Dining Out: Japanese BBQ and Sushi at Gyuyaki

Went with Minji and Daniel to check out the newly-opened all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ and sushi restaurant, Gyuyaki:

Japanese BBQ spread

Prime kalbi

Spicy miso beef brisket

On the grill: Beef short ribs, black pepper beef brisket, mixed mushrooms with garlic, and clams with sake and butter

Smoked salmon tataki with tamarind sauce

Smoked beef tataki with ponzu sauce

Torched box sushi: Squid, scallop, salmon, and wagyu

The big draw here is that their menu includes AYCE sushi along with Japanese BBQ, so it's kind of like if Shinta and Ichiban had a baby. The only thing is that Gyuyaki doesn't really do either as well. The BBQ-sushi concept is great in theory but not so much in execution. The food is still decent, but we found that their cuts of meat aren't as fresh as Shinta and their sushi options aren't as well-prepared as Ichiban (or another similar AYCE sushi restaurant). That having been said, they do have a great variety of food on their menu, as well as a salad bar (the mango salad and spicy marinated bean sprouts are great as refreshers in between courses), a dessert bar (where, along with the usual ice creams and puddings at AYCE sushi places, you can make your own bingsu), and a self-serve fountain pop dispenser so you don't have to wait for a server for refills. 

The space is a little too cramped for my comfort, to the point where you might as well be sitting with your neighbours. (And hear all of their conversations, too.) Unless you get seated at a booth (which we were not), the tables are separated by plastic partitions on one side and about a foot of space on the other, so bear this in mind if you're a bit claustrophobic. Or want to have a slightly more private conversation. I might come here again once the hype has died down and we don't have to wait an hour (YES, AN HOUR — we literally watched over half of KPop Demon Hunters in Minji's Tesla) for a table. (Again, if you're interested in coming here, don't be stupid like us and MAKE A RESERVATION.) For now, though, I think I'd still go to Shinta for my Japanese BBQ cravings and Ichiban for AYCE sushi. 

One thing they do have over all other Japanese BBQ and AYCE sushi restaurants, however, is their operating hours — they don't close until 1:00AM. In case you have those late-night barbecued meat and sushi cravings.

Gyuyaki

5328 Highway 7, Unit 3

Markham, ON L3P 1B9

(905) 320-9988