Introducing: Zakkushi, the first Toronto location of the Vancouver chain of yakitori bars
Introducing: Zakkushi, the first Toronto location of the Vancouver chain of yakitori bars
Name: Zakkushi
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
Contact info: 193 Carlton St., 647-352-9455, zakkushi.com, @ZakkushiCarlton
Owner: Masami Wakabayashi of Valuce Hospitality Ltd., the company behind the three Zakkushi locations in Vancouver
Chef and general manager: Hiroshi Tamanaha
The food: Hot and cold Japanese bar snacks, with a focus on kushiyaki, bite-sized meats and veggies threaded on a skewer and grilled over Japanese hardwood charcoal. The large selection ranges from pork-wrapped asparagus ($2.30) to chicken skin ($1.60), and is also available in five-piece sets ($8.80 and $19.80). There’s also salads, sashimi, deep-fried fried snacks like chicken knees ($4.60), noodle dishes and oden, a light dashi stew. To finish, Zakkushi serves house-made desserts like little matcha ice cream sandwiches ($3.50).
The drinks: Three Japanese beers (Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin), a wide selection of sake and shochu and fruity cocktails ($5–6), like grapefruit juice with umeshu, a Japanese plum liqueur ($5.20).
The place: The split-level space was built by Tamanaha and conjures the warm feel of yakitori bars in Japan, with wide wooden banquettes and booths (the stools open up to reveal storage for coats and bags). At the back, Tamanaha and his grill cook work in Zakkushi’s open kitchen, just above a kitchen bar for solo diners. Japanese paper lanterns and murals created by Wakabayashi’s sister-in-law liven up the space. For now, service is only available in the upstairs dining room, although a patio and basement dining area will open in the coming months.
By the numbers:
• 3,500 square feet
• 57 seats on the main floor
• 4 Zakkushi locations (3 in Vancouver and one in Toronto, with plans for more)
• 2 a.m. last call on weekends
• 2-hour seating limit when the restaurant is busy
• $1.60–$6.80, the price range on yakikushi, from four cherry tomatoes with basil up to wagyu beef
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- Umeshu and grapefruit juice ($5.20)
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Each table is outfitted with a bamboo cup to hold used kushi (skewers)
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Kinako mochi ice cream ($3.80): Soy bean powder (kinako) is sprinkled over vanilla ice cream and deep fried sticky rice (mochi) that have been drizzled with maple syrup
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Doayaki matcha ice cream ($3.50): matcha ice cream and red bean paste sandwiched between two pancake-like patties
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Oden: a light Japanese stew featuring slowly simmered ingredients like daikon radish ($1.40), shirataki noodles ($1.40), ikamaki (fishcake with a squid core, $1.60), hanpen (fluffy fish cake, $1.60) and konnyaku yam cake ($1.60) in a dashi- or miso-flavoured broth. Like the kushiyaki, oden items are available by the piece or in a chef’s choice set ($6.80-12.50)
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Mentai kimchi yakiudon ($8): pan-fried udon noodles with cod roe and kimchi
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Nankotsu ($4.60): deep-fried chicken knee cartilage
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Nasu maki ($1.90): grilled eggplant wrapped in pork
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Yakioni ($1.80): grilled rice ball with a choice of soy sauce (shoyu) or butter soy sauce (butter shoyu)
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Ikayaki ($8.30): grilled squid with teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Kawa ($1.60): chicken skin, seasoned with salt
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Chicken livers ($1.60) and hearts ($1.60), both lightly grilled and seasoned with sea salt
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Cherry tomato with basil ($1.60) and shishito peppers with soy sauce and bonito flakes ($1.90)
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Mochi maki ($2): grilled sticky rice wrapped with pork
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Umeshiso tsukune ($1.90): ground chicken meat ball, grilled and topped with sour plum and Japanese basil
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Aspara maki ($2.30): young asparagus wrapped with a thin layer of pork then grilled
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Premium set ($19.80):<br /><br /> <br /> • Wagyu beef: served with Oropon sauce<br /> • Wagyu beef tsukune: Wagyu beef meat ball with teriyaki sauce<br /> • Free-range chicken momo: chicken thigh seasoned with sea salt<br /> • Beef tongue: thick-cut tongue with salt and pepper<br /> • Unagi: eel with teriyaki sauce and sansho pepper<br />
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- The Zakkushi set ($8.80) includes:<br /><br /> <br /> • Oropon beef: served with grated daikon and ponzu sauce<br /> • P-toro: crunchy pork<br /> • <br /> Mé maki: garlic wrapped in pork<br /> • <br /> Umeshisho yaki: chicken thigh with sour plum and Japanese basil<br /> • <br /> Momo: chicken thigh with teriyaki sauce<br />
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Daikon Salad ($4.20): finely shaved daikon radish, cucumber and diced peppers are dressed with plum dressing and topped with smoky bonito flakes and seaweed
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Zakkushi chef and general manager Hiroshi Tamanaha can often be found working at the binchōtan grills
- Zakkushi chef and general manager Hiroshi Tamanaha (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Japanese charcoal (binchōtan) is prized for its ability to burn at 1,000°C and retain heat with no flame and minimal odour. Zakkushi uses Japanese evergreen oak
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- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- The kitchen bar seats for solo diners are just below the grilling station
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Along the walls are murals by owner Masami Wakabayashi’ sister-in-law. The wooden carving hanging from the beams was imported from Japan
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Chef Hiroshi Tamanaha built these booths himself (the square stools have a cover that lifts to reveal storage space for jackets and bags)
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Introducing: Zakkushi
- Introducing: Zakkushi
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- Paper lanterns imported from Japan decorate Zakkushi’s entrance staircase
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/zakkushi/&title=Introducing: Zakkushi, the first Toronto location of the Vancouver chain of yakitori bars&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jan13-Zakkushi-intro-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_188190" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Zakkushi chef and general manager Hiroshi Tamanaha (Image: Renée Suen)[/caption]
Name: Zakkushi
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
Contact info: 193 Carlton St., 647-352-9455, zakkushi.com, @ZakkushiCarlton
Owner: Masami Wakabayashi of Valuce Hospitality Ltd., the company behind the three Zakkushi locations in Vancouver
Chef and general manager: Hiroshi Tamanaha
The food: Hot and cold Japanese bar snacks, with a focus on kushiyaki, bite-sized meats and veggies threaded on a skewer and grilled over Japanese hardwood charcoal. The large selection ranges from pork-wrapped asparagus ($2.30) to chicken skin ($1.60), and is also available in five-piece sets ($8.80 and $19.80). There’s also salads, sashimi, deep-fried fried snacks like chicken knees ($4.60), noodle dishes and oden, a light dashi stew. To finish, Zakkushi serves house-made desserts like little matcha ice cream sandwiches ($3.50).
The drinks: Three Japanese beers (Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin), a wide selection of sake and shochu and fruity cocktails ($5–6), like grapefruit juice with umeshu, a Japanese plum liqueur ($5.20).
The place: The split-level space was built by Tamanaha and conjures the warm feel of yakitori bars in Japan, with wide wooden banquettes and booths (the stools open up to reveal storage for coats and bags). At the back, Tamanaha and his grill cook work in Zakkushi’s open kitchen, just above a kitchen bar for solo diners. Japanese paper lanterns and murals created by Wakabayashi’s sister-in-law liven up the space. For now, service is only available in the upstairs dining room, although a patio and basement dining area will open in the coming months.
By the numbers:
• 3,500 square feet
• 57 seats on the main floor
• 4 Zakkushi locations (3 in Vancouver and one in Toronto, with plans for more)
• 2 a.m. last call on weekends
• 2-hour seating limit when the restaurant is busy
• $1.60–$6.80, the price range on yakikushi, from four cherry tomatoes with basil up to wagyu beef
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Just what Toronto needs, another Vancouver based chain restaurant.
wish these Van offshoots were coming to Ottawa