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| - This is one of my favourite Japanese izakayas so far. They serve Okinawan (tropical island in southern Japan) food, which attracted me to this restaurant in the first place.
Interior design is a bit fancy, yet the atmosphere is approachable. I like that they have different types of seating including counters, wooden tables & stools, group sofa seats, and small couches, which would suit various occasions. Unlike other Toronto izakayas, you won't hear the staff shouting welcome, thank you, etc.--what a relief, you can actually enjoy talking to your companions!
Throughout my couple visits here, I've tried variety of tapas. Their tapas are actually not all Okinawan and include regular Japanese izakaya dishes, so if you want to try Okinawan food, check the "Okinawa" section in the menu. On top of my head, I really enjoyed Rafute, Tontoro, Unagi (eel) roll sushi, and Ebi mayo. Goya Champuru, the very famous Okinawan dish is also worth trying if you like bitter melons. Great thing about Ryoji is that their dishes have creativity; I wouldn't call them fusion cuisine, but they are not strictly sticking to traditional style either. Also, they serve Canadian craft beers--yay for those who are tired of having Sapporo/Asahi all the time at izakayas.
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