BY SEBASTIEN ROBILLARD

TWITTER: @Seb_Blog

EMAIL: FASHIONBPM@GMAIL.COM

If you read my post often you know I’m a fan of Izakaya’s. I really like those Japanese taverns and both the ambiance and the food they offer. There is one located in the old Montreal that is very cool and also has more of an upscale feel. Kyo is attached to the Hotel Place D’Armes and has a great ambiance for dates or even for a night out with friends.

When you walk in you’ll most likely like the cozy feeling the stone walls mixed with the decor exhales. You can get a table or sit at the sushi bar or at the regular bar. I had the occasion to try all of them and no matter where you’re sitting you’ll enjoy and will have a great time.

This is one of the rare Izakaya I go to that I don’t strictly stick to the different warm dish but where I also indulge in sashimi and sushi. The freshness and quality of their sushi and sashimi is very good and almost as good as some west coast sushi restaurants I was fortunate enough to visit.

As I was invited by friends for Grand Prix and we were a group we just decided to order lots of different dishes to pick from. We started with Kalbi beef that are some short beef ribs , very good, tender and perfectly cooked. We also had some Ebi Mayo Shrimps and fried Ika Calamari served with a wasabi mayo, they are deep fried but not too much and you have to cheat once in a while. To balance it out we then had a Scallop Ceviche with Yuzu served with cherry tomatoes, red onions and leeks. We also had some beef sashimi served with crispy garlic, green onions and ponzu sauce. We then had some tuna, salmon, scallops and yellow tail tuna sashimi. I have once again to give it to them the sashimi is very fresh and almost melts in your mouth. We also ordered the Hamchi Bibimpap, with marinated hamachi fish sashimi, vegetables and egg yolk on a bed of steamed rice with gochujang sauce. I have to admit that at that point I was full and didn’t try it but my friends all liked it.

They also have a good selection of cocktails and they also like most Izakaya serve Sake Bombs. They some days have a DJ and they also have a Terrasse for summer. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable on their different dishes. If you try it out let me know what your thoughts are.

Kyo bar japonais

711 Côte de la Place d’Armes

(514) 282-2711