| rev:text
| - I've been craving some Japanese cuisine as of late and felt it was due time for me to visit Toyo. I went with their popular combo option that consists of a selection of 6 appetizers then a main dish of my choosing.
The Pros :
- Their onion soup was simply OUT OF THIS WORLD good! It was served in a very esthetically beautiful soup bowl and was quite flavorful. A great start!
- I went with their Sirloin Hibachi Steak. Asked for medium rare, got it medium rare. Compliments to the chef for not mucking this one up. It was very good, seasoned appropriately and served in an entertaining fashion. My palate was quite appreciative. :)
- The dining experience can get pretty interactive and fun! Toyo is specialized in Japanese Tappanyaki cuisine where you get to sit around a huge table that has large iron griddles called teppan. Then you get to watch the chef work his magic right in front of you with humor and flair. Nothing beats seeing the exaggerated expressions/gestures of the chef, his witty jokes and obviously seeing the fire come up occasionally. Cool! As you sit around a communal table of 8, it's can get pretty social. Great for party groups.
- The service was relatively quick and attentive. Enough time to enjoy your evening, come back occasionally to ensure we are happy with our drinks.
- The resto is warmly decorated with rich detail with rich cultural Japanese ambiance. You walk in and you truly feel you're no longer in Laval. Thankfully! It's very clean and proper with attentive staff taking care of their patrons and guiding them to the appropriate teppan tables. It's nice to see so many beautiful teppan table. It is recommended to reserve ahead of time and I could see why, it's pretty busy.
The Neutral :
- I found that the Hibachi Shrimps weren't anything to write home about. I've had some delicious shrimp and even their provided chili sauce (tasted a lot like dijon and mild) and ginger sauce did little to make it taste on par with other things on the menu.
- I was told there would be ice cream or sorbet options. I was given the default sorbet option along with the rest of the table... which is orange sorbet. SHENANIGANS! However, it was delightful though I personally would have preferred to have my own selection. The tea that came with the ice cream hit the spot nicely before going back to the cold wastelands of Laval outside.
- The price tag isn't cheap but it compares well with experiences you can have elsewhere.
Cons :
- The salad. I didn't like the dressing at all. Too much of it and the taste wasn't for me. I noticed many similar patrons on our table not finish this so I'm not the only one who felt this way.
- I was pretty disappointed in the vegetables. I personally don't like zucchinis and my close friend doesn't like mushrooms but it didn't matter for us since every main combo meals comes with the standard selection of vegetables that consist of onions, zucchinis and mushrooms. Boring and unfortunate.
The Ugly :
- The meal options are sadly pretty restrictive. This severely limits your options with the same unwanted veggies, the same mediocre salad, the same shrimp... and so forth. If given the option to choose another type of salad, your selected choice of vegetables or even your select ice cream it would greatly improve the dining experience.
All in all, I'd rate the experience 3.5 stars but since I never round up, you'll see a somewhat harsh 3 star review. Don't get me wrong, it's a place I'd strongly recommend to visit at least once in your lifetime particularly for an event such as a birthday with a group of 8 or less.
However, due to the limitations of the menu as mentioned in the ugly section of my review, this limits my interest of coming back unless I start ordering selectively items off the menu which I feel would probably be a huge inconvenience for the chef. Why come back to eat here when I'll be stuck eating the same appetizers that mostly left to be desired?
I wouldn't necessarily not want to go back but I'm likely not going to propose the idea neither as well.
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