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Guu
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Tapas Bars Japanese, Tapas Bars [Edit]
838 Thurlow StVancouver, BC V6E 1W2
Neighbourhoods: West End, Downtown
(604) 685-8817
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Mon-Sun 5:30 pm - 12:30 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
234 reviews for Guu
Review Highlights
"The kimchi fried rice is fried in pork belly fat."
(in 13 reviews)
"Arguably the best izakaya in vantown."
(in 36 reviews)
"I highly recommend the takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls."
(in 12 reviews)
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234 reviews in English
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Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
2/9/2012
I have two words for you my friends.
Curry. Doria.
This is arguably one of the best things I have ever eaten. Ever. I think that says a lot.
It's a bowl with rice, a creamy white sauce, beef, corn and curry. Then it's topped with cheese and baked so the cheese melts. It's ridiculous. I was skeptical at first but my friend said that it was incredible so I took her word and I'm so glad I did!!
The service here is also about as friendly as you can get. It's a fun place and I am wishing that I were in Vancouver right now to get me some curry doria! -
Review from Rebecca C.
1/21/2012
Came here during my first night in Vancouver with my aunt and uncle's recommendation. This place is small and cozy, and boy did the food smell good once you walk through the doors. The service here is excellent and the staff are all polite!
-seared tuna, raw beef, chilean sea bass, seafood mayo oysters, stir-fry udon, mayo crispy shrimp, jellyfish salad, kimchi soup were all excellent!
Goshhh I wish they would open a Guu in Southern California! -
Review from Eugenia G.
1/20/2012
O-M-G delicious!
It was the first night in Vancouver for Jenny K and I. I'm so glad she suggested for us to come here. When we were walking to the restaurant we thought that there was going to be a super long line because we saw people standing around outside. *whew* It actually turned out just being a group of people taking a smoke break.
We were instantly greeted upon entering and promptly seated at the bar table area. We were tight on Canadian dollars so we had to make sure we ordered carefully.
1) Kakuni (stewed pork belly, daikon, poached egg with steamed bun)
2) Kimchi Fried Rice
3) Kimchi Udon (udon with spicy cod roe, soy sauce, butter, kimchi, green onion)
4) Gin Dara (miso marinated black cod with miso mayo)
5) Gyu Tan (grilled beef tongue with salt and green onion)
6) Ton Toro (grilled pork cheek and yuzu ponzu)
We didn't have to wait long for our food to come out. What amazes me the most is the waitresses shout out orders to the chefs and the chefs are able to complete the order without writing anything down.
EVERYTHING we ordered was absolutely delicious! It was seriously orgasm in my mouth. We were probably eating the kakuni totally wrong but holy crap! The pork belly didn't have too much fat to it and the daikon was melt in your mouth goodness. There was a sweetness to it, something I really enjoyed. And the egg-- which leads us to the next dish--we ended up putting the egg into our kimchi fried rice. The kimchi fried rice was really good with tiny bits of kimchi in it. It tastes different from the kimchi fried rice I love from San Francisco but it's different in a good way. Next we have the kimchi udon. A very simple dish yet so memorable. The gin dara-- the black cod was cooked to perfection. It wasn't too cooked yet it wasn't undercooked. I do think it could have done without the miso mayo. The gyu tan was sooo good! There wasn't too much salt in it and the green onion made a happy marriage for it all. The ton toro wasn't too fatty and the sauce it came in was so good with the pork cheek it was hard not to double dip.
We skipped dessert because we were so full from it all. I would most definately come back here next time I visit Vancouver. If you haven't been here yet, your palate is missing out on some damn good food! -
Review from Tiffani L.
Richmond, BC
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sashimi salad
BBQ eel
Spicy calamari
Mapo crispy shrimp wonyan -
Review from Jason C.
2/5/2012
Alright. Good atmosphere and fun but isnt for people looking for the top tasting food.
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Review from Habu H.
1/15/2012
Typical ikazaya food. Need to rotate oil more frequently on fried items.
Overall: Second refer -
Review from Aron A.
Vancouver, BC
1/7/2012
Ugh...I don't know where to start. I just love this f@($!€ restaurant. Izakaya rules my world.
One more bottle of sake, ok 2...another order of tuna tatake and hey, throw in some more of that calamari - Jebus f'in Christ how is it possible to make squid not just not rubbery but meltingly tender? I can't cook butter this soft and creamy. This is ridiculous. Squid...I love you.
My favorite Guu in town but they don't have the 1 litre beers that the other locations do. I do love a 1 litre beer or 3 or 4 with dinner. -
Review from Michael W.
12/25/2011
PROS:
+ Super awesome staff and chefs
+ Superb food
+ Fast service
+ Open kitchen, so you get a show too.
+ The chef on the burners is a master with the wok.
+ Bar seating is better than table seating, since you get to watch the amazing chefs prepare your food.
CONS:
- There is always a crowd (alright this not really a bad thing)
Came here for the first time last night based on a friend's recommendation. There was a crowd even on Christmas Eve, I was thinking, "Wow, the food must be pretty good for people to want to eat here the night before Christmas." The wasn't too bad, about 20-30 minutes. We got seated in the middle area of the bar and got full view of the cooking action. Little did we know were would be dazzled by the culinary skills of the chefs before us in the next 90 minutes while we ate. Here is what we had and my thoughts:
Guu Ramune - Its a normal Ramune, but part of the ramune sales goes to BC Children's Hospital. Its a win-win, so why not?
Kakuni - stewed pork belly, daikon & poached egg w/steamed bun. The pork belly is very flavorful and tender. The daikon is also stewed and is equally good. The poached egg is a normal poached egg, but brings a nice creaminess to the dish. The steamed bun was a bit dry would be better if a touch sweeter in my opinion, but the it wouldn't be missed if it was taken out. This is is a top notch dish, its a must order.
Yaki Udon - pan fried udon w/ beef, mushroom, green onion, & soy sauce + butter. The problem with yaki udon at most places is that they flavor it too strongly with a thick strong sauce. Guu makes no such mistake. Their Yaki Udon is a flavored very well and is not over powering. Great dish, I would get it again.
Gyu tan - grilled beef tongue w/ salt+ green onion. I always order beef tongue if I see it on a menu at a restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised by the beef tongue here. The pieces are sliced thin and they are very large. They are grilled perfectly so that the meat maintains a slight springiness. This dish shows that the grill chef is very attentive and times the preparation very well. I would order this one again.
Okonomi yaki - deep fried squid & cabbage pancake w/ tonkatsu sauce & mustard mayo. This one is prepared the way it should be. Not dry like an american pancake like you would find at many other places. It is prepared to the thickness of about 3/8 inch, which makes each bite substantial another to be satisfying. The inside is moist and very flavorful. I would get this again.
Kaurbi - BBQ garlic sauce marinated beef ribs. This dish is a little on the subtle side if that makes any sense for ribs. The seasoning and marinade is not to overpowering that the flavor hits you in the face when you sink your teeth into the meat, which is much appreciated. They managed to make ribs a delicate dish. If you like ribs, I would try this and see for yourself.
Almond-tofu - I was a little hesitant to order this because I have almond tofu all the time. But I am so glad I did. It is homemade and so very smooth. Very delicate flavor. Marvelously good.
If you thought you knew what a Izakaya is all about, this place will re-define all you know about Izakayas. It is really a next level Izakaya! Every dish we order was great. Sitting at the bar allowed us to preview our selections for the next time we dine here, which should be tonight, haha! Yes, its that good. Do yourself a favor and come eat here. You will have great food and have a great time. Salud! -
Review from Sam L.
12/22/2011
I've been to every Guu location at least once over the years and it would usually be high on my list of places to recommend to people from out of town. Last night my girlfriend and I wanted a quick bite before going to a movie and since it was fairly early, I thought it would be fun to check out the original Guu on Thurlow since it was close to the theatre and I hadn't been in a couple years.
I was shocked at how badly this place had gone downhill. It wasn't very busy when we arrived since it was just after work - around 5:30, so we got a table quickly and the rest wasn't that full. We ordered the stewed pork belly with daikon and egg, which I remembered to be delicious, then we ordered the grilled tuna with garlic teriyaki sauce from the specials menu and finally the sashimi salad.
Pork belly: cold, with the fat congealing. Very unappetizing. I presume they pre-cook these, but failed to bring it back up to temperature to serve it.
Grilled tuna: completely overcooked and oversalted chunks of tuna. Very dry and pan fried rather than grilled. Think tuna jerky.
Sashimi salad: overpriced dish with tiny bits of sashimi and a heap of boxed mixed greens with little to no dressing.
I'm not sure if this poor quality extends to the other locations, but I won't be coming back. I'd rather go to Zakkushi or Kingyo. -
Review from Mandy R.
12/6/2011
I'm kind of amazed it took me this long to get to Guu, seeing as it's maybe 3 blocks from my house, and I love Japanese food. I've now been twice - once for a friend's birthday (a group of 10), and then he and I returned a couple weeks later, just the two of us.
I walk past here all the time, so although I have only been twice, I can say that I highly recommend coming early, or perhaps coming quite late. For the group dinner, we had a reservation for 8 and were seated around 8:20, and a (small) line-up remained at the door, which surprised me, given that it was a Wednesday evening. When we came back on a Saturday, we arrived around 5:45 and were seated with no trouble, although it was definitely busy in there and a line-up built before we left.
The food is great (and greasy), the service is friendly, the atmosphere is fun (and LOUD), and the wine is pretty inexpensive ($4.50 per glass, I believe). A really fun place for a date or an after-work wind-down before the weekend begins. -
Review from Lisa T.
Vancouver, BC
1/14/2012
love coming here!
my friend and i stepped through the doors at 5:20pm for an early dinner on a Friday night, and it was already packed!! we didn't mind waiting, partially because we half expected to wait and also because we were in no hurry. we had to wait until 6:30pm before we were seated at the bar right next to the "kitchen" and one of the chefs bowed at us as we sat down. even though it was a crowded restaurant, i didn't feel like we were overlooked. even the chef, who's workstation was literally right next to where we sat, asked to take our order and got one of the waitresses to refill our tea when we needed. we ordered the kimchi hot pot, tuna tataki (extra awesomeness!!), yakiudon, takoyaki, and sashimi salad.
service was great. food was definitely great. and as long as you're up for some noise and chatter, atmosphere is also great.Listed in: best izakaya.
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Review from Herman E.
11/26/2011
This is one busy shop!
I came here for lunch and purposely arrived early. The place was filled in the next ten minutes.
Service was a bit lacking because it was so busy and it was waited on by Japanese ESL students.
Food was ok and I had no complaints about it. Standard Japanese tapas.
This was definitely a casual place because there were a ton of other ESL students eating there, along with the business lunch crowd. -
Review from Craig R.
11/25/2011
My wife and I came to Guu tonight based on the recommendation of a friend. Given that people were already lining up outside of it 30 minutes before it opened we assumed that we would be in for quite a great meal. Once the doors opened we were sat right at the bar in front of the chef making salads and some of the other small plates. The serving staff was quick to come take our order thereafter.
Everything we ordered was delicious:
-Tuna Tataki was perfectly seared and the sauce/garnishes complimented it nicely
-The Takoyaki was delicious, fried to perfection
-The Yakisoba was some of the best I have ever had, and although I am by no means an expert I've eaten my share
-I was surprised as well at how tasty the Guu beer was, often times restaurants with their own brew aren't so hot
-The only thing I would caution is to not bring a date (for the first few dates) here because it is so damn loud so it is hard to talk
There's really nothing more I can add beyond what others have said. I would definitely come back. -
Review from Quddous B.
Vancouver, BC
11/25/2011
The original Vancouver Izakaya and still the best.
Izakayas are Japanese bars that serve food - the food is typically meant to be consumed with alcohol. Dinner is a site if you have not been before. All the waitstaff and chefs will shout welcome and goodbye as you enter and leave the premises. The restaurant space is intentionally cramped and loud - I love it.
Favourite dishes include
Ebi mayo - fried prawns with a mayonnaise ketchup sauce
Chicken karaage - fried chicken marinated in soy and ginger and coated with cornstarch
Beef tataki - a Japanese take on Beef carpaccio - lightly seared thin cuts of beef in vinegar and soy based sauce
Everything here is delicious - I don't think there has ever been a dish that I didn't like
I love having lunch here as well as it is not that expensive and quite delicious.
We usually get the curry tonkatsu (fried pork) and the BBQ beef (this is a stirfried beef dish flavored in a soy based sauce - almost like teriyaki sauce but not quite) -
Review from Annie W.
10/1/2011 ROTD 11/4/2011
True story: I ate here twice a week, every week, for almost a year.
The only reason I stopped was because I had to start paying rent. It was Shelter vs. Guu - shelter obviously won (marginally). This is a pretty rainy city...
At every meal I ordered some (or all) of the following items:
- Ebi Mayo
- Yaki Udon
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Beef Tataki
- Snapper Sashimi (they don't have this anymore *sniff*)
- Karaage
- Kakimayo
- Kabocha Korokee
- Okonomiyaki
While the items are not priced expensively ($3.50-8.50/tapas), the bill can rack up quickly as the portions are quite small. With a beer or two, I'd say my average spend here is between $40-60 (tax & tip incl). The food has remained delicious and consistent, and I have never had bad service at this location EVER. It's been a good 8+ years.
I heart Guu 4ever.Listed in: Nom Nom Treasures!
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Review from Ashok S.
The place was packed but service was efficient, luckily we did not had to wait. We were seated on the bar. The Crab cake in the appetizer section was just excellent i have to just go back for that only. We also tried Kimchi fried rice..it was Yummy....Tuna was okay...I will be back on my next trip to the town...
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Review from Alvin L.
Vancouver, BC
11/9/2011 1 photo
Although I have been to Guu many times for dinner, today was the first time I went for lunch. To be honest, I didn't know Guu was even open before 5pm until my friend told me earlier this week.
Anyway, if you have been to any of the other Guu's in Vancouver or any authentic izakaya for that matter, you pretty much know what to expect. I will say though that I was very surprised by how empty the place was when I was eating. I walked into Guu around 11:35am today and was literally the only person in the place. A couple of business people drifted in later but yeah, even when i left around noon there was only around 4 people eating.
To anyone thinking of hitting up this Guu for lunch, just note that the lunch menu is significantly smaller than the normal dinner menu. A lot of the fan fav dishes are not available until the place switches to dinner service BUT the lunch options are still cheap and yummy. I ordered the Chicken Karaage lunch bowl and it only set me back around $7.
Lastly, I just wanted to say a quick word about the 'yelling' from the staff as I've read quite a few 'complaints' about it here on Yelp. Guu is an authentic Japanese Izakaya with a set of traditional social customs. One of them is greeting/welcoming customers, thanking them and wishing them well as they leave. Now I will admit, the greetings can sometimes get a little loud but, I actually like it. It sure beats going to most western restaurants here in Vancouver and getting totally ignored the entire time heh. Just my two cents! -
Review from Kashaya W.
Surrey, BC
1/6/2012
Good food!
don't like the space setting though... -
Review from gretchen c.
Vancouver, BC
9/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Guu doesn't serve the typical, well-known sushi rolls that most Japanese restaurants in Vancouver have to offer, or any sort of sushi roll at all for that matter. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and is actually an enjoyable change of pace. The Negitoro comes as chopped tuna sashimi with green onion in a tiny bowl, with seaweed fanned out on the side, instead of rolled up with rice. The fish used is fresh and of high-quality. The wild sockeye salmon sashimi is incredibly marvelous and mouth-watering.
The open-kitchen behind the bar allows customers to see exactly where their food is coming from and watch the cooking process behind it. The staff is extremely friendly and all authentically Japanese. They even yell a Japanese "goodbye and thank you" in sync when someone is done dining and exits the restaurant.
With pitchers of white sangria (lychee and pineapple juice mixed with white wine) for $15, Guu is the perfect izakaya to spend some time in after a long day at work. -
Review from Meana k.
10/10/2011
Love this place. Can't wait to take out-of-town visitors here.
It's packed from the moment it opens with a line out the door. In fact, I initially went to Guu with Garlic and decided not to wait for a table. Glad I tried Guu again on another night, and glad I came to the Thurlow location.
Spot Prawn Sashimi -- Ordered it twice and had them fry up the heads for me.
Grilled Beef Tongue with green onion -- delicious, tender, and savory.
Pork Cheek -- good.
I had a vegetable dish off the daily special menu as well. I'd like to go back and try some of the different udons I saw go out, and at some point would like to have some oden as well but the thing is, there's just always so much other great stuff I want to have from their menu. -
Review from Alvin B.
10/22/2011
Need to find a dinner place while in Vancouver? Go here. Damn good!
It's Tapas, but it's well priced so you can order everything on the menu. -
Review from Roni L.
Vancouver, BC
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to Guu with a few other foodies. They have a smaller lunch menu, not their full Izakaya menu and from it we ordered the Curry Beef, BBQ Pork box and BBQ Beef box.
The service was good and friendly and the prices weren't too steep
The food? Out of the three, I liked the BBQ Beef the most (too bad I ordered the curry beef). It was flavorful, good texture.... my curry beef was ok, the curry was too sweet and the salad that came with it had too much oily dressing.
I do plan to go back for the BBQ beef at some point. There isn't too much more to report as it was a reduced lunch menu. -
Review from Andrea P.
SIGH. I have moved away from Vancouver but I still think about Guu at least once a week. I love you, Guu. I miss you.... Anyways...
I heard about Guu months before I moved to Vancouver and weeks after moving away, I find myself CRAVING it. Whenever I am downtown, Guu is my automatic GO TO place for dinner because it just NEVER fails! Ever.
I don't think I have ever heard of anyone NOT liking Guu. If you don't like Guu, I'm sorry, you're strange. The atmosphere is exciting, you feel as if you just walked into a popular Japanese bar somewhere in Japan. They have a different menu every week with unique specials so that you never feel like you are always eating the same time.... For someone who loves trying new adventurous things - Guu is perfect for that.
What I LOVE about Guu is the very, very fair pricing (not expensive at all for the quality you get) and the tapas style so you can try a variety of dishes even if you just go with one other person.
I highly recommend:
- Kimchi udon - self explanatory and delicious. not too spicy at all.
- Yaki udon - SOOOOO good. sounds like such a simple combination of beef, green onion, soy sauce, mushroom but I could seriously live off of this....
- Sashimi salad - sweet shrimp and sashimi that is UBER fresh and very refreshing. I swear I could eat 5 of these on my own.....
- Gin dara - miso marinated black cod, takes a little big longer to cook but so worth the wait!
- Hotate butter - garlic butter scallop topped with crunchy garlic chips - perfect combo!
- Kabocha korroke - pumpkin/egg croquette - SO unique, CUTE and tasty!
- Ebi mayo - hit or miss, sometimes its SO good, sometimes its meh. japanese style fried shrimp tempura with japanese mayo sauce
- Oden - kind of like a Japanese style soup/ hot pot, they boil specific items that you choose - very light and tasty and perfect on a cold day
I really like their drinks as well - I especially love the ones where you can pick your own combination and they'll mix it for you. I remember one time I ordered one with grapefruit juice and I was so surprised when they brought me a FRESHLY sliced grapefruit and juicer to the table... talk about fresh! Their cocktails are a bit watered down but I personally like that... haha being a feather weight and all :P That's probably just me though
I've pretty much NEVER had something bad at Guu so my advice is whatever you want to try - go for it! Vancouver-ites you are SO lucky to have this in your city... I CAN'T wait to come back!! -
Review from Bill H.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Guu is awesome, and definitely recreates the experience of eating izakya in Tokyo. My girlfriend and I showed up right after opening on a Thursday afternoon. We split a couple plates, but my favorites were the grilled snapper head (lots of tasty meat to pick apart), the bonita sashimi, and the takoyaki (which just about every person at the bar ordered as well).
Service was friendly and prices were reasonable -- which is great considering the location on a tourist-heavy street. -
Review from Adam Q.
10/3/2011
Kind of a crazy place but fun and tasty. Also decent prices. Some of the dishes were outstanding other were just good. I think it will help to know what we were order.
on Robson... go here! -
Review from Andy W.
6/16/2011 6 photos
I seriously doubted all the hype this place was getting but I was so wrong. We were in Vancouver for a week and we ate here 3 times. Yes, it was that good!
My faves:
Black cod
Pork cheeks with ponzu
Kim chi fried rice (it was not on the menu but they will make it if you ask)
Yaki udon
Yes, it's loud and you might think the staff is out of their minds with all the yelling but once you get over the initial shock, it's fun and delicious!
Plates are small (tapas style), you will need 3-4 dishes per person.
I prefer this location over Guu with Garlic. This location is somewhat of a hole in the wall but the food is better and atmosphere is warmer.
I also love the fact that they are open late and prices are reasonable.
It's a small place so I would not go with more than 4 people. If there's only two of you, you will be sitting at the bar/counter. Which is kinda fun. You get to see them cook and all the food that comes out.
The cocktails sounded good but didn't taste as it sounded. Go there for the food. -
Review from Kristine H.
6/29/2011 12 photos
Not a place for a quiet date, this place bustles like crazy on a Friday night! We hit the door and were met with one of the loudest choruses of "Irasshaimase!" that I have ever heard. Ever. And the overall ethnicity of the dining patrons made me feel like I was in Japan!
We found our friends huddled in the corner at a table with two small narrow benches. We took our seats, as they were and decided quickly they might be styled that way so you don't loiter after you eat. It's definitely not a place to relax. You eat, you drink, you revel and move on.
There's a set menu that's divided into a grid: appetizers, salads, original Guu treats, carbo, oden, grilled items and lastly deep fried goodies. There is also a special menu that probably rotates depending on fresh items. We ordered from both menus liberally because we were hungry. For four people, we chose chicken karaage, fried brie, takoyaki, agedashi tofu, kimchi udon, butter hotate, gyu tataki, fried ika, pumpkin korokke and fried chicken skins.
All the dishes were good but the standout dishes were the hotate, the takoyaki and the chicken skins, though I don't think my companions loved those as much as I did. My grandmother sometimes made them with plain rice and a side of vinegar for dipping. Mmm... totally healthful comfort food, of course.
Be prepared. The service isn't the best. You'll have to wait for water refills or another shochu. Settle in and just be patient, also just wave down a server if you want something. They don't seem to stand on ceremony here. Drinks are tasty. They have their own ramune and a part of those sales benefits BC Children's Hospital. They also offer their own original beer, an extra pale ale produced by Russell Brewery.
There's several of these in the city. I'd definitely check out their location in Gastown next and work my way through them. Excellent stuff and a lot of fun! -
Review from Chris T.
6/2/2011
3 PEOPLE! 6 ITEMS OFF THE MENU! GUU IS PRETTY YUMMY!
Expect lots of yelling and shouting back and forth between chefs and waiters. For that reason, Guu wouldn't be an ideal place for a first date but would be a fun choice for future dates. I came with my cousin and his girlfriend on a Tuesday night and we got seated after a 20 minute wait and then neglected for another 10 or 15 minutes. It was always hard to get a hold of our waiter and any requests (more tea? hot sauce please?) made with other waitstaff were usually ignored or promptly forgotten.
We ordered from all over the menu and the spicy calamari, yaki udon, chicken karaage, shrimp, and salmon that we ordered were all delicious. We didn't get drinks but the cocktails were all quite cheap ($5-$9) compared to what we can get at trendy Japanese places in Seattle. Guu seems like a fantastic place to go with a group of friends as long as you're prepared for a bit a wait and are proactive about getting your server's attention. Well worth it! -
Review from Tiff T.
7/2/2011
Delicious, but be prepared for a wait! The server told us it would be 20 minutes, but it was really around 45. When we came in, though, the chefs behind the bar were very friendly and greeted us and thanked us for waiting. I tried the following dishes:
BBQ eel and seasonal mushroom rice gratin - really good, and an interesting take on a Japanese gratin
Rib bites - they were ok, not memorable
Kimchi udon - really good, my favorite dish of the night. The noodles had a touch of heat and a nice smooth, firm texture.
Hotate butter (grilled garlic butter scallion on onion with bonito flakes and garlic chips) - this was pretty good, but there were just a few small scallops. The garlic chips were more like slices of baguette and soaked up all the flavors of the sauce...yum!
Kabocha Korokke (pumpkin & broiled egg croquette) - this was also unique; I've never had pumpkin in a Japanese dish.
We had another dish, which I can't seem to find on the menu, but it was a mixture of fried rice and noodles. It was good but not as memorable as the better dishes we had.
Service was very friendly and polite -- most servers there did not speak much English. -
Review from Phoenix mi m.
7/27/2011
So thankful Cindy + Lisa recommended this place.
Service was good. We got there early and were seated immediately and warmly greeted by the staff.
Food was excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
Exclamation points says it all =)
The Sashimi platter we got yesterday came with:
-2 hamachi
-2 ebi
-2 hotate
-2 sake (salmon was buttery rich that melted in your mouth YUMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sigh - I crave for another piece- next time I might just order an entire plateful of sake sashimi pieces)
The black cod and kimchee fried rice were delicious too!!! We ordered lots other things but above 3 orders is what led me to give them 5 stars. -
Review from Nick G.
6/14/2011
Straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaight Pamily Styleeeeeee
That means family style where I come from.
People asked me numerous times if we were going to eat at goo and I so eloquently replied, "No my friend, it's an amazing Japanese restaurant called Guu that gives Shabusen a run for its money."
I started with the sashimi sampler and it rocked my world. Perfect slices of fresh sushi and shrimp and I just lah'ved everything there.
Next I tried some of the udon noodles and some of the shrimp cake. I have to admit both were off the chain (seafood chain of course). One regret that I do have is not eating the Octopus ball. I saw someone order it and it looked SO good!!!
We had 10 people here and our bill came out to around $20/head after tip and it was SUCH a better experience than Shabusen (sure it's all you can eat but the quality is just so lacking compared to here).
The decor was Japanese-esque but had such a lively vibe. The waitresses seemed super busy so don't expect stellar service but overall I had such a good experience I went ahead and hit this baby with a 5-star. -
Review from Melissa L.
8/30/2011
Yelpers did not disappoint! Guu was amazing and definitely worth the half hour wait. At first, the hubby and I were a bit pissed that they gave tables of 3+ seating ahead of us while we had to wait.
But boy, when we were seated, that's when our worries went away. From the kim chi fried rice to the butter like cod that melted in your mouth to the tuna tataki, the food was EXCELLENT!
This has to be my favorite restaurant. I can't remember the last time I had food this good. Service was amazing and there was always joyous screaming when someone was seated or if someone left.
I recommend Guu a full 5 stars, you will not be disappointed by anything on the menu!!! -
Review from Alex G.
Vancouver, BC
6/23/2011
Guu is a Vancouver institution, I guess. Ordering from their menu is sort of like a low-stakes game of Russian roulette, because all of the dishes sound equally horrifying and roughly half of them are really delicious (a smidge moreso at the Gastown location). The waitstaff has this shtick where they're constantly shouting, and once, when I ordered a small cold sake, my waitress grinned, repeated back to me "that's a large, warm sake, right?" and then actually brought me a large warm sake.
Guu is great. -
Review from Mark D.
4/28/2011
Throw darts, roll dice, actually know the menu and order what you want - it doesn't really matter. The food is going to be excellent. The atmosphere is going to be cramped, festive, and fun.
Yes, you are going to have to wait. Get over it already. Some things are worth the wait. Once you get seated, and the yummy tidbits of food start rolling in, you will forget about the wait.
Just a few favorties:
Taiko Wasabi (a little eight tentacled yumminess)
Hotato Butter (yeah scallops)
Ebi Mayo (Throw another shrimp in the fryer - mate)
Karubi (Some Guu Guu Moo Moo) -
Review from Rachel F.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2011
Vancouver is a city brimming with gastronomical diversity, and one of the more exciting developments in recent years has to be the growth of the popular Japanese Izakaya - casual tapas-style dining spots serving both traditional and more eclectic or "fusion" fare. Certainly, one of the forerunners of this trend is Guu, which now operates five well-placed locations in both downtown Vancouver and Richmond (as well as one in Toronto!).
Izakayas are inherently fun, social establishments. Upon entering, guests are greeted loudly (and in unison!) by servers and those slinging food at the open kitchen stations behind the bar. Tapas dishes encourages sharing and conversation, the first of which will undoubtedly be what to order from amongst the unusual offerings on the menu, which includes exciting daily specials.
On a recent visit my companion and I sat at the bar, allowing a bird's eye-view of the action behind the counter. Guu is popular and typically quite crowded, so either get there early or be prepared to wait. They do take reservations and can accommodate larger parties and is a great place to go with a small-medium sized group.
We shared the Popeye salad (spinach leaves with smoked chicken, bacon, garlic chips and the most incredibly savoury, light dressing), a deep fried sweet potato croquette served with a sweet tomato mayonnaise, that day's special of a beef carpaccio (plated to resemble flower petals), delicately seared tuna steak and stir-fried udon noodles in a kimchi and cod roe sauce. The latter is actually my personal favourite, and as such I am loathe to share it because it is so damn good. Naturally, a good Izakaya meal is not complete without a bottle of warm sake so we did imbibe. This delicious, satisfying and fun meal came to a whopping $42, which is incredibly good value and guarantees repeat visits. -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
6/28/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Guu, more know for their izakya style food served from the evening till the late of the night.
So one day I decided to come in here for lunch. Definitely easier to get a table during this time of day (1ish). They serve a different menu during the day than night. The food is more noodles and rice dishes and not so much of the share style, but you could still certainly get the drinks..... if you want to start early.
Cruising down the menu, I come across "Doria." "Chicken with corn + creamy white sauce..." Creamy white sauce..... sure! I'm sold.
The dish was bits of chicken spread over rice and baked with corn, 'creamy white sauce,' and cheese. It was chopstick licking Guuuuuu'd!
Btw, don't be alarmed when you walk in this place and they scream something out at like you "GODZILLA!!!!!!" They are actually saying..... welcome?? Really, I don't know, but I feel like yelling Godzilla back at them Or at least..... "Gojira, Gojira..... Gojira. (http://www.youtube.com...) -
Review from Lawrence L.
7/17/2011
This is my first and only experience with an Izakaya. I cannot tell if it's really authentic but this place rocks!
I've been here three different times and always had a blast. It's packed with a long bar and a few tables. The waitress and chefs, who are cooking and yelling in Japanese, are extremely friendly and helpful. This is not your typical teppanyaki or sushi place. You'll find fish cheeks, marinated wood ear mushrooms, oysters and variety of Japanese bar food.
I've always met someone interesting sitting next to me so it's a social experience as well as food haven. Guu makes their own beer so give that a try.
Highly creative and changing menu and a high energy atmosphere.
Be prepared to wait!!! -
Review from Lans S.
8/5/2011
Fresh off the plane from NYC and ready for something to satiate our tired, jetlagged souls, we were pleasantly surprised to find Guu right around the corner from where we were staying! We are instantly awaken by the hearty "irasshaimase!" the Japanese staff belt out as we walk in and embrace the familiar scent of yakiniku.
I start off w/ The Last Samurai which was a hit! Umeboshi and shiso served with Lamune and alcohol. Yum!
We order the gin dara (cod), and it was delish. The tuna & avocado, grilled pork bits, and peashoot salad were all fresh and good. The ochazuke was as tasty as it was nostalgic.
I love when it is done right and Guu is right on the mark!! -
Review from Kai C.
Vancouver, BC
5/11/2011
Being going to this place for years. Love this place, granted, you have to be in the right mood for a boisterous good time. IMHO, this is one of the most authentic Izakaya's in town, reminds me of Japan big cities, all the good memories of Tokyo, with the bustle and go of a neighbourhood fast eat joint and price to go with it. The decor is authentic too. I saw some some have complained of the furniture, but they're Japanese neighbourhood eating joint styled!!
For those who've not been, staff yells out welcomes, as well as your orders. Think of it as a neighbourood deli, quick good eats, with home made quality and flavours. Cozy and high energy. It's my comfort food place, to get energized too. There's no sushi here, as it's authentic izakaya (tapas style food/portions to go with drinks, stat).
My fav's are: Salmon tataki (sear salmon sliced, on top of a bed of marinated fresh seaweed with ponzu saucce), Grilled Cod or Sea Bass, Oden Soup (with choice of food items, such as daikon, egg, bamboo, taro jelly, etc. this is something one would be able to get at the AmPm or 7elevens in Japan's big cities), Kimchi Fried Rice (has bacon, yum), and the Otonomi yaki (a savory pancake with veggies and seafood). There is also a daily fresh sheet, where you can pick specials of the day. -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
6/20/2011
The noodles are good. So are the rolls if you like mayo. I don't have a memorable, four star experience from this place.
But honestly, it's a solid 3.5 in my eyes.
I don't think I really need to say much more than that.
I just don't get the five star reviews with so many awesome sushi places in this town, and I don't have any desire to return in the near future.
