I finally dropped in at Guu Sakabar (Toronto's newest, 2nd, location) with my sister this weekend. My third attempt to come in was a success – there was no wait for a table. On a busy night, there are one to one and a half hour waits to get seated. That's how long we waited the first time visiting their Church Street location! Never again. The trick is to just get there very early – 6pm or even earlier. And at six pm, the place was already packed. The popularity of this place combined with the fact that they don't take reservations really warrants a webcam (much like Shake Shack's 'Shack Cam' in NYC). It would benefit them to allow people to monitor the line from anywhere before attempting to drop by.

That aside, the place does not disappoint. The food is really fresh and it's inventive while still remaining authentic. It's also beautifully plated. We sat at the sushi bar and saw all the dishes coming out – all gorgeous. My absolute favourite dishes were the Maguro Tataki and the Udon Carbonara. Deelish!

It is consistently very, very lively atmosphere. The staff greets everyone so loudly upon arrival and when they depart. They also exclaim loudly at each other (I'm assuming they're relating food orders to each other). It must make the staff hoarse doing this each night but it's quite entertaining and puts a smile on everyone's face. The atmosphere is part and parcel to the whole dining experience. It's like a nightclub and carnival with really good food. I definitely plan to come back and explore more of the menu. Hai!