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Decided to give this place a try b/c of the good reviews I've been reading.
Came here on a weeknight. I thought it'll be busy but only 1 or 2 tables were occupied. What's cute about this place is that they have Hallowe'en decor and inflatables. The waitresses were dressed up. The washroom was clean w/ strobe lights and Hallowe'en music.
As for the menu, there weren't many choices. Their style of food is part Jap and part White. They have pasta, curry and rice w/ a Jap twist. I was hoping for tapas but they don't serve it. I can't recommend anything yet b/c there is nothing spectacular.
Their food look 20-30mins and the presentation is kinda ghetto. The salmon had like 7 pieces of fries and some frozen veggies on the side. Some of their dishes were kinda expensive. It costs $10-12 for Jap curry w/ rice. The bill came to $28 and I felt like I was barely fed.
I may try again if they serve more dishes.
This is a Japanese "family-style" restaurant, or at least that's what it advertises. Serves mostly Japanese style western food. So let's get that out of the way. It is no fine dining establishment, but for this type of restaurant, it's tops!
The waitresses are very chatty and friendly and also helpful with the menu. For Halloween, they also dressed up in costume.
The decor and ambience is great for this kind of place! Very well laid out and makes you feel very comfortable, though it is clean and quasi-modern. I should also say that for Halloween, they also went all out to decorate everything. Nice to see the effort!
Now, the food? They had some Halloween specials (we had a pumpkin saladin a bloody skull shaped cup, not bad) and we also ordered the Wafu Hamburg set, which was also very good (surprising!). Generous portion of hamburger steak, but it also had good taste & texture. The radish (daikon) salad was refreshing and quite interesting, haven't seen this at other places in town yet. Prawn gratin was a bit overly creamy, but otherwise not bad. The yuzu sherbert for dessert was very refreshing.
Came away quite surprised, there was no MSG thirst, and everything was very tasty and satisfying and the whole environment was just a lot of fun.
The portions are just right, not too much and you can easily come away satiated for under $10. Would definitely return. I would rate it a recommended trip.
It was quite an experience to try Japanese western meal. I was expecting to go for some Japanese food but I changed my mind. I wanted to try what does Japanese style western food taste like. I had hamburg and it was okay. The price is average and the place is nice. However there is nothing too special. I might return some day but not like regularly.
Food: I had the negitoro don(fatty tuna on rice). While the texture was good, the flavour was lacking. I wished I had some of the meals my friends had (the curry looked really good).
Service: The waitress were very friendly, they forgot my kimchi, but brought it promptly when reminded.
Value: Considering it's downtown, it was decent value.
Ambiance: Cute little cafe.
Definitely recommended!
Mrs. C and I wanted some real Japanese food, and we thought about this place. After all, there is more than sushi...
The place is in a basement location that used to be a Chinese joint. They have a colorful foot motif, and it is a fun atmosphere. Everything was new and clean, and the w/c was particularly hygienic, and it also had soft music playing inside to make ablutions more comfortable. I note that the main body of the resaurant had different music which was more conducive to feasting. You can almost forget you are underground.
The menu isn't very extensive, but it has curries and a few other things like deep fried items and some pastas.
I had the beef yakiniku, which is stir fired beef and onions. It came with a dollop of potato salad and some pasta. I upgraded to include a side of rice and some wakame (chicken broth and seaweed) soup. Mrs. C had seafood curry with rice. She reported that it could use more seafood.
All the food was tasty, and I thought the soup was interesting. Portion sizes were good. Service was excellent, and no complaints there. It was reasonable value for money, but not crazy cheap for what you get.
Recommended.
This is what the server said, as she picked up our empty plates. LOL. Hmmm....
This place is delightful. We went at lunch time, our intentions were to have a dessert item. We ordered a Hamburg set meal, Fatty tuna don, salmon cheeks and to drink a Coconut Pine cocktail and iced oolong tea. The food was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the salmon head pieces and my coconut drink. There was a lot of food for two people. We were so full from our lunch that we couldn't fit in dessert and we really wanted to try their sundaes or shaved ice.
The room was fun, friendly and clean. The bathrooms were very eye clean.
Our server was lovely. The food took a little while to get but friendly service can make up for that.
We will be back to try the desserts. :)
I was looking forward to going to this place for sometime and jumped at the opportunity to try one of their halloween specials advertized in Klip. My meal was cutely presented and it was tasty, but nothing outstanding. My boyfriend got a set with wafu hamburg and was kinda disapointing. There are much better deals in town, or at least better food. But we quite enjoyed the pumpkin sundae..I'd go again for the dessert menu if in the area. Service is friendly enough though seemed a bit spacey and ambiance was cozy..diner-like.
Been wanting to visit this place after reading all the reviews on website, finally had the opportunity tonight when we were in the area and oh were we pleased!
It was a late dinner for us at almost 10pm and the place was nearly empty. We got a window seat and were pleasantly surprised by the very interesting "August Specials" menu. Everything looked so good and the prices were so reasonable! I had the Saba Rice set with Miso soup and Sunomono, while my boyfriend ordered his favorite - Negitoro Don. As we were very hungry, we also ordered a sardine roll and a chopped scallop roll. Everything was amazing! From the sides to the mains, and even the green tea, everything tasted exceptional, and most importantly, extremely fresh. Our server was very polite and attentive, she even opened the door for us when we left! Our bill came to just over $30, and don't forget we had plenty of food! Both of us were stuffed when we walked out, and were greatly impressed by the food and the service at Barefoot.
Such a nice place, we'll definitely be back!
Most West Enders remember the shady-looking Chinese restaurant that used to occupy this subterranean location. So it was refreshing to see something new and bright in its place.
Barefoot Kitchen (BK) is one of many Japanese/Casual restaurants that's been quite popular around here (Yoshokuya, Ebi-ten, Dae Ji). They specialize in fried items (tonkatsu, seafood, minchi katsu..etc), curries, and in the case of BK, also a small selection of pasta and stir-fried items.
BK was clean and bright, somewhat utilitarian but not too tacky. I had a 'hamburg' served on a hot plate and my partner had a tonkatsu plate. The food was presented neat and clean, it had all the expected side dishes and condiments. My hamburg wasn't as 'fluffy' as it could, but it wasn't bad. The tonkatsu was done well, side dishes were tasty. Portions were what you would expect for the price - very reasonable. Most curry dishes were ~$9, and other 'entree' dishes can go as low as $6.50. The average hungry person should be quite satisfied for about $10-$13 including taxes and tip. All kitchen and waitress staff were Japanese when we were there; very friendly as expected.
Overall, BK's food is simple, accessible, and young. It's a great alternative to Yoshokuya and Ebi-ten on this side of WestEnd.
Please note my star rating is based on other similar restaurants.
Yummy! We have been here several times. It can get busy at lunch. It's like a family restaurant from Japan. It's different from other sushi places. The price is good and the food is yummy. The server is so nice. She does a great job.
I love that the bathroom is so clean. It's fun to have lunch and watch the people walk by on the street above.
Good stuff!
Since I work in the West End, I get a chance every day to sample the restaurant lunch fare of this great part of the city. Barefoot is a Japanese curry bar. The decor is tasteful and modern, very clean, and patrons are greeted at the door by a smiling hostess. I ordered the beef curry and rice and a pot of tea. The curry sauce was hot and fesh, the rice as well. The enormous pile of thinly sliced beef was very, very good. The service was prompt and friendly. Highly recommended
I have been wanting to try this place for so long, but given that I have a very picky boyfriend, I decided against it... then, as if by some miracle, he suggested that we go there last Friday.
Right off the bat, the service is incredible. We walked down the stairs and our server opened the door for us... I love that when you walk in, all the staff shouts out a welcome. It was about half full when we got there at about 7:00 and we got a window seat. The wait staff is very attentive... they made sure we had everything we needed from soup spoons to chops sticks to forks to knives... drinks, water, refills...
I was excited about the set menu. I ordered the Tonkatsu set meal with the corn soup and kim chee. My boyfriend ordered the Fried Pork Chop with Curry and a salmon avacado roll. The corn soup is awesome. I made my boyfriend try it, and when he told me he thought it was nice, I let him eat more than half of it. The pork was thick and juicy and crispy, I wanted more. The lemon soy sauce it came with was fantastic. Of course I had to try the meal he ordered and the curry was just right. The roll was slow going coming out, but when it finally came, the salmon was very fresh. I was sad that I didn't order the spicy salmon sashimi too... I wasn't crazy about the kim chee, but given the quality of the rest of the food, I was okay with that. The portions are huge as mentioned in previous posts. Our server asked us if we wanted dessert, but we were stuffed full of goodness already. Maybe next time. Awesome value for the price we paid.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice. I especially liked the table coverings... On the way to the washroom were some really fantastic firework photos... being by the beach, I thought it was appropriate. Oh, and because it's important to me... the washroom is so clean...
Go go go, everyone needs to go to this place...
Read about this place in a local newspaper so we decided to see what it was like. The place is clean and stylish. We went there for lunch and there were about 4 other groups in the 1.5hours we were there. Having worked in Japan for a couple of years, this place was like going to a Japanese family restaurant. The prices aren't high, the portions are enough and the flavour is decent. We had a really attentive server who constantly came by to refill our tea and take away finished plates. It is a nice place for a relaxing lunch without paying a bundle by English Bay. The pork cutlet curry was okay. It filled me up and it was neither great nor bad. Kinda like Japanese family restaurant fare.
The prices are very reasonable. The most expensive item on their menu is $11.50.
I'm a big eater, and I felt satisfied with the amount of food was served with my order.
I ordered the Saba shioyaki (grilled mackerel), and was pleasantly surprised with the size of the portion. It was a whole (medium sized) fish!
The miso soup was a full bowl, much more satisfying than the little mini-bowls than you get at many of those generic, bland sushi restaurants.
My girlfriend got the the mentaiko (spicy fish roe) pasta and enjoyed it very much. She had been craving it for a long time and had resigned herself to having to learn how to make it herself because she wouldn't be able to find it here.
She and I agreed, there is a certain 'je ne sait quoi' element to real Japanese food - something you can't put your finger on, but is almost like a 'a-ha' moment when you eat it. We've tried Japanese restaurants of all shapes and stripes in this town.
We're so happy to have found this place. Furthermore, we're so excited that the prices are so reasonable - we decided to go back to school, and are living the student lifestyle again.
If this all sounds like a happy happy love-in, well cut me some slack.
As I'm sure some of you can attest: if you've ever lived in another country/culture and come to love the food, when you come back, you can succumb to reverse culture shock. Its hard when you can't find all those foods you loved here. We were just sick and tired of running the gauntlet of bad Japanese food.
Barefoot Kitchen is unpretentious, good-value, Japanese home-cooking, comfort food classics.
Its a great find!
My bf and I live just behind this place and have walked by so many times. It has changed names quite a few times over the years and when we finally noticed Barefoot, we were interested in trying it. The renos made the place look totally tidied up and fresh...but everytime we walked by, there was nobody inside. It's hard to find motivation to try a place that is always empty. But after reading some other reviews and hearing from a few neighbours, I decided that I had to try for myself. I decided to order take-out as I was dining alone. The menu was a perfect size containing a variety of set meals, curries, spaghetti, and rice dishes. I opted for the Chicken Nanban set. While waiting, they sat me at a table and offered me tea. The take out boxes were very organized and presentable (a big sell for me); no leaky mess or all food being jammed into ONE box. There was a fluffy potato salad with a light green salad, creamy corn chowder (very de-lish), garlic bread, Chicken (deep fried with a mayo/tartar sauce) and sunomono. The sauce on the chicken was SO tasty I put some on my salad as well. It was a BIG portion of food for under $10. It surprised me how well it tasted even after taking it home. It hit in all the right spots. I can't wait to go back......
Sushi isn't on every menu in Japan and neither will you find it here. This was a true taste of the Japan I remember. Great attentive service. Delicious simple food that are a bit of mix and match.
I had the Washu Hamburg and didn't need to turn it into the set meal to be full. So for 6.50 dinner was more than satisfying:)
Instead of mints you get pocky to end your meal!
It is a cute little place that has a great little Japanese menu that tastes like Japan.
My husband, my two children and myself lived in Japan for one year. We researched this restaurant prior to our trip to Vancouver and thought that it looked like a good bet. As soon as we walked in, we all felt like we were back in Japan. The smell of the Barefoot Kitchen reminded us of Japan immediately. My daughter was thrilled that they had "kid's sets" or kid's meals. They were served in the same style plate as they were in Japan, complete with a little toothpick flag flying atop the curry rice. My son was happy to eat the cucumber sushi that was his favorite in Japan. I had a pork cutlet with miso soup, kimchee, rice and a salad. The four of us ate for around twenty-eight dollars. I have to say that my kids loved this restaurant so much, and it brought back so many memories for them, that they begged us to go back the next night. Even though we felt a little embarrassed returning the next night, it was worth it for the great meal. The staff was very welcoming and friendly towards us. They said a traditional Japanese welcome upon or arrival to the restaurant. They also held the door open for us when we left. It was great to get such good Japanese service outside of Japan. Eating dinner, both nights, at the Barefoot Kitchen was one of our best memories of our vacation. The atmosphere of this modern restaurant is bright and clean. We hope that you will enjoy this restaurant as much as we did.
I've come here twice already this week!
Walked in this evening to order take-out and was greeted by a pink-haired witch and a skeleton on the floor. Skeleton didn't talk much but the pink wigged server was super friendly.
We ordered Seafood fry and Tonkatsu sets (we were in the mood for deep fried food). Both sets came with potato salad, your choice of miso or corn soup and rice or garlic bread.
The prawns were juicy and very tasty. None of the deep fried items seemed super greasy, the panko flakes were light and crispy.
The Tonkatsu was done just right - tonkatsu is one of my favourite comfort foods and haven't had a decent one since leaving Japan.
I like the food, the price and the place. I am very, very please with this place.
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