Guu Izakaya – 1314 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1L4
Country: Japan
Must-try Dish: Oshizushi, Salmon or Saba(Mackerel) and Takoyaki
Dinner Guest: Young Matt & Suited-Sebastien 

***This post is coming in hot several weeks late, as Mat’s birthday is in early February, but we figured that being fashionably late is trendy. 

We decided to give Mat a big Eat the World TO birthday at Guu Izakaya on Queen Street West, not be be confused by the Vancouver location… For such a special occasion, we wanted something a little more upscale, but still with the Mandrea Bike brand – Guu offered exactly what we were looking for. The decor is chic, the food is delicious and the staff is cheerful, so much so that they loudly greet all people that enter and exit the restaurant. Needless to say, you feel loved, which is exactly what you want on a birthday. 

For those of you who don’t know this style of cooking, an Izakaya is Japan’s version of tapas.  These small plates are designed to be shared in a group and the goal is to have little tastes of many dishes. As you do with tapas, Izakaya is no different, ordering a variety of plates and continuing to do so until everyone has eaten enough. 

This is the second time the Mat/t’s have eaten at this establishment and both of their experiences have left them wanting more. As we ordered several dishes we decided to include two must-try dishes of the night: the Oshizushi, salmon or saba (mackerel) and the Takoyaki. The Oshizushi is blowtorched fish pressed sushi, we recommend both. This sounds very simple though it is well worth it and we were all blown away by the charred taste of the fish. In contrast, the Takoyaki are octopus balls with tonkatsu sauce and karachi mayo. 

Between four of us, we tried the majority of the menu, and here are some of the other favorites of the night: Gyu Tataki, Maguro Tataki, Karubi, and Hotate Sashimi (evening special). It should also be noted that Guu has a higher price point than most of the other restaurants that we feature because of the high-quality meats and fish that are served raw or blowtorched. See attached pictures for reference of all the dishes, the name of the dish is included in the picture description.

The night at Guu was fantastic, with steins of Sapporo flowing between Mat and Suited Sebastien, as Young Matt sipped on his Sake. This is the perfect restaurant to experiment with various Japanese dishes, whether you dine with a single friend or in a group.

We want to send a shout out to Lauren Simone and Sam P-P for introducing Mandrea Bike to Guu. 

Happy Birthday Mat, and as always: Eat with you soon.

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)