hashi izakaya

i was really impressed with this salmon hako sushi! it was pressed sushi which meant it was “box-shaped” and was really delicious! there was something about it that was so tasty, soft, and done really well. this was the bestdishof the night.

sharing is strongly encouraged as hashi serves sizable portions. for example, the squid butter yaki ($9), essentially a squid cooked in butter, arrives whole and cut into thin bite sized slivers. the squid was overcooked and a tad tough. moreover, the sweet soy butter glaze was rather muted and the mayonnaise dip is definitely not the flavour i wanted with the dish.

similarly, the grilled gindara ($13) could use more of the saikyo miso marinade given the black cod is such a neutral fish. thedishis an improvement over the last, with the fish cooked well, although could benefit from a crispier skin.

the kamikaze ($12) and dynamite rolls ($13 on menu; $10 actually charged) were large and filled with spicy tuna (kamikaze) and shrimp tempura (dynamite) along with avocado and cucumber in both. perhaps a bit too much sauce was doused over the kamikaze; not a drop of soy sauce was required

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. eachdisharrived 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 favouritedishof 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.

when we think of japanese food, raw fish in its various forms often comes to mind before all else. but of course, japanese food isn’t just sushi, and the izakaya, or japanese grill-house, is a great example of that.

yuzu izakaya is one of the lesser-known options in toronto. while their yonge and finch location doesn’t exactly scream trendy or upscale, they’re certainly not letting that compromise their quality. for starters, the restaurant is impeccably clean, and the sleek design of their dark wood tables and warm grey walls appears to be carefully thought-out. the food also demonstrates a high level of intelligent design.

to start, we selected the “beef with kalbi sauce” ($3) from their selection of “skewers”. they were well-seasoned and fairly succulent. next, we succumbed to their special of the day: panko-crusted deep-fried soft shell crab (mp). is there anything more exciting? the crispy lotus root pieces were a nice touch. i highly doubt that they would have used arugula in japan as a green base, but hey, us canadians have multicultural palettes anyway.

the “salmon + natto” ($7) is one of their star dishes. unless you’re japanese/a japanophile (or watch a lot of iron chef), you probably have never heard of natto. basically, it’s sticky fermented soy beans. if you like it, you like it a lot, and if you don’t know, it’s probably best to err on the side of safe and order something slightly more familiar. the flavour is so strong and distinct that you may (like arthur that day) have a lingering taste of natto on your tongue for days to come. other than that, it is served with konbu (an edible kelp), diced cucumber and onion, bonito (dried fish) flakes , some roe and a raw quail egg on top. it is a really great dish, but only if you know you will like it already.

we also had to order the backbone of japanese grill favourites—the “okonomiyaki” ($9). this delicious pancake-like treat has a name derived from the words okonomi, which means “whatever you want” and yaki, which means grilled/cooked. as i am always down for a “grilled something of exactly what i want”, i have not turned down an okonomiyaki to date.

my favouritedishof the night by far was the “scallops + mushrooms” ($13, first photo). i think the best way to describe thisdishis “gentle, yet rich”. the scallops are well-seared, but it is the broth that really makes the dish. extracting the essence of both the salty seafood and the earthy mushrooms, the butter sauce seals everything together in a beautiful medley of flavours.

final note: i highly enjoyed the decor and the food. plus, they have different specials every day to entice potential new diners. at first, i had written “its location will be a significant deterrent for most”. however, arthur has convinced me that if i think about it from the gta perspective, it actually isn’t that inconvenient at all, being right on the subway line too (albeit at farthest north corner). thus, i should say that “its location will be a significant deterrent for most who like to hang out downtown and prefer having their downtown bars and attractions nearby”. the next time that i come, i would love to give one of their hot pots a try—i am sure that it would make a great winter meal. it might also be a good time to take a run at their extensive sake menu!

my friend stella and i had a great weeknight dinner at yuzu izakaya (5582 yonge street) located at yonge and finch. i absolutely loved the interior of the place and the menu had a great array of delicious-sounding things to try! while this is a japanese tapas place, this izakaya also serves up some fusion and korean dishes.

the kitchen staff are super friendly and call out to greet you as you enter and leave the place. it was fairly quiet during the duration of our meal, but as more people started arriving, the one waitress on staff was noticeably very busy. she was great though and made some suggestions of their more popular menu items. we were also very pleasantly surprised with how large the servings were: we only ordered three things and were pretty satisfied with dinner! 

creamy pork belly
slow braised pork belly with creamy sweet potato $15

this one immediately caught our eyes. i had some struggles cutting it up for stella and i to share, but it was well cooked and delicious! obviously it’s pretty heavy on its own as an appetizer, but worth tasting. pork belly in my belly! 

unagi & avocado kabayaki
eel and avocado served on top of bokchoy $12

given my love for unagi and avocado obsession, i’m pretty convinced thisdishwas just made for me. this is listed in the appetizer section of the menu and we were definitely not expecting to receive such a nice amount of yumminess! while i greatly enjoyed all three things that we ordered, this one was definitely my favourite and i expect to order it again when i come back. :) 

seafood udon
seafood served with udon noodles in a hot soup $10

it has been completely frigid in toronto lately, and this was a much needed comfort dish! again, we were surprised with how large thisdishwas. while nothing about it particularly stand out, it was a great simple soup and perfect for having to head back out in the winter cold. 

overall, i really enjoyed this izakaya and it’s a such a quick walk from finch station. i expect to be able to return this place sometime again and try out one or more of the salmon sashimi dishes and sushi roll platters~ :)