Showing posts with label gindara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gindara. Show all posts

Guu Izakaya (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 398 Church Street
Website: http://guu-izakaya.com/toronto
Type of Meal: Dinner

Guu Izakaya still hasn’t lost its appeal. Having visited two years earlier and waiting over an hour for a table (we grabbed a drink at a nearby watering hole) the wait seemed gruelling to make it worthwhile.  But, after two years and arriving earlier at 6pm, the hype is still strong – we waited 20 minutes to get a table.

Perhaps I’m older (after all, I’ve aged two years), but Guu seems to have gotten even louder! Previously, the shouting happened when someone enters or leaves.  Now, some drink orders are screamed out as well so there’s rarely a moment you can hear the person in front of you.  Of course, this strange tradition (which having visited Japan doesn’t actually happen that often) is their trademark so it’s expected. But, even good things are overwhelming when there’s too much of it so I seriously urge managers to consider toning it down; after a while it really starts grating on your nerves. Some suggestions, how about polling visitors as they enter to see if they prefer shouts or not or offering customers a choice to wait a little longer for a table in the section off to the side where it seems slightly more blissful?

Let’s get to the thing that helped me survive the night – alcohol.  To start a beer mojito ($5.80) concocted with Sapporo, lime and mint leaves. After muddling the lime and mint leaves a bit ourselves, the light beer becomes quite refreshing with the citrus and mint.


Needing something harder (by this time my ears are ringing), for the next drink I upped it to the otokomae ($7) a much stronger cocktail combining sake, tequila and Cointreau. Perhaps it’s due to my love for vodka waters, but this drink appeals to me; not sweet at all with just some lime to mellow things out.  


Having learned from our last visit, we decided to order the food in two batches to avoid getting too many dishes all at once.  The salmon tataki ($6.80) was quickly seared so there’s a hint of smokiness to the salmon as the oils heat up.  A vinaigrette lightly coats the fish adding a nice freshness with pungent kicks from the green onion & garlic chips and heat from the wasabi mayo. The garlic is a bit overpowering; maybe if it were crushed into smaller pieces and less was added the delicious fish wouldn’t be covered over as much. I did like the thinly grated radish on the bottom soaking up the ponzu, wrapping some of this in the salmon and then eating it is rather refreshing.


Seeing gindara ($11.80) or roasted black cod on the menu we couldn’t not order this favourite. Guu’s was decent with the fish nicely cooked and relatively flakey. Its sauce is lighter having diluted the miso with some water and white wine (though to be honest couldn’t really taste the alcohol). Even though it wasn’t as melt-in-your-mouth as Yuzu No Hana and Blowfish (my top picks), for the price it was a good offering.


The karubi ($6.80) or grilled short ribs was the most disappointing dish of the evening.  It was so tough that we actually had to hold onto it while we tore a piece off.  Likely it’s due to the leaner cut being used, which is good, but this means the meat needs to be marinated to become edible. The simple sprinkling of salt and pepper is not sufficient to tenderize the meat and leaves it bland – you really had to dip it in the oil and scoop up the green onions to get a hint of anything.


Having only eaten okonomiyaki ($6.80) at Guu, I’ll admit there’s nothing for me to compare it to. But, the pancake is thicker than I would have imagined. Yet it’s still light on account of the bits of chopped cabbage mixed into the batter making it moist and breaks apart.  Overall, the dish has a lot of flavours from the sauces slathered on it – sweetness from the tonkatsu sauce (tastes like a mix between teriyaki and HP sauce) and the heat from the karashi (mustard). Topping everything are katsuobushi (bonito flakes) which move around with the heat and always an entertaining sight as long as you’re not squeamish; it adds a rich seafood essence to the dish.  I only wish there were a few pieces of seafood in it (there may have bit a piece of squid) to give the okonomiyaki a bit of texture.


Surprisingly, my highlight dish of the night isn’t even Japanese – the kinoko cheese bibimbap ($8.80). Although it may not look the best, this dark rice concoction is filled with fragrant seaweed pieces and a sweet glaze. Cheese is mixed throughout to give it a gooey texture and if left long enough against the hot stone bowl a delicious toasty crust develops on the bottom. Button mushrooms are mixed throughout that don’t really add or detract from the dish, but the star (in my opinion) is the seaweed.


To end we craved something sweet so ordered the almond tofu ($3.50), especially since the menu describes it as “the world’s smoothest”. Not being an almond tofu connoisseur, I can’t determine the truth to that statement but feel it’s smoothness is due to blending the tofu with almond jello … the dessert couldn`t have been fully made with tofu as it was too structured.  Either way, it was pleasant and light, with a hint of richness from the whipped cream on top.


Service is always helpful and cheerful but Guu does have some small things that could be improved on. During our visit, three instances occurred that if avoided would have made the experience that much better:


  • It’s already bad enough when customers have to sit at communal tables - although with the case of informal restaurants like izakayas, I can understand the need for them so am more accepting. However, the situation is annoying when the host sits you, then the waitress asks you to move over, only to have the host ask you to move back again. If we had been given our own table the constant shifting would have never occurred. Guu therefore needs to task someone with the responsibility for seating people (this should be the host) to avoid shuffling patrons around.

  • Before plates and especially eating utensils are taken away, staff should at least ask customers if everything has arrived.  In our instance, a gentleman proceeded to clear everything from our table without asking. I mentioned we were still waiting for a dish and therefore he had to reset everything. A simple question such as, “How was everything. Are you still waiting on any dishes or would like to order more?” could have easily stopped unnecessary work effort.

  • Lastly, right after we ordered desserts, our waitress immediately brought the bill along with the almond tofu. No one bother to ask us if we wanted anything else and assumed we were done. Quite frankly, my friend and I could have gone for one last cocktail before leaving.  Had this been a ramen shop, bringing the bill straight away may have made sense. But, Guu is an izakaya which is an establishment where people gather for drinks and small plates. Not to mention, now the restaurant lost the opportunity to sell one of its higher margin products.


All in all, Guu’s worth a visit if you’ve never been.  However, I’d suggest going with a maximum of four people (otherwise it becomes difficult to get a seat or hear each other) and either go early or much later. Be prepared for shouting from the moment you enter the restaurant and no it really won’t let up. Quickly order a drink and get it in your system as it will really help to mellow you out and make the noise bearable - after my second drink I almost didn’t mind it anymore as it became more like loud background noise.  Who knows, maybe after my third I would have even started chiming in! Alas, we’ll never know … if only the bill didn’t come prematurely.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Sake Bar Kushi (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 257 Eglinton Avenue West
Website: http://sakebarkushi.ca/
Type of Meal: Dinner
Now this is what I expect from an izakaya – semi closed off tables allowing patrons to get a little rowdy. Loud enough so that you feel you don’t need to whisper yet quiet enough so you can still talk and unhurried service so you feel comfortable getting multiple rounds of drinks. 

Sake Bar Kushi proves that you can still get the izakaya experience without having staff members constantly scream at the top of their lungs; we were greeted in unison by a couple of people as we entered and left and personally I felt this was more than enough. Moreover, they should be recognized for their willingness to take reservations, which makes visiting with larger groups easier.  Really, isn’t that the whole point of an izakaya – an easy-going casual atmosphere to hang around and drink?

With 30 bottles of sake to choose, drinking can easily be accomplished. With prices ranging from $9 to $380 per bottle, there’s selections for all.  Staying at the lower end of the spectrum, we ordered the Kinmon ($24) which was dry and light tasting, great for sake novices like ourselves. Afterwards, we continued on the night with pitchers of Sapporo which were only $19 each.


In terms of food, there were some hits and misses but with such an extensive menu (literally four different ones) we likely could have missed their house specialties. To begin, we ordered a round of skewers to go with the sake.  The majority of them being offered were grilled (yakitori) rather than the deep fried kushi I was expecting. This just seems a bit strange given kushi is in their name, but to be honest, I wasn’t that involved with ordering the skewers so we could have misunderstood the options.

The yakitori selection arrived with negimi or chicken with green onions ($2), hotate or scallop ($4.20), shrimp ($3.50) and buta bara or pork belly ($2.60). Note: prices are per skewer. To be honest, none of them were impressive as they were a tad over cooked (especially the scallop).  The pork belly was extremely fatty and could have benefited from being breaded and deep fried. 


The katsu ($2.80) or deep fried breaded chicken was spot on - juicy and succulent with the right amount of flavor from the tonkatsu sauce. If only all the skewers were this delicious! Considering it was the best skewer of the night, Sake Bar Kushi should consider dedicating more of their menu to kushi. We also got a single sausage ($1.80), that I didn't try, but judging by my friends’ comments it appeared mediocre. 


Not in the mood for their set dinner ($37 a person), we ordered a mix of tapas to share. The first dish to arrive, the tuna tataki ($11), was an amazing start and my favourite of the meal. Lightly seared so that a thin ring circled the fish, the tuna was fresh and just flavoured enough from the ponzu and garlic chips without being overpowered. A bed of grated radish laid below and added a fresh crunchiness to contrast the tender tuna. 



The lobster roll ($13) was decent with pieces of meat rolled in rice and more lobster on top. The meat itself was rather bland and lacked the natural sweetness you’d expect, so any flavouring came from the spicy mayo and soy sauce topping it. All in all, it was good enough but rather tame for something that features lobster. 


Meanwhile, the kaki fry or deep fried oysters ($6) was better. What appeared to be freshly shucked oysters had a seafood essence to it and benefited from being just lightly breaded. Served with tartar sauce it is a simple but tasty dish and quite good for the price. 


Continuing with the ups and downs, the grilled pork ($11) was poorly executed. I found it so over cooked that it became tough and barely edible; sadly, the quality reminded me of some barbequing experiences I’ve had where I’ve left pork chops on the grill and forgot about them. Given its sole flavor came from salt (even then there wasn’t much of this), little could be done to improve the dish. 


The most disappointing dish of the night was the gindara or grilled cod ($11). Perhaps it’s because this is generally one of my favourite dishes, I eat it often and have high hopes. Sake Bar Kushi’s was overcooked, bland and slightly bitter from being burnt. That tender, flaking apart, buttery texture I’ve come to expect was nowhere to be found. 


As long as you’re not squeamish about tentacles, the kadako karaage or deep fried baby octopus ($11) may be a tasty option. Given they used baby octopus it was tender and an interesting combination between the soft chewiness of the body and the crispy tentacles. 


The last dish we ordered, kimchi pork ishiyaki bibimbap ($14), ended off the night quite well. The heated stone bowl was a flavourful cacophony of ingredients and sauce, which thankfully helped mask the overdone pork. I’ll admit, it’s not the best bibimbap I’ve ever had, but compared to some of the other dishes we had that night was a pleasant ending. 


After the food, we decided to stay for more beers and as the night went along the chef presented us with two complementary dishes. The first, a salmon tempura topped with greens, was very nice. The cooked salmon was tender and covered with a light crispy coating. Tons of chopped scallions topped the fish and really brightened up the dish.  Even the sweet and sour type sauce was a nice change compared to the mostly mayonnaise based ones from earlier dishes.


The second, a take on poutine expect without the gravy, was a miss. The fries, although made fresh with potatoes, were limp and slightly hard and needed to be double fried. Since there was no sauce, the melted cheese was congealed and hard by the time it reached the table. Even so, we appreciated the chef’s gesture at giving us the dish and ate most of it. The waitress advised us the fries weren’t part of their regular menu; some changes should be made before its ever added on.


Our waitress for the night was extremely nice and pleasant to be around. The dinner brought me back to memories of dining in Japan where my experiences with service are similar - attentive, respectful and always doing everything they can to ensure the customer is pleased.

Overall, although not all the dishes we had were spectacular, there were some good ones including the tuna tataki, katsu kushi and salmon tempura. Generally, I found the grilled dishes poorly executed (primarily on account of everything being overcooked), so would suggest ordering the fried, stone bowl or stir fried items instead. However, it’s the overall experience that shines through. Maybe one day the chef will adjust the cooking time for some of their dishes and the experience can be improved that much more.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Like the blog? You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!





Ja Bistro Revisited (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 17, 2013 by
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 222 Richmond Street West
Website: www.jabistro.com
Type of Meal: Dinner   

 This post is my second visit to the restaurant where I've had enough new dishes that I felt an update was warranted.  To read about my first experience and general thoughts of the restaurant please head over to my first review.
At last, we return to JaBistro to visit their new rooftop patio.  Although not very big, the layout isn’t crowded with tables so the patio feels rather spacious.  Additionally, we went for a late dinner so the after work drink crowd had already left leaving the middle bar stool seating area empty.  Given the surroundings were dark; I didn’t want to take pictures and annoy tables around us with large flashes of light.  So, for this post I’ve sourced the pictures from the internet and thus may not look exactly like the dishes we ordered.

Given my love for the JaBistroll ($22) on this visit we had to get the full order of it.  Luckily, they didn’t stock out of the snow crab again and by the time it arrived we were salivating!  Although still delicious, it wasn’t as good as the last visit.  Likely, it’s due to our proximity to the sushi chef on the first visit where we sat right at the sushi bar. When you sit on the patio, it takes time for the food to be brought up, so the JaBistroll lost the heat and smokiness from the blowtorch.  So, if you’re going for the taste - ask for sushi bar seating.  However, if you rather enjoy eating outdoors, be prepared to sacrifice the essence of the dish.

JaBistroll (1)

During this visit, the focus was more on the bistro side of the menu.  After noting they updated the kani ($15) to use coconut curry sauce we decided to try it again.  The soft shell crab was just as fresh and delicious as our last visit, but I did notice they have shrunk the dish and it now only includes 3 pieces (1.5 crabs) rather than the 5 pieces (2.5 crabs) we had the first time.  To be fair, the pieces were larger so perhaps the amount of soft shell crab is the same, it just makes sharing in large groups harder.

Kani (1)

The coconut curry sauce was an improvement to the chili and complimented the seafood well.  Unlike the curry crab dishes you may have at Malaysian restaurants, JaBistro’s sauce is a bit thicker and creamier.  Instead of pita chips our dish included fried shrimp chips.  Sadly, they were the regular run of the mill Chinese restaurant variety.  Rather, the chef should consider using the Thai/Malaysian version instead which is thicker (to help pick up the sauce) and is more flavourful.

My husband’s a huge fan of beef tartare so we decided to try their yukke ($11), which is essentially beef tartare with a quail egg on top. I was interested to see how they would add the Japanese twist to this normal steakhouse appetizer.  JaBistro’s adapation was served with pieces of toasted nori, in place of bread, and flavoured with ponzu and gochujang (a Korean red chili powder) to give it tons of flavour and heat. Topped with sprouts and green onion this was the best beef tartares I’ve had (although to be honest I’ve only had three so that doesn’t mean much).
Yukke (1)


Lastly, the gindara ($22) had to be tried given black cod is normally one of my favourite Japanese dishes.  I’ll admit I was turned off by the description on the menu, which noted the dish had bacon in it.  Unlike most individuals, these pieces of crispy smoked pork are sometimes good on its own with eggs but not something I like added to dishes it can be overpowering.  Fortunately, it was used in moderation and only speckled into the coating that crusted the cod and offered an interesting smoky saltiness to the fish. 


The fish itself was a nice thick piece and cooked well so that it flaked apart.  Thin pieces of crispy salty shrimp toast accompanied the cod; they were okay but didn’t really complement the fish.  In the end, there were just too much heavy ingredients and flavours used with the fish and just not my cup of tea. However, it’s a matter of preference, because my husband loved the gindara. But then again he loves bacon and I don’t so this dish is meant to be enjoyed by bacon lovers.  Alas, JaBistro, when will you make a version to suit people like me?!

All in all, the second visit was still a good experience and solidifies the 9 being given to JaBistro.  It’s good to see their quality hasn’t gone down and there continues to be a changing menu to provide some new excitement.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10


Like the blog? You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!
For further general discussions about this blog please refer to http://gastroworldblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-gastro-world.html
Photo Sources:
  1. JaBistroll, kani and yukke - JaBistro's Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/jabistro222)


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