Friday, 9 November 2012

Okonomi House

Date: November 8, 2012
Location: 23 Charles Street West (near Bay and Bloor), Toronto
Website: N/A
Cuisine: Japanese
Meal: lunch

My thoughts:
We finally made it here! And by 'finally' I am referring to the fact that all my previous attempts failed because the restaurant was either renovating or not open for whatever reason. In fact, on our way here, I said to my sister, "Wouldn't it be funny if this place is closed again today? On second thought, maybe that wouldn't be so funny." When we arrived at the plaza, there was major construction taking place in the parking lot, and we were afraid our okonomiyaki craving would have to be put off yet again. But a quick peek at the store front and our suspicions were dismissed. The place itself is quite small, but perhaps not that small compared to most restaurants in the area and considering the fact that is a family-owned establishment.

I suppose we had missed the lunch rush since we arrived around 1:30pm and the restaurant was empty except for one other table. We decided on the scallop okonomiyaki ($6.35) with bonito flakes and seaweed powder, which were an extra $0.50 each. I know, pretty ridiculous that they charge extra for something as standard as bonito flakes and seaweed, right? But I knew this going in, so this was no surprise. The okonomiyaki was not bad, but not nearly as good as Guu's. (I know I frequently reference Guu. It really has become the gold standard for many things, and for that reason, it has been a huge eye-opener in many regards.)





We also had the Suno Mono Salad ($3.45), which was a clear noodle topped with crab stick, seaweed, vegetable and sesame seeds in a rice vinegar "soup." We were unimpressed by the tiny portion size and the simplicity to the "dish" - it was extremely plain. We also ordered this not knowing this was cold.



I, for one, came here starving and ready to devour an entire animal. My sister was pretty hungry as well. The two things we shared didn't quite fill us up, but for the price point, this wasn't bad. I will come back if I'm ever in the area and want something quick, but this won't be something I'll go out of my way for.

I took some pictures of the menu for you all since I knew this place doesn't have a menu.






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