Japango

I'll make this review as short and sweet as possible to go along with the rest of my overtime take out meal series. Japango, what can I say, there's a fair bit of hype associated with this place. First off their sushi always looks fresh and I have had a few of my friends tell me this place has some of the best donkatsu in downtown TO. I figured hell yeah, I'm going to order a donkatsu dinner to highlight my evening at work!

First off when I received my meal, none of the items in my combo were labeled. Simply bagging all the items in one bag together and writing the name of the person can't be that hard right? So after 15 minutes of sorting through other people's meals, salads and soups I finally put together my donkatsu combo. I started with the salad first, and what a mistake the lettuce was totally spoiled! Not sure if it was due to the fact it was put beside hot food, but I had to throw it out because it was so gue-like. Now on to the miso soup, I should call it me no soup, because it tasted like water with sand in it. Finally the creme de la creme the donkatsu...when I opened the box it looked as if a small child had vomited all over my Styrofoam box. Not only was the pork not crispy, it was totally wet and the sauces kind of just soaked into the box and rice making a non pleasant chunk of food.

I mean it was take out and I should be a bit more forgiving, so I'm dropping a 2 star instead of a 1. I might give them another shot, but will be definitely ordering sushi next time. Please label my boxes next time Japango or I'll have to JapanNo on my next order!

I've been meaning to go to this restaurant for a while and I'm so glad I did! The quality of fish is really good, so fresh! I had the chirashi don. The tuna that came with it just melts in your mouth. I also tried the unagi don which was good for the price, but I have had better elsewhere.

The only thing I didn't like about the restaurant was how small it was. There are so little tables that it's not so easy to get a seat. Also the tables are small, so I kept bumping my knee into it.

A lot of customers came in to pick up take out, which is a great idea. Definitely going to order take out from here some day.

While I was warned about how tiny this place was from previous reviews, I had no idea how extremely tiny it was. They had given away our reservation after we showed up late but that wasn't a big problem and we understood their need to seat everyone. My advice would be to go right when they open so you can be seated right away. The food was a bit on the pricey side but the quality is spectacular. The fish is so fresh and not just the regular plain pieces you would expect at other Japanese restaurants. There was so much flavour. In my opinion, the best option for lunch is definitely the Chirashi. You get your money's worth in terms of the sashimi and the rice is uniquely and perfectly seasoned.

The only problem I had with this is that my friend and I came on a separate occasion and each ordered a lunch combo. We asked for ice cream afterwards, as we had assumed it had come with the combo like many other Japanese restaurants. It doesn't. And we were also not informed of such. They just brought it to us and charged us $5 (which is pretty high for two scoops of regular green tea ice cream...) When asked about this, the manager said "nowhere on the menu does it say it comes with ice cream." That's fine, I guess it's my fault for assuming but it also sounded pretty accusatory on their part.

Food's good though.

My coworkers and I go here at least once a month for lunch. We always try to get there early because the place is quite small and fills up fast. It's definitely not made for large groups.

Customer service is great because the staff are always attentive.

I usually go here when I'm in a "treat yourself" kind of mood since it can be quite pricey. My go-to is the chirashi bowl! I normally get the chirashi dinner ($27) but today I splurged and got the chirashi supreme ($37)! It's bigger and has more fish. I was super happy with it and will definitely get it again - I just need to save up for it!

The perfect spot for quick service and good sushi near the finance district. My friend and I visited just past noon on a Tuesday and had to be back at the office for a meeting at 1. We were served promptly, the food came quickly and we got our sushi fix all in 40 minutes!

We each ordered a miso soup and shared the gyoza, both were tasty. We also shared the Japango and the spider roll. I will order the Japango roll every time I visit because it is fantastic. The combination of flavours and ingredients is spot on. The spider roll I could do without, 4 rolls had crab and the remaining 2 were merely avocado rolls. I also ordered the salmon sashimi which was very fresh and came in thick pieces.

In total the bill came to $60. Not the cheapest sushi place, but the speed of service at lunch time is unbeatable and it's the best quality sushi in the area. Try your best to arrive before noon as it's a small place; we got very lucky to score a table!

My two friends and I arrived here around 2 pm yesterday for a late lunch and managed to get a table right away. This place is just as small as other reviewers have commented on so I was glad we went at an off peak hour. It is a tight squeeze, I kept hitting my knees on the table, as well as bumping into everything getting in and out of the bench seat at the table, but don't let that scare you away.

We were given tea upon being seated and you can tell they want you in and out as quickly as possible to maximize their small space. This meant that service from beginning to end was quick and efficient.

I got the lunch sashimi combo one which comes with 12 pieces of sashimi, a bowl of rice, and miso soup for $18. I would usually order a roll, but after reading reviews I decided to order sashimi because other reviewers had said their fish is very fresh. I will have to say I agree and was really happy with the selection of fish I received, along with their taste and quality. Out of the 12 pieces of sashimi, I got to try 6 different kinds, which was a huge plus for me. I thought everything was great, including the price.

Japango is a hidden gem tucked away on Elizabeth Street.

While the food is a little pricey, it's definitely worth it, and I'd argue is on par with what you'd get at the likes of establishments like JaBistro or Miku. They have selections of fish from Japan if you want to pony up for it.

In addition to the quality of the food, it's the little touches and details that elevate Japanago from being merely average to great, from unremarkable to unique: the care placed into each setting of sashimi or sushi; the wooden chopstick containers on the wall for regulars; the ice cream served extra cold in stone bowls from the freezer; and a picture of Milla Jovovich in the corner, undoubtedly signed on a break from being atop City Hall while on set for Resident Evil.

Sure it's a little crowded and small - reservations are essential, even for a weekday lunch, and rightly so.

Scallop (Starter): 3/5. Not my type. The scallops are not fresh, I guess they were treated with water. The juice underneath is a bit flat and only has a mushroom flavour.

Unaju: 2/5. Nothing special just something you can get from an AYCE. When we got the bento, the spoon was in the rice, making it oily and difficult to use.

Zara Soba: 3/5. The only reason I would order this is that there aren't too many places in Toronto that offer it. However compared to the soba I've had in the other cities I would say it's just average.

Their service is also poor, I had the server grab the menu without asking.

Japango has been around for a long time, and I have dined here multiple times before. I remember that 5+ years ago, this was one of the better places for sushi, and they were one of the very few restaurants that would flame certain types of fish to give it that extra layer of flavour.

Which brings us to 2017 - after not having been here for a few years, a friend suggested to do take-out sushi from here. Upon coming back here to pick up the sushi+sashimi platter (medium size, $75 + $20 for "deluxe"), the cramped seating and the small-ness of the restaurant looks definitely pathetic compared to all the newer and bigger Japanese eateries that have opened up since my last visit.

The sushi/sashimi platter that I picked up looked good, and the fish tasted OK. What I found disappointing though is that even with the $20 extra that I paid for the "deluxe" version, I did not find the fish variety better, nor were there any notable stuff like toro or uni. In fact, there were multiple repeats like the standard salmon and tuna. I can't help but to think I got ripped off, or that it would have been the same if I didn't pay extra.

There were some aburi (flamed) sushi in the platter, but there are now other restaurants in Toronto that does a much better job, and better flavours.

Having that said, I like the freshness of their fish, but for future sushi outings Japango would definitely not be my first choice.

Overall, I would give Japango 2.75 stars.

Very fast dining, from what I have experienced (my partner and I were in and out after 35 minutes, with plates taken hastely off table).
I've had better (and cost friendly) sushi from other joints. The salmon nigiri was stringy and quite dry. Not tender and moist like one would expect.