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Fin Izakaya
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
55 Eglinton Ave EToronto, ON M4P 1G8
Neighbourhoods: Mount Pleasant and Davisville, Yonge and Eglinton
(647) 347-3864
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:30 am - 11 pm
Thu-Fri 11:30 am - 12 am
Sat 5:30 pm - 12 am
Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
28 reviews for Fin Izakaya
Review Highlights
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"...are as following FIN'S SIZZLING CHICKEN RICE SOUP, some ppl..." In 1 review -
"Try the sake flight if you're in for some sampling." In 9 reviews -
"...best I've had in TO), rock salt wings (delicious, and as I..." In 3 reviews
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28 reviews in English
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Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
12/8/2011
figures.
i finally find an izakaya closer to where i live, that my friends and i all enjoy (rare), but the reviews are less than stellar.
despite its location, give Fin a chance. i hemmed and hawed when friends of friends suggested we go and actually found it to be very good! the decor is more restaurant than bar, and definitely not guu-esque, which can be a good thing depending on the situation. we went as a group of 10 to celebrate a friend's return visit from nyc. it was her request. meaning that when one wants to eat well and hear the conversation, Fin is up to par.
minus one star for, well, despite it being close'ish, the yonge/eglinton area is in the middle of nothing i usually do. nevertheless, i might just venture around this intersection just to make a return visit to eat at Fin with friends. -
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
LUNCH:
Ordered: Tempura Udon Noodle (#16) 3/5
* Udon noodles with shrimp tempura servered in mildly flavored bonito based soup for $8.95
* Soup was light and flavorful, udon was cooked just right
* It came with 3 shrimp tempura as well as pumpkin, green bean and yam tempura
* Batter was light on tempura and it tasted fresh
* Very simple, light tasting udon perfect for lunch
Ordered: Spicy Salmon Bowl (#21) 5/5
* Spicy salmon and sliced egg over sushi rice
* Choose between Medium ($7.95) & Large ($8.95)
* I ordered Medium and it was still very big for one person
* This was actually really good with lots of spicy salmon sashimi, egg strips and tempura bits
* Just add a bit of soy sauce to the rice and mix as you eat
Ordered: Karaage (Side menu) 2/5
* 4 pieces of deep fried chicken for $3.50
* Chicken pieces were quite big and it wasn't very hot
* Usually there is seasoning on the batter but this one didn't so it was quite bland on it's own
Ordered: Octopus Balls (Side menu) 4/5
* 5 pieces of takoyaki for $5.50
* Perfect bite size takoyaki had decent sized octopus piece inside
* This wasn't served very hot either
* Batter wasn't too doughey
Because I enjoyed their lunch menu, I decided to return and try their dinner menu. This time, my expectation was set much higher considering I enjoyed their lunch menu and have tried many izakaya places that serves good, quality food.
DINNER
Ordered: Authentic Style beef Tataki 2/5
* Plate of seared angus beef steak with ponzu sauce topped with garlic chips for $11.95
* I was surprised to see how the ponzu sauce was served on the side
* Beef tataki pieces were quite small (picked up 2~3 pieces at a time)
* Overall it was very dry and could have used some more garlic chips
Ordered: Fin's Ebi Chilli Mayo 4/5
* 5 pieces of wild prawn tempura tossed in spicy mayo sauce for $7.50
* I love prawn/shrimp anything so it's hard to mess this up for me
* Prawn was decent in size but the batter could have been crispier
* Spicy mayo was very diluted and almost runny but overall it was delicious
Ordered: Mentai Carbonara Udon 3/5
* Sauteed udon noodle with pollock roe and pink creamy sauce topped with seaweed for $8.95
* This was served with a little block of butter on top
* Mix in the butter with the udon to melt it through-out
* It had very strong butter taste and it was almost too overwhelming
Ordered: Crispy Rock salt wings 2/5
* Crispy fried wings seasoned with spicy rock salt, 5 piece for $3.50
* This was a dish that was recommended by someone we knew so we decided to give it a try
* Intially I thought 5 pieces for $3.50 was a pretty good deal until the wings arrived
* Wings were so skinny they barely had any meat on them
Ordered: Tuna Tataki 3/5
* Seared tuna served with garlic ponzu vinaigrette for $7.00
* 3 pieces of tuna served with some vegetable
* For the price you pay, this is a really small dish and tuna is not even that expensive
Ordered: Octopus Wasabi Takowasa 3/5
* Small plate of fresh raw octopus marinated with chopped wasabi roots for $3.50
* Good appetizer to have with some sake
* Very strong wasabi flavor
Ordered: Blow torched Mackerel 4/5
* Vinegar pickled mackerel blow torched at your table for $8.00
* Mackerel tasted fresh but it was on the saltier side even for a vinegar pickled makarel
* Dipped in ponzu sauce with side of green onion- it's very refreshing
* Very distinct mackerel flavor
Ordered: Salmon Sashimi's Namareba 2/5
* Salmon sashimi with salted sesame dipping oil for $6.00
* I found this to be really weird how it was served with salted sesame dipping oil
* There was so much salt in the sauce and it just did not do well with fresh sashimi
Ordered: Beef Tongue Miso Zuke 1/5
* Sizzling shaved beef tongue marinated in miso sauce for $8.00
* This was over marinated in miso sauce which made it super salty
* Beef tongue is shaved so it tasted just like BulGoGi
Ordered: Pork Belly Kushi (Skewer) 5/5
* 6 pieces of pork belly on a skewer (choose sea salt or teriyaki sauce) for $3.00
* Perfect item to order when drinking beer
* This was really good, you can taste the charcoal
* Pork belly was just fatty enough
Ordered: Pressed Colorful Sushi (Oshi Sushi) 5/5
* Pressed sushi with diced sashimi and assorted fresh vegetables for $10.00
* This was another recommenOrdered: Pressed Colorful Sushi (Oshi Sushi) 5/5
* This is basically a chirashi pressed into a box shape
* It has very nice presentation
Summary: Overall, Fin Izakaya is def one of better izakayas in Toronto. However, given the fact that I am from the city of izakayas- it didn't really impress me. I really enjoyed their lunch menu for it's quality and price but the dinner menu was either a hit or miss. For izakaya, I would go to Guu -
Review from Thuy T.
Woodbridge, ON
10/31/2011 28 photos
Tapa Style
The food was amazing and there's private parking behind the restaurant.
Restaurant Rating:
0(Too Sad), 1(Horrible), 2(Poor), 3(Ok Lah), 4(Good), 5(Excellent)
Food: 4.5
Clean: 4.5
Service: 4.5
Atmosphere: Casual
Will I Return? Yes
Keep in mind all food postings is according to personal preferences and taste buds. Therefore, it's best to try the places out for yourself and see if it suites your taste. -
Review from Secyw W.
Richmond Hill, ON
Updated - 2/12/2012
This is my second time at the restaurant and this time it not disappoint me once. It is very expensive for a dinner but the food was very unique and awesome. The service is very good although like other Izakaya style restaurants - it's very loud.
We ordered the beef tongue mis-zuke, juicy pork belly skewer (salt and teriyaki sauce), Blowtorched Mackerel, Bonito Tataki with Crunch Garlic, and a few items from their daily specials menu. Very impressed. The food was a bit salty but each dish had their own style.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/24/2011
The service is very good, once you are seated you are given tea and sugarcane sticks to chew on. I… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
6/11/2011 17 photos
Fin Izakaya may not be Guu... but I found the experience here was just as delightful.
The staffs here are wonderful. Friendly, Patient, Accommodating. Our smiley waiter was so funny when I took out my camera ready to take photos of our food, he rushed over so fast and wanted to a photo of me with my yelp group! :) So now I have a rare non food/restaurant photo.
Our plan at least my plan was to have a drink here and we each order 2 dishes to share... which worked out beautifully as we have a taste of the items and won't get too carry away... As one know, Izakaya is not a place to stuff yourself but a place for a drink, snacks and talking nonsense to your friends.
Food took awhile to arrive, but we were all cool about that since it is a great opportunities for us to get to know each other more and for my overworked yelp friend to arrive just in time for the food.
The food was not bad, as I was distract a lot from actual tasting of the food because I was laughing, drinking and eating was the last thing I have in mind... Hey but we finished everything... and my other yelp friends were not complaining..
Damage was $20/person... I spent a lot more at Guu.....and here I don't need to wait for a table!
BTW, CP24 was showing on the plasma TV near the sushi bar in case someone wants to know....Listed in: A Day in Yonge and Eglinton!, Izakaya in GTA!!
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Review from Jiao S.
10/4/2011 9 photos
I was trying to full filled my "30 days yelp challenge" for one review per day, but i just realized it passed mid night :(
AnywaysFin Izakaya is one of my fave spots in Toronto. First time i went there with a friend,after discovering the line at GUU is way to long, I found this place and surprisingly happy (but don't get me wrong, I am a fan of GUU too).
My fave dishes are as following FIN'S SIZZLING CHICKEN RICE SOUP, some ppl might find it plain but I just LOVE it.
The stone grill is great too, chicken marinated with miso sauce, I love the moments the vege on the grill get a little bit burnt lol.
Vegetarian teriyaki is good as well, 3 kinds of dipping salt, nvr now mushroom teriyaki can taste that good.
If you are there during weekend do order giant rolls, although it is almost impossible to finish it.....but still worth trying
and most importantly, do check their website for tuna festival information.
Things i don't like that much is sukiyaki,too sweet for me.
I know it is not that fair to compare Fin with Guu, but i guess all people do it ,so ~ might as well.
I appreciate the quiet environment, but some of my friends like the noise at guu, so depends what you what~, also, have to say, Fin's menu does not change seasonally like Guu, (Although it has the seasonal special, but only 1 page), in my great fun period, I was there after 3 times and end up ordering similar stuff.
If we are talking about cocktails, Guu just have better choice of cocktails to me, but Fin have lots of kinds of sakes so~ really depends what you what.
Finally, last time I was there, it is getting noisy, waiters starts to say the order aloud , like GUU, again, some people might like it, but I really hope it can remain the way it used to me.Listed in: My Friend Alan likes ......
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
6/10/2011
A Fin Izakaya Dude came out to meet me at streetside so he can show me the Parking Lot and open the Private Gateway in wet weather. The service continues to satisfy once inside the Izakaya. Taking orders, friendly smiles, misunderstanding English. The usual.
Taiko Drum is an excellent idea giving any celebrations authenticity and excitement. At least it helped wake me up from my overworked brain-meltdown. Too tired to think what to drink, so just ordered 'Wing($5.75)' and was so thirsty I nearly chugged it.
Food as one of our Izakaya-virigin Yelper states was hit & miss, but the more I think about it the more I believe it's one or two disappointing dishes that got us hungry diners in a bad mood. I also considered some dishes as comparison to other Izakayas.
All things considered, Fin is a reasonable drinking establishment and the experience is heighten upon your selection of better food items over some of the underpar/overvalued fare. Otherwise Fin's a fine place to go after work to chat with your co-workers and let things loose.
Ebi Mayo($7.50)
Chicken Eye Patty($6.50)
Duck Shichimi Yaki($8.50)
Tsukune Skewer($3.00)
Octopus Wasabi Takowasa($3.50)
Crispy Rock Salt Wings($5.50)Listed in: Oishii, Fire'd - Asian
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Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2011
If you want a late night snack, this cute little izakaya opens till 11PM...
Loud like any other izakaya, the staff here are nice and friendly. There's more to choose from than Guu and the seating is more comfortable.
Loved their eggplant dish, blowtorched markarel and their lychee juice. Try the sake flight if you're in for some sampling.... The Ontario sake is borderline mediocre but the rest is quite good. -
Review from Patrick M.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2011
I'll be a bit of a dissenting voice here on the "yay" side of Fin Izakaya, though I confess that I'm a bit incredulous on the price vs. what you get. Still, our experience was very positive, and the food was delicious... so, even if it's "pub fare", it's done very well and probably worth the extra couple bucks per dish that we spent above and beyond what the naysayers believe is reasonable for what's on offer.
Hm. That was a bit wordy. Anyway.
We had wakame salad (best I've had in TO), rock salt wings (delicious, and as I recall two different flavours), tuna negima, takoyaki (oh my god, wow!), squid natto (an experience, but not one I'd repeat), yosenabe (the only "meh" dish we had), and some assorted maki that, while I forget the name, was very well made and quite tasty.
For drinks we tried a few different sake, and I enjoyed a very nice plum wine after dinner -- all were satisfying and, unsurprisingly, matched the dinner well.
Outside of this, the ambience was classy without being stuffy (perhaps even beautiful), with courteous service that bordered on a bit staid; given that neither of us was feeling our best, this was actually a good thing.
I know that as an izakaya people expect a lively, raucous pub atmosphere... in this, Fin probably falls short (perhaps even well short). If you're looking for very well done Japanese comfort food, however, you'll probably be impressed.
And, for the record, we left feeling full but not stuffed, and while the bill wasn't discount-diner, neither was it outrageous.
All in all, recommended and we'll be back.Listed in: Group Buy Coupons Work!
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Review from Janna S.
10/1/2010
WARNING: RED ALERT - DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY APPETITE WHATSOEVER!
So I buy a voucher for this place and I figure, hey, what the heck - surely that will cover the cost of dinner, no? I mean, the menu prices look reasonable and the food in the photos look substantial. Unfortunately, the photos on the menu take their inspiration from the movie "Honey I shrunk the Kids". As in...teensy weensy bites of mediocre food delivered in unpredictable fashion over 45 minutes.
I came here on a Thursday night with Lauren and both of us were ravenous by the time we left. I guess the FOUR WHOLE frozen grapes they give you as your complimentary dessert (for two people no less) should suffice, non?
The tuna dish we ordered smelled and tasted like it had seen better days - very fishy and smelly. The hot pot was mostly water and a few meagre strands of overcooked cabbage. Wait staff seem completely oblivious to your basic signals and do not warn you that the portions are microscopic. TERRIBLE.
You will need to go out for dinner or lunch AGAIN after you come here because even if you spend the ridiculous amount of money to cover an adequate amount of food, you will be waiting so long that you will be STARVING no matter what. Basically there is no reason to go to this place. The food sucks, the portions are a joke, the service is inept at best, and the prices will only shock you once you consider what you're paying for.
There is one and a half hours of my life I'll never get back. Fin indeed.Listed in: Let My Misfortune Be Your…
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Review from Lauren M.
10/2/2010 3 photos
THIS PLACE IS AN ABSOLUTE PISS-TAKE!
I really should have listened to Sarah Y's review: "ANYONE WHO THINKS THIS PLACE ROCKS IS SERIOUSLY DELUSIONAL" Amen.
What a horrible dinner. I'm not exaggerating when I say it is one of the worst dining experiences of my life.
When you walk in, Fin Izakaya definitely looks like it has great potential. The decor is really cool/unique. Kind of classy.
We went for dinner, were seated promptly (2 of us) and selected 4 items off the menu to share, figuring we could order a few more later on if it wasn't enough.
The food was absolutely ridiculously small portions. Really small portions and exuberant pricing for dishes with very simple/cheap ingredients. I can handle overpriced (sometimes) if the food is unique and delicious, but the crap served here was not worthy of high prices.
"Fresh vegetables with Moromi Miso with a sweet blend of barley grains and miso" ($5). This was essentially 3 carrot sticks, 4 slices of cabbage and 1 radish served with 1 teaspoon of some dipping sauces.
"Grilled eggplant with miso sauce" ($5). This was the only thing that was actually tasty. Too bad about the portion size - 6 thimble sized pieces of eggplant.
"Bonito Tataki w/ Crunchy Garlic - Seared bonito sashimi with garlic chips and citrus ponzu sauce". ($9.50) This was rancid. Really. The fish was fully cooked through (wtf?) instead of seared. We were given 4 minuscule slices, perhaps 1oz in total, served over some sauteed onion slices. It looked nothing like the photo, we didn't even finish eating it because the fish tasted off/rotten.
"Ribeye beef sukiyaki -Thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked in house made sukiyaki sauce" ($12.50) Note if you want rice/udon you have to pay $5 extra?!!?! wtf? Essentially, for $12.50, we got 2oz of beef and some cabbage and onions simmering in a tiny pot of beefy flavoured broth.
At this point we were still freaking starving, but realized we would probably have to order another $60-$80 worth of food to even feel somewhat satiated. We saw some other tables being served other tiny amounts and thought better of ordering more. Edamame at this place ($3.50) gets you about 10 pods...seriously.
The food also took ages to come out, we waited 20 mins after our other dishes for the hot pot to arrive. Staff was friendly but portrayed an air of ignorance when food was brought out in ridiculous small portions and customers looked perturbed.
They also f*cked up our bill. Oh, but you get free FROZEN GRAPES (4 of them!!!) as a treat, comes with the bill.
This was the first time ever in my life that I actually had to leave a restaurant and immediately go elsewhere for another entire meal because I was so hungry. -
Review from Lynn C.
12/22/2010
I came here under the recommendation of a friend who said Fin is parallel to Guu. Although i've never been to Guu, we had a 12 people party, there was just no way for Guu and so I booked this place.
Because this place is so much bigger than Guu, my friends said the atmosphere is already lost. Theres no very loud crowd drinking and cheering; it's a rather calm dining experience.
All the sashimi dishes were great but none of the rest of the dishes were memorable. I recommend against getting the Ground Wagyu Beef; it is essentially a beef patty with horseradish or cheese on top. The sukiyaki ended up being a tiny hotpot with sukiyaki flavour. I did like the udon noodles but it was nothing breathtaking. The shrimp was good too. The duck tasted kinda earthy.
This place is good, just not great. -
Review from Arun P.
Toronto, ON
3/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not the best around this area... there are other really good Japanese restaurants nearby, which serve you larger quantities and better variety.
Btw, this place is nicely decorated and has a good ambiance. Interestingly, when you walk in and go out, all of those guys working in the front end together wish you... so don't get embarrassed ;-) -
Review from PoliPace K.
Toronto, ON
12/2/2010
Service and atmosphere is great.
Good selection of Japanese tapas-style dishes..delicious and different but portions are very small for how much they are. If you go there hungry, your meal will be pricey. If you are looking for a place to sit, chat, drink,
try unique Jap. dishes, then I recommend this place.
This is what I had in the order of my likings:
SWEET SHRIMP KARAAGE- Must Have!! Crunchy and delicious
MISO-TUNA TARTAR- I love tuna and this was made to perfection!
SCALLOP BUTTER SOY SAUTEE- You can really savour the true taste of scallop with each bite. Bit chewyer than other scallops, more like calamari taste but I really enjoyed it
DUCK SHICHIMI YAKI- Probably one of the best duck dishes I have had, but bit too oily for me. Mind you I am not really a duck fan to start with. Probably won't get it next time, only cuz I want to try something else!
Tun
Wide variety of sake menu:
I think we had OKUNOMATSU KINMON and it was very subtle, yet smooth down your throat.
Also had Fresh Lime Chuhai- Don't get this, it's just lime, carbonated soda and ice w/ bit of sake. Prob better to go w/ sake cocktails girls. -
Review from Hippo T.
Toronto, ON
3/5/2011
We went to Fin Izakaya for my birthday.
I am a great fan of traditional sushi and I don't really like the Northamerican take on Japanese which is often times very greasy.
Let's start with the atmosphere: The place features are very modern reduced look. 100% to my liking. The Japanese waiters are very nice & refined and manage to "push through" there lacking language skills by being very patient.
The food was a real surprise: The Nippon Style tapas are far from traditional but offer multilayered explosions of flavours. The fresh Tuna tartar - the chef personally carves a whole Tuna on site once a week - was maybe the best fresh fish I have ever had in Toronto. The dressing was a delight!
If you expect piles of cheap sushi, go somewhere else, but if you are looking for affordable fine dining GO :): -
Review from Sarah Y.
Vancouver, BC
8/22/2010
Anyone who thinks this place rocks is seriously delusional.
It was inevitable that we'd end up spending money here, as my Fiance put it...better to waste money on lunch than drop a crapload at dinner...in this case, for crap.
We were drawn into this place by the big sign that advertises how they're THE lunch place for the corporate types. Sounds good....their 'dons' were the best deal apparently...beef don was $4.95. Woohoo!
Anyway, we get in there, and the decor is gorgeous. Really nice, Japanese decor, clean simple but stylish. Looked expensive. Even the bathrooms were nicely done ... it looked traditional. And expensive.
My fiance orders the large size beef teriyaki don... I believe it was around $8. I opted for the variety of mushroom and egg don..$7.. and of course, in my opinion, the true test of a good Japanese restaurant...the California roll.. and at $8 a hit, it wasn't cheap at all (I'm from Vancouver where $7.50 gets you a california roll done up to the nines with REAL crab meat).
The food arrives and the dons are disappointing. Picture a bowl filleld up 3/4 of the way with rice. My fiance's was topped with a shallow layer of beef, dry, not enough sauce. My mushroom and egg don was again, a shallow layer of 2-3 kinds of mushroom and some egg....very dry. I had to ask them for some teriyaki sauce on the side.
The california roll arrives like, 10 minutes later. And guess what? The rice has no vinegar taste, the rolls are small and what really peeved me off was the fact that the crab meat wasn't even shredded or anything it was just a stick of fake crab meat slapped in with some cukes, a rail thin piece of avocado.
Seriously, T&T even uses shredded crab meat and mixes it in with mayo. This place charges you $8-$9 for a fricking Cali roll and can't even bother to do anything fancier than cutting up a stick of fake crab meat.
A total jip. I will never return and am thankful we only spent our money at lunch time and not a dinner.
The high prices don't match the food, it matches the amount of rent they pay and the cost of the decor. -
Review from M Y.
Toronto, ON
9/22/2010
I guess Izakaya is a new thing in Toronto.
Everybody knows GUU!!! How about Fin on Eglinton?
I went to Fin Izakaya yesterday for late lunch hoping to eat some tapas with sake.....but apparently they offer different menu during lunch time.
They offer donburi ( rice bowls with toppings on top) it's like Asian pizza in a bowl!
I guess they're trying to grab lunch crowds!! But did they succeed ?
The place was very empty and quiet, only 3 tables vacated
That's ok, sometime I do enjoy quietness, found Guu can be very loud( maybe I'm getting too old) Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Guu hater, love that place!! Yam............ let's focus now,
where was I?
I ordered dynamite bowl, my hubby ordered shrimp karaage bowl and some kind maki ( can't remember the name).
They come with either steamed veggies or salad and miso soup, you can also upgrade to a larger bowl (more rice for extra $2 or $3)
Steamed veggies were just mixed broccoli, cauliflower, yam and squash with a teaspoon of mayo...nothing special...
My dynamite bowl: seasoned rice with some avocado and cucumber chunks, a shiso leaf, pickled gingers, fish eggs, two small tempura shrimps with drizzled mayo on top........
My hubby's shrimp karaage bowl: seasoned rice with chopped lettuce and two mid finger size deep fried shrimps with donkasu sauce.
And then the maki.....
The food wasn't bad but it wasn't good either except for the deep fried shrimps....oh ya, the service was amazing!!! Shy but prompt service.
There were seven men working, all Japanese, each one of them looked so busy working and doing something.....
I'm giving them 3 stars just because I haven't tried their real deal.
Will I go back? Maybe to try the dinner menu but not for lunch.
Oh ya, the tap came to $40...and we were still hungry..........
Honestly I think I can make better food!! -
Review from Teena D.
8/2/2010 3 photos
I met friends there for lunch a couple Fridays ago.
We had donburi (rice bowls with toppings). Included with the meal are a bowl of miso soup and a salad or veggies for about $7. Great deal!
I had chicken teriyaki and rice. My friends had sake marinated soy flavoured deep fried chicken and rice and tempura veggies and rice. -
Review from Yunn A.
11/26/2010
I came here on a Sunday night around 8:30pm. Still bustling, not crazy busy, but there were lots of other people there still.
I really enjoyed all the dishes ordered! As for ambiance, it looks just like a regular Japanese restaurant, so not the crazy loudness of Guu, but the food was great. The skewers (especially pork belly) were really succulent, all the tuna dishes were the perfect temperature (cool, not cold, frozen or warm) and prepared great when by themselves, or in a sauce.
The only thing is the service is kind of slow: the servers don't really check on you to see if you want more food, tea, etc. So if you're looking to have a quick meal, I doubt you'll be able to do that here. But as far as the quality of the food, I thought it was great. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
5/4/2011 2 photos
This was my first izakaya experience. I was at my most adventurous and tried a lot of the sashimi. I came here as part of a group of 4. I managed to eat every dish using chopsticks - except the wings. Fin is a nice restaurant with great service.
*** FOOD ***
I had several tapas style dishes: octopus, duck, fish, shrimp, chicken (wings and patty). I had Asahi Black to drink.
* Octopus Wasabi Takowasa *
Raw octopus with some wasabi. Only a few pieces of octopus have any wasabi on it. The octopus is quite bland and slimy, but has a crunch that comes from eating its suction cups. Octopus is an acquired taste; one which I have not acquired.
* Duck Shichimi Yaki *
Thinly sliced duck meat, cooked on the outer edges, but raw inside. I had some reservations about eating raw duck. The duck was good, but not spectacular. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce it's cooked in.
* Chicken Eye Patty *
I can't recall the name of this dish but it doesn't have chicken eyes in it. The "eye" in the name refers to the egg yolk. It's basically a chicken patty with a raw/slightly cooked egg and mayonnaise on top. The mayo is really sweet compared to regular/store bought mayo. The patty tastes kind of like a sausage, except not very salty.
* Crispy Rock Salt Wings *
I guess wings are not a specialty in Japan. The wings were cut in half and were dry.
* Shrimp *
Another dish with an unknown name. The shrimp is cooked in a sauce that tastes almost like barbecue/sweet & sour sauce. It's supposed to be a spicy dish, but it isn't. The shrimp tastes good.
*** APPEARANCE ***
Fin has a rustic yet traditional Japanese look. The walls are adorned with 1920's style ads. The walls also have parts that are "broken" to reveal the brick that lies behind it. There are drums, which will be played if it's your birthday. The restaurant is clean.
*** SERVICE ***
When you enter Fin, you are greeted with a loud shout from the staff and a hostess comes over to seat you. Throughout the night our server did everything to make our stay satisfactory. He offered to meet our friend outside to show him the parking, took pictures of us and made sure everything was to our liking. Wait times were normal and the staff are very friendly. Fin has great service.
*** PRICE ***
The pricing for tapas style and such good service is spot on.
Izakaya tapas for 4 after tax and tips: $90
*** KETSURON ***
Fin is a nice Izakaya restaurant. The atmosphere gives it authenticity and the service is great. The food is good, but it varies dish to dish. I would definitely revisit this restaurant and recommend it to others.Listed in: I got Yellow Fever
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Review from Rob D.
9/8/2010 2 photos
OK - so the theme of this review is essentially that the quality of a dining out experience has to do with more than just food, to which i actually give a 7.75/10, but:
- style and decor: 7.5/10
- ambiance and vibe: 2/10
- cleanliness & presentation: 5/10
- service & timing: 8/10
- company (as in the people you're with companions) and conversation: 10/10 :)
i may be biased because i'm just not a huge fan of yonge/eg ... and i'm coming off of comparing this to the 3 wicked/amazing/beautiful experiences at the hapa izakaya's in Vancouver during a month long epic western Canadiana piece of history making adventure i'll rave about to grandchildren one day.
anywhoo ... i'll try to find some time to get lit on sake for a few hours while waiting for a seat at Guu in the near future for the izakomparisonz. -
Review from M W.
Markham, ON
For those looking for a full Japanese dinner or lunch, you have the wrong place!! So for those who put up the really negative reviews do your research first. Just a thought.
For me this place is a great place to go if you are looking to eat, drink and talk.
The tapas, while yes the price is not cheap ( good things never are!), are just what you need to pair with a nice sake or Japanese beer. Add some good friends and you've got some jolly good fun, Japanese style!
The takoyaki balls there are one of the best we've had in TO.
Skewer sticks, to die for and the tempura is amazing! Just lightly battered!
The sashimi and sushi, while limited in selection are really fresh! Especially there specialty, tuna, which the entire fish is hand carved there once a week.
Guu, while it is a louder izakaya, has a different menu all together and choice on food and beverage is equal in it's limits. Honestly, for those comparing, one is REALLY loud and the other is MODERATELY loud. Depends which one you're looking for or prefer!
The staff are really friendly, even with language barriers they all try their best, and for those who said they were oblivious to the portion sizes, I think they are well aware, but I really don't think it's their decision!!
All in all a wonderful experience, time and time again. -
Review from Joyce T.
Mississauga, ON
6/8/2011
Service slow and unfriendly. Price is quite high considering the quality of food. More like a restaurant than a traditional Izakaya
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Review from Susan K.
5/7/2011
Great welcome from all the staffs! Dishes were great! We tried over 10 dishes and all of them were good. Takowasa, amaebi sashimi, mackerel, tuna tataki, seared salmon and thin sliced duck were great with "big mountain" jumai sake we had! Definitely worth a trip here!
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Review from Ed S.
1/3/2010
The cooked foods are good, but the prices and setting are more upscale than the food itself. Grilled pork belly and beef, while good, don't normally need an upscale setting to be enjoyed. The marinated raw octopus was tasty and the fried chicken was crunchy, but bring your wallet if you want to leave full.
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Review from A R.
Mississauga, ON
7/27/2011
I was starving and wanted to try something new and exciting so my fiance and I decided to try Fin. It was a bit of a disappointment because I was so hungry. We ordered quite a few tapas dishes, but they were mediocre and the portions were wayyyy to small for the price. We ordered this one rice dish (it was supposed to be a grilled rice stick) and it came out looking like someone had smushed a bunch of rice together around some wooden chopsticks (no, it really did come on a pair of wooden chopsticks that weren't even broken apart). Weird. A decent amount of money spent on what could have been an appetizer at a different restaurant. And why do they shout at you as you're entering AND leaving the restaurant? it's a small place, we can hear you just fine if you speak normally.
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Review from Jason C.
Scarborough, ON
6/22/2010
Great homey Japanese food, presented in an appealing manner. I love their fresh fruit Chu-Hai cocktails, presented in true Japanese Izakaya style! It's too bad this place isn't more busy, as I'm afraid the novelty of Guu and its bar fare is overshadowing the "other" Japanese offerings in town.
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Review from Gloria F.
York, ON
7/24/2010
Having moved last year from Vancouver, we have been searching for some good izakaya (Guu is decent, but the long waits are so frustrating). This place on Eg near Yonge is fantastic! Beautiful interior, great service (every single server and chef are japanese), extensive drink menu (including a sake flights, interesting cocktails). Food is decent, usual izakaya menu. Very fresh fish and seafood. Prepared with lots of attention to details. YUM!
