Kyo Japanese Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Halifax

I must say, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Kyo. I have been looking for a solid ramen joint in Halifax and hadn't yet found a bowl that scratched my itch.

Reading other reviews for Kyo had me a little concerned, as I might be considered a Ramen Otaku when push comes to shove.

But I trusted my instincts and took my party to Kyu for my birthday dinner and was utterly impressed and delighted by everything.

My girlfriend got the Evening at Hogsmead cocktail, inspired by Harry Potter butterbeer and couldn't stop raving about it. 10/10 she says.

We ordered a blooming onion for the table which set us off to a good start and 2 of us ordered Ramen.

Now, if you've read this far you're probably as interested in ramen as I am. Their broth is very much a shio inspired Tonkotsu (salt based pork broth) so it is a wee bit salty by design, and their chef absolutely nailed it. Adding the chili oil to your bowl will balance it out wonderfully and you'll be in umami heaven.

The toppings were lovely, the egg was excellent and the chasu pork was very flavourful.

The noodles had the right amount of chew and a very nice flavour to them as well.

9/10 for the ramen, because I can't just go giving away full 10s like they're easy. And my friend absolutely loved her Tonkotsu as well; it being her first ever bowl of proper ramen, she was ecstatic.

Serving staff were fabulous, bar selection is excellent, especially if your interested in Japanese whiskey.

Plus the atmosphere is solid; the whole place is pleasant to be in.

My only moment of sadness was that we had to leave before the live jazz started up, due to a prior engagement.

Already looking forward to my next visit, I believe I will try the black...

This restaurant was fabulous!! Thanks to Emily and Jordan who served us with grace and aplomb! Thanks also to the chef in the kitchen who sent out the wonderful kyo food.

We started with a shared Miso and Nori soup and drank Geikkan sake (chilled) and Sapporo beer. The soup was deliciously balanced between the white miso and the nori, neither too strong but harmoniously blended.

We then went for the Gyoza (vegetable dumplings) and Karubi (grilled beef short rib). The Gyoza came with a wonderful sauce while the Karubi had a really tasty bbq sauce. Mmmm!

The Tonkatsu (breaded pork tenderloin) had nicely spiced mayonnaise sauce and the Kushiyaki (chicken and shrimp skewers) where grilled with a fine tempura batter.

We ordered a bowl of rice to go with meal that again was delivered with finesse. The rice was cooked to perfection with a delicate dashi and a fine dusting of ground nori, again with a beautiful balance.

I could not stop wanting more of the wonderful fare! I ordered Edamame and Calamari both of which were a great ending to the savoury part of our meal. The edamame was steamed to perfection and seasoned with lovely medium sized sea salt; the calamari was again delicately fried in a fine tempura batter and served with a delightful spicy mayonnaise.

The whole meal was finished off with exquisite ice cream, one scoop of black sesame flavour and one of matcha (green tea) one rich and the other refreshing!

Go and try this restaurant.... and give our regards to Jordan, Emily...

What a fantastic addition to downtown! Before I get to the food (which is stellar), I have to mention that I've gone on Saturday evenings twice now specifically to take in the live jazz. In my not so humble opinion, this is the best live music you'll find in Halifax on a regular basis. I used to live in downtown Toronto and would regularly frequent the more popular jazz clubs (Jazz Bistro, Rex, Tranzac, Emmett Ray...) I haven't seen jazz at this level since I left, and trust me, I've looked really hard. To the management at Kyo: please keep whoever your Saturday band is coming back. They're world class. I've seen both the quartet and trio format now and they are all serious players...not hard to look at too, but now I digress.

Okay, food, service, positively lovely. Bartender makes THE best gin and tequila drinks I've had in town. The FOOD...what a great deal. Seriously. Seared tuna for just over $10? Are you kidding? The ramen and poké are also a steal. Not just a good value, I'm talkin' gourmet and exceptional. Welcome to...