Guu serves homestyle Japanese food in a loud and electric atmostphere. Food is served from an open kitchen and the dishes are generally tapa sized.
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Reviews
Added Nov 1, 2009 by sputnikterror of Vancouver (9 Reviews) Cool Place
Decent food to sample with friends at surprisingly decent prices for the type of restaurant it seemed to want to be. Food was beautifully presented and service was friendly, quick, and attentive despite how busy it was. Though I admit the food isn't exactly to my taste (especially the rare duck) I don't think that counts as a valid reason. |
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| Added Aug 28, 2009 by TimOnMain of East Van (20 Reviews) Favorite izakaya
This is def. one of my GF and I's favorite places to dine out at.The atmosphere is busy and loud but the staff are super friendly and the whole room is really inviting.
Only had sub par service once when we booked for a group of 8,we seemed to be rushed.Otherwise thumbs up.
Prices are pretty decent.This is tapas food,so it can add up if you're real hungry...
Favorite dishes...hard to pick just a few but they include: Okonomiyaki,tuna tataki,popeye salad and the spicy squid.The Robson st. location does have a few things better done than this one such as the ebi mayo,and we haven't tried the Thurlow or Richmond spots,but this one is our regular spot! |
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| Added Aug 27, 2009 by Brizz of Langley (14 Reviews) Love this place
Went for the first time about a month ago and have been back twice since. This place is awesome! I have yet to have a dish that I didn't like and I've tried quite a few. Standouts are the Wasabi Tuna Sashimi (AMAZING) which was on a special menu, the sashimi salad, ebimayo, yakisoba, deep fried brie. I could go on and on basically everything is good. The sake mojito is a must.
The atmosphere is cool for what the place is and service is good. The waiter staff are basically all ESL but they are great people and great servers. There is always someone around to take your order and the food comes out very timely considering this place is always busy. I have been there at 5 when they open, 7, and 8:30 and everytime it was basically full including the bar.
This is a GREAT place to go with a group of friends as it gives you a chance to share plates and sample a little bit of everything. I'm glad I don't live closer or this place would have all my money.
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| Added Jul 28, 2009 by cook_n_eat of Vancouver (17 Reviews) it's not my guu
I don't understand why people rated this restaurant so high. I think this is the worst guu location instead. I found that the menu was so limited, and the daily special was also very limited and not interesting. I ended up ordering the common ones like udon and tuna steak. They were both decent but a bit boring for me and not that impressive. I also ordered the drunken mussel. This was nauseous. I think they put too much sake or something in it and the mussel was knda rare. It only tasted like rare mussel poured with sake and there was no other spices to balance the flavour. Maybe I picked the wrong items, maybe it was just me who don't like these kind of food, or maybe I was not hungry. But it was really disappointing. I'm not going back to this guu location. |
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| Added Jul 9, 2009 by Gidge of Vancouver (67 Reviews) Another great Guu experience
A very happening place at the end of Water street. Generally I would visit the Robson location but I think the experience at Kitanoya has converted me over. Great food, great service, great vibe. Only crappy side is the lack of decent street parking in the area. I especially like how they start off the dinner service with a hot towel and presented to you with two hands...how Japanese! The izakaya experience feels very authentic here with some westcoast touches like bricked wall and wooden beams. The servers are polite, professional yet casual. We ordered the sashimi salad (very yummy), yaki-udon, baked creamy rice, yam fries, agedashi tofu, and a few other shareable plates. The value is very reasonable for the portion size and they don't cheap out on ingredients or quantity just because it's "tapas". The crowd was diverse and lively. Great place to hang out with friends or for that casual date by the bar. |
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| Added Jun 19, 2009 by 4evrdiner of Vancouver (4 Reviews) Great Place for Night Out
Went here the other weekend with friends for dinner. The atmosphere was totally awesome. Still got a little taste of old, rustic Gastown but modern decor as well. The food was superb also. We enjoyed sharing every dish. Try their duck breast. Was served slightly cold, but it worked. Oh, the sake selection was good as well. For those who have been to the other Guu spots, this one's got a warmier feel. |
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| Added May 16, 2009 by cwm_2355 of Vancouver (5 Reviews) Yes!!
This is a great place to go if you're looking for somewhere to hang out that's fun, relaxed, loud, with great food.
Like many in Vancouver I'm a big fan of Japanese cuisine, despite being allergic to seafood. There's typically a great variety at restaurants such as Hapa, Zakkushi, or Ebisu and Guu is absolutely no different. We ordered the two udon dishes, the deep fried brie, grilled beef ribs, and the raw tuna plate. Every dish was unique (especially the deep fried brie, never had that before. Highly recommended) and delicious.
Service was typical for a lot of high energy Japanese restaurants in Vancouver such as Gyoza King or Zakkushi on Denman, lots of shouting, smiles, broken English, and quick service. The place was packed but we were quickly seated at the bar, our order was taken promptly and our food and drinks came surprisingly fast.
Layout of the place is excellent, it's two levels with most of the seats on the upper level and the main level being the bar and kitchen. Very open design, great use of lighting, music, and design to come together for a welcoming and casual environment.
I would definitely come back here, it's a great place to spend some time with friends and have some drinks, eat some delicious food. |
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| Added May 11, 2009 by AnPanMan of vancouver (1 Reviews) Great time out
Yesterday we finally decided to go to this Guu location after reading several good reviews on here... and without surprise it was a great dining experience.
The menu items were a little different than the other locations, but that was great since variation keeps things new and exciting. The only inconvenience was that the menu printing was very small and the place is darkly litted so it was kinda hard reading the menu.
The service was very good and our server was very helpful.
Presentation of food was more modern by using various shaped white dishes...and the infamous saucing with the usage of squeezie bottles.
1 child and 2 adults came to around $60.00 with tip. That's including a drink each. Well...the child had an orange juice.
Ambiance was very warm and comforting, kinda loud with all the hustle and bustle of the servers and patrons but that is normal at izakayas.
I would highly recommend dining here.. |
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| Added May 3, 2009 by discerning_palate of vancouver (34 Reviews) good for a group
I like the décor more at this location than on Thurlow. It’s great for a group, but there’s something about the Thurlow location that I still prefer. I think it’s just sitting at the bar, chatting, eating good food and watching the guys do there thing in the kitchen. Anyway in the Water St. venue some of the things we had were the grilled beef & vege skewer ginger/garlic sauce, yakiudon, grilled fish with miso sauce, deep fried squid with spicy sauce, and yam fries. Skip the yam fries. They had a novel idea of using different kinds of yams but they were too soggy. I always get a kick out of watching the little flakes on top of the yakiudon dance. The skewered beef was ok but nothing exciting. The sauce that was used with the calamari made the dish tasty. Next time I’ll try more novel items. Also looks like they have an interesting drink selection too. |
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| Added Apr 27, 2009 by lily100579 of Toronto (1 Reviews) If you haven't been, you have to go
I am from Toronto and had the pleasure of living in Vancouver for 3 months last year. Although I tried many restaurants, this place will forever stay in my heart. The food and the atmosphere are amazing. The service is friendly and fast, the atmosphere - fun and filled with great energy. We lived in North Van and made our way to Gastown to visit this place at least once a week (sometimes twice). We always ordered several dishes and shared. My favourite ones were the scallops with enoki mushrooms, both kinds of fried shrimp, the ahi tuna (delicious) and their fried banana with coconut ice-cream for dessert. My mouth is watering just thinking about it and I'm tempted to buy a plane ticket just to go there for dinner. You guys are lucky to have such a cool little place in your awesome city. |
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| Added Apr 25, 2009 by Kaiz of Burnaby (3 Reviews) Ultra Guuuu-D!
I've been here many times over the past few years and find that it has held up nicely with dishes, specials and drinks which constantly change.
Food: I don't know what I could possibly say is bad about the food, as everything is always just so good. My favourite dish by far is the Fried Brie Cheese (The only bad thing is if you order too close to closing time, they'll be rushing it and it might be not so melty!)
Service: I've never had poor service from the all Japanese crew in this restaurant. The service has always been relatively quick, and friendly. It's always a treat to hear 'Irrashaimase!' everytime you walk into this restaurant.
Value: I'ts a Tapas place, therefore the food is generally small-ish dishes. The cost is not too much, and is quite average for a tapas place (and better value than certain others I won't mention here)
Ambiance: This Guu has the best ambiance, and there is two levels of the restaurant. One with the bar, and the other with seating. Frankly, if you don't come with a large group, catch a seat at the bar and watch some of the food and drinks being prepared, while enjoying some friendly conversation. It's a great experience.
What are you waiting for? Make a reservation and go! :) |
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| Added Mar 27, 2009 by faketrees of main st (3 Reviews) I Love Guu
I have been this Guu location many times with various different groups of friends. I understand the strict reservation policy because it is always super busy but I always make a reservation to ensure I get a seat.
I recall one visit where four of us drank 2 bottles of wine and stuffed our faces, sharing many dishes, for only $110! The prices and portions are perfect and the staff is friendly, they always make sure to yell an enthusiastic goodbye as your leaving. |
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| Added Mar 3, 2009 by poorstudent of Vancouver (23 Reviews) Would make a great date
Went with a friend, we ordered about 7 dishes between the two of us, and 4 drinks later, the bill only came to $55.
We enjoyed everything that we had ordered. All the food came to the table perfectly done, and each dish was very unique. Sure, you might be able to name every ingredient in the dish, but picking out the flavours was fun, and delicious. The drinks were fun too, we ordered the earomantic, affectionirvana (both had jelly on the bottom! sounds weird, tastes good) as well as sapporo beer and black jet jump
We ordered:
takowasa (our favorite)
popeye salad
yam fries
short ribs
shrimp and scallop rice gratin (didn't actually find shrimp, but had mushrooms instead and scallops) covered with cheese. could've use a pinch of salt more, but was delicious nonetheless.
beef tataki
for dessert we shared the earl grey creme brulee, which was perfected with a very light barely there sugar crust.
Presentation was beautiful and I will be bringing my boyfriend around next time.
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| Added Feb 28, 2009 by yoshi18 of Vancouver (3 Reviews) Rude service
They have a very strict reservation policy, where you can only make reservations between 2pm-5pm . I called in over a week and a half ahead to make reservations for a larger group. It was 430 I was put on hold for a few minutes, and told to call back in 10 minutes. I tried calling back, the line was busy the whole time. The next day called in at 5:15 literally, they refused to take my reservation, too lazy to even record my name... It took me another day until I finally got my reservation.
As for the food, I prefer either the original guu or guu with garlic, seems to fit my flavour more and seems like more variety? Beef tataki I had was a bit too salty, and sashimi salad, was more like a sashimi daikon salad, for my other dishes they were O.K...They have a specialty drink menu, it is interesting to have coloured ice balls in your drink, but not if they take up 75% of your drink.
Since it was a larger group there was a 2 hour limit we could stay, they were rushing is like crazy. It also took us awhile to flag someone down to take a second round of orders. They were basically trying to kick us out while they completely forgot some of the desserts my friends had ordered. How do they expect us to leave when we havent gotten all of our orders?
I've been to other the guus numerous times and to this location very few, I dont think I'll be returning again based on this poor customer service rating. The other guus are much friendlier and have better selections of food to fit my taste.
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| Added Dec 19, 2008 by Mila2201 of Downtown, Vancouver (9 Reviews) Best of all the Guu's (wrote review on wrong Guu page before)
I accidentally wrote this first on the wrong Guu page ~ it was meant for this location.
Best of all the Guu's
I really do think that this is the best yet least known of all the Guu restaurants. So this will work out in your favor as you can avoid the long lineups.
The food is great, i have never had a dish here that i didn't like. I was disappointed that they took the Mexican Harumaki off of the menu.
Their cocktails are unique and delicious (a little overpriced however for the small glass that you get).
9.5 times out of 10 i have had really great service and friendly waiters/waitresses. The only time i had a rude one here was on the phone when i tried to make a reservation ~ but i don't think he is working there anymore.
The ambiance is nice and relaxed ~ i would recommend this place to anyone who just wants to go somewhere nice for a drink and snack or even to go out on a date for a nice meal ~
Really great place ~ i don't think you'll be disappointed. |
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| Added Nov 16, 2008 by wannabefoodcritic of Yaletown (36 Reviews) First Time Izakaya
This was my first time at an Izakaya and I enjoyed it alot.
Between 3 of us we ordered 6 or 7 dishes which left all of us full. The price was very reasonable if you average it out between 3 people.
The food was fantastic. I can't pick out anything of the 7 or 8 dishes we had which I did not enjoy.
The place was loud, but in a fun and entertaining way rather than obnoxious as it could have been.
We stayed for quite a while, so actually ended up ordering 3 extra dishes about 2 hours later. In the end, we had 5 containers of sake, 2 big asahi beers, and 9 or 10 dishes, and the bill was $127. Very reasonable for alot of food and drinks. I'd like to try the other GUU places as well. |
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| Added Oct 31, 2008 by jaceycori of Kerridale (5 Reviews) One of my favourites
Definitely my favorite one of the all the Guu's. I like it more than the other ones because of its more upscale decor and larger selection of food. The food and drinks are always interesting, delicious and decently priced. I love the tako yaki and deep fried brie cheese. The Kimuchi Pork Bibimbap was also very good.
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| Added Oct 1, 2008 by ravingfoodie of downtown, Vancouver (11 Reviews) Guu dness Gracious!
Consistenly good and always glad to see new items on the menu. Love the ambience and the people there. Staff are always helpful and trying hard to keep the clients happy. Out of all of the Guus this is my fav! A little more upscale but not so snooty as the other Izakaya on Robson. Everything, I mean everything, on the menu is fantastic. Food and Drinks are reasonably priced and creative. I hear there may be another Izakaya opening near them but Otokomae has nothing to worry. Always bring my friends from Japan to this place and they rave about it too. My favorite dish is their Seafood Paella, or the Salmon with x number of friends (Sorry I can't recall if it is 7 or 8, i guess I will have to go back there again to verify the exact numbers).
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| Added Jul 2, 2008 by TryANYTHINGonce of East Vancouver (4 Reviews) Petite Dishes, Massive Flavour
Everything about this GUU was perfect (except for the service)! I would definitely go there again but won't necessarily try the other GUUs.
MENU
We were offered a table near the stairwell where servers bring up the dishes and got a visual preview of the entire menu. Even when we finished dinner, we still salivated to try items we had initially negated!
Drinks there are affordable and have an interesting Asian/Japanese twist. The Green Tea Mojito is perfect for anyone who doesn't want drinks too sweet. The Diva drink came across as more of a smoothie.
Although the Yaki Udon didn't jump out from the menu, when it was delivered to the table next to us, we just HAD to order it! The sauce was a mixture of soy and fish sauce, but it's like Reese's Pieces: you can't just slab peanut butter on chocolate to get a great taste.
The daily Cold Tofu isn't worth trying though. It was tasteless and not firm enough to be an appetizer dish.
Everything on the dessert menu sounded so good!!!!!
SERVICE
Everyone at Guu was so friendly, shouting welcome upon entry, singing cheery happy birthdays (albeit forgetting the birthday girl's name...). Cool enough, but our waitress couldn't wait to get the service over with. She was only interested in ordering more food for us and was reluctant to tell us names of dishes or ingredients.
AMBIENCE
The interiors are cool and relaxing. Mini dishes at the bar serve as a hip coffee house alternative. Someone was even working on their macbook.
Washrooms offer Scope for the breath mint challenged.
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| Added Jun 16, 2008 by choco of North Van (9 Reviews) Great food and service!
Came to guu in gastown with my bf last friday. We started off with a couple of cocktail. Their selection was great and my bf loved his Yahman cocktail. I wanted to point out that their Seafood Paella was great even though the portion was a bit too small. Another must-have is the surf clam and scallop carppaccio.
We both left with a very happy tummy! :) |
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| Added Apr 5, 2008 by pickyjerk of kitsilano vancouver (63 Reviews) A good restaurant with interesting cocktails.
This is a pretty nice place.
The loudness of their greetings and goodbyes can get irritating, at least for some.
The food: some dishes are really great, others are very mediocre. Focus on the proteins and less on the starches for sure. Their rice dishes are not great, the pot pie is mediocre, and pretty much so are their noodles.
The tuna steak was deliciously seasoned and well cooked. Their fish dishes are pretty good too. The lamburger is nice too.
Fried brie is good.
green tea mojito is also good there.
salad can be quite greasy, and they sure do love the mayo
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| Added Feb 13, 2008 by lyod of Vancouver (3 Reviews) Nice place to dine out
I went their with my girl friend, great food not too bad service and great ambiance!! Bit pricy but a good place to take your girl out... I went there on a saturday nite, and it was pretty busy so like any other restaurant on a busy nite your most likely to get a bad service... well other then that I've been to this restaurant many time and it always one of my favorite ones to revisit.. |
| Added Feb 1, 2008 by JooJoo of East Vancouver (63 Reviews) The Best GuuUUU!!
The best Guu!! I LOVE this location, but its unknown to many because it is not on street level in Gastown, so you don't see the restaurant, you have to go upstairs. I think they are very solid on the quality of their food and service here. They make really good oyster gratin, I always order this when I come, I can never get enough of this dish and the unagi rice gratin is really delicious too, the portion is big, definitely order this one to share! I love the grilled black cod, its done really well and its cooked to perfection everytime. The beef sashimi is one of the best I've ever had! They have innovative drink specials every night, check it out! |
| Added Jan 29, 2008 by tastey604 of vancouver (6 Reviews) Must try
The ambiance is nice.
The service was great. Our server was very helpful. A bit of a language barrier, but still understandable. Great recommendations.
Very nice staff all around.
The food was incredible. Enjoyed it a lot.
Would visit again. |
| Added Jan 26, 2008 by YummyFP of Downtown/Kits, Vancouver (5 Reviews) TastY!
I kinda love this place! Sometimes the service is a trip! Everyone is always friendly but some of the servers are confused or something because they don't seen to understand english fully. Their specialty menu makes me giggle too.. I'm not the greatest speller but do THEY know of their spelling errors on their menus?? Maybe they do this on purpose to throw people off!?
Must have my usuals: chicken karage, yaki undon. Lamb burger/patty that come on the hot plate is surprisingly good too! However don't have the Unagi Avacad(yes that is how it's spelled on their menu); it looked very pretty but didn't taste very good... take an avacado, cut it in half, top it off with a mushy mix of unagi(with some bones) and mayo, pop it in the oven/grill and call it Unagi Avacad!!! Their deserts are not very impressive either. Excellent tea but you have to keep asking for refills!
Aside from that it's place I'd recommend, you just have to know what to order! |
| Added Jan 13, 2008 by i_heart_food of Kitsilano, Vancouver (12 Reviews) guu is one of my favortie restaurants
I usually go to Guu with Garlic since one on Thurlow seems to get really busy and loud. I had read good reviews for this place so I decided to go with my friend who also loves Guu.
We sat at the bar because we hadn't made a reservation and ordered some food. I LOVED!!! the cocktails but the food wasn't as good as I had expected.
The service was .. BAD! very disappointing. Even though we were sitting right beside the cash register, nobody came to take our orders. We waited about 5-10 minutes for our waiter to come around. He asked if we were ready and we said yes. Waited couple of more minutes and just ordered with another waitress who was serving another floor.
I don't know why but our waiter rarely came to us. Never asked how the food was or asked if we need more drinks. He just occupied himself with bills, drinks and other things. The only reason i gave a 2 (decent) for service is because of the nice waitress who took our orders.
I really liked the ambiance but because of the service I don't think I'll go back anytime soon. Really wanted to like this restaurant. |
| Added Sep 26, 2007 by tastytasty02 of Burnaby (44 Reviews) Best Guu!!!
Tried all Guu restaurants and I have to say this one is the winner!
Food Ordered:
Oyster Gratin-Delicious with well rounded flavours
Duck Breast-Bland but presented nicely
Halibut Cheek-Delicate and fresh tasting
Negitoro-Awesome negitoro!!! Except they give you nabisco type crackers with it which i felt tasted like cardboard.
Bbq Kalbi-Best dish we had so tender and flavourful!
Drinks were absolutely delicious and they had a great pitcher special for $8.50!!!!
Service was not too bad but our server forgot to put in our order for fried banana for dessert and had taken off after his shift. We waited a while and decided to leave.
Overall not too bad of an experience! Definately my favorite GUU for food!
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| Added Sep 18, 2007 by epicurious of Burnaby, BC (523 Reviews) Just "WOW"
This is by far my favorite izakaya (Kingyo a close second). I went their for my birthday dinner and had such a great time. The atmosphere is inviting and hip. Yes, a bit loud - but it encourages laughter and fun times.
Food is excellent, especially the oyster gratin - very generous portion. I also loved the calamari dish and the deep fried brie...yummy!! Drinks are equally delicious. The only thing I preferred at the other izakayas is the stone bowl rice dish. They serve a kimchi one here. Can't say that it was one of my favs.
Service was both a hit and a miss. He was very nice and but not very attentive. Had to ask a few times for things.
Would definitely recommend! |
| Added Aug 30, 2007 by jose-s of vancouver (23 Reviews) Fun dining, great tastes.
We never had this kind of tapas before, and it was fun. We had beer and plum wine and sake along with seafood dishes. Our energetic and helpful waiter talked us into trying salmon with natto and raw egg and a few other things in a seaweed wrap, surprisingly a tasty combination. All the dishes had a nice blend of flavors. Even though there's a lot of shouting of orders, you can still have a conversation, and the tables and lighting are comfortable enough for you to stay longer than you expected. |
| Added Aug 26, 2007 by burvan of Burnaby (30 Reviews) Lots of Energy
Tried Guu in Gastown last night and really enjoyed the experience especially the high friendly high energy of the servers who make it fun and enjoyable . The food was nicely presented but it was the taste of all 4 dishes that made the evening special . had the Popeye salad then the BBQ short rib which were amazingly tender , then the seafood paella followed by the Mackerel . All in all excellent food , good service and a great fun environment |
| Added Aug 20, 2007 by azn_msfyt of Delta (174 Reviews) Yummy
Food: ordered the edamame, ebi mayo, deep-fried squid, okonomiyaki, shiso-age, salmon sashimi - everything was really good (best salmon sashimi i've ever had!) except for the shiso-age which was oily and bland so best to avoid that. Also had the Pink Pearl Drop which was really tasty (i couldn't taste the alcohol which is something I prefer but others may not)
Service: Pretty good except for some forgotten waters. Other than that, nothing really to complain about.
Ambiance: A really nice date spot, especially with the dark lighting and closer seating.
Will definitely return to try other dishes or even for some repeats! Recommend to others to try as well. |
| Added Jul 31, 2007 by Anjew of Vancouver (6 Reviews) The King of all Japanese Izakaya
Me and my friends have a subtitle for each of the Guu's in Vancouver
Date Guu - Gastown - For a nice little date with the full Guu experience I believe this is the best of the bunch
Ghetto Guu - Thurlow - This is a Loud, small and fun experienece - should be experienced by all
Casual Guu - Robson - More mellow and calming
Chinese Guu - Richmond - Often empty and as listed by a previous reviewer, the only similarity is the name
This particular Guu is great as they shout out your order while you are announcing your choices. The food is sometimes a little strong tasting with a bit too much sauce but a simple scrape off the food is all that is needed to fix that.
The staff have never disappointed me, and I often find that a lot of Western restaurants can learn off of some of these servers.
I still don't understand the concept of a cold towel at the beginning of the meal but whatever floats their boat.
What I love about the gastown Guu is there is hardly ever a wait, even on weekends. I can not say the same about Thurlow as there have been multiple instances where I have wandered Robson for 45 minutes and still have to wait another half hour to seat.
I strongly recommend either the Gastown or Thurlow Guu. |
| Added Jun 27, 2007 by Crusader17 of Vancouver (5 Reviews) A great izakaya
Kitanoya Guu has to be one of the most entertaining places I've been to in this city. The atmosphere there is great - nice decor mixed with friendly and cheerful staff who seem to have shouting contests to see who can greet you the loudest.
The food is delicious, if a tad pricey. Service is great, although it gets bogged down while busy like any other place.
I recommend Thursday nights for the $6.99 umeshu double (plum wine) special.
Kitanoya Guu receives a high recommendation from me, especially if you're looking for a fun and energetic atmosphere to enjoy a few beers in. |
| Added Nov 20, 2006 by Dagwood of North Shore (39 Reviews) Small plates with big flavour
Happened upon Guu in Gastown the other night after attending a lecture at SFU and while waiting for a friend to join me for a couple of beers at Steamworks. Hadn't been too impressed at all with the pub food at S'works and was pleasantly surprised to discover a Guu restaurant almost right next door. I've read lots about Guu on Robson and Thurlow and if they are superior to this place they must be great. Tried some tuna sashimi, scallop spoons, yakisoba and "Mexican" spring rolls. Fish was very fresh and each dish was artistically presented. Good service from very happy staff here. |
| Added Sep 19, 2006 by lowawa of Kitsilano, Vancouver (14 Reviews) Energetic
The staffs are energetic and polite they greet you very "loudly" when you enter and exit. The exit part makes you want to go back again. The ambiance is not that great but still acceptable. The coroquette is my favorite lunch set and the next would be the curry rice. The downside is that the sushi chef uses his handy towel in a unsanitizing way. Once I found out, I never ordered a sushi dish from there again. Overall decent with a reasonable price. I recommend going there for lunch, the Robson Guu is better for dinner. |
| Added Jul 17, 2006 by gecco of New Westminster (7 Reviews) quite a memorable place
The way the waiters/waitresses welcome customers is like no other place I've ever been to. Just incredible enthusiasm and positive energy in the entire place, makes you feel so good coming in and going out (the whole restaurant knows your entry and exit).
Their daily specials (written in funky japanese handwriting) are really, really good. Salmon (i think it's wild) and mussel mmm. This place is definitely quality over quantity. They must put effort in the presentation of the dishes too, very pretty.
They're generous and considerate with the extra share-plates, as well as water and hot hand towels.
Overall, other than the good quality of the food, what sets it apart from other places is the refreshing, welcomed feeling you get out of the place. |
| Added Jul 15, 2006 by GuyGlorious of Burnaby (10 Reviews) Spacious Stylish
With its spli level layout, Otokomae is the most spacious of the three Guu izakayas. And with its brick walls and urban decor its the most stylish. Thus, all in all, its got the best atmosphere of the three.
Most recently, four of us had 7 or 8 dishes, 2 large Kirins, 2 pints and a cocktail for $82 (after tax, pre-tip).
The gyu tataki and chicken karrage are excellent, as is the okonomiyaki. Every time I go I get the Popeye Salad - one of my favorite salads in the city.
Make a reservation on Friday or Saturday nights or you'll be waiting in line long enough to grab a beer or two down the street at Steamworks (which isn't a bad idea in itself). |
| Added Oct 3, 2005 by madddskillz of Burnaby (58 Reviews) Good but prefer Thurlow Location
Guu's gastown location is situated on the second floor almost right on the corner of Water Street and West Cordova. The decor is quite different from the Thurlow location and is also much bigger. It's darker and more upscale looking. Sizewize it seemed more like a "real restaurant" than the cramped Thurlow location, yet the extra space seemed to take away some of Guu's appeal.
Favorite dishes include the Asparagus rolled Bacon, Calamari with shrimp, and duck (where you grill it yourself). Total for five people came out to $85 (around 11-13 dishes, 4 teas, 1 beer). Foodwise, I prefer the Thurlow location to the Gastown one, though I still haven't tried the Robson one.
The service is pretty good, but again not as great as the Thurlow location. This is mainly because everything is so much more spread out! What I thought was a little funny was that they said "sorry for the wait" after bringing out almost every dish, even when the wait wasn't very long.
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| Added Sep 24, 2005 by latelier of SE Vancouver (69 Reviews) Otokamae means Handsome Man
My Japanese friend giggled when she translated "Otokamae". Apparently, it literally means "Handsome Man". The restaurant has a dark and eclectic mixture of industrial and old Western antique elements, with a touch of modernism here and there.
Food was good, but it strains to be different from all the other Guus. Okonomiyaki was well made with plenty of tasty bonito flakes; The Robata Pork was robust, and the drinks were nice and stiff. We had bar seats so we were in the middle of the action. The bartender girl who was performing alchemy in front of us remained indifferent to our presence and hardly smiled - but managed to ham it up with a couple who sat next to us and even scored them a free beer on the house. Maybe because they spent a hell lot more than we did.
Besides myself, no other Handsome men around at the restaurant , ;) |
| Added Aug 26, 2005 by foodfanatic of South Vancouver (295 Reviews) Decently tasting, beautifully presented.
Nice selection. Beautiful decor. Skillful presentation. Flavours are slightly disappointing. Still a nice place to relax, drink and enjoy some classy Japanese dishes. |
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