Issai Japanese Eatery

The food is yummy and price is reasonable. The staff is very friendly and polite. When you feel like a humble bowl of udon, this is the place to go to . Their curry ramen is also very tasty and packed with flavour. If you are hungry, you can always get the combo with an extra don on the side. The only thing is the restaurant has only 5 bar high seats so not quite friendly for young children or elderly. Otherwise, I highly recommend this place for a good quick bite.

One of the favourite hidden gems for Japanese good eats in North York, near IKEA. Issai Japanese Eatery is a takeout spot for ramen, donburi, snacks, and drinks. There are only 32 bar seating available for dine-in, but mainly for takeouts. We have been back a couple times, and we really enjoyed the experience. The food presentation looks amazing, and the friendly lady who works there spoke Cantonese :) Can't wait to visit again to try more items Tomato Curry Ramen w/ Teishoku Set // Spicy good, ramen was delicious, the set comes with pickled radish and 2pcs of inari sushi Housemade Gyoza // It was beautifully pan-seared, nice and plump, perfectly wrapped, and delicious! Issai Sesame Abura Soba // Served dry with a light sauce on the bottom mix well before you eat... don't be like me, I waited too long to eat it bc I kept taking pictures, and the noodle dried up lol. Housemade Siumai // Good portion and good flavour, though l'm not a huge fan of fatty pork, but to some people, the siumai may taste soft and juicy! Niku Udon // Loved the broth, comes with thinnly sliced beef, and the udon was nice and chewy :) Kitsune Udon // The broth was a little sweeter because of the sweet tofu skin, still enjoyable!

Accidentally we go to this restaurant. There are only 5 seats available. We decide to take out. The Katsura and Tonkatsu Donburi are both tasty. The Niki beef udon has a very high quality soup base. Both Housemade Gyoza and Shumai are outstanding. On the menu there are a lot of choices. We will try more in the near future. The service and food quality are surprisingly authentic Japanese style. We really enjoy the take out!

This tiny Japanese restaurant is located under a condo with limited seating of 5. The interior is small and beautiful. I ordered an Issai Tomato Teishoku set. The soup booth is as thick as the tsuke-man with nicely grilled fatty belly pork with caramelised aroma. The egg york is runny and delicious. Although they offered takeaway for a small discount, I believe the taste will not be as good as dine-in because the ramen will absorb too much soup and the rice with curry will be soggy.

I’ve passed by Issai a bunch of times, but finally decided to try it after seeing the massive food line at IKEA. Since it was within walking distance, we gave it a shot—and I’m glad we did! I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, and the first thing that stood out was the pork belly. They give you two huge, chunky pieces, and honestly, it’s the star of the show. Super tender, packed with flavor, and just melts in your mouth—10/10 pork belly. It’s what made the bowl memorable. The egg was also solid—nicely marinated with a hint of soy flavor and perfectly cooked. The noodles were thin and had a good texture; I believe you can customize them if you want. As for the broth, it was okay—kind of subpar for a tonkotsu broth. It could’ve used more depth or richness, but the pork really carried the whole dish. The vibe of the place is cozy and intimate—limited seating, but it adds to the charm. Staff were friendly and super attentive. Overall, I’d rate the ramen a 4/5—mostly because of that incredible pork belly. If they step up their broth game, this place could be top-tier. Would definitely come back when I’m in the area!

Chicken udon set with beef don is amazing. Curry tsukemen was good too. The restaurant had a quick ordering kiosk and even had phone stands/holders.

The dipping broth was super flavorful, and the noodles were chewy and just right. Loved the grilled pork and soft egg...everything came together so well

Love the clean & comfy environment. The kitsune udon and donkatsu are both tasty! Will definitely come back again