Toyo

I wanted to see Chef Toyo because of Netflix. However, the food was underwhelming for me. The tuna was still quite frozen when they served it and it didn’t taste fresh. Some underrated restaurants offer better sashimi without the long line, loud surroundings, and you get to enjoy your meal sitting down. I now understand why the place is filled with tourists but not locals.

I came to know this place from the Netflix series about street foods of Asia. I arrived there around 1pm and there was already a line in front of us. However, it was only a few minute wait since I didn’t care where I stood so my table was near the sun which was fine. However, if you want a specific area with shade, you would have to wait longer which is fair. The staff here is super busy. It’s a hustle; fast paced type environment so not all staffs have time to be giving the best service but it is totally understandable. However, I noticed some people waiting in line murmuring “effing b-“ to a waitress when they still had to wait since they wanted the shaded table. I found it really appalling and disrespectful. If you’re not happy waiting for a place YOU wanted, then feel free to leave. There is no reason to feel that anger towards these people who work hard. The seafood was super duper fresh and our food came really quickly. The price is super affordable despite being a “tourist” place. ありがとがざいます Toyo San!

I had never heard of this place before, but my friend said it was a must-try, so we decided to check it out. We were pretty lucky—when we arrived around 1 PM, there was no line at all, and we got a great seat (or rather, a great place to stand, since there are no seats). Just a heads-up: everyone in your group needs to be present before you can be accommodated. The food is relatively cheap and of good quality, but what really makes this place stand out is the way the chef cooks—it feels like a mix of lunch and entertainment. It was a cool experience overall. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Osaka

Cool and interesting experience. We got there before it opened and there was already a huge line, but actually everyone got a standing table at the same time. Ordering and getting the food was super quick and drinks are self service. It’s really nice to start a conversation with other people at the table and watch the spectacle when Toyo starts cooking the tuna. The food is good but nothing too amazing. The braised tuna is quite good. Only foreigners at the restaurant and weird schedules are the main down points

Finally tried this place that got famous after the Netflix show. First, the line might seem long but they can fit alot of customers in one sitting as we eat standing up. Second, the sashimi is very fresh, the grilled tuna is really good. I thought its gonna be dry they way he grills it and also the hype but no, the food is really good. The chef, Mr Toyo himself knows how to hype a crows. You can tell he is a kind soul, and also he tried his best to speak in English for the diversity of his customers. Overall, good performance and ambience paired with good food at a reasonable price. Would definitely return!

Review: Izakaya Toyo – A Worthwhile Culinary Experience We arrived early at the area around 10:00 AM and decided to explore the nearby mall to pass the time. By 11:30 AM, we lined up and were the first in queue. At exactly 1:00 PM, they began letting guests in. We ordered the set menu of fatty tuna, crab claw, a fatty tuna sashimi set, and two unlimited Asahi oolong teas. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious and fresh—especially the tuna, which was impressively high quality. Everything we ordered was prepared with care and skill. We truly enjoyed watching Chef Toyo in action. He was very friendly and engaging, which made the experience even more memorable. After finishing our meal and paying, we had the chance to take a photo with him. It was a truly enjoyable and worthwhile experience—highly recommended for anyone visiting Osaka!

Izakaya Toyo was incredible! We watched the Netflix Street Food Asia episode on Osaka featuring Toyo and it far exceeded our expectations. The food was phenomenal (tender and fresh sashimi, smoky and flavorful tuna cheeks) and the atmosphere was fun and exciting. Watching Toyo broil the tuna cheeks with a blowtorch and flip them by hand was a sight to behold. He was also so nice and offered to take a picture with us! I would highly recommend a trip here if you’re in Osaka!

Unfortunately I can't really recommend here for food. Sashimi that are still a little frozen, under seasoned tuna cheeks but you get relatively good service. Come for the photo, but just order a small portion. You might not like it here. At least beer quality is standard in a bottle.

Such a fun experience. This was my third time here and I loved it. Came about 40 minutes before they opened and there was already a line formed. It wasn't too long that we were able to make the first round of standing when the place opened. They share your table, hence why they are able to hold so many people at once. You're also standing the whole time, so keep that in mind if you're not able to stand. The menu is simple, has different grades of tuna for their set menu, or you can order a la carte. I recommend the set menu though, and then it's your preference on fattiness of the tuna. I like a range, but my favorite is fatty tuna. I got an extra order of that. Not the highest tier of fat, but the one right below that. We also love an order of uni (but the set menu does come with it). The star of the show though is the tuna cheeks. These are grilled and what you see the chef cooks with his bare hands, hence why it takes a while since he does most of the orders at the same time. It's a cool experience seeing him cook with his bare hands on the hot open flame. The place blew up since it was featured on Netflix's Street Food: Asia in 2019, so I do recommend coming early, otherwise you'd be waiting. You wouldn't' wait too long though since it's pretty quick in and out. The Chef is so personable too, taking photos with guests and being funny. One of my top 5 meals in Japan, 10/10 recommend!

Popped in on a Saturday at noon and only waited a couple of minutes for a table. We were lucky enough to be standing right in front of the master himself when he prepared his signature torched tuna cheeks. We ordered their set with 3 cuts of tuna, Uni, and ikura, a plate of their eel, and of course, a small plate of their tuna cheeks. The seafood here really is fresh and prepared well. While it may seem overhyped, this place also has a good amount of locals dining in along with foreigners. These were some of the best bites of sashimi I've had and the tuna cheeks are definitely worth trying! It's very much a no frills establishment, no seats so you eat standing up. It is cash only so come prepared! I will definitely be back even if there is a wait!

Simple street food stand along an unassuming street in Osaka that specializes in tuna cheeks, sashimi, and other seafood dishes. Izakaya Toyo was bolstered to super stardom after appearing in Netflix's show, Street Food: Asia in 2019 and featured Chef Toyoji Chikumoto's flamethrowing prowess while grilling seafood with his bare hands. This stunning visual went viral and patrons have been lining up to get a bite ever since. It was also a great episode and I highly recommend watching it to learn his story. With that said, we *almost* decided not to go. It was really hot, my feet were crying in pain (lol), and the thought of waiting in a line for maybe TWO hours was not very motivating. I KNEW I would regret it though if I didn't go and check out what the hype was all about. We arrived around 2pm and was surprised to see a fairly "short" line which seemed to move rather quickly. We waited maybe 30 minutes? The tables are small, it's standing room only (no seats), and they're shared amongst other guests which would be kind of fun if you were paired up with a fun group (not the case for us, but no biggie). We were also at the furthest table possible, away from the action. You can walk up and watch Chef Toyo grill though and he seems to graciously smile for the camera whenever possible. Full transparency -- I don't eat anything raw, but thankfully they have some cooked options. Haha. I knew we had to get the famous broiled tuna cheeks so that was a given. We also got the grilled eel and shellfish and scallop vinegar. My other half also got tuna rolls. Each bite was delicious -- not mindblowing -- but good, clean, fresh flavors that you would expect in Japan. My favorite was the crab and scallops. Honestly, it was really the whole experience for us that was fun. Seeing Chef Toyo in action and eating his food after watching him on Netflix is a memory I'll fondly look back on. The cherry on top was when he saw my son watching him and he came out and picked him up and I was able to snap the best picture of them. That totally made my day! My husband and I are incredibly jealous our son has this awesome photo with Chef Toyo. Lol. I was too shy and didn't want to inconvenience him more to ask for a picture of myself with him. All in all, I am so glad we made it. Despite not seeing the flamethrowing action up close and personal, we still had fun and would recommend a stop here if the line isn't too long.

Don't be discouraged by the line, it moves pretty swiftly. The fatty tuna tasted pretty fresh, but nothing to rave about. The star is definitely the broiled tuna. He cooks them in batches so I guess they're not always fresh. They were gonna give us microwaved plates but we opted to wait for the next batch to watch the show. I thought that was weird but glad we waited to get a fresh batch because it was incredible. Very much worth the hype. Chef is very friendly and was doing photo ops the whole time. Must stop if you're in Osaka.

We showed up at 2:30PM on Wednesday after a day at Universal expecting a busy line. Turns out we only waited 30 minutes! Our group ordered their 5 person set that included grilled unagi, tuna sashimi, uni w/ roe, and scallops w/ crab meat. This was supplemented with fatty tuna rolls, the broiled tuna, and some beer. The combination of watching the famous chef cook and eating in such a non-fussy outdoor area felt like we'd finally gotten a bit of traditional Japan. Absolutely loved it.

Found out about the popularity of this street food place and had to make it. Reached here and the waiting time was at the minimum an hour and 30 minutes inside of that it was sold out which meant no more customers beyond the ones in the line at the time. The lines were managed pretty well on both sides of the street. When our turn came in ( after about an hour of wait time) we got to order and found out that they were sold out of eel and sea urchin and fatty tuna roll ( however they would discount that from the combo order). We ended up ordering the combo number 2 along with ark shell and the broiled tuna cheek meat. You get a standing table to eat at with all your items being brought there. Good street food must say though we would have loved to enjoy the urchin and the e as well. There happens to be a traditional processing passing by and the chef/owner jumped onto to the chariot to lead the troops. One of a kind experience. Recommend it though if you are ok with the wait times and the fact that they might be sold out of items by the time that you make it to the table. PS: they do happen to have a portable ( fully functional I'd say) toilet for those just in case scenarios.

Thank you Netflix for the introduction to this awesome izakaya! The line looks daunting, but it moves. All tables are standing room only and due to the limited space and popularity of the place, you may be sharing the table with others. They could run out of items right as you're dining, so if you know you want it, order it all as early as possible. We had the tuna and ended up wanting some more, but by the time we were able to put in our second order, all the tuna for the day was sold out (this was at 4 pm). We ordered the uni, unagi, and tuna. Everything was super solid and fresh! The employees are great -- even if you don't speak Japanese. Izakaya Toyo is cash only. Grab drinks yourself from the cooler and they'll add it to your bill at the end. Check their IG for possible days of closure!

Absolute worth the hype and fame! We expected a long wait at 2pm but it was under 30 minutes. Fortunate enough to get front row seats to the Toyo fire show. He bulk cooks the tuna cheeks so we got to see him bare-hand them for a couple orders. Once we got our table and ordered, we barely had to wait any longer before fresh fish flooded our table. Everything was amazing and melted in our mouth; fatty tuna, crab, scallop, unagi, ikura, and some in maki sushi form. Got a couple bottles of Toyo shochu to wash it down and that was great too. We would 100% come back for more!

If you've seen Netflix's Street Food, you'll instantly recognize Izakaya Toyo as the main feature of the Osaka episode and, let me tell you, it's legit. The food and experience is just as fire as the flames Toyo-San uses his hands to cook fish with. Just like in the show, the entire restaurant is outdoor. When you arrive; you'll be promoted to stand in a line until a table clears up. Practically all the tables are standing and chances are you'll end up standing with some strangers but it's all a part of the experience. Menus are on the table and you can place your order with one of the waitresses. You can also freely grab beers from a large cooler from the front and those will just be tracked by the staff. Watching Toyo-san cook and engage with people is a spectacle. His energy is radiant and he loves to show off. Not only that, but he's happy to put on a show and allow pictures and even hop out from behind the kitchen to take pics with the customers. Did I mention the food is delicious?! We ordered some rolls and the tuna was incredibly fresh and clean in taste. We also ordered the flame grilled tuna, which must be ordered in order to see the fire show, and the text was tender, fatty, and lightly sweet. No butane taste either from the flamethrower. If you're visiting Oskaka, this is a must

Sashimi was super fresh and owners was amazing. He was more than happy to show people his famous torching techniques and even let tourist know when he will start. His personality was just truely a gem. We ordered the sashimi platter for 2 and a side order of the torched tuna. All dishes were very good and fair price for the amount you get. We were full on 2 dishes. He was so accommodating afterwards as well for each and individual get a photo with him.

I came here like everyone else as they've seen videos online of Mr. Toyo-san grilling chunks of tuna with his bare hands and dipping his hand in ice water all the while having a lit cigarette in his mouth some of the time. He's become famous on Nexflix and social media. He is a character and friendly with guests and will take a selfie if you ask him. He speaks and understands a little bit of English. As for the food, I thought it was just okay. I ordered a serving of fatty tuna, uni and ikura. It came with a small serving of scallop n crab in vinegar n topped wIth green onions. My tuna had some normal slices and one big chunk that was difficult to eat. The fish was also still partially frozen which did not make it appetizing. The uni and ikura were fresh but somehow lacked a bit of flavor. The scallop n crab in vinegar was good but it was a very small amount. I did order some grilled tuna but didn't end up trying it as I left before it was cooked. The old man only grills the tuna at certain times and I wanted to go somewhere else before it closed. I wasn't charged for the grilled tuna. Overall it's great to experience and nice to meet the famous old man.

Saw this izakaya featured on the Netflix show "Street eats". This izakaya place is well known for the chef who uses his bare hands to cook the flame grilled tuna cheeks. It's definitely a spot to try out if you're visiting. You get delicious fish as well as an entertaining flame show. Because of its popularity, there is a line but it moves pretty quickly. The servers are very efficient and being you to a table once the prior customers are done. The tables are shared; so be prepared to mingle with your neighbors. Everyone gets a side dish for free that consists of scallops and vinegar and chives. We ended up getting the platter with toro, ikura, and uni and all of the pieces of fish was delicious. We also got the grilled tuna cheeks which had an amazing smoky flavor, and was very unique

Honestly disappointing. Through the years, we have visited many eateries seen on TV and YouTube recommendations and this has to be the worst one. First of all, Toyo-san is not the smiley uncle as portrayed on screen. He had a serious face on the whole time and only puts on a smile during his cooking shows where the staff would gather the crowd at the restaurant to take photos and videos. It felt inauthentic and fake. The food...failed. Price isn't bad so I guess some people would say this is good value. However, for the tuna platter, it's supposed to come with tuna, ikura and uni as seen on their menus. The staff never informed us that they were out of uni and simply served us tuna and ikura. What made it worse was that they did not completely defrost the tuna properly so you could taste the icy parts as you bite into the chunks...flavorless tuna popsicle. I did enjoy the torched/seared tuna, until I bite into large chewy pieces of fat/tendon...disgusting. At least trim out the inedible parts... Osaka has much better food to offer...this a good photo stop for Facebook and Instagram posts but I will never return for this quality of food.

First meal for me in Osaka. As a party of 2 we ordered the portion size for 2 people for the more fatty tuna combo, 2 half portions of broiled tuna cheek, and a half portion of grilled eel. I will say off the bat that these Japanese portions are small - I think for some dishes we could've gone up a portion size such as the combos. The tuna cheek portion is slightly bigger but you'll probably want 2 half portions if you're hungry for 1 person. Basically, each portion for "1 person" should be doubled if you wanna be full on an American stomach. The wait looked bad but only an hour to go from getting in line to getting our first plate of food. The waiters were friendly and spoke some English. Menus as you can see can be in English. Standing room only dining shared usually with 2 other parties. We spoke briefly with the couple standing across the table from us and they told us they enjoyed everything particularly the tuna cheek. The shopping baskets scattered around the ground are for your bags. As for the food, first the broiled tuna cheek is cooked in large batches by Toyo-San himself so try to order everything you want the first time around. The broiled tuna is slightly cold because it's just broiled on the surface as opposed to cooked all the way through. It was delicious especially with the vinegar and green onions. The grilled eel also stood out to me because instead of being soaked with sauce, it's light and thicker. You can also taste some of the grilled flavor. I also thought the complimentary scallop and crab with vinegar included with any order of the combos was delicious. The uni and ikura sushi were fresh but not out of this world. Overall we paid 5,340 yen and also got a selfie with Toyo-San so I think this was a pretty cool experience to eat at a place featured on Netflix. Definitely try to go earlier to make sure stuff doesn't sell out. We got in line at 1:30 pm and they open at 1. Also cash only!

Overall, maybe the biggest culinary disappointment on my recent trip to Japan. I planned my day in Osaka around visiting Toyo. The tuna, unfortunately, was still mostly frozen - I felt like I was eating ice cubes shaped like maguro sashimi. It was below 32 Fahrenheit, but still no excuse to serve frozen food. As for the other dishes, I found the maki to be underwhelming (considering the same frozen tuna was used), and the torched tuna to be lacking much flavor - only the fatty pieces had any texture to them, whereas the lean were tough to eat. My favorite item was the little crab/vinegar/scallion dish they throw in on the side. Unfortunately, as well, no uni on the day I visited. Come for the show, sure, but go just about anywhere else for better food. I'll throw in a star for the dude throwing his hand under a blowtorch, but I have zero reason to re-visit Toyo, especially considering the sky-high expectations.

Great food from Chef Toyo. The food lived up to the hype from the Netflix show. This was a recommendation from one of our friends who came here last year. The eel and the scallops are to die for. The wait for us on a Monday was about 45 mins but it was all worth it. You can take a picture and video while he cook the tuna cheeks and you can talk to fellow guests from around the world so you don't get bored at all. When he was about to cook our order, he called on my son to help him with the torch. I really loved this since he makes it fun for the guests while he was doing what he's famous for. My son loved the experience and we also met new friends Andre and Anyeli from Brazil. We will definitely be coming back here next time we're in Osaka.

Funky spot - was on Netflix. Worth coming to for the experience Got the following: Fatty tuna: 4 stars, very fresh and clean. The roe/sushi rice were good Broiled fish cheek: 5 stars, definitely delicious. Would get this again Scallops: 4 stars, tasty Would come back if there wasn't a wait for the broiled fish cheek.

Chef Toyo is a legend. Great back story. Food and atmosphere awesome. Can't wait to return to Osaka for his grindz.

For the flaming chef show alone, you must come here. After watching YouTubers and reading bloggers rave about this place, we decided we had to stop by - specifically for the show that the chef puts on during his cooking. We walked up, grabbed a table right in front of the famous stovetop grill/wok, and proceeded to order a plethora of items. You can't go wrong with any of their sashimi dishes because the selection of fish is so fresh and clean. The pieces are thick, so you won't feel skimped on food. Grab a bottle or two of beer and start chugging! The staff will just tally up your bottles at the end of your meal. When anyone orders the seared or sautéed fish, that's your opportunity to watch him toss the fish around the grill with his bare hands. He torches the fish, reaches into the flames to toss the meat around, and dips his hand periodically into and ice/water bucket to cool off. WHAT A SHOW!! The crowd here is usually local patrons with sprinkles of tourists who come to watch his show.

Like most people, this was added to our list because of the Netflix show We had arrived a little before Google Maps said they were gonna open ( I think 3pm) and there were already around 10 people in front of us. The restaurant was prepping and had a film crew there (Japanese show of some sort). The restaurant doesn't have chairs, or maybe I didn't notice it because I was took excited. They started letting people in and took their orders. Then they called my husband and me over. We were given a menu and and we wanted it all!!! Our table was one of the closer ones to the grill area so we were able to get a lot of good photos of Toyo. Here's the thing about the food - it's good. It's actually really good compared to what we get in America. I wouldn't say what makes the experience is the food; it's Toyo. He's eccentric and friendly makes the experience of coming to the restaurant more fun. Again, don't get me wrong, the food is good. It tasty and fresh but I feel like you can get really fresh food like that anywhere in Japan. What I'm trying to say is don't come here expecting to be wow-ed by the food. My husband enjoyed the shellfish the most and I enjoyed the uni the most.

The owner wasn't there and they were sold out of tuna cheek. Cash only and the line was long enough to split into two. Totally worth the trip though. The chef who was there was still a riot and cooked eel the same way the owner does the tuna cheek, with his bare hands and a torch. He even commented in Japanese how it wasn't as good or fun as tuna cheek. We got the crab, which was to die for. (My husband's favorite) And the more fatty tuna (my absolute favorite). We also got some fatty tuna roll. The more fatty tuna sashimi was my favorite thing (maybe in all of Osaka). But yes definitely go. And go early because apparently they open around 5 and sell out of tuna cheek by 6. Still worth though even if you don't get the tuna cheek. Get the crab and the more fatty tuna and there are other delicious things on the menu too.

Ever since seeing this place on Netflix I knew I had to go here! The tuna sashimi was to die for. The crab claws were amazing! I think we ordered about 7 orders of just the fatty tuna. It just melts in you mouth like butter. The Asahi beer and Soju highballs were a great compliment to all of the sashimi we had. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes to an hour to eat. The best $120 I've ever spent. Toyosan was as entertaining as ever. He also posed for a muscle shot for me! Stoked!!!!

Wow. Thank you for this wonderful experience. I wasn't able to see the tuna cheek and flames in action, but this was the perfect last meal for our trip! This place is right where our Airbnb was. It took me a while to find the name of this place (I have no idea how to type Japanese) and gain the confidence to go, as it looks as though they don't know English. Luckily, they even had an English menu available, and I was able to pull photos from the Instagram geotag and ask if they had it. They were VERY welcoming! All fresh. The tuna is amazing - even the lean tuna! The uni is amazing. The salmon roe is amazing. The eel is amazing. The shellfish (scallop and a lil crab meat) was refreshing! We also got the uni torched which came with seaweed instead of rice! Honestly, I think that we could have closed our eyes, ordered anything from the menu and still be impressed. The drinks are cheap too! 600yen for a big bottle of Asahi! This place is meant more for some drinks and snacks, but we just ordered two rounds to make it filling for dinner.

Fresh seafood with great prices and an AMAZING atmosphere. You don't need any Japanese to get by (English menus available) but it's definitely more fun if you do (it's a mostly friendly atmosphere) get there early as a line usually forms and they open early sometimes as well!

Quality all across the board at this tiny outdoor establishment, that's a larger than life of an experience. This place gets pretty lively once the flamethrower comes out. I was lucky and blessed to have been able to snap a photo with Toyo-San. Can't wait to return for a second round.

I really really wished I liked this place as much as it was hyped up on Street Food. This was the ONE place I was super excited for when we were doing our food tour around Osaka and sad to say, we were disappointed. There was of course a line when we got there but it surprisingly went pretty fast, we were at the front of the line before we knew it. It's all standing tables and if you're in a smaller party, you'll have to share. Drinks are all in a cooler with free refills on tea and beer/highballs you pay by the bottle S you grab them. We ordered the tuna sashimi, crab legs and a tuna roll. I REALLY don't know if we just got a bad order or what because our dish did NOT match any of the amazing reviews....the tuna was SO chewy and not one piece melted in our mouths...the crab legs were good and the tuna roll was average... Toyo-San was entertaining but it was a pricey meal and wasn't worth it...sadly

What is it about me that treasures the small eatery over larger more well know establishments? Is it my proletarian nature? My aw-shucks farm boy upbringing? Am I so desensitized by the t.v. chef driven, Michelin star rated, (what I feel) less value for your money places? Are my tastebuds deminished? Dios mio!!! If you are ever in or near Osaka, Toyo is a place you must visit. Must! (You don't have to read anymore if you don't wanna). Tachinomiya (to stand and drink) bars flourish throughout Japan. The fact that these places generally have a limited menu, and serve low budget sake and beer is a plus for me. What they lack in serenity, and vogue, they make up for in value and fun. Toyo is not just a tachinomiya, it's a man. A laughing, hairy armed, often smiling, sometimes barking man. With a kitchen towel wrapped around his thick neck, like a boxer, he a maestro of kuidaore..."to eat & drink until you drop". There are some eight to ten steel top tables here. These fill up promptly by 3:35, as he opens up at 3:30. Business men, still dressed in their black suits along side skaters and hip-hop wannabes gather around. Drinks are poured, jokes told, and as the noise level reaches a fever pitch, above it all you hear Toyo-san barking out orders. You retrieve your own drinks from a sliding top icebox. 500 milliliter bottles of Asahi and boxed sake (say it for me! Sah-Kay! Not Sah-Key! Thus ends the Japanese lesson!) are the most selected. There are possibly others, but I didn't notice. Bottle opener and clean, cold towel are on each table. Service staff flutter about taking orders, delivering food, dispensing information. The only menu I noticed was at the small counter/cooking area where Toyo works. I had: Okinawa Sea-grapes: tiny emerald balls of seaweed that pop with a briny-brackish flavor. These can be addictive and add greatly to any fish dish. Hamo (Daggertooth Pike Eel): a favorite for people of Kansai. The white meat fish deboned and boiled in dashi is served with umeboshi paste and pairs well with the sea grapes. Maguro: cooked over a charcoalgrill, seared by blow torch, sweet and juicy, in ponzu and riddled with green onion. You'll want more. Toro: The fatty belly meat of the maguro served sashimi style. The prize of the raw fish consuming world. All in, fourth bucks and change, that includes the beer. I watch as Toyo-san uses a blow torch to sear the top of a batch of maguro, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Later he comes to our table and greets us. After we pay-up, he takes the time to personally come and thank us, and invite us back. He is a man of the people, and in this respect, we are one. Mahalo Toyo-san!! Aloha

Oh that Netflix special... You got me. When planning a trip to Japan I was told to watch the Street Food special for Osaka. Chef Toyo-san's skill with that blow torch is amazing and I had to see in person. It's definitely a fun experience and the food was amazing as well. The fatty Tuna and Uni were melt in your mouth good, OH and Unagi Sushi was yum! The atmosphere is fun and lively. Definitely try if you are ever in Japan. Tip is to go when it opens as it gets crowded.

He is absolutely funny and charming! This made my daughters trip! He's such a character and wanted to know where we were from, and when we said Las Vegas he got super excited and says "VEGAS!" both hands on his hips then started pretending he was on a slot machine! Oh and I almost forgot to mention his food.... Ahhhhmazing... I don't eat uni but my kid does and said I had to try it, it was butter. So fresh! Everything was so fresh ... We left very happy! He did not disappoint

It was a 26 min walk from Osaka castle to Toyo. Got here at 5p and the line wasn't too bad. We waited about 40 min and they took a bunch of ppl one time. Side note: When we left at about 7, the line was VERY LONG. We had a party of 8, 4 adults & 4 children and the table was just right. It's standing room only, & u grab your own beer, ice, glasses, utensils & plates. Thought that was cool, cause I dug at the bottom of cooler for my ICE cold beer. We ordered a set that fed 5-6 ppl, and it was perfect for the 4 adults. It consisted of a 4 medium sized plates of uni & ikura sushi, scallops & fish with green onion & ponzu sauce, cooked unagi, & sashimi.Toyo cooks when needed so you have to be patient till he puts on his show of flame thrower cooking, which is very exciting and entertaining to watch. The highlight for us was meeting Izakaya Toyo himself. He came out and greeted our Ohana, took pictures with us & even picked up and hugged my 2 yr old son. The Netflix special on street food Osaka has an AMAZING backstory on him & im overjoyed that we got to experience his food & friendly personality. I highly suggest izakaya Toyo if your in the area, the experience will not disappoint you!

Food cooked with a blow torch? Yes, please. The raw stuff pretty good, too. First time in Japan. Usually I'm a finicky eater-but it is all wonderful. Ate roe, salmon, sea urchin, tune cheek via BLOW TORCH! Entertaining chef, friendly patrons around us. Fantastic!

Cheap and awesome! It's not a restaurant actually. It's a shack on the street. They put a wood plank in top of beer crates and you stand around it. No chairs. They purchase crates of seafood from the market and use a big scoop and plop it on top of the plain rice maki rolls. Beer is self service from the ice box. Toilet is portable toilet. There is always a lineup so go early. You may be sharing the table with other people but everyone is friendly.

While the spouse was standing at a kiosk down the street for some janky yakisoba, I wandered down and saw what looked like an impromptu office party...people standing around drinking and eating small plates of amazing looking fish and heavenly smells coming from a charcoal brazier. Toyo doesn't even have walls. And the guy with the blowtorch with a cigarette is fully in command of the operation. If it says "osusume" just get it and whatever else looks or smells good if you can't read the whiteboard showing what's on. That could be seared scallops, tuna with negi or scallops and kani with ponzu. I told the spouse to bag the yakisoba and we grabbed a beer out of the ice of a tailgate-looking coolers and two glasses and stood at a table with just a steel top next to some guy blowing cigarette smoke into my face and with a blazing heat-dish roasting my rear from behind--happy as could be. it was raining and the place was barely covered, but no one minded: the fish was superbly fresh. This place was so much fun. For two with drinks (cold tea and a large Asahi), a generous plate of scallops and crab with negi and ponzu, an even more generous plate of basic maki slathered with a good handful of ikura and uni alongside fat slices of toro it came to about $40, Y=114 to $. People rave about Anthony Bourdain's touting Koyoshi Sushi, which probably has it's own appeal, but this place was just so fun, I can't help recommending it if you're in Osaka. We go back whenever we're in the area.

Glad we made the time to search for this gem. Great food, especially the tuna cheeks and fatty tuna. And yes he seems as happy and friendly as he you see on Netflix...