It stood out since it was the first restaurant I've been to in Toronto that has a gender neutral bathroom. We got assorted aburi sushi, mentai kimchi udon, oysters kakimayo, hoji-cha brulee, and neko demashi. Everything was delicious but the aburi sushi fell apart immediately because the rice wasn't sticky enough. I didn't like the oysters that much but my wife enjoyed it nevertheless. I think we just have a difference of preferences. read more

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Meeting in Toronto as a family of 11 to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday, Kinka Izakaya Original is one of the only better rated restaurants near the downtown hotels that can accommodate larger groups without making them order an expensive pre fixe meal. Here's our experience going on a Friday evening in July at 6:15pm. 1) Food: The menu is large with an option to order à la carte or get a three-course meal for 35 Canadian dollars. I ordered the udon carbonara. It was tasty, but a little too heavy on the bacon. (If you visit D.C., Perry's has an excellent one.) 2) Drinks: The menu has it all, but focuses on sake. They have sake sangria, which was refreshing, sake bombs, and flavored sake. They also have mocktails for the kids that come in a cat cup. 3) Service: Our server was amazing! He took photos of us using a Polaroid camera, sang to my dad when he brought out free dessert, and gave us his full attention and energy. read more

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My friend has been here before and has really liked it. Not too busy so we got seats pretty easily. The atmosphere nice and the service is good. We got a bunch of dishes to share and overall liked most things but some things (like the oyster) unfortunately didn't hit as well. Wagyu - thin slices but very tender and very flavorful with the cheese - surprised by how well the flavor combo worked out. Tofu - easily one of my fave agedashi tofu. Huge tofu slices with very chewy outer texture, a bit gelatinous . Really went well with the sauce and toppings Carbonara - nice chewy texture to the udon, not too soft and not too firm. The sauce was nice and creamy. Not as truffley as I thought it would be, wish it was a little more but it was still pretty good Oyster - least favorite of all the dishes we got today. It was a bit sour and the cheese felt like it didn't really help the flavor profile of the oysters. It was super oily from the cheese, felt like it was drowning in cheese/oil flavor Cod - it looks good but something is lacking, maybe in taste? Feel like maybe the marinade did not penetrate enough. The texture is still nice and soft , with a crisp skin . Also was a bit too oily for our liking, compared to other miso cod we have had. It was also a relatively smaller piece of cod. Overall, the appetizers were really good! The oyster and cod were a bit disappointing. Would come back for the carbonara and the other appetizers mentioned though! read more

Really cute, speakeasy vibe. Very attentive helpful staff. It was very tasty and VERY unique. The abori sushi is torched just a bit, giving the unique taste, and temperature. We had the udon beef which was amazing. And a bbq eel which was delish. Salmon tataki was also good with a tangy sauce and garlic chips. Good place. Hopping with young people at happy hour. read more

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The inside is so cute. The service was sooooo amazing. The servers were so happy and attentive. My family and I left happy. Food and drinks were delicious read more

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Great ambiance with music and a busy restaurant. The service was fast and friendly. We went for their happy hour and loved the food and drink options! The only thing is I found the fried foods to be quite oily- would recommend it to be better drained/dried off before serving. The seven samurai isn't on happy hour but it's a fun way to taste different shots! And of course we did the obligatory sake bombs - super fun and interactive and they take a polaroid of you as well! If you're introverted or don't like a lot of attention I would avoid this - lol! I personally loved it. read more

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we came for happy hour and got truffle fries, two orders of their sushi special, takoyaki, and kimchi mentai udon! i actually despise anything truffle but these fries were pretty mild and tolerable! i enjoyed them~ we were surprised that the sushi was seared (not my cup of tea) but it tasted great! the salmon one was my fav. takoyaki was like any other, never disappoints! for dessert, we got the hojicha crème brûlée and the kurogoma ice cream. omg they were both so amazing. obv my favorite was the black sesame ice cream. it was FILLED with a STRONG black sesame flavor, something super rare to find nowadays!! i loved it sm service was great! attentive and accommodating! the inside is pretty large! lighting is dim so that has to mean it's a little upscale ;) read more

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Kinka Izakaya is like the Milestones of Japanese izakayas--middle of the road, predictable menu, nothing special. But it's good enough. read more

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What stood out to me the most was the service. Everyone was patient, professional, and genuinely kind, which made the meal feel even more enjoyable. The food was also very good, and the overall experience was smooth and pleasant. Definitely a place worth recommending. read more

I brought a former colleague here for dinner and we both loved the food. She's a bit older and she doesn't normally eat Japanese food but immediately asked me to find her a good Japanese restaurant near where she lives. The sashimi was on point as was the spicy salmon tartare (not pictured). The sushi rolls and the tempura were very good. The only reason I've left out a star is because the service was a little slow and the music was quite loud. Someone sat beside us at least 5 minutes after we came and they were served first. Even still, I'd come back. Next time I want to try one of the bowls. read more

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Early dinner date!!! Yum yum. It wasn't too busy. It got busier when we were wrapping up! Staff was lovely and the food was delicious! I completely forgot I was here in the past! But it's always nice to return read more

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Amazing food,especially loved the Japanese chicken and Tokyo fries.They were able to seat us right away without reservations,even though they were very busy. read more

I love Kinka Izakaya! Hubby and I had been to the Montreal location before so when we were visiting Toronto for the weekend, and I saw they had a location there, I made us a reservation. Our resso was for 8 pm on a Saturday night and it was packed. Looks like a popular spot for bachelorette parties because we saw a few there. We ordered the oyster kakimayo, sashimi platter, carbonara udon, and curry cheese bibimbap. The oyster kakimayo is a fave. We ordered this in Montreal and I liked it there too. It's cheesy and garlicky - what's not to love? The sashimi was good too but pretty standard. My favorite piece was the ebi. The udon was great. It comes with a perfectly poached egg that you mix in with the noodles. Bibimbap was fine - nothing special. It probably could have used more cheese but I don't think it's something you couldn't make at home with those Japanese curry blocks. I wish they had a location in NYC. The prices are also very reasonable for an izakaya so you get a good bang for your buck. Guess I'll just have to visit again the next time I'm in Canada. read more

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We came here on a Wednesday night since we were hoping to visit an izakaya here and overall the food was pretty good, it was just that they were severely understaffed everything took pretty long. While the food tasted decently good and we left satisfied, the food took a long time to come out for all the tables that surrounded our table too. We saw the waiters running around so much we felt bad for them since we could see they were severely understaffed. Has the potential to be more of a weekend night out tapas and drinks spot vibes, but only if they become better staffed and get food out quicker. One thing I wish is that there are pictures of food on the menu since there are so many options since you're sharing this tapas-style meal with people. What we ordered: - Tokyo Fries - Tokyo Calamari - Takoyaki - Okonomiyaki - JFC aka Karaage - Mentai Kimchi Udon - Yellowtail Sashimi - Green Tea Creme Brulee read more

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The food was all either too bland or the only real flavor was the salt. One of the only times that looking at reviews led me to the wrong path was coming here. I had very high hopes for it. The fried chicken seems to be everyone's favorite and I agree it had amazing texture and flavor, the dipping sauce could be improved. 4 stars. The oysters covered in mayo sauce "kaikimayo" were decent, very creamy and had a decent flavor. The fried chicken and the oysters covered in mayo sauce were the only 4 star items here in my opinion. The Tokyo fries were not terrible but they were just more salt heavy than other flavors it had. It had a nice presentation and when I saw it I felt like I was in for a treat but then as I ate a few bites I realized how salty it was and that really most of what I was tasting was salt. I say this was a 3 star dish. The salad was pretty good but the center piece should have been the tofu, why did they serve raw soggy tofu I'll never know, it was gross like gelatin, but this salad had so much potential, the dressing was flavorful and I loved it, but the tofu was supposed to be the main part, the meat substitute basically, and all they had to do was sear it so the texture was firm or fry it a bit or something. 3 stars on the salad. The miso soup was extremely salty more than usual for a miso soup. 1 star The octopus balls had so much potential too, the filling inside the balls were yummy and had 5 star potential but then they didn't cook the octopus well so it was so chewy it wasn't edible and I had to spit it out. 2.5 stars The rest of the food was also a bit un-noteworthy. Not worth mentioning. The server was friendly , and everyone greeted you nicely. I enjoyed the vibe of the people there. read more

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Food was phenomenal, fresh and honestly worth the à la carte. Service was also good and the environment is nice for a date night

Great spot especially on a winter stormy night. They were surprisingly busy for a night like it but I shouldn't because it was the place to be! My ramen was perfectly delicious and the fries were amazing! My husband had karaage and fried octopus balls that he thoroughly enjoyed! The ambiance was trendy and the space was clean! read more

KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL - Smoked pork ramen - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Kinka Izakaya was so much fun for a date night. We got tons of small dishes. We got the beef carpaccio, tuna tartare, veggie gyoza and beef udon. Everything was so good!! Reminded me of dishes in Japan and we sat outside. It was a perfect summer night! read more

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KINKA IZAKAYA IS INCREDIBLE! A small restaurant with close-sitting tables and a nice covered outdoor space. This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants I've ever been to. The sake is delicious! We went on a Thursday and they had a $3 Sake Bomb special. We arent a fan of Sake bombs, but whenever a group would order, the entire restaurant would chant for them. A super fun environment! The food- I would rate it 100 stars if I could. We got a few things to start: - Wasabi Octopus- this is the most painful and most delicious thing I've ever tasted. The wasabi would kick you butt and then disappear in seconds. I felt it in my nose and my toes. - Baked Oyster - I hate mushrooms, but this was so well seasoned and the flavors worked so well. A mix of creamy, savory and delicious - Calamari - Cooked so well and hand breaded. The flavors were a little spicy but also creamy. The crunchy chips on the bottom also give a nice texture. Then came the main courses! My husband ordered udon that was more of a traditional broth udon dish with beef. The broth and beef were so flavorful! It was way more complex than some of the more simple udon-broth dishes you usually get. I ordered the Carbonara Udon. AH-MYZING! The egg was so lightly poached and mixed perfectly with the sauce. Simple in ingredients but perfectly crafted. We were visiting, but I could tell that this was a place that locals also come as well. It was pretty full when we got there, but they were able to seat us quickly. Get a reservation if you can. If you get a chance, this is a place to try! read more

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Kinka Izakaya has an unassuming entrance to a dark interior, just trust Google Maps, it's truly just that one door. Inside reveals a hall of high ceilings with dark academia esthetics for an intimate atmosphere. Tables are best for 2-4, but there are long tables for large groups. There is also plenty of bar seating, it is recommended to place a reservation of busy nights, but we were ok walking in and getting a seat for two right away. We loved it for the intimate atmosphere and good quality menu items. Looking to go again with a larger group. The service was great and the staff knowledgeable/helpful. There was flexibility with regards to menu items and alternatives as some items were sold out. Many items are season! Get it while you can. As an izakaya, about 2-3 main orders with 1-2 sides was plenty for two. There wasn't many "filler" items on the menu as all were high quality meats/fish and even the udon was well balanced. Order: - Garlic karaage, was very juicy and the sauce was great, the sauce was a good compliment - miso black cod, was a 3/4 palm sized piece of fish, not too many bones and very tender - carbonara udon, was a filling menu item that helped to pad out the meal - salmon oshizushi, was light and not overly seasoned, the salmon really came through and the rice was fluffy and not packed read more

Ordered: Truffle Ponzu Beef Carpaccio (~CAD$15): truffle ponzu vinaigrette, tomato, dill, crispy shallots, and parmesan Sizzling Beef Ribs (~CAD$16): with onions, mushrooms, and scallion sauce DIY Temaki Hand Roll (~CAD$21): daily fish + seasonal vegetables, served with nori sheets Stir-Fried Beef Udon (~CAD$17): with mushrooms and green onions Matcha Cheesecake (~CAD$6): green tea cheesecake with whipped cream Aya's take: Kinka Izakaya is serving up some phenomenal Japanese food! Some of these dishes are typical while some are fusion dishes. All 3 of the beef dishes were wildly different yet done so well! The Truffle Ponzu Beef Carpaccio was beautifully made and something about the Stir-Fried Beef Udon was so comforting. I loved the DIY Temaki Hand Roll experience. The seafood was fresh but we needed way more nori sheets than what they gave us. Finally, the Matcha Cheesecake was light, soft, and creamy. It was a great way to end the meal. I highly recommend making a reservation as they do get busy during dinner. Street parking was also pretty easy to find. read more

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Great place for a middle size gathering with friends but I don't recommend going there with a big group as it does get loud (their unique sake bomb & bday celebration chants) and you have to shout at each other The food is good, but the daily special yuzu miso salmon was a bit fishy and you can barely taste the yuzu flavour but rather just a salty baked salmon dish which kind of disappointing I also got the Nanban chicken, it's definitely the best I've had, My friends got their curry rice bowl which was really good Service wise the waitress was quite tentative, but when it gets busy and loud the service gets slower read more

KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Expected this place to be packed on a Sunday night based on other reviews stating that this was a popular college spot since it's right next to campus, but it was pretty quiet in there! Their servers were so attentive and kind, and almost EVERYTHING we ordered was a hit! Only thing we would pass on is the spicy tuna tartare, but otherwise I highly recommend the beef carpaccio, torched salmon nigiri, my friends loved the scallop sashimi, and the carbonara udon was so good! We ordered a ton of drinks too and the vibe was a little odd because they were just playing top 50/TikTok songs so it would go from slow sad songs to hip hop but I didn't mind much LOL my friends and I ranked this in one of our top eats in Toronto during our visit, and it's well worth the great reviews :) read more

KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My first ramen experience being a vegetarian and I must say I love the simplicity of the flavours. Being sesame allergic the staff took good care of the specific request. The Momo dumplings were delicious and the dip was very flavorful. Beautiful little place in the beautiful church street neighborhood read more

I made the reservation through Yelp. Wow love the ambiance and decor here. When I first walked in, I was greeted loudly by the servers here. What surprised me was when someone orders a Sake Bomb, the servers and all staffs would go to the table and do the Sake Bomb ritual. That was pretty cool to watch. I came here with a friend that I used to work in the same company at long time ago. We ordered a few things to share. All the dishes that came did not disappoint. We got: Salmon Oshizushi BBQ Eel Bibimbap Sizzling Beef Ribs JFK A.K.A Karaange (original garlic mayo flavored) Out of the 4 items that we got the Salmon Oshizushi was my favorite. Prices here are reasonable. The BBQ Eel bibimbap was ok. I have had better ones in the past. The sizzling beef rib was very tasty. Portion size was a good size. I wish it had a bit more flavor. It came with a sauce. The sauce had a very subtle flavor. The Karaange was made to perfection. The chicken inside was moist. Overall, I really enjoyed dining here. I highly recommend this place. I am sure I will be back again. They have more than one locations in Toronto. I believe this is their first location and hence its called KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL. read more

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Pretty good restaurant. Basic service. Good quality food. Nice people and the service was quick and efficient. Would definitely return!!

Kinka provides a fantastic ambiance, that feels classy and cozy. The servers are excellent, however this spot gets incredibly busy! Get a reso if you can. We had the kinka ramen, karaage, fries and spicy tuna tartare. The hits for me were the ramen, which had a flavourful fish broth and the tokyo fries! The karaage was crispy but I felt lacked a bit of flavour, could've used a bit more of the sauce. The spicy tuna tartare was good, but I think I would've enjoyed it without the avocado more (this is purely a personal preference). This is a good spot to share, so definitely come with some open minded people and enjoy the various offerings! read more

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Today was our first day in Toronto (ever), and Kinka was conveniently only a block away, with strong reviews. We loved it! Solid five stars! FOOD: A+. Excellent, new tastes. Such balance. The Salmon Tataki is like nothing I've ever had; it's like sashimi but with a sublime sauce and fried garlic... wow. The stone bowls were also delicious, and it occurred to me later that as tempting as it is to scrape it all off the sides of the hot stone bowl when you get it, it's good to leave a layer down there next to the stone to develop a crispy crunchy layer... especially if you get the one with cheese. Made me feel connected to the eating delight of Japanese over the centuries. PRICE: A. Cocktail + dessert + appetizer + 2 stone bowls + tax + tip = $82 Canadian which is only $62 US. Yes, I'm used to San Francisco prices, but this was more than reasonable. ATMOSPHERE: A-. The University of Toronto is right nearby, so there's tons of university students there, even on a Wednesday night. They do a good job of creating a festive atmosphere (singing happy birthday or giving your group a cheer before you down your sake bombs) yet it's not too noisy when those things aren't happening. Tables are packed pretty tightly to get the most seating in. Probably not the safest setup if you're concerned about COVID. Eat at the bar instead. BONUS! The bathroom has mouthwash! It's in an olive oil bottle and you pour it into single use cups, so it's all clean, but what a great idea! Who doesn't like going back to their dates with clean breath? Why doesn't every restaurant do this? Way to go, Kinka! You're doing everything right! read more

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The original Kinka Izakaya location lives up to its name with excellent quality and service for all customers! You definitely get the Izakaya vibe upon entering with the friendly greeting from the wait staff to the cooks! Lots of classic options to pick from ranging from the Chicken Karaage, Tokyo Fries, Octopus, Tuna Tataki to even the mains with the Pork Tonkatsu Teppan Curry! You can't also leave Kinka Izakaya without doing a Saké Bomb which gets the whole restaurant involved and excited for! Like all their locations, Kinka Izakaya continues to impress! read more

KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL - Pork Tonkatsu Teppan Curry - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Wanted to try this place because of the great reviews! The food was good but it's loud inside the restaurant. We ordered: Baked oysters - good! Salmon bibimbap - delicious!! Potato supreme - served cold! Karaage - fatty but the garlic mayo was outstanding! Prawn tempura - hubby's favorite Truffle carbonara udon - ok Hot green tea - hit the spot! Iced oolong Lychee juice Service was good and empty plates were quickly cleared. Overall the meal was enjoyable but not exceptional. read more

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The atmosphere is great and trendy. The staff are energetic and friendly. Food and drinks are good. Making reservation online was a seamless process, and our table was readily available upon our arrival. We had an enjoyable dining experience. read more

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Kinza has an extremely vibrant atmosphere. The service was great and attentive. Food was exceptional! read more

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We really enjoyed the food here! I ordered the truffle fries and shrimp appetizer which was huge. I didn't expect them bring out giant shrimp which we did not finish. The restaurant is very unique and cozy. The ambiance was perfect since we arrived before the restaurant filled with customers. The waitstaff were kind and friendly! Our food arrived in a timely manner. We really enjoyed everything we ordered and it was perfectly portioned. read more

- sale flight was good with different flavors - Tokyo calamari was alright, nothing special - Kinoko cheese rice bowl was bomb! Love it and you can't find it elsewhere - service is above average - outdoor seating was quiet but table is too small read more

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I came here on Sat night and the restaurant was pretty busy. There was indoor or outdoor seating option. We picked indoors where the music was fairly loud and there was lots of loud convos/chatting: - Tokyo Calamari 3.5/5: I liked the crispiness of the breading on the Calamari and the fried noodle crisps but I was overwhelmed by the amount of sweet and sour sauce which I thought should have been served on the side - Seaweed & Tofu Salad 4/5: This salad was comprised of seaweed, radish, salad leaves and Tofu and was paired with a tasty dressing - Sizzling Stone Rice Bowl (BBQ Eel) 4/5: The rice bowl came with an uncooked egg which was stirred into the dish by the waiter. Overall it tasted good - Rapini 2.5/5: Stir fried rapini with garlic tasted good but low effort dish - Beef Short Ribs 2.5/5: Very plain and a bit dry and even with a side of lemon and oil provided, could have used more sauce to cover the gamey taste of meat Good service I would come back again to try other dishes on the menu when I'm in the area. read more

We stopped by on a Monday night after shopping at the Yonge-Dundas Mall. Even around 8:00pm, the restaurant had a line forming, so we had to wait about ten minutes before we got a seat on the patio. I would recommend making a reservation. Once we got seated we ordered a few drinks and the following plates to share for three people: Matcha Negroni Highball ($14) - light and crisp drink for a summer night, Toki Manhattan Highball ($16) - sweeter drink with bitters, more of the typical taste for a Manhattan Grapefruit Chu-Hi ($12) - almost tasted like a very light grapefruit lacroix Truffle Ponzu Beef Carpaccio ($15) - solid dish 4/5 with fresh baby tomato, heavy on the ponzu and truffle Wasabi Octopus ($6) - a nice kick and super fresh, a favorite for the table if you like fresh wasabi 5/5 JFC Aka Karaage ($12) - we got the one with Mayo, maybe we should've opted for a different flavor. It was a classic take on Karaage, but I'd prefer a Korean fried chicken any day 3/5 Duck and Spinah Udon ($16) - this is an amazing broth and dish; this was my favorite of the night. This has a smoked flavor and the duck tasted like a smoke ham. Noodles were chewy in texture. Perfect! 5/5 for the broth and noodle lovers Salmon Oshuzushi ($16) - this was tied for first for the best dishes of the night. Super fresh salmon with awesome flavor profile. I usually don't like smoked salmon, but the blow-torch was a nice touch. 5/5 Overall, we REALLY enjoyed our visit to Kinka. Aside from the tacos at Seven Lives Tacos at Kensington, this was our favorite restaurant in Toronto so far. Highly recommend going with a few friends and enjoying the drinks and food! read more

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Sat inside and the restaurant had an energy to it. From the sound of groups of people talking by at the tables to the loud greetings from the staff. I ordered miso soup to start, which was much more flavorful and hearty then what I'm accustomed to at other Japanese restaurants. The salmon tataki was super fresh and had a nice seasoning/sauce to accompany it. The noodle were filling and delicious. Overall a nice experience and glad we tried this original location read more

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It's a very popular restaurant. I knew it even before I came to Canada. However, the foods are really so-so. Nothing really delicious according to their high prices. Besides, it's called itself izakaya, but I didn't see any skewers on their menu. What a shame. The only things impressed me were the booking system was very easy to use and the staffs were pretty nice. I think the owner put too much efforts on marketing, branding, decoration, etc., but haven't improved their culinary skills. I won't go there for the second time. read more

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Came here recently with some friends and had a great time! Located right by TMU, it was easy to get to and had lovely vibes. The service was great and attentive. They had a happy hour for $20 pitchers and the drinks were great. We got a large selection of tapas to share, with the tuna tataki being my fav. The carbonara udon blew me away though, and I will definitely be back to have it again! read more

+.5 for service This is the original Kinka, way before Izakaya restaurants became cool in the GTA. I went with a few friends in my September visit to Toronto. Kinda sad it took till now for me to finally try this place, as I've tried most of the other Kinka branches in the GTA already...however it was always busy for the longest time and I didn't feel like waiting 90 minutes for a table. I wasn't too hungry that night so I only had a salmon oshizushi. It's decent, but considering the hype behind this place I may have expected more. It could also be because the izakaya game has stepped up a lot in recent years, and this place is starting to lag behind a bit. Perhaps I needed to try more items to get a better sense of what the strengths are for this Kinka branch. I can see myself returning as I have a couple friends who work nearby and this is a popular meetup spot by them. read more

KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL - Salmon Oshizushi - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario