There is something bittersweet about revisiting a place that once felt genuinely ahead of its time. Hapa -- born in Vancouver and transplanted to Toronto during a period when izakaya dining was still a novelty in this city -- arrived with real energy: a lively, lounge-forward Japanese concept that split the difference between spirited party venue and serious small-plates kitchen. For a moment, it was the only thing of its kind, and that singularity carried considerable charm. That golden era, however, appears to be behind it. What was once a chain of several locations has quietly contracted to what may well be its last outpost, and the trajectory is difficult to ignore. The kitchen, which once turned out respectable renditions of beef tataki, ebi mayo, and the crowd-pleasing renkon gyoza, has grown inconsistent -- seasoning at times tipping heavily toward salt, portions sized with more ambiguity than generosity, and a creative spark that once distinguished the menu now dimmed to a comfortable, if predictable, glow. Service follows a similar arc: attentive in spirit, but lacking the precision and warmth that once made the experience feel curated. The room retains a lounge-like appeal -- low lighting, an energetic soundtrack -- though the atmosphere no longer crackles the way it once did on a Friday evening. The vibe, like the menu, feels like it is coasting. And yet, one returns. There is genuine affection here, earned over years, and moments where the kitchen still reminds you of what it was capable of. The sushi rolls remain enjoyable, the drinks menu leans into its Japanese identity with genuine flair, and the concept -- izakaya as communal, convivial experience -- is a worthy one. Hapa at its best still delivers warmth and fun in equal measure. What it needs now is the ambition to match its nostalgia. read more

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So disappointed. Had a special night and wanted sushi. Despite ALL of the photos on google and yelp, this place barely serves sushi at all. Neon asashi sign over the bar? Dont have asahi... i mean... read more

This is a go-to date night spot for me and my wife. There is a ton of variety and the food is excellent. Personal favourites include the pork belly lettuce wraps, brussel sprouts, and the habanero kamikaze karaage. (Fair warning, the karaage is spicy even for those who feel like they can hold their own.) Service is always warm and welcoming and a big reason why we keep on coming back. Awesome spot. read more

We stopped in here for some later night sushi. We walked in and we're seated right away. We sat at a bar area where we could look out into the street. It made for good people watching. The atmosphere was definitely a bar/club atmosphere which I did not mind at all. We ordered a couple of rolls and they came out quickly! The service was amazing and the vibe was cool. The sushi presentation was great and the rolls tasted really good too. I would def come back here when I'm in Toronto again. read more

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Went to hapa in time for their happy hour and enjoyed most of the food. The service was also quick and friendly. Chicken karaage - well fried, but a bit salty. Needed a spritz of lemon to even it out. Truffle kinoko meshi - verrrrrry truffly. I enjoyed the crispy crust from the hot stone bowl but there was quite a bit of oil in it. Salmon aburi sushi - not the best I've had. Would've enjoyed some spicy Mayo or some jalapeño. The wings were both really well done. Crispy and juice. But BEWARE! The suicide wings are VERRRRRY SPICY. My spice loving fiancé was even sweating. read more

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Came here for a dinner, and we really had a great time. We basically let the waiter decide what we ordered. Some particular highlights were the pork belly lettuce wraps (probably our favourite dish) and the Firecracker roll. But everything we ordered was really great! In addition, the wait service was attentive and friendly. We even stayed afterward to have a drink at the bar, and chatted with the bartender. This is a pretty cool place, with a modern ambiance, but it wasn't overly loud. I can't wait to come back! read more

Got the omakase that was a good variety of the menu. The Ebi mayo was extremely very good. Got four incredibly large tasty shrimp that was perfectly fried to be so very juicy. Everything else was So soo incredibly salty. As much as I love salt, it was a mouthful of salt each time. Edamane beans has too much salty soy,. Jerk chicken too much soy, and karaage too much soy honey. Stone rice toooo much salt. The Salad had much soy but not as bad as others. read more

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This place is perfect for sharing We went here on a Saturday night for dinner with a few friends We took a few different sushi plates, these were really good and it was cool that some of them would be torched in front of you. We also got the Edamame, oysters, karaage chicken, beef short ribs, chicken wings. We were 4 ppl and it was nice for us to share everything but we should have maybe gotten 1-2 plates less. The atmosphere was really nice, it was a full house and we got our food pretty fast. Staff was so friendly, we didn't know what to get as drinks but the waiter asked what we liked and made us each a drink according to our taste I would definitely come back here again we all loved the food This place is good for big or small groups. I feel like on weekends this place is packed read more

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We came for Winterlicious a couple months ago. The interior is very cozy and pub-like, with a bar area in front and a restaurant in the back by the open kitchen. The food options are all interesting fusions. For example, there is stone bimbimbap but with a japanese flair. My major disappointment was that two of the three menu options I wanted were sold out, even though it was early in the night and we were one of the few tables there. Our group was disappointed that the dessert option that drew us here in the first place was no longer available. How does a restaurant run out of so many menu options during Winterlicious? I have learnt to ask if everything is available before looking at the menu. Its always so disappointing to be told after...... read more

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Went to Hapa Izakaya again but for takeout as I was excited for the lobster mac n cheese. Ordering was easy but when I got home, it was smaller than expected. It was in a small takeout container as well as small pieces of lobster tail. Maybe it would be better for dine-in but nonetheless, it was not the best experience. read more

I am confused! How many stars is Hapa Izakaya? How many stars should I give in order to be fair? 5 Star and up - Edwin's UYE and all these wonderful people sharing some good times together 3.5 Star - great drink menu and love all those Japanese cocktails options which are quite unique, but the mixed drinks definitely on the weak side 4 Star - for services and friendliness of the staffs and waitress wearing great outfits according to the male yelpers 4 Star - for the set up of the space, good enough lighting when you want to take a good photo! :) But the food... the Omakase ($29/pp)Tasting Menu... was a little letdown. Nothing really wow me or too memorable. As stated for the Omakase is for 4 to share and have 11 courses... I am ok with sharing and I love sharing.. But curiously a lot of the dishes are not really portioned for 4 people!! How can I divide 6 pieces of Shrimp or Fried Chicken or Tuna Sashimi between 4... Especially when you are sharing with dinner mates that always looking at you with hungry eyes and kept saying "hungry". 1) Edamame - A-OK nicely marinated, but a small bowl for 4 to share?! 2) Tuna Avocado Salad with Plantain Chips - A-OK 3) Beef Tataki - Nicely seared went well with the sauce 4) Tuna Sashimi - 6 good pieces but for 4 of us... we are fighting for the last 2 pieces! 5) Ebi Mayo - 6 shrimps.. tasty, we are fighting for the extra pieces 6) Beef Short Ribs - Savory and quite tender.. good portion 7) Negitoro - Chopped Albacore tuna belly, spring onions and toasted garlic bread, size of a meatball... ended up we had a teaspoonful each. A waste of Negitoro, too mushy, too saucy... 8) Renkon Gyoza Tempura - A-OK! Light batter result in a really light and dedicate taste.. but 6 pieces again?! 9) Halibut Tacos - Asian fusion tacos so tasty... with a kick of spice too! One of the best dish for the night 10) Ishi-Yaki (raw pork/ egg in hot stone bowl) - The hot bowl need to be more sizzling..the rice never got crispy and it is just kind of mushy and wet 11) Chicken Kara-age- 6 pieces again?! Great fried chicken... we are fighting for the last 2 with our chopsticks! 12) Yaki Udon - definitely is a meh, the chicken pieces inside looks like leftover scrap and I can stir fried a better version! Salty is all I remembered! I feel a little incomplete after the 12 dishes.. No I am not hungry but I think if they going to have it as tasting menu, the last item should be some sweet. If you have picky eater/special diet requirements, I definitely recommend just order dishes off the menu. More flexibility and not every single item on the tasting menu might be appealing for you. I am glad that able to sample the tasting menu and got to try a lot of the dishes on Hapa's. Since it is relatively new, hopefully down the road there will be some daily fresh items and the tasting menu can incorporate the special of the day too. I definitely will be back here for a drink or 2! 3.5 star with room for improvement! read more

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The interior of this place is really nice - looks more lounge-y like than restaurant like, and it can accommodate large parties (there's a whole section in the back - behind the curtain!) the service was really friendly and the presentation of the food was really nice, but I was underwhelmed with everything we ate - there was no pop of flavour, just a bit bland. We ordered just a few items to share: - Karaage - Shrimp Tempura - Tuna Carpaccio Nothing really stood out to any of us unfortunately and I don't think we would go back for this place specifically. read more

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Anytime a familiar place from Vancouver opens in Toronto, one cannot help but make comparisons. Did I frequent Hapa Izakaya in Vancouver is an understatement? LOL....I lived down the street. I walked by it on the way home from work each day. To say, familiar with the food is an understatement. But this is a new venue so I am giving this a `college try!` Walking in during its opening hour on a Saturday, I was greeted by the bartender and hostess. Both managers of the restaurant from what the website said. I was seated promptly but it was clear that they were booked with reservations. By the time I left, an hour later, the house was full. Definitely borrowing that dark and atmospheric setting from its predecessors, it does so with class and seriousness. As one is seated you are greeting by the staff . Loud, fun and bellowing in unison! For someone experiencing it the first time, a bit of a shock. I love it though. Here, you will find regular seating. Regulars of Hapa Robson Street will find the shoeless section missing. This was of my favorite parts of the place. I was disappointed that there was no fresh sheet menu . I believe after they are open for a little longer that will appear as the menu insert states. I really was curious what they were going to make though. I enjoy ordering from that as well as the main. What about the food? The food is almost as tasty as the Robson granddaddy. In fact, if you have never been, this food experience is wonderful. Dishes like the ishi yaki and aburi saba offer table side cooking. Nothing like some fire and sizzle while you eat. The drink menu has some very Japanese-esque options to choose from. I ordered Harajuku girl. A cream soda flavored drink with the colours of hello kitty screaming from it. Very tasting. I could have drank those at night and wobbled on home. The customer service is wonderful. Prompt and helpful to answer any questions. With dishes meant to be shared, the prices are a bit on the pricier side from what I remember in the past. However, that being said, the flavors are zesty and after a few dishes you will be full. A must have dish is the renkon gyoza. Made with pork and lotus root with a delightful dipping sauce. Ask for extra sauce if you can. You will want to use it for everything. Maybe that is just me though. For those of you missing Vancouver, this is a welcome addition to the scene. It definitely will push everyones izakaya game up. For newcomers to the izakaya scene, this is the best way to start. read more

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Looking for a restaurant before we went to the Mod Club, my partner and I stumbled across Hapa. The service was friendly and attentive. The music was on a throwback that day. We ordered from the happy hour menu. We had the fire cracker pressed sushi, which was torched at the table! Amazing flavour profile and presentation. The fish was fresh and the spicy mayo was actually spicy! We had the lettuce wraps, which were divine. We had to wrap the pork belly ourselves, which was nice. The sauces complimented the pork belly. And the pickled veggie really cuts through the richness! The karaage was super filling and flavourful. No dry chicken here! The slider baos were delicious but super heavy. Be prepared for that! The only dish that wasn't great was the halibut tacos. Absolutely lacking in flavour, but plenty of garnish ok top. The fish was delicious itself but very plain and bland. 1/10. read more

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Having done a review in 2 years, I'm starting this up again as people have requested. Today, let's begin with Hapa Izakaya This place is right in the middle of a beautiful area - Littlie Italy. I had the opportunity to try this place out on a weekday right after work and I have to say, I was quite impressed. I arrived at this restaurant at around 530 on a Wednesday, so not a lot of people were there. We were told by the waitress that we are still in Hapa Happy Hour, where you can order some of their fans favorite from a special menu at a discounted price. My friend and I order a few dishes but I was especially impressed with two items: Beef Tataki Ebi Mayo I would recommend this place if you are around the area. Is this the best I ever had? Not really, there are a lot of competitions now when it comes to izakaya such as Guu, Ryoji, Fin and Nome. But I will definitely go there again. read more

Hapa Toronto - Delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Thanks to Edwin for a great job on the amazing UYE. parked right in front of the place, you can park on street starting at 6pm, max 3 hours and that's $6.75 all in. out front is a small patio (stand up area for people to smoke while enjoy their drinks?) once you step inside, you found yourself in a bar. you really don't feel like you are in a Japanese restaurant. a thing I don't like, is that they use disposable chopsticks that is already opened. at least put it in a sleeve with the restaurant name printed on it. the food: The edamame is kind of boring and looks brown on the edges. I guess it's the marinade, may be they should use white soy sauce? Tuna avocado salad with plantain chips, meh. Mushy when you have it with the chips, better feel to it when eaten alone. Same goes for the Toro (tuna belly meat) meat ball with the garlic bread, just like what Laura mentioned, too much bread, and it's like a paste when you put it on the garlic bread. once again, eaten alone feels much better. you can't really tell if it's just tuna or tuna belly, too much sauce on it... ***the beef tataki is the highlight of the day, it got the kick from the hot sauce and the lemon that the Tuna lacks, and it has a great balance of texture with the onion and small pieces of tortilla chips. Tuna Carpaccio, it's great, the sauce is perfect (as I like the sour citrus taste, turns out it's Yuzu?) Ebi Mayo is next, tempura shrimp with a spicy mayo dressing, it's okay. One of the shrimp's meat feels a bit mushy, or may be it's some of the batter not being cook through, I'm not going to pull it out from my mouth to confirm it... Renkon Gyoza Tempura, Lotus root sandwiched some minced pork meat (and veggie?) and tempura fried. it's something I used to have all the time at home that my mom would cook, and we are not Japanese. it's barely okay, and the dipping sauce taste like just some soy sauce with garlic and sesame oil or something like that, it actually doesn't taste good together. need some kind of acidity to cut the fattiness... Halibut Taco, I can't tell what kind of fish when I'm eating this. too bad, the flour tortilla just too thick for this and it masked everything else. At the table we all say it should try with some kind of rice paper or something much lighter for it... Beef short ribs, it's the thinnest beef short ribs I have seen in restaurants. you cook 1 side of it and it's done, literally paper thin... Karaage, Fried Chicken. really, I had better. they actually forgot the whole garnish on one of the plate... Ishi-Yaki, minced pork in spicy miso sauce over rice in a hot stone bowl. need more vegetable? it need something... Yaki Udon, stir-fried noodles with vegetable and chicken. looks good, taste bland. on to drinks: I order the special blend that was made for Hapa Izakaya, Izumi Hapa. it comes in a wine tasting glass? would be great as a finish to the meal, but I had it the first thing at the beginning... taste pretty good, actually you can taste the banana in it. later on we shared a pitcher of Asahi, and I liked the glass they use, it's tall. but the waitress did a bad job on pouring, the first glass has 90% of foam. and it's asahi, nothing special... and finally as I saw someone else had the Asahi Black, so I asked the waitress to get me a bottle, and I ask how much it is (just wondering), and she didn't know, she goes for the drink menu, it's $7.5 a bottle. I liked the glass they serve it in, it's a small glass (cooler size?) with Asahi black logo and names and some Japanese word on it. we were saying we should take it home... unfortunately, they don't have dessert for us in this set menu. so we asked for the dessert menu so we can have a look. actually I did notice the panna cotta they serve from the table next to us, it's looks good, but we were all too full to have anything else. one thing we notice, is that when they serve one of the fish dishes, the waitress will actually bring the blow-torch to the table to char the fish? that's really a new take on table side cooking for you. overall, waitress are great, they did great in a busy time and able to handle the large group of us. the restaurant was quite noisy, in an acceptable way, it's an Izakaya after all. 4/15 read more

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If Toronto's Japango and Joeys had a baby, it would be Hapa Izakaya. The feel of the restaurant is mainstream, with a playlist of classics from Usher and Amerie - yet Japanese, with boisterous and unisonous shoutings of "IRRASHAIMASE!" as you enter. The decor is dark and mysterious, yet warm and inviting. And like mixed kids, effortlessly cool and good looking. If I was Riverside Flowers next door, I would totally have a restaurant crush. The food looks just as beautiful as the decor, but not as great tasting. The lobster motoyaki and halibut tacos stood out as the more unique items on the menu, but did not live up to the potential of their names. The oshizushi and kinoko ishitaki (mushroom rice in a stone bowl) have a tad too much rice to topping ratio. And just when you thought you found a pesce substitute for foie gras, make no mistake...the smoked sea foie gras is not nearly as good as the real thing. The desserts all sound really unique and appetizing. So, like any two responsible and health conscious young ladies...we got them all. Japple pie gyoza - Amazing! The warm cinnamon-appley filling goes nicely with the crispy gyoza shell and cold green tea ice cream Matcha brûlée - The chefs have clearly perfected their blow-torching skills from the aburi sushi. The top is perfectly charred, a great match for the creamy matcha Ichigo chocolate fudge - Don't be fooled by the "ichigo" prefix that makes it sound like a super exotic Japanese chocolate. It is simply chocolate truffle-esque bars with strawberry puree. Not bad, but not unique. Cheesecake souffle - The description reads "lemon" cheesecake, but there were no traces of lemon. Regardless, it is still a cool item as the texture is very different from a regular cheesecake Basically, this place would be a perfect venue for a first date. The fun and seductive atmosphere would immediately impress your date. The price point is modest, but not too much so. The food is good but not amazing, but marginally so that you won't notice over your first date nerves. read more

When you step in a restaurant and you know you are going to hate the experience but you've got a groupon... That is what happened here. First of all, the nightclub loud music made it impossible to enjoy ourselves. The server did not seem to enjoy her work at all. The food was ok at best. And the last straw was the ladies room where the stalls were so small that the doors were unable to open completely. I had to climb on the toilet in order to get it. Awful experience! read more

(3.5 stars) I was excited to try this izakaya from Vancouver and was not disappointed! Even before setting foot in this place I liked it: great location (in Little Italy, steps from the Royal Cinema, and not in the Annex or Dundas/Bay area that is already over-saturated with izakaya/sushi/ramen restaurants) & they take reservations (although we got a table on Saturday night without a reso, but we got the last 2 seats at the bar). It's lively and there's yelling, but you can also have a conversation without losing your voice. Drinks: I had to have the Hello Kitty:) It's a girly and sweet mix of strawberry puree, calpico, vodka, and soda. It was yummy! Food: Highlights for me were the tuna avocado salsa dip (flavourful and fresh, comes with plantain chips which I loved) and Gindara (sablefish, recommended by our server -- very buttery and cooked perfectly). The halibut tacos were pretty tasty too - lots of flavours with the bacon bits, spicy tartar sauce, and veggies. They had some sushi specials and we tried the baja salmon roll. Pretty good! Edamame was okay. They use a kind of marinade instead of the usual salt sprinkled on top. The Kinoko Ishi-Yaki was not too remarkable. A bunch of rice and mushrooms on a hot stone bowl -- not much flavour, kind of like a sad dolsot bibimbap. I would come back to try more of the menu and their cocktails! Prices are reasonable, service was friendly (the bartender even gave us free samples of their strawberry lemonade slushy cocktail), and the ambiance is perfect for a low-key night. read more

Edwin's UYE, I had to come out to my brotha from another motha...even if it is College West..where people wear jeans smaller than your legs, and glasses that have no prescription. The neighbourhood really is the ghetto for me..but secretly I'm becoming more fond of it...Yelp is taking affect on me. I really liked one thing about this event, and that is the ability to meet other Yelper with comfort. It is much better socially than an Elite event actually where everyone has somewhat--even just a bit--superiority complex. If there were such a thing as Yelp Nobodys Event...then it'd be the closest thing to an orgy. I arrived 8 minutes prior to 1800hrs, and has to wait 8 minutes by the parking metre until I can pay it. Then I walked about 78 metres West (which is more West I would have liked to have walked) on College until I saw a woman smiling at me. I looked up, and it says Hapa...I didn't smile back at her and proceeded into the door. I couldn't figure out whi was a Yelper and who was restaurant staff, they were dressed similarily. I took my seat with my Friend Jennifer K, and immediately I recognized the woman sitting across from me Kathy H. I met Tony sitting next to me, and Kathy's Filipino/Scottish boyfriend. I don't know what a Isakaya was, and Jennifer told me it meant a place to drink, which set an expectation for the food. I was trying to figure out what wine to purchase, and my waitress gave me a sample of their most popular pear sake. I screwed my face in disgust after tasting it, and ended up just ordering the chianti. Immediately after the wine came, I remembered that I was driving, so I offered to share it with Jennifer, and drank only below the legal amount stated by the Government of Ontario because I respect the Law and fear the crazy ducks who works for MADD.... 9 course meal took around two hours, which just about left everyone starving for marvin. The portions were obviously meant to be split between two people, but our set up were four per portion. So although we did enjoy each other's company, this was a Wild Wild West scenario over raw fish. Each dish was announced by the waitresses, but it's not like I would have understood it because they were all announcing it in Japanese. At one point, a waitress came with a second serving of taco thinking we have not yet gotten ours, but Jennifer K so honestly confessed to her that we indeed already had our share...which lead to a huge shout fest on how Jennifer was lying and didn't know what she was talking about. We didn't end up getting the extra tacos, but the feeling of honesty was fulfilling enough............... I'll say this, the girls here were pretty well dress to keep the patrons consistantly...hungry. Even the girls who were chefs are cute. Big plus yo. It was a good place to exercise my Louboutons, and pocket bunny. Pocket squares are done, pocket animals FTW. I love that I got a chance to meet a bunch of people I've been meaning to meet, but somehow unable to because of the awkward barier some other event have. Good on Edwin to take the time and effort to organise such events. Shoutout to my pikey hating friend Bobby for taking the photos. I'll come back here for sure...but ordering from a menu next time. read more

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The food itself is quite good. The portions are hit or miss. My favourite was their parmesean fries. The fish tacos were expensive but tasted pretty good. The male server kept reaching over us unnecessarily. Their bathroom smelled like fresh cigarettes. What bothered us the most was that they changed their menu so it was more expensive and we couldn't order what we came here to eat. read more

Absolute worst service EVER, even the food couldn't make up for it - not that it was good to begin with, Let's talk about the food first. Came here for Summerlicious and I ordered the Japanese Arancini, but they were sold out so I settled for the Endive and Gorgonzola salad - it was a pretty average salad, I actually forgot there was any mushroom in it until I saw a piece while eating. For the main I got the Grilled Lamb Chops which came with instant mashed potatoes. Yes. INSTANT mashed potatoes - it stuck together and was gummy, I could lift the whole clump up with my chopsticks (I bet you're wondering WHY I'm eating mashed potatoes with chopsticks, keep reading my friend). The Matcha Creme Brulee was watery and had curds - which happens when the cream is too hot when the egg is incorporated. The service was absolutely horrible. The only way we made it through the dinner was because another waitress, Celina, was attentive to our table, meanwhile our waitress, Yicong, barely gave us any service. She didn't give my friend a water, she didn't give me a fork and knife for my lamb chop (hence why i was using chopsticks), she didn't give us our dessert, she didn't check up on us. she pretty much neglected us the whole dinner. I observed her waiting other nearby tables perfectly fine. Lena was the one who got us a jug of water, brought out our food and got us our dessert (I had to ask for the dessert since Yicong wasn't nearby), while waiting other tables as well. When we finished our dessert, Yicong came to clear our tables and asked "Did you guys already ask someone for the bill?" No, we're asking you because you're our server. If only we had Celina, it would have been just the instant mashed potatoes and watery creme brulee that ruined the night. We, are never, ever, ever, coming back to Hapa. read more

Guys, take a breath and experience probably the best Japanese tapas in Toronto. Sounds like I'm being paid for this post? No. I'm just drunk and super elated with the meal I just ate. Flame roasted Saba fish that melts in your mouth, fried chicken that has a perfect ratio of batter to chicken and then there was the Ishiyaki (which is like a bibimbop but better somehow). Love it. read more

Hapa Toronto - Mmm Saba! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here after looking at the reviews and pictures online. The restaurant is pretty big, they had both indoor and outdoor seating available. The decor and ambience was pretty nice. They had an open kitchen concept where you can see the chefs prepare the food. It was a Saturday night at around 6pm, the restaurant was empty, we were the only ones here. They had about 3-4 kitchen staff, and two waitresses but the service was really slow. The waitresses were just chilling around and talking to each other. We had a difficult time calling for a waiter to place our order. We order: Beef Tataki, Karaage, Chicken Wings, Lobster Pressed sushi (oshizushi), Shrimp Pressed Sushi (Oshizushi), Fire Cracker Pressed Sushi, Kobe Wagyu Pressed Sushi Beef Tataki, average, nothing too special Karaage was crispy but a little bland Chicken Wings, were delicious Lobster Pressed sushi, was one of the main reasons why we chose to eat here as it was something unique that other stores did not offer. We were really excited to try it but it was not good. The sushi was really bland and the lobster is pretty tasteless. There was very little sauce. I would not consider this oshizushi, more like lobster niguri. It was pretty much just plain rice in the shape of a rectangle, topped with lobster. Similar to the lobster, the shrimp oshizushi wasn't good. It didn't have the special flavourful taste that most oshizushi have. Hapa's Oshizushi is not anywhere comparable to JaBistro or Miku. Fire cracker pressed sushi (Oshizushi), it was seared in front of us. Wasn't that good, still very bland if you eat it without soy sauce. We did not finish it. Wagyu Pressed Sushi (Oshizushi) , it was simliar to the rest of the food. Very Bland. Most places top this type of sushi with a sauce but there was non in this case. Must be eaten with soy sauce. It was cool how they torch it in front of you though. However, their portions are bigger than Miku and JaBistro. The order came with 10 pieces whereas, the other places come with 6. Overall, i did not like the place. It was very pricey for bad food and bad service. read more

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Dragon Ball Z and Live DJ.. the environment here on a Saturday was dope. We were a rather large group and they accommodated us pretty well. The lighting was very club like- and the hip hop music made it very easy to chill and have some drinks. The food however-was a little too over priced for tapas. Guu, Nome and other izakaya's seem to have a much larger assortment and variety on the menu for much lower prices. Also the food was decent at best. Nothing to rave about when you spend $10 on 2 taco's. Their drink menu was extensive and had a lot of choices. THey had 4 for $20 cocktail special and the Mr Miyagi drink went down pretty easily. There was a sherbert tasting cocktail called Miss Kitty. $12 is a bit much, but it tasted ok. Sapporo Towers are the best value they have and we ordered quite a few of those. Is this a place I would go to just dine- probably not! With a large group. Was a lot of fun read more

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Visited Hapa Izakaya for the first time last night for a birthday dinner. I knew before going in that their tapa's would be expensive. I found it overpriced for the quantity you get. I started off with their Hello Kitty drink ($12) and he shared a Sapporo tower ($28). I was disappointed in the Hello Kitty drink as it tasted like medicine. We shared the pork belly lettuce wraps ($11), wings ($9), and the sushi bites ($16). The food came out very quickly. The wings were small and were just fried. The sauce that came with the wings made it taste more delicious. For $9 for small wings wasn't worth it. I could get a pound of wings for a larger size for the same approximate price. The pork belly lettuce wraps were decent. The sushi bites didn't actually taste like dynamite as it was described on their menu. I thought the wasabi was a bit overpowering when I ate it. I see Hapa Izakaya as a place more to get drinks and maybe have a few tapa's on the side. If you're hungry I wouldn't recommend going here for a full meal because you'll have to spend a lot. read more

I'm definitely glad I tried Hapa Izakaya! Having moved here from Vancouver, I was ecstatic that they opened in Toronto! I made a reservation for Friday night, and was seated right away when I arrived. The place was already packed by 7:30PM, all the waitresses were busy, but still made time to smile and greet us as we walked to our table. The menu variety is pretty standard in terms of what you'd expect at an Izakaya. We tried almost everything on the menu, just to see how they compare to places to Guu and Don Don. Result: The portions here are smaller, yet pricier. Nevertheless, the quality of food was worth it. The sashimi was really fresh, and not thawed like some other restaurants. The Negitoro (albacore tuna belly) was sooo yummy, we wished the portions were a little bigger. I liked the interior setup, much less crowded than Guu, and you won't be forced to share a table with others sitting on one bench! The Not-So-Impressive: The Harajuku girl cocktail came in a very plain glass, and I barely tasted any alcohol. The karaage was not crispy at all, even though the chicken inside was piping hot. Parking was a pain in the butt - this area is super busy at night (took us around 20 minutes to find parking). read more

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Having been to the Hapa Izakaya on Robson Street in Vancouver, I had very high expectations for their first foray into Toronto. After coming here about a week after their grand opening, I am so happy that Hapa decided to come to Toronto. Atmosphere: Friendly staff and classy interior, yet not pretentious. Great date night place. Two of us spent around $35 each including drinks. We ordered: - Aburi Saba: Seared marinated mackerel sashimi. Awesome presentation on this dish (blowtorched at your table) and the taste was excellent. Very fresh tasting - Halibut Taco: More of a wrap than a taco, but still excellent. Halibut tasted very good and the Jalapeno tartar sauce adds a kick to this - Gindara: Baked sablefish, sake-miso marinade. This was my favourite dish. The sablefish melts in your mouth and the skin was perfectly crispy. This dish instantly brought me back to memories of the amazing seafood in Vancouver. - Polenta Fries: This didn't stand out as much as the others, but was still delicious - Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps: The pork belly was perfectly cooked and it reminded me of peking duck. I love pork belly and this dish reminded me why. Guu comparisons will probably be made, but I don't think it's apples-to-apples. I got a very different vibe from Hapa. Guu feels more casual and playful, while Hapa feels more formal and classy. I love both Guu and Hapa and I think it's refreshing to have an izakaya place in Toronto that doesn't strive to be like Guu. This place is a must-try. read more

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I went on a Friday night to celebrate my birthday with a large group of friends. I love how easy going they were about making a reservation for a big group as it doesn't seem like it's an easy thing to do in the city. I really appreciate the fact that they did not require a minimum spend for the group and splitting bills was done easily. I ordered the Ebi Mayo and Teriyaki Bao Sliders. The Ebi Mayo was delicious, not too spicy and the perfect size. The Teriyaki Bao Sliders however were not quite what I was expecting. There were copious amounts of wasabi on the buns making it not the most pleasurable experience for me as wasabi is not my favourite condiment. Lastly one thing I didn't quite understand was the charge of the cheesecake on my bill. As a nice gesture my friend had mentioned to the waitress that it was my birthday. The waitresses then proceeded to sing happy birthday and approached with a cheesecake lit with a sparkler. While the gesture was nice, I was thrown off guard when I received my bill with an $8 charge for something that not only did I not order, but also something that I could not eat. (The cheesecake had nuts and I am allergic). My friend, assuming that the cheesecake slice would be on the house did not realize until after that I had paid for it. *I would also like to mention that my friend did not specify which dessert or know that they would bring one for me. I would have mentioned something at the time of however I didn't want to inconvenience anyone. I wold just beware if you plan to celebrate there too. Overall I did enjoy the experience I had at Hapa. It was my first time at the restaurant and I would go back again, especially to try the Firecracker Sushi that I heard good things about. read more

Hapa Toronto - Ebi Mayo: beer battered prawn tossed in a spicy mayo - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Go to Guu. This place is like the popular kid's table where all the staffs are super gorgeous. The staff is friendly and the food is alright but the price is slightly steeper than Guu. I've waited I believe over 2 hours before for Guu and I think it's totally worth it. I think I waited for slightly less than an hour here and I can't say it's worth the wait. There's nothing wrong with this restaurant but I wouldn't go back because I prefer the warm, welcoming feeling of Guu more. Perhaps it's unfair to compare this restaurant to Guu but with such similar food, it's difficult not to. However, I do give this restaurant 4 stars since I shouldn't base a restaurant on just their price and atmosphere since their food and service was decent. read more

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I went here to celebrate NYE, pre booked a table ahead of time - highly recommend reservations here especially for special occasions. Some of my friends have already visited Hapa but my first impression of it was that it's a mid twenties to mid thirties crowd restaurant/lounge with very attractive staff. We ordered some food, no complaints at all. They served us everything within a reasonable amount of time considering it was packed! The quick service allowed us to buy more bottles before last call hehe Paula took care of us on NYE. Drop dead gorgeous! Provided us with excellent service and will be the reason for me to visit again. Beautiful, attentive, outgoing and sweet. I can't rave enough about her and you'll understand what I mean when you meet her. They had a DJ there throughout the night. Great option to spend the night especially if you don't feel like clubbing. read more

Came here for summerlicious for. 4:45pm reservation. We had chose to come here after planning to visit another summerlicious restaurant. The resto looks really nice from the outside. The garage door was open which gives that street feel. We arrived to the resto where the resto was empty with customers. Given the time of the day, im sure they were prepping for dinner. We advise we had a reservation for summerlicious but we didn't get the summerlicious menu. Te staff was okay. Not exactly what I expected for a modern Jap resto where I expected a more friendly approach. The staff seemed to be consumed in their own affairs on the dining floor and the waitress didn't feel as warm as they could be. I sense socializing vs attending to your customers even if it's 2 tables. The food was fair. We order the pre-fix and I could say the portions of the main are average. Certainly not the most generous. The sashimi salad was strange. The fish didn't seem fresh and the presentation wasn't what I expected. I also thought the I was tasting soap in the greens. One of the mains was good, the rice bowl. The stone pot really created that twist of good food. The ingredients inside the rice bowl was interesting as I was expecting more veggies. The dessert was okay. The cheesecake was good but a bit too sweet. Ordered a sangria where it was nothing special. Overall, not dying to go back to this location. read more

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Not a bad restaurant but had a different (unexpected) atmosphere. The food is decent for the price and service was quiet good. First, the atmosphere/vibe was different because it was more a bar than restaurant. The front half of the place which was semi full was the bar with most people casually having a drink. The back half of the restaurant was curtained off because it was empty of people (could have seated ~50). We were there for dinner at 8pm on Friday. I don't believe there was another table ordering dinner or much food. So vibe different because it is essentially a bar not restaurant. Unless other evenings people eat there. Second, the food: we ordered a variety of items off the menu to share (lobster Mac and cheese, fries, fried chicken, tuna sashimi, both rolls on the menu, shrimp tempura). Overall, the food was good and decent portions for the price - the rolls were giant. The booze also was decently priced - had a flight of sakes (3 -1oz shots) for $10. Service was very good. The servers were attentive and not pushy. The empty feeling of the restaurant is the main reason for 3 stars. Food is 3.5. Service is 4. A smaller sized place would likely be better for experience. Suggest Hapa for drinks and maybe some food to nibble on. read more

When I came here for Valentine's Day, my date had a crutch in one arm, and flowers in the other. He was struggling to get through the door and when the bartender saw him, he wanted to help him carry the flowers. However, the hostess scolded the bartender, "No! The flowers are for his date! Let him carry it to her!" It worked out and I blushed like a little school girl. The food was great and we had a Sparkling Shiso (yuzu and shiso liqueur with champagne). I had the Baby Got Back BBQ Pork Back Ribs (tender fall off the bones, honey soy marinade with wasabi mashed potatoes). So good. Yummmmm. It was nice. read more

Hapa Toronto - 2014 Valentine's Day menu ^_^ - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hapa in Vancouver has a very good impression on me. Now we try to visit Hapa in Toronto. EBI MAYO has the light fried prawn sitting on a piece of bread that are fresh and with mayo tastes good. SPICY PORK ISHI-YAKI (Rice, minced pork, flower, chives, egg, tomato, lettuce, spicy miso, served in a hot stone bowl) is average. Curry Butter Chicken - It tries to mimic the Indian Butter Chicken, either the taste is not as good and the Naan is nowhere near its original. Although the spice used is Japanese, the taste somehow still is no comparison with the Indian cuisine. The Halibut fish ball with liquid green wasabi tastes ok as the fish ball is not stiff enough and when you bite it, it melts like tofu. There are not that many people at 7pm. The back section is closed and is open for us. Just a few people having drinks in the front. If I ever have to go to Izakaya for any food again, I will definitely go to Guu which is so much better either in food or environment in Toronto (see my review on Guu). In contrast, Hapa is better than Guu in Vancouver. Isn't it funny read more

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This restaurant can be quickly summed up by: 1. Fancy interior, way too loud as if they were trying to be a trendy club. Don't bother trying to talk to your date or friends. 2. $11-$12 "Crab Rolls" had no discernible crab in them with tons of rice and a piece of asparagus (I think) stuck in the middle. 3. 6 Tako Yaki were actually THREE CUT IN HALF! 4. $11 noodle dish was almost as good as a $4 noodle dish from china town. If you love fancy douche places with no substance, high prices, loud music so you can barely talk to your guests, and somewhat sub-standard service, this place is great. Short review? Go to Guu. It's way better. Note: the waitresses were actually very nice and tried to be helpful, but there didn't seem to be enough for everyone and we basically had to wave our hands for 5min just to get our bill... Oh, and had to wait 15min just for a refill of water too. read more

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Came here for a company dinner a while back. Although I found the atmosphere of the restaurant to be very lively and entertaining, I wasn't a huge fan of the food. We had sake and beer given to us to start. The sake was poured in very cute bamboo cups; however, the cups appeared to be continually wet giving me the impression that it was not quite... sanitary? Then, the appetizers came. There was kimchi with seaweed and edamame beans soaked in soy sauce. Both were okay, but I did prefer the edamame beans because I felt the soy sauce gave it an additional depth of flavour. That being said, it was quite salty and I soon found my fingers stained. A variety of small dishes came soon afterwards. There was aburi (torched) sushi with some sort of flying fish eggs - the sushi was mediocre, and fell apart quite easily. The only cool thing was that they fired the top right in front of us. There was a hot stone pot with ground beef and an egg that was all mixed up when it arrived at our table too. Unfortunately, even though we left the bowl alone for a while, it failed to form any sort of rice crisp. There was also fried chicken (didn't taste it, but it looked pretty good). Overall, nothing particularly mind-blowing nor amazing. That being said, when we had our round of sake bombs, the staff definitely left a solid impression and was very effective/successful at creating a great atmosphere/ambiance! read more

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For those who are worried about the tapas-sized plates, here's a $25 Summerlicious meal which leave you satisfied: Appetizer: Spot Prawn Ceviche is beautifully presented in a stemless wineglass. The spot prawn and cucumber avocado salsa are served with wonton chips. You'll probably want to take pictures of this appetizer; it's so pretty. Entree: The Kinoko Ishiyaki would turn many people away because it's a vegetarian dish, but don't be fooled! It's a mixture of enoki, shiitake, and king oyster mushrooms and rice, and it's served in a big hot stone bowl. Flavourful and filling. Dessert: Matcha Crème Brûlée or Japple Pie Gyoza (deep fried gyoza filled with apples and served with ice cream) were both very nice ways to end the meal. Atmosphere: Compared to other izakayas, this one is more sedate; however, on the bright side, you can have a conversation. And although the kitchen staff was listening to Marc Anthony, the rest of us were listening to remixed old-school R&B. A good Japanese addition to Little Italy. read more

Can't say much about this place in terms of a full blown meal. What I can say is my experience was positive. I had only drinks & a tapas. My drink was the Apple Cider WAY too sweet for my taste but that has zero to do with the restaurant. My Tapas was the Teriyaki Bao Sliders. They were delicious!! Very tender meat with a kick from Karashi Mayo...just delicious. I would like to do this over again but with a sit down service. From the food alone this is a 4*. read more

Service is slow, but the servers are very apologetic about this. The decor and ambience is nice. The place is pretty big. You can see the chefs prepare the food in an open concept kitchen. The food: 1. Karaage: $10 - crispy and delicious. Price is on par with other sushi places 2. Lobster sashimi: $17 - I was really excited to have lobster sashimi because i havent seen this offered anywhere else. the most unique thing on the menu, but it wasnt any good. The lobster is pretty tasteless and rubbery even with the sauce provided. Not really worth the price. I would skip this. 3. mackerel sushi: $12 - this was my fave sushi. It was seared on the spot. So soft and flavourful. Order this and you won't be disappointed! 4. Fire cracker sushi - $13 - seared in front of us. It wasn't bad, but didnt stand out. The mackerel is better! 5. Chicken wings: $8 - this was nothing special, but pretty crispy. 6. Apple filled dumplings with white sesame ice cream: $7 - this was my second fave. Very unique. The filling Is in a gyoza. The homemade ice cream was the best. Very flavourful. 7. Peach alcoholic drink - this wasn't good. I can't remember the exact name, but it was bland. Overall, this place is ok. For two people, the price came up to $110. Pretty pricey with food that was only somewhat unique. Granted, i didnt try everything on the menu, but It's a place I would probably only try once because there are other japanese tapas places in the city and this place didnt really stand out for the price i paid. This place has potential, but they need to hire more wait staff and improve or add to some of the menu items. If I went back, I would try the bao sliders. We couldn't get it because my friend doesn't eat beef. This place also seemed to be popular for drinks and snacks. read more

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