Prefix menu. With another Reman. Everything is excellent. However the stone wagyu beef just so so. read more

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Very loud greetings as most Japanese restaurants do :) Service was friendly and efficient We tried some special items of the day: Fried soft shell crab salad, okay one, seasoning of the salad was better than the soft shell crab Hot stone bowl unagi don. Liked it! Perfectly seasoned , hot and delicious. Kingyo style calamari, good Karagaee with magic powder wasn't that magical. Enjoyed the beef tongue on a sizzling stone. Thinly cut and very fresh . The wow was frozen matcha crème brulee. So delicious! Liked it! Was about $50 per person read more

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Can I say my boyfriend and I were pleasantly surprised by the place. 1) Food was so fresh and delicious! The udon and ramen we got were both equally good but I preferred the udon because I like udon better. The sashimi was so fresh and the best we've had in a while (considering we're both from Cali and DC) which is why we ordered the Chefs choice and followed up with the albacore tuna ! The dessert I almost passed up but I'm glad I didn't because it was unique yet stayed true to Asian flavors (Matcha Creme brûlée with red bean sauce). I would highly return when we come back in the future. 2) the restrooms had great amenities. Although, a bit dark was clean and added to the ambiance of the place. 3) the servers all greet you at the door and we're super accommodating to when we wanted to order more things. The girl we had was new but super sweet and asked how we liked our food. It was overall an enjoyable experience! read more

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This place has a great song playlist too. The day we went they were playing 90's RnB. Quality over Quantity. We got the special box...I forget what it's called but it came with nine items in a 3x3 box. Presentation was everything! Can't wait to go back! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This was my first time eating at a Japanese Izakaya restaurant and Kingyo was a great introduction to it. We ordered a bunch of food so here it goes one by one! Drinks: I never really enjoy or drink alcoholic drinks but literally EVERY drink I tried here was amazing and I would order them all again. My favorites were the Yuzu gin tonic and the ice peach but the mango calpico cocktail was great too. 1. Yuzu gin tonic 2. Fresh ginger honey lemon cocktail 3. Mango calpico cocktail 4. Ice peach 5. White wine sangria Food: The presentation was beautiful for every dish, especially for the Stone grilled beef tongue and the Tako wasabi. 1. Bone marrow 2. Grilled salmon and ikura don 3. Chicken karaage w/ magic powder - My favorite! Magic powder....uh yea...totally magic. 4. Stone grilled beef tongue - A fun dish where you can cook the beef tongue on a hot rock. 5. Tako wasabi 6. Stone bowl pork kakuni don - I would order this all for myself next time. 7. 2 color almond tofu - Delish. I am the biggest almond lover and would absolutely also order this for myself next time. Kingyo is large and spacious inside. It was hard to flag down the servers when you needed something but they were friendly when you managed to get them. I'm told Kingyo is a bit more expensive than other izakaya restaurants considering the smaller portions but I can't deny that the quality of food is terrific. read more

A bit pricey, but this place was great for its price. I think considering all the other izakayas out there, this one is at least in the top 3 because the portion sizes are great, they use good ingredients and you can see the care they take when food is prepped and served to you. I had their lunch bento box and their karaage/udon set. Try the hot yuzu lemon tea ( for the non-Alcoholics). They are a tad on the pricey side, but i have never left feeling unsated while i have felt the similar gouge in my wallet for izakayas and still be hungry. Food: 5/5 Price point: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Overall: 4.5/5 read more

Service was great, food was excellent, we had the karaage, edamame and ramen, it was all excellent. The ramen took a little long to come but once it did it was tasty and perfect. read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Tonkotsu ramen - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Loud. Decent dishes, decent drinks, decent desserts. They do special combos and deals quite frequently. Ideal for bigger groups. The decor was one of the things that was memorable about this place. Very retro yet traditional. Nudity all over the men's washroom if you're into that. read more

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Cute little place in the most unexpected neighbourhood. Decor was very well thought out. The retro and vintage design was all very fun. This is my first time here after seeing a myriad of my friends posting lovely photos of the food many months ago. I should have came earlier because I didn't know I was missing this much greatness. This is a slightly more civilized place than Guu. Personally, I don't care for Guu that much. I think I like Kingyo more because this Izakaya can essentially be a family friendly place to dine at. (Less noise and much roomier). Service was impeccable! Foods were all Japanese fusion of some sort. Don't expect to come here looking for traditional Japanese sushi cuisine. It's funky and quirky at times. All in all, I think Kingyo just wanted us to have a little break from the stresses of city life and come in to have a little fun-ness in their humble abode. They seated us at the bar and unexpectedly, I was so glad they did. Normally, I would detest to that idea. But having cute little toy games to play and a large projector screen playing the Japanese version of "Godzilla" in front of me wasn't too shabby at all. Nope! Not one bit. Now onto the food. It was good, but really, they have a complicated menu, where I couldn't remember the names. Heck, when I got there, I opened up yelp and ordered off of the yelper's photos. Dishes were beautifully presented, a little pricey for some, but well worth it because everything was super fresh. I think if I come back for two again here, I'll definitely sit at the bar! Giving this place a perfect 5 because there was absolutely nothing bad to say about it. When we left, the waitress walked us out to the door until we got into our car. Lolz... A little exaggerated, but yes, she opened the door for us, looked out, and waved like crazy with a huge smile saying, "thank you and good bye." How sweet! Haha... read more

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Took the girlfriend here for dinner on a Saturday evening. The environment was lively but wasn't busy. Great energy and the staff are very polite. We ordered the following plates: Salmon Sashimi A Big Kingyo Shortrib Pork TanTan Ramen Hamachi Carpaccio Aburi Toro & Avacado 2 Colors Battera Of all the dishes above, the top choice would go to the Big Kingyo Shortrib. The Shortrib costs $21 but it's worth every dollar. Strong, bold flavours and the meat is so tender. Just thinking about it makes me hungry again. Overall, if you're looking for authentic Japanese cuisine in small plates and portions, this is your place. Food was amazing read more

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Absolutely delicious! I consider this the best Izakaya Japanese food restaurant in Toronto read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Delicious - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Kingyo was one my favor spot to get lunch. However, lunch menu is changed recently. The pork lion cutlet lunch set goes up from $14.80 to $21. And the portion of food is much smaller than before(see the image). Also this time, the cutlet is cool down when they served it which is never happened before. Last thing is NO MORE RICE REFILL!!! Probably it's all because the minimum wage goes up but the food quality like these is not okay to me :( too bad read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Oh, Kingyo. A dinner reservation (a recommended must) ensures my walk across to the wrong side of the Don River to this Cabbagetown izakaya was not a waste. Then I have to contend with the mesmerizing flashy Japanese pinball-esque machines (pachinkos) as decor that I can never figure out how to use quickly enough, even if my life and a free meal depended on it (I'm told you can get $10 off if you win). It's a more dim and classy atmosphere than, say, Guu, and not as noisy. Our service was slow at first but only seemed to pick up as the night got busier. Like other such upscale Japanese eateries in this fine city, you have Japanese waitpersons whose English is a tad better than my mom, but nonetheless make the effort to deliver high friendly service with a bit of quirk that makes going to these places so fun without ever going overseas. Many of their dishes are a fusion take on Japanese food. After getting past the the overwhelming exoticness of their menu options and the fancy platings, I found many of them to be a delight of flavours of all sorts. We went all over the map: tomato kimchi (cherry tomatoes with a bit of heat and umami), tako wasabi (kind of an octopus ceviche with a kick of wasabi), seafood and sea urchin don (hot mixed rice bowl with a light buttery and seafood-slimy taste haunting you), and the frozen matcha crème brûlée (kind of like the green tea ice cream many Japanese restaurants serve for dessert, but done in clever crème brûlée form with that burnt fragile top layer). And whatever else that sounded disgustingly exotic (stingray? stingray!). We were mesmerized by what other diners had, like beef slices grilled live on a hot stone. Watching all that food and the bill add up (to about $50/person), still I was hungry against all odds. I had been eying something in the menu all this time: "Kingyo style Death Chicken." The name sounds as menacing as its accompanying description: "Deep fried chicken tossed in original diablo chili sauce. Do not order if you aren't too good with spicy food!" Even our server seemed shocked with my request. "You sure? I think it's very hot! I can't believe you." Which only piqued my curiosity further. When the HELL'S CHICKEN (as this dish is referred to in the receipt--yes, in all caps) arrived, I braced myself and took a bite. It tasted like your average bar suicide wings-and suicide wings to me taste like nothing extreme. There was sufficient heat and the greasy batter texture of suicide wings, but as hotness is subjective, I have to remind myself that chili novices (and clever marketing names) tend to overexaggerate the level of spiciness of many hot foods. Fellow chiliheads should skip this one. That definitely-not-deathly chicken was the only major disappointment of an otherwise savoury and fun night. The men's room downstairs is stocked with dental floss, mouthwash and other such toiletries so you can freshen up. Keep a cheeky eye out for some dirty magazine covers displayed in a dark corner. {TTC: Winchester Street 到達するためにバスのルート [65] を使用してください. Or just take the 506 to Parliament/Carlton and walk further a couple blocks.} read more

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Came here on a Wednesday night. Restaurant was busy, not full though, but the service was extremely slow. We ordered 5 dishes ( portions are small and tapas style) and it took over an hour for all the food to arrive. We were still hungry afterwards but didn't want to wait any longer for more food. Highlights ( or lowlights in this case): Aburi Saba and Toro sushi:both were a disappointment. The Saba and Toro lacked the flame seared taste that warrants it to be called Aburi style sushi. The Saba tasted almost completed cooked, and the Toro was minced so finely that it had a really mushy texture. Also, there there was so much sauce that it really overpowered the flavour of the fish. Special dinner menu item: i wish i took down the name of the dish that we ordered from their seasonal special menu, as I can't recall what it was called, but need to warn others of this awful dish. It was mainly chopped salmon with scallion and a quail egg yolk that you wrap in seaweed. Their was too much egg yolk in the dish that it tasted really slimy and also bland. We couldn't even finish it although we were starving. The remaining dishes were average and not worth mentioning. The server did give us complimentary ice cream after to apologize for the slow service but it was not enough to compensate for the poor quality of the food. We will not be returning. read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Dish from the seasonal menu. Tastes as appetizing as it looks. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A friend introduced this place to us and we decided to give it a try. TBH, their stone grill thing....definitely a gimmick thing. They cool down so quickly, no matter how fast I cook it, none of the stones managed to cook the whole dish they came with. Having said that, if you have not tried before, it is something to experience. Their meat is definitely high quality, but not THE best...could be in Toronto for the price. I think we prefer their regular dishes. We later return to try their Bento box. This would be the reverse of our sentiment over the stone grill thing. It appears to be gimmicky, but it is definitely not that. Each box is custom to what is fresh and best to serve. You get to experience different spoonful of a festival of taste. While it is not cheap, you get every nickel you spend worth it (can't say "penny" anymore....not as catchy). It's a must try, but they are limited in supply, so if you come here at the end of a lunch serving, you may not be able to order. read more

So flavourful! Especially the unagi don!! It's melted into the don and mixed into the rice at your table for a super buttery taste. Udon was very good too! The octopus appetizer is small but sooooo tasty! read more

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I love this place. The service was excellent. Food is umami, decor was very izakaya. I would go here occasionally, great experience first time. read more

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Simply the BEST Japanese restaurant around. Everything in this restaurant is as good as it gets. Sauces are all home made as most other dishes on the menu. Excellent quality of ingredients. read more

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Of all the sushi restaurants I've tried, Kingyo is definitely one of the top three on my list! It's not your average sushi restaurant where it's all rolls. It's different from what I'm used to seeing in the United States. They serve items such as carpaccio, wagyu, toro, etc. I definitely recommend trying the beef tataki salad, yuzu salmon carpaccio, the toro, and the wagyu if you can get it in time -- they only serve ten orders a day. read more

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Long-ish wait. Was told over the phone that they don't take reservations yet when we arrived at the place the seater asked if we had reservations. Was told It was a 30 min wait from there but we were seated a lot sooner. Staff is very friendly and food was outstanding. We got the salmon carpaccio and loved it so much we got another. Small portions - tapa style but really good quality healthy options. Would definitely return but probably sporadically as its a bit on the pricier side. read more

I have wanted to try this restaurant for years. We got a reso and I noted a Birthday was the occasion. We were greeted by staff with warming smiles and they were immediately attentive. Our drinks were delicious and the food was so authentic. Then hot stone and the sushi! My favourites as that the staff obviously read my notes on the Reservation comment saying it was a birthday and they gave us a little treat! It's these extra moments that make all the difference. read more

This is a very strong contender to be one of the best Izakaya places in Toronto. To start with, the decor is just so fun, somewhat quirky and has a huge dinning room. I really like the video poker machines all around the dinning room and washrooms. There's a very big table to accommodate a large group. As for the food, very happy with what we had. We had Hamachi fillet, squid with wasabi, seared beef with plum dressing and beef tataki. We chose to go with the house sake that was served at the perfect temperature. The service was good and efficient. All the waitresses were very pleasant. read more

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Came here on a Friday after the lunch rush hour so it wasn't too busy, which was great. They close at 3 to prepare for the dinner rush so come early if you want the lunch menu. It isn't as extensive as the dinner menu though. I ordered the tan-tan noodles combo (or something along the lines) which was around $14. It was a reasonable price for what you paid for. Portions are generous if not reasonable and it comes with a side rice dish along with two other small side dishes. The soup flavour is A+ and the noodles are nice and chewy. For dessert I ordered the black sesame gelato which was really good, I must say. I also ordered the frozen matcha creme brûlée which was really good and creamy on its own; personally I liked it better without the red bean saucing. This would be my second time visiting and I'd visit it a lot more if it was closer to UofT campus. One star off for being so far off. It's a good 40 minutes walk from Queen's Park if you're not taking TTC. read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Black sesame gelato. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I was blown away by the quality of the seafood here, and the service is also very friendly and quick! What I ordered: - Hamachi (seared): very fresh and tasty with Japanese dressing. - Fish cheek: slightly crispy and with just the right amount of seasoning. - Bone marrow: rich and flavoured nicely, very indulgent! - Scallops: definitely part of my last meal repertoire...SO fresh and sweet! I could eat plates upon plates of this!!! Prices are pretty reasonable as well for the quality you get! read more

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Okay experience, love that they take reservations. Here are some things we ordered that I can remember: Mushroom stone bowl - delicious and mushroomy! One of our favorite dishes Stone grilled beef - very neat, cook your own beef on a hot rock. Meat was tender and delicately seasoned Oyster & uni shooter - I didn't have a good experience, the uni was pungent and did not taste fresh Best chicken wings? I think not. Pretty plain and disappointing, even worse the chicken wings were under cooked and really bloody. Black cod - delish I do love the frozen grapes they give at the end of the meal. But grapes are cheap... Why not more than one! I hassled my server for extra lol. Overall the food was good but I'm not dying to go back. The bill adds up quite a lot quickly. I'd rather go to Guu. Food wise I would give Kingyo 3.5 but there is no such thing, and I'll also give them points as I received very good service on my visit. read more

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Came for lunch and loved the experience. The food could be a bit better though, so minus one star for that, but I would definitely return. Love the set lunches. The sets come with soup, veggies, and rice. We got the special ($17) and the sashimi ($15.80) so we could try a bit of everything. It worked perfectly since everything came with two pieces. Everything was good, but nothing especially amazing on its own. The sashimi was ok, not the best quality, but passable. A 150ml carafe of sake was $9 and the lunch beer is only $3! A great value and great service! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Special Kingyo set - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here for a friend's birthday dinner. I loved the Mio sake, and God Fish cocktail. Fried chicken was great, so as the other dishes we ordered. I like that Kingyo is not very noisy as other Japanese restaurants, you can actually sit down and have a conversation. Will recommend to friends and come back! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Gold fish on the right, Kingyo mojito on the left. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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After hearing and seeing a ton of photos of kingyo I finally decided to try it out. It is a small, cute little place in cabbage town. The place has a nice vibe, a bit on the noisy side but not extremely loud like guu. The decor with the flashing lights was a little disturbing and very uncomfortable for the eyes. It is a reality expensive place for the food that they serve. The food is not terrible but I don't think some of the items were worth the price. As well, when I went they revised their menu and removed a few things like the bone marrow and sea urchin shooter from the menu which was what I was looking forward to, so that was rather disappointing. The food: The ramen was bland, oily and not very appetizing at all. The fried chicken was nice and crispy, tasted a lot better then I expected. It comes with salt and pepper but it's not necessary. It's good on its own as well. The tuna, prawn and avocado tartar was very disappointing. You can barely taste the seafood and the avocado lacked flavour. The whole dish was rather bland and disappointing. The duck cooked on the hot stone was one of their specials. It was a cool and neat thing to order, def something different. The tuna salad was very tasty and flavourful. I would say the best dish I had there. I def recommend this! Overall, I think this place is a bit pricey for the food that you get and a bit disappointing. Don't go in with high expectations! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Tuna, shrimp & avocado tartar - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here as part of a farewell dinner to send some friends off across the pond. The izakaya atmosphere is relaxed but also fun. There are pachinko machines, samurai swords, and artwork hanging on the wall in the room while bunches of retro and novelty items appear at the bar to entertain if you happen to find yourself there. There are actual pachinko machines places just outside the restrooms to enjoy if you can figure out how to use'em lol. The menu offers a lot of choice for meat and veggie lovers alike and there were a few favourite that I would recommend: Tako Wasabi (raw): I like it better than the cooked version. Get more of the octopus flavour. O'Sho Kaarage: really well executed deep-fried chicken with some sea-salt and pepper Real snow crab pressed sushi: I really enjoyed the crab paste that contained crab brains. Kinchan Chicken Wings: the touch of curry flavour gave it a little bit of heat that was nice. What was slightly a let-down was the Kingyo-stye "death" chicken. The menu warns that "Do not order if you aren't too good with spicy food!" but had less kick than tabasco or siracha in my opinion. It was only saved by the fact that it was $10 pitchers of Sapporo. :) Overall, I would come here again to try more items on the menu like the sushi and sashimi offerings coupled with the stone-grilled beef tongue or kobe beef. read more

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Kingyo is probably my favourite Izakaya place in Toronto. I've been here many times but my last visit was for my husbands birthday and the staff were amazing. I made the reservation online and mentioned that it was my husbands birthday and they went above and beyond by bringing out a matcha creme brûlée while signing happy birthday closer to the end of the meal. We usually get this dessert at the end of our meal, but because it was my husbands birthday, it was complimentary! Anyways, the food and service never disappoints. We ordered many dishes on the menu but our favourite were the stone grilled beef tongue, stone bowl seafood sea urchin don and the sizzling mekabu agedashi tofu. The sashimi is also very fresh, so it's definitely worth ordering also. Overall, the food and service is always consistent in my opinion, so you'll never leave unsatisfied. read more

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I came here for a birthday dinner and man is this a cool place with It's a lively yet intimate setting. The loud Japanese greeting as you're seated helps build the setting of the place. They had Ultraman playing in the background, I mean for people who know what it is how cool is that? The service came quick and the food started coming fast. I strongly recommend the following items: Hamachi Carpaccio: A well balanced fish dish, with a hint of citrus flavour. It delivered an amazing Japanese and south american fusion flavour that you need to try! Beef tongue on hot stone: the thinly sliced tongue is cooked on a hot stone. The thin meat just melts in your mouth flavour with a citrus punch. Watching it cook on the stone was entertaining to watch as well! If you haven't gone here yet, book your reservation and go! read more

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Went there for the $1 oysters. Normally you'll be expecting bad quality ones for such a cheap price, and not much sauce to pick from. But they have four sauces, each one of them is quality made, my personal favorite is their ponzu sauce, can't be found in many places and it tastes like Japanese chips. Their oysters are not the skinny "meat-less" type of oysters, but fatty ones. I'm quite surprised when I see them. Well worth the price paying. Will consider going back again for their oysters for sure. read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I first tried this restaurant in Vancouver and absolutely loved it, and was so happy when they opened their Toronto location a while back. Their sushi is super fresh and tasty and is well worth the price! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Deluxe bento box - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food is great. The sea urchin stone bowl don is a must try! The sea urchin is fresh, mixed with the rice, super creamy and rich. Also try the tako wasabi. Boiled octopus has a spicy kick to it, really delicious. Service is attentive and friendly. our server, didn't catch his name, was really nice, came over numerous times to check up on the table, made some jokes with us. Good dinner, will definitely come back/ read more

I've been to Kingyo quite a few times now for lunch and dinner and I have to say their lunches are much better than dinner. Their portions are decently sized for downtown portions but more importantly delicious! The restaurant is well furnished and has a great atmosphere for hanging out with a group of friends and family. The service staff are all really friendly and it's just a great time here. Highly recommended! My favourite dish from Kingyo is the Fried Pork Cutlet. It's crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It also comes with a bowl of rice, two small appetizers, miso soup and some lettuce. Words cannot really describe how good this is! This lunch costs about $15 and it's worth every little bit. At the end, you'll get a frozen grape as dessert. It's a simple but sweet dessert and helps cleanse your palate at the end of the meal. read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Pork Tonkatsu Cutlet - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Went here before a show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre and here's what we had: Watermelon Kimuchi (3/5) - I think considering the rave reviews I read, this was pretty disappointing. Lacked the acidity I feel is really important in any good kimchi. Wings (4/5) - Great! Tasty but a bit too salty and not particularly special in any way. East Coast Salmon Sashimi (4/5) - Really fresh, came with really good wasabi, but not worth the 12 bucks we paid for the 7 pieces we got. Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi (5/5) - Superb! Definitely get this if available. Beef Tongue (5/5) - So good! Just make sure you don't cook it on the hot stone too long or it'll be tough. Uni and Scallop Rice (2/5) - I'm sorry but I hated this! Cooked uni? No thanks. Toro Pressed Sushi (1/5) - This was the worst dish of the night. The fish was clearly not fresh--it was tough and stringy and I ended up eating less than one piece. Pork Tantan Ramen (4/5) - Good, but once again, way too salty. The noodles were yummy though. Soft Tofu with Mushroom (5/5) - HANDS DOWN the best dish of the night. The skin of the tofu was soooo tasty. All desserts (3.5/5) - We got the pudding, the creme brûlée and the gelato. The pudding and the brûlée were good, but the gelato was so lacklustre. The service was great. Our waters were always full, they were also very attentive and kind. Wish the food was better though. For the three of us, after tax and tip, we paid around $145. read more

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Attentive service! Mouth watering food! Great atmosphere! Everything we ate was beyond our expectations. Think of "Guu" but a level up and not as loud. Started with the torched toro pressed sushi. Very soft and warm rice. Toro was melt in your mouth. Came with six pieces. Was not served with soy sauce. Kajima beef is a must order! Raw pieces of sliced Kobe grade beef served with a hot rock and three delicious sauces. A bit pricier than the beef tongue alternative but so worth the feeling of the fatty Kobe beef dissolving on the tip of your tongue. Ordered the bokkake udon as my main dish and it just beyond any of my expectations. Served with a soft boiled egg, beef cubes, tempura bits, and scallions. You are to mix all the ingredients together then enjoy! The udon was perfectly al dente. All of this drenched in the most delicious yuzu sauce. I finished every last bit! Finished with their 2-layer almond tofu. Comes in a regular and small size but when asked which size would be best, the server insisted that small was just "oooohhh nooo, small is TOO small, nono!" LOL. Needless to say we went with the regular size and had absolutely no regrets. Smoothest almond tofu I've ever had! Dined on a Tuesday evening and there was no wait but most tables were full. Greeted promptly by cheerful staff. Very nice and modern decor. Plenty of seats for couples and a few large party tables (there were a couple of birthday celebrations when we were there). Really loved the pin ball machines on the walls! I will definitely come back! Really eager to try their lunch menu, as the options are different. Can't wait! read more

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Oh man, did I eat A TON here. It was my first time at Kingyo but I kept hearing from friends how great it was. First thing I gotta say is I love the decor of this place. It's classy yet casual and they've got real, operating pachinko machines set into the brick walls of the main dining area as decoration; so cool! Not only that but there are two more downstairs outside of the washrooms that I think you might actually be able to play! Anyway, we ordered a whole bunch of items: tako (octopus) wasabi, stone bowl mushroom tofu, garlic tuna tataki w/ponzu jelly, hotate (scallop) carpaccio, red tuna and black tiger prawn avocado tartar and stone bowl seafood & uni (sea urchin) don, as well as the jewelery box off of their specials menu. The tako wasabi was great. We ordered it raw (you can get it raw, cooked or half&half), and the wasabi has good punch but won't have you on the verge of tears like other tako wasabi I've tried. You can also get unlimited extra nori if you run out. The stone bowl mushroom tofu was one of my favourites. It's cubes of silken tofu coated in a gelatinous rice flour batter of some sort dropped in a sizzling hot stone bowl, garnished with sliced okra. They then pour a enoki & shitake reduction over it. Highly recommend it if you like tofu and/or mushrooms. Make sure you don't let it over-cook in the bowl though, as it will burn and get charred! The garlic tuna tataki was also a dish I thoroughly enjoyed. The presentation is quite lovely with this dish; the ponzu sauce comes in a little bottle so you can pour as little or as much dressing as you like on your tuna. The tuna itself was lightly-seared on the outside and melted in my mouth. I'm a big fan of the ponzu jelly, too. The hotate carpaccio was probably my favourite dish of all. I've never tried raw scallop before, but it was so unique and amazing. The best way I can describe it is that it is mildly sweet and again, just melts in your mouth. They pick a perfect arrangement of flavours and textures in this dish to compliment the scallop. This is a must-order dish! The tartar was also another great dish. You mix it yourself on the plate and it comes with garlic toast to eat it with. Probably the least-challenging flavour-wise out of everything I tried; would be a good intro dish for someone not used to Japanese flavours. My only complaint with this dish is that the toast to tartar ratio is very unbalanced and they do charge extra for more toast. The stone bowl uni don was a really special dish. The uni actually turns the rice orange after being mixed. It is delicious and flavourful, with all kind of goodies mixed in there (shrimp, scallop, kombu). If you like sea urchin, this is a really special dish. Don't miss it! Finally, the jewelry box is a special item. A two tier-box with eight special mystery items for you to sample. The contents vary from day to day. The presentation is lovely. Of all the items our box included, my favourites were the taro balls, kurage (jellyfish), and tuna tartar. I love anything reminiscent of an omakase-like experience, so I'd definitely get this again in the future. I like being surprised! My final verdict is that this place is amazing! I highly prefer it to other izakayas in the city that I've tried. It feels more authentically Japanese somehow, the dishes are more interesting and complex, and above all, it is more affordable! The service and ambience are great and it makes for an exciting dining experience. I can't wait to come back! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - garlic tuna tataki w/ponzu jelly, scallop carpaccio, red tuna & black tiger prawn avocado tartar, and kingyo jewelry box. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is my second time at Kingyo and since the last time I've been here, the menu seems to have changed a lot - for the better! All the dishes were really great, super tasty and lots of different textures and flavours. We ordered the Diced Beef Tenderloin Steak, Yuzu "Ankake" Bokkake Udon, Chefs Special Kingyo Appetizer Bento Box and Aburi Toro & Avocado Torched Sushi. The Diced Steak came on a sizzling hot plate and the waitress poured the sauce over it as they served it, so it sizzled even more. Great quality meat and really tasty with the radish. The Udon came with an assortment of veggies and a poached egg that you mix in with the hot soup. All the flavours combined were fantastic. The Bento Box, as they say on the menu, is a great way to taste a little of everything if it's your first time at Kingyo. Great assortment of little appetizers such as Chicken Karrage, Okra Kimchi, Beef Tataki, Chopped Tuna, etc. Such a great deal for $14.50. It was very cutely presented as well. The Sushi was pretty good as well. Not the best torched sushi I've had, but pretty high up there. Very filling as well! Loved Kingyo, great service, really great food and great atmosphere. Highly recommend to anyone who loves Japanese food! read more

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The portions were really big, which justified the pricier options on the menu. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious, and the noodles were cooked to the perfect amount of chewiness. Would recommend to visit! read more

Kingyo Izakaya - Delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario