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Guu Otokomae serves homestyle Japanese food in a loud and electric atmostphere. Food is served from an open kitchen and the dishes are generally tapa sized.
Food - I've been to this location multiple times and the food has always been good. My favourites include the tuna with 7 friends with diced tuna, avocado, and multiple sauces create a creamy, flavourful dish; the mushroom and cheese bibimbap which is a cool experience as it's served in a hot stone bowl, then mixed at your table. They're also very generous with the mushrooms and use a variety of them, too -- I think there was shiitake, button, and oyster mushrooms at least. The seaweed salad with black sesame sauce was unexpectedly good. The black sesame sauce had a nice sweetness, not to mention great aesthetic appeal. They have the most extensive menu of all the Guus, and most dishes are really great. One miss was the hot stone bowl dessert: ice cream, custard, and a sort of cake served in a hot stone bowl. The mix of hot custard and cold ice cream sizzling on the bowl was really cool, but I found it too sweet. The ice cream also melted really fast into 'ice cream soup'. I preferred the green tea ice cream which wasn't generic ice cream, but possibly house-made? It had large ice crystals and an intense green tea flavour, great as a palate-cleanser.
Service - staff are friendly, but super-busy so it was a little hard to flag them down at times. They did forget my drink one time, I had to ask for it again. The reservation policy is weird, I've tried to make reservations multiple times but couldn't while my friend had no problems.
Ambiance - definitely the coolest Guu, it's very urban with a Japanese flair. There is less seating than you'd expect from the outside.
Value - I've always had a good experience at Guu. I usually do make sure to order bibimbap or noodles so I don't leave hungry, but those dishes are tasty anyways. All in all great for a night out!
I dont share quite the level of enthusiasm as some of the other Guu posting patrons but my friend and I did enjoy the quirky scene and much of the food at this popular gastown Japanese tapas joint. At 8:30 on a Sunday evening Kitanoya Guu was still hopping and there were no tables available. The two of us were able to secure some space at the bar while we enjoyed sake and beer whilst perusing the eclectic menu of small-plate offerings. An interesting mix of modern rock/house music reverberated around the dark interior. We started off well with the Popeye Salad, which was actually a handsomely executed mound of gomae. Delicious. A decent-sized serving of tuna tataki was next, a good deal at $7 and change. Tangy and fresh..another hit. Next came the enoki and bacon-wrapped scallops. Its an interesting dish though the texture of the mushrooms was slightly slimy each bite required some serious chewing. I wouldnt order it again but was appreciative of the creative level of chef. Next came two Chinese dim sum offerings that were barely passable. An order of har gow was tough and not heated through. The siu mai was bland and gelatinous. Some wonderfully fresh wild salmon sashimi was slapped down by our hipster waiter next which thankfully rescued our meal from sliding into the realms of the uninspired. Back on track. Finally we stuffed down some sweet, slightly spicy calimari rings...an excellent compliment to ice cold Japanese lager. The scene is loud, fun and casual. The service is laid-back and friendly. Nightly drink specials and reasonably priced tapas make this Guu a potential refueling depot for me. Its a busy spot though...no reservations accepted after 5
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!
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.
Dined at Guu last night for the second time - Loved it for the fantastic food and fun ambiance!
The most amazing of the dishes we ordered were the Spinach & Sesame Gomae, Guu Beef Tataki, and Enoki Scallops. I have never tasted a more delicious gomae - the sauce is mouth-wateringly savoury and the spinach is the perfect balance to a menu heavy on meat/deep-fried options. The tataki was recommended by the waitress as her favorite dish and did not dissapoint! Delicious, fresh, light with a great tangy sauce that really highlighted the flavour of the meat. Finally, the enoki scallops - our favorite - dlicious chewy bacon wrapped around perrrrfectly cooked scallops and delicious little mushrooms. I highly recommend trying it!
Other awesome little features of this place are the service and the atmosphere. Although there was a slight language barrier when trying to make a request, the waitress was otherwise extremely obliging, polite, and cheery. The staff does a lot of shouting-orders-back-and-forth to create a sense of novelty and festivity.. definitely made for some laughs between my boyfriend and I, although a little loud at times.
This is a cool alternative to your run-of-the-mill sushi joint and a place to find really interesting dishes that you might not get to try elsewhere!
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.
Nice selection. Beautiful decor. Skillful presentation. Flavours are slightly disappointing. Still a nice place to relax, drink and enjoy some classy Japanese dishes.
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!
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
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.
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 , ;)
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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