北の家 Guu Izakaya

This restaurant has truly changed my mind towards Japanese cuisine since I'm not a big fan of sushi. This entrance to the restaurant is like walking through the entrance of Tokyo. This experience has really allowed me to respect the Japanese culture and an experience that I would never forget. As we approached the restaurant, there was already a long line up outside, every one waiting for their names to be called. We waited for 40-45 minutes. What was very unique about this restaurant was, every time someone walked through the front door, all the waitresses, chefs, hostess, bar tenders, and other workers, will greet you. You must think, well.. all restaurants greet people. But this restaurant really offer you the greatest greet you'll ever experience. As we walked through the front door, all the workers loudly greets us with the Japanese language. It was really something I've never seen before. The inside was rather small, but you can almost feel the love of the workers flowing around the space. The kitchen and bar were both open-spaced which really provided an one on one interaction with the customers and other workers. There was outdoor patio seats, side tables, and long tables centered in the middle which were all gathered by people. I was however really glad we probably had the best seats there! We had the high stool seats that were situated right in front of the bar, allowing us to view the bartenders creating very unique drinks that smelt and appeared so beautifully in the beautiful glasses. The bar was decorated with a really creative scheme of using Japanese bottles gathered perfectly on a beautifully designed shelf behind the bar. And hey, we're girls after all, watching these really good looking Japanese bartenders making these amazing drinks made the experience there even more worth it ;) Upon sitting at our seats, we received wetted towels from the waitress and we wiped our hands with it as it was probably incorporated in the Japanese culture. My friends and I were well prepared for ordering as we looked up for review recommendations on the internet while we were waiting outside. We ordered 6 dishes and they came one by one just at the right times to finish one dish at a time while eating them freshly served. The place was pretty loud and is hard to talk with your friends as the workers continuously greet the customers coming in and out as well as sending out messages from one worker to another. But I didn't mind it at all as it was a really interesting experience hearing the Japanese language live. All the workers were extremely well-mannered, and made me wonder how they still have their voice after the night. The food was just spectacular.. made my eyes widen each time I took a bite out of each of the dish and I couldn't stop saying "damn, this is really good". The food were THAT good.. there was no dish that I disliked (from what we ordered)! The authenticity of the food and the environment will truly change your mind about the Japanese culture forever. Coming to this restaurant is like dropping by Tokyo for a short trip. Really an experience I will be craving for in the near future that many other restaurants will never quite grasp. By far one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. ありがとう (Arigatō) !

398 Church Street, Toronto

TAKOYAKI
- deep fried octopus balls with tonkatsu sauce and mustard mayonnaise
- this dish was flippin' amazing, the sauce just melted in my mouth like no other
* my top favorite of the night
$5.00

KINOKO CHEESE BIBIMBAP
- Rice, garlic sauteed mushrooms and cheese with seaweed sauce
- Let's just say.. I've never loved Bibimbap the same way I loved this one before
- the seaweed sauce and cheese blended with the rice so well that it created the
perfect texture and taste, simply a dish that will leave you asking for more
$8.30

GRILLED AVOCADO AND PRAWN
- this dish was fantastic, the flavor was so mouth watering! the prawns were
really tasty against the avocado, a must try!
$6.80

The inside of the dish, Grilled Avocado and Prawn

HOTATE BUTTER
- Pan fried scallop with soy sauce and garlic butter
- the sauce for this one was just phenomenal, just wished there was more!
- we didn't order base on price, but after getting the bill, we realized this dish
was pretty pricey compared to the others based on proportion, it is seafood
over all, you be the judge for this one =P
$7.50  

HOTATE BUTTER

IKAPIRI
- deep fried calmari with spicy ketchup and wasabi mayo
- when you can't eat spicy food, but still end up finishing the dish, that's how
you know this dish is worth the burning sensation of your spicy-virgin tongue
- the calamari was fresh and was simply delicious, but I must be honest, if you're
Chinese, you would soon realize that the taste of this calamari will seem rather
familiar to the usual sweet and sour sauce sauce in Chinese dishes
- $5.80

IKAPIRI

YAKIUDON
- Pan fried udon noodle with beef and vegetables
- we waited around 20 minutes for this dish (they probably forgot about it), but
it was worth the wait as it was yet a dish that did not fail to impress
- the sauce blended well with the softness of the udon, and the mixed vegetables
were really tasty! (*my second top favorite of the night)
$7.80

KINOKO CHEESE BIBIMBAP
- yes! you've heard it right! although our stomachs were satisfied just right, we
decided to stock it to the max to provide our stomachs with the excellent Guu
experience we had.. so we ordered another KINOKO CHEESE BIBIMBAP..
yummmmmmmmy

upclose and personal with Kinoko Cheese Bibimbap
- by far the greatest invention of bibimbap I've ever tasted!

That's all for now, I hope you all have a chance to one day try Guu Izakaya! The price is really reasonable for the food presentation and unique atmosphere!