KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINAL

Review summary

1. J

   Jerry

   Toronto

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   While I normally enjoy Kinka, this time we showed up for our reservation at 9pm and were essentially told that we had to vacate our table as a larger reservation had shown up about 45 minutes later. Seemed a little... atypical for an izakaya experience, but I assume as a group of 4 we were not going to be given seating priority over a large group of 8+. I understand the business perspective, but we were just handed the late-night menu and were discussing our next round when we were told that it was last call and that we had to go. We weren't given an option of moving to a different table (we were already outside, on the side patio), or even counter seats. As we were entertaining a friend from out of town, it wasn't a great way for the night to go. For the time that we were there, the food and drink were good. This is not a criticism of their food/atmosphere. A bit of an unfortunate experience, but I hope this was the exception and not the rule.
   

   KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINALResponded 2 days ago

   Hi Jerry, thank you so much for sharing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the way your evening ended - it’s certainly not the experience we want to provide to our guests. We understand how frustrating it must have been, especially with an out-of-town guest. We appreciate your understanding of the business perspective, and we will definitely forward your comments to the team to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the food and drinks during your time with us, and we truly hope to have the opportunity to make it up to you in the future.
   

   Is this helpful?

2. k

   karen

   Toronto

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Bloor St location is closed. Church St is still great, plus the food and drinks. Service was lovely and accommodating however there was less enthusiasm with birthday singing and sake bomb chants (1 server), felt awkward.
   

   Is this helpful?

3. M

   Mandy

   Toronto

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The service, the food and the ambiance all deserve 5 stars. Everything I ate melted in my mouth! Will be returning :)
   

   Is this helpful?

4. A

   Alan

   VIP

   Toronto

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Outstanding service and authentic Japanese delights. Will come back for sure.
   

   Is this helpful?

5. A

   Arya

   Manitoba

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   What's the point of making reservations if there's a 90 minute limit on your stay??! Very very poor experience
   

   Is this helpful?

6. A

   Arjun

   Unspecified

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Went for dinner....was super fun and the food was presented well and tasted really good. The black cod in miso, sushi and wagyu.in carpaccio were our favorites. Place is loud and fun, get some Sapporo and sake and enjoy!
   

   • 
   • 
   • 
   • 
   • 
   • 

   Is this helpful?

7. J

   Jack

   Toronto

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing restaurant, all the staff are super helpful and our food was made quick and tasted great , 5/5 will be going back again!!
   

   Is this helpful?

8. B

   Brandon

   Toronto

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   The Valentines special set is a rip off for 2 people. We were looking forward to trying this restaurant for the first time knowing we would do the advertised set menu. We left disappointed feeling we wasted money on a “special” that felt like a cash grab. After we were shown to our table, we sat for 20 minutes without a greeting from any staff. After we flagged someone down, we ordered. We received dishes too quickly at times and very delayed at the end; 4 of the previous empty dishes stayed stacked on the table for way too long after we were finished. The food tasted great and the atmosphere was energetic but the price was not worth the level of service or portions we got - it was nothing special at all. For $140 we received the following items which we split ourselves as they did not come individually plated. - chicken karaage(4pc) - aburi sushi (12pc) - wagyu carpaccio (1 plate about 3oz of beef 3-4 bites each) - black cod (1 plate about 3-4oz 3-4 bites each) - scallop katsu (1 plate about 3 scallops total with salmon roe) - 2 almond tofu with strawberry sauce (2-3oz) Needless to say, we left hungry. We looked at their al a’ carte menu and realized after that we could have gotten more for the same price and probably would have been full had we gone ala carte.
   

   KINKA IZAKAYA ORIGINALResponded 7 days ago

   Hi Brandon, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're really sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet your expectations, especially since you were looking forward to trying us for the first time. We can understand your disappointment, and we truly appreciate your honest thoughts on the menu, service, and portions. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the food and atmosphere, but we apologize for the service delays and the feeling that the special didn’t offer good value. We'll make sure to pass your comments along to the team so we can work on improving these areas for future guests. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the chance to provide a better experience next time.
   

   Is this helpful?

9. R

   Roddy

   Unspecified

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 14, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent date spot, less than ideal serving size.
   

   Is this helpful?

10. S

    Suzanne

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    Best sushi i have ever had. Cute little place that is full of character.
    

    • 

    Is this helpful?