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| - I read about Goen Yakiniku in a Toronto-based Japanese magazine. The owner of this place ran a similar restaurant in Tokyo before starting a yakiniku place in Toronto (technically Markham).
In a strip mall, there's free parking (even an underground lot) so it's easily accessible by car. For a Friday night, this place was not too busy. I made a reservation, but it was not necessary.
The menu is pretty extensive and covers meats and seafood along with noodles, rice and vegetables. We ordered a number of items, including Kalbi with Bones, Saikoro Steak, and the Seafood Chijimi. The pricing is comparable to other Japanese and Korean style BBQ restaurants.
Just a note of caution, some of the translation is not correct. There were a couple of items that had completely different meanings in Japanese and English. Also, as others have mentioned, the grill is not the best for a restaurant like this. Firstly, it's tiny. Secondly, the electric grill takes a while to heat up. We were often just staring at the meats and vegetables to grill. I can't imagine ordering chicken. Our kalbi with bone actually came frozen so we put it on the grill to just thaw.
As for service, it was pretty good. One woman was very personable and came to our table frequently. I felt bad because she had to compensate for her colleagues though. With the bill, you get a little dessert. The complimentary custard pudding was a nice touch.
Goen is experience growing pains. Japanese BBQ restaurants need more energy and enthusiasm. Also, part of the excitement is grilling meats and trying all different types within a short period of time instead of spending a lot of time just watching your food cook.
Good for: Japanese BBQ
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