Wabora Japanese Fusion Steakhouse

The Volcano roll is my absolute favourite. I think it’s a california roll with a special sauce with scallops. It’s too bad the Toronto location is closed.

One of the best I’ve ever eaten! So excited about the hibachi meals!

I finally got a chance, to try Wabora after hearing about, it for years.
Wabora is located in a strip plaza and it looks like nothing special from the outside. Step inside the restaurant and be amazed. It’s a large restaurant, with a large eating area, decorated in a modern décor. There is a large bar and several hibachi stations. My friends and I were impressed as soon as we walked in.
As nice as the restaurant looks, it’s the food and service that matter. Wabora has a large menu and it was hard to decide what to order. Two of us shared a small boat and the other person in our party ordered the Spicy Seafood Udon. The boat was incredible. The sushi, the sashimi and the rolls were fresh and delicious and the presentation was superb. My friend said the Seafood Udon was the best she had ever eaten.
Our waitress was friendly and she was very helpful when we had questions about the menu. Our food arrived promptly and our glasses got refilled. Can’t ask for too much more than that. We were lucky enough to sit near the hibachi stations and got to watch the show that the chefs put on. The chefs are very entertaining and fun to watch. Apparently you need to make reservations on the weekend to sit in the hibachi stations.
If you find yourself in the Muskoka region, give Wabora a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Great food and atmosphere.
The show is fun for everyone kids loved it!
A great addition to a weekend in muskoka.
I recommend this with confidence you will enjoy it!

Who knew Bracebridge would have a good sushi place! The place has good service and was packed on the long weekend Saturday night. I ordered the seafood udon noodle soup, and it was good. Nothing to rave about but was good. The sushi and sashimi prices were quite expensive hence why I tried the seafood udon. The teriyaki chicken was good as well and was served with a gyoza. The place has a la carte sushi leading to better quality and a larger variety of sushi, but since I usually get my fix from AYCE sushi places, I could not justify spending $ 30 on 12 pieces of sashimi. because I eat a lot lot lot more.

I love the atmosphere in here. It’s my go-​to choice for a special night. Always excellent quality food. I am vegetarian so I don’t ever try the fish. I can’t say I have any idea what that would be like. So I’m only reviewing vegetarian options.
It’s easy to forget you’re in Bracebridge when you’re here! It’s gorgeous inside!

Great service. Excellent sushi serpentine roll and hibachi grill dinner. Not disappointing. Def a return visit soon (like tomorrow.)

Atmosphere is top notch. I got the chicken bento box and it was amazing, they forgot the rice at first, and when I pointed it out they brought me a bowl of it.
Will definetly go there again

We went to Wabora for my 30^th birthday. The food was fantastic, with the fire chicken being so good I persevered through being completely full just to finish it. Delicious. I also heard that the steak teriyaki was amazing.
The décor, presentation and atmosphere was also great, with highly active chefs, some musical food preparation displays and beautiful lighting. I’ve posted a couple of photos so you can get a feel for the dishes and style.
Unfortunately though we were disappointed that our mild mannered/​all ages table was kicked out fairly unceremoniously after about two hours because another group was apparently inbound. I understand restaurants have a capacity to manage but as good practice I think we should have been informed ahead of time, especially given the occasion. I was also surprised that it wasn’t offered that we simply move to another area to continue the celebrations over some drinks.
Overall I really enjoyed my meal at Wabora and I think the less palatable part of our experience was probably a one-​off bad call on the part of the server, rather than a bigger problem with the restaurant. Whilst unfortunately I can’t give it the five stars the food deserves because of this error, I’ll give it a solid four.

*Partial Review*
In the years since I stopped living in Muskoka for a large portion of the year this place has gone down hill in a variety of ways. Mainly pertaining to value but the general experience on the whole is now lacking.

First off, let me say, I have been here a few times and the food is good. Where it falls short is service. I am aware of this and continued to go. That said, the experience I had this past weekend was the last straw.
Three of us walked in for lunch. There was no one there to greet customers. There were 3 tables being served in the whole place. Two servers looked our way at the front door and proceeded to go about their business (whatever that was, considering there were only 3 tables of customers in there!), almost like a «not my job kind of attitude».
Eventually, the sushi chef returned from his break and noticed there and gave us a «one second» look… A few more minutes… Still no one to seat us. He clearly is a little embarrassed and summons one of the two servers to come seat us.
At least 5 minutes pass before someone comes to take our order. I’m fine with all of this at this point. When someone finally comes, we order a round of beers (i know there was AT LEAST another round to come later in the meal), 3 specialty sushi rolls and the Bulgogi lunch special. All in, this lunch was easily $ 100-​$ 125 for the bill. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon lunch bill in Bracebridge for any establishment.
The waiter looks at me and says, «The lunch special is over, I can’t let you have the special». I reply, «What time is it over?» He tells me, «2:30». I look at my phone and say to him, «It’s 2:32». He says, «Yeah, I know. I can’t do it but will go ask my boss». He returns 15 seconds later and says, «No can do». I look at my party, completely in awe at this point and say, «We’re out». Why did they even give us the lunch menu!!!
This was one of the most unreal experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. I guess business in Bracebridge is so booming that you can turn paying customers away???
This place has a reputation for good food but the service will upset you. Guaranteed. If you don’t’ mind bad service with your experience, then go. The staff simply do not care and are just watching their watches for when their shift ends.
I hope the owner sees this and does something about it. Very unprofessional.

After living in London, England for a couple of years, there isn’t too much that I miss back home. Wabora is one of those things that I miss terribly.
This is the BEST, possibly ever (I might be biased). There isn’t much that Bracebridge is known for, apart from the scenery and Santa’s Village. However, Wabora has built a huge fan base with the locals and tourists alike.
The restaurant itself is very clean and beautifully decorated. It has a huge amount of seating available. The staff are efficient. In the years my family has been going to Wabora, I can’t think of a time when the service let us down. It’s a bit pricy though (compared to London standards, it’s pretty decently priced).
Whether you are going for a beautiful hibachi dinner or regular dining, you can be sure it’s going to be great.
Everyone raves about the sushi. I don’t eat seafood, but I do love the vegetarian rolls — especially the avocado rolls. Yum!
The vegetable tempura is the best I’ve had. The mix of vegetables is great. I just wish you’d get more of everything. So delicious! :)
My favourite main is the beef teriyaki. The portion size is great. Lots of succulent steak cooked (usually) to perfection. So tender and juicy. It’s making me homesick just thinking about it.
The fire chicken is also a great dish, but as the name suggests, fire.
My sister is addicted to their Spicy Mayo and puts in on practically everything.
As far as desserts go, the tempura ice cream is the bomb! I just absolutely love the light, crispy texture of the tempura.
My mouth is salivating at the thought of all this delicious food and my stomach is rumbling. I’m counting down the days until I’m back in the country and definitely hitting up Wabora ASAP. It seriously is the BEST!

Super fresh sushi. Love the sundae roll but always try something new as the list is long and varied. Kids love the hibachi tables and the atmosphere is good. Staff is friendly, helpful and service has always been reliable.
Great place for dinner although a bit pricey.

I love this restaurant. It’s a fusion Japanese restaurant, so not quite a traditional sushi house, but really, really good. The salmon and tuna sashimi are so fresh you won’t believe you’re a little rural town in Ontario. It’s on little on the expensive side, but I never was a cheap date. Highly recommend the crabmeat dynamite roll (an exploded warm roll that will have you crawling across hot coals for more). I don’t really recommend the hibachi table, the show is nice but if you go when it’s busy, they pack you in like sardines and the food in the main dining room is much better. You can also see the show from the main dining room. If you’re in Bracebridge don’t miss this restaurant. We’ve never really had bad service, but, sometimes the wait staff isn’t overly helpful. The quality of the food makes up for it.

This is the exact place you think of when you listen to the advice: don’t judge a book by its cover! Lunch on a Saturday for 4. Seated promptly, greeted quickly. Total for 4 with no alcohol and before tip = just over $ 96
Shared combination tempura starter. Three bento boxes: the salmon was fantastic. I tried the crispy chicken as well and it was excellent. Sushi in third bento box was very fresh and beautifully presented. Last dining companion loved the Dol Sot Bibimbap.
Mango ice cream was passable. Ditto on red bean.
Service was professional and pleasant; not to intrusive but checked back regularly.
Three TVs playing golf, sports and a talk show but no volume that I could hear.
I would recommend this to families during the day as we saw many parties with younger children at the hibachi and they seemed to love the entertainment.

Waitress snobby and rolled eyes
Gave lunch menu then told us we can’t order lunch.
Stupid menu

The place looks like a total hole from the outside, as its in Bracebridge in a strip mall. Upon entering, be prepared for transformation! It is huge, and quite nicely decorated.
We went for lunch and had the hibachi — what a great experience. The chef was entertaining and very talented. All the meat and fried rice were delicious. Much more affordable at lunch time.
I also ordered sashimi and a few rolls. For a cottage country sushi place, I wasn’t expecting great quality fish. I was pleasantly surprised at the extremely high quality taste of their salmon sashimi, as well as the fish in the rolls.
Although pricey, I can understand the premium for amazing fish in Bracebridge.

From the outside, this appears to be a hole-​in-​the-​wall typical strip mall sushi place. Not so. Prepare to be floored as you step inside what is a very tastefully decorated, massive sushi and teppanyaki restaurant.
We have ate at Wabora many times to satisfy our sushi cravings while in Muskoka and it does not disappoint. Very fresh fish, surprisingly so, considering the location. We regularly get tuna and salmon sashimi. Don’t miss the crispy crunch roll as well.
If you can get the numbers, definitely get the lunch hibachi. I recommend the kalbi – extremely generous portions and excellent meat. Also, spend the $ 1.50 extra for fried rice. Sounds like a waste of money, but believe me, it’s incredible. If you just did hibachi for lunch, you’re looking at around $ 15 and it should be enough. Tack on a few rolls or sashimi and the price gets high. The sushi itself is quite expensive, though it is high quality.
All in all, the quality, mind-​boggling selection, and great service is generally uncharacteristically high for the region. Can’t help but give Wabora 5 stars.

High quality sushi.
Loud atmosphere.
$$$$!!
Not great value unfortunately.

Amazing food and not at all what one would expect from a small town strip mall restaurant.
I have dined at Wabora multiple times as I used to live in Bracebridge and make a point of visiting anytime I am back in the area.
Excellent food, Amazing service, incredible dining experience. I will be back again the next chance I get!
If you get a chance to check Wabora out for their New Year’s eve party don’t miss it! A great time had by all.