February 15, 2010

Izakaya – often Ematei’ed but never duplicated


Ematei japanese Restaurant
Review rating: 0 out of 4 = You won't miss anything

As much as I enjoy eating otoro and uni sushi (which I love dearly, by the way), izakaya is probably my favorite type of Japanese dining. After researching various sources, Ematei seems to be the most recommended place for izakaya in Toronto (although options are quite limited anyway).
Izakaya is more than just deliciously cooked small dishes. Some of the best izakaya experience I’ve had in New York and Vancouver all have 3 things in common: lively atmosphere, plenty of drink choices and great food.

Atmosphere
Great izakayas, especially the traditional ones, should be warm, cozy and lively. Paper menus sticking on the wall, restaurant staff welcome you with resounding enthusiasm and an energetic crowd with cool music playing in the background are all part of the gag.

The atmosphere at Ematei is somewhat below par, a lifeless environment almost. A real disappointment if you’re looking for that authentic traditional izakaya experience. No resounding welcome. No cool music. Quiet crowd. Service was painstakingly slow at times with a hint of unwelcoming attitude. This doesn’t appear to be an abnormal incident as many online reviews have suggested that good service is not their forte.

Drink
Izakaya food goes superbly well with almost any type of cold alcoholic beverages. For this reason, a great drink menu is a must and should contain a good selection of sake, beer, shochu and chu-hi (chu-hi is similar to coolers but is mixed with shochu and critrus fruit juice).

The drink menu at Ematei is decent enough for a night of fun. It has all your regular sake and beer, though some sake bottles seem over-priced.

Food
There is nothing fancy or delicate about izakaya food. Fried food should be piping hot and crunchy. Grilled dishes should be fresh with proper seasoning. Udon should be chewy and not mushy. A proper izakaya menu should have roughly 50% staple dishes (karaage, agedashi tofu, etc) and 50% special dishes based on seasonal ingredients and the chef’s culinary curiosity.

Fortunately, Ematei does have daily specials. The unfortunate thing is that the food is decent at best but often disappointing and lacking serious personality. Yes, I haven’t had all the dishes on the menu. But judging from the various dishes, I can confidently foretell the strengths and weaknesses of the kitchen.

Dishes that rely on fresh ingredients and little on cooking skills and techniques are decent. Several fried and grilled dishes are fresh, tasty, seasoned with the proper condiments. Dishes that require actual cooking are often sloppy. An eel stew is absurdly salty. A duck confit-liked dish is dry, tasteless and slightly cold.

Aside from the small dishes, Ematei offers 3 nabe options. The key to a good nabe (aside from good friends and cold weather) is the broth and ingredients. Although the portion is good, the dull miso based broth lacks both character and depth. The ingredients that you cook in the hot pot consist of chicken, beef, shrimps, mushroom, assorted vegetables and udon noodles. The quality of ingredients is pedestrian, with the chewy udon being cream of the crop.

One side note: an izakaya restaurant should not be serving sushi. If the restaurant does serve sushi (sashimi is borderline okay in my book), they are probably not an izakaya to begin with and please refrain yourself from ordering it. If you want sushi, go to a sushi restaurant. Sushi is way too elegant and delicate to be mixed with greasy beer food. It’s like ordering fried chicken at Le Bernardin (not that Le Bernardin serves fried chicken, but you get the idea).

Review's bottom line: maybe it’s unfair to judge Ematei as an izakaya, but even if you take out the ambience and service factor, the food quality and price ratio is still below average. If you’re looking for a fun izakaya experience, try the Toronto Guu. I haven’t been to the Toronto Guu yet, so stay tuned for that review. But if they resemble the traits that have made them successful in Vancouver, (Garlic with Guu is my favorite guu in Vancouver), it should not disappoint.

Recommended Dishes: dishes that don’t require “cooking” aka fried or grilled items. (I know, I know. Please don’t write me mails to explain that frying/grilling is an art form that requires techniques and skills. I am not disagreeing, but given the contest of this post, I think people will understand my meaning of proper cooking vs simple frying/grilling.

Wine List: Japanese. Some sake are over-priced, but most are within the normal range.

Ambiance: Traditional Japanese setting. Can definitely use an episode on Restaurant Makeover.

Price Range: $5 - $15 per small dish

Bang for your buck: $

Ematei
30 Saint Patrick Street

Toronto, ON M5T 3A3, Canada
416-340-0472

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