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| - Average across the board. A small snack bar in a far off corner of Etobicoke, Nobuya left much to be desired. Tucked away, it was a little out of place, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city. Limited parking in the back and side of the place.
I came in with a decent level of expectations as I've heard many good things about their offerings. I left a bit of a flat note. I was accompanied by 2 other diners that night. The restaurants itself was not overly busy, though all seating were filled but there were about 10 diners in all. Service was understandable slow as there was only one front of house wait staff braving service.
They offered various typical Japanese snacks, sharable but definitely will not fill a normal person up. Between the 3 of us, we ordered 5 dishes worked out to about $23 per person. We wanted a wide variety so we ordered Takoyaki, karaage, pork donburi, Japanese poutine, and okonomiyaki w/ yakisoba.
First off, all the food were pretty much basted in the same mayo and unagi sauce, so very differentiation in taste between the dishes. The donburi was by far the table's fav. The rice was perfectly cooked and fluffy. The sauces worked well and the pork and egg was well marinated. The textures, flavours, and silky mouth feel left a nice sensation. It was missing a crunchy component but that's preference.
The takoyaki was average or a little below. It was too doughy, too cooked and lack the crispy to the outer shell. The flavour was good and price definitely were some of the cheapest I've came across. Strangely, it came out at a manageable temperature to eat (normally takoyaki comes out lovingly scorchingly hot).
The Karaage was not a favourite. Portion vs. price was a definite deterrent. The portion was on the small side. The chicken meat itself was bland and relies on the sauce and seasoning for flavour. It was strangely not crispy but chewy and tough. The ginger garnish did provide a nice and much needed contrast.
The poutine was not a favourite either. The hand-cut style fries was nice and starchy but was limp for the most part. By the time the fries came we were pretty much bored with the same sauces and flavour profile. Cheese was a scarcity on the plate. The bonito flakes didn't add much but aesthetics.
Last and least was the okonomiyaki and yakisoba. After the first bite, I gave up. The biggest issue I had was with the amount of oil that coated the dish. Next was the texture and overall execution. The okonomiyakis that I've has the chance to try were delicious; filled with cabbages and filling goodness to held together by a nice light batter. This okonomiyaki was very heavy with the batter, lacking fillings and notably formed using a mould of sort. The soba noodle had a toughness to it that was either pleasant or palatable.
The overall meal was a little below average. I would rate the 2.5 stars. The service was friend but slow. 45 minute in, we were still waiting for food. However, once the food started to roll out, it kept consistent pace, so no complaints there. I would personably not return mainly due to location and price, but I would definitely say it worth trying...especially if you crave some Japanese snacks and can't go to north York or Toronto for your fix.
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