Issai Japanese Eatery in North York

The first bite instantly brought me back to Japan. We ordered tonkatsu, and the soup was spot on, but my favorite part of the ramen was the tender, flavorful pork belly. We couldn t resist ordering katsudon as well. The crispy fried pork cutlet and savory egg made for a truly satisfying meal. This is a must-try with friends and family I highly recommend it!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Issai, and I can t recommend it enough for anyone who loves ramen, udon, and rice dishes! From the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere that instantly made me feel at home. The service was exceptionally friendly.

Udon beef is amazing , beef is very high quality! highly recommend the combo

Very low quality ramen, the soup base made from powder mix. Curry is way too oily. Not worth the price. A 12 dollar frozen ramen kit from the supermarket would tastes much better Food

This is a hidden gem for Japanese food! There are only 5 seats inside so I recommend doing takeout. My partner and I got the tonkatsu don and udon and they were both delicious even after the 1hr drive home. The employee there was so nice and gave great recommendations and explanations for the food and their specialty Japanese drinks. Overall, highly recommend if you are craving authentic tasting Japanese food, cant wait to go back!!

Had the best ramen in my life. Ordered curry ramen. The broth is rich and flavorful. The pork belly slices are thick, tender, and perfectly charred. The egg is the perfect softness and came chilled (very nice contrast to the warm soup). The portion is smaller than most ramen places Ive been, but its perfect for me as an average size Asian woman. If you have a larger appetite youd probably want a set dish or two sides. Theres only 5 bar seats but it feels nice and cozy. Not a lot of people dine in so it feels intimate. The music is very chill Also ordered the seasonal kimchi whelk, some really unusual side dish options!

Delicious Food! The beef udon with an onsen egg is superb.

The food is excellent. The portions are nice and filling. The place is very cozy (about 5 sitting places).

food was rubbery and hours old but stuck in a microwave

it was good, but i give the price a 4/5.

The atmosphere of this restaurant is really one of the best i ever see in Toronto. Feels like I have been to Japan. However, the food is really bad. The rice is really wet and noodles are really overcooked. Food

The chashu donburi with miso soup and the sunomono was amazing! I hope to come back again.

A very cozy ramen restaurant located at the bottom of the condo building, it has about 4 bar stool style seating areas, mainly for takeout orders. Great customer service, fresh ingredients, and tasty ramen, especially the thinly sliced meats, they literally melts in your mouth. Wish they were open earlier like noon instead of 4pm though. One of my go-to when cravings hit.

Absolutely disgusting food. No offer to rectify from worker. Walked out after one bite. Couldn t pay me to go back.

Happened to give this place a chance and was not disappointed. The chashu was so tender, flavourful and melted in your mouth. Portions are smaller, but still filling. Very little seating but was able sit down in the evening after work. However, next time I would probably consider takeout.

It s so nice having an option in the neighborhood where you can order a meal that s ready within 15-20 minutes. I order here weekly and absolutely love the tantanmen ramen and chashu donburi.

what kind of restaurant charges $3 extra just for your takeout to be a bit spicy??? Greedy restaurant owners looking to make a quick buck while having zero bottom line disgusts me. at least the food was decent RE: Bottom line? Funny thing to say as a business owner when your bottom line is charging your loyal customers $2.71 for some damn spice. Not to mention the unnecessary sarcasm and need to specifically point out what i ordered plus useless details in a desperate attempt to gloss over the real issue which is your greed. I can tell you re either new or just dumb bc if you actually used your brain and tried to deescalate and solve this issue we d both be happy and go about our day but unfortunately you decided to approach this situation with the most unprofessional and childish attitude especially in the food industry. Now it s my turn. Oh all the things i could do to your restaurant. All this drama over $2.71 i really hope it s worth it for your business. See you soon

The ramen was soooo good. Definitely one of the top ramen spots in GTA. I just wish they had more seating, there were only 5 seats.

Very average meat

great ramen place! the owner is always friendly and attentive. She gives good recommendations and answers all questions patiently. The ramen and Don are both great! I also love their siu mai and miso soup. Their sets come with the miso soup, which is loaded with toppings like radish slices, seaweed and tofu cubes, and never too salty. Definitely recommend if you want top quality Japanese fast food in a to go setting (they have about 7 seats along the window and wall).

I had their curry ramen and it was delicious. The soup was well-spiced but not too hot and the noodles were thick enough to slurp up some soup with each mouthful. The egg was well-marinated and flavourful with a jammy yolk, but I would have personally preferred a slightly runnier yolk. The item part that stood out most to me was the chashu. It was cooked to perfection, resulting in an unbelievably tender piece of meat with a nice sear on it. I would say they serve the best chashu Ive had in the city, though I certainly havent tried every ramen restaurant. Ill certainly be back when Im in the area again. Looking forward to trying some of their other menu items.

Perfect

I was excited to try this new Japanese eatery, especially with all the glowing reviews, but perhaps my expectations were too high because I was disappointed and thought it was very mediocre. I ordered their House Cha Siu Don Buri. The cha siu was OK but nothing special. They use pork belly for their cha siu and while the fatty parts were very tasty, the leaner part of the meat was tough. The flavour of the cha siu was also a little bland, as was the sauce that they put on the rice. The sauce could have used a bit more seasoning. Instead it just made the rice a bit too soft. I liked the seasoned egg in the bowl. Portion size was also good. I wont be in a huge rush to come back here but perhaps I will try the ramen next time since that seems to be what most people rave about.

Hidden gem - tasty food!

Hidden gem. Just try it.

Great taste and service, traditional japanese taste not much sits, good for 1-5 people walk in Must try the Chashu pork belly dllm Food : 5/5

very cute and cozy ramen shop do come by

I can t say enough good about Issai. The food is fresh and fantastic. The staff are just so wonderful and accommodating. Every time I go in with my picky 8 year old they do their best to accommodate and make her what she will eat. Kid-friendliness: Very accommodating for the younger palate.

Great neighbourhood Eatery. They have 5 casual dine in seats if youre looking for a quick bite. I had the Niku Beef Udon with Chashu Rice Bowl. It tasted amazing! The broth in the udon was really good. The portion size was also very good. I will be back to try more.

The ramen in this shop is good. However, the Katsudon is very average becuase its chicken is hard and tastes dry. Moreover, there is no juice penetrated into the rice, the rice is tasteless. Overall, this restaurant seems to be designed for takeout, with less space inside for customers to dine in. The restaurant has a rating of 4.9, which clearly seems inflated.

Delicious ramen. Got the beef one it really satisfied my weekly ramen craving. Can t wait to try the rest of the menu

The food was delicious, especially the Chashu Donburi and Curry Abura Soba, would highly recommend !!!

Nice little hidden place! The team was very friendly and the Char Siu don was great! Their specialty is their Kyoto Curry Ramen I believe. Will be coming here again to try out other items on their menu! Food : 5/5

Popped in out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised by both the food and customer service. The girl in the front was very enthusiastic when discussing their menu, and the Japanese siu mai in particular was fantastic. Will definitely stop by again.

The store just soft opened and theres already a lot of options to choose from! My favourite is the Shu Mai, Takoyaki and Original Curry Ramen. Im so excited for what the menu would look like once they have their grand opening.

Nice eatery in the neighborhood by Ikea. If you are feeling Japanese food, this is the spot. Its really convenient for people who live in condos nearby and want to pick up something fresh. We ate in. Its a window seat for 2 on a first come, first serve basis. We enjoyed the quality and taste of the food. Will come back for more when were in the area.

Their gyozas are amazing! I ll definitely be returning to try the rest of their menu!!

Finally a place to eat in the Leslie/Sheppard area, it s not a super generic Japanese place as they have a pretty neat selection of ramen and rice dishes for the area. I hope this is the start of some life in the area because there s literally been nothing here for the past 7 years and I d rather give my money to somewhere local than Uber. Really nice service, mostly a takeout place but has a couple of spots. Food was really good! Prices are kind of what you d expect these days, not super cheap but it isn t unreasonable.

Brand new kyoto style Japanese restaurant. They are located close by the sheppard Ikea. Its interesting that they serve kyoto curry ramen. It was very flavourful and the curry doesnt overpower the rest of the noodles. I find the pressed spinach very unique. It was like a roll of dense spinach roll. The nori is placed in a packaging on the side of your tray so when you are ready you can add it into your ramen without getting soggy. The issai tonkotsu ramen was on the lighter flavour side and the noodles were not the wavy ramen in the curry ramen. I personally preferred the wavy ramen and the curry broth. On the menu, you will see a choice of single and teishoku. The Teishoku is $5 more expensive. Teishoku ( ) is a type of restaurant meal that is composed of a pre-selected list of dishes. It comes with a daily suonomo, which is a salad, today they served a seaweed and cucumber salad, daily Inari and the ramen. If you order single, its just the ramen. The Housemade shumai was made in house, it was nice and big topped with tobiko. As a side note, this restaurant is more for take out as there is only two seats available for dine in. Now there is a cash special of 10% off when you pay cash. Free takoyaki with in store purchase of $35 or more (before tax). Interesting experience and nice addition to the neighbourhood!

Charming little place with kind service and very tasty ramen

We visited Issai on a Friday evening around 6pm. The store was nicely decorated with a modern feel. One thing to note is that Issai is more of a takeout restaurant, theres only 2 window seats available for dine-in and its more of a first come first serve basis. We ordered the Curry Tsukemen and Sesame Abura Soba and received a complimentary Takoyaki (Free with $35 purchase). The food came fairly quickly and everything was pretty tasty. Would recommend trying this place if you are looking for a place to eat around the Singer Crt / Provost Drive area.

Convient take-out spot, only 2 seat available. Decent quality Japanese foods. Authentic Japanese drink selection. Helpful, accommodating staff.

Amazing ramen and great service. There was a 10% discount if you pay cash and if you spend above $35 you get the Takoyaki. Indoor seating is limited to two window seats.

Very convenient and tasty Japanese takeout place, will be coming again

Food was delicious, but a bit too salty. Ideal for take out because dine in is two window seats and they make a lot of take out orders. You can order at the counter, at a machine, or online ahead of time.

I love the food in this place. Luckily I got a seat and could eat there. The broth was so tasty. The pork belly was so tender. Just love it.

We had the original curry ramen, gyudon and housemade gyoza. Everything we had was extremely delicious and the service was great. Highly recommend. We will be coming back for sure! They only have seating for two on a first come, first served basis, so be prepared to take out.

Issai Japanese Eatery is an absolute gem for lovers of authentic Japanese cuisine. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu offers a delightful array of Japanese dishes, and their takoyaki and noodles are simply outstanding. The takoyaki was perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, with tender octopus pieces that melted in my mouth. The noodles were equally impressive, cooked to perfection and bursting with rich, savory flavors. What truly sets Issai apart is their dedication to quality and authenticity. Its evident that the chefs take pride in their craft, and it shines through in every dish they serve. The service here is impeccable, with friendly and attentive staff who are happy to make recommendations and ensure a memorable dining experience. If youre looking for a taste of Japan thats second to none, Issai Japanese Eatery is the place to be. I cant wait to return and explore more of their menu. Highly recommended!

Great teriyaki chicken

Their house made Shumai was simply exquisite and delicious, and the chicken teriyaki donburi was a true delight. A must-try for anyone who loves Asian food.

Even their takeout is perfect. Food tasted really fresh even after sitting for a while at home. Highly Recommend!

This is a hidden gem. If youre a ramen enthusiast or just looking for a delightful meal, I highly recommend giving it a try. I cant wait to come back and explore more of their menu. Five stars all the way!

Best ramen I ve tried

My wife and I came in to get take out! The food was great and still piping hot after bring it home. The takoyaki deal is really worth it.

soooo tasty

Having dinner here was very good. The restaurant was clean. Mostly for take-out orders but it was nice to have food there. I do recommend a udon and tacoyaki. A ramen is also good! Thank you for good service. :)

Super cute little place with fast & lovely service!! Ramen is very delicious - signature is their Kyoto curry ramen but tonkatsu also yummy! Portion size is on the smaller end of ramen restaurants but still decent. Bonus is their selection of Japanese beverages.

Delicious ramen! The curry one is awesome