Gyutaro is the place to go for Japanese rice bowls in the Annex. This cozy restaurant on Bloor with bright red walls, cute lanterns and tablets for ordering is like a scaled down izakaya - there's lots of fried fare like takoyaki and chicken along with a long list of noodle bowls and dessert.

I start with one of my favourites: okonomiyaki ($8.50). This Japanese potato pancake comes with loads of green onion and grilled squid meat. The generous drizzling of umami house sauce seals the deal nicely.

Fans of deep-fried goodness should not miss the Mix Platter ($8.50). This collection of deep-fried appetizers is composed of juicy potstickers, waffle fries, and fried mushrooms and served with three different versions of Japanese mayo: regular, spicy, and wasabi.

Those trying to stay away from the deep fryer can opt for either the Lava Egg ($1.50), a soft poached egg immersed in sweet soy sauce, or the Pan-Fried Onigiri ($2.00), a traditional Japanese rice ball snack lightly fried in a buttered seasoning.

For the mains, ordering the eponymous Gyudon ($6.50) is a must. This is essentially a bowl containing marinated sukiyaki beef slices on a bed of Japanese rice, it's both simple and delicious.

The Fried Chicken Don ($6.50) is also a crowd favourite. The tender chicken comes served on rice along with a healthy dose of Japanese mayo.

Sides include a smallish portion of kimchi fries ($6.50). They come with curry sauce and a little bit of cheese. I think this dish would be even better with a touch less curry and more of that Japanese mayo.

Drinks-wise, the Green Tea Smoothie ($4.80) is a must-order and its creaminess gives Starbucks frappucinos a good run for its money. Not to be outdone, the Pina Colada is also equally satisfying and refreshing ($4.50).

For dessert there's Green Tea Cheesecake ($3.80) - the richness of which level sits comfortably between that of Uncle Tetsu's and a conventional American cheesecake. It's small on size but big on flavour.

Gyutaro is open for lunch and dinner and the prices are student-friendly and won't make your wallet cry.

Posted by Darren "DKLo" Susilo. When not writing for blogTO he can usually be found tweeting here or pressing words into this blog . Photos by Hector Vasquez.