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 Izakaya
is a type of Japanese bar or restaurant that is very
popular in Japan among the twenty-something crowd. The
many small dishes that you'll find at an Izakaya are
creative and inexpensive, and are enough of an attraction
in themselves, even if you don't order drinks. The name
Izakaya is a compound word with "i" and "sakaya"
which means a shop that sells sake (Japanese
alcohol). Kitanoya Guu (or simply "Guu")
is a really fun Izakaya restaurant located just off Robson
on Thurlow Street in Vancouver's downtown. As soon as you
enter the usually crowded, small room, the staff
(including the chefs) will shout out a energetic greeting
in Japanese. Be prepared to wait if you arrive on a Friday
or Saturday, but when we visited on a Tuesday night at
around 6pm, there was plenty of room and we were seated
promptly. Kitanoya Guu has two other
locations in Vancouver: 1698 Robson St. (604-685-8678) and
#105-375 Water St. (604-685-8682) in Gastown. Each
location has a unique menu, but I have only tried the
Thurlow Street location so far.
If you are dining as a
couple, I recommend sitting at the bar (shown above),
where you can watch the chefs working, and you can admire
the vast spread of food that the chefs have laid out. But
this is most definitely not a buffet, and all that
food that sits so temptingly in front of you is not for
the taking, unless you order it! Take your time to examine
the two menus, one with the current specials and one with
all the regular items. We started with the Pumpkin
Croquette, which was a boiled egg wrapped in pumpkin meat,
deep fried, and then doused in a light, semi-sweet
mayonnaise-like sauce. The concept of this dish may sound
a bit strange, but it really worked for me. A more
conventional item is the very popular Yaki
Udon (pictured below):
pan-fried Japanese noodle with beef, mushroom, and green onion.
We also tried the baked oysters off the specials menu, which
came with a delicate coating of cheese, onion, and fresh
herbs, and a slice of fresh lemon. Each dish is small and
costs somewhere in the range of $3 to $7. It's best to
order at least two per person and then share (but if
you're feeling very hungry I would recommend ordering
more).
I was talking with my
friend, a Japanese food aficionado, and he told me that
Guu is pretty much the closest you can find to authentic
Izakaya outside of Japan. While I have no real evidence to
prove that statement (or otherwise), the atmosphere at Guu
is really fun and the surprisingly successful combinations
of ingredients in the dishes will probably delight you,
especially if you treat the whole experience as a cultural
adventure. If you visit often, the novelty of Izakaya will
likely turn into simple enjoyment.
I should mention that if
you have a special dietary need, you may have to be
especially patient to explain your need to the server, if
he or she has some difficulty in understanding English.
Although the staff may be very busy, they will try to accommodate
your request.
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Yaki
Udon is one of the most popular dishes. Fried
noodles are mixed with beef and mushroom, and topped
with a light garnish of green onion and shredded
seaweed.
$7.20
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The baked
oysters came with a delicate coating of cheese,
onion, and fresh herbs, and a slice of fresh lemon.
$4.20
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Reviewed by: Geoff Peters
Last reviewed: Nov. 8th, 2005
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