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Izakaya Ju
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
3160 Steeles Avenue EUnit 3
Markham, ON L3R 3Y2
(905) 474-1058
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Tue-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
19 reviews for Izakaya Ju
19 reviews in English
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Review from Elvis A.
Izakaya Ju is located way up for the downtown dwellers and caters to people in the suburbs and the business crowd in the area.
When I walked in I was taken aback how small and simple the setup is (I guess we are all spoiled by the precedence set by Guu) don't let this fool you though folks, what it lacks in the setup it more than makes up for authentic good food.
I came here for lunch and the place was busy with only a few tables that were empty.
I was seated promptly and given a hot cup of tea. The menu is somewhat limited but one can order the stuff of the board if one asks. There are several option for skewered items but I wasn't in the mood to drink and just stuck to main items.
I went for a Yakitori Don (9$) and Takoyaki (5$) initially and waited patiently for my food. Luckily I saw someone order the chicken teriyaki burger (6$) which I had read about on a foodie forum so ordered it as well.
My salad was served quickly and was your regular Japanese style salad, nothing special but served its purpose.
Finally I got my first batch of Takoyaki and Yakitori Don. Takoyaki was decent and is one of the better one in GTA since the dedicated Takoyaki spot in first markham place has closed down.
Yakitori Don was very good, a perfectly cooked piece of chicken cooked on charcoal. Seasoned very well, kept nice and juicy, topped with just the right amount of sauce. This would be my default lunch choice if I am in the area.
These two dishes would be enough to fill up for lunch but I was craving a good burger and folks I have found it. The Teriyaki Burger arrived and it is on the smaller side but boy is it done well. It reminded me of the version served at the Mos Burger chain in Asia. A juicy grilled piece of chicken topped with sweet teriyaki sauce, lettuce and some mayo. High recommendations here folks as this is as good as one can get for a chicken burger in GTA.
So all in all a meal that could have easily served two people for lunch was just a tad over 20$. If I worked in this area this is the spot I would come to lunch.
I would luv to drop here for drinks and food in the evening but alas the location makes it hard for me to justify coming up all the way up there. -
Review from M S.
North York, ON
3/21/2012 9 photos
Ever since Izakaya has been a trend in DT Toronto, it stretched out to North Toronto along the Yonge street. Izakaya Ju is located at the end of the North Toronto in J-Town. It offers casual Japanese dishes, and they are not ordinary dishes other Izakaya offers. They change their special menus over some time, so there's more variety to its menu.
Food:
- I've been to Ju three times, and all three times, I ordered Teba (Chicken wings) & Negima (Chicken leg & leeks) Yakitories and Deep fried chicken wings stuffed with pork dumplings. Most of yakitories are salted and grilled, and sometimes it can be really salty. Deep fried chicken wings stuffed with pork dumplings are very different, something that you won't see in traditional sushi restaurants. It has full flavor of pork dumplings with tender chicken. Seared BC Tuna tastes good with raw onions, but disappointingly, it's thick and awkwardly sliced. Agedashi Mochi has very interesting texture, and the bonito soup with it is very original and natural. They currently have Osaka fried rice with octopus for special menu. It may look like ordinary fried rice from Chinese take outs. But with sliced gari, bonito flakes, and okonomiyaki sauce on top, it has unique flavour of Osaka. Overall, most of foods are good, but salty enough that saltiness in your mouth won't easily go away.
Service:
- Staffs are very friendly, and attentive. But there were lack of communication with few waitresses when making reservation, and ordering. It was hard to talk to them on the phone, because they did not get my name easily that I had to repeat and spell it out few times. Also, our waitress misunderstood our order and we had to wait an hour for one udon to come out. Other than that, there is no problem with staffs.
Atmosphere:
- It's crowded both weekdays' and weekends' dinner. For party of 4 or more, I recommend making reservations before visiting. There's nothing special about interior, and since the restaurant is filled with smoke all the time with grilling yakitori, it is best not to wear expensive winter clothings when visiting.
If you are looking for a place to drink Japanese beer with yakitories and little snacks in North Toronto, Izakaya Ju is the perfect place to pay a visit. -
Review from Antonia W.
Toronto, ON
3/20/2012
If you feel like having Japanese food, but don't want the same old sushi joint, check out Izakaya Ju. The majority of their menu items are cooked and their speciality is grilled dishes. I've been here 3 times since I found out about it in early January and that's a pretty good return rate for me! I love the maguro zuke don with all the yummy red tuna with soy over rice. The ikura and salmon gohan is a bowl of salmon and salmon roe over rice. If you like salmon roe you might like this, but I found that there was hardly any soy and my bowl of rice didn't come out yummy like the maguro zuke don did. The takoyaki and grilled cod were table favourites and the BC salmon on the specials board was apparently really good too (I didn't have it).
The decor is weirdly cute... giant shower curtain at the entrance and plastic hearts over track lighting.
I've found that, as an observation of the three times I've been here, it's easy to end up spending more money than you expect to here. -
Review from Alice H.
Markham, ON
5/14/2012
The food there was so-so, it was actually quite bad comparing to other places that I've tried like Guu. I feel that their food doesn't even taste good so it's not worth the price that I've paid for. I went with my boyfriend yesterday. The service was not that great, when we got seated the waitress asked us what drinks we want. Then she came over 4 times within the 5-6 mins that we are trying to look for what to eat and it seems like she was rushing us. In the end we paid our bills which was 30 dollars and we paid $40 asking for the change, but they never gave us back our change. We waited for 20 mins sitting there and the waitresses were all staring at us waiting for us to leave so in the end we just left. It was a pretty bad experience so I would not go back again.
The place is also very small, so we were lucky that we got there earlier and got seats because we saw people waiting for a long time for their seat. -
Review from Tony F.
3/2/2012
So many nights I sit by my window
Waiting for someone to make me yakitori
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now
Until Ju came along
Ju light up my life
Ju give me hope
To carry on
Ju light up my days
and fill my nights with song
Rollin' at sea, adrift on the water
Could it be finally I'm turning for home?
Finally, a chance to say hey,
I like Ju
Never again to be all alone
A nice little Izakaya place tucked near J-Town. Not quite Guu, but an okay option if you're in this neck of the woods.Listed in: Omnomeriffic Yum! (TM)
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Izakaya Ju is one of the rare places I recommend NOT to come here for Lunch Special.
Come after work to Izakaya Ju for a authentic Japanese experience. Watching my Yakitori being prepared on open flame did the extra excitement.
Kawa - skin (salted) $2
Negima - leg and leek (salted) $2
Tebasaki - chicken wings (salted) $3
Tsukune - chicken ball (sauced) $3
Takoyaki ($5) is one of the best I have yet in Toronto. There are 2 octopus bits inside each ball. Cooked perfectly crispy outside and soft inside. The sauces and the pickled ginger went well together.
Great Japanese cocktail list for around $6. I could not try any out this evening because I was too tired and driving too.... (Yelp Friend said Call a Taxi!)
I will be back again to Izakaya Ju for more... and of course will be with some sake/cocktail! Kanpai!Listed in: Yelp 30 Day Challenge October…, Japanese Restaurants in the…, Lunch Specials in Markham!, Japanese Restaurant Owned by…, Izakaya in GTA!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/13/2010
We dropped by Izakaya Ju on a rainy afternoon for lunch after reading the excellent yelp review by… Read more »
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Review from Charlotte W.
North York, ON
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am so glad J-Town finally opened up some restaurants in the area. I frequented this restaurant with my aunt and loved the authentic Japanese food. The concept of an Izakaya is almost one of a Trattoria for Italians and this place is no exception. The food is exceptional.
I have been here for lunch and dinners and the atmosphere is really one of a Diner Dash game with one or two waitresses serving guests and a few cooks in the open kitchen. Izakaya Ju does not feature your typical Spider and California rolls, but rather, tapas items such as Tongue, Pork Cheek, Conch, Spicy Tuna Sashimi, Gindara slice, and BC Tuna. All the dishes are meant to be shared. My ALL TIME FAVE lunch dish is the Beef Curry with rice which is delish, filling and not expensive.
I was here for dinner and arrived at 8:30pm and the place was packed. We were lucky that one table just finished making room for us. In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant features specials written on the chalk board. I suggest you to try the stuff on the board. The food here is so good and fresh.
For tonight, I ordered a 720ml bottle of sake which comes in at $75 as the cheapest 720ml option. There is some black bottle at $150...in other words, sake is not cheap here. That being said, we ordered the sake of a "1000 Long Lives" and it was the hardest, heavenliest, sake I have ever tried. Well worth the $75 bucks.
FYI! When you order the chicken balls, look for the dedicated cook who is responsible for fanning the fire to make the chicken tender and juicy (in order to have that great BBQ taste).
All in all, I love this restaurant. There is another restaurant beside that has a mostly ramen/noodle menu so depending on what you fee like, you will not be disappointed. The place is small, but service is very homely and the food is so, SO, very good. -
Review from JC S.
North York, ON
11/20/2011
3.5
It is a small restaurant.. I recommend that you make reservations before you go. When I went on Saturday evening, the restaurant was packed.
Service was average. Don't expect similar atmosphere as Guu Izakaya - the restaurant was pretty quiet which I enjoyed. The menu doesn't offer many choices but they're at affordable price. I tried Takoyaki, fried rice with octopus, tofu, grilled chicken skin .. I liked their Takoyaki; the sauce was just perfect and it was slightly crispy.
No 4 or 5 because I didn't find anything special about the restaurant. -
Review from Archimedes T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here again for another "wing night" this time I had a bit more different dishes. Unfortunately I lost track of what we got I'll try to piece it from fragments of my memories.
I ordered zaru soba as my filler dish which wasn't too bad though it was zaru soba so you can't really screw that one up too hard.
I ordered takoyaki. I know this isn't Japan, and I am pretty sure Japan has better, but this is one of the better takoyakis I had in North America.
I also ordered seared tuna on ponzu sauce (I think). The dish was good, but it was pale in comparison to the honey plum tuna I had at Winnipeg.
We also got some other dishes: thanks N for remembering for me
Osaka Fried Rice (I don't think I got to try it)
a bowl of Udon (I don't think I got to try it)
Chicken Skin Skewer (um, not my thing)
Shrimp Mayo (yummy, oh so yummy)
Grilled Sablefish (good, but I think I prefer fish raw)
Oh well, service was still good. The only thing preventing me from giving this a 5 star is the price is quite high for what you get in terms of quantity and quality.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/11/2010
Went here on a whim for "wing" night.
The price is quite high for what you get. The quality of… Read more »
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Review from Mariko M.
8/10/2011
I remember the days when Ju would be standing under a little tent, grilling skewers of various meats by the doors of Heisei, rain or shine...
Decided to check out his restaurant today for lunch. The lunch menu is of a reasonable size - not too overwhelming, which is nice. Ju's speciality is yakitori so if you're a vegetarian, it might not be the best place to dine. For my fellow meat lovers, choice is plentiful.
Friendly to my tiny wallet, I enjoyed the Yakitori Chicken Salad. For $7, I got a good sized portion of succulent meat drenched in teriyaki sauce (hoping not to get drool on my laptop). The Father ordered the Gyu Don (thin slices of beef, marinated with a sweet soy sauce, and sauteed with onions and ginger over a bed of rice). Once again, for $8 you get a generous portion of beef slices.
I go to J-Town on a weekly basis so I think Izakaya Ju might be my new lunch spot. Checking out their dinner menu, I'd like to come back to try it out.
A solid 4 star ~ -
Review from Steph L.
4/25/2010
One-Star Rating = WALK OUT.
One of my friends told me that a new izakaya place opened up in North York in the J-town shopping complex.
I heard they had decent yakitori and I decided to check it out with my mom and siblings.
I know most new restaurants need some time to work out the kinks... but this place needs an extreme makeover... and fast.
When you first walk in, the staff greets you in Japanese...in a half-ass manner that screams I do this because they make me.
The first thing you notice is that the restaurant is hot. Uncomfortably menopausal hot-flash hot (not that I actually know what that feels like, but I assume it sucks).
The decor is not all that exciting...dull and I don't get the gray stones stuck on the wall.
The hostess/waitress seats us and the leaves the menus on the table and walks away without saying a word. Actually, I didn't even know they were rolled up menus in bamboo.
The (lunch) menu is about 9 items...bento box style set meals.
The second page was drinks.
I glanced around to see what everyone else was eating.. The salmon was popular served with... a plain bowl of white rice. It looked pretty unimpressive.
We were already seated and we were willing to give the place a try...
Even though I could see the disappointed faces of my family members that the menu was so small.
We waited a damned LONG time without any type of service.
I told my family we should leave.
We got up.... The staff said their Japanese goodbye, not even realizing we were walking out. Well, the hostess noticed but well at that point I was out the door and looking furious.
The ONLY good thing that came out of this experience was exploring the J-town center. It's tiny, but across from Izakaya-Ju-Shouldn't-Waste-Your-Time-Here is a self-serve cafeteria with all kinds of wonderful snack-time treats!!!
Note: Dinner may be different, I went for lunch. -
Review from David S.
Toronto, ON
5/12/2010
It is with great regret that I leave Ju with a measely 2-star rating. I had high hopes when I heard Toronto would receive another Izakaya restaurant but unfortunately, this place will not be easing the lines at Guu.
The menu was a bit lacking. I was hoping for more items from a restaurant that specializes in Izakaya. The Ebi Mayo and Beef Sashimi were good. The Hiya Yakko was bland.
I saw Teba Karaage and my eyes lit up so we ordered it. It came raw. The chicken was literally pink inside. We immediately brought it to the attention of our server and she took it away apologetically. 10 minutes later we received a new order or Teba Karaage cooked to perfection along with a personal apology from Ju-San. I'm going to say this occurence was probably a rare one because I noticed Ju-San was training a couple of younger chefs in the back who probably messed it up for us the first time.
Other than that, the staff were fine but a little timid. The decor, ambiance, and music need improvement. Or maybe it's fine the way it is because 75% of the clientele inside were older adults? I dunno, I just expect Izakaya places to be more hip? I want that dark ambiance, the loud kitchen, the blasting j-pop, the funky Japanese waitresses, the large menu of Izakaya items that would encourage patrons to stay and order endlessly while downing beers.
The restaurant has so much potential but unfortunately we won't be returning for a 2nd chance. For now, it's long lineups at Guu or a quick flight back to Vancouver for our proper Izakaya fix. -
Review from Joyees Y.
Scarborough, ON
Updated - 5/12/2010
Finally, after two weeks and several annoyingly infuriated attempts at trying their yakitori, I made it for dinner....just to realize I forgot to order what lured me to this place originally: the chicken skin.
Their dinner has a lot more options but I was hoping they focus more on the yakitori and grilled items since I do really like their grilled items and Toronto needs a yakitori bar.
Anyways, I had minced chicken with rice, grilled beef tongue, grilled pork cheeks, and for the yakitori I had the bones, liver, leg, kidneys and balls (meat balls not like...testicles), all chicken.
The chicken rice was good but I was also really hungry. It definitely tasted good but I won't say it's something I'll order in a restaurant, I can make it at home.
As I've mentioned I love their charcoal grill! Everything had that nice smokey flavor. And their beef tongue is surprisingly tender. Another surprise was how juicy their chicken leg was! And how much I like their sauce for the yakitori, it was sweet and not overpowering at all. I think they could improve on their bones though, it was a bit hard for me, I've ones where the bones were softer.
Service was average, they did their job but nothing to write home about. And the food could come out quicker, in fact, it was quite slow but everyone is new so we'll see.
I agree that it doesn't seem like an izakaya from what I've heard an izakaya is supposed to be like but I like a more quieter setting so it's good for me but I suppose it'll be quite disappointing for people expecting something else.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/8/2010
This place totally fits in with J-Town, cheap and very good!
It was pretty empty when we went so… Read more »
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
6/10/2010 10 photos
Izakaya Ju works for me...
An Izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. There are 2 elements at Ju that suits me quite well, but obviously not all people can be ME. I think if you consider this a YAKITORI-YA, it'll be more enjoyable.
First, I am not an alcoholic by any means so not serving ALCOHOL here doesn't affect me one bit. It might defeat the IDEA of Izakaya but don't forget that Izakaya serves FOOD too which most of us hungry people are more interested in during those lunch/dinner time.
I have been DREAMING of Yakitori and Kushiyaki for the longest time and this place definitely fulfills it. We ordered ALL the Yakitori items from the menu. We gave the cook full command on which should be SAUCED and which should be SALTED. The all CAPS mean I will be back for those.
Salted: SKIN, Leg & Leek, SOFT BONE, CHICKEN WING, Gizzard
Sauced: LEG, Liver, CHICKEN BALL
Neba Neba: Chopped Natto, Okra and Japanese Yam on Salmon Sashimi, Topped with Wasabi and Seaweed. This dish is quite unique and I'm glad I had a chance to try it. WARNING! The SLIMY texture of Natto & Okra combination might not be for everyone.
Neba Neba reminds me of a Japanese version of Spanish Ceviche or Thai Mango Salad where the flavours EXPLODE in your mouth. It is a NEW flavour profile that I have not encountered before.
As for Rice & Noodle category, it can be omitted during dinner as I believe Jen K. had it better during LUNCH. As for me, I don't want the rice getting in the way of my YAKITORI. I wonder if this place would be anymore popular if they called it "Yakitori Ju" instead. -
Review from M K.
SCARBOROUGH, ON
1/25/2011
Been here around 5-6 times lunch and dinner. I like this restaurant overall as it is one of the few izakayas around Markham. The menu is pretty special, stuff you won't find in all those typical sushi places. You won't find california rolls here.
For lunch all their offerings are good, notibles are Gyu don, beef curry and the ja ja noodle. My fav is the beef curry, a dish i will go back on. The beef curry is not the traditional japanese beef curry, is ground beef mixed in with the curry.
For dinner, this is like a snacking place. You need to get a few dishes to make you full, and this is what Izakaya is all about, variety. Luckly most of the stuff is very good quality. The yakatori (chicken skewers) are very good, they use coal. The Osaka rice is one of my favorites. There are other dishes that will scare you like the raw baby squid but the taste is very authentic. The mackerel was very good as well. Tasted very fresh.
This is why i come back many times.
What is preventing it from getting 5 star is the menu is not too diverse and hardly ever changes, and this is what seperates this place from a place like Guu Izakaya (downtown). -
Review from John M.
Markham, ON
8/19/2011
My new favourite place. I've been here several times now. This time I tried just about every grilled item and wasn't disappointed. I didn't like the soft bone as much as my wife did. The pork cheeks were awesome. I also had Zaru soba which was good. I wish they had a few more selections on their grill selection.
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Review from Viv C.
Markham, ON
6/10/2010
We were having a birthday party at Izakaya, and the services that we received were great. Their waiters are nice and always wearing a smile.
Food is good, I would recommend the mango sushi, it is a really nice combination.
Friend pre-ordered having fresh fish a day before and it was an overall great experience. After having the fresh fish, they will prepare fish congee for you as well.
Definitely will go back again. -
Review from Cyrus I.
Richmond Hill, ON
4/8/2010
Good Japanese food, good service
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Review from Shawna S.
Thornhill, ON
6/15/2010
I really enjoyed the take out from izakaya Ju. Initially, I wasn't expecting too much since the texture of the food changes when it's not served hot or fresh. However, the yakitori's and the chicken skin was still juicy and crispy. The taste and texture of the yakitori's reminded me of the ones I had in Asia. I am definetly excited about going there for dinner and trying other items on the menu.
