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Nutterbug
Oct 8, 2007, 3:23 PM
Japanese style restaurant-pubs that sell a good selection of appetizer portion food items.

What are some good ones, other than the well known Guu, Hapa and Gyoza King?

Rusty Gull
Oct 8, 2007, 4:39 PM
The izakaya that, in my opinion, tries to capture the grittier, rowdier spirit of the izakayas in Osaka or Tokyo is Zakusshi. In addition to their original Denman location, I believe they have also set up on West 4th in Kitsilano.

CanadianCentaur
Oct 10, 2007, 6:49 AM
Zakkushi (yes, that *is* how it's supposed to be spelled in romaji!) is not a bad izakaya - I was there on the one on Denman back last Saturday. Very interesting barbecued things on skewers. I like the chicken gizzards and beef tongues, especially.

I've been to Happa and Kingyo in past visits to Vancouver. Guu is good, too - of the three locations, I like the one on Thurlow best. You end up waiting incredibly long just to get a seat on the Robson Street one and service was incredibly SLOW in the Gastown location.

twoNeurons
Oct 10, 2007, 3:08 PM
MY problem with izakayas is that they're all so darned expensive... maybe I'll try zakkusshi

Robynobotica
Oct 10, 2007, 6:43 PM
How about Shiru Bay in Yaletown?

mezzanine
Oct 10, 2007, 7:23 PM
MY problem with izakayas is that they're all so darned expensive... maybe I'll try zakkusshi

It all depends on what you order. You can get a interesting, filling meal of different tapas for $10-15 per person, without alcohol. if you are with 2 or 3 ppl, then you can get more plates and try more things.

Zakkushi can be expensive, esp if you indulge in their specialty, the barbeque. we tend to get just a few, with some onigiri to help space things out. The Jyako salad is also quite delicate, without busting the budget (daikon salad).

Guu is a perinnial favorite, I do agree the Bute one is the best of them all. Go for the Yakiudon, IMO their specialty.

Kingyo is good to impress a date. IMO a little more upscale, with pricing to match.

Although not a izakaya, I also like kintaro ramen. a really good, cheap ramen. Easy to find, just look for the long line-up...

Not a big fan of hapa izakaya - it seems a little contrived. It's a place where hotels send tourists to try izakayas. They do mix it up with more pan asian dishes, but don't frequent it as much as others.

Toratsu is a new izakaya on Denman - wasn't impressed. Prices are a little more premium, but the food (what we tried, anyway) wasn't spectacular. Not that busy either...

Certainly lower Robson is great for new restaurants and izakayas. Always a few new ones opening, with a large base of budget-conscious hipster language students - a great combo, compared to the overpriced and stuffy Yaletown places....:tup:

bugsy
Feb 24, 2008, 10:56 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3184397108_caa9359299.jpg

Danma
Apr 5, 2008, 5:41 AM
After having tried a few here in Vancouver, I visited some under the train tracks in Shinjuku when I was in Tokyo. I must say their lively (and if rowdy) atmosphere is unmatched anywhere else. Guu and Gyoza King are my favorites here.

It's pretty hard to beat Piss Alley for atmosphere!

officedweller
Jul 15, 2008, 10:01 PM
Kitto on Granville is gone and a new place called (I think) ShuRaku is opening up. Peering through the window, it looks upscale.

deasine
Jul 23, 2008, 8:29 AM
Guu isn't that great... it's like fusion... not really Japanese...

twoNeurons
Jul 23, 2008, 4:26 PM
Guu isn't that great... it's like fusion... not really Japanese...

nuttin' wrong with fusion. Most of Japan eats fusion food anyway. "Japanese-style" curries, "Japanese-style" hamburgers, "Japanese-style" omelettes.

Take a culture's food and fuse it with something that appeals to local taste.

Hot Rod
Jul 24, 2008, 1:11 AM
very true.

Although have to say, takoyaki is not fusion - true japanese (Osaka) food!

ditto for Okonomiyaki.

Mmmmmm.

deasine
Jul 24, 2008, 1:19 AM
nuttin' wrong with fusion. Most of Japan eats fusion food anyway. "Japanese-style" curries, "Japanese-style" hamburgers, "Japanese-style" omelettes.

Take a culture's food and fuse it with something that appeals to local taste.

no llike it isn't great fusion either... at least it wasn't worth the price! >_<

Rusty Gull
Jul 24, 2008, 4:42 AM
^Actually, many of Tojo's dishes would be considered "fusion" -- and that's part of his culinary brilliance. He combines the best of Japanese dishes with West Coast ingredients, and the results are quite tasty.

Interesting you noticed Shuraku, OfficeDweller. Walked by it for the first time yesterday. I like the idea of a sake bar on Granville Street... I hope the idea flies.

Re: Kintaro. Great ramen, but even better is Benkei on Lower Robson.

quobobo
Jul 24, 2008, 4:47 AM
ditto for Okonomiyaki.

Mmmmmm.

I would kill for an okonomiyaki place here that isn't overpriced and mediocre like the Modern Club. Serving Hiroshima-style would also be a huge plus.

bugsy
Jul 24, 2008, 6:03 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3184397108_caa9359299.jpg

deasine
Jul 24, 2008, 6:25 AM
^Actually, many of Tojo's dishes would be considered "fusion" -- and that's part of his culinary brilliance. He combines the best of Japanese dishes with West Coast ingredients, and the results are quite tasty.

Interesting you noticed Shuraku, OfficeDweller. Walked by it for the first time yesterday. I like the idea of a sake bar on Granville Street... I hope the idea flies.

Re: Kintaro. Great ramen, but even better is Benkei on Lower Robson.

I haven't tried Tojo's yet oddly enough... but I know Guu was really disappointing, and I've been to the one in downtown and Aberdeen.

Random, but has anyone tried Miko Sushi yet?

Hong Kongese
Jul 24, 2008, 6:44 AM
As I posted long time ago that any Japanese restaurants owned and run by japanese are good. Of course Tojo is good but also very expensive.

The chinese owned Japanese restaurants usually are bad.

Nutterbug
Jul 24, 2008, 11:36 AM
All restaurants should follow the Izakaya model of serving mostly appetizer portions.

As it is, there are too many humungous portions that you can't finish, and too many fat people.

Rusty Gull
Jul 24, 2008, 4:14 PM
I would kill for an okonomiyaki place here that isn't overpriced and mediocre like the Modern Club. Serving Hiroshima-style would also be a huge plus.

I believe the Modern Club has changed ownership in the past 12 months or so. I was there earlier this year... it was OK, but I thought quite pricey for what is essentially "hearty" fare.

I don't think we'll see Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki here in our lifetimes... although I certainly enjoy it. But I don't think it's an easy fit for your typical West Coast palate.

Nutterbug
Jul 24, 2008, 5:52 PM
I believe the Modern Club has changed ownership in the past 12 months or so.

Has it changed for the better or for the worse since?

quobobo
Jul 24, 2008, 7:02 PM
I believe the Modern Club has changed ownership in the past 12 months or so. I was there earlier this year... it was OK, but I thought quite pricey for what is essentially "hearty" fare.

Good to know! I'll give it another shot sometime, I haven't been since early last year. Too bad the prices haven't improved though - I don't hate their okonomiyaki, but what I've had there certainly wasn't worth $16 or however much they're charging now.

I don't think we'll see Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki here in our lifetimes... although I certainly enjoy it. But I don't think it's an easy fit for your typical West Coast palate.

Ehh, I think that Hiroshima-style would go over better with people here (the noodles make it seem a little more familiar) but I'm hugely biased.

radacal
Aug 11, 2008, 7:25 PM
guu on robson is probably the best guu, but be prepared to line up. the one on thurlow is pretty good too. not as much of a fan of the gastown one, and i haven't heard too many good things about the richmond one.

the denman zakkushi was much better than the kits location but haven't been to either for a while.

i prefer the kits hapa to the robson one.

yuji's on fourth is izakaya-ish and their food is consistently good as well as friendly service.

modern club on dunbar - i have to say i was seriously underwhelmed but then i had just gone to one of the best okonomiyaki places in osaka only a couple of weeks before that!

bugsy
Aug 28, 2008, 5:08 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3184397108_caa9359299.jpg

twoNeurons
Aug 28, 2008, 5:24 PM
Good to know! I'll give it another shot sometime, I haven't been since early last year. Too bad the prices haven't improved though - I don't hate their okonomiyaki, but what I've had there certainly wasn't worth $16 or however much they're charging now.

Ehh, I think that Hiroshima-style would go over better with people here (the noodles make it seem a little more familiar) but I'm hugely biased.

16$!!! I should open up an okonomiyaki restaurant. It's DEAD easy to make, cheap ingredients and commands a premium!

AgentWill
Aug 28, 2008, 7:42 PM
There really isn't much of a true Izakaya in Vancouver... though Shabusen is not bad for large parties. The whole thing about Izakayas is really the atmosphere of a large group getting just a bit rowdy ordering another round of daijokis. Zakkushi is pretty good as a yakitori joint but still... Vancouver will never be able to match the atmosphere of one of these places in Osaka (can't speak for Tokyo but imagine it is the same). Now all this talk is making me get all nostalgic. Good thing I'll be back in Kansai for a couple of weeks next March.

Aside: Have you seen there will be "North America's First Exclusively Sukiyaki Restaurant" at Burrard and Broadway? Don't know if we'll go... like Okonomiyaki it's easy enough to make at home. For thin sliced meat cuts we just go to Nikuya on Hastings (near the PNE).

bugsy
Nov 27, 2008, 9:13 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3184397108_caa9359299.jpg