赤鬼AKA-ONI Ramen&Izakaya(Scarborough) — Restaurant in Toronto

We had originally visited the Richmond Hill location as walk ins looking for a table of 2 around 6:15pm. The restaurant was very busy and was booked until 8pm. The host let us know there was a second location available in Scarborough just about 20 mins drive away. He had offered to help us book a reservation on his iPad for 7pm to give us enough travel time. We were super impressed with him going the extra mile. We would have easily have gone to another restaurant in the same Plaza.

Once we arrived at the Scarborough location, we were immediately greeted and seated at our table. Our table was directly across the service terminal and so our table had the privacy screen (other tables didn't have this). Super impressed with the attention of detail thus far, and this definitely carries over to the food they serve.

We splurged a little bit as it was a celebration dinner for us. Ordered takowasa, oyster bomb, a sashimi platter (16pcs), nankotsu skewers, Uni Hotate Carpaccio, blind box, otoro sushi. This was the perfect amount of food for us, leaning on the I may have ordered too much, but this tastes amazing side.

I was intrigued the wasabi when they brought it out. I believe it is real grinded up wasabi, not the powder kind or the kind you get out of the tube.

Takowasa. This dish offers a rather interesting texture as it is served with wasabi beans.

Uni Hotate Carpaccio is served with fresh uni and scallops. It is also garnished with a single red peppercorn on each serving which I found was an interesting season to the dish and complements it well.

I was most impressed with the value of the blind box. This dish consists of 8 small plates of 4 appetizers (2 each). Each appetizer was very delicious and it was a good variety / sample of food. There was one particular dish that was sashimi bits that tasted it was starting become less fresh. It was acceptable fish - not wow, didn't smell like a food poisoning is going to happen later but definitely make you pause and go hmmm... This is not their usual quality. I suppose that is the intent of the blind box so the restaurant can cycle through bits of food and not waste it.

The o-toro was unfortunately not the same level of marbling as I had expected but none the less, good quality fish. To be fair to them, I was comparing to a restaurant I had tried in Seattle (and after I returned to Toronto, I could not have sushi for 2 months because of the stark difference in quality that was accessible to me.)

The sashimi platter is very fresh quality. I especially enjoyed the thick cuts they have to offer here.

At the end of our meal we were also offered complimentary ice cream as well. They had matcha or yuzu when we visited.

Yes, price tag is a bit high for all the food we had ordered, but you definitely pay for what you get, there are also other options that wouldn't be as expensive like ramen and other dishes which are in the $20 range. I would most definitely be back to try out their other...

A friend recommended this spot, so I figured I'd give it a try. As a devoted ramen lover, though, I have to admit their ramen didn’t quite hit my expection. I went for the Hakata-style shio ramen, but the broth had this mysterious hint of miso that threw me off—it felt like the shio and miso flavors were in a bit of an identity crisis. The noodles leaned a little too soft, the soft-boiled egg’s yolk was surprisingly cold in the center (not quite the warm embrace I was hoping for), and the chashu…well, let's just say it was very friendly with star anise—a common spice in Asia but maybe not a flavor that needed to steal the spotlight here.

On the plus side, if the broth was made in-house rather than coming from some centralized soup headquarters or pre-made packs, that’s a big thumbs up, because this tonkotsu was refreshingly odor-free—a rare feat in Toronto! Now, onto the appetizers, where things really turned around. I had the Uni Hotate Carpaccio, which came with sea urchin and scallop. No fishiness whatsoever—just pure, natural sweetness from fresh ingredients with a perfect touch of wasabi. Absolutely delicious! For skewers, I ordered chicken cartilage, gizzard, and squid tentacles. I think there was a mix-up because I got squid cartilage instead of chicken, but honestly, it was so good I didn’t even mind. Flavor-wise, it was mind-blowing. The squid tentacles, on the other hand, were a bit of a bummer—chewy and a tad too charred. The service was fantastic—the server was warm and attentive, checking in often to see if I needed anything. Most of her recommendations hit the mark, except for the ramen.

If you’re here for ramen, it might not be a love-at-first-slurp experience. But if you’re looking for a laid-back izakaya with great appetizers and skewers, this is absolutely a spot you’ll want to hit with friends for a fun...

North Scarborough holds some of the best restaurants in all of Toronto and Aka-Oni Izakaya is no exception. Expect to spend quite a bit for dinner here but the quality of their ingredients and the ingenuity of their menu makes it well worth the visit. Make sure to call ahead!

They have an extensive sake list to suit every palate and the friendly and knowledgeable staff are always around to answer any questions you may have. Their menu is extensive and holds some of the most unique finds you’ll see in the city, most notably their “Black Diamond Roll” – an over-the-top roll which consists of purple rice, artificial crab meat, cucumber, avocado, grilled unagi, foie gras, black tobiko, and topped with gold flakes with the option to upgrade to real crab meat and caviar. If you’re with company, I highly recommend the Aka-Oni Tray as it is beautifully presented and sure to wow your guests.

My main criticisms of the restaurant would be that the menu oftentimes comes across as confused at where there is a mix of izakaya staples and high end dining. I’ve visited multiple times over the years and am definitely not a fan of the iPad system that they’ve integrated. The overall atmosphere is extremely cozy but due to the layout of the restaurant; the dining area may feel cramped at times (both due to the way it’s setup and how busy it gets at peak hours). Importantly each table within the setting definitely has enough separation that if you’re on a date or business meeting you feel private enough.

Overall I’d definitely recommend Aka-Oni Izakaya as a destination for a special night out. Expect to spend quite a bit but the presentation, unique flavours and quality of their ingredients is among the best you’ll find in the city.

Overall...