Montreal: Kinka Izakaya Review

So another new Japanese Izakaya restaurant called Kinka Izakaya has opened up in Montreal, this time from the same people who brought us Guu Izakaya in Toronto which I've been to just over a year ago. I made reservations for six people and made sure to be on time, as it was sure to be a busy night (which it was).

One More Izakaya Restaurant in Montreal

Kazu and Imadake are already popular Izakaya places in downtown Montreal, and this one makes it a threesome...All three restaurants are within a few blocks of each other, so if one is full you can run over to the other. Kinka Izakaya is more similar to Imadake; they both have a dimly lit interior, loud atmosphere, and the waiters also shout and greet you when you arrive and leave the restaurant (much louder than the last time I was Imadake, if anyone cares and wants to host a screaming match).

Kinka Izakaya Food Photos

I put my iPhone 5S camera to the test with the low light food photos; the photos weren't too bad considering how dark it was in there. The food portions are not huge, so if you are big eater you may be disappointed.

Lychee Sake is a light drink; you hardly taste the alcohol as you drink it. If you like lychees, then you don't want to miss this.

Gindara black cod, the sauce was quite good, although the fish felt slightly overcooked, not as "melt in your mouth" as I have experienced in other restaurants, but still good!

Kakuni pork belly, with mashed potatoes. Lots of fat to eat as you might expect, but quite tasty! Watch out for the wasabi in the mashed potatoes though! The wasabi felt like it was coming out my nose as I mistakenly ate a mouthful.

Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake. I don't usually like pancake type foods, but this was good too and I was happy to eat it.

Unagi Bibimbap which is my favorite dish that night. Eel, sticky rice, and an egg yolk in a hot pot. This was the most stomach filling dish too.

I'll Be Back

I like Japanese Izakaya in general, so this place is another convenient option if you are downtown and in the mood for it. It's a nice addition to Shaughnessy Village (western side of the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal). Everyone enjoyed their food choices (Oshizushi, lobster looked interesting) and I'd definitely go back for more...Welcome to Montreal!