The experience here is what shone at this one man shop. After visiting a haunted house, Martino Manor some friends and I decided to look for a place with small bites to fulfill our peckishness--standing in the cold for over an hour really encouraged hunger After looking on google we settled on heading to Nobuya and to our surprise it was a very cute shop. Known for their ramen (which we did not have as we had dinner previously, but we will definitely come back to try). Instead we feasted on small plates, Japanese poutine (which was not small but shareable), karage, matcha cheesecake and yatsuhashi. We got there after 9pm, at the time only one other table was occupied but it is only a 4 table shop so it is very quaint and personable. The Leafs game was on, a few Toronto team sports memorabilia donned the wall by the TV, a soccer jersey hung which gave it a bit more character ... I love the idea of being able to watch sports and snack on yummy delicious snacks. It is a great place to hang out and chat with friends, maybe even a date The dishes were great. We were happy, warm and full! On top of it all the chef had comr over to chat with us too, he introduced us to the yatsuhashi and we learned he has beem operating for 8 years. The name, Nobuya stands for his name and 'ya' means store. We cant wait to go back and try the ramen! read more

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Worst service restaurant I've ever experienced! The food is bad and the owner is the only staff so you'll wait 2 hours for your dish(es). He is one greedy bastard. The owner is a bully and pushes everyone to post 5 star reviews for discounts and waits for you to do it while you're at the premises. He is very beligerant and annoying. DO NOT EAT HERE! He should be SHUT down immediately! All his reviews over 2-stars are fake! DINER BEWARE!!!!!! Total clown. read more

TLDR : Not worth the (ridiculously long) wait I really went back and forth on whether to leave a review for this place. I don't like to chime in with negative comments but I lay in bed that evening, staring into the darkness trying to understand the experience I just had. If you're to believe the Google reviews, you're going to have the best bowl of ramen in your life. Unfortunately, you are not, and you're going to have waited 2 hours for it. I think the owner has cultivated this "worth the wait" setup as a clever marketing strategy, or maybe, just as clever, a system to minimize creating a frantic and stressful kitchen environment. I applaud the latter. We entered at 6:00 PM and received our appetizer at 7:29. Our ramen arrived at 8:05. As for the ramen itself, it was okay. Fried chicken in the broth was an odd choice. The pork was not good, dry and flavourless. After he served each table he thanked people for their patience and continued to mentioned the 2 hour wait time, almost with a badge of honour. Most of the wait was him chatting with patrons. All of the appetizers are fried, and after that he seemed to be assembly ramen bowls from prepared ingredients (the microwave was going nonstop deep into kitchen...) - nothing which should take 2 hours. "Worth the wait" is written all over the walls, perhaps it's the official slogan of Nobuya, but worth the wait it is not. read more

Nobuya - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

We'd been hearing about this one-man show for quite a while, so when the opportunity arose to travel deep into the bowels of Etobicoke, we naturally jumped at the chance. We arrived shortly before the joint opened on a recent Friday night and were the first ones through the door. I did find it amusing that there's a sign right there in the entrance warning you of a possible two or three hour wait. (As it turned out, we were in and out in about an hour or so.) We decided to start with the Karaage, which was tasty but nothing mind-blowing. The flavors were good, but the dish wasn't crispy at all and the chicken itself was a tad on the dry side. For my main, I decided to try the Tokyo Style Ramen. I've eaten a lot of ramen in the last few years and I'll admit this was something entirely different. The various components were familiar, but the broth was unlike anything I've had before. It almost reminded me of the broth in French Onion Soup in terms of taste and consistency. It's very good. The other elements didn't fare quite so well, unfortunately. The meat inside the soup had a gamy, leftover-like taste, while the noodles were astonishingly overcooked. These might've been the soggiest noodles I've ever eaten! I actually wound up eating less than half, which is something I never, ever do. If we had waited two hours for this ramen, this would be a very different review. (I also want to note that this place isn't cheap; for two bowls of ramen, the karaage, and two bottles of water, we paid $67!) But for the experience, I can definitely say Nobuya is worth the trip. (I just can't see myself ever going back.) read more

Came here after Halloween trick or treating with the kids. I've wanted to check it this restaurant for quite a while now and they happened to be open. FYI, this restaurant has erratic hours, as if the owner opens when they want instead of set days and times lol. So I ordered Chicken Don, Chicken Karaage, and 2x Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen to-go as I live 2 blocks away. I understand that dining in is the best but I had kids waiting at home and this restaurant is not exactly a "family restaurant". The total bill came to a whopping $73.xx. I was taken by surprise, but at 8pm I didn't want to seek another establishment. You should know that the wait for the food took quite a long time. They do offer WiFi while you wait. The food when it finally arrived smelled great. The chicken karaage was made really well and it's perhaps the only item I may consider ever ordering if I ever went back. The chicken don (rice) was mediocre. The soup for the Tonkotsu Shoyu ramen was super fatty and very salty. Totally undrinkable! Looking at prior photos, it seems the price went up as well (used to be $14). Still I would look elsewhere for my ramen fix at that price. To be honest, there are not many Japanese establishments in the Mimico area and perhaps this is the only reason this place may stay in business. Nobuya would not be open long if it faced much tougher competition in the downtown core. I will add that when I came into the restaurant, the owner did not clear up the tables from prior patrons, so there were dirty plates left on the tables (I'd say 3 tables) that were not cleared and dirty dishes and ramen bowls with leftover broth and food. Pretty gross. I've been to Japan, and this is not the "taste of Japan" nor was it "worth the wait". Sorry. *update: got sick the following day after drinking the fatty soup. It was so pricey I decided to drink it all. read more

This is a little neighborhood gem. Not many people know about it. It is authentic Japanese ramen. The broth is so delicious. We got spicy mist ramen, chicken karage and gyoza read more

Nobuya - Spicy miso ramen - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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My wife and I tried this place after reading yelp and google reviews and least to say this is now one of my favourite places to have ramen in Toronto l. The owner, Nobuya, is very friendly. We enjoyed hearing of Japan and all the authentic methods used in making the delicious food he serves at the restaurant. It is definitely your "mom and pop" style restaurant. So you already know that the food is made and served with love and held to a high standard of detail. Excellent in my opinion. We ordered the Karagee which was absolutely delicious. Pictures don't do justice. As we, we ordered the Tonkatsu and Spicy Miso ramen, both delicious and would be recommended. If you're still reading, STOP! do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and go so Nobuya for an authentic taste of Japanese Ramen, oh and don't forget to get one of the Ramune drinks which come in different flavors. Great Authentic Japanese cuisine experience. Arigato Nobuyasan!!! we will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

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Very friendly atmosphere. Its a one man show but the gentlemen is very friendly and really cares about giving you an honest wait time. We were quoted about an hour to receive food which was pretty accurate. We got two bowls of ramen (Shio/Spicy Miso) and gyoza. The ramen was rich in flavour and had a lot of pieces of tender pork. The gyoza was crispy on the bottom and the filling was flavoured slightly with onion. Highly recommended if you are looking for a cozy date spot or a place to catch up with friends. You'll have a lot of time to chat and connect :) read more

Nobuya - Shio Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

I saw many of the reviews for this place after, when I was waiting. I must say that there are many positives, the gentleman who owns the place is extremely nice, very welcoming and friendly, the place is small but cozy, it works. The gentleman was very honest, he said the wait would be long, but that the food would be good, he pointed to some other patrons and said they've been waiting around 2 hours, I thought it was a figure of speech, it wasn't. We didn't have to wait that long but all in all we were there close to two hours from the time we arrived to the time we left. Our food took about an hour and 15 minutes to arrive. I would say it's unacceptable but, he did say it would take long and we chose to stay. We ordered 2 Ramen, 2 Danbouri, Gyoza and Tokoyaki. A few Japanese soft drinks which were different but good, the bill was very high for what it was. The ramen was ok, the pork in the Ramen was chewy which it's not supposed to be, the broth was ok and the noodles were a little soft but ok. The kids had the Danbouri, the portions were large but I do consider this a little on the expensive side. If you factor in the wait, it's not worth it, despite that I may return considering the gentleman was nice and was extremely appreciative of the wait and thanked us for our patience. I will probably come back, just not sure when. read more

Nobuya - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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The restaurant is ran by one person - a very friendly and energetic Japanese chef/server/cashier. Do expect a long wait, depending how many customers are before you. But when the food came out, it justified all the wait - pancake was great and the spicy ramen was awesome! read more

Nobuya - Okonomiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

Quaint little place in the Mimico Area. Would highly recommend for legitimate Japanese comfort food. Show the owner some love - nicest guy. Enjoy! read more

Nobuya - UnagiTama don - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

Not sure why this place has so many great reviews, the food here is mediocre at best. The owner was the worst part of the entire night. We wanted to try this place initally because of all of the highly rated reviews. We ordered the agedashi tofu, karrage, takoyaki, okonomiyaki with yakisoba and egg, tonkatsu ramen and gyoza. We thought the terrible food was the worst part until what happened after. He came up to ask us how the food was (that i appreciated) and we were honest - we told him we thought the food was okay - the gyoza and takoyaki was not crispy, the tofu was bland and not crispy. The noodles in the ramen were too soggy (the meat in the ramen was some of the worst i've ever had!). There was no water available - side plates to eat appetizers did not exist until halfway through the meal and it was dirty when i looked at it so i did not use it. The worst part was when we went to pay - he then complained the tip i left was not sufficient - proceeded to talk shit about me to the other customers in there right in front of me and would not give me a take out box for the left over food. I honestly just did not want to waste food - he started to yell at us saying if the food was so bad why do i want to take it home, maybe because we paid over 80$ for terrible food and did not want it thrown in the garbage??? He then goes to start a fight with us and now we are arguing back and forth. This place is highly over priced ($18 for ramen) - owner/chef/server/cashier was highly unprofessional - i have never been to a restaurant where they treat you like this regardless of the tip you leave them. He was highly aggressive and lucky i gave any tip at all. Never again will i come back here. If you cant handle the heat - get out of the kitchen buddy! Negative 3 stars read more

The place had erratic open days, presumably due to the recent CBC story which brought in too many customers. We visited twice but still found it closed, despite what their up-to-date FB, google or posted door sign say. Finally tried on a Wednesday, first having confirmed with a phone call. When we got there, owner was on the phone with the credit card machine company. The machine wasn't working. For full 20 minutes, no food cooked. No sitting customer served. No waiting customer served. Customer couldn't pay - but what's wrong with cash? Meanwhile, we all got to listen to his loud phone conversation. "If you don't come tonight, I'll switch to XX bank." Thankfully the machine eventually worked. Customer paid and left. We were told it would be an hour for the food to be ready. Sure no problem. My friend went to the counter and ordered 2 ramen. "It will take an hour. You need to order appetizer." My friend said no thanks. Owner repeated his demand. Then he came to me at the table and said again "sir, you need to order an appetizer, or it will take very long". So we ordered gyoza. Gyoza is the freshly made steamed and pan fried type. It was good. Ramen noodle was nothing special. Broth was quite good. Lots of potential customers were turned away as they didn't want the hour long wait. Owner said he couldn't afford extra staff at the current wage. This is a restaurant located in a low rent area outside downtown, but charges more than many downtown place for the same food. The restaurant smells of Taiwanese/HK "stinky tofu". Owner offers typical great Japanese hospitality, when he's not "acting up" (like when the equipment is not working, customers did not order "enough",,,,) It would also be difficult to know what day/time to go there to get the best service and experience. read more

Nobuya - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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It's a one man show, so service is slower but still nice. Had their Tokyo Ramen with Takoyaki & pro gyoza. The ramen had a clear, rich pork flavour broth with a slightly sweetness to it. Pork belly was tender and generous in portion. Loved the onion and pickled ginger garnish; I don't often see ginger, chopped and grated onions as topping. But it was a great pairing. Finished the ramen and soup!! My mark for great ramen...finishing the soup. Takoyaki is as it says, big (small of each) delicious as well but I think it can be a bit smaller so the rations of octopus to delicious soft outer. Gyoza was good, the dipping sauce is the highlight as it is balanced to show off the Gyoza; but I think my pork Gyoza can be tweaked to have a bit more pork for texture/mouth feel. read more

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I've been here once before and it took us about 2h to get our food. It was on a Friday night. Tonight I went on a Sunday @7pm & it was quit, the service was way better. Had some pork gyoza! 8 of them for 8$. They were AMAZING! I had the Tonkotsu Ramen, it's very flavourful and so rich. My boyfriend had the Spicy Miso Ramen. It says on the menu that it's mild. HELL NO it's very spicy but very good. We also had some soda's from Japan that were very good. It's a very small place, I prefer going when it's not busy because as you saw the other reviews.... it can be really hard and long to get your food. You can follow Nobuya on facebook, you can see when it's open and everything that he's updating and etc I love this place! Will for sure be going back read more

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Came here because we were craving for some hot ramen. I did not realize that it was a one man show until were were seated. It was confusing as first because when we came in, we awkwardly stood near the showcase, not knowing what to do as we did not see any employees but the cook. While we were waiting for a seat, many people did stop by and also try to get a table or order takeout. We waited around 40+ minutes until we could order because the person working was very busy doing everything himself. Food came around 9:30pm (we got there at 7ish) and by that time, we were SO hungry. I found my miso soup very strong as I kept coughing from eating it. My boyfriend thought the ramen was good and the okonomiyaki was okay. The cook was very nice asking us if everything was okay a few times. After that, I was surprise to see the contrast of reviews of this place. I am glad our experience there was fine and I do not think i'd return. read more

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So happy I found this cool hole in the wall in my area. The owner was a great host. Nobu is very kind and an approachable person. The food is very tasty and flavourful. Love the takoyaki (but burnt my mouth because I am too impatient LOL ) We also had some Japanese cream soda drinks which was quite refreshing. The restaurant is clean and also has a nice patio. I will return to this restaurant again for sure! read more

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We heard this place serves authentic Japanese cuisine. (No sushi) We got there sharp at 5:15PM (opens as (5:30PM) already had a lineup outside. We got lucky and got seat right away, its a one man show and he was hospitable and friendly Food was definitely worth the drive and wait. We ordered the octopus balls, which were amazing combination of flavours inside your mouth with the perfect balance. Seafood pancakes on egg noodle were equally as amazing. Other reminder food usually takes about 40mins+ to all show up, as its a one man team. I would recommend this place if you want to try Japanese street food, the catch is you have to be willing to wait or be early (I would call ahead) 4.5 out of 5 read more

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ONE CHEF RUNS THE ENTIRE KITCHEN. Service is slow. Food is AMAZING. This is like a home kitchen almost, a fast food joint where the chef has specials and sometimes does not have the things you want. Today was spicy miso ramen. It was probably the best ramen I've had in Toronto. And I search all over for the best ramen and that rich broth, firm noodles and fatty pork favour. Nobuya delivers TREMENDOUSLY. I couldn't ask for anything better on the ramen except I wish the noodles were a bit firmer, add an egg and minus the few ginger pieces. The broth was amazing. I also got the takoyaki and karaage which were both phenomenal. Japanese poutine I could've skipped out on. Pretty basic. Coming for another bowl and hope it's the classic tonkatsu broth this time. The meat he served was a beautiful fatty piece of pork. PLEASE COME AT ONCE AND BE PREPARED TO WAIT 45 mins for AMAZING RAMEN. read more

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I visited this place about a year ago and it was amazing! The broth is literally like drinking liquid pork. It is so rich and fatty in pork flavor that makes it even more delicious. The only down side to this was that the owner was wearing multiple hats! He was the only cook, server, manager and more, a one person team just like in Japan. He would cook everything to order so it is super fresh and delicious. If you come here, please make sure you have time to wait as food is cooked to order, it does take a while to make. The restaurant is also very small with around 10-12 seats or so. Arrive early or expect a small wait. read more

Very slow service, food was below average, my biggest issue is not being able to have water. Water is a basic human right, and living in Canada all returners are legally obligated to give you water for free regardless of if you are a customer or not. You don't even get water for free after spending your hard earned money here. read more

If I could rate this place no stars I would. Overall, our whole experience was a literal joke. Food was NOTHING special, the owner/server was extremely rude, and the service was trash. Don't waste your time and money, to support a place with no respect towards customers. read more

Average across the board. A small snack bar in a far off corner of Etobicoke, Nobuya left much to be desired. Tucked away, it was a little out of place, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city. Limited parking in the back and side of the place. I came in with a decent level of expectations as I've heard many good things about their offerings. I left a bit of a flat note. I was accompanied by 2 other diners that night. The restaurants itself was not overly busy, though all seating were filled but there were about 10 diners in all. Service was understandable slow as there was only one front of house wait staff braving service. They offered various typical Japanese snacks, sharable but definitely will not fill a normal person up. Between the 3 of us, we ordered 5 dishes worked out to about $23 per person. We wanted a wide variety so we ordered Takoyaki, karaage, pork donburi, Japanese poutine, and okonomiyaki w/ yakisoba. First off, all the food were pretty much basted in the same mayo and unagi sauce, so very differentiation in taste between the dishes. The donburi was by far the table's fav. The rice was perfectly cooked and fluffy. The sauces worked well and the pork and egg was well marinated. The textures, flavours, and silky mouth feel left a nice sensation. It was missing a crunchy component but that's preference. The takoyaki was average or a little below. It was too doughy, too cooked and lack the crispy to the outer shell. The flavour was good and price definitely were some of the cheapest I've came across. Strangely, it came out at a manageable temperature to eat (normally takoyaki comes out lovingly scorchingly hot). The Karaage was not a favourite. Portion vs. price was a definite deterrent. The portion was on the small side. The chicken meat itself was bland and relies on the sauce and seasoning for flavour. It was strangely not crispy but chewy and tough. The ginger garnish did provide a nice and much needed contrast. The poutine was not a favourite either. The hand-cut style fries was nice and starchy but was limp for the most part. By the time the fries came we were pretty much bored with the same sauces and flavour profile. Cheese was a scarcity on the plate. The bonito flakes didn't add much but aesthetics. Last and least was the okonomiyaki and yakisoba. After the first bite, I gave up. The biggest issue I had was with the amount of oil that coated the dish. Next was the texture and overall execution. The okonomiyakis that I've has the chance to try were delicious; filled with cabbages and filling goodness to held together by a nice light batter. This okonomiyaki was very heavy with the batter, lacking fillings and notably formed using a mould of sort. The soba noodle had a toughness to it that was either pleasant or palatable. The overall meal was a little below average. I would rate the 2.5 stars. The service was friend but slow. 45 minute in, we were still waiting for food. However, once the food started to roll out, it kept consistent pace, so no complaints there. I would personably not return mainly due to location and price, but I would definitely say it worth trying...especially if you crave some Japanese snacks and can't go to north York or Toronto for your fix. read more

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Absolutely phenomenal ramen, the best I have had in the city of Toronto. This restaurant is a one man show, he is the host, waitstaff, prep, and cook. Despite saying he was very busy when we arrived, we had our dinner in front of us within 30 minutes of arriving. I think patience is key! And I definitely thought it was worth the wait. Handmade gyoza and rich, flavourful ramen that wasn't too fatty with nice pieces of pork, pickled ginger, green onion, and other yummy things in it. Me and my 13 yo son devoured our whole bowls. All in all a very authentic, friendly, delicious, and unique hidden jem. read more

If I could give it minus 5 stars I would. The hype is baseless. We waited over 2 hrs, and still did not get our 2 bowls of ramen, which is usually a quick meal that any other ramen or noodle shop can assemble in minutes. The awful wait is completely unnecessary, and waste of time. We ended up leaving having waited through waves of hunger, and my brother passing out (literally). The owner/chef runs the little eatery on his own (don't know if it's because he refuses to hire help, or can't find any), and does not seem to be able to organize himself between the order taking, cooking, and running the cash register. (He told one walk-in that he doesn't do take out. Yet, a person walked in soon after, to pick-up their phoned-in order.) He seems to spend oodles of time chatting with people who come in, are leaving, or when he finally does bring someone their food -- meaning, he's not in the kitchen cooking as much as he can be. It took us 40 mins to get a table, and another 45 mins before he came to take our order, at which point he aggressively pushed appetitizers on us because he can get those out in 10 mins while the ramen (his menu main items) will take longer because "it's busy", and the other 5 tables' orders ahead of us still needs to get made. We didn't want appetizers to tie us over, and add cost to our bill. We just wanted the "famous" ramen, and felt penalized for not ordering the apps. The place sits 13 (5 tables & 3 stools at the front window counter). Even when it's packed, he should be able to get bowls of noodle soup out quicker than the 2+ hours we experiened. Don't be fooled, and ignore the FOMO. Toronto has plenty of other options for ramen and dining options in general. read more

We went to Nobuya today (on a Tuesday) and were sad to see it closed, we didn't realize that it opens on Thursdays. However, the owner happened to be there and spoke with us, he invited us in and told us he can serve us part of the menu with whatever he had available. We were super grateful, he wasn't even supposed to be open! Nobu is so friendly and lively, he told us about his life and experience with the restaurant. He made delicious and light Gyoza Dumplings rich and flavourful takoyaki and a super yummy okonomiyaki. The food tasted super authentic and we really enjoyed everything. We didn't have to wait long at all because we were the only guests obviously, but I appreciated that everything was being made fresh and by the owner. He was so welcoming and even gave us a free ramen pack at the end and walked us out to the street. We are definitely coming back to eat some ramen as the weather cools down I would give it 6 stars if i could!!! read more

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The slogan is "Japanese fast food, worth the wait." Deceiving and definitely NOT worth the wait. If you are hungry do not go here because be prepared to wait for the food for 2 hours. The wait was so painful, every dish took 30 minutes to arrive. Ramen and udon took 2 hours and both were average. Karaage was delicious but the Japanese poutine, chicken skewers and fish and chips were nothing special. We had to cancel our plans because dinner took so long. I commend the owner for being such a hard worker but he needs to hire more people!! My friend found an elastic band in her ramen. I get that mishaps happen but it could have been prevented if he wasn't so busy serving, cooking, cleaning and cashing out customers. Please...for your own health and sanity hire at least one more worker. This way you can also improve customer experience! read more

Haven't had such delicious food in a while. Ok maybe that's not entirely true but this food was refreshingly good! I've always wanted to check out Nobuya because I wanted to try okonomiyaki. I've watched too many YouTube videos of it so I was dying to try it. However, every time I wanted to visit Nobuya it's been closed. So tip#1: check out the hours on its website before heading over. Best would be to call and confirm. But like the tagline inside the restaurant reads, "Nobuya, worth the wait..." it's quite true. It was truly worth the wait. There's a flip side to it though: service is slow. The owner/chef works alone so it does take time for the food to arrive. My girlfriend and I ordered the Tsukune/Yakitori, which are deep fried chicken meatballs on a skewer with spicy mayo. These were solid. A bit oily sure but still very tasty. My girlfriend ordered the Chicken Katsu Donburi, which was good too. She couldn't finish it but she never finishes a dish anyways The star of the night was... *drumroll* Okonomiyaki My god. Everything about this dish was perfect. The presentation, the variety of textures, the balance of flavours, the level of spice. I'm really glad the chef/owner recommended that I order it with Yakisoba because a) it was filling and b) the noodles really complement the okonomiyaki nicely. The chef/owner is the nicest guy ever. Although he's also a really good salesman. I wasn't going to get a drink but he somehow convinced me to get a Japanese carbonated drink which was $3.50 No worries though restaurant business is hard, I get it. All in all, if you haven't checked this place out please do so. Just make sure you check the hours before you go. Truly one of the gems in the Mimico area. read more

Nobuya - Okonomiyaki on Yakisoba - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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Dropped by this place recently as it isn't far from our area. Our experience was in line with many other reviews here: There's one owner who cooks, cleans, and does his best to entertain his guests. Even on a fairly quiet night, our food took extremely long to arrive. Our food wasn't remarkable but above average. The owner definitely made a hard effort to up-sell drinks and apps. Pressuring us to write top-rating reviews isn't great when the service and food quality have massive room for improvement. There's parking out back, free WiFi and a small assortment of Japanese drinks that give this place a slightly authentic feel, but I would skip this place for a west end Izakaya place. read more

Amazing food and wonderful owner and cook. Truly authentic quality Japanese food. Pork, soy or miso ramen options are all fabulous, the Gyoza and karage chicken to die for!!! read more

My husband and I have been here twice. First time: We shared karaage, I ordered the spicy miso ramen, and my husband got the okonomiyaki. Karaage was SO GOOD. I haven't had it ever before so I have nothing to compare to, but it was pretty darn good. My spicy miso ramen was good, had great flavour and the perfect amount of spice. The meat itself had a lot of fat though - like I'm talking half an inch thick off a piece of what looked like a brisket. It may be just part of the dish/flavour but I probably wouldn't order this again only because there is so much fat (unless it was a one-time thing?). My husband loved the okonomiyaki, he just wishes it were bigger. He says it is the best that he's had anywhere. We went on a Friday or Saturday night around 8:30pm. Not a single soul in the place. We were in and out in 45 minutes. Second time We ordered karaage, takoyaki, korokke, my husband had the okonomiyaki, and I had the okonomiyaki with yakisoba noodles. Karaage was delicious as usual. Takoyaki was great - we had takoyaki once before at a different place for the first time and didn't like it. We tried it again here at Nobuya and it was AMAZING. Korokke was great, nothing super special but really really good. Okonomiyaki was delicious as usual. Okonomiyaki with yakisoba noodles was also amazing - I'm a noodle person! We definitely recommend all these dishes. We went on a Wednesday around 7-7:30pm. There were two other tables who hadn't gotten their food yet, the first table got their food soon after we got there. We were in and out in an hour and a half which is not bad in my books considering he's a one man show. read more

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Great place and great food... love it... ramen was great.. will go back to try their fish&chips in Japanese style .. There are a lot of parking spots ... the owner is really friendly and nice! He does every position.... Recommend everyone go try his food .. it is worth to wait.. read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE!!! came here with 2 friends after coming across the review on this hidden gem. We were told the wait ill be 45 mins when we walk in, and thought "it's okay, we are't hungry yet". We didn't get our food till 1 hour and 30 mins later. It's a one man ban. The owner does EVERYTHING. He's so polite and the food are ridiculously delicious. Totally worth the wait. Would definitely come back on a day that's not so busy. read more

Very pleasant and considering it is a one man operation, the food was very good. Definitely coming back for more. read more

Nobuya - Osaka style Okonomiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

This is to serve as an update to my previous review. The owner saw we had left a review saying we tried to visit but found the restaurant closed on more than one occasion. He generously offered us discount to our meal, and we were finally able to try the food at Nobuya this evening. As others have said, the owner is friendly and does his best despite being the only person working at Nobuya. My wife arrived with our two children before me, and ordered a plate of takoyaki, tonkotsu ramen, and Tokyo ramen with karaage toppings. The food did take a while to come out, but it's to be expected with only one person to both serve and cook. The decor and restaurant itself is simple but works with the restaurant serving Japanese street food. The Tokyo and tonkotsu ramen were quite good, with a flavourful broth and nice hints of flavours coming through such as ginger that helped it stand out as being different to other ramen we've had before. It also wasn't too salty, as many other Toronto ramen broths are (don't get me wrong - it's still got a lot of salt, but it's not overpowering). The noodles were good, as was the karaage, although my cha shu was slightly overdone. The takoyaki was flavourful and delicate. Overall we were happy with the food. I've knocked a star off because of the waiting time, as others have mentioned - it was quite a long time, and difficult with kids. But the food is definitely good, and the owner is friendly and showed a great deal of graciousness given the offer to discount our meal because of the previously unsuccessful attempts at visiting Nobuya. If you live in the area or can drop by on the way to or from downtown, I'd say it's worth the visit. read more

I was here the same night that Charles C was here. Somehow, he rated Nobuya as a 5 star establishment. No way is that possible. Like others have said, Nobuya is ran by a single person. The owner does the cooking, the ordering and the cleaning. On a personal level, I feel bad for the guy. But from a business and a consumer perspective, it REALLY isn't working out for him. For example, during our dinner: 1) There were no clean tables. We had to wait for him to clean up a table before we could be seated. 2) We never received water during the entire night we were there. 2) We were given cutlery and napkins an hour after we put in our order. 3) We ordered at exactly 8:07pm. (We took photos with timestamps) Our ramen arrived at 9:52pm. The restaurant closes at 10pm. 4) We received spicy miso ramen even though we ordered regular soy ramen. I'm sure we didn't mess up the order because we pointed at his menu, which only shows soy ramen. Here's the deal: Nobuya's food is actually not that bad. Their tempura udon was really good. The chicken karage was decently fried. The Japanese poutine was unique and tasty. And the ramen wasn't terrible even though we didn't want it spicy. BUT... I really can't endorse this place. First, we waited 2 hours for him to complete our order. It wasn't even a full restaurant. He had only one other table. It took him two hours to complete two dinner orders! Secondly, the prices are high. Ramen was $12.50 and it didn't even include an egg. Kinton, Sansotei, and Santouka are all cheaper than Nobuya and those are brand name ramen in downtown Toronto. Third, yeah the food is good. But most of the menu is fried foods covered with sauce. It doesn't take a skilled chef to make fried foods taste good, especially when you mask everything with mayo, teriyaki sauce and cheese. Charles C gave him a 5 star review and mentioned that it is a fast food joint. A fast food joint that takes 2 hours to turn a table? On a Saturday night with two patrons? C'mon. The review goes on to say that it's the best ramen in the city, but then adds that the noodles could be firmer, needed an egg and no ginger. Perfect score? I don't think so. The biggest turnoff was when this chef gave us spicy ramen that we didn't even order. We never wanted spicy ramen. We wanted the soy. If you run out of the soy, that's fine but let us know. Don't try and sneak us spicy soy ramen without even notifying us. Some people say that the wait time shouldn't factor into a review of the restaurant. I don't agree. No one should wait 2 hours for your order to be completed. And what if he has 6 tables that day? Would you wait 4 hours? This place sucks. He can't run a restaurant. read more

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Things here are delicious and the price is right, but service is slooooooooow (albeit super friendly); their slogan is "worth the wait" and it truly is! We ordered the tacoyaki (little dough balls with octopus) and they were perfectly done, hot, light and super flavourful...NOMNOMNOM! The Tsukune (chicken patties) were more like meatballs, still tasty, but not exactly what I expected. The fish and chips are good, the coating is a little thick, but still super crispy and this fish is super moist inside; the tartar is delicious, though it's really the fries that take the cake for me...AMAZING FRIES! The ramen was delicious as well; it was hot, super flavourful and quite large! If I had one suggestion, it would be order for pick up because it's a long wait! (Lucky for us the Russia vs. Canada hockey game was on:P) A surprising number of people do this too! read more

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We arrived at 8:20pm on a Tuesday night. The owner/chef/server immediately seated us and gave us the menu. We put in our orders at 8:30pm. 20 minutes later we had to ask for our glasses of water again. By 9:20pm the fish & chips came out. At 9:30pm the udon. At 9:45pm we had to ask about the ramen as the rest of the table had already finished their dishes. It wasn't until 9:50pm that the ramen finally came out. There was only one other table in the small restaurant with us, who also experienced and complained about the long wait. The food was great and tasted very authentic, but definitely not worth the hour and a half wait. It's unfortunate because the customer service was good. But he was a one-man show: taking down orders, cooking the food, serving the table and handling payment, all by himself. He apologized for the wait, but we would not be returning until there are some major improvements with the waiting time. read more

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Amazing! And definitely worth the wait. The gentleman is cook, wait staff, busing tables, and acting as cashier all by himself. He's working very hard and the end result is totally delicious. I don't mind waiting a bit longer, or that my partner and I got our food separately. It wasn't the usual restaurant experience, no, but it was so worth it! We shared an order of takoyaki and korokke. Both were delish! The takoyaki had just enough crunch on the outside, and a creamy texture inside. The korokke was piping hot and flavorful. He had the karaage and fries, I had the unagi-tama don. The fries are excellent (I stole a few)! Fresh cut potatoes, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The chicken batter was light, crispy, and tasty. The meat stayed moist! My unagi-tama don was great. There was an omelette with some veggies plus the eel slices, over perfectly cooked rice and topped with spicy mayo, ginger, green onions, and shredded seaweed. The combination of flavors was just perfect. Bottom line: Be patient and GO HERE! Support him! When he has a larger customer base, he can hire help, and things will be even better. read more

Nobuya - Korokke! - Japanese Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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More people should know about this little Japanese place! It serves delicious, authentic, Japanese food that's so very unlike the ones you find in those big AYCE places it's refreshing. Plus, their ramen is awesome. Can't tell you how happy these west-enders are to not have to go all the way downtown anymore when the ramen craving hits. The ambience is nothing to write home about. But it does make you feel like you're in one of those secret eateries in Tokyo that only Anthony Bourdain knows about. For real. They are all Japanese here so communication is a little challenging but service is sincere and warm. Food. Ahhhh the food was GOOD! We had the Japanese style poutine, tempura soba and ramen (total bill $40 with tip and a pop so not bad at all). There were other really interesting things on their, albeit limited, menu like octopus balls so we are definitely heading back. I am still dreaming about that ramen though. And I expect with the weather getting cooler, we'll be back lots of times. And could it really be 5 stars you ask? Free ample parking at the back! There. 5 stars. Let's support the little neighbourhood gems. read more

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