Izakaya Toyo

Food is just fine, not amazing, not premium, but for sure maintain the high standard of Japanese quality. Fish is fresh but some pieces were still a bit frozen. Uni was marvelous. That handcooked tuna steak was good too. I still wanna give this place a 5-star because of the price point vs the quality vs the service efficiency. The queue was long but they managed very well.

We had the best time here. The staff and Toyo are friendly and quick. The food is delicious and simple.
The braised tuna cheek is a MUST!
Make sure to get the sushi combination with salmon roe, tuna (lean or fatty) and sea urchin - it’s well worth it.

The queue was already long 45 minutes before opening. Need not wait long for raw food but cooked food requires a bit of waiting as orders of such are prepared with other customers'. Hot oolong tea is free and self served. The food is fresh. A bit pricey and main reason is to watch the chef and his refreshing personality in real life.

Arrived earlier than the opening time and only had to queue for 40 minutes and we got a table furthest from the kitchen. But service and cooking time was fast. Everyone crowded around the kitchen when he was using the blowtorch. The tuna cheek was surprisingly soft and flavourful! Prices were also affordable with generous portions!

This is my second visit the famous izakaya featured on the Netflix. I arrived at 530pm and there was no queue. I love the fact that every order was made on the spot.

Even it is my second visit, I still very amazed by the chef for using his bare hands to “stir” the tuna while cooking with the blowtorch! Apart from the “cooking show”, Chef Izakaya lives up to his name for serving superb quality meal which shame many other places such as restaurants and the overpriced stalls at the Kuromon market.

His must order dishes are the sashimi tuna, broiled tuna cheek meat, ikura and uni. The standard has been the same since my last visit from the pre covid times, the sashimi tuna is thick and fresh! Otoro is amazingly good! The ikura blew my mind as it is not the typical “popping” type of ikura. The fluid in the ikura was so thick that it is like gooey and the flavour is so strong and much intense. Next, the uni is heavenly delicious! It is creamy, sweet and it is EXTREMELY umami! It’s like a concentrated uni!

All the staff were helpful and friendly. Do note that this is a standing style izakaya so don’t expect to sit down while having your meal and you have to take your utensils and drinks or cups for the hot drinks.

For the portion and quality he serving, the price is definitely 100% reasonable! I even ordered two rounds of ikura and uni which I still misses it while typing this review.

Overall, Izakaya Toyo is definitely a must to visit if you value quality food and services. Kudos!!!! And I thank you for the excellent food and services.

Arrived 40 mins before opening and was able to get served in the first batch. No seating, patrons share standing tables depending on the size of your group. Staff will come round to take your order with and English menu. Raw food was served very quickly. The broiled tuna dish is cooked in batches, so will likely be served later. Tuna and uni were awesome. Staff were extremely friendly and efficient.

Delicious food and great atmosphere. Toyo and his staff are friendly and the service is fast considering how busy the place gets. The broiled tuna is absolutely delicious and the sashimi plates are very fresh. Portions are generous and there is a nice drinks menu to go along with the food. The icing on the top of the cake is watching Toyo blow torch the meat with his bare hands. A great experience.

Really worth making our way there! Business starts at 1pm, and we reached 12.30pm when the queue was already building up. Serving was real fast, so it’s a quick queue after all.

We enjoyed all the food! All worth trying and so satisfying👍👍The only exemption is the unagi which we find it so-so.

Hope to come back again!

It's just the best of the best. The atmosphere, the freshness of the food, and the response of the staff are all good.
Eels were especially delicious and thick even though they were heated in the microwave. Tuna and uni were also very fresh and the best. Eat enough to eat
(Cash only)
(I waited from 11:50 on Saturday so I could eat at 13:00.)

Arrived an hour early, and there was already a line. The restaurant accommodates about 35-40 people, ensuring a seat at opening if you're within that range.

English menu available, but staff has limited English proficiency. Order promptly upon seating to avoid extended wait times. Drinks are self-service along the road.

Opted for the set meal with crab & scallop bowls, various tuna (lean, medium, and fatty), and uni/ikura sushi. Requested 2 portions of uni instead of ikura, and also ordered broiled tuna cheek and tuna rolls.

Will recommend just ordering the lean tuna as it tastes a lot better. The medium and fatty tuna’s texture is still frozen.

The broiled tuna cheek preparation, done with a blowtorch and bare hands, is a captivating spectacle. Note that it's cooked in batches, resulting in a wait.

Due to the crowded dining area, wait times can be lengthy. Faced an issue where only half of our set was served initially, watching other customers being served their additional orders while we had a 20-minute wait before receiving the remaining portion.

Despite this hiccup, izakaya Toyo is a must-try in Osaka. Arrive early to secure a table promptly. Affordable and delicious overall.

Definitely worth the wait. I see what the hype is all about. The sashimi was amazing. Extra fatty tuna that practically falls apart in your chopsticks and melts in your mouth. The tuna cheek is a great show and is also super tasty. I would definitely do this again.

Izakaya Toyo, located in Osaka, is indeed renowned for its live-fire cooking entertainment and delicious local Japanese seafood. Toyoji Chikumoto, the chef behind the operation, gained widespread recognition after his appearance on the Netflix show "Street Food: Asia" in 2019. The sight of him grilling seafood with a flamethrower is captivating and has attracted food enthusiasts from around the world.

One of the highlights of Izakaya Toyo's menu is the flame-torched tuna cheeks, a delicacy prepared in bulk. Patrons will have to wait until Toyo-san has enough orders to witness this unique cooking method.

Izakaya Toyo is a standing bar where diners gather around to enjoy fresh and grilled seafood dishes. It's advisable to arrive early, as the establishment can get busy, especially during peak hours.

We got there at 4:30 on Saturday and there was no line so we got a table immediately. Highly recommend visiting if you get the chance!

We arrived at around 2pm on a sunny Wednesday and waited about an hour for a table. Staff were friendly. Food was fresh. Broiled tuna cheeks took a very long time to arrive because they have to make it in batches. Toyo was funny and welcoming.

If love is the secret ingredient of any chef's hands, Toyo-san's touch is unicorn magic. This is a standing & shared (mostly) table dining experience where you'll say Sugoiii, Taebakkk, Hebattt & Whoaaa in one breath!

Enjoy a mishmash showcase of Tuna, Unagi, Scallop (Uni & Kani is seasonal) & the action packed signature broiled tuna cheeks with beers - punctuated with Toyo-san's hilarious showmanship poses, cheeky grins & enigmatic bellows.

Please arrive at the Izakaya's "gate" at least 45 mins before opening hour so you’ll hopefully be in the first seating and get front row views of the magic in motion.

This place hold one of the best Tuan sashimi I’ve tasted. The must go-to is the Fatty Tuna Sashimi.

The speciality is their broiled tuna cheeks personally cooked by Chef Toyo himself.
The atmosphere that he creates with his customer is also wonderful. As he will try his very best to entertain the customers (Just need to be sure that when his busy, he will ask y’all to wait for a moment.)

It’s a wonderful experience that I had and I’ll definitely come back again when I’m in Osaka.

Food was so so fresh and delicious!!
Uni was so creamy , and tuna delicious ikura was also good .

We got there when the line was about 30m long, but the queue moved quite quick (waited for about 30-40mins) staff was very friendly and can speak some English.
Note: it's outdoor with stand around desk only , so be prepare!!

Food worth waiting for! Every dish was delicious and so well priced! We got to see him flame the tuna cheeks as well, which was very cool :) Started lining up at 11:30am on Saturday (opens at 12pm) with about 60-70 people ahead. The line moves quite fast, we got a table for 2 at around 12:20pm. Highly recommend trying it while you’re in Osaka!

Don’t think this place needs an introduction but it was made famous by an episode on Netflix.

We arrived at 11:30am to queue, and were the 4th group in line. By 12:30pm, the queue had stretched to pretty much the end of the street.

Service was quick, and staff started allocating us to our tables. All tables were shared and it was all standing. There were 3 other groups at our table, totalling 10 of us. Menus were handed out, and they came around to take orders shortly after.

Don’t forget to look at their daily specials stuck onto the pillars around the restaurant.

We ordered the platter for 3, half serve of unagi, tuna cheeks, and tuna sushi. The platter arrived quickly, and the tuna cheeks arrive about 10/15 mins later. The cheeks are cooked in batches hence you may have to wait. Unagi and tuna sushi arrived soon after.

Food is amazing. Super fresh, tuna was a little icy, but we took our time and was thawed by the time we ate it. Unagi was delicious, and the tuna cheeks had a beautiful smoky taste.

We heard yelling by the chef telling people off for taking photos which was weird, however, I think this was because he hadn’t started cooking. He was more than happy to pose for pictures whilst cooking.

Special shoutout to the other customers at our table, the atmosphere was great as everyone was talking to each other. One group even bought beers for everyone.

All in all, highly recommended. This place accommodates probably 50+ customers at a time so I’d imagine the queue moves pretty quick.

Amazing Izakaya in Osaka well worth the visit. I found out about this Izakaya through the Osaka episode on the Netflix series ‘Street Food’. The experience is something that I highly recommend if you are in the area. The environment was incredible and you are packed into standing dining tables on the side of the road in an alley. When using his famous cooking technique of blowtorching the tuna cheek’s, the owner of the restaurant was putting on a performance to all the diners, smiling, laughing, yelling, and posing for everyone’s videos and photos. The food was delicious with high quality tender sashimi, rich uni, and perfect salmon roe. When we went, we arrived 40 minutes before the restaurant opened, were about 20th in line, and managed to make it for the first sitting. I would recommend getting there at least 30 minutes before the restaurant opens. On top of that, I have been told that they often run out of food, so if you come too late in the day, you might miss out altogether. The hours of operation also often change to be sure to look up opening hours because you arrive.

Just go for the chef. Super energetic, love his job and love entertaining his customers. Food is also great, sashimi and tuna collar. Go for the food, go for the show, go before he retires. I am glad I did and will go back again if I get a chances in the future.