratuity is added to your bill automatically. Food: based on brunch experience Pork belly ramen- very tender and flavourful the soup base was a little lacking though. Omurice- the egg part cooked perfectly but the fried rice underneath was extremely hard, I guess perhaps to offset the edamame? I'm not sure. Chicken waffles- the chicken were wings which I appreciated. Waffles were pretty standard but was tasty. Pasta with meatballs- what you would expect with spaghetti and meatballs. Service: food service is pretty slow so expect to wait for table. The staff are friendly. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Omurice - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I came here during their soft opening and had a lovely brunch. Our group of ten came here for dinner recently and got a nice spot under a tent in the outdoor area. They have a pretty decent menu with appetisers, shareables, and mains with an extensive drink menu featuring many different cocktails and sake. I got the shrimp yakisoba and shared an omurice. The yakisoba was quite standard but made well flavoured well. There was quite a bit of shrimp in it. The omurice was slightly more unique with a mushroom fried rice underneath the blanket of soft egg. We wished for a little more sauce to be provided on the side. There was a tiny container but just a tad bit more would have been perfect. Others at our table got chicken karaage, pig knuckle, seafood croquette, and tonkatsu curry. Most of the portions were pretty big. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and if in the area and craving these dishes I might come back. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Shrimp yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Came to try brunch as I was very intrigued by their menu. What we ordered: Omurice - so delicious, especially the rice itself. I kept stealing from my daughter. Kaki Fry Oysters - good portion, nice and crispy Katsu Breakfast - daughter #2 enjoyed it. Shrimp Yakisoba - lots of shrimp but the noodles weren't hot and a bit salty. Was so looking forward to this one so I was quite disappointed. Would not order this again. Oxtail Hayashi Beef - also lukewarm but good portion and pretty tasty. Strawberry Matcha French Toast - yummy! Tanuki Coffee - nice and strong, just the way I like it! Service was good and liked the ambiance inside. With the unique offerings and fair price points, we will definitely check out Tanuki again. read more

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This restaurant is tucked inside J-Town and serves Japanese inspired meals, with brunch on the weekend. I ordered the Pork Katsu Rice with a Fried Egg on Top. The dish I found was lacking a bit in flavour and I had to add a lot of hot sauce to bring out the essence of the dish. I also found the rice was bit too wet. For a dish that relies heavily on gravy for flavour, it was like 'saucy dish' on 'wet rice' making everything a little 'mushy' (if you know what I mean). I think there is a lot of potential for this dish to succeed if they fixed a few of these minor points. The service was great and quick - I would give them another try if I was in the area (perhaps they had an off day). read more

The pancake was so delicious and cute, MUST-TRY if you like sweets! Curry was great too, had a great time there. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - pancake - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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It's authentic Japanese restaurant. Price is a little expensive. The waiter is friendly and welcoming. I love the decor. A good tea. read more

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I will admit I was looking for a Japan Town, and found J-Town, which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I enjoyed myself when dining at Tanuki. The staff was friendly and helpful with helping me make a decision on what I would choose. To start I was looking for fried chicken, for some reason, so Chicken Karaage hit the spot. The twist that I enjoyed was the peppers, which gave it a bit of a bite. Now when it came to the main dish. The Tonkatsu curry was flavorful, a bit thin and wish it had a bit of heat. Overall, I would definitely go back, for the food and conversation. Enjoy!!! read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Chicken Karaage with some serious flavor - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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I am at the restaurant now. There aren't too many customers, I waited for more than 20 minutes , the waiter keep ignoring me, didn't bring water or menu, until I approached him for service. Then it is long long wait The wait time is more than 1 hour now for a simple brunch! Definitely don't come here! read more

Food overall is good for value. You get large portions. The katsu sauce was more on the sweet side, almost tasted like butter chicken. Quiet spot. read more

Tanuki Restaurant - Sando sandwich, katsu, duck ramen, Omurice, squid noodles - Japanese Near Me - Markham, Ontario

You just have to go. Brunch is served until 4pm and a must-try. They rotate the menu weekly. I had salmon eggs Benedict and French toast with matcha crumble and sweet red bean paste so I had both a savoury and sweet. Omg so good. Staff are really nice and the chef came out and served the French toast. Kudos to the chef and staff for a great place. It's a small spot, family friendly with impressive art decor. read more

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This is pretty much the go-to brunch place for my group. It features a Japanese menu and there are certain items that change every week. In the summer months they have more seating since the patio is open. They do take reservations at some times, as we were able to make one for dinner once. If you're into eggs bennys, they've had some great ones in the past. There was a spicy karaage and recently, a mushroom one. There's usually a sweet item on the brunch menu like cookies and cream or apple pie pancakes. There are staples on the brunch menu too including the katsu breakfast and omurice. These are both really solid. The curry in the katsu is a bit sweeter than other places as an observation. The omurice is pretty filling so I always wind up taking about half of it home. read more