Somehow it took me eight months to visit Suika, an izakaya at Broadway and Fir, opened by the owners of Kingyo, one of the best izakayas in the city.
Like Kingyo, Suika has a charming, well-lit interior, an attentive staff and an exciting menu. The sake list is better than most and the fresh sheet is [...]
I am sending my Valentine’s day post out to Guu Garden, as it has stolen my heart from the other Guu izakayas. It feels like a well-kept secret, an elevated oasis offering a rare bit of tranquility downtown, and there is nowhere I would rather be on a cold and rainy night. The service is [...]
Kingyo occupies the higher end of the Vancouver izakaya scene and its chef has almost rock star status, known for wearing a playful face mask while cooking for a crowd. The interior has a lot of quirky detail, bamboo and textures. I don’t know why it took me so long to try it, but once [...]
Kitanoya GUU with Otokomae, paraphrased as GUU with good looks, is the gastown location of the legendary izakaya GUU chain. Open seven days a week until midnight, GUU is a popular place for twenty-something diners, Japanese and otherwise, to consume delicious izakaya plates, draft beer, fun cocktails, and cheap sake. Guu has been through various [...]
If you live in Vancouver, hopefully you have already visited hapa izakaya many times. The stylish Robson location is better known, while the newer and cozier Kitsilano location is where you can find me frequently. It has fast become my go-to izakaya restaurant, supplanting Guu (my first love). Hapa is the kind of place that [...]