Hi there. In this food review post I try out Taisho Japanese BBQ in Toronto. This was a treat from my brother as he was itching to try out Japanese BBQ again. For me it would be my first time trying Japanese BBQ.
This was around late December 2024.
The original plan from my brother was Gyu-Kaku. He went there for the first time for a work lunch and really enjoyed it. He did receive a 15% off coupon on the next visit for early 2025. The problem was that Gyu-Kaku is closed on Sundays.
We had to choose between Gyubee or Taisho in the Toronto area. Gyubee was on a main street near the downtown mall. Taisho was a bit of a farther walk and was beside a Charidise. Charidise looked familiar to me but then I remembered I went there one time for Taiwanese food several years back. The price difference for all you can eat BBQ was 1 dollar. Price was not a factor. We went with Taisho as we figured that Gyubee would be much more busier as it is on a main street.
Our Japanese BBQ dinner was around 5PM. We went early to beat the dinner rush on a Sunday evening. It was dark already by 5PM when we arrived. Pictures from my Redmi Note 13 Pro phone.
As many tables were available there was no waiting period. It was a smooth process to get seated. What stood out for me was a bit of an armrest for your arm and for placing your coat, phone and other items. Once we got seated one of the wait staff quickly turned on the fire for the grill. That was fast from her.
There was no physical menu. You scan a QR code on the wall side to upload the menu on your phone. They asked if we wanted all you can eat BBQ. We responded yes. All you can eat BBQ was around 46 CAD per person for dinner.
From the menu you can select as many items as you'd like. If you over order and waste food then you pay around 15 CAD for every 100 grams of food (I think). Here are some screenshots that I took.
One of their best items is the Prime Kalbi.
Here are the various food pictures from the place.
You do have the option to change the grill. In this place they just change the tray. In the past when I went to Korean Grill House in Toronto they would change the entire heavy grill. In Taisho the grill change is super fast. I was kind of impressed.
That tray of seafood is Sukiyaki. You place it on the grill for 8 to 10 minutes. It has enoki mushrooms, squid and a clam. The clam opens up around 8 minutes.
They send out the meats and seafood quite fast after ordering. The sushi and takoyaki (octopus balls) arrives quite fast too.
The one item that was just okay was the beef tongue. My brother didn't like it. I thought it was okay. The tongue was on the slightly harder side when chewing compared to the short ribs and Prime Kalbi.
I also took pictures of their washroom. It is a single stall washroom. There were three of them.
Fifty dollars CAD for Japanese BBQ is on the higher end in Toronto. These days dining out in Toronto is at the 20 to 40 CAD range so 50 CAD is not that much more. This place was nice to try out near the end of 2024 as a treat from my brother.
I would visit again if I'm at the Toronto downtown core area. As it is pricey I would go once in 3 or 4 months.
We went around 5PM on a Sunday evening during December holiday season. It was not too busy at that time. Service was fast and friendly. We never felt rushed. In addition we did eat a lot both of us felt okay and did not have digestive issues from this AYCE BBQ. (We walked it off going to Union Station Toronto.)
Rating: 5/5 (maybe 4.5 if you factor in cost.)
Thank you for reading.
