if you want a great night out with creativity and honest too good food - go to Guu. Guu is one of those secrets of Vancouver that if someone didn't tell you about you would not know. A friend told me about Guu years ago and I have been a loyal patron since. When people ask me about 'something' different and fun I always mention Guu.

This place is so popular that my only feedback is that if you dont get their once they open then you will be standing around for a while till seats come available. But then again, i guess standing around to get into some great eats is a testiment to their success.

I love their diversity in menu and portion sizes are decent. Guu is "goooooood" thing

I have been a regular at this place for quite a long time. Their food i swear has gone from outstanding to solid. Portion size went down as well. service is still outstanding and the servers are always friendly and full of energy. its on the pricey side, it usually cost me around 40-50 per meal here (having a few tapas adds up).

Went to Guu for lunch for the first time today. I usually go there for dinner. I was quite disappointed at their menu, but decided to go for their special -- the dried spanish mackerel.

I suppose I didn't really know what I was getting into, because they served the fish whole, but it was so hard to eat because of all the bones that were in there. Entirely my fault though!

I usually never write reviews.
I first went to Guu more than 10 years ago in 1997 when I lived in Vancouver. I had lived in Japan before for 4 yrs so I am fond of these type of food. Back then Guu was named "Raku" and the food was great!

Since then, I left Vancouver but went to GUU on Thurlow whenever I come visit Vancouver.

I don't know since when...maybe 5 years ago?
The food is terrible!!!! What happened?

Today was the 2nd lunch I had in 2009.
Karaage-don, there is no chicken meat, just more jelly than meat!
It used to be whole chicken ball, now they slice the ball into 1/2.
Rice is half the portion. Even the curry rice looks like instant curry.
Granted, that was $7 menu.

But the Asian couple next to me didn't look so impressed with their pricier lunch boxes either. Not to mention you can see the piled dishes when you stand near the register to pay the bill.

I understand if they serve high quality food in low quantity due to rise
in cost...but this is low quality + low portion.

For the Canadian folks out there, do not think this is the real "Japanese way" to serve food. This quality would go out of business in Tokyo, seriously nobody would eat this. I lived in Japan for 6 years total and speak Japanese.

If you can spend little bit more, go to Zakkushi on Roboson and Denman where they haved skewered meat.

I wasn't impressed with their dinner either.

This place has opened 3 other stores and got its success.
So mad, I had to write this review...should've gone to Mc Donald for lunch.

I'm not really a big fan of small plates or tapas - I don't like going home hungry after tasting 5 or 6 dishes - but the food here is very good and the more people you are with the more you get to try different things. I've been to this place 3 times and my top favourite is the kimichi udon - it's mild, with what I think might be some sort of subtle fish sauce. I could eat three of these plates on my own. The deep fried chicken breast (karage) is crisp but not greasy and the haave some awesome fish dishes. The place is noisy but that's part of the charm.

Sushi bars are so North American. Welcome to the heart of downtown Tokyo (or Osaka or any other major Japanese city)! Here is a chain of very unique Japanese-style "tapas bars," aka. "izakaya." If you're looking for traditional sushi fare, you won't find it here. Prepare for an experience if it's your first time!
Immediately upon entering the somewhat small - yet eternally packed - place, you're loudly greeted by the staff, in Japanese (side note: there was one Caucasian girl who spoke perfect Japanese, which I thought was awesome). Take a seat; the bar is "where it's at," they claim, but if you're with people, tables are also available.
As I previously mentioned, the food is tapas-like; thus, you order a 3-4 small dishes priced anywhere between $5-$8. About half the fare is served raw "sashimi" or "carpaccio" style, though they also have a selection of cooked dishes one would fine at an izakaya in Japan (wiki it). One of my favourites is the seared Ahi tuna steak, but since the fish is slightly endangered, I don't get it often. I would replace it with the seared salmon sashimi with garlic ponzu sauce, which is equally amazing.
What's unique about the food here is that some of the dishes are a combination of European and Japanese cuisine. An odd - yet tasty - dish is their "pumpkin croquette ball" which consists of a hard boiled egg wrapped in pumpkin and deep-fried, drizzled with "original sauce". My friend, who normally hates eggs, loves this particular dish.
My suggestion: check out their menus for a better idea of what they offer. The selection is too diverse to do justice in this review!
I personally love the atmosphere of the place, though it can grate on people's nerves if they don't like loud noises. It pretty much consists of the staff calling out orders to each other loudly (in Japanese, of course). I find it to be both exhilarating and hilarious, but this probably isn't the best place for a *quiet* romantic date (but it's definitely date-worthy).

The food is delicious and arrives quickly. It is all presented nicely. One drawback for the food is some items are too salty. I would say their presentation of the food is really outstanding.
We had the really salty eel gratin which was on the special menu. But I guess with drinks it would be alright. Some of the items seemed to be better value than others. But overall, it is a bit pricey to go as a regular dining option. Without drinks for 3 people, dinner was about $70 with tax and tip.
This is a place to enjoy with friends and visiting guests. It was a really unique experience.

Well..after having been to Guu with Garlic we decided to give the Guu orginal a try!
It's as great as the other 3 locations,,,food is solid,,,,service is great for such a busy place and just as LOUD as the other locations ! LOL!

We were so looking forward to the EEL but its wasn't available that day :(
Oh well that just means another trip back to Guu,,,

The menu is different at all of the locations and I would say my fav is Guu with Garlic........I think they do that on purpose so you have to go to all 4 to enjoy your Fav dishes!

Anyway a short review here, we al know how good these places are......GO , Try them all,,,you'll love em!

I loved this place, very much! Been there 3 times, and every time I leave with a happy face. Their food are just great! I loved the Daikon, and the baked duck breast. Beef sashimi and eel rice are also great. The atmosphere are very exciting and lively, but sometimes servers would yell beside my ear and scared me for a moment. That place always have a long line up, however you can usually get seated within 30 minute or so, but it was always worth it. It's a must go place for me whenever I have out of town friends visiting!

The food is very authentis japanese food. I tried many dishes including the pumpkin croquette, beef sashimi, salman sashimi, oden, pork belly, takoyaki and many more. All were incredible especially the beef sashimi with its home-made sauce. I have there to Guu for lunch and dinner, both time are very packed, but the longest i have waited was 30 minutes, not that bad since the place is pretty small.
The lunchtime menu is limited but very filling esp the donburi (rice bowls). I tried the chicken karaage bowl and it was scrumptious!!
The ambiance is rather noisy but i really enjoy it. Servers are very friendly and attentive but there was this one girl server who forget an order but it wasn't a big deal. Overall, the experiences there were fantastic!