Shaker's Club in Toronto is a restaurant that looks a lot like an American diner but serves a mix of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese fare.

Located in the busy Bloordale neighbourhood, the entrance is so discreet you might easily miss it.

From longtime restaurant partners Leemo Han and Ihn Huh, the pair already have an array of popular eateries, like Hanmoto and the now-closed Pinky's Ca Phe, under their belts.

In fact, their sister restaurant Seoul Shaker's is just four doors down the street.

Originally slated to open before the pandemic, the team had to re-think their strategy and shifted to doing hoagies and cheesesteaks during the day and a weekly Korean dinner menu for the patio when closures hit. Mac's Pizza also operated out of here for a short while. 

Once Pinky's closed in 2022, they focused all their attention on getting this spot running to its full potential. Like the rest of their portfolio, Shaker's Club has great interiors with decor and furniture sourced second-hand, thanks to Han's impeccable aesthetic taste. 

There's bar seating that wraps around the open kitchen in the centre of the room, giving an energy to the space. Vinyl stools, arborite tables, and vintage soft drink signs make it feel pleasingly retro. 

"We take pride in the range of our menu," Huh tells me. "In the future, nothing will be purely one type of cuisine. Living in Toronto, there's so much inspiration and you can make food nuanced."

It would definitely be a disservice to try and ascribe the offerings here to one specific type of cuisine. Huh, Han, Graham Pratt, and Daisuke Gomyo (who is currently head of the kitchen) spent months developing the menu.

All the plates are tapas-style, shareable, and would be great to split with friends or a date. 

We tried the Cherry Pop ($16) cocktail that uses cherry gin, grenadine, and cherry cola Pop Rocks for a fun sip.

The Francesca 75 ($17) is mezcal, Casamigos Blanco tequila, honey, and cider, making it a mildly sweet drink.

Truffle Tamagoyaki ($11) is served chilled in a mushroom bonito dashi broth with onions. It's a refreshing easy way to start your meal.

Known for their oysters ($10), these come dressed in calamansi ponzu, daikon, smoked kombu dashi, and Crystal hot sauce on the side if you want an extra kick. 

The Yukkae ($18) is Korean beef tartare mixed with scallops dressed in sweet soy sauce, sesame oil, and cubes of pickled daikon spread on nori sourdough from Ba Noi with an egg yolk emulsion. This is a rich and generous dish.

An absolute must order are the Okonomi-Latkes ($13), a hybrid between the Jewish and Japanese foods.

Thin slices of potato are layered, cut, and fried before being covered in housemade okonomiyaki sauce. The dill and ikura is a nice touch to an already excellent bite.

For spring roll lovers, this prawn version ($10) is 100% big fat shrimp. Dip in the sweet and sour sauce that's made with hot mustard, chili oil, and mayo.

Another excellent dish is the Galbi Mandu ($16), Korean beef dumplings doused in a spicy chili oil. Make sure to grab enough cilantro and onion to balance out the sweetness of the meat.A top contender for my list of best clams in the city are these Clam Frites ($21). Dig for the shells and make sure to scoop up a hearty amount of white wine miso dashi broth. It's garlicky and umami in the best ways. Make sure to soak up any leftover sauce with fries.

To finish, try the Red Bean Sticky Toffee Pudding topped with buckwheat ice cream ($12). It's a fun twist on the dessert that swaps out dates for sweet red bean on cornbread. It's warm, gooey, and easy to share.

Huh tells me he hopes people visit them to enjoy the food as it is. The team works hard to create an experience for diners that goes beyond what you see on social media. 

"We'll keep doing what we do, which is being consistent," he explained. "We want to grow organically. The best thing for us is if you tell a friend about how good your experience was here."

Shaker's Club is located at 1261 Bloor St W. Open Tuesday-Saturday.