Japanese Izakayas are one of my favourite types of restaurants and I’m always on the lookout for new ones in Toronto. For me, the best kind of izakaya has a lively atmosphere, fresh sashimi, a variety of tapas dishes and an amazing drink menu. At first glance, Ebisu fits all of those requirements. The new restaurant hails from Vancouver and opened their first Toronto location on Queen St last year. I had the chance to attend the grand opening, which included a live Tuna Cutting show and Sake ceremony. Since then, Ebisu has continued to evolve and adapt their menu to the tastes of the city. I stopped by recently to check out their new dishes and enjoy some of their classics.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Ebisu’s dinner menu was expansive, to a point where it was a little overwhelming, especially when your table orders 20+ dishes. However, after nibbling at everything, I’m not sure what items I’d cut. In addition to their regular menu, Ebisu also offers daily specials of both food and drinks. I stuck to a lychee plum wine cocktail for the evening and really liked the salt rim.

The first two dishes to arrive was the Sashimi Salad, greens topped with slices of fresh fish and a sesame dressing, and a platter of freshly shucked oysters. I’m always up for oysters and eagerly slurped down a few of these east coast ones. Each oyster was clean, salty and not a trace of shell. The platter was served with a small bottle of Tobasco sauce and wedges of lemon. Some fresh horseradish or a mignette would have also been great additions.

Following this was pretty much a nonstop parade of dishes from both the kitchen and sushi bar. A few of the dishes stood out as odd to have at an izakaya (ie. Fish and Chips and Clam Chowder) while others were not easily sharable (bowls of ramen). The ramen at Ebisu was ok with a flavourful broth but the bowl doesn’t stand up to the many ramen shops nearby.

Of the cooked items, I really liked the Gyoza, Beef Tongue, Seared Mackerel, and Grilled Black Cod. The Gyoza were plump and pan fried to a perfect crispy on both sides. The thin slices of Beef Tongue were served raw with a little stone grill to be cooked at the table, fun and very tender beef. I also liked how the Seared Mackerel was finished tableside, adding a bit of entertainment and excitement.

In term of sushi and sashimi, we ordered a platter of Today’s Sashimi, 5 types, which included scallop and sweet shrimp. It would have been nice to know how many pieces of each type of sashimi would be served to make sure everyone at the table would get at least one piece of each. The fish was fresh and sweet, quite on par with other izakayas downtown. My favourite dish that night was the Seared Box Sushi. We tried both the Yellowtail and Salmon. Each piece of the Yellowtail pressed sushi was topped with a thin slice of jalapeno, which added a wonderful smokiness and heat with torched. The salmon sushi had a thin slice of lemon, which caramelized when torched and tasted amazing with the fish. We also tried a few of Ebisu’s signature rolls which were tasty, although heavy on the sauce. I wasn’t a fan of the Ebisu Roll because it included cream cheese, which I never like in any type of roll.

After all that food, we still had a pot of Sukiyaki and a few bowls of Ramen. I was pretty full by this point and only had a few spoonfuls from bowl. Nothing quite enticed me to stretch my pants more. If you still have room, I would recommend trying the Black Sesame Creme Brulee that was super tasty.

My love for all the Kinka family restaurants has been well documented over the years, so I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the doors to open at Guu’s North York location. One of my favourite restaurants, within walking distance, was a dream come true (because all I dream about is food really). However, my first impression of the third Guu location was underwhelming. Nothing was particularly wrong, or off, but nothing was particularly spectacular either.

Atmosphere: Being jetlagged, I planned dinner early at 5:30pm on a weekday. Without a reservation, we were able to get a seat but the restaurant was full by the time we left at 8pm. We sat on the outside patio and the weather was warm but shady. Walking into Guu, the greetings shouted felt especially loud. Being on the patio, it was also distracting whenever the door to inside opened and a wave of noise hit us. Inside the restaurant, with background music and constant yelling, it was loud. I would recommend getting a patio seat for as long as possible if you’re hoping to hold a conversation over dinner and not lose your voice.

I foresee the restaurant being packed to be a regular occurrence. Reservations can be made online for up to 10 guests, this location is currently not open for lunch.

Service: Having just opened, the wait staff felt a bit clumsy and rushed. While friendly, we had trouble getting someone’s attention to order more items and dishes came out in an odd order and in waves. Our Takowasabi was one of the last to arrive after many of the cooked dishes. I’m sure over time, the service will be smoothed out.

Food: Looking at the regular menu I was a little disappointed that some of my favourite dishes from the other location was missing and there were no unique dishes for North York. I did like how the Daily Special menu featured lots of Sashimi, I felt like they were trying to present the freshest fish at any time by keeping the selection variable.

Dinner consisted of:
Seared Pork Belly – Good sauce but I would’ve like the fat more rendered to a crispier finish
Osaka Fry – The fries were crispy and moist on the inside but not worth $6 for the small bowl
Saba Oshizushi – I loved the pressed cured mackerel on top of each piece of sushi, but thought the rice was a little too wet
Takoyaki – Crispy outside, gooey inside
Kimchi Udon – I was hoping the Carbonara Udon would be on the menu but the Kimchi Udon was still satisfying
Takowasabi – Pretty standard, I would’ve liked a little more wasabi
Sashimi Salad – Generously dressed, the salad had a good amount of sashimi that included scallop and chunks of seared tuna
Karaage – Served hot, straight from the frier, had a tasty seasoned batter and moist interior
Gyu-Tan (Grilled Beef Tongue Steak) – chewy but tender with a great smoked flavour, this was one of my favourite dishes that night

Overall, dinner was consistent or just below par from the other Guu locations. I found the classic dishes to be well executed and great with a glass of beer. A few of the menu items were nothing special. Next time, I’d like to try more of the sashimi dishes and of course, there will be a next time.

Don Don Izakaya opened in 2012 at the very beginning of Toronto’s izakaya trend and has stood it’s ground against the many new arrivals. I am always impressed by the selection of their sake menu and was introduced to my favourite sake, You’s Time, at Don Don. While the food has been less consistent, I had a great time on my last visit and really enjoyed the majority of the dishes we tried.

Atmosphere: Occupying the second floor of a building, Don Don is a block away from the Eaton Centre and close to both Ryerson and the University of Toronto, meaning a lot of their diners are students. I like to visit either early in the night (5pm) or late (after 9pm) and can usually get a table without any trouble. The interior decor is predominantly wood and a large drum is used to welcome customers. The servers do yell less than other izakayas and in general Don Don had a more relaxed, less frantic vibe. I can savour a drink and order dishes without feeling guilty for occupying my table too long.

Service: Our servers were efficient and professional. Dishes arrived quickly and we were introduced to each as it was set down. We dawdled with our drink orders and the server had to check up on us several times, each time she had a smile and didn’t rush us through any decisions.

Food: Following my usual routine at izakayas, we tried to order mostly from the special menu and of course tako wasabi. Our dinner ended up being Shaka Shaka Nankotsu (deep fried chicken cartilage), Ra-Yu Udon, Sashimi Salad, Takoyaki Pizza, Steamed Shabu Shabu and Kimchi Udon. Don Don also offers great daily drink specials that we took advantage of.

The bowl of tako wasabi was standard and did not come with any seaweed on the side, which I didn’t mind. I really liked the Shaka Shaka cartilage; served in a paper bag with a curry seasoning powder on the side. Dump the spices in the bag, roll up the bag opening, shake and voila. Each piece was crunchy, crispy and seasoned. This reminded me of my favourite meal from McDonalds in Japan, the Shaka Shaka chicken that I must’ve eaten daily while I was in Tokyo. So good.

After the fried chicken, the sashimi salad was a nice change. Fresh sashimi and a light, citrusy dressing made the dish very refreshing. Our next item, the takoyaki pizza, was heavier and I’m still not sure if I liked it. The dish consisted of 5 takoyaki balls served in a escargot dish and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. The concept was cool, but the flavours weren’t cohesive and the dish still felt like two things being mashed together. I personally, would’ve prefered just the melted cheese topping, skip the tomato sauce.

Both udons were amazing; perfect noodles, strong flavours and a good amount of spice. The chilli oil in the Ra-yu noodles was super spicy and really stood out on the backdrop of classic asian flavours made with garlic, green onion and ginger. The kimchi udon was deliciously saturated with kimchi and a favourite of mine. We also tried the steamed Shabu Shabu, which I hadn’t seen on the menu before. Slices of pork belly was steamed along with vegetables and served with a dipping sauce. The dish was ok but not spectacular. I would stick to their hotpot dish.

A handful of new Japanese restaurants have opened in the Yonge and Finch area during the last year. My goal for this year is to try each one with high hopes of finding a new neighbourhood gem. Yuzu Izakaya, located on Yonge just south of Finch, was first on my hit list.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was easy to find with their lemon logo covering a front window and easy to spot from the street. Walking into the space, a large sign with daily specials greeted us before the hostess showed us to a table. The interior is dimly light with wood paneled walls. I liked how bamboo blinds were set up between each table to offer privacy and could be rolled up to accommodate larger parties. Yuzu is definitely aiming for a more boisterous, bar, izakaya feel. Hip hop music played the entire time we were there and they have a nice sake selection. On the night we visited though, it was pretty quiet and low-key.

Service: Service was fine, friendly but not the most attentive. It wasn’t hard to flag down our server when we needed something, but we didn’t really see her except to drop off dishes. Our bottle of sake was dropped off unopened. Only after I had poured a glass did we realize it needed to be shaken. Each dish arrived quickly, presented on pretty plates.

Food: Five dishes, an appetizer and bottle of sake brought our bill to just over $90 after tax and tip. Overall, not an expensive meal but a few of the dishes are priced $1 higher than other izakayas, like the $5 tako wasabi. I liked the plentiful seaweed squares that was served with the octopus, it could’ve had more wasabi.

We also ordered a sashimi salad, creamy pork belly, chicken karaage, nugget and spicy salmon, and grilled yellowtail. My favourite dish of the night was the nugget and spicy salmon. They were big mouthfuls but delicious. Just the right amount of spicy, mayo and salmon all served on a deep fried potato croquette. I really hope this becomes a permanent menu item. The sashimi salad came with the dressing on the side and was ok. The BF really liked the dressing and I thought the sashimi pieces were very fresh.

The creamy pork belly was interesting. On one hand, I really enjoyed the pork belly, it was soft like butter and braised full of flavour. On the other hand, it was served on a creamy sweet potato mash that I didn’t love. The sweetness of the yam really conflicted with the richness of the pork and I thought the two clashed. The texture was also overwhelmingly creamy, the yam was over pureed and reminded me of baby food. The chicken karaage was also disappointing, not crispy and lukewarm. The Costco fries and mayo were great.

When the yellowtail arrived I was worried because it smelled fishy. Luckily, the smell didn’t translate to the taste. The fish was a touch overcooked and I would’ve liked it rarer but it was ok. I was also confused as to why it was served with wasabi and soy sauce. A sweeter, tangy sauce would’ve paired better. I actually dipped my pieces in the leftover dressing from the sashimi salad.

Yuzu still feels very new and is missing a bit of polish. If all of their dishes were like the nugget and spicy salmon, I’d be back in a heartbeat. As is, I’m on the fence.

The weather in Toronto this winter has been best suited for hibernating. It took an enticing invitation from Kushi Sake Bar for me to venture out into the cold. Kushi Sake Bar is a Japanese izakaya that opened 6 months ago on Eglinton, between Avenue and Yonge. They’ve recently updated their menu with special winter items and have been inviting bloggers to sample the new dishes. I was happy to be included and was super excited to try out the latest izakaya addition.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Dark walls, warm lighting and dark wood furniture make the dining area feel intimate and cozy. Sake bottles line the sushi bar and decorate the long bar like table across the centre of the space. Booths are located along both walls with tall separators offering privacy to each table. The BF and I stopped by early on a Thursday night when the restaurant was still quiet. By 8pm, the space began to fill up. A private Zashiki room is also available in the back of the restaurant for large parties (up to 40 people) with space under the table to sit normally, not having to kneel. This would be a great venue for a large groups or private party.

Service: Our server was very friendly and polite, bowing each time she left our booth and explaining each dish as it arrived. Food arrived quickly and we were well taken care of. I would say English is probably not the first language for most of the wait staff and there is a slight language barrier. There are daily specials such as ½ price sashimi on Wednesdays and set course menus available.

Food: One of the main reasons I was excited about our visit to Kushi Sake Bar were all the positive reviews I had read. It really seemed like a hidden gem. Kushi has over 40 sakes available, including my favourite yuzu flavoured sake, You’s Time. We were served a decanter of hot sake, perfect for the evening. Normally I like my sake cold but this one was smooth and super easy to drink.

The meal started with an avocado salad that had a generous serving of dressing that was a little on the sour side. Half of the avocado slices were ripe and creamy but the other half were still a little too fresh. I really liked the ebi mayo. They were very lightly battered and smothered in a great tangy sauce, which tasted almost like thousand island dressing. A plate of pan fried gyozas were next. I liked the pea and alfalfa sprout topping and the gyozas were tasty. Some of the batter crust was soggy though and could’ve been crispier. This was followed by a lobster tartar that was more like lobster salad. The meat of the lobster was cooked and mixed liberally with Japanese mayo, an ok dish.  I generally like my lobster less garnished.

Moving on now to the grilled/fried dishes. We started with four charcoal grilled skewers, bacon wrapped asparagus, a fish, pork belly and chicken tail. I’m not sure what part of the chicken is the tail, but that was my favourite skewer, fatty and crispy while the BF liked the bacon wrapped asparagus. I thought the pork belly was too lean and not charred enough. The fish was ok, not too fishy and grilled well. Our server then brought over a plate of squid karaage and cheese okonomiyaki. Only the tails of the squid were used, lightly battered and fried making each piece extra crispy. Another favourite of the night for me was the cheese okonomiyaki, so cheesy, so many bonito flakes and a beautiful crispy bottom. 10/10, would order again. Our meal ended with a classic bibimbap that was solid with a good amount of kimchi. It was a good portion size and the stone pot was hot to form a nice rice crust. Dessert was a fresh baked brownie covered in vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, topped with strawberries and a maraschino cherry.

Overall, I can’t wait to go back dragging friends in tow. The midtown location is convenient and every dish was good to great.

One of the many restaurants that have been long sitting on my Urbanspoon wishlist is Hapa Izakaya. An import from the west coast, Hapa opened their Little Italy location in September 2012. Unfortunately, they suffered extensive damage during the flood in July and had to close for a few months for repairs. When a friend was back in town from Malaysia recently, Hapa was the perfect venue to host our bigger group with good food and drinks.

Atmosphere: The intimate lighting and prominent bar gives Hapa a cozy and boozy feel. Dark wood tables and leather covered chairs add to the interior’s bar vibe, fitting for an izakaya. There are lots of tables for large groups. In fact the night we were there, tables were joined to seat at least 30 people together. With music playing and sake arriving in bamboo pitchers, Hapa makes you want to order another drink, or two, and I hear there’s dancing at special events.

Service: Our server was all smiles and very friendly. She also checked in on us before Hapa Hour ended to see if we wanted to add dishes, which I really appreciated. Every dish arrived quickly and it was easy to get someone’s attention when we needed to.

Food: As always when I go to an izakaya with a large group, we ordered 90% of the menu. I made sure we were in time to take advantage of Hapa Hour (<$5 plates everyday from 5:30pm to 7:00pm) and seriously, it’s such a great deal. We ordered one portion of each dish to start and then doubled up on favourites.

From the Hapa Hour specials, the standouts were the Karaage and Tuna Avocado salsa dip. I loved the plantain chips that were served with the dip and the karaage was one of the best I’ve had in the city, light crispy batter and juicy tender inside. Next was the Ebi Mayo, Curry Calamari, Polenta Fries and Hot Wings. I could pass on the polenta fries, the texture of the polenta wasn’t stiff enough and the tempura batter didn’t help hold the fry together either. I liked the batter on the hot wings and they weren’t overly spicy. We did get a second order of the curry calamari.

We also ordered the Renkon Gyoza Tempura, Spicy Baja Roll, Goma-ae and Negitoro (non Hapa Hour). From these four, I liked the Renkon Gyoza, which was more of a friend pancake, and Negitoro best. The Spicy Baja roll and Goma-ae were good but not stand outs. Our last item from Hapa Hour was the Spicy Pork Ishi-Yaki, a rice dish served in a hot stone bowl. The rice formed a nice burnt crust on the sides of the bowl and was well flavoured with the spicy mayo and chives.

From the regular menu, we ordered the Sashimi Salad for some greens, Beef Tataki and the Monkfish Liver. The salad and monkfish liver were only ok and I would trade other menu items in favour of them next time while the Beef Tataki was pretty standard.

Earlier this year Guu began offering a lunch menu at both their Bloor and Church locations. I lamented not working close to either location. Luckily, a work event brought me to the Church and College location right before lunch time. My foodie fairy godmother had finally heard my wishes.

Atmosphere: I had talked a friend at work into stopping by Guu with me and we arrived promptly at 11:30, when doors opened. The restaurant was a lot calmer during the day and even as tables filled up, the ambient noise stayed mellow.

Service: The one word to describe our server at Guu that day was eager. He was really friendly, a lot of smiles and came to check on us often. I don’t think the intention was to make us feel rushed but I did feel some pressure to have my plate cleared each time he stopped by. I think he was actually trying to help because our table was crowded with everything we had ordered and I in turn wanted to help him. It was an awkward circular thing.

Food: I knew I was ordering the Uni Cream Udon, it was the perfect example Guu’s spin on traditional Japanese foods that I loved. In addition, my friend and I split the Hirekatsu set meal and a bowl of Takoyaki. Oddly, I had been craving takoyaki for days beforehand so when I saw it on the menu, it was a must have.

The udon was covered in the creamy uni and scallop sauce. You could easily taste the sweet, buttery uni and none of the unique aftertaste. There were chunks of scallops and the udon was cooked to a still firm texture. Served alongside the pork katsu with ponzu and tonkatsu sauce were side dishes of pickles, a small salad, miso soup and rice. The panko crusted pork tenderloin was soft and juicy inside with a great crispy exterior. I loved the tonkatsu sauce and was happily eating spoonfuls of steamed rice topped with it. My takoyaki craving was well satiated at Guu. The pan fried balls of dough had the hot gooey interior and a hefty chunk of octopus that I was looking for, all smothered in sauce and bonito flakes.

If I worked closer to the area, Guu would easily become by new go-to lunch spot. Even now, working a handful of TTC stops away…I seriously contemplate the commute.

Located in J-Town on Steeles north of the city, Izakaya Ju is a popular izakaya for those who live in the Markham and Richmond Hill area.

Atmosphere: I was surprised walking into the restaurant how small it was because they accepted reservations. We had a big group and took up about ¼ of the chairs. Ceilings are high and the interior has an unfinished, industrial decor. A large chalkboard, with the specials written out,  occupied an entire wall. The kitchen is open to the dining area so at times the smoke from the charcoal grill did get heavy, however the high ceilings helped ventilate.

Service: Nothing stood out particularly for service. For a busy night, it did take some time to clear empty dishes off our table and we often had to rearrange plates ourselves. During the time we were there, the dining area stayed packed. There were no long lines outside but guests did have to wait and some decided not to. While getting our bill, our server had a bit of a confusion separating it out for us but she figured it out with some help.

Food: As is typical of izakayas and large groups, we ordered a lot of dishes and were able to taste the bulk of the menu. I’ll start by going through what’s pictured and then list my must-try dishes. I missed photographing the skewers. They had a nice smoky flavour and charred coating.

Marinated mackerel with daikon and scallions is a dish I always order at izakayas. This was well marinated and on par with other restaurants. The Teba Gyoza, a deep fried, boneless chicken wing stuffed with pork was very intriguing. We didn’t really know what to expect but it was exactly as the menu described, a dumpling using a chicken wing as the wrapper. Amazing concept, good execution. I don’t recall what the dish on on the right was (sorry!).

The Summer Cold Noodles was a special menu item and is served cold with bamboo and soft boiled egg topping. The broth was savoury and the noodles were a good chewy. We also ordered the Osaka omelette from the special menu that was delicious. The eggs were cooked to just solid and covered with okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, seaweed and pickled ginger.

The fried fish cakes, soba noodles and agedashi tofu were pretty standard. It was nice that the agedashi tofu was served with  a lot of sauce. I really enjoyed the grilled pork cheek and we ordered multiple plates. The meat was flavourful, fatty and still tender.

We saw the Osaka cha-han on another table and just had to try it based on the presentation. This was a fried rice with octopus, shaped into a giant ball and topped with the same toppings as the Osaka omelette. This was a great portion, great flavours and a hint of seafood. Lastly, the clam sashimi that was served in a shell. The presentation was cute and the sashimi was lightly seasoned.

The dishes that made Izakaya Ju stand out for me were the Teba gyoza, the grilled pork cheek and the Osaka cha-han. Their varying special, seasonal menu also offered some great choices that makes each visit worthwhile.

Koyoi is a Japanese izakaya situated near Yonge and Bloor. I first visited back in 2010 when they were still under a year old and I am surprised it’s taken me this long to make my way back.

Atmosphere: Since I was the first of my party to arrive and the weather was clear and crisp, I opted for a patio seat so I could spot everyone else as they showed up. Koyoi has a great wooden patio furnished with benches all along the sides facing Irwin Ave. There’s little to no car traffic and you can people watch pedestrians strolling Yonge St. I think there’s as much square footage outside as there is inside the restaurant. This would be a great place for after work drinks in the summer.

Service: While I waited, our server checked in on me periodically and didn’t rush for an order. We were cutting it close though to the end of happy hour (5pm to 6pm, Tues – Thurs), which offers five popular menu items for $5 each with a drink order. Our server was happy to let me order one of everything, combined with the Tuesday drink special of $5 Sapporo pint on the cuff at 5:55pm. Food arrived quickly, we were able to add items to our order. Once our table was complete, we were left to chat undisturbed. I did have to go inside and track someone down to get our bill at the end of the night.

Food: To start, we ordered each of the items from happy hour special. The dishes are normally priced from $5.50 (karaage) to $7.99 for the beef tongue. The Koyoi salad is a surprise hit. The sauce is miso and lemony topped with paper thin slices of fried potatoes and seaweed.  The beef tataki is fresh, topped with shredded daikon, a generous portion of scallions and ponzu sauce. This dish is sweet with a touch of wasabi like taste from the daikon. The sizzling plate of beef tongue was served hot and the meat was tender, not rubbery.

The udon and karaage are fairly standard. Well cooked noodles and crispy fried chicken, low on the batter. From the normal menu, we ordered the fried gizzard and okonomiyaki. The gizzard was topped with a sweet and spicy sauce, like the tongue, this dish was cooked to just the right texture. For those who haven’t had gizzard before, the meat is chewy as it’s mostly muscle but cooked correctly, the centre should be soft and easy to bit through. I liked the okonomiyaki. The flavours were all there but the consistency was more batter than cabbage and it didn’t stand up to being split.

Nome has been one of my go-to dinner restaurants since I moved to North York a year and a half ago. This is especially true on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when they have their $1 Malpeque oyster special. I’ve been guilty of ordering just oysters for dinner in the past.

Atmosphere: Walking into the restaurant for dinner at 6pm, the dark wood tables, dim lights and pretty servers gives off a bar/lounge vibe to the restaurant. As the night gets later and the line to get in is still packed at 10pm, the buzz inside is definitely building. With drink specials Thurs-Mon and a DJ presence on Friday and Saturday nights, Nome’s a great place for a drink in the neighbourhood on top of their satisfying food menu.

Service: Usually, service is a hit or miss. Sometimes there’s long gaps between dishes, and other times everything arrives at once. I’ve had orders mis-directed to my table as well as lost to others. The servers are friendly but the pace is hectic. It’s more on par with pub/bar style service than restaurant.

Food: Our group was actually 13 people, but we split up into two groups to facilitate ordering the small tapas style dishes. It still takes a bit of food to feed 6 people and we ended up ordered the majority of the menu.

The special of the night was a pitcher of Sapporo with an order of their Japa-Burger, sliced rib eye sliders with bbq sauce. The meat is tender, soft bun and a great sauce. I do usually order this as it’s one of the more filling items on their menu and goes great with beer. Pictured next is the Deep Fried Pork Belly, Grilled Beef Tongue and Mack-Attack sashimi. The pork belly was flavourful, but a little on the chewy side, same with the beef tongue. The seared mackerel was great, no hint of fishy flavour. The Marinated Black Cod (pictured with the fries) was just okay, doesn’t compare to the same dish at Guu.

A giant plate of Shrimp Udon Salad was next. The noodles were cold and covered in a light vinaigrette and mixed with a generous portion of shrimp. This dish was light, sweet and tangy, a good break from the fried and heavier dishes. The Slammin’ Salmon was amazing and the picture really speaks for it. The outside was lightly seared, the meat inside was still a light pink and finished with a light ponzu sauce.

Next were the fried items:
Mentai Potato (thin potato chips with a creamy cod roe sauce) – oily but so rich in flavour
Yam fries – good as expected
Karaage – the chicken was fried well, crispy and moist, the wasabi mayo was the highlight for me though
Takoyaki – okay but can be passed, they were a little doughy in the center

We were ready to wrap up at this point but saw the Unagi Risotto at the other table and had to add an order, which was the best decision of the night. This was a great fusion dish and I highly recommend trying it. The rice was creamy, cheesy and accentuated the sweet sauce of the unagi.