Marulilu Cafe

Thank you Marulilu cafe for a wonderful breakfast the staff was exceptionally kind and accommodating for our toddler w a high chair and little toys for him. We had a large party and all the food was quickly served and delicious. Lattes were high quality and we felt the food tasted fresh and homemade. We will recommend to all our friends! I got the garlic omurice w pork cutlet. The pork was thin and crispy - so good.

Very authentic Japanese restaurant! The personal is very friendly. We got our dishes very quickly too.The sitting area is quite small so if you are a big group more than 4 i would suggest you get it to go. Would come back without any hesitation!

Wonderful food. I think the Katsu sandwich was better than the eggs bennie. Hopefully I can come back to try more on their menu. Admittedly its a bit of a small restaurant but it has a good atmosphere, and personally I enjoy the music.

We came here because of the reviews but were disappointed. Seems to have a lot of potential, nice cozy Japanese cafe style and menu options. Sadly... I am not sure what the hype reviews were about. Firstly, this place is hot and tiny with limited seating. While waiting for our table, we were asked last-minute to share it with another group of 2. The internet/card payment system was busted that day so we had to pay as soon as we ordered. We ordered Garlic Omurice with Hayashi sauce. The sauce was watered down, egg was tasteless. The dish came hot and I scalded my tongue so do be careful. Would not recommend.

This café is unassuming from the street, but the inside is charming! They have local art on display and some antique accessories. The music choice was so soothing. It’s a small, quiet place, and the largest table is for 4, so not a place to go with a big group. When I entered I was greeted very cheerfully by one of the staff members who handed me a menu and explained that I could sit anywhere and come to the front when I was ready to order. This person and the other staff I saw were both so sweet but gave me plenty of space while I ate, which was much appreciated, yet they brought out my dessert shortly after I was finished with my meal and were quick to clean up when other customers left, so they weren’t being inattentive. I had the Japanese Style Breakfast with natto. It came out faster than I was expecting. Everything in this was very simple but it was all good, and put together made for an excellent comforting meal. I’m usually indifferent to miso soup, but this was one of the best I’ve had! It was flavourful in a way that I didn’t know miso soup could be. It was my first time trying natto and I really liked it! If it’s your first time too, I would suggest taking your first taste before mixing in the mustard, since I found the combination of the natto and the pungent mustard to be a lot to process at first. They go well together once you know what to expect. The breakfast is priced very well for the amount of food you get ~$10, but it’s an extra $1.75 to add oshinko on the side, which seems a little steep for the 5 pieces, but since the base price was so low and because having the oshinko really elevates the meal for me, I didn’t hesitate to add it. The Tiramisu for dessert was cute and the different layers were very balanced. Finally, I had an Iced Hojicha Latte to drink. Originally I wanted to get the Lavender Latte, but I wanted an unsweetened drink, and the person taking the order told me they don’t recommend the lavender unsweetened and suggested I could try half sweet, but I just decided to go for something else. The flavour of the hojicha was very pleasant, and I was also glad the almond milk they used wasn’t one of the sweetened kinds. The desserts and drinks are also pretty inexpensive, which is especially nice to see for the desserts since they seem comparable to the stuff you see at boutique dessert/coffee shops around the city. I would really recommend this place for simple and hearty Japanese eats in a calm atmosphere. I think if you came here expecting a gourmet culinary adventure you might be left underwhelmed, but based on what I had it’s a perfect execution of straightforward and unpretentious comfort food, and they offer something unique from other brunch spots, coffee shops, and Japanese restaurants in the city, so I’m very happy to have discovered them.

Amazing little gem. Fast and friendly service, tasty food and generous portions. Tried the omu rice suggested in another review - it was great, just the right amount of heat and very tasty.

I came here with my mom for breakfast! The atmosphere is very cozy and homey, the staff are very welcoming and helpful. We tried matti for the first time, with a little guidance, and I certainly enjoyed it! The prices are very agreeable. I highly recommend the Rosie Latte.

Finally got to try this place out! Very cute Japanese cafe. Came to have their omurice as I've been craving it since my trip to Tokyo way too long ago. I probably hyped it up too much in my head that the dish fell a little flat. Don't get me wrong it was still very delicious. The garlic rice with the Hayashi sauce that had a little bit of beef in it was great. The omelette is more a thin piece of cooked egg, not quite the runny egg omelette that I was expecting. Wish I had the stomach space to try their other dishes. Will need to just go back. Want to have their waffles or Japanese breakfast the next time I'm there. There's not a lot of parking in the area especially with the underground Subway construction happening on Broadway and being close to the hospital. Best to take transit here. They have a decent washroom, self-serve water area, and you order up at the front even you're ready. Super friendly staff who are Japanese.

Not even worth one star!!! This is the most terrible service I’ve ever experienced. My friend and I was planning to spend some time and enjoy the food at this place because my friend really likes their food. What happened is, I arrived ahead of time and asked for a table, they said I have to wait till everyone arrives. Then I waited for about 10 minutes, trying to ask if I can get a table and order first because my friend was stuck in the sky train due to weather conditions. They said no, you have to wait till everyone arrives… which is insane and unreasonable. It’s pouring outside and their entrance is pretty narrow. I feel extremely uncomfortable waiting at the entrance for about 20 minutes. If they are busy, I might understand why, but you can see they are not busy at all at that time, lots of empty table in the restaurant. Not sure why they do not let me in and sit... Not suggesting to try this place if you want to go with a group of people!!

My go-to place for Japanese-style Breakfast other faves are the Katsu-Don and the Katsu-Sando! I've been coming to Marulilu for a couple of years now and without fail, the food has always been delicious and filling and easy on my wallet, too, and the staff warm and attentive. Come here if you're looking for good Western-style Japanese food in a homey cafe-like setting!

Directions to Marulilu Cafe with public transportation

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