What’s on the menu at Yokai Izakaya, a Japanese-inspired gem in a Woodbridge strip mall
Including Wagyu sliders, hand rolls topped with 24-karat gold flakes and boozy bubble tea
More New Restaurants
Name: Yokai Izakaya
Contact: 3175 Rutherford Rd., unit 28, 647-930-2623, yokaiizakaya.com, @yokai.izakaya
Neighbourhood: Woodbridge
Previously: La Taquizza
Owners: Chris Nguyen, Tony Tran
Chef: Rob Yu
Accessibility: Fully accessible
In Japanese folklore, yokai are supernatural entities sometimes likened to fairies or sprites—mischievous, mysterious and somewhat morally ambiguous. At Yokai Izakaya, a Japanese-inspired gem in an unassuming Woodbridge strip mall, the spirits’ playful irreverence underpins the restaurant’s concept. “This isn’t traditional Japanese food,” says owner Chris Nguyen, who also helped open Ration Foodlab and Strangelove Coffee. “It’s a second-generation Asian Canadian approach. We have a lot of fun with this menu.”
It’s not all about novelty, however. For Nguyen, izakayas—popular after-work spots for casual drinks and snacks—were a beacon of comfort during his time living in Japan as a foreigner. That was more than a decade ago, but the impression stuck. “I loved that every izakaya reflected the personality of the owner and chef,” he says. With high-design whimsy grounded in thoughtful food, his izakaya is as intimate as it is experimental.
The food
Charcoal-grilled proteins, koji steak tartare, nori risotto and sashimi served in a dry-ice cloud are among Yu’s creative, visually impactful dishes. It’s all in the details for these deceptively simple plates—his take on yakitori chicken involves a tenderizing bath in shio koji, a fermented condiment in the miso family, and a lightly spicy yuzu kosho glaze on the grill. Boneless short rib is brined for 12 hours and cooked at a low temperature for another 48, so its ultra-tender but cuts like a steak. Light yet creamy yaki udon is tossed in a mix of sake and butter for a rich, well-balanced bite. The foundation here is Japanese, but Yu takes plenty of creative licence.
The drinks
Punchy signature cocktails take their names from Japanese folklore and tradition, like the Floating World, where a smoke-filled bubble seals a glass filled with a mix of lemon, tequila and St. Germain. Highballs, mocktails and a solid spirit list—including a killer sake menu—round out the drinks. There’s also a tight wine selection and some fun bubbles, including fancy options for celebrating.
The space
The restaurant is designed to feel like a realm unto itself—behind an oversized dramatic door is a room with no windows, high ceilings and mood lighting punctuated by neon in the shape of two yokai spirits. One is the fox-like kitsune, also depicted in a mask mosaic along the front wall. On the ceiling, an abstract image of an upside-down city is inspired by an Inception dream sequence. Even the bathrooms are a destination—each one has a drastically different theme. Walk into one and find yourself in a peaceful Japanese Zen garden; another blares club music and is lit in neon red.
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