It can take hours to get into the first Toronto outpost of the successful Vancouver chain. But once a spot opens up at one of the long communal tables, Japanese staffers (including some brought here from Vancouver operations) shout a welcome. The raucous mood is close to that at a real Tokyo izakaya (pub), but here food takes precedence over drink. It’s prepared in the long open kitchen that flanks the boxy space (courtesy of go-to restaurant designer Bennett Lo). Deep-fried dishes are impressive—for example, juicy prawns in crispy tempura batter with spicy mayo or wedges of brie plated over a mango purée. Other items feel almost western: fat oysters grilled with spinach and gooey cheese might as well be Rockefeller. But classic izakaya dishes—such as chopped octopus with wasabi or salmon tartare with funky natto, raw egg yolk, pickles and a half-dozen other ingredients to be stirred together and wrapped in crisp nori—steal the show. It’s noisy, brusque fun, which is perfect for its Ryerson ’hood. Small plates $4.50–$10.