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23 Charles St. W. This is possibly the only real Japanese diner in Toronto, complete with vinyl tabletops and spongy benches. The surfaces are done in bright, 1960's tacky orange and subdued brown. Orange globe lamps hang from the ceiling. You almost expect Japanese truckers to sidle in. Okonomi means "pancake", a traditional peasant food. The fill-in menu is short and super-cheap. Side orders are steals- fresh sunomono salad ($2.75) and tart noodle soup ($1.95). Salmon teriyaki ($9.10) leaps out ofthe freezer into a vat of soya, but it's flaky and well-marinated. The yakiniku dinner ($8.25) is better-- beef sliced into thin strips and grilled tender, doused with spicy sauce. The seafood deluxe okonomi ($9.15) is plump and packed with fish, very filling with honey sauce; the bacon okonomi ($5.45) is a happy marriage of simple eastern and crispy western breakfasts. Soup and rice generally accompany meals. |