Imanishi Japanese Kitchen

Cozy atmosphere, perfect for intimate dates but not so much big group hangouts. Space is pretty tight, and their under the seat baskets for your belongings is appreciated. Prices are on the higher end, but for the taste and quality, I think it's pretty justified. They have nice cocktails, and a good selection of sake. The sashimi, curry and the skewers were very tasty, skip the pickles-they are not impressive, but the best ones, the ones I recommend, would be the miso mackerel and the Tokyo toast- so good! Took one star off of service because while the staff was courteous and communicative when serving you, it was pretty difficult to catch their attention in the first place. All in all, its a good place to try.

Great neighborhood spot, not pretentious but great food and vibe and the service is awesome.

Been wanting to try this place for a while and it was worth the hype! Was super super happy with everything.the food, service and vibe of it was top tier.shared everything amongst 3 people and it was about $55~/person + tip.the corn kaarage was sweet and salty and crispy.the pickles were very refreshing.the star of the show were the ceviche and the pate! I loved combining the two for a bruschetta vibe.we also had chicken wings, ramen and curry.they were all soso flavourful, tasty and had a great texture.tokyo toast was also amazing! Creamy but light and crispy from the toast.

Good experience and great atmosphere!

Ordered:
- Corn Kakiage (a must!)
- Tai Carpaccio (very fresh)
- Monkfish Liver Pate
- Pickles (light + great side dish)
- Nagoya Ramen (it was good but nothing outstanding to me; I wouldn’t get it again)
- Karashi Ribs (yummy & tender but sweet)
- Tebasaki (delicious!)
- Imanishi Beef Curry
- Tokyo Toast

The waiter saw that we had some pate leftover but no bread so he offered to bring more and we accepted, BUT we didn’t know that we’d be charged for those 4.5 thin pieces until we saw the bill (a heads up would’ve been nice, especially considering it was barely any bread anyway).

Overall nice place to eat with friends especially if you enjoy sharing food.

This was a magical experience on my last evening in Toronto. I had this place marked for over a year and every time I visited it was booked. This time I thought I had gotten a reservation but it bumped me to next week. The staff were so kind they squeezed us in, we ordered quickly and enjoyed every single bite, especially loved the tako celery, corn kakiage, the curry, and the dessert. I loveeee this style of Japanese food and my name is Imani so this place felt like heaven thank youuuuuu!

My favourite spot in the city, and somewhere I’ve been going since 2017. Whenever I go here, I know I’m going to have amazing food, good experience and the warm homey atmosphere imanishi is known for. Perfect for date night, drinks with friends or even a quick solo curry or Katsu. Cannot recommend this place enough.

Fun casual spot for shareable Japanese eats. The Gyudon was my favorite and the Corn Kakiage was also very memorable. Great Japanese beer too. Would recommend for groups of 2-6.

So delicious! Can’t wait to come back!
Get the pork ribs with the glaze, they will change your life and I’m not being dramatic.
The Tokyo toast for dessert was so delicious.
Loved everything we ate! And we sat at the bar which made for. Nice atmosphere.

Absolute banger of food, ambience and hospitality. Imanishi is one of my favs in the city. The wait staff are super friendly and recommended things to eat. Besides the drinks. We had the monkfish pate, the Karage chicken, corn kakiage and the house potato salad! They had ran out the potato salad - but the wait staff then told us the chef could give us half a portion! It was my favourite dish of the night. We ended it off with the toast and it was delicious! You have to try Imanishi if you haven’t!

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Toronto, they curry is the best i have had in town and have not found another place that competes. Overall great plates, with beautiful presentation. Cute little restaurant, definitely recommend you drop by!

Delicious food and the most thoughtful, sincere service you can find anywhere. One of my favourite restaurants in the city. I love the snapper, potato salad, and the corn. All the servers are excellent but Jay was a real standout for me. He’s a true professional: warm, efficient, approachable - all around wonderful experiences here.

Very disappointed. It’s already two times that I called before I go there, and nobody pickup the phone. After I go there, the server just ignores me. After a while, the server came back and tell me they are fully booked. I feel like they are really mean to customers (e.g. Not picking up calls at all + just keep you stand there waiting) and a little bit racist (I’m Asian. There are bar seats available but the server just want me leave the restaurant ASAP). I understand you guys are popular right now so you don’t care about walk in client only focusing on reservations, but Toronto is a big city and new restaurant pop up every once and a while. We have seen many fabulous chic restaurants closed down recently (e.g. Momofuku, ascari….). If you guys really want to keep the business running, it is not the correct attitude.

Pretty good food but poor service. The server was unpleasant through the entire experience.

We came here for date night on a weekday at 8 pm and waited 15 minutes for a table at the bar. We ordered sashimi, fish jerky, baguette with monkfish liver, ebi fry, ramen, beef curry, and two drinks.

Sashimi - scallops, red snapper, and hamachi. It was fresh and melted in your mouth.

Fish jerky - which was my favourite. It tasted like dried squid snacks. It was sweet, lightly salty, and well-marinated.

Monkfish liver is also known as the foie gras of the sea and a Japanese delicacy. We enjoyed how well toasted the baguette was - still soft with a crispy edge, and how subtle the flavour of the pate.

Each ebi fry piece was bigger than we expected. It was shrimp tempura, but each shrimp was fried perfectly.

Nagoya ramen - spicy chicken broth; we'd rate it moderate on the spicy level. The ramen noodles were very nice.

Beef curry - chicken and beef stock curry on rice was good.

To end it off, we ordered a Tokyo toast, milk bread deep fried in sugar with ice cream on top. Honestly, I could have eaten seconds of this because it was one of the best dessert toasts I've had.

We had a great experience at Imanishi and left full. Service was quick and courteous, and the staff was well-knowledgeable and recommended great dishes and drinks.

Great spot! Great music and ambience, the cocktails were DELICIOUS, and the food was unique and fantastic! Some items were a tad on the salty side, but I'm just used to less salt on foods. But the chicken wings, the wagyu and rice, everything was so flavourful! Great staff too

Oh my goodness, every item we ordered on the menu was a delight. The standout was definitely the Monkfish Pâte; simple but so flavorful! The staff was lovely, and the vibes were very chill and laidback. I was surprised with how quickly the place filled up >=1 hour after opening, so either come early or make a reservation if you want a seat.

Easily my favourite restaurant in Toronto. I love coming here for any special occaision. My favourite dishes are the cold dashi eggplant, spicy tofu salad, corn fritters and the monkfish paté.

Service is always exceptional and the atmosphere is cozy and friendly.

One of my favorite places in the city! The food is awesome and the vibe is great. The only problem is getting a table!

Don’t usually leave reviews but the service here was noteworthingly bad.

Walked in with my partner and was told the wait would be an hour. We left our name + #. After waiting / deliberating outside for 5 - 10 mins, we noticed somebody seated inside waiting and so we went back inside and asked one of the waitresses / hostess if we could wait inside too.

Her response: (in an unnecessarily condescending tone) “No, you can’t wait inside and I told you already it’s a long wait. Go get a drink somewhere and come back”

Needless to say, we didn’t come back and wouldn’t suggest others try this place either if you want to be treated as an inconvenience rather than a patron.

Delicious plum wine!

My highlights for food: Gai Laan (that sauce though), Monk Liver Mousse and PLEASE SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!

The Japanese milk toast with Taro Ice Cream truly changed my life. The temperature, the texture, sweet and salty. Omg I can't stop thinking about this dessert!

My favourite spot in the city, and somewhere I’ve been going since 2017. Whenever I go here, I know I’m going to have amazing food, good experience and the warm homey atmosphere imanishi is know for. Perfect for date night, drinks with friends or even a quick solo curry or Katsu. Cannot recommend this place enough.

I really enjoyed the food here and have heard great things about the restuarant from other people but I honestly had a rough experience here. It was my friend's birthday and we had a reservation on a Friday for 930pm for 5 people. It came to my attention that dinner and bar service ended at 1045pm (barely halfway into the meal). The entire night I felt that the service was rushing my table to get out. Dishes were being cleared before we had a chance to fully finish, the servers made several passive aggressive remarks that we had to leave and by 1125pm everyone left in the restuarant (three tables including mine) were essentially thrown out.

I frequent restuarants and have never been thrown out of a restuarant and especially not before midnight on a Friday evening. If the service was not able to meet my needs then I think the resturaunt should not book my reservation at 930pm if the kitchen is to close only an hour after the reservation. Or if there was some circumstance in which there was a hard out that evening, I would've been totally OK if FOH just told me and my party instead of just pushing us out right from when we sat down.

I understand having how to behave in a nice restaurant and I understand a restuarant having a hard night but no one that evening deserved the type of service we experienced. And for a birthday celebration, I expect better than THIS.

An adorable venue nested in the west of downtown Toronto; definitely worth the commute.
This place is so good - the drinks are amazing, the food is unique and flavourful, and the service is attentive and personable. These are small plates; but if you’re looking for something filling try the udon or ramen.
Definitely try
Would definitely recommend if you enjoy Japanese cuisine.

Best restaurant in Toronto but why is there some woman staff member constantly swearing? I thought this place had Japanese tendencies.

Came on a saturday, our bartender was very knowledgeable about the food. Everything came out fast.

Ive tried so many Japanese restaurants after my visit to Japan, and Imanishi rivals my favourite Tokyo spots better than any other. To preface, I’ve only ever gotten delivery, but it’s surprising how good it is and goes to show that it would be even better in person. The gyudon sauce is perfect (something I find a bit off in other places) and the curry is so rich and filling, it reminded me of a more succulent coco curry. I really wanna try the rest of the menu, love this place!

Wow. Whoa. Imanishi. Theres so much to say about this spot. I had a bento and a curry and it was phenomenal. It wasnt my first time there and it wont be my last. This i prommmissee uuuu

Delicious! We got the salmon and ebi bento boxes and every ingredient was well made and fresh. The ebi in particular was amazing. For $17 bucks you could do a lot worse for lunch in the west end.

Note that they are in the midst of moving locations so they aren’t offering katsu sandwiches right now if that’s what you’re looking for! Looking forward to checking out their new space in May!

Incredible service and food during the pandemic. Bento boxes are excellent value.

Best tontoro in Toronto! Excellent Gai lan gomae in sesame. Incredible tempura mushroom and rice cake. Delicious Godspeed Japanese citrus lime beer.

Absolutely DELICIOUS. The sandos were sooo flavourful and the textures were perfect. The pickup during covid is so easy and the takeaway packaging is so cute.

We tried the assorted sandos which came with half of each fish, pork, chicken and shrimp. The fish and the fish were definitely the best 2. They were so flavourful and saucy. They had the perfect ingredients to compliment the protein. The chicken wasn't bad but I nothing special. The pork however, was awful. It was so dry, it was scraping my throat on the way down. I felt it slowly and painfully go down. I had to wash it down with water so it wouldn't burn. I was very disappointed as I was most looking forward to that one. Although, I was pleasantly surprised by the shrimp and fish so I will definitely be returning for those in the future!

Sat at the bar pre-pandemic and had a few drinks. We had the sashimi, shishito peppers, tontoro, and the katsu curry. Everything was very delicious. The service was awesome, and we had some great conversation with the staff.

One of the very few places that serve Hayashi rice in Toronto, and they do an amazing job! I used to live in Japan. From the interior to the containers to the food, it reminds me of the places that you find by wondering around Tokyo.

Very authentic Japanese food and delicious cocktail options.

The place is pretty small and kind of dark but I enjoyed the atmosphere

One of my favourite spots in the city. If you can, try everything you can on the menu. You really can't go wrong. Most things are shareable. Decent prices, great service, and a super cool vibe. Imanishi is an absolute must-try!

Our neighborhood fav. Love the Sake Negroni and the revolving variety of the menu. Everything I've had here I would order again.

Great relaxed atmosphere and amazing tapas. I come here for the great tasting menu and im very impressed each time. Corn tempura is just special. Sashimi is very fresh. Perfect place to catch up with a friend or for a date.

Fantastic little spot for Japanese tapas! The chicken karage was incredible! Also had the pickles, agedashi eggplant and shrimp and cilantro salad - everything was so fresh and so flavourful! The staff was really friendly, food came fast and great music! Highly recommend! Oh and can't forget the taro ice cream and deep fried sweet bread, an absolute must have!

Just a lovely little restaurant in a fun neighbourhood. The atmosphere was lively and interesting, the service and the food were both excellent. The menu had enough options for both a meat eater and a vegetarian and lots of different flavour options and combinations. Prices weren't cheap but the quality was very good. Would go back.

I had a splendid dinner date here. Thoughtful interiors. The food was scrumptious and will totally excite your taste buds. Try the shrimp salad and sashimi (best I've ever had). Pricey menu but worth a try!

Went here for my partner’s birthday and had a wonderful experience! Food was delicious, especially the beef tataki and their fish special. Staff was very friendly, attentive, had plenty of suggestions and so gracious. We’ll definitely be coming back, thank you for making the night so special!

Absolutely delicious! Especially the squid, bean curd tofu udon and shrimp tempura. The spices were great and the shrimp was so tender. The only downside I would say is that there aren’t too many options for vegetarians and vegans but a very good restaurant for a flexiterian like myself. The pork cheeks were also great. The ambiance seemed to resemble a candle lit/ warm wood deco along side Japanese decorations, prints, and bottles. The playlist featured a plethora of city pop artists from the late 70’s in Japan and overall very wonderful vibes and definitely a great find in the west end close by to art/ galleries. Got quite busy when we arrived around 6: 00pm so come earlier!

Great spot for original unique and delicious Japanese food. Kitchen staff is Japanese while waiters are not and that’s cool too. Best to book ahead as it gets busy but they’re accommodating and unpretentious

Imanishi and Hamnato around the corner are my two favorite go-to spots for Japanese Izakaya. The food and the vibes at imanishi always reminds me of the days back in Kyoto. Highly recommended!

Absolutely delicious! Especially the squid, bean curd tofu udon and shrimp tempura. The spices were great and the shrimp was so tender. The only downside I would say is that there aren’t too many options for vegetarians and vegans but a very good restaurant for a flexiterian like myself. The pork cheeks were also great. The ambiance seemed to resemble a candle lit/ warm wood deco along side Japanese decorations, prints, and bottles. The playlist featured a plethora of city pop artists from the late 70’s in Japan and overall very wonderful vibes and definitely a great find in the west end close by to art/ galleries.

So glad to have found this place! Excellent staff who were kind and very attentive. The space is well designed and of course the food was amazing. Reminded me of being back in japan. The food (I had kitsune udon) was that good. Hi-balls are great too!

This place has great food and cocktails and adorable decor! They always have good music playing too, good for dinner or just snacks and drinks

Great little authentic japanese restaurant. Liked the vibe in the place, the cross between western/japanese cultures. Felt a bit loud/cramped where we sat, but otherwise was a great experience. Hard to find a place that does the simple classic japanese dishes and does them well, like the imanishi curry and the miso fish with rice.

Have been coming here for years at least once a month. Consistently deliver delicious Japanese. Sashimi is top notch. Try the Curry spring rolls!

Really great food, not the typical Japanese food you find in other places in Toronto. Plus the prices are very reasonable!

Sorely disappointed. After reading such stellar reviews, I was expecting originality with an extensive palette, using several of the over 5000 different salts that are indigenous to Japan. Instead, the only salt was iodized table salt poured over some Ginko nuts.
The dishes were SWEET. Not sweet, as in, good. Sweet as in sugary. I ordered two wagyu beef dishes. If that was wagyu beef, I'm a vegetarian. It was stringy and tough, and sickly sweet. Worst wagyu I've ever experienced.
Saving Grace, the waiter and the pickles. Oh.and the liver pate. Really good. Everything else was mediocre, at best.

The food was good, not much complaints, but nothing really stood out in terms of flavour. And for the portion sizes, if it was just slightly cheaper I may have given them a 4.

Extremely rude customer service from the beginning! Trying to make a reservation for a group at 8pm, without even finishing my sentences, the waiter said 'If you wanna come just come tomorrow at 4 BYE! ' and then hung up on me. What is this?

I’ve been wanting to come to this restaurant for quite some time now and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed everything that I ordered. I had great service, the food was great. Much smaller place than expected but be sure to call in ahead of time to book reservation as it does get very busy!