Staff are nice, food is good, the vibes are fun and their happy hour late menu is unbeatable. $10 1L beer starting from 10:30pm with 50% off on some food dishes. Sake bombs are also at a fantastic price and the kimchi udon was bomb. Also appreciate the mouth wash in the bathroom. read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - 1 L Sapporo - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A bit underwhelming food, but descriptions sounded delicious. I got the Kimchi Udon (2/5) the Yuzu Duck (3/5) and the bibimbap (1/5). I came by here craving Japanese food and the images of the interior looked nice. The food was a bit pricey for the small portions located in Parkdale, I felt a lot of the dishes were just flavored with salt but not much more depth than that, was disappointed the bibimbap didn't have any gochujang nor did they have it in store, the duck was overtly drowned in sauce and lacked balance in brightness, the kimchi udon was a bit pricy considering it was just kimchi and udon. The service was okay and they were nice, but would not return. read more

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Nothing bad to say but nothing amazing to say either. I went to Guu with Garlic in Vancouver last year and loved it. Guu in Toronto was not as good to me but still a solid spot. The best dish at both spots is the miso black cod. They sometimes have limited quantities I've heard, so put your order in quickly just in case! The dishes here are mostly small like tapas so meant to be shared with options towards the bottom of the menu being a little more hearty. My only issue with the menu we had on 5/26/24 is that a lot of the options were fried, including the daily specials menu. I love fried food but in small quantities and mixed with grilled or raw fish options (at Japanese spots anyway). The ambiance is dark and can get loud if crowded. We had the miso black cod of course, Hokkaido hotate, chicken karaage, harami steak, salmon oshi zushi (pressed seared salmon on rice), and Oreo tempura for dessert which comes with 3 Oreos and 2 mochi ice cream. I would get everything again but least favorite dish was the steak. It was fine but less memorable. Servers were friendly (only 2 and one was also bartender), so I can see that being tougher if the restaurant is full. It wasn't the night we went which was cool. Overall, a good dining experience! They take credit cards. read more

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Came here for a family dinner on a Friday night around 6:30pm. We arrived right before the crowd, so it was quite quiet for an izakaya, and I was absolutely loving that vibe. Here's what we ordered: - Deep fried chicken cartilage - loved the crunch! 8/10 - Kaarage - soo juicy and the pieces were huge, 10/10 - Fried baby octopus, 9/10 - Assortment of sashimi - I highly recommend the scallop!! 10/10 - Sous vide duck breast - 8/10 - Black cod - melt in your mouth buttery but I wasn't a fan of the flavour, 6/10 - Salmon Oshi - the charred pieces on top was huge and gave it too much of a smokey taste, and I was not a fan, 3/10 - Takoyaki - standard for most places, 7/10 - Baked Oysters - cheesey ooey goodness, 9/10 Overall, I enjoyed most of the dishes here, and you can definitely tell that they use high-quality ingredients. It can be a bit pricey, but I would say it's worth it. read more

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Came to this Izakaya for the first time with some friends. We ordered a couple of dishes to share. The menu isn't very big but everything tasted pretty good. They also have some specials as well. The vibe inside is nice, clean and pretty spacious. Service was also okay. This would be a great place to fore small bites and drinks with friends but unfortunately they do close pretty early at 10:30. read more

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Guu Izakaya - Wagyu Carpaccio and Salmon Oshizushi is a delightful experience if you're into bold flavors and fresh seafood. The wagyu is always a standout--rich, tender, and packed with that melt-in-your-mouth quality. The vibe is chill. It's not overly complex, but every bite hits the spot. read more

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This meal was incredible! When we arrived, the vibes were already incredible. The restaurant has moody lighting, but it doesn't feel too dark. We went as a small group and decided to order a bunch of food to share. We ordered 5-7 menu items and drinks. It was the perfect amount of food. We ended with the fried Oreos and sake bombs. If you order sake bombs, one of the servers will lead you in the iconic sake chant. Good vibes, great food. We will definitely be back! read more

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Japanese Izakaya - Yes please! Came on a quiet Sunday for dinner right at opening and was seated quickly by the staff. The food was good but some dishes were a tad bit too salty. Ambiance was nice and loud, just as an Izakaya should be! Onto the food! Takoyaki: 8/10 Can never go wrong with takoyaki. Saucey and crispy on the outside, soft and mushy on the inside. Saba pressed sushi: 8/10 I might be bias, but since I like saba cooked, this was delicious and great for sharing. Simple flavours are sometimes the way to go! Guu fries: 7/10 Standard fries you can expect to find at any bar/ izakaya. Baked oysters: 9/10 Always, always get this. Cheesy gooey goodness baked to perfection. It's presented in the oyster shell and has chunks oyster and potato mixed in. Comforting and delicious! Karaage (fried chicken): 9.5/10 Crispy exterior with super juicy moist chicken on the inside. Tastes the best with a drizzle of lemon and dipped into their sauce. A must get at any izakaya! Miso Cod: 8/10 Something about cod is always so delicious. Flakey cod that is moist and cooked to perfection. Kimchi udon: 7/10 Not so much kimchi flavour to this dish. Still nice and creamy though. Cheese mushroom bibimbap: 9/10 Comes in a sizzling stone pot. The wait staff mixes the rice together table side. Deliciously cheesy rice that is piping hot - yum! Hamachi collar: 7/10 On their specials menu. The skin is so crispy and delicious. Flakey cooked meat as well, just a little hard to share though and could use a bit more seasoning. Niku Udon: 10/10 My all time favourite dish! A salty creamy beef udon topped with nori and tobiko flakes. A large enough dish to share with the table. A must get! read more

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Went here for a quick meal with a friend. The place was quiet and the staff were very friendly. We got the shrimp tempura and two udon noodles. The take udon was delicious but the shrimp tempura was subpar. read more

We came here on a weekday night, and it was easy to get a reservation for 3. We ordered the specials, including the tako wasabi, scallop, and grilled cod. Unfortunately, they had run out of grilled oysters that day. There were a lot of alcoholic beverages to choose from - not too many from the non-alcoholic side. The food and service were fantastic, and the atmosphere was lively. Accessibility: no automatic door opener, the washroom is downstairs through a narrow staircase, and floors were ok with crutches. Parking is available in the front. read more

Guu is an Izakaya chain restaurant with locations in Vancouver and Toronto. I've been to one in Gastown in Vancouver, and also came to this location during my Toronto trip two years ago. My friend and I ordered the following: - Kakimayo - baked oyster with cheese, mushroom and spinach - Salmon oshizushi - blowtorched salmon pressed sushi - That day's special (May 22, 2019) - salmon cream croquette - salmon and bacon cream croquette with tonkatsu sauce - Kurogoma cheesecake - black sesame rare cheesecake with pecan and oreo crust - Gyu tataki - lightly seared Angus beef sashimi with ponzu and garlic chips What a delicious experience. I was a bit reluctant to get the gyu tataki as I've never had "raw beef" but it was still delicious nonetheless. My friend and I always love a good izakaya experience and Guu offered quality food at a good price. read more

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Guu Izakaya is a lowkey restaurant far west on Queen St. Came here with a couple friends a half hour after they opened - pretty empty still so no waiting for a table yay! Ambiance is simple and very dim lighting - minimalistic vibes. My friend had a food allergy and they dealt with it perfectly - asking us questions and informing us about all the ingredients which I loved, nice attention to detail and great hospitality. Our waiter was also super friendly and helpful, came to check on us every once in a while. And it was super fun to do sake bombs for the first time!! For the food, everything we had was delicious! Super fresh and flavourful. I think my favourite was the beef udon and the tuna tataki (not pictured). The takoyaki was also very delicious but honestly everything was 10/10! The only thing I'd say is it gets pretty loud in here so be mindful! I would come back if I'm looking for a cool izakaya in the area :) read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Karaage, gyoza, takoyaki, fries, beef udon - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Been going here for years but I haven't gone since before Covid and I visited recently and the quality is the same and if not, improved ! I am so glad they haven't changed. The service is mediocre nothing to scream about. But food is as good as I remember. I would still recommend this place solely on the variety of choices especially on their special menu that changes daily to weekly (depending on inventory) which I can appreciate. Ambiance is loud music and soft lighting: a great spot for a first date. Will come back, 100% read more

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Guu was our savior when we were looking for a place to eat in the area after our intial restaurant turned us away. We were pleasantly seated right away at the bar and got to watch the action happen in the kitchen. We ordered our usual kinoko bibimbap, and two dishes on special: carbonara udon the spicy kroean fried karaage. We also ordered two cocktails. The food and drinks came out pretty quickly and were delicious. Although this location is smaller and doens't quite exude the loud and big ambiance of the old Guu locations, it's still a staple in izakaya with a now more intimate setting. read more

Food and service is great. Delicious. It is however a little on the pricey side. The mushroom bibimbap is incredible. read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Wagyuu yuuke - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I've eaten at all of the Guu locations in Vancouver and wanted to try this location to see how it compares. There were five of us who dined here a couple of weeks ago. We read over the menu and agreed on a number of dishes from both the regular menu as well as the specials of the day. I love going out to eat with people who have no food restrictions or allergies. It really makes for a more enjoyable experience when you can try anything on the menu. I have had the baked oysters at other locations and was actually disappointed in the ones we had here. There was almost no actual oyster in mine. I much prefer when they leave the oyster whole and just put the sauce on top, instead of chopping them up and mixing it in before baking. You really lose a lot of oyster when they're cut up. My favourite dishes of the evening were the pork belly, the beef tataki and the duck breast. The banana fritters for dessert were also really good. Hope to back soon! read more

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Neat Japanese spot on Queen West. Dark atmosphere with a good energy. Service was very friendly. read more

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Amazing place to get food and drinks! Pretty much everything we ordered was absolutely delicious and is great for sharing! The Kinoko bibimbap has a delicious umami flavour. I love the crispy rice bits stuck to the bowl! The kakimayo is very cheesy and super creamy. Definitely a nice hearty treat. The gyu tataki has very nice and fresh meat cuts. My only complaint is the portion was so small. The uni carbonara udon has an amazing and very creamy sauce! The spicy tuna oshizushi is so delicious--love the spicy tuna! I have soft spot for sushi of any sort. The okonomoyaki was crisp and a bit too salty for me. I'm generally not a big fan of okonomoyaki, so don't take my word for it. The karaage is your classic Japanese-style fried chicken. It was very crispy and juicy, using those fatty parts of the chicken where all the flavour is hiding. Overall this is an amazing place to get tapas! The service is on point and the vibe is quite nice as well! I'll definitely be coming back again. read more

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Came in here extra late to find this place with some awesome rap/hip hop bumping. Did not get a picture of everything we had but what I can say without a doubt is the service here is everything. The guy making the sushi is who takes your order and the menu looks like they figure it out the day of, write it out, and photocopy it. Amazing all around read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I am extremely happy that there is still a Guu Izakaya restaurant left in Toronto as many of the locations had changed to Kinka. After having been to the Vancouver Guu location, I had high hopes that the Toronto location will live up to the expectation. My group was able to get seated immediately when we arrived around 6pm because we had called ahead for a reservation. You probably could walk in at that time and get a table as well since they don't start getting really busy until past 7pm. The ambiance is definitely way nicer when the izakaya gets busy as the noise gives it an authentic izakaya vibe. After looking at the menu, I noticed that they don't have as many sashimi dishes compared to the Vancouver location, as the foods are mainly cooked with a good number of deep fried dishes. For the few sashimi dishes we did get, I really enjoyed the Beef Tataki and the Scallop Sashimi with Salmon Roe due to their good marinated flavour. For the Scallop, you can purchase more pieces than stated on the menu and they will prorate the amount. The Oshizushi sushi (pressed and touched sushi) were also pretty good as well as the fish on top was really fresh and tender. Beware that some dishes have wasabi mixed in, such as the octopus sashimi, and their wasabi is really strong and will definitely shoot out from your nose. In terms of prices, Guu was definitely not cheap, but that is expected for an Izakaya. For myself, since I didn't get any alcohol, my bill came down to about $35 in total, but my friends who ordered drink easily saw their bill went up to above $50. I definitely feel that Guu is one of the best Izakaya in Toronto, and even though it didn't feel as good as their Vancouver location due to less fish options, it is still an amazing place to come enough some nice food and drinks and hangout with friends. read more

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It's always a good idea to go to Guu. The ambiance and service are always good. The food is delicious. My favourite go-to dish is the duck breast. I can eat that all day every day! read more

We went on a weekday, right after it opened. I recommend making a reservation, it gets pretty busy at night! I remember several people getting turned away since the whole restaurant was booked up by reservations (to be fair, I am not sure if it's like this everyday. On the day I went, one party had like 10-12 people, which is half the restaurant space). Kakimayo is similar to the one at kinka (which makes sense if you think about the relationship between the restaurants). Delicious, giant, creamy, cheesy. Everything I could possibly ask for. I always love this dish. This is one of the dishes I crave the most during quarantine season 5/5 Toripiri Kaarage: the spicy version if kaarage. I kind of expected the spice to be a dry seasoning rather than a sauce. I think you would enjoy this if you want a dish reminiscent of sweet and sour pork with a bit of a kick. I prefer the normal kaarage over this. I enjoyed the deep fried crispy strips it came with (seemed like deep fried wonton wrapper strips). 3/5 Takoyaki was standard and tasty, it came with 5 balls (most restaurants I've been to come with 6). Takoyaki is a dish I've never really had complaints about, I've never had bad takoyaki (though the ones with bigger chunks of octopus are more worth your money!) 4/5 I always get at least one noodle/rice dish to eat with my tapas. The kimchi udon was good and a great staple to fill up on! 4/5 As for dessert...HOW IMPRESSIVE IS THE PRESENTATION (see attached pic). Me and my friend were so shocked when this came out because we didn't expect it to look so fancy. I've seen a few pictures of their other desserts, and you can tell a lot of effort was put into the presentation for them!cI honestly can not remmeber the name of this dessert. I couldn't find it on the menu or other pics if Guu on yelp/instagram. I think there was hojicha and banana involved though...I remember liking it though! 4.5/ read more

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Came to this Guu location for the first time last Saturday. I've been a huge fan of Guu for many years. My first time at Guu was their first Toronto location on Church St. now renamed to Kinka. And if you are visiting Vancouver, be sure to try Guu on Robson street. It's really nice seeing so many Izakayas opening up in Toronto. This is a pub style with a variety of small dishes such as ebi mayo(fried shrimp) and Karaage (fried chicken) and a good drink selection. Great place to hang out with friends. If you like this kind of food, be sure to try Kinka, Kingyo, Zakkushi, Kintaro, Nome, and Ju. I'm sure there are many more good ones that I'm not aware of. The place was very welcoming and great atmosphere. The place was a bit quiet at 6:30pm but it did get busier throughout the night. I tried making reservations online but there was nothing available. That was strange given that the place was only half full. The food was fabulous. For the 3 of us, we ordered 7 dishes which was a bit much but I always tend to over order on my first visit. Here are the dishes that we ordered: 1) Karaage (fried chicken)- perfectly done! 2) Salmon oshizushi - blowtorched salmon pressed sushi - good but it's better at Miku 3) Buta Curry Poutine(pork belly) - very tasty! 4) Kimchi udon - nicely done 5) Spicy gyoza - nothing special but the sauce was amazing! 6) Nasu (marinated eggplant with garlic) - this was our fav dish - must try! 7) Bao crab (deep fried soft shell crab in a steam bun) - liked the bun but not the crab. I would skip this dish next time. Overall, we had a great time and would definitely be coming back to try more dishes. read more

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Absolutely delicious food and great vibe. Service was a bit slow but would still go back!

Good for celebrating birthday I think or some anniversary too! Always pretty noisy when it's getting more ppl. Very chill bar style. They provide some pretty cool cocktails too! Food can be small quantities could be big. Make sure you ask before you ordered them! Lol But I like the eggplant a lot! As much as the egg rolls as always ;) read more

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Loved our experience here. Sake bombs are so much fun and the food and cocktails are excellent. And the service is great; everyone is so very nice. read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great local place for food and drinks. Affordable and high quality. You special if you know this spot. Must get: baked oysters read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Baked oysters - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place gets busy quite easily, but luckily making a reservation here is made easy with Yelp!! Location: 3.5/5 Not the easiest to find street parking like many downtown and it is much farther than I would normally travel for, but Queen St. W has so many great foodie options to choose from that I am sure I will be back in this neighbourhood anyhow. Decor/Ambience: 3.5/5 Narrow seating area with a long bar. Dark with loud conversations and music playing the background as typical of most Izakayas Food quality: 4.5/5 I love how fresh all of the sashimi was and I was surprised by tasty the sashimi salad was. It reminded me of a poke bowl, but with thinly sliced salmon instead of cubes. The takoyaki was hot, squishing with flavours when bit into and it has the perfect amount of seasoning from the dressing and herbs. Crispy fish skin made it all that much better in texture. I really like how you can order a bit of everything here while still maintaining high food quality and value! They have weekly/seasonal specials to keep their menu selections trendy and fun all the time! Never tried eating scallops with nachos before. It was interesting to say the least. The mint really helped the flavours pop. For a limited time, they were offering Sakura matcha cheesecake and it was just decadent and just the right amount of sweetness!! Service: 4.5/5 I like how staff members would loudly greet patrons as they come in and out like most other Japanese restaurants, but unlike all of them, the staff here would introduce all of their items and make just the right of recommendations based on preferences and what occasion it is for the meal. Everything came out in perfect timing. Every time we finished one item, the next would arrive to replace it. We did not feel rushed at all nor had to wait too long for our food. Staff regularly checked in on us. Value: 4.5/5 Great value and decent pricing for the quality of food here. No wonder multiple foodie friends suggested this place to me. It can be a bit pricy, but this makes a great place for a date night for sure! Overall: 4/5 If this place was closer to me then I'd definitely come back more often. Loud places with alcohol are not my typical scene, but once in awhile this would be an ideal place to share Japanese tapas with good company. read more

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Have been here on two occasions with tables reserved through Yelp. Food: They have a dinner menu with some entrées and there is a tapas menu that changes upon the season. I just wish their dinner menu had more variety of entrées. Food and drinks tasted good. Out of all the tapas we ordered, the potato croquette did not live up. Service & atmosphere: There were a few instances where they forgot to bring ordered items/ drinks, if that happens just remind them. Gets crowded during peak hours hence you cannot go wrong with booking a reservation. Chill night vibe. Price: A bit high in my books but aligns with other izakayas in the city. read more

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If you've never been here don't be alarmed if they 'yell' at you when you enter and leave! You did nothing wrong - they are just welcoming you! I tried the duck carpaccio and the noodles with beef - yum! I live noodles so this was my favorite. The portions are small - slightly bigger than typical tapas size, smaller than a meal portion so get 2-3 things to fill your belly! A bit pricey but worth it. read more

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My new fave place. Ask for the big mug Sapporo.... Sushi are absolutely awesome such attention to detail is amazing read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Atmosphere/Service: For my birthday, the boyfriend decided to surprise me by bringing me to Guu Izakaya. I normally never go to an izakaya, because I never know what to order luckily for me the boyfriend speaks Japanese so your homegirl here doesn't need to do much thinking except eat we sat right in front of the chefs and they were all so nice and welcoming. Even though I had no idea what they were saying in Japanese, they never forgot to include me into their conversation about the food. Menu/food: Their food was tad small to share, but I could have been happier if I could have everything we ate all to myself! Hahaha! But you could tell that everything from the sashimi to the noodles to the sous vide duck breast was fresh and on point. There was not one bad dish at all. Overall: Overall, an izakaya is definitely worth trying. But I think I'd rather come and drink while having snacks, not just for a meal. read more

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Right smack in a ghetto area, Guu Izakaya offers upscale eats for a reasonable price. You'll find all the typical izakaya dishes here, such as torched sushi, fried udon, fried calamari. Everything was delicious! I especially enjoyed the wasabi octopus, where you spoon the mix onto a piece of seaweed. Very intense wasabi taste, which I love. Like all izakaya restaurants, it's very loud in here. The staff are highly vocal whenever anyone enters or leaves the restaurants with a resounding cheer. At times, it was difficult to hear the conversation at my table over the sheer cacophony. One thing I appreciate at most asian restaurants is that you get free hot tea with your meal... but not at this place! Hot green tea is $3 per cup. That said, their tea was was quite good. There's only street parking available, so be prepared to circle around for spots on a busy evening. read more

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Had so much fun here last night!! Truthfully, we originally were trying to get into a restaurant down the road but the wait was too long so we wandered down the street a bit and discovered Guu! I've never been to an izakaya before so this was a lovely surprise. I visited with my mom and fiance following a visit to our wedding venue and we were looking for a quick, tasty bite. As other reviewers have mentioned, the staff are super friendly and greet you (loudly!) when you first walk in as well as when you leave. We had a blast and enjoyed trying various dishes from their menu. For those who don't know (I didn't lol), an izakaya is sort of like a Japanese tapas place where you enjoy snacks and drinks. We ordered a bunch of different items to share family style, and enjoyed all of the bites. My faves were the fried cauliflower and the torched salmon sushi - so good!! The staff were all so happy and in such a good mood, it was a very enjoyable experience. I want to come back here for my birthday (which just happened lol) such a fun place!! read more

Fun crazy loud place with a quirky menu ..like ramen carbonara. Great with the right group who are open to experience and experimenting with ordering for sure. read more

I can't rave enough about Guu. The food is amazing and their dishes have a very special place in my heart. My go-to orders: -Kakimayo (cheese baked oysters) AKA what dreams are made of -Kinoko bibimbap -Salmon oshizushi -Kimchi udon -Maguro and salmon tataki Basically... if you want quality Japanese tapas, this is the place to go. read more

Guu Izakaya Toronto - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I was sad when the original Guu changed hands, but was definitely excited when it reopened in a new location in Parkdale. On this visit, I came with 6 of my friends for drinks and food after skating. FOOD: there was a good selection of daily specials, but for this visit my friends and I wanted to avoid meat. So we ordered tuna tataki (balanced citrus-based sauce), tofu (yummy with bbq sauce), cheese & mushrooms bibimbap (tasty & cheesy), baked oysters (tasted sub-par & the size of oysters weren't the same), crab bao (sooooo good), ikura temaki (so much salmon caviar!). We ended up ordering the tori kawa after seeing the party beside us order it (crispy & delicious!). SERVICE: maybe our server was new or just didn't know how to handle a larger group, he seemed like a fish out of water some times, but eventually redeemed himself towards the end of this visit. TIP: order bottles of sake, slightly chilled for better value read more

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Nice Japanese izakaya with a variety of menu items - the baked oysters, kabocha pumpkin croquette, unagi doria, and okonomiyaki were delicious. read more

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It's time for me to give Guu it's deserving 5 stars ... after an entire year of amazing dinners, I decided my last one of the year to end it all would be at Guu. I've been here at least 4 times and each time, the food has been phenomenal with service prompt and friendly. The best part.... the value just blows me away. We can eat so well for under $40 per person including tips and tax. Even on a Friday evening (albeit during snowmaggedon ... OK Mother Nature, we get it. Global warming is kicking our butt), the food quality is incredible, service so friendly and perfectly in tune to our needs, and the atmosphere is a fun hip vibe. I loved my meals here and plan to keep coming back. Read my first review to understand more of the great atmosphere of Guu. I usually order off their special menu as you will find some really interesting takes on traditional Japanese izakaya dishes. Anything deep fried on the menu is incredibly well done... crispy, hot, and not a speck of drenched oil. Flavours are always bold and interesting. Grilled items always come with the right amount of crispy char. Okonomiyaki - A must order here... first, second, third, AND fourth time ordering this... ALWAYS good. Super crispy exterior gives way to creamy soft interior that is filled with tender octopus pieces. It's layered with a bold umami bomb of a sauce. One of my Japanese favourite dishes in Toronto. 5/5 Crispy cauliflower - Super crispy tender florets of cauliflower that are lightly tempura battered and fried golden. Just a good overall dish to say you ate vegetables. The yuzu mayo gives it the bright citrus kick and creamy sauce to make it more indulgent. 4.5/5 Kale Gomaee - Yes... it's kale ... and it's cold even. But it's doused in the most wonderful black sesame sauce. This time it was a bit tooo salty but usually it's more balanced and a great nutty sauce. Im pretty sure Im eating this more for the sauce than the vegetable 4/5 Ikapiri - Another great seafood dish that takes tender squid and tempuras them to ridiculously wonderful crispiness and then dunks them into a spicy sauce that screams red. It does bring the heat but it brings a great flavour of hot, a tinge sweetness, and a mild touch of acidity. It's just your best hot wing idea elevated to something better 5/5 Aburi style mackerel - ohhhh yes. A nice smokiness to the very flavourful meaty mackerel. Loved the fact that the mackerel was vinegared and aged to give it a better deeper flavour. Fresh fish for sushi is not always a good thing! 5/5 Tempura banana dusted with kinako (?) and a nice scoop of matcha ice cream - A nice end to the meal. Perfectly sweet and soft bananas are fried to perfection (again!). The sweet and yet mildly bitter matcha was the perfect match ... hot & cold.. lightly bitter & sweet. Just great bites after great bites. 5/5 I honestly cannot find another place in Toronto that offers such amazing quick service to phenomenal food at such a great value. With an ever changing menu that reflects seasonally, I would never get bored. This place is safely in my top favourite places in Toronto. read more

I was in Guu Izakaya for dinner 3 days ago and I'm now sitting at work craving it. This place is amazing. It was our last night in Toronto and my bf and I wanted to eat somewhere cozy, casual and affordable. We ran into this small little Japanese restaurant and decided to give it a try. The minute you walk in you are greeted by friendly waitstaff and chefs- and by "greeted" I mean they all shout out what I'm assuming is "hello, welcome" in Japanese. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. One thing I liked most about her is the amount of patience she had. A little overwhelmed with all the amazing food choices, I took a little longer to decide and she was more than willing to give suggestions and help me through the menu. I started with ordering a Mojito with Saki. Light and refreshing and not too strong. Perfect. We started off with ordering a few apps, we got the Brie Cheese & the Ikapiri. The Brie cheese came fried (can never eat mozzarella sticks again after eating this amazing dish) with a berry and mango sauce. The sweet and saltiness was the perfect combination. Along with the Brie cheese we had the Ikapiri which is fried calamari. Automatically I thought the fried calamari was going to be the basic fried rings and squid- boy was I wrong. The fried calamari came with a spicy garlic tomato sauce and wasabi mayo. I'm not a fan of wasabi but it was mixed beautifully in this dish that I couldn't really taste it. My bf and I were drawn to the same entree dish- the Yaki Udon. WOW. This dish made me question what "udon" noodles I've been eating my whole life. Pan fried noodles that were not too heavy on the stomach/ topped with tender beef. The perfect portion- after sharing the apps and eating this dish, I was not overly full but felt very satisfied. I would say the dish was the best thing I've eaten here. Compared to other restaurants in Toronto we're been going to, this place was incredibly affordable especially for all the food I ate. When you exit the restaurant the friendly staff all say what i would assume is "bye" or "thank you". Such a cute place for date night and such an amazing experience. I cannot see myself coming to Toronto and not come here again. read more

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