Talk about food, food and more food.
For our second annual Valentine’s Day edition of LizzDrew Take On The ‘Loo, we were in the mood for something that would give us a real challenge for our tummies — and what better way to do that than an all-you-can-eat dinner at Izakaya (although it will come up as Jinzakaya on Google).
Located by the Shoppes of Uptown Waterloo and around the corner from Waterloo Town Square at 75 King St S., lies a cute, quaint and aesthetically fancy authentic Japanese restaurant. The ambience of this restaurant will make anyone feel like they entered a bougie, upscale and stylish property that may turn off a less-than-rich university student. But fret not dear readers, although this luxurious eatery may make your pockets quiver with anticipation of the bill, it is well worth it if you are looking to splurge on your date for a special occasion or willing to pay the price for some fine eats.
Already buzzing from our pre-meal drinks at McCabe’s (loyal readers might remember our previous review), we happily endured the 30-minute wait for a table, especially when it led us to a cozy, semi-secluded spot. Elegant dividers between the tables added just the right touch of intimacy, setting the stage for a perfect date night.
Our friendly server wasted no time taking our drink orders. Andrew opted for a sapporo beer, while Lizzie went for a classic mojito. When they arrived, served in massive glass mugs that looked more like small fishbowls, we were momentarily intimidated. But fear not — your devoted writers rose to the challenge, savoring every drop like the seasoned pros we are.
As any veteran to an all-you-can- eat menu would know, choosing one dish was simply not an option. As we hungrily filled out our order sheet, we absently remembered that our famished stomachs may be too small to meet the demands of our eyes. To start, and to share, we ordered a miso soup and seaweed salad to prepare us for what was to come. Shortly after (and we mean short), we were consecutively served our order, including the bacon wrapped asparagus, spring rolls, calamari shrimp tempura, butter corn, pan fried strip loin
steak, beef teriyaki with rice, fried chicken wings, crabmeat tempura and salmon sashimi. Of that huge list, the beef teriyaki with rice, chicken wings and crabmeat tem- pura were our favourites, providing all the salty and savoury flavours even the hungriest of patrons could want. Now for the real reason we went — the sushi. Because we were somewhat mindful that we couldn’t possibly eat everything this diverse menu had to offer, we chose three different variants of sushi rolls that came with eight pieces an order.
These were the cheese prosciutto roll, the Godzilla roll and the Izakaya roll. With savoury and bright flavours, we couldn’t have asked for a better selection of rolls. There’s nothing bad that we can say about them. Overall, Izakaya is an amazing, yet exclusive sushi spot with enough food to put anyone (including your dear reviewers) into a deep food coma. Although it may be a little pricey, there is more than enough going for it to justify the cost. If you do end up going, tell them LizzDrew sent you.
Ratings:
Ambiance: 9 out of 10
Drinks: 7 out of 10
Food: 9 out of 10
Affordability: 4 out of 10
Bachir Miloudi/Lead Photographer, Bronte Behling/Editor-in-Chief
