Justin and Lea Ault, Toby Tseung and Maaji Isobe and the rest of the team at Hapa Izakaya brought upscale izakaya to Toronto in 2012. Chef Koichi Fujioka is serving up some of the most beautiful and traditionally delicious Japanese fare at this little spot on College Street. The impressive and extensive sake selection is a huge draw at Hapa, which has over 100 different sakes including Tokubetsu Honjozo from the Murai Family ($89). The menu is seasonal but tends to keep on trend with the izakaya style. The plates are small and shareable: perfect to try with one or two other guests. For those looking to eat a full dinner, there are some robust options available, but most are better shared between friends in order to get the full experience. There is also an omakase menu that is prix fixe at $50 a guest. This menu allows chef Fujioka to take you on a culinary journey, where you get a taste of many of the flavours that inspire him in the kitchen, as well as some of the freshest sashimi in the city.
