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Koyoi Restaurant & Bar
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
2 Irwin AveToronto, ON M4Y 1K9
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(647) 351-5128
- Hours:
Tue-Wed, Sun 5 pm - 12 am
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 2:30 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
19 reviews for Koyoi Restaurant & Bar
19 reviews in English
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Review from Winnie C.
Toronto, ON
3/25/2012
I walked by Koyoi a few months ago and looked like a lot of jap ppl in there. Made a mental note and checked it out. It didn't disappoint me, very authentic jap izakaya. I like it better than Guu/Don Don. So far I tried quite a few things on their menu: Beef tataki, okonomiyaki, Koyoi salad were my favs.
Of coz, to complete a meal, we gotta have desserts: Greentea rare cheesecake is a must try and their black sesame ice-cream was good too.
It's definitely a hidden gem. -
Review from Jon O.
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
When my DC and I didn't feel like cooking on Sunday night we decided to try Koyoi, which was recommended by a friend. It's an izakaya, like Guu, and run by actual Japanese. They have a smaller and more tame menu than Guu, but the prices are cheaper and the atmosphere more subdued - a completely different dining experience.
We ordered:
Deep Fried Chicken with Spicy Onion Sauce
- Ddelicious, would order any of the deep friend chicken dishes
Koyoi Salad
- Also a great choice, filled with all sorts of interesting items including fried lotus
Grilled Beef Tongue
- Some was great, some was a little chewy. Enjoyed, but could have been better
Beef Tatami
- My favourite item of the night. Chilled beef with a bed a noodles and several other items I'm not familiar with. Great taste, very fresh
Rice Ball Soup with Marinated Plum
- The plum had a very strong and interesting taste, very tangy. It was difficult to spread the taste around, but maybe I just didn't know how to do it. The broth was pretty bland.
Slices of white fish paste (special)
- Not a fan of this one. The fish paste was chewy and flavourless, it was just a way of conveying spicy wasabi-laced soy sauce into your stomach
Pickled Vegetables
- Exactly what you would expect. We couldn't tell what some of the vegetables were (novices!) but they were all nicely pickled and had a good texture.
Koyoi is a solid choice if you're craving traditional Japanese izakaya but don't want to deal with the madness or prices of Guu. Enjoy. -
Review from Ed S.
2/26/2012
Tasty fried food and liquor! Yup, I'm a fan!
Deep fried shrimp w/ mayo, fried chicken w/ salt & lemon plus your choice of beer or shochu and you're all set. Just keep ordering that and you'll be happy.
Want more? The octopus w/ wasabi was tasty and the desserts of parfait and green tea cheesecake were not your typical North American desserts, i.e.; they're not sweet, but still good. -
Review from Steph L.
1/19/2012
Perfect for a quick izakaya meal on Yonge!
Casual enough that I showed up after a spin class in my gym clothes and I didn't feel underdressed.
The restaurant is small and simple and it was super busy for a Tuesday evening. We ordered some of the more popular items... and then some others.
* Koyoi Salad
This creative Japanese inspired salad was completely exciting! Topped with bonito flakes, there was leafy lettuce, deep fried purple yam and yellow yam crisps, tofu, with a delicious vinaigrette dressing. -- We could have ordered two of these!
* Fried chicken with mayo was a great choice!
The batter was crunchy and crispy. The chicken was super moist and juicy dark meat. -- We could have ordered two of these! But two orders of fried chicken makes you feel a lot worse than two orders of salad.
* The beef tataki is an izakaya staple. It was good but not spectacular.
There are some items I probably could have done without.
* Cow tongue came as five thin slices on a hot plate. Chewy, a bit bland, not as interesting as it could have been.
* Grilled eggplant takes 20 minutes to make. Decorated with loads of bonito chips, this dish still lacked visual appeal. As for flavour, all you could taste is ginger and more ginger. Skinless, colourless, mushy, and a complete disappointment.
*The shrimp sashimi and little cold squares of tofu came smothered in hot sauce. I didn't think there was very much shrimp. The hot sauce was overpowering and much spicier than expected or required for such a light dish. You almost felt like they were covering up something. This cold dish was a cold and spicy fail.
*Onigiri - The rice and seaweed was as satisfying a bowl of plain white rice. There was a rectangle of seaweed, rice, with a tiny spoonful of fish flakes and mayo.
There were two servers one attentive and the other one was complete horrible. Which I guess averages out to... well, the service sucked, ok?
Our first waitress was very impatient and distracted. She didn't give any type of suggestions when asked and looked rather annoyed. Perhaps she didn't speak English. Okay, at least smile and nod then. GRrr.
I had a very mixed experience here. There were some fantastic dishes and then some completely mediocre items that I wish we didn't order at all.
This place is great for a light meal, but definitely not as trendy or high energy as Guu. If I want a more traditional place for izakaya, there's always Ematei. If I want a cheap and quick izakaya snack in sweat pants, I'll return to Koyoi.
There were two items I wanted to try: Duck and the okonomi... which were sold out. They do have $5 happy hour specials (when you buy a drink) and I do like happy hour. =) -
Review from Tricia Z.
Toronto, ON
4/27/2012
Koyoi, unlike the regular Japanese restaurant, is actually opened by Japanese people. They serve smaller dishes, have unique food not found in a regular Jap restaurant and each dish is also priced reasonably. The food is well made and needless to say, the service was also good. That being said, going to Koyoi cannot really satisfy my voracious appetite without spending quite a bit.
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/13/2011 4 photos
I was surprised that Koyoi was quite busy when I popped in just a little before 6 pm. On this awful rainy day, why all these people doing here??
Happy Hour... Deal... Value... Tue to Thu between 5 pm to 6 pm if you order a drink, you get Udon, Koyoi Salad, Karaage, Beef Tataki and Beef Tongue for $5.
Wednesday Night is also their Tontoku Ramen Night as I saw a few people ordered that.
My Ramen took more than 20 minutes to arrive and I ate that in 5 minute....... as it was quite small in portion.
The Ramen has a great sweet and rich broth, I guess that's the star. The noodles is the wavy type and cooked al dente. Yes this plain Tontoku Ramen is just Ramen with some preserved vegetables as garnish with a jar of pickled ginger on the side and half an egg cost $13.99!!! (This is NOT a typo!)
I think I will stick with Happy Hour Specials next time.. I will be a lot happier!! -
Review from Jeffrey W.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2011 1 photo
Having been to Guu before, I found this location to be of a much different feel as other Yelpers have already indicated. I went for a quiet dinner with the lady friend and I have to say, I was quite impressed!
The menu is much smaller than Guu's but with no wait time, larger portions, and better prices.
I particularly enjoyed the yuzu-takowasa (takowasabi with a yuzu sauce), the crunchy okonomiyaki, and a great helping of duck breast that was meaty, rich, and topped with a small onion and garlic mixture that added an extra depth of flavor to the dish.
For a full review, check out my blog, conveniently located in my profile. Cheers! -
Review from Judy W.
Toronto, ON
10/28/2011
They offer one of the most authentic tonkutsu ramen in Toronto. If you're a ramen fan, I highly recommend it. A limited number are offered on Wednesday so get there early to try it and order the beef tataki as well :)
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Review from Denise S.
(3.5 stars)
Koyoi is a great little spot if you want a real izakaya experience (and without the lineups of Guu!). From the J-pop on the stereo to the cute drawings of animals on the menu posted on the wall, I totally felt like I was in Japan. Hearing lots of Japanese spoken around you is always a good sign in my books.
Came here on a Friday night and it was pretty packed. My party of 4 managed to snag the last seats at the bar. We ordered the "top 5" menu items, basically their best-sellers which include the beef tataki (one of my faves), koyoi salad (with a light ginger-y vinaigrette and silken tofu), and fried chicken with tartar sauce (greasy but oh-so-good). We also got the last bowl of tonkatsu ramen. At $13.99, it is a bit steep for ramen... but the milky, flavourful pork bone broth and fresh toppings were worth it IMO. I've had this dish in Fukuoka, which is famous for tonkatsu ramen. Koyoi's version came pretty close to what I ate there. I just don't know why they limit it to 25 bowls per week? Seems so arbitrary... We also tried the hot pot udon and I was less impressed with the consistency of the udon noodles -- a bit too firm for my liking. Other memorable dishes include the octopus in wasabi sauce (very small portion though) and yakinasu (grilled eggplant). The onigiri comes somewhat deconstructed... the nori is not wrapped around the rice, it comes in a flat sheet and you wrap it up yourself. I wanted to try the black sesame ice cream with rice balls, but ran out of room in my stomach. A reason to come back...
Space is simple and clean, while the service is polite (although they forgot my friend's 2nd beer and my cup of green tea went empty). I recommend this place to anyone looking for casual Japanese pub fare or anyone who likes Japanese food but wants to try something a little bit different from the usual sushi places.Listed in: Oishii!
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Review from Alex Z.
Downtown Core, Toronto, ON
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
All foods are delicious and authentic, like oden, oxy tongue, beef tataki, the pork feet, tofu soup!!desserts are great too!
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
8/5/2010 9 photos
I remember walking by this Izakaya with a bunch of Yelpers as we went to Ethiopian House for our Okonomiyaki UYE. It was SUPER packed then on that Friday but unfortunately it was nothing of that kind this Wednesday. They open 5pm and we were there around 5:30pm as we saw one other person at the patio sitting go on their way.
We were greeted by 2 girls and as we went in we noticed the simple clean decor which was mostly decorated by SAKE Bottles and Posters. There's a pretty good list of alcoholic drinks but that wasn't what my interest was here. I know I'm contradicting myself going to an Izakaya and not drinking but I let my friend cover for me in this scenario as we had other Izakaya destinations next.
Beef TONGUE($7.99) was very tasty presented on a cast-iron plate served with a Lemon Wedge and Sprouts. I wasn't expecting sprouts to be served here but it didn't hurt. If you tasted the Tongue before and after the Lemon then you would know that the Lemon Juice makes this dish amazing. The only downside was that I wish I had more for this price-point.
OKONOMIYAKI($7.99) was in appearance everything I remembered from my photographic memory of my Asian trip. The only thing that was missing was the Shrimp, Octopus, an extra Metal Spatula, and the Teppan Grill in front of me. I noticed Squid only, but maybe I'm wrong?!?
It definitely makes other Okonomiyaki's look inferior but it didn't go without some slight imperfections as I like my Cabbage bits a bit bigger for that crunch Vege/Seafood/Cake Mix ratio.
Ankimo - Monkfish Liver($4.99) was A-OK. Looks like Liver, taste like Liver... Served with a bit of sauce and shredded Daikon Radish.
Great presentation overall for all items and definitely a place I will return when I visit my friends. May I suggest you go to Guu to get your 1 hour wait time and come to Koyoi for a snack while you wait??? I wish someone suggested this to me before!Listed in: 4+ ****Stars****, Oishii
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Review from Laurie G.
North York, ON
2/6/2012
Just want to mention that I waited exactly 1-hr to get my ramen. I was hungry from work; it was a weeknight and the place wasn't jam packed. I reminded them many times and it still took 1-hr for it to arrive.
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Review from Tad H.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I was always a fan of the food since Im Japanese and looking for more interesting food. Monkfish liver, chicken gizzard karaage is great!
Owner is great guys too -
Review from Edward N.
Scarborough, ON
Updated - 8/26/2009
Went here again with my brother this time tonight for dinner, and again the food and service was great.
Had the usual Spinach Salad with bacon and warm dressing and again did not disappoint. Also had the Grilled Chicken with Daikon Radish Ponzu Sauce, the chicken was cooked well and was moist and the ponzu sauce complimented it very well with its sweet, salty and sour flavour. Also had Sake steamed clam, the clams itself tasted very good and very fresh and the sake base also was great and was not very overpowering. And also had the Breast Duck, the duck was moist and was not very greasy the sauce itself I found sweet.
For drinks I had the sweet potato Shochu which was called SatsumaMuso Sakuramon, this one was quite different from the first drink I had which was called Satsuma Shiranami as it went much smoother and had more of a distinct sweet potato flavour. With it we had the octopus marinated wasabi which again is a must not miss in this resto.
I hope more people would come to this resto as the food and service here are great and all employees are welcoming. This place is a gem.
Note: We also had Japanese Pancake, Hamburger Steak (Jap Hamburger) both were up to par and not need to be reviewed again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2009 First to Review
Hello long time reader first time reviewer so here it goes.
Went to Koyoi for dinner tonight alone,… Read more »
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Review from Clinton C.
Toronto, ON
Less raucous atmosphere than what I'm accustomed to at an izakaya, thus creating a more intimate dining experience. Has a good list of wines and sake but unfortunately I was not in the mood for alcohol so didn't get a chance to try. Portions seem on the whole larger than other izakaya experiences I've had (Guu, Ematei, Hapa). Service was quick and friendly--my tea cup was replenished with hot water regularly--though it did appear to be a slow night. The food was decent, well prepared but nothing to write home about.
There wasn't anything on the menu that screams at me to come back. Okay, maybe if I couldn't get a seat at Guu and was dying for tako wasabi* I would come here; Guu and Koyoi (and only on the rare occassion, Tokyo Grill) are the only places in Toronto I've found that serves tako wasabi.
*diced octopus sashimi marinated in wasabi greens -
Review from Justin U.
6/29/2011
Stopped into Koyoi while on a business trip in Toronto and was very pleased. Overall, the atmosphere there is great and is very much like a little diner you would find in Japan. I sat at the small bar and conversed back in forth with the staff while drinking a "nama beeru". I was there on a Wednesday and their special was Tonkatsu Ramen. Although it didn't match up with what I have had in Japan before, it was tasty. The other great part was Koyoi had oden, of which I tried and loved the daikon. Great place!
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Review from Dan P.
Toronto, ON
3/6/2011
Definitely the most authentic Japanese I've had in Toronto so far. Guu is great, definitely fun, but Koyoi is more like what you'd find in Japan. Will be back at Koyoi regularly.
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Review from Yue G.
Toronto, ON
10/2/2011
Nice place. Kinda hard to find. Food is great and less noisy than Guu.
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Review from Chris H.
Toronto, ON
6/9/2010
I went here last week with a group of 7-8 people, and I was pretty impressed. To be honest, this was my first true Japanese cuisine experience, aside from the occasional sushi place. We ended up ordering a bunch of stuff, and passing it around the table to share. The beer was cold and the food was hot. The chicken and the pork were both delicious.
