Kokoni Izakaya
As the Japanese say...おいしい! That's oishi! or delicious! for all you hiragana illiterates out there. Japanese food. One of my absolute favourite cuisines of all time. Japanese Teppanyaki? Now that's even better. Cos let's face it...who doesn't like a well-grilled meal?
A warm (by Canadian winter standards) Tuesday evening led my fellow pig and I to the Church-Wellesley village where we satisfied our Japanese cravings. Kokoni Izakaya, one of the many Izakayas that dot the city, was a pleasant surprise indeed.
The place was cozy; the atmosphere, relaxed. It wasn't noisy and chatter-filled unlike some of the other Izakayas in Toronto. Traditional knick knacks, Japanese posters and empty bottles of sake decorated the restaurant in a quirky but classy way.
Like most Teppanyaki places, the portions are relatively smaller, which is an added bonus (just means you get to try more stuff without feeling sick or guilty)! I'm afraid we did not do the menu any justice. We definitely did try though, and each dish was extremely satisfying.
Our dinner consisted of grilled eggplant teriyaki, takoyaki (octopus balls), grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon, grilled scallops, mentaiko, and chicken kaarage.
Each zesty bite was a dance of flavours in my mouth. The eggplants were grilled to perfection, with the teriyaki sauce bringing out a hint of sweetness in the dish. I'd marry the takoyaki balls. Crispy on the outside, but soft and airy in the middle. Topped with bonito flakes and the customary takoyaki sauces, this dish was one of the highlights of that meal for me. The bacon wasn't all that crispy (though who cares? you can't ever fault bacon ;)), but the seasoning in the asparagus-bacon skewers was nonetheless spot on. Tangs of lemon completed the chicken karaage. Every bite sized bit was #mouthgasmic.
Kokoni's polar beer will tickle you pink. It's not just any regular old beer that you'd find in a bar. Know why? It's got frozen foam! That's right, you heard me. Stiff yet creamy foam peaks coupled with the zing of beer made for one hell of a refreshing drink.
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My sweet tooth went nuts when I saw the dessert. I love matcha green tea ice cream. ABSOLUTELY HEART IT. The 2 scoops of authentic matcha ice cream served with pocky biscuits and plain crackers wrapped up a fantabulous meal. Don't question me on the wonders of this seemingly ordinary dessert. Who knew that plain crackers and ice cream would go so well together? That combination is definitely going to be added to my DIY dessert attempts at home.
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I totally recommend this place for Izakaya & Teppanyaki lovers out there. If you're looking for a place to unwind and knock back a couple of beers after an arduous day, Kokoni is the place to be.
And thus concludes my first ever foodie blog post. おやすみ Oyasumi world. And listen to your stomach's desire.
For more information:
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/kokoni-izakaya-toronto
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/kokoni-izakaya-toronto
A warm (by Canadian winter standards) Tuesday evening led my fellow pig and I to the Church-Wellesley village where we satisfied our Japanese cravings. Kokoni Izakaya, one of the many Izakayas that dot the city, was a pleasant surprise indeed.
The place was cozy; the atmosphere, relaxed. It wasn't noisy and chatter-filled unlike some of the other Izakayas in Toronto. Traditional knick knacks, Japanese posters and empty bottles of sake decorated the restaurant in a quirky but classy way.
Like most Teppanyaki places, the portions are relatively smaller, which is an added bonus (just means you get to try more stuff without feeling sick or guilty)! I'm afraid we did not do the menu any justice. We definitely did try though, and each dish was extremely satisfying.
Our dinner consisted of grilled eggplant teriyaki, takoyaki (octopus balls), grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon, grilled scallops, mentaiko, and chicken kaarage.
Each zesty bite was a dance of flavours in my mouth. The eggplants were grilled to perfection, with the teriyaki sauce bringing out a hint of sweetness in the dish. I'd marry the takoyaki balls. Crispy on the outside, but soft and airy in the middle. Topped with bonito flakes and the customary takoyaki sauces, this dish was one of the highlights of that meal for me. The bacon wasn't all that crispy (though who cares? you can't ever fault bacon ;)), but the seasoning in the asparagus-bacon skewers was nonetheless spot on. Tangs of lemon completed the chicken karaage. Every bite sized bit was #mouthgasmic.
Kokoni's polar beer will tickle you pink. It's not just any regular old beer that you'd find in a bar. Know why? It's got frozen foam! That's right, you heard me. Stiff yet creamy foam peaks coupled with the zing of beer made for one hell of a refreshing drink.
My sweet tooth went nuts when I saw the dessert. I love matcha green tea ice cream. ABSOLUTELY HEART IT. The 2 scoops of authentic matcha ice cream served with pocky biscuits and plain crackers wrapped up a fantabulous meal. Don't question me on the wonders of this seemingly ordinary dessert. Who knew that plain crackers and ice cream would go so well together? That combination is definitely going to be added to my DIY dessert attempts at home.
I totally recommend this place for Izakaya & Teppanyaki lovers out there. If you're looking for a place to unwind and knock back a couple of beers after an arduous day, Kokoni is the place to be.
And thus concludes my first ever foodie blog post. おやすみ Oyasumi world. And listen to your stomach's desire.
For more information:
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/kokoni-izakaya-toronto
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/kokoni-izakaya-toronto
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