KYUSHU Yakitori Izakaya — Restaurant in Markham

TLDR: this place is an izakaya that serves skewers as their specialty, among other Japanese bar foods. Service is more than amazing, and the menu is vast. I did come here in December of 2023 so keep that in mind 😅 They were literally so new at the time that they had yet to get their liquor license!

Our waitress was super kind - she even mentioned that her own favorite dish offered here was the Basashi (horse meat sashimi) which we did end up trying 👀

-[UZURAZUKE] $6.00 🥚 This was a dish consisting of quail eggs marinated in a spicy, chive, soy sauce 🥚 I'm not 100% sure of the pricr because the site says this dish is $5 but my bill said $6 🥚 Quite flavorful due to the marinade + had a slight kick that I enjoyed

-[MENTAI POTATO SALAD] $8.00 (not on the menu anymore) 🥔 This was essentially a Japanese style potato salad with mentaiko (pollock roe) mixed in 🥔 I remember it being good but wanting more mentaiko flavor to come out because I'm a sucker for mentaiko haha 🥔 Was great for sharing

-[TORCHED MACKEREL] $15.00 🔥 Torched vinegared mackerel 🔥 Again, the website says it is $14 for this dish but my bill said $15 so not 100% sure which price is right 🔥 This had a good portion given for the price, and wasn't fishy at all

-[BASASHI] $18.00 🐎 Horse meat sashimi 🐎 Yeup, you read that correctly - also, another price discrepancy as the site says this dish is $15 🐎 It's not really all that flavorful tbh, and the garlic paste served on the side is EXTREMELY strong so be warned!

-[KYUSHU SET] $12.00 🍢 Consists of three skewers of chicken, beef, and pork 🍢 I liked that there was variety in this set 🍢 You can order just one set, and use a fork/pair of chopsticks to take the meat off each stick to share which is what we did

-[CHICKEN NANBAN] $18.00 🍗 Deep fried chicken thigh, and sweet vinegar, and egg + onion tartar sauce 🍗 Again, online this dish is listed at $17 on their site so not sure what the real price is 🍗 This was quite a large portion of both the chicken, and the sauce - I did ask for the sauce to be served on the side which I'd recommend for you to do if you're a slow eater like I am, or if you're uncertain about tartar sauce as a whole 😅

-[UNI CREAM UDON] $22.00 🍜 Sea urchin cream udon 🍜 Once again, their website says $20 so not sure which price is the most accurate 🍜 Pretty tasty although I could always use more uni flavor 🫣

-[HOJICHA TIRAMISU] $14.00 🍵 Hojicha plum tiramisu 🍵 The website actually lists this one at $15 👀 🍵 It actually didn't have a heavy plum flavor which I was concerned about before ordering it - ended up being really tasty though!

-[BLACK SESAME MILK PUDDING] $8.00 (not on the menu anymore) 🍮 This was really good so I'm kind of sad to see it isn't on the menu anymore 🍮 It seems like it has been replaced with milk/brown sugar variants though so I'd be interested to give...

3.75/5

Kyushu Yakitori Izakaya is a hidden gem nestled in the Shops on Yonge plaza. As you step inside, you're welcomed by an enchanting interior, featuring a tree structure adorned with fairy lights that spread across the ceiling. The muted gray walls, covered with retro Japanese and anime posters, and the clean wood furniture with sturdy chairs, create a cozy and inviting ambiance.

One of the best things about this place is the 30% discount on all food items on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. We made the most of this offer by trying a variety of dishes: Kyushu fries (burdock fries with mentaiko mayo), uni udon, spicy cucumber, takowasa, basashi (horse sashimi), salmon sashimi, pork skewers, nankotsu (chicken cartilage), scallop skewers, kawa (chicken skin skewers), shishito pepper skewers, and milk pudding.

The spicy cucumbers, priced at just $3 plus the discount, were a standout with their sweet, spicy, and salty flavors—an absolute delight. The takowasa was also excellent, featuring perfectly chewy octopus balanced with just the right amount of wasabi and a hint of sweetness. The scallops were beautifully seared and buttery, while the basashi was a unique experience: tender and melt-in-your-mouth, without any gamey taste despite its deep red color.

However, not all dishes were as impressive. The Kyushu fries were chewy rather than tender, with a mentaiko mayo that lacked a strong flavor. The uni udon, though visually appealing, tasted more of cream and had only rare bursts of uni flavour, which is understandable since it would cost a lot more than ~$22 if they had use an appropriate amount of uni. The skewers also fell short, missing the unique charcoal char that is key to Japanese skewers, resulting in a bland, chewy texture. And finally, the salmon sashimi had a little fishy taste and was warm.

Despite some disappointments, we ended the meal on a high note with a delicious milk pudding—so good that I could have eaten five more if I wasn’t already full. Overall, while there are areas for improvement, Kyushu Yakitori Izakaya offers enough positives to warrant a return visit, especially if you're in the area and looking for a cozy...

Service: the attentive server Kohei was exceptional. When I dropped a plate, he instantly helped out and replaced it with a clean plate within 30 seconds. He also asked what allergies we had, which was great because not a lot of izakayas do this.

Price: extremely fair pricing compared to kinka or nome Izakaya on yonge and sheppard.

Drinks: love the cocktails! They’re only $13 if you add a shot of alcohol, and can make it non-alcoholic too for those non-drinkers out there.

Atmosphere: it’s sooool cute with the fairy lights decor. the seats are comfortable too, very spacious place, and good music volume. Perfect place for a date with my significant other :3 bonus is the bathroom has a different vibe bcs they play different music there lol. Bonus points for playing Aoi Sangoushu that Hanni from NJ covered 🐰

Food: if I had to rank it, the cream udon and chicken namban, and hojicha tiramisu were the best. One star off bc the only good Yakitori was the chicken skin from 3 skewers we ordered. Dear owner, I think you should let go of the ‘yakitori’ in your restaurant name and replace it to uni cream udon instead 🤪 that’s how good it was!

The defamation aka ‘assault’: I’m rolling my eyes as I write this but if you scroll the low rating reviews, they’re from users with under 4 reviews aka FAKE reviewers. I got to the bottom of it and found the tiktok post that started it all, and I’ll just say if you’re not a paying customer then don’t be entitled to use the bathroom LOOOOL not even crocodile tears can make me believe this post 🤣🤣

Can’t wait to visit this place...