Decided to come to this place the day of and table reservations had entirely been filled, got seats at the bar instead.
Staff were friendly, ambience is very cozy since the restaurant is relatively small compared to Guu. It seemed like this place caters more specifically to a Japanese community-- noticed all of the customers spoke Japanese.
So did it live up to the hype?
I found the menu choices much more limited than other izakayas. Items prices are reasonable. We ordered the takowasabi for $4.50; the grilled scallop with cheese, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, garnished with anchovy for about $10; and the kaarage for about $10. Kaarage was excellent, one of the better ones I've had. The scallop was a special dish I didn't see elsewhere, and the anchovies gave it an interesting kick while the cheese made it rich in flavour. Takowasabi was alright, met standards but average.
Overall, the quality of the food met my standards but the limited menu choices and overall (under)creativity of the menu led me to decide on three stars for this one. I may come back to try the hot pot next time though, since it is popular for Japanese guests.