Review Imadake - Montreal

Imadake was incredible. It’s great delicious Japanese food and we got all small shared plate dishes. The service was super friendly and quick. The chicken skewers were amazing we just needed to order about 10 more of them because they were so good. And the seaweed salad was super tasty even with the surprise of a lot of lettuce under the seaweed. The nuts on the fried shrimp were mind blowingly good. We’re definitely going back. Some reviews complain about the noise, but it wasn’t that bad. I mean, it’s a Japanese pub so it seemed exactly what you’d expect from a pub environment. Sitting on box stools and music was expected and didn’t diminish the taste of the food!

We ordered tons of things to try out, and everything turned out pretty well. Good cook and flavors, really fast service. Favorites would be the tuna tataki and beef short ribs. Note that this place is LOUD in the evenings. Low ceiling, small space, people packed in shouting over each other to be heard. More of a student bar atmosphere than anything else. I give the food 4 stars.

For my first try at Japanese tapas, I'm happy to say I'm definitely doing this again! We ordered warm sake to start our meal and warm up, with Takoyaki and Yakiniku Izakaya (rare beef strips served on a platter with the perfect sauce and a sizzling stone to cook yourself). Highly suggest to go for the grill menu as it's their specialty and makes for a fun meal, but we were also craving a ramen at the time, so we shared a bowl. Also, pls dont take sake as shots, unless its called a sake bomb... Warm sake is to be enjoyed in small sips throughout meal! The yakiniku beef was fresh, juicy and delicious alongside the sauce. You can choose to marinate before cooking on the stone, or cook first and dip the sauce afterwards, to your taste. For anyone trying this out, dont take too long to take your pictures as your stone might get cold and you'll miss out on that satisfying sizzling sound as the meat hits the stone. We noticed other tables taking a long time for the perfect shot 😂📸 The Tonkotsu ramen hit just the spot, with 2 lightly marinated and perfectly grilled fat slices of pork belly, al dente noodles and a thick, rich and creamy broth. We took the matcha cheese cake for dessert which came with a berry coulis and topped with light whipped cream. Lovely meal overall, delicious food, and dont be afraid to ask the staff for tips and advice if you're unsure on the best way to enjoy the meal 🙏

Very pleasantly surprised by our dinner! Food was authentic and delicious. Especially enjoyed our Gindara Misozuke (perfection!!) and Ebi Mayo. Service was very good as well. Our only minor complaint is that the music was a bit too loud for our liking, and consequently everyone had to scream even louder to hear each other.

Incredible food with a wide variety of dishes. The pork belly, dumplings and ribs were standouts. Service was a bit slow as they seemed understaffed for how many people they had. Definitely a great go-to spot for drinks and dinner. You have to order the sake bomb at least once if you haven’t already, it’s a lot of fun!

A little on the pricey side but the food is delicious, pretty presentation, very enthusiastic vibe, friendly staff. Chairs could be a little more comfortable in my opinion but the food is the most important!

Everything is delicious and awesome! Service is also good! We will go back for ramen next time for sure. 👍🏻

The servers were slow and a little rude, but the kitchen was pretty fast. The food itself was solid but nothing spectacular. Crowded, loud and bar-like atmosphere if that's what you're into. Tiny chairs and tables and no place to put your stuff. Personally wouldn't go here again but worth a try.

To the team at Imadake, specifically our awesome waitress Ashley who was asking and making sure I felt good, you’re gluten free food items are indeed that and I felt great after! Confirmed. Asian food is usually the trickiest type of food just cause gluten seems to be hidden in so many of the ingredients. It’s refreshing to finally find a Japanese restaurant I can trust!

Was overall unimpressed by the restaurant. The food was very tasty with great presentation but the restaurant is extremely loud. Loud enough that you can not hear the person sitting in front of you and the waitress can not hear you properly when you place an order. Their sitting stools are very very uncomfortable. Their approach to food allergies was not all acceptable, my boyfriend has a severe dairy allergy and I asked if one of the items on the menu had dairy the waiter responded that he didn't know and there was no way of knowing because it was a chef's secret and the chef was not in? WTF? Your staff needs to be able to answer about ingredients of everything on the menu. Food allergies are a big, important deal and should not be taken lightly. Been once wouldn't recommend it probably won't go back.

Ce resto offre une expérience en soi et tu t'y sens plus comme invité que comme un client ! Le service est le point fort de l'endroit : il y a tellement de staff, et ils sont efficaces ! Ton verre d'eau est vide ? Ta fourchette est tombée par terre ? Pas besoin de demander quoi que ce soit, ils ont tout vu et c'est réglé en quelques secondes. Vraiment, j'ai rarement vu un service aussi sur la coche ! Le menu est super intéressant et convient à tous les goûts et tous les budgets. L'ambiance est très "pub", ce qui fait qu'on se sent bien à l'aise de boire des shooters comme un trou à l'heure du souper ! J'ai a-do-ré !

I loved my experience! The food was amazing& so was our waitress! We wanted a casual place, with a good vibe, good food, & amazing service & that's what we got! It's a loud environment, a pub feel to it. A place where u can go and just have a good time! The food was not only presentable (picture perfect) but also tasty! Can't wait to go there again!

My favorite resto ever thanks for another wonderful belly full night ! Best staff best food best everything ! #1fan ! Special thanks to Ashley,John, Alex(ur really handsome btw�) and a very nice tall young server with black glasses you guys made my night!

Edgy food concept, servers in black with Hello Kitty bow on their hair, sake bomb, fried chicken skin, yakitori pork belly and beef tongue, seaweed salad with eel. Not your typical sushi and tempura place. Efficient service.

My friend from Europe bring me to this place last spring and Ever since thin this place never fail my expectations. Highly recommend to anyone who wants have a great nice and good food 🙌🏻

Went there last night for the first time with a bunch of friends to celebrate my birthday and we had a blast. We had a reservation for 15 and they seated us to a table downstairs and it was great because we were the only ones there. We started the night by ordering big bombs, we ended up ordering a couple more afterwards just for the sake of screaming : When I say sake, you say bomb! It was a first experience for all of my friends too and I'm pretty sure it won't be their last one. The food was good. It's pricey, but totally worth it. The matcha cheesecake was heavenly delicious. Our server, Jimmy, was very nice and friendly. We even got a platter of shooters after we paid our bills. I am definitely going back!

Just go go go go a must try!!! Amazing food, Sake Bombs!! Kick ass vibe!! Reno and the whole staff are just amazing! Love this place!

La nourriture est excellente ! L'ambiance est animée. Je ne suis jamais déçue. Je le recommande fortement à tous les foodies �

Really great atmosphere for a night out with friends or with your better half! Staff is really friendly and attentive! The menu offers variety of dishes for the picky eaters so everyone is happy! Will most probably try everything on their menu the next visits, no disappointments so far!

Amazing food!!! And service you have to try . One the best place

So fun and the food is incredible ....love this spot and go every time we're in Montreal ... Ask for a sake bomb Fun and friendly staff a great place for a group,friends or couples. Enjoy!

Amazing place ! One of the best restaurant in Montreal !

Great food with super fast service. The only thing I would say is that it's not the place to go if you're looking for a quiet environment LOL

I absolutely love this place, I enjoy eating at the bar, it's relaxed and fun!<br/><br/>You have to make a reservation if you don't want to eat at the bar. 😉<br/><br/>Prices :<br/>Ramen $14<br/>Takoyaki $7<br/>Hello kitty drink $10

Great food, service and price! It is my favorite restaurant, and I basically tell everybody I know to go there. Try the Ramen, which is fantastic.

The last time I went to Imadake was at the end of a food crawl (my one and only time I've done an organized one). It's been years since then so for my last meal of the trip, my aunt suggested Imadake. <br/><br/>We came on a Wednesday evening and it was reasonably busy. We had no trouble grabbing a table. The inside is super cool with huge Japanese styled murals adorning the walls. They even have a cute anime style portraits of all their staff members.<br/><br/>Sake bombs are the thing to do if you're drinking. When I say sake, you say bomb. Sake. Bomb. SAKE. BOMB.<br/><br/>They had a summer special menu along with a poke bowl on the back. The main menu is pretty extensive but has pictures of everything; cold dishes, salads, grilled, fried, ramen/noodles, hot dishes and desserts.<br/><br/>- Gobo ($7.00) - burdock root deep fried. I've only had burdock one other time. These reminded me of daikon. Interesting spin mimicking fries.<br/>- Gyu tan ($10.00) - miso marinated cow tongue. Delicious! It take a bit longer to chew but it's well worth the effort. My favourite dish of the night.<br/>- Takoyaki ($6.00) - you get 6 pieces of octopus balls. I'm not a huge takoyaki fan but these were hot and crispy. I appreciated how it was lightly sauced and had just the right amount of bonito flakes.<br/>- Kaiso sarada ($8.00) - seaweed salad with sesame dressing. Wasn't expecting this to be a mix of salad and seaweed. <br/>- Agedashi ($6.00) - tofu in fish broth. Lightly deep fried but oh so soft on the inside. Really nicely done.<br/>- Pork yakiudon ($13.00) - noodles had a great chewy texture. We would have liked more pork slices.<br/><br/>Good spot to bring a group of friends. I'd come back to try more.

Octopus balls!!!!<br/><br/>From the street this restaurant doesn't catch the eye. Once you get in, it's more interesting. You get welcome by all the staff cheerfully screaming a nice Japanese word that I did not understand. I'm guessing it meant hello or welcome. The decor is pretty nice with some cultural touches everywhere, tableware, beautiful mural, decorative sake bottle and very short schoolgirl skirts. The bad part was that I had to sit on a wooden crate thing. You need to order the 'Sake Bomb' a fun drink made from rice beer and, of course, sake. <br/><br/>Now, the food. There's all kind of little plates you can order and also bigger plates like the best Ramen i have ever eaten, spicy and tasteful. I can't get enough of their octopus balls which melt in your mouth. Special mention to the Koroke, incredibly original fried potato croquette and my son's favorite. I particularly love the dried fish flakes you can find on most of the dishes. There lots of things worth trying or reordering. <br/><br/>For me, it was a special diner because it was my first time out of the children's hospital in a long time. It's a great place to change your mind if you're stuck there since it's just beside. well, for me it was.

Everything in this place in perfect! starting from the location and moving to the service and food!<br/>we ordered tortillas and gucamole and tapas with meat...amazing!!<br/>we will come back soon!

Superb service. Superb flavor. Well-thought menu.<br/>We had the tuna tataki, the grilled calamri and 2 bowls of ramen very rich in flavor.<br/>If I lived here I'd definitely come back.

Young fun vibe, definitely a place to bring friends to enjoy and fun meal. The food here is very tasty and the staff is fun and friendly. You have to try the black cod and ramen noodles all accompanied with sake booms of course. If you bring a tourist friend it will be a restaurant that they will definitely remember. Kampai!!

Here we go again, another review about another Japanese pub. It seems these days that I am perpetually feasting on Japanese food, eating and drinking my life away in all these Izakaya’s. <br/><br/>You may be partially right! Looks like I am running through a list of sorts that I have compiled either on paper or hidden in my subconscious. It may seem like so, but there is a good explanation and it is not the Foo-Foodie’s fault. Sitting on the edge of Westmount and Downtown on Ste Catherine and Atwater, it rests in a kind of no man’s land, amongst dilapidated buildings and rows of bankrupted businesses. If you do not have the exact address it is very hard to find as the only visible sign appears on the door. Once inside it looks like the classic watering hole, with its dark wood furniture, banquettes and boxed crate seating. It is dark with sparse lighting and black walls that exhibit some splashes of color and whimsical chalkboard drawings. At the end you will find an open kitchen where you can hear the chef and his staff yelling out orders.  <br/><br/>Imadake has the typical Izakaya’s feel and set up, when it comes to menu and logistics. The menu consists of course of Japanese style tapas, small portions but at affordable prices. Served with lots of sake or your choice of alcohol. Considered traditional Japanese street food, it is fun and exciting with all its different influences. <br/><br/>We were immediately seated and given the menu. After the opening conversation and asked if it was our first time, we started with a Sake Sangria for $ 9.00 each. A refreshing drink made with sake wine and a mix of citrus juices as a base. Garnished with fresh blackberries and orange slices; it hit the spot. <br/><br/> I spotted Beef Tataki on the menu for $ 4.50 and had to have it. One of my proverbial favorites, it satisfied all my carnovoristic tendencies. We got a very generous portion of thinly sliced raw beef, marinated in Ponzu sauce with hints of sesame oil, green onions and garnished with crispy tempura. <br/>This was a perfect mixture of textures and flavor and more than enough for me. I was satisfied with just this dish, but then we had also ordered a phletora of dishes. <br/><br/>We started with salad called Gomaee -$ 2.00, a light spinach salad with sesame dressing which is a staple at many Japanese pubs. I particularly like the salad dressing. So aromatic and flavorful, the salad contained a substantial amount of dressing that sat at the bottom of the bowl for extra dipping. I could not get enough of this. I loved the dressing.<br/><br/>Next we were served the Goat cheese balls for $ 3.50, coated deep fried triangles of goat cheese drizzled with raspberry sauce. These were a mix of sweet and sour, absolutely delicious and not at all heavy. An acquired taste, one or two among a few people is sufficient as they are heavy. This dish is a dream for all those goat cheese lovers. <br/><br/>Also sampled was Takoyaki-Fried Octopus for $ 3.00, garnished with bonito flakes. Takoyaki is a popular street vendor food, which reminded me of Polynesian Po Po Balls back in the heydays when Polynesian food was all the rage. I am used to having octopus marinated and grilled Portugeuse style and this dish was a welcome surprise. It consisted of six tender doughy pockets of coated fried dumplings with octopus centers. Drizzled with a mix of takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and bonito flakes. This was a total hit. I loved the bonito flakes which enhanced the fishiness of this dish. <br/><br/>Along the same lines, we had the Yaki Ika for $ 5.50, a large squid that was grilled and served with Japanese mayonnaise, lemon and lime wedges on the side. A simple dish in its simplest form, it is perfect for those die hard calamari lovers. The squid served lightly grilled, was tender and not rubbery. It was exceptionally good with the side dish of Japanese mayonnaise for dipping which enhanced and added flavor to an otherwise bland dish.<br/><br/>More dishes kept arriving and we were almost at the end of our meal. Next we were served Oba to Baniku -$ 3.50, two chicken skewers that were also grilled and served plain with just with a stream of sweet sauce. Simple, yet tasty and last but not least a Vegetarian Okonomiyaki -$5.00, which looks like an omelet served with tons of bonito flakes that shriveled with the heat of the omelet and seemed to be moving on the plate; something to watch in itself. I liked this dish as it was packed with flavors, except for the overwhelming bonito flakes which made this dish rather salty and fishy. I recommend you go easy on the bonito flakes, but they are a must to make this dish visually compelling and successful. <br/><br/>Our lovely waitress came back to ask if we wanted dessert. We were completely stuffed by now, and could not have another bite. She asked how we found our meal and brought us a complimentary sake bomb, with all the traditional chanting. I loved Imadake, if your flavor of the evening is an Izakaya; this has got to be one of the best this city’s has to offer. I definite return for me. Kampai!

Pour moi, le Imadake est ma première expérience d'izakaya. J'y vais depuis le début. Avant, c'était peu connu et la nourriture était très bonne. Maintenant, c'est vraiment une ambiance de fête. Les gens vont en grand groupe et se prennent des sake bombs. C'est assez bruyant. Je préfère y aller le dimanche: c'est plus tranquille et la cuisine est meilleure. Autres conseils: commandez 3 plats à la fois. Sinon, ils ont tendance à tout apporter en même temps. C'est vraiment un endroit pour partager des tapas japonais ou célébrer un événement avec des amis .<br/><br/>On y va pour:<br/>-la morue noire gindara (une des meilleures à Montréal, qualité/prix)<br/>-korokke (croquette de purée de pomme de terre)<br/>-tartare de saumon avec nori frit au wasabi et avocat<br/>-carpaccio de boeuf<br/>-carpaccio de poisson blanc<br/>-calmar grillé<br/>-poulet frit<br/>-gyoza (dumplings au porc)<br/>-sake pétillant avec du jello<br/>-essayer des nouveaux sake<br/>

Average from food to ambience to location. Terrible service. Arrived at an off peak hour yet waited for centuries to be seated, at a congested corner after being denied for bigger table - hey half of the place was empty then!

I like Japanese food and I especially enjoy Isakayas. The atmosphere and ambiance is always festive and you know you’ll always have a good time. That’s why when friends suggested we got to Imadake for a friend’s birthday on a Tuesday I knew we would have a good time. I usually enjoy sharing dishes but people were very territorial with their food that night so we all ordered our own dishes.  I ordered some asparagus with bacon, I mean let’s be realistic who can say no to bacon? I also had some pork dumplings that were very good and the Takoyaki which are octopus breaded balls were also very good. I also had the fried chicken that is always good there.

Been here for dinner with a friend. Great food with great prices. A bit crowded and busy. But regardless, the staff really knows how to create the ambiance! <br/>Would definitely recommend, and great for groups!

This place is a little hidden gem located on Ste-Catherine West. <br/><br/>The concept is simple, Japanese tapas. Pick a few plates to share et voila! There is a plate for every taste.<br/><br/>The ambiance is bar-ish. It is a loud place but a fun place. If you're a group, order sake bombs, it's the thing to do there!

Tellement amusant! C'est un pub japonais avec ambiance rebelle jeune et éclectique! Il faut pas avoir peur du bruit mais c'est un endroit parfait pour manger avec un petit groupe d'ami fêtards. En plus la nourriture est vraiment bonne, vive les tapas japonais

MTL à table is a wonderful event that takes place every year where restaurants lower their table d'hôte prices so that people can discover them and enjoy some good food. This year, most of them had their table d'hôte at either 19, 29 or 39 dollars. I think Toqué! was at 69$ but that's a whole different cup-o-tea. When a friend suggested we go, I immediately thought of Imadake because a: it was at 29$ and b: I'd heard lots of great things and had been meaning to go.

Great atmosphere, interesting food, friendly service. As someone with celiac disease, I really appreciated the GF markings on the menu, plus, the staff were knowledgeable.

I love this place. If you are expecting to eat big portions you better go somewhere else and come back here for a few drinks and eat small portions, but even if they are small they are delicious (specially those shrimp tempura) drinks are delicious and people there work really hard but are always nice. The reason I didn't give a 5 stars it's because it is small and if you are more than 2 you have to book well in advance because there is a lot of party people. I recommended this place to many friends and they loved it

Authentic Japanese Tapas!. Today’s post is on one of the hottest izakayas in Montreal: Imadake! Located on St. Catherine Ouest near Alexis Nihon Mall, this place is great to go with your friends for good drinks and tapas. Well known for their ‘sake bombs’, Imadake also has a great selection of fresh sashimi, ramen, tapas, and dessert you should definitely try out!

From a perspective of someone who went to Japan and ate all those there:<br/>The croquette is missing curry taste and what's the matter with the random corn pieces in it... The inside of a real croquette is supposed to melt in your mouth as you take a bite in it.<br/>I've never eaten a sheet like okonomiyake...<br/>The takoyaki was fair.

Imadake is my favorite restaurant in Montreal. I was introduced to this place by a friend and I went there with a group of about 8 people. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in for a great night! The atmosphere is simply amazing and the food is out of this world. It is advisable to go with a bunch of people so that you can order many dishes and share...because EVERYTHING on the menu is a 'must try'<br/><br/>The beef tataki, whitefish carpaccio, miso marinated cod, fried goat cheese and the grilled mushrooms are my favorites. But then again, there isn't a single item on their menu that I don't like! As for desserts, the green tea cheesecake will make you swoon!<br/><br/>And oh, at least a couple of Sake Bombs are a must to complete the Imadake experience.<br/><br/>The only thing that I am not too crazy about are the prices!

I found this izakaya overrated, and I value quality of food over ambiance or atmosphere. Sure the place looks great, it is dimly lit with wooden textures and murals on the walls - perhaps a great place for night drinking with friends. However, I was not impressed with the quality of the food. My boyfriend and I ordered 4-5 dishes: beef tataki with ponzu sauce, okonomiyaki, takoyaki,and saba no misoni. This was easily near 70 dollars for the both of us, and for the quality of the food it was too overpriced. There are better and cheaper izakayas in Montreal to visit!

This place is all ambiance and doesn't have much going for it in terms of value. Yes the food is quite good but it's about 40% overpriced. It is a great place to go drink and be loud though. Don't go here unless you feel like shouting all evening.

Good but not great. Ordinary decor and service. The menu is interesting but my choice of food turned out to be deceivingly overcooked. Still, a great place for drinks with a bunch of your friends.

Portion vraiment trop petite ou prix trop élevé.. Je ne sais pas. Nouille troooop salé. Accueil trop bruyant. Ok c'est Japonnais mais faut pas abuser ca peut etre intimidant. Pis les chaises.... Inconfortables!

Brasserie japonaise avec beaucoup d'ambiance (assez bruyant)! Le service est excessivement rapide. Je suggère la morue noire, le crabe à carapace molle et la pieuvre. Sans oublier les fameux Sake bomb, Sake bomb, Sake bomb bomb bomb!

I come to Imadake primarily for the pure primal joy of being able to let out a guttural shout in public, pound my fists on a table-top sans judgement, and shoot back a glass in the most natural of motions. I'm speaking of course, of doing a sake bomb. If you are not familiar, acquaint yourself with one at Imadake , preferably accompanied by a gaggle of your most boisterous comrads. Be ready to be raucous and rowdy- it's LOUD in here. Don't worry, the waitress will coach you through the ritual ("When I say SAKE! You say BOMB!") Your efforts will be summarily judged and one-upped by your fellow patrons at surrounding tables, who will gleefully let out expressions of disapproval should your call-and-answer responses be insufficiently robust and uninhibited. Seemingly against physics, your shot of sake will remain precisely and securely balanced over the chopstick-bedecked lip of your beer glass until exactly the

Imadake is a fun place to eat. Their menu of small plates is conducive to trying different dishes. It was busy both times I visited. Don't be startled by chants from the tiny Japanese waitresses of "when I say sake, you say BOMB, Sake BOMB, sake BOMB".

Entertaining!. What a fun place, enjoyed this place so much with my wife. This is a great place if your on a date, she will love it. the food choices are different and well presented and most of all tasty. Good there with an open mind and try new stuff! I will be returning for sure.

Fun fun fun. Très bon tataki de boeuf et crevette tempura qui fondent dans la bouche, ramen fait maison. Tout est délicieux. Demander un saké bomb!

Une ambiance jeune et décontracté - vraiment un endroit à retourner!

When you walk into the izakaya, there is a huge coat rack on the right hand side of the wall where most people hang their outer coats. The waiters, chefs, bartenders all greet to you in one large voice which is typical at Japanese restaurants. The menu was in two parts: the regular menu, and the ‘Chef’s menu’ which also looked like a comic strip. <br/><br/>The waiter was very prompt, and always alert, which brought us fast service. My hubby was able to flag down a waiter almost immediately which satisfied both of us since we were very hungry that night.<br/><br/>We ordered zero alcohol, but we also had a great time, and definitely want to go back for more of their amazing Asian-inspired tapas. Though not everything we ordered was amazing or had a ‘wow’ factor, it’s definitely above average tasting in our books and none of our money was wasted. The restaurant also has lunch hours, so swing by for a couple of tapas!<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Cleanliness: 3.5/5<br/>Price: $$<br/>Service: 4/5

Over-priced average Japanese cuisine. After reading Imadake's multiple positive reviews, my friends and I decided to go see for ourselves what all the hype was about. We started off with sake bombs, which although quite entertaining, ended up being slightly awkward because of our unenthusiastic waiter who seemed to just want to have the whole ordeal over and done with. We ordered various fried and grilled dishes, along with a beef noodle dish and a few chef specialties to be able to have an accurate taste of everything Imadake has to offer. We were quite disappointed with the grilled squid, because it was chewy and potently smelled like weeks old fish. Another item which made us both lose our appetites was the tuna tataki; the fish itself was extremely pale (resembling the color and texture of a raw chicken breast) and the sear around the "fish" looked more like a quick blanch rather than a crisp contour as you would expect from a traditional sear. The fried chicken we ordered was breaded in panko bread crumbs, however the breading tasted stale and the chicken was over cooked. <br/><br/>The ambiance of the restaurant is appealing for a Friday or a Saturday night, however the food is not up to standard. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who is accustomed to fine Japanese cuisine.

A great night in Montreal. We arrived as a group of 5 on a Sunday evening without a reservation. The food was excellent and reasonably priced and we left feeling full after 6 dishes. my favorite by far was the stone cooked steak.

A bar more than a restaurant. The appetizers are very expensive for the portions, $10 for FIVE pieces of bite size chicken, 1/3 size of a chicken McNugget, with wasabi mayo on the side for example. We ordered five appetizers, except for the marinated cod, the rest of the food didn't have a good balance of flavours, it was bland or had too much of one ingredient. Food made with no care. I wonder if most of the reviews of this "restaurant" are from ppl who were there to enjoy company of friends and alcohol, have a recollection of good times, not so much the food, therefore food in their minds was good. I came out smelling of oily bbq fish smell in my hair and clothes, unsatisfied of what I had eaten, and a large bill for a mediocre food.

Great atmosphere, great food, great service!. Great place to go on your birthday! Place is loud (but not "club" loud), just alotta energy and people talking loud, whenever anyone orders a sake bomb, things get really interesting! Definitely recommend doing that to get the ball rollin! As for the food, Imadake won us with their Tuna Tataki (we got about 4 plates!) the octopus balls were amazing soft on the inside, crispy on the outside (and like the immature idiots we are we couldnt help loving repeating the name!) and the raw beef cooked on a hot brick was dope! Although you gotta be careful as to who you appoint to cook it! ;P Cant wait to go back!

Meh. Beyond overrated. Don't understand what all the hype's about. The food is mediocre, the service is so-so. All in all, I wouldn't run back. Kazu is a much better option and it's only a few blocks away. Not quite the same atmosphere, but the Japanese pub-style food is exceptional (large portions, amazing flavour).

From the Management. Dear John, and too all our Patrons. <br/>We apologize for the great disappointment, inconvenience and frustrations. We are currently facing a situation with our capacity allowance. We have been informed and warned but the liquor police that we have been serving over our capacity. We have already filed for an increase in our capacity, and while we were waiting for the official documents, we were misinformed about the capacity in which we could operate at the present moment. The day of your reservation, we wee visited once again by the liquor police who strictly warned us that we were still operating over our capacity. We had to immediately cancel reservations for that evening. It was with heavy hearts, that we had to do all of this, and we apologize if we did not take the time to carefully explain this to all of our dear clients. We absolutely wish to honour and respect all our reservations and are fully aware that many people come to celebrate at our establishment so it was not easy for us but we were not given a choice. We ask all everyone to please be patient, and understanding that we are doing all that we can to rectify this situation. We apologize again to all that this has and is affecting, and we thank you for your patronage.<br/> ( John and party we hope that you have been able to read at least one of our response to your reviews, and we hope this gives you some clarity of the situation and know that we did not just carelessly cancel on you. We do apologize and understand the frustration of the situation, and hope you were able to have a wonderful celebration. )<br/><br/>Management and everyone at Imadake.

Don't waste your time reserving- They cancel on you!. I reserved at this restaurant a week before for a special birthday for my wife and they called less than 24hrs before to cancel my reservation! The manager Reno was rude, inconsiderate and completely unprofessional. Any restaurant that cannot manage a reservation should not stay open! They obviously received a reservation last minute that they perceived as more important than mine, and cancelled on me. From other posts I've read, it's obvious it happens frequently.

Don't plan any event there!!!!!. We made a reservation at imadake at least 1 month before my friend birthday but the day before they called us to tell us that they can't fulfill the reservation without any good justification. We were only a group of 8 and this is really a lack of respect. I use to like the place but after that I will invest my money somewhere else.

Great Time!. I always try to go midweek but its generally always crowded. This place is on my favourites list and when family and friends come in town to visit we all agree to return here almost always. The beer is cheap and everything on the menu is fantastic.

Overrated. Give me a break, this place has good ratings only because there are nothing else close to their good quality nearby. Service is slow, over priced, portion is small, only soup base was good. I'd not come back. I came from Vancouver I had a better izakaya experience.

Awesome. Great fun place to eat. can get quite loud so no not for those who want a quiet atmosphere.

It is rare that I rate Japanese restaurants since I moved from Vancouver however everything about imadake is exceptional. The sake bombs, the food, the courteous staff truly are amazing. This is THE place to go to to have fun drinks with the girls or boys or even work mates. I can't recommend it enough truly a great experience. Have a sake bomb.

It's always a fun experience. I have been at least 10 time to the Imadake and it's always a fun experience. The food is amazing and the service is great and quick !

Horrible service. None of the food arrived at proper times and we felt unwelcomed.<br/><br/>The yakisoba came out undercooked thefirst time and it came out too sweet the second time. One of my friend's glass of water had weird white sediment at the bottom. They sent us a wrong order and we never got one of our dishes.<br/><br/>The drinks are weak.<br/><br/>Never coming back again.

Think Twice if you have allergies. This is all to say that they don't take allergies and intolerances seriously. If you have strong reactions - don't go. <br/><br/>I went to Imadake with three of my good friends to have a great night out. The reservation was from 6 to 8pm. I had gone to this restaurant before, so I knew it was going to be fun. We informed the waitress of all of our dietary restrictions (I am really allergic to fish, a friend is a vegetarian, another friend strongly dislikes fish). She was lovely and suggested things with no fish in it... she advised us of things that may be cross-contaminated which was really helpful! The plan was to order a lot of different dishes and share them. One of the dishes we ordered was the beef tataki. None of us had the dish before. <br/><br/>When the server came and put the food down we asked which of the 15 or so dishes we ordered it was. He said it was the tataki. To be sure, we asked if that's the beef and he says yes. Another friend asks again just to be sure, he reassures us that it's beef. I put it in my mouth, and it turns out to be tuna (not rare steak). I threw up almost instantly in the bathroom. It wasn't pleasant.<br/><br/>My friends informed me that they brought it to the staff's attention. After a few minutes in the bathroom, I returned to a cup of tea and an apology. My friends asked to stop our service so I can have a few minutes to recover... see how I felt. I took about 10 mins to recover before continuing the evening. I didn't want to ruin my friends' night as well.<br/><br/>At 8pm, another waitress comes to ask us to vacate the table. One of my friends (the one who strongly dislikes fish and had also eaten what we thought was steak) kindly informed her that since the restaurant made that error, an extra 10 minutes shouldn't really make a difference. <br/><br/>Then the bills came. Imadake gave me about $24 worth of alcohol as a credit (highest margin for them, right?), but I still had to pay $40 for the food. The next day, I had a wedding to go to. I still felt nauseous. I threw up again in the morning and felt out of it for the majority of the day.<br/><br/>I emailed them the experience above a couple of days after it happened, and they said they would investigate it and get back to me. Two days later and I haven't heard from them. I imagine that someone throwing up in their establishment because of their carelessness is not top of mind. It's really unfortunate.

Imadak-amazing!!. I have been going back to eat at Imadake for the last 2 years. From the first day on, I fell in love with the decor and obviously, the food. They've now changed the menu by adding pictures and better descriptions, which makes it much easier to understand! If you go there, you should at least try one of their ramen soups, which are actually quite amazing! I recommend the Tonkotsu or the Fried garlic ramen (Only if you really, really like garlic). And to accompagny that, one of their small plates. I would recommend the Korokke (Japane-style fried chicken), the Okonomiyaki or my personal favorite: the miso cow tongue. You might want to make a reservation in advance, as they get quite busy quickly especially over the weekend. Enjoy!

Bonne Ambiance. Très bonne place pour souper en groupe. <br/>La nourriture était bien et les prix raisonnables. <br/>J'y retournerai bientôt avec des amis!

Good place for a group or party as the ambiance is very loud! Good food just not the most filling of choices.

Atmosphere>Food. It's a really fun/loud place to go with a group. The Sake bombs were awesome and the tempura veggies & shrimp were delicious. Their HelloKitty martini was good but their soup wasn't my cup of tea... Don't go if you don't eat pork or if you're a vegetarian -- very limited options. A little too pricey... dome salad wasn't good. Overall: fun but unsatisfied with the food/price ratio.

What a place. This place is packed no matter what day of the week it is. If you like being adventourous and trying diferent types of food i deffs recommend it. You should order at least one sake bomb for the experience or a Rainbow bomb which is three laters. We tried 5-6 dishes and everyone of them was great. The steak was really good and you get a little grill to grill it on infront of you. Highly recommended this restaurant

A good option in the area. Atwater is a quiet area and this is a good option if you want a beer and some small food items. <br/><br/>The menu is not dazzling. The dishes on there are small, salty, mostly meaty and good. Not cheap<br/><br/>Recommended: Tuna tataki thing, chicken wings ($2 each though), tendon in ponzu (good value)<br/>Skip: octopus balls, skewers, ramen<br/>Decent: mackerel (small and expensive but good), salads. <br/><br/>Booze: limited choice, higher prices.<br/><br/>Basically, if there were lots of better options within those few blocks I wouldn't really go here but after a long day and when I'm in the hood this is a place for a cold Saporo and some meaty salty things to wash it down

Love the "irrashaimase" greeting on arrival and "arigato gozaimasu" thank you upon departure. Now THAT made it feel authentic! Great vibe, yummy food - we'll be back

Best japanese tapas bar in town. Great food, great service

SAKE BOMB. Went there last week with some friends, its a place to have fun. The staff are so friendly and the food is pretty good. Great place to go with alot of friend, I suggest everyone to go try the sake bomb

Sake bomb lol.... Takoyaki! <br/>well most dishes we ordered were a bit on the salty side, but all in all it was ok. a bit sad that they ran out of mochi ice QAQ

Fun!. Great ambiance and food, I really recommend Imadake! I remember how good was the mackerel and the takoyakis, it makes me want to go there right now! The ramen was ok, better at other places.

Sake bombs!. I had so much fun at this place! I loved the decor and the open concept kitchen, and the atmosphere was very energetic and lots of fun! Sake bombs everywhere! Every time a table orders sake bombs, the waitress leads a drinking chant at the end of which everyone downs the drinks.<br/>It's authentic (more or less..) and is meant for sharing, tapas-style. Probably my favourite Japanese restaurant in Montreal.

Went there tonite, really cool open kitchen concept and amazing food! love the pub style decor. Definitely going back there.

Amazing food, crazy fast service, almost too fast! Great place to drink and feast with friends/family.

Best Isakaya in town. I am starting to lose count of how many times I've been here, with very different groups. Had an office Christmas party here too. By now I am familiar with all but a few of the menu items. Most of them are delicious, and they range from junky to having fine taste. My favorite, weirdly is the wasabi octopus. The dishes might not be for everyone, they're certainly not dishes I've seen elsewhere in Montreal.<br/><br/>This is definitely the best Isakaya in town, and way better than Big in Japan. If you don't want to whine about your experience, I suggest going there on a less busy night (not friday or saturday). <br/><br/>We once has an issue with a reservation on a super busy night, the owner apologized at the end of the evening and gave us some drinks on the house. The service ranges from extremely efficient (imagine getting some appetizers on your table before you finish ordering? They take the orders on an ipad) to a little slow on an extremely packed night (but this is expected). Overall, the service is much better than most Montreal restaurants.

Good food, ordinary service. This is a great place for Japanese food and drinks before a night out! It has a loud atmosphere, with loud music. That being said, the food is amazing! It is very fresh. The tapas formula allows you to try many things on the menu. <br/>However, the staff was not very organized and they seemed overwhelmed on a saturday night.

Tasty finger food. I had gone to this restaurant over a year ago when it was called Godzilla and although it wasn't bad then, the restaurant has fully matured. We were two, and although we didn't explore the whole menu, based on what we ordered, it seems like this place is good at finger foods. <br/>We started off with a Daikon Salad ($7), tasty and impressive with it's bold flavors (I had never had this dish before so I don't really have a basis of comparison). We each had an order of Oba To Bainiku ($7), which consists of small chicken brochettes with a really tangy sour sauce, shared an order of Karaage ($8), which would be the Japanese equivalent of southern fried chicken (served with a wasabi mayo), and an order of Gindara ($12), black cod marinated in miso. This last one was seriously delicious in all ways. <br/>The only down side of this place is the price point. $70 for the two of us (taxes, tip, and a beer each included). It was a little pricy for the amount of food that we ordered. <br/>FYI, don't freak when the staff yells a greeting every time someone walks through the door and try not to feel too awkward for the couple next to you being yelled at by the waiter as they prepare to ingest the ritualistic sake-bomb.

Great lunch specials!. I've only ever eaten here at lunch, but I hear that the diner menu is good also. The food is always delicious. The atmosphere is cool and the staff are nice. Definitely worth a visit!

Been there couple time mostly because didn't feel like waiting for kazu lineup. food is ok service is ok, nothing comparable to kazu. It's more of drinking place than eating. I will probably not go back becuz there are so many other places that r better than this in mtl.

Dropping Bombs of All Kinds. Wanting to try something new and different for dinner, we headed out for Imadake, Westmount's happening Japanese pub/izakaya.<br/><br/>Imadake's layout consists of a painted Japanese "pop art" mural featuring mushrooms, samurais and other quirky characters on one end, and an open kitchen on the other (which was emitting a rather objectionable frying oil odor, unfortunately). In between the two are various seating arrangements such as raised communal tables, booths and smaller tables.<br/><br/>The menu is roughly divided into five sections: starters, salads, grilled & fried dishes, noodles & rice, as well as a long sake list. We decided to sample at least one item from each section. We also started our dinner with a round of sake bombs, priced at $5 each.<br/><br/>Other than the sake, the other bomb that was dropped on us tonight involved the timing of the service. We pretty much received all of our food at once. By the time we were done with our cold appetizers, our "hot" mains were all but room temperature.<br/><br/>Imadake is a good place to gather around a bottle of sake and cheer the night away with friends. They also serve simple dishes that, while not the most sophisticated, will keep you going during your drinking bonanza. We liked the quirky décor and the rowdy crowd/staff, but the strong smell and timing mishap with the service left a sour note in our dinner.

When I say SAKE, you say BOMB. This was a fun event for a group of people celebrating or getting together for a start off drinking night! I thought the food was delicious but costly for small portions. The Sake Bombs and double layered sake bombs is definitely what made the night but at $5+ a shot, it racks up the bill. The place was very accommodating to large groups and crowds

Great!. Very good japanese "tapas" pub! The octopus bites are amazing, so is the miso marinated cod!<br/>Try sake bombs!

Fun. Awesome ambience - everyone is there to PARTY! i love bringing people from out of town here :)<br/>there are a lot of yummy options for food - try the okinomyake! and sake bombs are the #$%^

Charming place but some adjustments are needed. Charming place (love the enthusiastic welcome where all staff welcomes you with a collective loud vocal cheer + really, this place has potential and its cozy decor appeals to me) but based on my dinner there, some adjustments are needed:<br/>(1)The miso cow tongue 0/10 ...I know it costs only $9, but either you serve it rightly or you do not! It came with marks from the grill. Which is superb (I was expecting that nice meaty flavor coming from the grill)...but all the appealing flavor that usually comes from grilled meat were MUTED! Furthermore, it lacked heat!!!! And it was CHEWY! I will let you draw your own conclusion, but what a shame: I have been around the hospitality world and have been cooking for so long to not chew on this one!<br/>(2)My meal started at 17:54. By 18:25, I have already sampled the Takoyaki, the green salad, the Miso cow tongue, the beef tataki. I know, no one did rush me but several dishes were served at the same time. Now, again and again, I am not a newbie here: I know that a restaurant needs to make money...BUT there is no excuse: you serve one dish at a time, buddy! One dish at a time! Point blank (unless of course we are several ppl at the table, which comunal/shareable food aspect I can understand and is actually very fun in such type of eatery...but I was alone on this case and that concept just do not work when you eat solo. It does not take a genius to realize this). Whatever excuse for this is none of the business of the customer.<br/>Will I go back? Yes, but I will chose completely different food items since what I chose had only the Green salad standing out (7/10 - amazing fresh salad with balanced dressing / it is a salad, I know..but one that's well done) along with the Takoyaki (a $6 little tasty lovely croquette of octopus 7.5/10) - The rest was ordinary: Beef tataki would barely be a 4/10 (the beef ok, the overall taste only ok, but not worth the $$$, yep..even at $8). Service (I read about mixed opinions over the web)was absolutely superb!

C'est BOMB!. I try different items everytime i come here, im always pleased with my order! The special menu is definitely a must, they always come up with interesting things for my taste buds. The portion and price are reasonable for tapas-style food. I find the staff are super helpful and fast. My fave would be Karaage(chicken) wasabi, Tamagoyaki (japanese omelette), and Gindara fish. For drinks, their cocktails are not bad, but to end your evening izakaya style, get a round of Sake Bomb or Triple Sake Bomb :)

If you like Kazu, you'll like this place too. Went long time ago so can't remember what I took, all I remember was the excellent service, and amazing food. A little on the pricey side but ultimately it's well worth it.

I don't think you should write a review on a pub saying that it is "too loud" or that the food was not that great. Imadake is not a restaurant. It's an izakaya: a pub. You wouldn't go to the cage when there is no game playing just for a meal. Of course the food is not gonna be good! No one ever walked into mcD and said: these fries suck! Get the point? I have never been to a quiet pub before. Why should Imadake be? I go to pubs to have drinks and have fun with my friends. Not to eat alone. I love Imadake. And please. You compare it to kazu but say its overpriced? Hmmmm.

Too noisy. People there pretend to be noisy Japanese at party. But actually Japanese don't bother others in public at all.

Japanese pub. There is so much more to Japanese food than just sushi but finding those other bits of Japanese cuisine can sometimes be a challenge. Imadake Isakaya offers Montrealers a taste of something they have been missing for quite some time.<br/><br/>This was my second visit to Imadake, the first happened by happy, hungry accident and I was wowed enough to plot another visit. I am just sorry it took so long! In any case, this afternoon, I finally got to revisit this place, and better yet, I was able to share this experience with my son.<br/><br/>We had really worked up an appetite by the time we got there so we ordered quite a bit, some takoyaki (octopus balls), agedashi tofu (my favorite tofu dish), some fried chicken skin and mashed potato croquettes. All were delicious, though I could have ordered a few more takoyaki!<br/><br/>For our main dishes, I had the rare beef and ramen in a soya broth, my son ordered the shrimp and vegetable tofu and my BF ordered pork belly in a miso broth. Again, all of us enjoyed out dishes very much.<br/><br/>Just to note, on my first visit, just after this place just opened, it was the evening and the noise level was louder and the place was pretty crowded. Even so, we received pretty good service and the food was impeccable.

Great place to drink... Sake Bombs! Yummy small dishes too- try the octopus balls, okonomiake?!

Great cold beer and sake list. Food is fresh and delicious. Great price point.

Good but not worth the price. The food was good. kinda salty but not worth the price for the portion.

If you are really in a party mood, try the drink call "sake bomb". So much fun :)

Really enjoyed. Loved the seaweed salad, and the rest of the meal was also good. Place was full on a Wednesday night and I understand why. Good vibe with the whole kitchen staff greeting people!

Not up to par. Decided on Imadake for an early dinner before driving back to Ottawa during a day trip to Montreal. Based on the reviews, I was expecting at least half-decent Japanese, and that's about all we got. <br/><br/>The Takoyaki, Tamagoyaki and Tsukune were good. The Ramen on the other hand, was a let-down. The noodles were clumped together and the broth just wasn't great. Too bad.<br/><br/>A low-light was the service, with our server apparently more interested in talking to some friends at another table than keeping an eye on our table. For some reason the Ramen wasn't available until 6, so that extended our stay for a bit as well, and the Tamagoyaki took a good 40 minutes, and came as we were hoping for the bill.<br/><br/>All in all, probably a great place to hang out and drink, decent Japanese fare, but they could do much better.

Interesting, but not worth it. A vast selection for Sake, but for the price, the food was not that great. I was still hungry after a few tapas. For what I paid, I would have certainly be full and with tastier dishes at any other restaurant.

Good food, excellent service. I really liked this place, excellent if you want to eat japanese tapas with friends. The people that work there are friendly and the service is very good. I enjoyed the Yakitori, the Gyozas, the beef tataki with ponzu sauce, and the mochi ice cream!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!. VERY NICE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! enough said. they also have very authentic Japanese food! which is SUPER NICE! try their chazuke! i haven't found any other places in montreal that makes THIS DELICIOUS CHAZUKE!<br/><br/>but make sure you make a reservation! otherwise expect 40- 60 min wait.

There are so many things that I liked about this Japanese pub!- the lively staff who welcome you, the spirited sake bomb tradition and last but not least the food! All dishes were excellent, we especially liked the octopus balls!

Good 居酒屋foods

Meilleures nouilles ramen en ville!

If there was a button for so-so, I would of selected that. Atmosphere and menu were unique, but the dishes were disappointing. We had the fried pork belly and chicken brochette that were overdone, other dishes that were ok, and the squid and the black cod that were amazing.

Love the place but..... We went to Imadake with a group of 6 for a dinner. It was my 2nd time vising there. I love the place because the atmosphere is good, food is amazing, and service is nice.... if you're lucky!! <br/>1st time when I visited there with my GF, we had beef tongue, black cod, beef tataki, etc as a waitress recommended us friendly with cute smile. We were very satisfied with the food and the service.<br/>For 2nd time as we visited there, we were very disappointed with the service. I guess a short-hair woman was our waitress(not friendly at all) this time, we had to wait very long time to order, we were so thirsty but the drinks came so late, food was missing, and the bill came too late. When I looked at her, she was enjoying chatting and (I guess)eating at the bar....<br/>The place and food are amazing, but if you are unlucky, you will get the bad service!!!!!

Worth the wait. I've had the luxury of throwing a birthday party there - the ambiance is great, pricing is reasonable. They constantly try to create new dishes and specials. <br/><br/>All their appetizers are great. <br/><br/>My favs are:<br/>Grilled cow tongue, grilled squid, crispy rice unagi canape, okonomiyake and crispy chicken<br/><br/>I'd highly recommend calling for reservations, this place has gained insane popularity since it first opened not too long ago. <br/><br/>Get ready to have plenty of Sake and Sapporo there...

Keep on Walking down to Kazu. I just was not in the mood to wait in line at Kazu so I gave Imadake a chance. I tried it a month ago and felt I was cheating on my lover. The dishes are varied but not consistently great. We've been spoiled by high expectations from Kazu, which is a stones throw away. I give Imadake a 6.8 on 10. The egg omelette is tasty and filling enough for 2. The space could be rocking if they up the ante on the food.

Ok.. Some interesting choices on the menu but like others have posted, I'd rather go for Kazu.

Great food, great service, and nice atmosphere. Looks like Kazu finally has some competition!

Awesome place. Great service and wondeful food. A gem like Kazu, without the line. A must try

Overprice. They sorta abuse the new japanese trand : Izakaya. prettey new in Montreal. I went Guu@toronto . unbeattable. food nothing special.. you can skip Imadake on ur list

Good food over bad service. Service's not great as they all look like a bunch of newbies without any profesionnal customer service experience AT ALL BUT I have to tell you the food is surprisingly good, really good!