Review: Little Portugal’s Hanmoto maintains a healthy disregard for dieters, as the best izakayas do
Hanmoto ★★★
2 Lakeview Ave.
Leemo Han’s secretive Dundas West izakaya bears the trademark junk-shop look he and brother Leeto established at downtown’s (now shuttered) Swish by Han and Ossington snack-food spot Oddseoul. The food is meant for snacking and sharing, with nothing costing more than $18 (for six oysters dressed with ponzu and pickled chilies). As at the best izakayas, the chef maintains a healthy disregard for dieters. Prime example: a sandwich of roasted, super-fatty pork belly, coated in soy remoulade, barely contained by a coco bun. Everyone raves about the Dyno Wings, which are stuffed with spicy pork and rice, deep-fried and served in a takeout box. Even more impressive are a tartare of fantastically fresh hamachi and the nasu dengaku—Japanese eggplant charred until the flesh is creamy, the length of it covered in a crunchy, burgundy fuzz of finely shredded deep-fried beets. (The only letdown is the salmon face—Leemo’s stunt-plate equivalent of the pig face that appeared not long ago on hipster charcuterie menus.) The drinks list is short but thoughtful: Asahi on tap, quality sake, and cocktails made with shiso leaf, kaffir lime–infused vodka and Asian pear.
 Swish by Han and Ossington snack-food spot Oddseoul. The food is meant for snacking and sharing, with nothing costing more than $18 (for six oysters dressed with ponzu and pickled chilies). As at the best izakayas, the chef maintains a healthy disregard for dieters. Prime example: a sandwich of roasted, super-fatty pork belly, coated in soy remoulade, barely contained by a coco bun. Everyone raves about the Dyno Wings, which are stuffed with spicy pork and rice, deep-fried and served in a takeout box. Even more impressive are a tartare of fantastically fresh hamachi and the nasu dengaku—Japanese eggplant charred until the flesh is creamy, the length of it covered in a crunchy, burgundy fuzz of finely shredded deep-fried beets. (The only letdown is the salmon face—Leemo’s stunt-plate equivalent of the pig face that appeared not long ago on hipster charcuterie menus.) The drinks list is short but thoughtful: Asahi on tap, quality sake, and cocktails made with shiso leaf, kaffir lime–infused vodka and Asian pear.
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West: 120
East: 8
Have to say, I’m actually kind of impressed with your steadfast commitment to whining about a blog not writing about what you want. If I didn’t like a website’s content, I’d probably just stop reading, but you do you, boo boo.
except he’s never whined. all he’s done is pointed out the disparity. and nobody is forcing you to read his posts. ‘but you do you boo boo’.
Read between the lines, he’s whining by simply doing this rediculous roll call with every restaurant review. but hey, you do you boo boo and stay classy!
‘rediculous’. i can see i’m not dealing with mensa material here. and maybe he’s just helping out basil’s stated opinion that there’s nothing good in the east. the fact is, he’s merely posting stats. funny how that seems to upset people who make it more personal than it needs to be. none of you gals seem to complain about the uber spam on here. why does the stat strike such a nerve with you gals?
Where did I state that there is nothing good in the east? I said you’re whining that this blog doesn’t post what you want it to post. Unless you’re saying that you’re not trying to make any sort of point by posting this over and over again on every post about a restaurant?
“maybe he’s just helping out basil’s stated opinion that there’s nothing good in the east” Now that’s REEEEEEEEEdiculous.
I find both the uber spam and the east/west restaurant tally equally irritating and downvotable