Vancouver - Guu Izakaya

For our last dinner in Vancouver, we decided to try Guu (I found this from the same visitor's guidebook that had Joe Fortes). The place is very dim, and most of the seats are counter seating. This is totally not a place for you if you want a quiet relaxing dinner. The waitresses and chefs holler welcome, bye, whenever food is ready etc etc so by the end of the meal, I was very weary of new people walking in because a chorus of 'Irashaimassssssssssssssu'-es would interrupt my meal."Pumpkin Croquette Ball" Inside Egg with Original Sauce CAD $3.60
A hard boiled egg encased in sweet pumpkin puree, deep fried and doused with Guu's creamy and tangy sauce and garnished with pumpkin chips.

Peashoot salad (can't remember the price)

Fresh Local Seafood "Sashimi Calpaccio" with Wasabi Mayonnaise Sauce CAD $6.50
The sashimi here wasn't as fresh as I'd expected it to be - but it's v cheap nonetheless. I think I would go for the cooked food if I ever come back.

Grilled Black Cod with Miso Mayonnaise Sauce CAD $6.30
The cod was flakey and oily, and it was not overly salty. I liked how the chef takes the time to present each dish nicely.

Grilled Scallops with Garlic Butter & Toast CAD $5.60

This dish was pretty unique - most of Guu's cooked dishes are. The scallops were very sweet but slightly overcooked, so they were a bit too chewy. The garlic bread was toasted and lightly crisped, and evenly buttered.

The cooked food at Guu exceeded my expectations, and the prices are really very affordable. Fortunately, I don't have a nervous predisposition or I'm pretty sure that after sitting through a whole meal with sudden enthusiastic choruses of irashaimasu-es I'll be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

838 Thurlow Street

Vancouver, B.C.

V6E 1W2

Tel: 604-685-8817