Toyo Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Montreal

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. The prices are a little high. I was not impressed that when my boyfriend and I decided to share a "full course dinner", we were told that we would be charged an additional $15.00 just to share. When I asked the waitress about this extra charge for nothing, she didn't have any answers. Which is fine. But if she didn't have any answers, the appropriate response would have been to either bring, or direct me in the direction of, someone who did have the answers. "I don't know" is not really an acceptable answer. We ordered an entree of garlic bread, and the beef samurai full course dinner. The onion soup came filled only 1/4 of the way, and was basically salted onion water. Nothing spectacular. The garlic bread was definitely not fresh, it tasted like it had been in the freezer for a long time (6 months?)- I could smell and taste the "freezer-burn" as I bit into it. It was old. The chef had quite a character, which we all really got a kick out of. To say the least, he was eccentric- changing his voice to a high pitch, making jokes, very chatty, etc. For the group that he was cooking for, it worked. We were six women and two men, ages 29-40. I later saw the same chef cooking for four middle-aged men, and the chef did not say a word. His eccentricity might not be taken well by any and all groups, and the chef seemed aware of it. The salad was just okay. It was basically a tiny bowl of iceburg lettuce with a few shreds of carrot. My friends did, however, really like the dressing- which was a ginger-vegetable purée. I just found it okay. *The rest of the food was very tasty and satisfying. The shrimp was excellent, I enjoyed the rice and the sauce for the rice, the mushrooms, and other vegetables were tasty, and the beef was delicious!!! Between the chef's personality and his skills at grilling, it was definitely entertaining. I also liked the lighting and ambiance in this restaurant. And the portions were a decent size. All in all, we had a great time, but I would say that when you go to Toyo, you are paying more for the atmosphere/experience, than for the food itself. There was one other thing that I didn't appreciate- in the women's washroom, what appears at first glance to be a mirror over the sinks, is in fact a very reflective window, which meant that the women in the women's washroom, and the men in the men's room on the other side, can see each other in the washroom. My friend and I walked into the washroom only to see two guys excitedly and frantically waving at us from behind the reflective window. A lot of people would not care about this. I, however, think it defeats the purpose of having two separate washrooms for men and women, and felt a little like it was an invasion of privacy. Also, I did not appreciate that on my last trip to the washroom, I was showing two other women who seemed to be lost, where the ladies' room is, and as I gave them a heads up about the deceiving reflective mirror that is posing as a mirror, a male worker overheard me, and made a comment to me- "Don't pretend. You know you like it that way" in a very derogatory and perverted way. I did not like this AT ALL, and felt that this was very unprofessional. I had had mixed feelings about this restaurant throughout the dinner, and this last incident had me leaving the restaurant on much more sour note than I would...

If you're looking for a dining experience that is both delicious and entertaining, look no further than the Japanese steakhouse that cooks in front of you. This dining concept is truly unique, and if you're lucky enough to find a great one, like the one I recently visited, you're in for a real treat. My son has celiac disease and they were so accommodating to his needs. They cleaned the grill before and cooked for him first hand, and even subbed out some of the sauces for him.

From the moment you enter the restaurant, you can smell the sizzling of the meat on the grill and the sweet aroma of the sauces. The atmosphere is lively, with the sounds of the chef chopping vegetables and flipping meat on the grill filling the air. The decor is sleek and modern, with an emphasis on simplicity and functionality, allowing the focus to be on the food and the show.

Once you're seated, the fun begins. The chef greets you with a smile and begins to prepare your meal right in front of your eyes. He is a master of his craft, expertly slicing and dicing the meat, seafood, and vegetables, all while putting on a show for you and the other diners. They make it look effortless, but it's clear that they've spent years perfecting their technique.

As your meal is being prepared, you can choose from a variety of sauces and seasonings to customize your dish to your liking.

When the food arrives, it's simply delicious. The meat is tender and juicy, the seafood is perfectly cooked, and the vegetables are crisp and flavorful. It's clear that the ingredients are fresh and of the highest quality, and the attention to detail in the preparation is impressive.

Overall, dining at a Japanese steakhouse that cooks in front of you is an experience like no other. The combination of delicious food and entertaining showmanship is truly memorable, and it's no wonder that these restaurants are so popular. If you're looking for a fun night out with friends or a special date night, I highly recommend giving this dining concept a try.

10/10 I...

My family and I were there to eat and celebrate a birthday on Saturday 01/21/2023. The place is old and filled with cockroaches, from the table where we sit at to the stairs leading to the bathroom, there were multiple roaches that were spotted by my kids and I. Some roaches were small and some were big which probably means the entire restaurant is infested. I even spotted cockroach traps inside the opening under the tables where the chef stands and cooks. Some more traps were spotted throughout the restaurant with the label 'Abell' on it so that means the pest control company is doing work and the restaurant should be in renovation/cleaning mode instead of opening. It's a shame that this place is still open and the owner doesn’t care about safety and health issues for others. (The owner who I saw was making a drink and sneeze into the drink and the juice container with no care at all to then serve it to a customer) The only positives to the restaurant is the very kind and attentive waiter with glasses and our chef Tony who was...