Zakkushi on Carlton

One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in Toronto. Very good skewers and don bowls! They've got amazing drinks and tapas as well.

Good food, mediocre service and hectic experience. 接客は悪いから、料理が美味しくてもおすすめしない。Will not be going back. Service was not great. Our server (I believe his name was Keita?) basically forgot abt us for a solid 20 mins with no water or anything. It was also comedically hard to grab his attention. And when he finally noticed, he told us to wait a sec and went somewhere else. We were gonna order more food but ended up not ordering just because he never came back.We then decided to just get the bill so we can finally leave but that’s when we realized that our server had completely disappeared ? nowhere to be seen. We thought maybe he had an emergency but turns out he was just chatting with another server all dilly dally. Waved over a different server and they were actually professional and efficient. Even though our original server was very unprofessional and basically wasted our time, we still tipped 10% ? There was also this table across from us that was obnoxiously loud the whole night. I get that it’s an izakaya but one of the older guys of the group would start yelling at the top of his lungs (just random screams, no words or meaning) which would lead the entire restaurant to silence, even overpowering the loud music. Everyone would stop what they’re doing to look over but it wouldn’t matter bc he obviously didn’t care or even liked the negative attention. Wasn’t a great experience getting ear raped while trying to enjoy food or a conversation. Staff didn’t bother doing anything either when normally that kind of obnoxious drunken behaviour would’ve let to whoever causing the ruckus being kicked out. It’s just a bad look for everyone involved. Food was pretty good! We ordered a few skewers, the beef tataki (would recommend if u decide to go) and the udon and weren’t disappointed! I really liked the mochi and cheese skewer. Other positives: many street parking available near the restaurant and literally right next to a bus stop. With that said, because the experience was kind of ruined via the poor service, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. It’s also not the best yakitori place either.

I went to Zakkushi with a couple of friends and was absolutely impressed by the fantastic service, beautiful presentation, and delicious food. We had a good variety of the menu and everything was just so very well done. From welcoming us in to ordering to presenting the food to sending us off with a greeting in Japanese, the entire experience was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and courteous. We had brought cake to celebrate a friend's birthday and the staff not only offered to keep it refrigerated, they also dimmed the lights when it came time to bring the cake out, lighted a candle for the cake, and also got the whole restaurant to sing happy birthday together!! It was a blast and I would highly recommend!

Food was delicious and atmosphere was lively! Servers were friendly but we were rushed to leave when we were non-stop eating and drinking. I was told we can stay up to 2 hours when I made a reservation and I thought it’s also because their food takes some time (which is totally understandable for a busy restaurant like this). We were there for about 1 hour and still finishing the second round and a server came and told us it’s last call. We planned to order more but we left instead and went somewhere else. Again, I understand the restaurant is very busy that they need a table and I would definitely go back, but it will be nicer to have time to enjoy the experience more.

It can be hard to decide what to get so the Zakkushi set can be a good way to explore and it’s good value. I tried a variety of chicken, beef and pork skewers, and they were all grilled perfectly. Two skewers that particularly stood out were the premium beef tongue and the quail eggs wrapped in pork. The Cassis Oolong cocktail was so refreshing and I really liked the blackcurrant flavor.

Prompt service and friendly staff! Food and drinks were great! The shiso cocktail (the green drink) was incredibly good, never had a cocktail that’s unique and this delicious!

Food is perfectly grilled and the flavour is balanced. Atmosphere is great for groups of friends. Only 2 sakes are available, very limited for a izakaya and very disappointing for us. Food quality is consistent. Will come back again, just hope they have more sake selection.

Most authentic-feeling izakaya in downtown that I've ever visited. Great atmosphere and service. A nice variety of food and dishes available at decent prices. Great selection of drinks as well. Recommend making a reservation well in advance on weekends, or expect long wait times.