Gyu-Kaku: Japanese BBQ Dining

Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Japanese yakiniku (barbeque) restaurants. Since their first Japan location 20 years ago in 1996, the chain has grown to a staggering 688 locations in 11 countries. There are now over 600 restaurants in Japan, with worldwide locations in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Taipei, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Gyu-Kaku's Toronto location opened last month on 81 Church Street. It took them 20 years to get here but I guess better late than never! My friend and I went on a busy Friday night, and thank goodness we made reservations because it was an hour-and-a-half wait otherwise.

A charcoal grill is installed in every table at Gyu-Kaku, and if you're worried about the smoke, don't be. The chain restaurant is known for their smokeless roaster, where with its down draft system, smoke is sucked in to the bottom of the table. The air was never smoky or stuffy when I was there.

Gyu-Kaku (Instagram: @gyukakujbbq, Facebook: Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ) offers a wide range of ready-to-grill beef, poultry, pork, seafood and vegetables. On the menu are also a ready-to-eat appetizers, salads, soups, noodles and rice dishes. 

Although this was my first visit at Gyu-Kaku in Toronto, my first Gyu-Kaku experience was six years ago in Huntington Beach, California. I even dug up the blog post for it!

SAPPORO DRAFT MEGA MUG ($11)

Tasting Menu at Buca Osteria & Bar (Buca Yorkville)

16-Course Tasting Menu at Buca Osteria & Bar (Buca Yorkville)

Rob Gentile (chefrobgentile), Executive Chef

Ryan Campbell (bucachefcampbell), Chef de Cuisine

Kris Lee (krisokgunlee), Sous Chef

STUZZICHINI (appetizer)

BOTTARGA - Sea urchin bottarga, senape yogurt

Look at the size of that truffle...we better be gettin' some!

YESSSSSSS!

Sake Bar Kushi (Kushi Izakaya) in Midtown

Sake Bar Kushi opened quietly this past summer on 257 Eglinton Ave. just east of Avenue Rd. The restaurant, with a name which boldly states its specialties as being kushi and sake, is actually selling itself short. How so? Well if taken literally, one would think that the restaurant offers merely kushi (Japanese for skewers used to hold / pierce food for grilling and frying) and sake...but don't be fooled guys! After my dinner at Sake Bar Kushi (Facebook: Sake bar Kushi) last week I realized that this midtown Japanese restaurant offers much, much more than just skewers and sake...

...But more on that later. Lets take a look at Sake Bar Kushi's decor. I love all the dark wood here, every bit of it. I know some of you may think it's too dark but really, it works, especially with the long straight lines and wide panels. The warm lighting also brightens up the space so it's not dark at all and is in fact, quite cozy. The statement piece in the room is definitely the communal table in the middle which separates the semi-private booths on both sides. The display of sake and beer bottles dividing the table is also attractive and fun.

I call this wall "The Great Wall of Kushi"!

Following the The Great Wall of Kushi will lead you to Sake Bar Kushi's party room at the back. With three long tables stretched across, the room can comfortably accommodate 30 people. This is really great for birthdays and private parties.

Mogette Bistro

It was a very nice change of scenery, a much needed one, when I stepped foot into Mogette Bistro (@MogetteBistro) on Mount Pleasant several weeks ago for dinner. A midtown restaurant away from the craziness of downtown Toronto, Mogette Bistro serves classic French bistro cuisine. Not fusion. Not "French-inspired". Not "with French flavours". Classic French cuisine. Almost unheard of nowadays in the city. When was the last time you had classic French food?

The decor at Mogette is clean, simple yet elegant. Framed black and white photographs hung above classic wainscoting, silver table settings on white linens, beautiful wooden floors leading to a small bar at the back....nothing here is over-the-top fancy. Everything feels just right. No loud music. No hipsters. A perfect date night spot.

Started the evening off with a bottle of BenMarco Malbec.

Nome Izakaya

Restaurants outside downtown Toronto are not my forte. Nothing against them but there's just not enough of ME to go around (I also blame the stupid traffic, can't get anywhere at a decent time.) It would be perfect if I can replicate myself - I would love to have one "me" in downtown, another "me" in midtown / uptown (i.e. anything north of Eglinton), a third "me" in the west-end and also a fourth "me" that just stays home for my Mom's cooking. Heck, spread me around the world (ok that sounds weird) but imagine the possibilities! Think of all the hidden gems in the world, all the food you can stuff your face with! Incredible. *SIGH* A girl can dream, right? 'Cause yeah these are totally the things I dream about. 

Sorry, I digress. Back to reality. Back to TORONTO. 

My foodie friend Alex (@tsangzillavs) introduced me to Nome Izakaya a couple of weeks back. Nome, on Yonge just north of Sheppard, is practically Alex's second home (helps that he lives two minutes away from it.) He's always there so this obviously peaked my interest. Izakaya? Midtown? Highly recommended by a fellow foodie? I'm down. Even if it meant driving (more like crawling) on the 401 doing 60 km/hr in the rain two Saturdays ago. OK I'm exaggerating. It wasn't that bad. But close enough.

From Nome's website:

"Nome Izakaya is a Japanese tapas restsaurant and lounge located at 4848 Yonge Street in Toronto. Specializing in the freshest sashimi delicacies and boasting the city's best oyster bar, Nome will surely impress you."

Once we sat down, I let Alex do all the ordering. It was a nice change :)

NIGORI SAKE ($19)

ONIKOROSHI JUNMAI ($35)

The Guild Restaurant

Has it been only two months? Two months since The Guild opened? I was wondering about this the other day because the restaurant, located at 1442 Dundas St. W., seemed to have successfully integrated and established itself as a friendly and popular neighbouhood spot already (it is a packed house there every weekend). I double checked and triple checked. Yes, I'm right - it hasn't even been a full two months, technically speaking.

The Guild (Twitter: @guildresto, Facebook: The Guild Restaurant) served its first weekend brunch on Sunday, March 10th. Dinner service quickly followed a week later on Wednesday, March 20th. Saturday and Sunday brunch, plus dinner from Wednesday through Sunday? Methinks that's pretty impressive for a brand new restaurant. Well chef and owner Mani Binelli (formerly of Centro, Canoe, and Auberge du Pommier) didn't just stop there 'cause a couple of weeks later, he further expanded his restaurant's menu to include a $2 snack menu (with half priced wine) every Wednesday and Thursday, as well as a $30 prix-fixe menu on Sundays. 

With such an ambitious offering, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that The Guild is gaining so much positive momentum in such a short period of time. The local spot is certainly off to a fantastic start, and this is confirmed after the very solid dinner I had at the chef's table several weekends ago, all thanks to chef Binelli (@ManiBChef) and Peter Petruniak (@ChefPeteTO), dinner sous chef of The Guild.

Guu Sakabar Never Disappoints

Guu Sakabar's menu and specials posted outside

When it comes to izakaya (i.e. a Japanese drinking establishment which serves food to accompany drinks), I always default to Guu. Although there are several newly opened izakayas in downtown Toronto, I somehow find myself at either Guu SakaBar or Guu Izakaya whenever I have a craving for izakaya. And because these 'izakaya cravings' do not happen that often, when they do, I want to make sure that I will be completely happy and satisfied after my meal, which is is precisely why I always end up at Guu (@GuuToronto) - I've never left Guu disappointed. The food there is consistently good, their awesome vibe never ceases to amaze me, the staff is always friendly and cheerful, and last but not least, I find myself practically rolling out of the restaurant, beyond full with a grin on my face, every single time :)

This time was no exception. I took a friend to Guu SakaBar recently. He has never been to Guu before (I know, shocking!) so I felt that it was my duty, as a friend, to take him there (OK I admit, I was also having an izakaya craving at the time).

To experience the full "Guu experience", I find it best to sit at the bar. Despite the fact that it can get a bit loud, I strongly encourage those who haven't been to Guu to try it out (you can always sit in the tatami room next time...only available at Guu SakaBar though!)

I had the GUU CAESAR (obviously) with Yuzu pepper infused vodka, clamato ($6.5) 

My friend had ASAHI ($7)

Between the two of us, we had the following: 

KURAGE - Marinated jellyfish ($4.5)

Chantecler

Chantecler (@ChanteclerTO), located on 1320 Queen St. W., is yet another new addition to the progressively popular Parkdale neighbourhood. Co-owners chef Jonathan Poon (formerly Woodlot, Delux, Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner) and front-of-house manager Jacob Wharton-Shukster (formerly Origin, Buca, Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner) teamed up to bring Asian-Canadian fusion cuisine to the city. 


The restaurant, Chantecler, is named after a chicken breed native to Canada and its name is proudly laid out in black tiles above the 1935 cast iron and enamel Moffat stove; it is fully operational (!) and chef Poon and his staff uses it as a finishing stove before plating. 

Really digging the bistro-style white tiled floors, thick wooden tables (which the co-owners built themselves) and the brick walls. Simple yet sophisticated.

We sat at the communal table by the front.

Cowbell

Cowbell (@cowbellresto), located in Parkdale, is known for having a chalkboard menu that is revised daily. As their website says, doing so "not only announces the day's offerings, but gives a window onto the farms and seasons of Southern Ontario". Chef and owner Mark Cutrara (@mcutrara) is all about cooking exclusively with organic and naturally raised ingredients and serving delicious food in an unpretentious bistro.  Cowbell opened in 2007 where Chef Cutrara processes whole animal carcasses, including cow, elk, deer, pig and lamb, into aged steaks and chops to house-made charcuterie, sausages, carpaccio and burgers. A carnivore's dream really. 


I was really looking forward to trying Cowbell's burger for our Dish Duel tasting since their burger is one of the best in the city. It is no wonder that Toronto Life asked Chef Cutrara to give readers some tips in how to make the perfect patty.


I immediately felt like I walked into a cowboy movie when I stepped into Cowbell. The rustic chandelier, wall scones, the benches with rich red accents and the soft yellow/golden lighting all ties together for a very western decor.

Cowbell's menu.

My Caesar. I wanted to order a second one but seemed a bit excessive given it was only 6:30pm on a week night.

elle m'a dit

My friends Cindy, Adrienne (@peppercornpoppy) and I really enjoyed our dinner at elle m'a dit (@ellemaditoui) several weeks ago. It was Cindy's suggestion to try elle m'a dit and as always, her picks never disappoint =)


I had a good feeling about elle m'a dit even before stepping inside mainly because I have a soft spot for restaurants in quaint houses; they give me this warm, cozy, safe fuzzy feeling inside (ok maybe not fuzzy). It's kinda like going home but in this case, going home to eat... Alsatian food.

elle m'a dit on Baldwin St (left), its huge mural on the right (right)

elle m'a dit opened in June 2011 and serves "modern Alsatian cuisine". Chef Gregory Furstoss was born in Alsace (a region in the northeastern part of France) and was a sous chef at Bistro and Bakery Thuet before opening elle m'a dit with his wife, Tory Yang (the two met at Bistro and Bakery Thuet).

Several tables surround the bar on the ground floor. It is a very intimate and romantic space.

A Tongue and Rabbit Brunch at The Hoof Café

I went to The Hoof Café with Cindy back in January. It's been, what? 4 months now? Geez, how time flies. Anyway, since it's been so long, please don't mind my lack of details in this post. Maybe just enjoy the pictures? There are a few things I remember about The Hoof Café: 1) the place is tiny 2) the food is awesome 3) I want to go back. 


I went there on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. In case you didn't know, I love brunch. Also, if you have read about my experience at The Black Hoof (The Hoof Café's sister restaurant across the street), you would know I am quite carnivorous in nature, and I dig food that is out-of-the-ordinary (especially the artery clogging kinds!). The Hoof Café, originally opened so that people waiting for a table at The Black Hoof has a place to go, combines my love for brunch and unique foods in one place. FYI, The Hoof Café doesn't only serve brunch, it turns into a bar with a snack menu at night, with a cool offering of dishes like crispy beans and grilled beef heart.


Cindy and I didn't get table right away. I had to leave my name and phone number, and the lady suggested we go get a coffee around the corner until she calls. We walked around for maybe 15-20 minutes and got a call back. We sat at the bar (my favorite!)


The decor is pretty simple but artsy. It gives a bit of a farmhouse feel due to the wooden bar, but yet it has a cool tin ceiling, whitewash cupboards (old windows as cabinet doors), and a stainless steel counter. All this gives a modern yet rustic feel (I notice I'm using a lot of juxtapositions here).