Gonzo Izakaya 根性

This is the closest you can get to a Japanese izakaya! The decoration and atmosphere is top-notch. A bit loud, but very fun. Staff are very attentive. Food is really good, but the portion is definitely izakaya style, so don’t expect to have a full belly here. Will come back.

October 13, 2024 on Google

Prepare to be transported into a slice of Tokyo. This place is astounding. Not only an incredible looking restaurant, the food outdoes your expectations. The yakitori is truly divine. The most authentic Japanese meal in Toronto.

August 15, 2024 on Google

Have passed by this spot a lot on College and finally came here for dinner. The interior was adorned to create a cozy, vintage Japanese aesthetic. Ordered 3 things to share between 2 people: 1. Yakitori set. Came with 5 pieces: negima (chicken thigh/scallion), tebasaki (chicken wing), tsukune (Japanese chicken meat ball), hatsu (chicken heart), and sasami (chicken tenderloin). Good variety to share. All coated in teriyaki sauce, but which made each piece taste more similar. 2. Salmon oshizushi. 8 pieces of torch pressed sushi. Good but the white truffle oil threw me off a bit (not the biggest fan of truffle personally). 3. Yaki soba. Definitely my favourite dish of the night. Savoury sauce really tied all the elements together. Got the Calpico sawa too. It was a nice light drink to go with the meal but not sure if I would get it again at its price. My friend got a pint of Asahi on tap, which was $7 during happy hour (we got there at opening time). Was a comfortable spot to hang out and catch up with a friend for a bit. Portion sizes were adequate but not large as expected at an izakaya. Prices were a bit higher in spite of the portion sizes, though pretty consistent with other restaurants downtown. Service was attentive and helpful. Good meal overall!!

July 14, 2024 on Google

For $70pp before tip, probably won’t return. The service was great, the food didn’t meet expectations at all. The premium beef tongue.. 1/5 stars The skewer was nothing like the picture! The meat was wayyyyyy over cooked. The skewer was tiny, the cube were cut waayyyy too small, couldn’t bring out the premium texture of the cut of meat. Chef screwed up the dish. :( Tare they used for the skewers (Yakitori sauce) had no Smokey flavour, too much sugar and additives.. Negima, 1/5 stars… same deal.. the cut were toooo small, meat was over cooked, the negi (Tokyo onions) was not Negi, just regular scallions.. Tskune (chicken ground meat) was not hand made (hand chopped) so it didn’t have any texture to it. Just ground chicken was spices. Saba sushi.. completely fell part. The fish didn’t stick to the rice.. chef didn’t have the proper skills to make the sushi properly.. also did not blend together… Ordered a whole bunch of other skewers..pretty much didn’t taste authentic or proper. Atmosphere was great, place was packed and had waiting list.. service was great, servers were smiley and attentive.

June 9, 2024 on Google

I just found this great Japanese izakaya over the weekend. Gonzo Izakaya, which has only been around for 3 years, has a fantastic yakitori (meat skewers) and Japanese snack menu, as well as being fully staffed by Japanese (and a couple Korean) workers and cooks. Check out the last pic for a map of their hometowns.

June 4, 2024 on Google

The food here is truly remarkable. It is pricey for the portion unless you get a rice bowl. Great atmosphere and the service is polite. If you're dining outside, you might have to go inside to get the bill or add to your order though.

October 19, 2023 on Google

The most authentic and comfortable Canadian Izakaya I've ever been in. Highballs and Asahi, casual and friendly service, mouth-watering food, and an atmosphere that is unmatched. One of the owners, Juwon, and I had the most amazing chat as they were closing that somehow made me feel even more welcome. Left the space smiling and reminiscing about the food and people for hours after. Cannot recommend enough.

October 2, 2023 on Google

Had an awesome dinner here with a few friends. Vibes are great and then menu is simple and really fun (literally the virtual menu is a treat). Food was amazing and the drinks were great as well. Definitely don’t skip the crispy cabbage! Only drawback was that service seemed a bit off. We made a reservation online, but they didn’t seem to be aware, just hurried us into a table as someone else left. Then our one server disappeared and we were left for a long time, and eventually had to ask for our next round. All the servers were super nice and helpful when we could chess them, though! Would definitely go back!

July 2, 2023 on Google