Ottawa's culinary landscape is broadening with the arrival of three new eateries that introduce unique specialties to the capital. Since last fall, Tokyo Crispy on Merivale Road, a Korean jokbal spot near Parliament Hill, and a Gujarati snack restaurant on Carling Avenue have opened, offering dishes previously unavailable in the city.
Tokyo Crispy Brings Authentic Japanese Katsu to Merivale Road
Located at 1600 Merivale Road, Unit 15, Tokyo Crispy serves impeccably deep-fried Japanese cutlets known as katsu. Owner Shawn Kim, a Korean native who worked as a sushi chef in British Columbia for 13 years before moving to Ottawa, saw an opportunity. “In the Ottawa area, there’s no katsu place,” the 44-year-old said. “So I just wanted to introduce this great menu to Ottawa. It’s hard to cook, but there’s no competitors. It means I can show my skill.”
The restaurant offers pork, chicken, and tofu katsu, coated in breadcrumbs made from in-house baked bread. Katsus come with a range of sauces, including a tangy “Tokyo” sauce, a mellow “Seoul” sauce, and red miso sauce. The “okonomi-style” katsu is topped with stir-fried vegetables, three sauces, and bonito flakes. Prices range from $19.45 to $24.95 for a meal that includes rice, miso soup, cabbage, and lightly pickled daikon. Starters like prawn tempura ($10.99 for four) and deep-fried chicken gyoza ($8.45 for five) are also available.
Korean Jokbal and Gujarati Khaman Fill Long-Standing Gaps
Near Parliament Hill, a new restaurant specializes in jokbal, Korean braised pig's trotters, a dish previously unavailable in Ottawa. On Carling Avenue, another eatery offers khaman, a fluffy, steamed chickpea-flour cake from the Indian state of Gujarat, along with other boldly flavored snacks. These additions follow earlier arrivals like Yan’s Restaurant in the ByWard Market, which introduced Georgian and Armenian cuisine, and Altay Flame in Vanier, which brought Uyghur cooking to the city.
The new eateries are casual, affordable, and authentic, according to food critic Peter Hum. Tokyo Crispy is open Wednesday to Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Tuesday, with no steps to the front door. The katsus are described as a shining example of Japanese cooks taking Western fare and adding their own tweaks, similar to schnitzel.
