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| - After a long nap on a Friday evening, I was looking forward to some cozy Japanese food for dinner. We made a reservation for Kinka Izakaya a bit earlier, and luckily the restaurant was busy but not so packed that we didn't have to wait to be seated in this dimly lit, but boisterous little restaurant.
Immediately upon entering the venue, it was clear that the vibe was not unlike a real izakaya--a Japanese pub or tavern--you could find in Japan. The wooden decor, the dim lighting, and the small-plates style of serving all pointed to the same authentic vibe. The servers all greet you when you enter, say goodbye when you leave, and cheer when anyone in the restaurant orders a sake bomb. It's no question that it's all kinds of fun here!
My friends and I split a decent number of dishes, the most memorable I'll talk about here:
-Gyu Carpaccio: This seared sashimi featured ponzu, wasabi mayo, and garlic chips on top. The meat was tender and the sauce was a mix of rich and acidic, which was a nice balance to the meat.
-Salmon Tataki: This is the seafood equivalent of the gyu carpaccio. The flavor profile of the sauces were quite similar, but the protein was simply different. Though to be honest, I prefer salmon simply because I like fish more than I like most meats. Regardless, both dishes were quite good and the fattiness of the meat was rich and balanced out well.
-Karaage: This is your pretty classic Japanese fried chicken. The soy sauce marinade and the garlic mayo was a nice classic dish.
-Gindara: The grilled miso black cod was surprisingly delicate and delicate in flavor. There were some bones in the dish which wasn't much of a problem, but it was definitely a more delicate dish than what we expected. In comparison to the saba (described below), I think my friends and I preferred the saba.
-Saba: Yum! I personally love grilled mackerel. Kinka Izakaya does a great (classic) execution of this grilled fish with a bit of salt and lemon on a sizzling dish. The crispy/flaky dichotomy was well done and flavorful.
-Tonpei Yaki: This egg dish with pan-fried pork, bean sprouts, and cabbage was similar to okonomiyaki. Though to be honest I didn't quite like how they rendered the pork (it was a bit fatty for me), but I still thought the dish and its sauces were executed well.
-Unagi Doria: This eel over rice as a pretty classic take on an eel donburi. The eel was well done and tasted just as one would expect, but I was a big fan of the rice. The grains felt like they had a little bite to them like brown rice, but overall was flavorful in comparison to most steamed rices that unagi is often served on top of instead.
To finish all this off, we also split a matcha tiramisu. I'll say I quite appreciated the flavor of it in contrast to the traditional coffee/liqueur flavoring, since this felt a little earthier and lighter in comparison. Looks like it's a seasonal special though, so keep an eye out for it!
This meal was a wild night and the portions were perfectly sized. Despite getting to sample so much, I wasn't stuffed! Can't wait to come back here for a sampling of their other dishes, or even their gigantic katsu they serve on Wednesday nights. Guess I'll have to make another trip up to Toronto soon...
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