As soon as we walked into this restaurant were greeted by a roar of welcoming voices - (ever so often the staff yell something in Japanese - I have no idea what they are saying but it sounds exciting). The restaurant itself is very dimly lit with hanging light blubs scattered down the middle. There is a also a large distressed wooden communal table running down the centre of the restaurant towards the bar with a collection of sake bottles acting as a divider down the middle of the table. Booths line the sides of the restaurant and we are led to one near the front. I love how large and private they all are. Our waiter comes over to greet us and goes over the menu. He is soo polite and respectful kneeling down when talking to us and explaining the menu. Onto the food. These are all the items we ordered: Avocado Salad - fresh avocado w/ mixed veg Loved this dish, I adore avocado, it was super creamy with the tangy dressing a refreshing crisp lettuce Spicy Salmon Roll - chopped salmon sashimi w/ spicy mayo sauce Not very spicy but I enjoyed the crunchy tempura bits and fresh salmon Gyoza - crispy deep fried dumplings Really crispy golden brown loved the crunchy exterior and juicy filling Bacon wrapper asparagus skewer - Really nice smokey charred flavour from the bacon Yam Tempura - deep fried yam potato Very crunchy and crispy sweet yam paired with the cool tangy dipping sauce nice contrast Salmon - grilled salmon w/ teriyaki sauce Salmon was soo flaky and tender a nice medium rare just the way I like it with a light teriyaki galze Chicken Karaage - deep fried chicken w/ sea salt Really crunchy exterior enclosing nice white meat chunks definitely squeeze the lemon over it and roll it in the salt n pepper mixture for extra zing Vege Yaki Udon - pan fried udon w/ veg & teriyaki sauce A steaming pile of thick noodles with fresh stir fried vegetables and a nice coating of teriyaki sauce really good Teriyaki Salmon Tempura Our waiter brought this complimentary dish over from the cook. Light crispy coated morsels of salmon in a teriyaki glaze Bulgogi - marinated beef w/ veg Loved this dish served on a sizzling plate perfectly cooked tender strips of beef and ample fresh stir fried vegetables Green Tea Ice cream A very small portion just one tiny scoop set on top of a crossed chocolate filled pocky sticks topped with whipped cream and a frozen raspberry Overall I have to say the service here is one of the best, waiters were very friendly and dare I say almost too polite. Food was very fresh and came out in a timely matter and also very affordable (the most expensive dish we ordered was 7.95). If your ever in the mood for some Izakaya I suggest you give this place a try. read more

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The sashimi was excellent. Very fresh and really generous slices. The sashimi platter also came with uni, which was just as fresh as the other sashimi. The skewers were top notch as well. Favourites were the pork belly and the unagi. The karaage was a little over cooked, but it didn't ruin the experience. The ramen, overall, was just so so. The broth was good, but the noodles weren't. Overall, we would return. read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Sashimi platter - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The very best Japanese restaurant in the city. Feels like a second home. Lovely, dark wooded ambience, soothingly dim lighting, real candles (no LED nonsense), esoteric, lounge-y music wonderful private booths and hands down the best service from restaurant staff and owner - friendliness, generosity, efficiency and effort unsurpassed. Food is high quality, delicious and super reasonably priced. An experience not to be missed. read more

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This is definitely some fine dining Japanese wrapped in an affordable price tag! I've been to Japan several times and also have previously worked in food and beverage industry so have dined at many restaurants, and this one in Toronto (Yonge-Eglinton area) is probably hands down one of the best I've had. In terms of food flavor, freshness, and not to mention the amazingly kind and attentive service. I have been here a couple times and think this is a place where you can comfortably eat under $20 per person and enjoy a great meal or splurge over $100 and get fancy with some amazing choices. I will definitely come back every time I travel here! Thanks for hosting me and creating some great memories!! read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Uni Sashimi; Cold Sake - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Went here for a birthday party. The group was huge but the staff were on top of everything and very nice. They also kept bringing out free stuff for us. It felt great as a customer. I want to bring people here but I'm not often up here anymore. The beers however, are super cheap. And the food was good quality. I would go here for a good "Izakaya" feel that wont destroy my wallet. Wonderful for one of those rainy days where you want to drink in excess while feeling a little lost in translation. I've only tried it once! So I hope my next visits are just as good. But, I had a great time and I think I semi fell in love with the staff. Great job guys. read more

Was really excited to see an izakaya with high rating and proceeded to check it out in celebration of a major life event. When I got there, service was good and our waitress was attentive, staff were friendly and polite. Food quality however, was a complete let down. We usually head to Zakkushi for skewers (we love it there) but wanted to try something new here. First of all, the skewers that came in were not hot... They were almost cold in some cases which really made me question whether the kitchen just left it there after making a batch or if no one came to pick up our order until late..? If I'm paying a premium, I expect at least hot food to come. Secondly, all skewers had no taste and we couldn't really even taste the charcoal it was cooked on top of. We ordered the scallop skewers (this was over $4 each, and had about 4 mini pieces on the skewer itself, again no flavor and cooked poorly. The pork belly skewers were not bad, I would say this one was as expected compared to other izakaya places. Chicken skewers.. Very average. I want to emphasize the Bacon asparagus skewers were undercooked and pink in certain areas. Thoroughly unimpressed. One major thing too, is we tried to communicate to the nearest server near the end of our meal to see if there's any other dishes we ordered that didn't come, etc. The server could not speak English and couldn't call the other server over. We had a very awkward 5 minute back and forth and she was still unable to help us..which was quite frustrating to say the least. The grilled fish dishes were on the dry end, with very very average flavoring, although for the price point was cheaper than other places. Management gave us free edamame at the beginning which we appreciated. After our complaint about the raw skewers, they did give us a complementary spicy salmon appetizer and took it off our bill. Overall experience, given this was for celebrating a major milestone, it was thoroughly disappointing and I will not be back. read more

Came here with my friends so they can try their selection of sakes and for dinner. The food presentation was top-notch and the taste was above average. It was a bit too pricey for my liking, but had a good time with friends. Service was excellent, the staff were very friendly and attentive. Great ambiance despite being very dimly lit. The only thing I didn't like was that my order of dragon roll sushi took a very long time after my friend's more elaborate dishes came. Would come here again to try their discounted tapas days. read more

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I have been meaning to try Sake Bar Kushi (also known as Kushi Izakaya) since they first opened but never made it due to it's not so ideal location. Last weekend, I was so lucky to be invited to try their new and improved menu and I was more than thrilled to oblige. As we walk in, we immediately felt in love with all the wooden booths and the long communal table in the middle with the sake bottles as dividers. The booths really gave dinner some privacy and the whole place was pretty quite unlike most izakaya. Always love izakaya menu, love the square format. Here's the sake list and there's quite a bit of variety with different price point. Quite a few of my faves available. Spinach Gomaae ~ blanched spinach w/ sesame sauce ~ Love how this had just the perfect amount of sauce/dressing and it was light a not overly salty. ~ I must have tried so many places where it's drenched in overly salty sauce.This was perfect. Ebi Mayo ~ Deep Fried prawn served with mustard mayo sauce ~ Tasty but wish it was the whole shrimp with the shell still on. It's way more tastier. Draft Sake Shiboritate 180ml ~ Personally not my fave sake, will def choose something else Pork Belly & Chicken Leg Skewers ~ one each w/ sea salt & terriyaki sauce ~ Have to say that we were both disappointed with these skewers, it was rather dry and bland. ~ The one with the terriyaki sauce was a bit better since it gave them a bit of moisture and flavors. Kodako Karaage ~ Deep Fried Baby Octopus served w/ chilli mayo ~ Love this, wish more restaurant would served these. ~ Nothing better than deep fried dishes while drinking (^_^) ~ Perfectly crispy thin batter with perfectly tender baby octopus. Grilled Squid ~ charcoal grilled squid with terriyaki sauce ~ You can definitely taste the difference when it's charcoal grilled and this was also perfectly cooked. So intense, full of that yummy charcoal smokey flavor. Cheese Okonomiyaki ~ Deliciously addictive, topped with huge amount of bonito flakes (Katsuobushi) and the perfectly crispy slightly burnt bottom. Bulgogi Ishiyaki Bibimbab ~ steamed rice with marinated beef and vegetable in sizzling stone bowl ~ Ben made the mistake of pouring all the sauce in at once and it was way too much. ~ Unlike the Korean version, their sauce is less salty and a bit on the sour side. Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich ~ Instead of the usual cookie, they use thin steam boa which was very appropriate and gave it an Asian Japanese flare. ~ But although I like the idea, I find that the bao lack the crunch that's much needed in an ice cream sandwich. A big room at the back which is perfect for bigger group Verdict: ~ Loved it, although we didn't like the skewers everything else was pretty perfect. ~ Will def come back to try the rest of the dishes and have some of my fave sake. ~ The service was more than perfect, all the staff was incredibly attentive, friendly & always had a big smile on their faces. read more

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Came here with my family. The service here is wonderful! We even got two dishes on the house!!! They are having the 1,3,5,7 special menu right now, so prices are pretty good for an Izakaya. However, the food is not that good.. Some dishes were too bland and some too salty for my taste. My favourite dishes were the tonkotsu ramen and grilled cod in teriyaki sauce. I wanted to try the greentea lava cake but they did not have it:( Overall this place has wonderful service but not great food. read more

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Food is good but the overall experience was disappointing. Came with a big group to celebrate a birthday. We were given a long table in the party room. It required taking off your shoes to sit in the Japanese style rooms. However, the area to take off shoes is very chaotic. A small space with lots of shoes on the ground and right in front of the kitchen. Food: Good variety of food. There is sure to be something for everyone. The sashimi is also very fresh. However, items are pricy. I liked their rolls the most. Their appetizers and skewers are very small for the price. Service: Within our group, they messed up several orders. It really took away from the experience. Some food came that we never ordered and the waitress brought it to our table 3 times to try to get us to take it. Some people didn't get the order that they put in when they first arrived until the very end. read more

Such a disappointment coming here .... I expected more from a 4 star reviewed resturant. There's so many restaurants in the young and eg area but we came here because of yelp- I wish we didn't. The rolls were TINY with NO flavour .... the soy sauce seemed extra salty and it was PRICEY!!!! The staff weren't the most welcoming ; I wanted to hang up my jacket on the coat rack but they told us we couldn't because they were saved for certain people. .... excuse me? What does that mean. Not impressed; won't return. read more

Came here once and had bar seating. Another time I got to enjoy the party room. Service is pretty consistent both times. Staff are warm, friendly and patient. Bill mess up can and has happened both times, one in our favor and other not so much. This is an izakaya so don't come here starving because you will end up leaving feeling empty still (your wallet). Toronto has gone through enough izakayas so this shouldn't be anything new. Food wasn't all that impressive. Skewers is sort of their thing with pictures plastered on their walls and their own menu but that doesn't mean they do it well. Of the 4 different skewers on the seafood tray, the shrimp and scallop one spent a little too much time on the grill. Tasted ok. Could have been better. Everything else ranges from ok to good and not enough for me to spend much more time adding more details. My only recommendation is the tako wasabi. Fun little dish that brings tears to your eyes. read more

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I love Kushi! From the friendly staff to the delicious & reasonably priced food, our group keeps coming back time after time. If you have a big group, try to book in advance as they have tatami tables in the back that are really nice! They have $3 Sapporo pint specials everyday after 9pm. If you are drinking, they also have Ozeki (chilled sake) for $40/bottle 750ml! PRO TIP: they always give sample dishes as service from the chef! It's always delicious and you can order more off the menu. In the past we've gotten salmon tempura, grilled spicy salmon, tempura veggies, cucumber side dish, and most recently we got a spicy mussel soup! Its always pretty random but they are very generous with their "on the house" items. We usually get uni dons but they were out last time so we opted for spicy salmon and chirashi don. They also have a seasonal menu which we ordered mentaiko udon. Everything we got was delicious! read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Spicy salmon don, very generous with their fish! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Second time here, and the food and service was on point once again. TIP: make a reservation if you want a booth or else you will be waiting or seated on the island. read more

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4.5/5 Can't believe I didn't discover this place until recently! The atmosphere is perfect for a chill night with friends/a date. It has a cozy vibe, dimly lit with nice decor (wine bottles, etc.). All the food we had was really good, and price was super reasonable. They have options as cheap as 1.95 and 3.95. Portions are pretty small, but that's perfect because you can order a lot of different dishes to try without breaking the bank or ending up too full. Also, after 9pm sapporo is only 2.95! The honey rice cake skewers were interesting and yummy.. basically warm grilled rice cakes with a crispy exterior and chewy interior drenched in warm honey...mmm... Probs now my fave japanese restaurant around the yonge eg area. Will def be back! read more

First few times we went we loved the place, great selection of sake, food is ok, but servers are very nice and friendly and the atmosphere in their back "party" room is so good so this weekend we decided to go and celebrate birthday at this place and we really trusted them with the event. I called to make a reservation over the phone and we were told that if this is a big party you have to pay a $10 deposit per person which will be taken off the bill at the end and we were okay with it. We had a reservation for 11 people and you know how it happens someone is always late so when me and my boyfriend got to Kushi on time they refused to sit us and they told us that we had to wait for everyone to come. This was never mentioned at the time of the actual reservation so we though that this is not fair. After 25-30 minutes of sitting in the waiting area they finally decided to sit us. Everything went great, servers were great as always and when the time came to pay for a bill we've realized that the all the Sapporo beer that they have on special after 9pm and that we were ordering was calculated at the regular price. Let me also mention that at the time when the deposit was brought in we specifically asked if the special will apply to us and they said that all will be taken care of which it wasn't. We mentioned it and we also mentioned the fact that we had to wait for 25 minutes to get our table that we reserved and we came on time and we dont appreciate the fact that in addition to this we also have to overpay now. This is very sad and we just wanted to mention it because we really liked the place. After some time of chatting with the manager he smashed our check and said that we dont owe them anything. We tried to pay and tried to convince him that this is not what we were trying to get at and he just said it again that we dont owe anything so we just went back to finish our food and drinks. And also because we were told that we dont have to pay for our bill we diced to leave a tip for server on the table because they were very nice and very helpful the whole night. When we were ready to go the manager came back and he said that we had to pay because we were aware of the fact that we had to have the whole party to be seated because they mention it online. Where as I said that we made the reservation over the phone and I told the manager that it was their responsibility to let me know about all the rules that have prior. And this is such a stupid excuse to give if you changed you mind you can just say sorry and ask us to pay. Let me also mention that we didn't hear sorry from the manager even once, he never apologized for such behaviour or for any other issues that we went through. We ended up paying our bill and taking our tip back. We are never going to this place again. read more

Their sashimi moriawase was unbelievable. The best in Toronto. Recommend to make reservation before coming. read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The best food I ever have. I always go to Kushi they have the best food quality for a cheap price had nice sashimi and nice dessert! It's the best place to go to and def recommend to anyone. The staff is nice and order lots of food you get appreciated by getting a few dishes of food for free :) read more

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I came here for dinner in a group of 12. There's a variety of seating options and the waiters are friendly and efficient. I didn't see a dedicated parking lot but there was street parking available. Lots of interesting menu options to choose from, all of which go great with alcohol (or so I'm told). Prices are fair and the restaurant keeps you fed all night. They brought us some dishes to try on the house in between waits for our food. In particular, I enjoyed the grilled yakitori items (Kushi Moriawase), sashimi salad, and their stir fried udon. Would return if I'm in the area! read more

I have been coming here for years, and have always been very happy with the service and food. Last night was my last visit to this establishment for the foreseeable future. I made a reservation for a party and when we arrived our group had had a couple of last minute cancellations. When I notified the manager/owner of this, he said that I should have called ahead. When I explained that I hadn't had the chance as it was last minute, he said that the entire party of now 11 people would have to stand and wait in the vestibule. This vestibule/waiting area is NOT large enough to accommodate that many people. The manager/owner then came to ID the group. Standard procedure, fine. He declined two of the group's health cards, and also declined international ID cards of two individuals who were non-citizens. While I understand health cards are a discretionary form of ID, declining legal documents from another country is not acceptable. The combination of having our reservation delayed as well as the rude treatment of my peers means that I will be taking my business elsewhere from now on. Very disappointed in his behaviour. read more

We come here every so often, I'm a bit disappoint with the noodles and rice this time, some the udon of bibim noodles are now fully soaked...still dry and chewy. And the rice of salmon teriyaki is hard...like left over..I think the basic of a good Japanese restaurant is to cook perfect rice. But obviously you guys didn't do it well on plain rice. I love the lobster tartar and the shrimp mayo. read more

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Service: Really attentive staff, welcoming + knowledgeable Food: Freaking amazing + absolutely delicious! Ambience/Scene: Nice decor + vibe Definitely an authentic Japanese Izakaya. You might even feel like you're in Japan lol. I went with a large group and everyone in the group was satisfied with their food and drinks. I ordered the Unagi Starter and it was so beautifully charcoally crispy and literally melted in my mouth. I've ordered unadon on rice before and it has never been on the same level as this so I was heaven and could not speak because I was so happy. Then I ordered some of the Yakitoris: Shishamo, Shrimp, Honey Rice Cake and Scallop! Those were great too. They were kind of barbecue/grilled style which I really liked and I chose teryaki sauce for the shrimp and scallop. The honey rice cake made a great dessert, was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I recommend getting that instead of a large dessert if you're starting to get really full and lose space haha. Two of my friends ordered the bulgogi which was sizzling and perfect. I didn't try it myself as I'm not into red meats but I could tell it was good and they really enjoyed it. The sushi dishes and sake drinks we ordered were great too and complemented the food well. I was really happy about the amount of choices available for both drinks and food. Everything was fast! The service was fast, the food came out at a decent time. Man! God was really being good to us that day. The portion sizes are reasonable (just the right amount) and will stop you from overeating. It's more about the quality, than the quantity! That is something you'll notice at Kushi. This is also a great place for sharing and has tapas style dishes so you can get a good variety here. We received a few complimentary side dishes from the chef as our group was slightly big. This would also be a really great place for dates because the vibe is casual, there's cool music and you can share food together without feeling judged lol ;) Although it is a bit of a journey for me, I will definitely be returning to this restaurant! It is so worth it! read more

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AYCE fish quality. Would not recommend at all. Tastes like they just unfroze the fish and cuts were sloppy. Sweet shrimp tastes like normal shrimp read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I went to Kushi this week with my friends Jon and Jocelyn. The three of us were impressed - the food was good and served promptly, the prices were reasonable and we liked the atmosphere. In particular, we enjoyed the very enthusiastic "hello" in Japanese that the serving staff screamed everytime that a new customer walked in. At first, it took a little getting used to, but now I would not rather eat Japanese food any other way. read more

Finally made a visit to Sake Bar Kushi after work as it's just a few blocks west from Yonge/Eglinton. It's very roomy inside with booths along the sides of the restaurant, main bar and another bar(?) seating area in the middle, where we were seated. The servers were very friendly and helpful in choosing what to eat & drink. They were attentive with filling our drinks and bringing out our food in a timely manner. Loved the tonkotsu ramen the best but all ten dishes we shared were delicious. We left full & happy. This restaurant is pretty understated as it's not on a main road but I highly recommend this place! read more

Im extremely surprised that this sake bar got this high rating... just visit this sake bar a minute ago and I have an urge to give comments to this place. Service is fine, very friendly, but the quality of all the dishes that we ordered... rediculously horrible! Toro, paying $27 for what they so-called Toro "tuna belly", lots of thick heavy tendon, texture of the meat is even more worse than a regular tuna piece... it is either not the tuna belly, or they just imported some very low quality "toro" and selling it as High quality pricing... Skewers surprised me that every single skewers are cold to serve... im not sure if thats their style of skewers or not, but i just dont like the way they put tons of sauces coating the cold meat... I would only give credits to their servers, but other than that, if you will be looking for a decent sake bar with good quality food, not this place. read more

1. Customer service is really good, that I give a 10 on it. 2. For a drink only will be recommended but not for dinner. 3. The skewer come out cold with spicy sauce. Which either the spicy sauce is really cold that cool down the skewer or the skewer has been there for a bit of time. 4. The first time in toronto that the basic tuna is better then Toro( as they label) which the toro had a lot of tender and very chewy. 5. The fish is overcooked like some kind of Chinese restaurant. 6. The only good thing is after you tell them the problem they keep giving you freebies. 7. I will highly recommend never go there is you are trying to have dinner but not for a drink. read more

This has to be the best izakaya in Toronto. We've been here more times than I can count and never have we left disappointed. From the chicken karrage to the maguro sushi, the ingredients are fresh and high quality. It does get busy on the weekends so it's best to have a reservation (which we never do) but we've always got seated with 10-15 mins at the max. Highly recommend! read more

"We just got teleported to Japan." Is exactly how my wife and I were feeling. You know it's a good sign when the sushi place has more Japanese people there than anyone else. The service was very friendly and food was quick. Most importantly the quality of the Sushi is truly unmatched else where in the city. read more

The food was amazing and the service was even better. The chicken skin kushi was my fave. My now go-to izakaya place!!! Definitely coming back. read more

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If I could give this place 0 stars, I would! On April 5th, my wife and I along with our 7month old baby is looking for some dinner. It was around 7:55pm that we left the house. We were contemplating where we want to eat, and decided to call Kushi for reservations since I remember purchasing that Groupon. I called them and they said they are full at the moment, however if we go after 9pm, we'll be fine. I told them that it may be a bit too late for us so we did not make the reservation (we travelled from Richmond Hill to Downtown). But we were assured that there's going to be openings after 9. We tried going to another restaurant we had in mind but was full. So by that time we decided to head for Kushi since by the time we get there, it'll almost be 9pm When we got to the restaurant around 8:55pm, I parked the car right outside of Kushi (a non-parking spot) and I asked the waitresses whether I would be able to use the Groupon since I did not make a reservation, but had received reassurance over the phone earlier. Clearly, in the restaurant there were open tables. The waitresses said yes after some clearance with the manager and I brought my wife and our son along with his car seat to be seated. At that point I went outside so that I can go find some parking. The area was extremely tough to find paid parking and I spent more than 15min doing so. When I returned to the restaurant, my wife told me that the manager had come by to say that we cannot use the Groupon tonight. We called for the waitresses to clarify and they provided the same message. Their message was that we cannot use it because it's a clause within the Groupon. We expressed to them however, that we checked with them 2+ times about using the Groupon and they could of told me before I dropped off my family or paid for parking. We then summoned the manager who was rude and told us that we cannot use our Groupon due to the reservation issue. I then ask the manager what will happen if I walked outside, called them and made a reservation right away, whether we can use it since clearly there were tables open. At that point they stated that they had a large party in the party room, and in order to maintain their quality they had to refuse Groupon users. I told him that how come then they are refusing all customers? Will they stick a sign outside their restaurant to say that they are closed for a private party? The manager vehemently stated the reservation issue again. At that point he said to me that either I can dine in without using the Groupon or we'll have to wait 1+ hours for the food. By that point I was extremely frustrated since none of the excuses made sense and all I could say is that the restaurant sees Groupon users as inferior to regular paying patrons. My wife was extremely upset at that point, so I went back to grab my car and we left as a family, hungry at 9:25pm. Don't ever go to this place, I've never had this type of service at a Japanese operated establishment before. My wife and I refuses to ever step into this restaurant ever again and so should you! read more

Came here for a reservation for Valentines Day and we were welcomed with 2 FREE dishes, one was a fried salmon and the other, oddly, was a dessert. I did kinda wish that they saved the dessert towards the end of the meal though cause it was kinda weird eating that so early on. We decided to go all out for this special day (we were splitting the bill to give ourselves greater freedom and less guilt from ordering) so we got the skewer combo, mentaiko carbonara (MY FAVOURITE. THIS IS DA BOMB), chicken ramen, grilled mackerel and perhaps one other dish that I don't recall at the moment. We ordered all this presuming that portions are the same as other izakayas which are incredibly small and not filling. We were wrong. The things we ordered was all a solid entree size with the mackerel being a fairly large appetizer. In a nutshell, this means you can actually be full without breaking the bank hear! Bonus pts for sure. I also really like the privacy you get here. The booths are built in a way in which you feel separated from the rest of the restaurant. You don't have to worry about being neglected though cause the wait staff makes a big effort to check up on you often. One thing that is slightly uncomfortable is that they may be toooo polite. As a slightly socially awkward person I don't know how to react when I'm bombarded with so much niceness. Even when we left, our server ran out after us to say bye. Sure it's generally a plus, but it can get tiring for introverts like myself. Overall though I would love to return especially on the days where they do half off specials and such! read more

Many people may recognize the word "yakitori", but did you know that "kushi" also means skewered meat. Both terms essentially mean the same thing, and can be used interchangeably. Prior to my dinner at Sake Bar Kushi; I didn't know myself. Not only do they serve kushi (skewered poultry & non-poultry), but they also offer a great variety of tapas styled dishes that are meant to be shared. Additionally, the social culture of izakayas often encourages drinking in a casual and group atmosphere so what does Sake Bar Kushi offer in terms of alcohol? They offer an extensive list of both hot and cold sake priced between $9 (cheapest) to $380 (most expensive). If you're not in the mood for sake, then there's also beer, cocktails, wine, umeshu (plum wine), shochu and soft drinks. The sashimi salad ($9) - fresh sashimi in mixed salad with wasabi mayo, was a great starter. The bright looking salad contained a fair amount of salmon and tuna sashimi mixed in a bed of green lettuce, onions, and cucumbers. The wasabi mayo and lemon provided a tangy yet refreshing flavor. One of my personal favorites of the night was the karaage teriyaki ($9.5) - deep fried chicken karaage & pan fried vegetable with teriyaki sauce. This particular dish is currently being offered as a June special, and it was delicious. The karaage meat was exceptionally tender and I enjoyed the teriyaki sauce that was glazed all over the karaage. The portion was also generous, and this was an interesting take on the popular chicken karaage. Their namesake derive from the fact that they serve kushi (skewered meat). Looking at the menu; they offer three different sets: kushi moriawase (10 pcs), seafood moriawase (8 pcs) and spicy moriawase (8 pcs). They also have individual skewers priced between $1.90 to $4.20 each. Some of the ones available are negima, bacon with asparagus, unagi, tsukune chicken meatball, buta bara, chicken heart, momo, honey rice cakes, sausage, etc ... Lastly, we were served dessert, and got the matcha ice cake ($8.40) - green tea lava cake with green tea ice cream. The ice-cream arrived intact, but the boyfriend was in the washroom, before coming back to the table to snap a photo (so it melted slightly). The overall presentation of the dessert was nice and decorated with chocolate sauce. I love green tea flavored desserts, so I was anxious to try it out. The ice-cream was store-bought so it didn't taste any different from other izakayas or Japanese restaurants. However, the green lava cake was soft and so moist on the inside ... scrumptious!! Tuesday is Kushi Day (50% off kushi) and Wednesday is Sashimi Day (50% off sashimi). They also have a party room available in the back which can accommodate 50 people. It's perfect if you want to hold a large party for your birthday or just any kind of celebrations. read more

Service was great..hamachi was fresh.. ramen was very over cooked.. I'd go back for the sashimi. The scallop yakitori was also over cooked. Overall the service and sashimi were worth going back for...and this shooter which was a refreshing and light. read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Shooter - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Large food menu with reasonable prices and quick service from gracious staff. Tonkatsu ramen ($9) has a nice selection of vegetables, including bamboo shoots and a bean sprouts (instead of chop suey) in a very tasty broth. Spicy salmon maki ($6) filling was tasty, but I was a bit put off by the warm rice (same for chirashi.) Tuna in maguro duke don ($12) was fresh and tender and the warm rice worked well with the raw egg. Deep fried items are done well (not too greasy); chicken karaage has a nice hint of ginger and gyoza filling is typical. Beef tongue is nicely presented on a sizzle platter, but a bit tough and chewy. Beef teriyaki was tasty, but had more fat than I care for. $29 set course includes a very average miso soup, choice of salad and dessert, pick 2 skewers/kushi and lots of hot and cold options for an appetizer and a main. Booth, communal and bar seating available. Recognizing that it is a bar, expect loud music and dim lighting (which makes it hard to appreciate the often lovely food presentation.) 4 enthusiastic stars based on 3 visits. read more

Friendly stuff, nice interior. However, most it food they offered as course A was disappointing. We were 14 of us. And so, we reserved a big table at the back of the restaurant. They said because it is Izakaya style reservation, we can only choose one of two course menus: A or B. That's fine if they provide fine food for the price. However, almost 70% of there course food was some kinds of deep fried dishes: chicken, shrimp, squid, you name it. Even dumpling (Gyoza) was fried. Yes, each deep fried dishes might be tasty, but who what to have more than 3 of them in a course? I expect them to change the menu. Otherwise, I won't come back for it. read more

Best sake EVER. fun to go here for tasting, very nice and informative sake-tender :) Sample 3 sake cups for $10. It's the only sake brewery in Toronto!!! read more

Treats employees horribly! Skims money off the top of the servers tips, short pays his staff. And on top of that asks for a 2 MONTH NOTICE for staff to leave! Disgusting and disrespectful! read more

Came here for a large birthday party (approx. 30 people). I don't think they are used to accommodating parties of this size. We were required to submit our food orders the day before so they could prepare for us. Because we had so many people, I understood why the restaurant asked for this. However, the wait time for food was between 1-2 hours per person depending on what you ordered. There were people at my table who finished eating 45 mins before my food arrived. Wait time aside, I thought both food and service were mediocre. Service: We were seated with no water for a period of time. My boyfriend asked for water for the table and they presented him one glass for himself. The birthday girl felt so bad about the service, she was carrying a pitcher of water and filling cups herself throughout the evening. We had to make multiple requests for napkins before we just got up and got them for ourselves. Soy sauce was presented to the table in tiny pots as food started coming out. For some reason, the waitresses collected the soy sauce back part way through the meal. The soy sauce disappeared from our table before our chirashi bowls came out but by this point, we were so hungry we didn't even try to ask for it back. One pro: the beer/alcohol came quickly. Food: Chirashi was mediocre - did not look like photos I've seen on Yelp. Also ordered the uni shooter where I could not taste the uni as the other flavours overwhelmed it. Could only taste the sweet pear on the bottom. Portions were kind of small for the bowls. I've heard rave reviews about this place by other friends and I was really excited to try it. However, I was let down by the experience. I know I was part of a large party and did expect food to come out slowly, but I certainly did not expect it to take as long as it did considering we pre-ordered. Two hour wait for a chirashi is inexcusable. The size of the party also doesn't make up for the poor service (water, napkins, soy sauce). read more

I had dinner here last night and I was impressed! We were seated in the back room where you take off your shoes and sit at tables where you can either cross your legs or place your legs under the table where there's a lower compartment so you can just sit normally. We ordered: Saikora steak - yum! but you gotta eat it warm Takoyaki - was too mushy Salmon tataki - ponzu sauce could use some work , it was too bland Bibimbap with kimchi and pork - yum! and a very large portion compared to Guu Kinmon (sp?) sake - mild warm sake that was recommended by the waitress that was perfect for our taste Skewers $2 each!!! - scallop, whole fish (no idea what it's called), pork belly (yum!), kushi chicken, chicken skin, shrimp, asparagus with bacon. You can get these with either teriyaki sauce or sea salt. I recommend the sea salt as it really brings out the flavour of the skewer compared to the teriyaki sauce which overpowered it. Also, order the skewers as you want to eat them as they get cold quickly. Salmon tempura salad - on the house! Such a nice surprise! You know everything tastes better when its free hahahaha... but really, this was good as well. Not outstanding but a delicious surprise that we finished even though we were stuffed. The service here was awesome! Our waitress, Mau, was very cheerful and accomodating. When I asked her if the sake was warm since she brought it out in the bottle, she quickly brought me a bucket of warm water to keep it in. And when we left the hostess came out of the restaurant to bow to us! My boyfriend thought she was chasing us down but was surprised when she came out into the cold, bowed 90 degrees and cheerfully said "thank you for coming!". Honestly, I would probably come back just for the awesome service alone, you just don't get that anymore at moderately priced places - keep up the good work Kushi! read more

Sake Bar Kushi - Skewers from top to bottom: kushi chicken, scallop, pork belly and fish - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario