KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL

I had an amazing experience at Kinka sushiba.The sushi was fresh and flavorful, with a great variety of options. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it perfect for a casual dinner or a special occasion. The staff was friendly and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. I highly recommend trying Big Prawn Tempura and Spicy Nasu+Tofu! Can't wait to go back!

I absolutely love the atmosphere here, it's live and energetic. The food is so delicious and very well presented. This place is great for date nights or any night for that fact. Prices are a touch high but well worth it for the quality and service. The kitchen staff are very friendly too. We had the Takowasabi, Salmon tataki, Veg miso, Ebimayo, Unagi bimbimbap, Marinated jelly fish, Jap pancake, Miso short rib, and the Salmon fish and chips. What a great night. I would definitely come again if I ever visit Toronto again. I’m from the West Coast. I recommend this place to anyone who loves izakya. Awsome izakaya place!

The food was a 10/10 and the drinks were also unique and tasted great. A very fun vibe to this place. Atmosphere lost a star only because it was very loud. But honestly the interior was so cool and welcoming, a definite must-see. The service was top tier too, they made sure to celebrate my husband's birthday in a way that was more comfortable for introverts (without all the crowd singing) and then took a Polaroid picture of us together as a memento for our night 🩷

TLDR: sushi was not good, takoyaki had little or inedible squid I came and ordered six pieces of sushi, takoyaki and chicken karage. Only the karage was decent. The sushi came with so little fish and just all rice, it wasn’t balanced and the yellowtail didn’t taste great. The takoyaki either had very little squid in the pieces or if it did have it, it was tough and inedible.

Nice vibe to hang out with friends. Big pawns were fresh. Karaage was nicely fried. Takoyaki was good. Sake Sangria was my first time trying and was really good, a bit sweeter than expected but acceptable. Sushi was disappointing though, a bit dry and tasted old. Nice vibe and setting. Staff was very friendly.

YUMMERS!! Super cute izakaya I didn’t even know existed until recently and have been meaning to try for a while!! Great atmosphere (well.. we were there on a Wednesday night lol) and the food and drinks were lovely 🥰 Will be returning for sure! 😋

The food was not the best Asian food I’ve had, but the tempura was really good. They even gave us Polaroids of us and free matcha cheesecake and ice cream for celebrating our anniversary! A good place to celebrate a special occasion.

The first impression wasn’t the greatest. We started on the wrong foot with the hostess being quite snobbish. We asked to change table because my partner is claustrophobic, but she acted really annoyed while there was plenty of other options, which she pointed out but with the attitude that goes with it. We were very polite about your request and I appreciate we all have our bad days. Now onto the best part, the food was seriously good, the kitchen is open and you can see the staff working their magic and deliver tasteful and filling food (shoutout to the sushi and karaage). Worth mentioning is the bar that provides original and flavorful cocktails. Waiting staff was very smiley and nice (and Japanese ☺️) The bill came out reasonable for the food we had. All in all I’ll be back despite the not greatest welcome.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stumbled upon this restaurant late Saturday night- just in time for happy hour. The food was incredible! Service not so much- but all in forgiven as the Pinot noir was delicious too. Highly recommend

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

Indoors loud but they have a few tables outside in a patio setting. Very cute. Good was interesting. Drinks were good. Particularly good was the pressed salmon sushi.

An adorable place to share many dishes and drinks with friends! We thought the entrance was by the ramen place next door so just beware that the door is more discrete near the side of the block, not the corner. We tried the carbonara udon (so good and creamy), spicy tuna tartare, beef carpaccio, okonomiyaki, assorted sashimi set, and BBQ eel sizzling stone rice bowl (couldn't really taste the eel but it was a flavorful rice). We also ordered drinks and I got the neko punch. Other drinks included the neko damashi, matsu (matcha milkshake), and yuzu mojito. The cat cups were adorable! The service was good and the food came out relatively quick.

Visited this location for a Friday night dinner with a party of 4. We ordered a variety of dishes off the menu and everything was really good. The highlights were the salmon tataki, beef carpaccio, smoked duck, prawn tempura and stir-fried beef udon. First time having a Chu-Hi and ordered the grapefruit and lychee versions. They were a bit light in the alcohol but the fruit flavours were refreshing. Others in our party ordered the Matsu which was also good. It's quite cozy (tables packed tight) and can get quite noisy here, especially when sake bombs are ordered ;) All in good fun though! We had a great time and would definitely come here again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The food was good but nothing we ate was super special or exciting. The second time we went for winterlicious and the menu did not quite meet our expectations either that time unfortunately. But they do have a fun sake bomb where the staff shouts and you baby your table to drop the sake into your beer. It's definitely more of a drinking place than an eating place and it gets very lively some evenings.

Kinka is a semi upscale feeling sushi restaurant in the heart of downtown Toronto. The sushi was fresh and flavorful and I really enjoyed the drinks they provided. I enjoyed the presentation of my sushi as well as the drink (which I opted to buy a second). Not pictured are the truffle fries which were topped with Benito flakes and kewpie mayo. Those were absolutely delicious. The service was wonderful up until it was time to get our check. It took over 20 minutes and we asked multiple times. It wasn't busy at all and they appeared to have ample servers. Not sure why the ball was dropped there but outside of that it was a decent experience. Additionally you may notice they have two sides to the restaurant. If you want to enjoy more casual Japanese dining such as ramen or takoyaki you would want to go to the opposite side while this side gave a more glam vibe. Prices were reasonable as well.

We got the Tokyo fries, a sushi roll special and the assorted pressed sushi. It was delicious food. Service was odd. The sushi roll came out so late, we'd already finished our drink and other 2 items. The inside was darker than I would have liked. For a Tuesday is was fairly busy. I would return.

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

Came on a weekday night over the holidays, before a Raptors game. The restaurant is a 3 minute walk from Scotiabank - very close. Excellent meal! The rundown - Baked cheese oyster app - this came in a cast iron dish, bubbling with cheesy goodness, as a dip with crisp toast points. Delicious! Duck breast/spinach in soup udon - the duck was perfectly cooked. BEST OF ALL - curry tonkotsu on rice. The pork chop was so tender, the curry was spicy, sweet and dark - it was out of this world. Highly recommend!

The food was great. The ambiance was fun. The tables are a little too close. The oysters were the best I've ever had.

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

I went here with my friend on Christmas Eve. The thing I love about Asian restaurants is that they are always open even on stat holidays. They have an interesting selection of drinks and cocktails that are Asian inspired. There are drinks that are made with soju or Japanese flavoured liquors. A popular item in the restaurant is a Soju bomb, where are you? I'll have the staff, screaming and yelling in excitement as you smack on the table and let the soju drop it at a drink The menu is definitely designed for sharing . I would say between two people you should order at least 6-8 dishes and expect to spend around $50 each. The portions are a little bit smaller, but depends on the item you got. The best items in my opinion for value for money and based on taste or the wasabi octopus and the carpaccio. The Karaage chicken was really tasty and had an excellent selection of different flavors. The pieces are quite big as well. The disappointing items were the calamari , I thought it would be a classic breaded style. It turned out to be heavily sauce and sweet-and-sour sauce, reminding me of sweet-and-sour pork. Just need to be aware of. Their tuna tartare was tasty but was buried in a sea of avocado, and, guacamole making it hard to appreciate the seafood. It was also served with seaweed pieces, which is less enjoyable, and less substantial, that something like a cracker in my opinion, and also hard to dip and scoop up the food.

Ordered the Carbonara Uson, BBQ Eel stone bowl and Agedashi Tofu (half eaten ) . Food was very good. Service was good, atmosphere is not too loud.

Good service, atmosphere is great. Food is good for its setting. Make sure to get the oysters.

Reservation through Yelp was easy, and you will get seated right away with the reservation. Outdoor dining is also nice, especially because they have heat lamps. We got the soba, carbonara udon, and salmon oshizushi. All were so soo delicious. The soba had a simple dashi broth, so this dish is good for those who want a light meal. On the other hand, the carbonara udon was nice and thick- the truffle taste very noticeable. It was very tasty and appreciated the spinach chunks (which there was more than I expected). The salmon sushi is comparable to the salmon you would get as a part of an omakase. It was super super good. Best part is, the prices were fair. Definitely coming back again if I visit!

Been here numerous times and Kinka never disappoints: Pros: - Good selection of food and drinks. - Lots of specials. - Prices are good. - Nice vibe. Cons: - Loud! - Busy and thus service can be subpar at times.

The atmosphere here is clean, open, and casual. The service we were provided with was also top and one of the best. Everyone was so nice and the food was so good! I honestly recommend their cocktails too - I had the mojito lychee and it was the most refreshing cocktails ever. I wish I could try all their cocktails! For food, we ordered okonomiyaki to share, karaage curry, and sukiyaki curry udon. The price here is so reasonable and the portions are very large. If you haven't been DEFINITELY try!

A friend and I were here for the first time for dinner at this restaurant at this location. Highly recommend making reservations as it got really busy and guests waiting outside to be seated on a Thursday nigh! We ordered: - hot green tea - pumpkin croquette - brie cheese 2.0 - tiger shrimp oshizushi - grilled salmon bento -hojicha brulee - matcha cheese cake Everything was delicious! I was even impressed with the green tea! LOL Flavours and portion sizes for all dishes was on point. I'm not a big cheese cake fan but the matcha cheese cake is so worth having! Atmosphere is very energetic and can get very loud. Food is incredible here and look forward to going back.

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

A colleague and I grabbed dinner at Kina Izakaya while in town for a work event. We ate outside in they're shady patio area which was truly lovely. I didn't use the bathroom so I can't speak to the ambiance inside but I definitely recommend the patio on a warm day. The cocktail list looked very appealing but I wasn't in a cocktail mood on a Tuesday. I had a sake off their specials list that was truly lovely and my coworker had a couple Sapporos that came in a nice frosty glass which is a lovely touch. The menu situation is a bit chaotic. There were four different menus for drinks, food, specials, tapas, etc., one of which was a photocopy of a handwritten page so it was kind of hard to read. The food was truly excellent. We started with the veggie gyoza, tempura prawns, and tuna tataki. The tuna in particular was incredible. I had the eel sizzling rice bowl which was also fantastic. They also offer to mix it up for you at the table after they bring it out which was really nice to have. Service was a little spotty. It took a while to be seated and we needed to stop our server a few times to ask for more water, to order entrees, to get the check, etc. That said, I only saw one server for the whole patio so I think they're just a little understaffed. He was very friendly too so we didn't really mind being a bit patient. Prices were reasonable and I would definitely like to come back to try the set menu. My colleague is pescatarian and you have to do a minimum or two orders so it wasn't an option for us (includes meat dishes as well as fish and veggie).

Atmosphere: welcoming patio, softly lit, right in the heart of the city. Service: friendly, pleasant, accommodating. Food: Small plates of tofu, dumplings, tofu seaweed salad,and bibimbap (no cheese) were all relatively good. Hopeful for more vegan options. Overall: in the summer especially a friendly patio for a drink and small plates of reasonably good food

Came here during a trip to Toronto bc it was one of the most reviewed restaurants, and thought the food was solid but probably not something I'd come back for. We ordered salmon tataki, grilled mackerel bento, and scallop oshizushi which. Fish wasn't super fresh but all the flavors were tasty and presentation was very nice. Service was also quick.

Came here for late night snacks. Had tako wasabi, sashimi and soup udon. Same as other Kinkas, service was nice. By the way I felt bad about broken their POS machine, hope they've fixed it by now.

Have been to kinka in other locations, decided to come here for a quick dinner. I got the chicken karaage bento box and my friend got the eel donburi. The eel donburi was very flavorful, savoury with a hint of sweetness. The chicken karaage itself was very crispy and savoury, however there were no other sauces in the bento bowl so the rest of the meal was quite plain. Also note both portions were quite small. I would recommend getting the donburi here :) will probably need to get an appetizer to be full.

Service was good and I liked the ambience. However the food wasn't authentic, especially from what I felt as I just came back from Japan. The Karrage Chicken didn't feel as crispy as many others I've had, the Mentai Udon has small portions for the price, toppings/ingredients felt store-bought quality, the Octopus in the Tako-Wasabi was not fresh/crunchy and felt small in portion, the oyster was normal in quality but again small in portions. Overall, I expected better

Great kbbq! They have a Yelp waitlist, but you can't join it online you have to be there in person, which is annoying. We had to wait an hour and got a drink at Pour Boy 'round the corner while we waited. Good cocktails! A little surprised they didn't have bulgogi at dinner time, the meats were quite plain, but super high quality so they tasted great with all the banchan.