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Nestled on the slightly less trendy side of Robson Street, the dimly lit
ambiance of Hapa Izakaya is easy to overlook. However, if you are lucky
enough to happen upon this delicious contemporary Asian restaurant, you won't be
sorry. When walking in, a loud and lively staff not only acknowledges, but also
celebrates your entrance. The fervent energy, and yes, dark romance of the large
and bustling space, immediately makes you realize that dinner won't just be
good food, but a delightful experience.
To accommodate our party of six, the menu offers an array of exciting and
reasonably priced dishes which is complemented by a friendly and knowledgeable
staff who are more than willing to help you with your order. Cocktails, sakes
and draft beers accompany superior plates such as tuna-avocado sashimi, agadashi
tofu, marinated seabass or pickled mackerel, which is cooked tableside. A member of our party had a severe allergy to nuts (including sesame oil), so I
asked our waiter which dishes we should avoid. He was tremendously helpful and
informative, advising us on how much to order, what dishes are most popular and
of course, he double-checked with the kitchen to be sure our order was
allergy-friendly. We began with Ebi Mayo, six fried shrimp doused in a delicious
spicy chili mayo. We also tried the Kobe Beef Tataki ($9.80) which
was truly great, seared only on the top side with a nice, tender texture that
went well with the dipping sauce it was served with. Negitoro ($6.50) was
another exceptional plate, consisting of tuna belly chopped with spring onions
and served with garlic toast.
If you want to impress out-of-town guests or even have dinner for two, Hapa
Izakaya is the place to go in downtown Vancouver. For a party of six, our meal
came to $150, which is a great deal, as we all had sake and beer. Reservations
are recommended, as competition at the door can get ugly, though they are not
taken between 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Reviewed by: Laura Gosselin
Last reviewed: Nov. 30th, 2005
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