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Kingyo
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Tapas Bars Restaurants Tapas/Small Plates Japanese, Tapas Bars, Tapas/Small Plates [Edit]
871 Denman StVancouver, BC V6G 2L9
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 608-1677
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 4 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- 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:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
117 reviews for Kingyo
Review Highlights
"The Tan Tan noodles were very good."
(in 9 reviews)
"The ebi mayo was crispy and not too oily."
(in 12 reviews)
"This is my favourite izakaya spot in town."
(in 41 reviews)
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117 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie T.
12/29/2011
One phrase: Beef Tongue Ramen --- SO DELICIOUS!
This particular course was however, on the menu which was on a piece of paper - which supposedly changes daily??
But seriously, I did not enter this restaurant expecting to eat ramen! I mean, I would rather go to Kintaro, or Santouka,, right?
WRONG!
Kingyo proved me wrong, the ramen was unique & fantas-licious! The broth isn't clear, it is more towards the thicker side :9 The beef tongue isn't the yakiniku-type beef tongue (thinly sliced), they were thick - but soft - ones!
I also ordered the Aonori Calamari (tad oily, but squid was really rich in taste - in a good way!) AND the Frozen Green Tea Creme Brulee which was meh, in my opinion.
The waiter was really friendly, and I would definitely come back to this restaurant to order the RAMEN, and try something else on the menu, if I visit Vancouver again!
4.5 STARS -
Review from Wendy Y.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
The quality of food, ambiance, and services here deserves at least a solid 4. However, if you were like moi who is not a big seafood fan, then your dinner choices here are practically cut down by half. And if for whatever reason you don't eat beef or not a fan of it, then there is only less than 25% of the menu items that you can actually eat.
I had sashimi salad, deep fried chicken spring roll, a plate of delicately presented assorted sushi, ahi tuna roll, beef stone rice bowl, and almond tofu dessert. Don't get me wrong, they are all good.
You may ask then why do I bother venturing this place if I am not crazy for seafood. My answer would be - I have to see what the hype is all about and also my partner has a Groupon for it (I think this is the real answer). And I have to say yes, this place does live up to the hype.Listed in: Japanese Food
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Review from Erica W.
1/4/2012 1 photo
This place was recommended to my bf and I, so we decided to check it out on our one day trip to Vancouver.
When we got there at 7pm, the place was already packed. Luckily it was just the two of us, because the next group of four that walked in the door had to wait til 10pm! 3 hour wait? what? - I would say its not worth even a hour wait.
We ordered:
1) sashimi omakase - it was just okay - it had sweet shrimp, scallops, and various fishes. Was pretty fresh, but nothing special.
2) yellowtail neck - this was pretty good.
3) tan tan noodles - This was my favorite! It was delicious!
4) beef tripe - this was eh - first of all it took too long to make, we finished all our food and still had to wait a good 10 - 15 minutes for this. When it did come, my bf didn't like it and he LOVES tripe.
5) I think we had the yellowtail cappacio but i'm not 100% - it was some kind of fish that was pretty good.
We also ordered their home made ginger ale, which I liked a lot. If I lived around the area, I wouldn't mind coming back to grab that drink and a bowl of tan tan noodles, but since i don't, I rather explore elsewhere the next time I'm in town. -
Review from Ellen L.
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Disclaimer that I didn't pay for my VanEats package (I rarely ever win stuff, so yay!). I think a couple of items aren't available on their regular dinner menu, but not too sure.
Sashimi Salad was refreshing, but actual sashimi were measly morsels.
Negitoro Sushi was a dud. What was that tuna?!?! Tasted kind of off to me. Nowhere near as good as Suika's rendition.
Chicken Breast Spring Roll was pleasantly cheesy. It was weird to find cheese in something so decidedly Asian, but it works!
Deep Fried Tofu & Mushrooms was good presentation and flavour.
Almond Tofu Dessert was easily the best dish of the package because it had a wow factor. I've never had anything like it before - my experience is limited to store-bought tofu desserts. Smooth, creamy, and right level of sweetness.
Also ordered a couple of dishes from their dinner menu:
Beef Tendon Bibimbap ($9.20) - alright, lots of things in it.
Invincible & Undefeated Tan-tan Noodles (lol @ name - $8.80) - tasted like a strange variation of ramen. Where was the sesame taste?! Not a fan and this is totally defeated.
No stand outs on the food unfortunately, though most were okay. Certainly not the best Japanese tapa/izakaya I've had in Vancouver. The only stand out being the tofu dessert. Service was excellent. -
Review from Ben C.
12/28/2011
yummy, just darn yummy.
This is one of the pricier izakayas in the city but you really get what you paid for. Every single dish was spot on, fresh and delicious. The staff have a lot of style and enthusiasm to make sure you're having a fun meal. Food was art on dishes, well done.
Order a large sake and it'll come in a large porcelain FISH! -
Review from Janice F.
12/30/2011
Couldn't resist the VanEats dining package - $19 for 5 courses.
Sashimi salad - one piece scallop, salmon, fresh ebi. I like the jelly - tonkatsu?
Chicken seaweed springrolls - yum, comes with mayo and soy vinegar.
Pressed negitoro sushi - 6 square pieces, warm sushi rice
Agedashi tofu with hot mushroom sauce poured over it - makes the tofu skin really chewy, wasn't a fan of this dish. Lots of enoki and wild mushrooms.
Almond tofu - small portion, creamy and smooth.
Supplemented the meal with the BBQ tripe - just OK, flecks of chili slightly smokey taste but I prefer Chinese dimsum style tripe.
The beef tongue miso ramen was really good though - the tongue was very tender, better than the pork belly it came with. -
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
1/17/2012
Definitely one of my fav izakaya places in town, usually don't have to wait long and enjoy the ambiance.
Enjoyed the ebi mayo, grilled rock cod, negitoro roll, gyoza, and their home-made ginger ale. can really taste the ginger!
the beef carpparcio on the super hot stones was kinda interesting.
Expect the pricey-ness in DT. -
Review from MyBabyLove R.
Vancouver, BC
11/5/2011
I have really become fond of this place, and the West End in general, over the past three years and each time I dine here I will order the chef specialty which is the 3 kinds of sushi tapas.
There aren't very many places in North America where you can find a Japanese Izakaya restaurant. They also have an apple-sake cocktail that will loosen you up for the rest of the night. What else is in that thing?
Kingyo is definitely an upscale and trendy Izakaya that provides a fresh approach to a wonderful sushi experience. Also, try the kobe beef tapa served on a sizzling hot rock!
sayonara,
baby love. -
Review from Vincci L.
Sea Urchin Bimbimbap.
That's all you really need to know about Kingyo. A hot sizzling stone bowl, with prawn, squid, salmon caviar, rice, topped with sea urchin and doused with a sweet sauce. Each grain of rice is coated with a hint of the sea urchin buttery creamy flavour, the salmon caviar also melts into the dish, and the prawn and squid adds the needed texture. SO good. You'll have to order more than one.
Ok, back to Kingyo. Another izakaya place that is consistently good. Fresh sockeye salmon sashimi accompanied with soy and wasabi is always good, and I've also tried their yakiudon, ebi mayo, and chicken karrage. The chicken was perfectly deep fried, not over oily and with tender white meat. The chicken karrage also comes with 3 different types of salts to vary the flavour.
A good cocktail menu and lots of beer selection. Service is pretty decent. They're usually busy as well, so make a reservation or be prepared to wait.
To end off an already delicious meal, they provide frozen grapes as a sweet bonus. Just awesome. -
Review from Crystal L.
Burnaby, BC
10/2/2011
I've been here for dinner a couple times before, but today was my first lunch experience. I find dinner fantastic but pretty painful on the wallet, so although I like it a lot I don't come often. Lunch is a great time to try them out at a good price.
I had the unagi rice that comes in a stone bowl, and it was absolutely delicious. The only thing is they did forget one of my friend's orders so she was waiting for quite a while without food. They did seem pretty apologetic about it though. I would come back again (for lunch)! -
Review from Purdy J.
10/5/2011
I've been here twice and the food is delicious. Probably not the best place to go if you don't want to eat raw food (or pregnant), although they do have a lot of cooked dishes as well. Their carpaccio, and items on the rawer side are the best. Not the typical Japanese restaurant so don't ask for Gomae or California rolls.
Instead they have excellent quality fish and meats. Their food is beautifully presented and comes out hot. Menu has a lot of options including vegetarian options. It's an exciting Japanese izakaya experience with good quality food that you know will sit well in your tummy.
*If your meal says 2 types of fish, you actually get fish in the form of a fish. Not just pieces of "fish" so don't be surprised. Order something else if you don't like picking out the bones. :)
**Does not provide complimentary tea like most Japanese restaurants. -
Review from Tiffani L.
Richmond, BC
OMG!!!! Im a really picky person! I rarely give out five stars! But i give this restaurant a five stars. All the food i ate are so delicious! Even the normal japanese yakisoba is different from other japanese restaurants. Maybe i was too hungry that day! Everything tasted so good and unique.
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Review from Lisa T.
Vancouver, BC
11/25/2011
first impression: whoaaaa.
the wooden door. the bamboo trees. the decor all around quite added to the japanese izakaya atmosphere. it was quite casual and very welcoming. we sat at the bar, which i much preferred to the regular tables.
the food was tasty. my friend and i ordered four dishes to share, which was just right for our girl tummies. they had some quite unique dishes that i haven't seen before. it was my first time trying white salmon carpaccio. their chicken and jellyfish salad was good too, although the sauce they used was much heavier than the carpaccio's, so it took some adjusting to. grilled black cod and ebi mayo are a must order at any izakaya places i go to. they are the measuring stick to how i rate the izakaya on my scale and determines whether or not i come back.
this, i will definitely come back to. -
Review from Abi B.
8/16/2011
I was the only one waiting outside for the restaurant to open at 5:30pm on a Thursday evening.
Suddenly, the door was flung open.
"KINGYO IS OPEN!"
*crickets chirping*
After a short awkward pause, I followed the host inside and he showed me to my group's table.
The house sake was very good. It may or may not be the reason I don't remember everything that was ordered.
What I do remember is that the ebi mayo was crispy and not too greasy. I thought the scallops were OK; it was presented with mixed greens. The scallops were thinly sliced and I wouldn't be surprised if there were only 2 in the dish. As for the beef tongue, I liked we were able to cook it on a hot stone; the only problem is that you have to cook all the meat quickly or the stone won't be hot enough to cook it well. I also enjoyed the udon and karaage as well.
Overall, it was a delicious experience with good company. -
Review from Bill W.
9/8/2011
What an amazing place! We found it just walking down Denman, and got a 2 thumbs up through the window from a diner.
I'm not even a fan of Japanese food, but this was probably one of the best and most enjoyable meals I've had anywhere.
The whole vibe of the place is cool and fun, and the food doesn't disappoint. -
Review from Amy T.
8/5/2011
Kingyo was just as I remembered it when I first visited years ago. The decor with the bamboo trees and dark wood are my favorite combination, - an inviting and soothing atmosphere.
The food is one of my favorite types - Izakaya. The ebi mayo was crispy and not too oily. The Kingyo style udon was flavorful and had a nice bounce when you bit into them. The tako wasabi was delicious and had the right about of bite from the wasabi. The beef tongue were a tad too chewy this time, but otherwise still great and wonderfully presented. And to my surprise, the house sake was amazingly smooth and easy to drink.
We wanted to show one of our out of town colleagues all the variety of restaurants in Vancouver and Kingyo scored high! -
Review from Karen L.
Richmond, BC
Your typical izakaya - tapa sized portions, fast and wonderful service, loud but fun atmosphere!
MUST TRYS:
ox tongue - cook it yourself on a hot stone! caution: the STONE IS SUPER HOT! the tongue cooks QUICK, so watch what you're cooking.
Tuna and/or beef tataki - covered with flavourful and saucy goodness! :)
It's always busy and crowded on weekends, consider reservations or you'll be waiting awhile or sitting at the bar. Make sure to look at their specials menu! -
Review from Matthew L.
8/18/2011
Honestly, I don't get all the 4- and 5-star ratings. The food at Kingyo was marginal, at best. It's a bad sign when the best thing I can say that I had was a cold Sapporo. In fact, as I walked back to my hotel, I was pissed about the experience.
A lot of the dishes were offered some some generic brown sauce and mayonaise. Now, I know about Canadians and mayonaise, but this was ridiculous. In my mind, the chef did not honor the protein. For instance, we ordered the Yellowtail Carpaccio. The fish was not sliced well. The avocado that came with the dish was over-ripe and not firm and fresh. The Tempura Pork Loin was flavorless. The ribs were just decent, at best. The Tan Tan were pretty good, but nothing special.
I have to also report that I don't feel like we got the best service, let alone food, while there. Every patron that came in or left got a big greeting. We were not given the same warm treatment. I don't want to throw race into the mix, but I have noticed looks, stares, and some noticeable discomfort by some folks in Vancouver (and Victoria). Perhaps people are not accustomed to black (American) tourists, but I certainly have noticed the looks, and can't help but wonder if some of the disparate treatment is a result of that. From being in Kingyo for nearly an hour, all of the white and Asian patrons in the restaurant were definitely treated differently -- and more welcoming. -
Review from Ryan G.
Vancouver, BC
8/7/2011
Very nice place to eat, lots of menu items, raw and cooked for anyone's pallet. I found the server we had was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to reccommend things to us. We were a party of 8 so had a server who was on beck and call for us all. Good beer choices too!! Love the soups.
Great atmosphere and you are WELCOMED when you enter the doors, so be ready for the spotlight!!
Will go again, for any occasion. -
Review from Robin M.
5/22/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Christmas Eve four years ago: it's raining, it's cold, we're miserable. We need a drink. After walking up and down Denman debating back and forth for what feels like at least an hour, we finally decided that Kingyo izakaya would be the answer to our dilemma.
Oh man, what a good call.
The clean and fresh flavours of my sashimi salad were the perfect partner for my (copious amounts) of sake, and the stone-grilled Kobe beef (self-cooked on a hot stone) was gorgeous. I've since been back many times, and am never disappointed with my order.
If you're in the mood for some tasty izakaya, Kingyo is a pretty safe bet -- especially if you've got a more tame crowd to entertain. Personally though, I like my izakayas to lean a little more toward the rowdy side ;) -
Review from Jim T.
11/19/2011
The food is very good, but not really that special. They seem to try too hard to bring in the idea of Asian fusion to basic foods that can be had in the West End neighborhood for a much better price. I do recommend the Shrimp, scallop and bamboo shoots spring roll and the stone cooked beef tongue. Both were very tasty. I think this place might be good for a first date or a gathering of friends. The price is a little high for what you get.
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Review from Bella G.
Updated - 10/20/2011
Now that I think about it, living around the corner from this place was a gift. What an experience. The food was always top-notch. The staff.... let me just say, we were taken care of. I have never experienced such a thorough restaurant experience. I moved out of Vancouver and back to the States and I miss, miss, miss this food and the friendly faces at the restaurant. I used to go there all the time for lunch. When I come back to visit, this is going to be on my list. If you're new in town and want a great izakaya experience, give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Note, for dinner try to make a reservation. It's that good. Yes, I'm serious. For lunch, you can just stroll in.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/23/2010
I love this restaurant. First of all, the lunches are just superb. I'm not a big fan of the MISO… Read more »
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Review from Sanaz J.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2011
We were walking in the area and came across this tapas place. I'd heard the name before but never really planned to go as hadn't heard anybody rave about this place. We started off with the beef tongue steak which was just chewy enough and very delicious. At first I was scared that it'd be served in the shape of a tongue but was surprisingly pleased. Our second entree was the Ahi Tuna sushi, arriving in square shapes; making it easier to savour the rice and tuna taste in your mouth. Our server recommended the noodles with chicken which was rather bland. The decor reminded us of the hay day of Samurais and fits perfectly with the food they serve. I'll definitely go back to try some more yummy dishes.
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Review from Heinz T.
6/25/2011
Phenomenal, impressed and satisfied.
First off the decor is nice, classy yet not too pretentious. I thought the place was perfect size, not too huge nor too cramped. This is definitely a great date spot, very chill vibe, you can be either dressed up or dressed down and they serve single malt scotch, which for me, is a personal win.
Please forgive me, Im not sure what any of this costs cause I didnt pick up the tab and we walked from an apartment complex nearby so Im not sure how parking works either but Ill do my best to describe the food and service.
The food and service was freakin ridonkulously stupendous!!!!! Ok appetizers, had tuna and salmon sashimi. I just had sushi for lunch and didnt really want to eat it again, but damn, something about fresh fish I cant say no to, maybe because of my ancestral background, either way, it was very good. The chicken wings were tasty with the spicy bbq type sauce on it. I enjoyed the kick but for those that dont like any spice should probably stay away from these. If you dont like raw fish and prefer something cooked, the black cod appetizer was very good too. The meat was moist, not over cooked, came with a creamy sauce that complemented it quite nicely.
FYI my party of 3 decided to go full on communal with our meal so we didnt really order individually.
Ok for entree type dishes we got the pork belly w/ rice which was a good little dish that comes in this stone that is heated and so its still cooking when it comes out to you. The waiter mixes the pork, rice and seaweed into this awesome sort of salty, chunky paste that delighted all my tastebuds which for me I wanted more!! So the waiter suggested I order a whole order of pot belly and I said, "Lets do it!!"
While waiting for the pork belly we got the kobe beef strips that came with another piping hot rock and here you just cook the strips to your liking and I love my steak medium rare and for seasoning there were 2 different dipping sauces, a yellow and a red, I was simply amazed at the whole thing! And the beef was so good I personally didnt need any seasoning of any kind.
So finally the pork came out. And Id have to say, if there is meat in heaven, this is exactly what theyre serving. It came out prepared to such perfection its still hard for me to describe. All I know it was a little hard to cut because the top is layered in fat and so my server recommended me to flip it over and just eat from the bottom cause thats where you get that pulled pork tenderness from. But I kindly told the waiter, this might gross some of you out, but that chewy crispy marinated layer of fat, is my favorite!!!
All in all it was a fantabulous dinner, I needed to be at a club and I was late and my server not only called a cab in less than 3 minutes but he also gave me a listerine strip to go on my way! 6 stars and Ill be visiting here every time Im in Vancouver BC, -
Review from Jennifer R.
7/29/2011 1 photo
This place has great ambiance. Singles and couples are seated around a small bamboo grove in the center of the restaurant, or at the counter, while our family was seated at a long table made of an old dark wood door with a glass top.
The food is beautifully presented, fresh, and delicious. Our scallops carpaccio, udon noodles, grilled mackerel, and veggie and yellow fin sushi were all fabulous.
Can't wait to come back here on my next trip to Vancouver! -
Review from Michelle R.
Vancouver, BC
7/14/2011
This place is beautiful.
The decor is ornate, yet simple-- very Japanese.
I'd been there a couple times before having 'tapas' style food with friends and each time the food was great.
This time around, I went with my sister and niece for lunch and was equally happy. The lunch bowls/sets were enough to satisfy the all you can eat appetite.
Thumbs up: Two kinds of fish set, stewed pork bowl, and the katsu that comes with a mortar and pestle for you to grind your sesame seeds to mix with a tonkatsu sauce.
There's a large selection of these kinds of bowls/sets for lunch. It's also affordable.
My favourite part of the place-- that large wall of black and white photos at the front of the restaurant. It transports you to a place where food goes right from the small farm/farmer to the table. -
Review from Steven S.
Myself and my friend love all things Izakaya, Guu and Hapa are our usual personal favs. But this night we tried Kingyo. If was a Friday and busy but we do not mind sitting at the bar, and in this case I recommend sitting at the bar. The Bartener Rui is quite possibly one of best in this town, friendly, chatty willing to recommend dishes to try. And in my opinion the pomegranate mojito s breathtaking and I am usually a beer snob and not a cocktail kind of guy.
We ordered a few dishes and yes like everyone says the presentation is remarkable. The food was very very good, smallish portions and pricey compared to Guu and Hapa but still some of the best and freshest food in town. My personal fav was the tongue cooked on a hot rock. The tongue was fresh and high quality, the cow must had mad skills. We also had the Sashimi platter, and those wonderful sweat prawns worth it right there. I did play with their heads like some crustation puppet show, but I have little class.
This is a great Izakaya for people old and new to it. The service is amazing, the room is fun and the food is levels above most in this city. -
Review from B R.
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fast service, great food, authentic and the atmosphere is relaxed, highly recommended.
This place is a bit too fancy to be a izukaya or hang out, but the food was very good. Some of the seating is not well placed and people spin around you, but I was lucky enough to have a great table while others were not. -
Review from Marjorie D.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2010
Love this place. One of the best izakaya joints in town with fresh sushi. The staff is great too. Lots of dishes to recommend here, especially the grilled beef tongue on the hot stone. Chicken karaage is good too.
Had a birthday here last year and they only allow a reservation before 7pm or after 9pm for a group of maximum ten. I love their version of happy birthday. The staff just screams it out like there aren't any other guests in the room. If you ever need a place to celebrate a birthday, book this place in advance and start thinking of the ten people you want to invite! -
Review from Nam N.
Vancouver, BC
2/15/2011
What's there to say that hasn't already been said? This place is awesomeness!
I've been here countless times, great service, great food and always a place to sit. I hate waiting.
Fav dishes:
-Shrimp sashimi, yum (and when you're done eating them you can ask to deep fry the heads, yummier)
-Kobe beef comes raw for you to cook on a hot stone, just needs a slight searing
-Sashimi salad, sooo full of flavor
-Grilled black cod
-and so much more, their menu is extensive.
I've been here only for dinners to enjoy good eats with cold draft Sapporo. And when it comes to deciding on food, I never decline an invite to Kingyo.
SERVICE: Always friendly and timely, smiles all around.
PRICE: For groups of 3 or more, not very expensive and you get to try out a lot of tapas.
SUGGEST: One of my top 5 izakayas. Glad they opened another on W. Broadway! -
Review from Dennis C.
Wow... I came from LA to visit my cousin.. he took me here because i had heard a lot about the famed Vancouver sushi. I guess this is among the top sushi spots in all of YVR?
This place did not disappoint at all. I think i ordered all the expensive items here, and what i failed to realize was that the portion sizes are actually pretty gratuitous.
My fave items here was pretty much ANYTHING that was fried... that shrimp was pretty money... i ordered their daily special that included 3 items from their "fresh" menu.... in my head, i thought I got one piece of everything... but nope.. i ordered the special, and since i love Toro, i ordered 2 more plates so others in the table could have some too....
Big mistake... or was it a blessing? The special came out, and it was 3/4 pieces of uni, toro, and yellowtail.... no one in LA would give you this much... esp for that price!! And the quality is so much better!
LIKES: Fresh high quality fish. Good variety on the menu.
DISLIKES: Parking.... no, it REALLY REALLY sucks.
VERDICT: Would not mind coming back here next time i visit Vancouver again... which will be very soon. -
Review from Minori I.
North Vancouver, BC
11/29/2010
Great Japanese lunch place. i had Tuna don with tororo. their soy sauce has sweet maromi. i could use more salty soy sauce.
My lunch buddy had a Makunouchi box (1st of the 20 that they serve for the day!). He enjoyed the big lunch with varieties.
love the decor. good Japanese service.
Genmaicha is good, but they charge extra for that. -didn't know till the bill showed up! -
Review from Josh G.
Vancouver, BC
A very hesitant 4 star rating, lucky I'm in a good mood because I think Kingyo is a 3.5....Hard to compete with Hapa and Guu.
Had a reservation but still had to wait for a table on a Wednesday night....small cramped little table in the corner, that rocked back and forth all night, with tiny uneven chairs....not very comfortable.
The service is brutal, order a few drinks and miso soups....she forgets half the drinks and the misos.....the orders took forever. Some of the dishes were really good, the Tuna and Avocado Carpaccio...
My Izakaya standard is Ebi Mayo, I had heard tremendous things, so needless to say I was excited....Alas, bitter disappointment, a decent Ebi, but not up to the standards of other Izakayas in the area. Too much batter, hard and crispy on the outside, but gooey mush on the inside. Hapa will always be #1.
The last dish, which unfortunately took another 40 minutes, was the crispy soft shelled crab salad....weak! Very poorly done crab, soggy and bitter with a terribly overdressed and bland salad.
Always nice to try new places, but all the more reason to stick to your guns. Hapa, I cannot wait for another night together.... -
Review from Elvis A.
8/29/2011
After reading all the great reviews for Kingyo I was really looking forward to dining here. The place was not busy when I got here. I ordered the Kobe Beef with the hot stone and it was just meh. The stone wasn't hot enough half way through my cooking and didn't feel/taste anything special. Other items were forgettable. I think with all the option available within a walking distance of this location one can do a lot better.
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Review from Odette C.
Vancouver, BC
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this izkaya better than Guu, for a izakaya this one is very sophisticated.
Make sure to make a reservation well before hand or expect to wait in line. Everything was good. I would recommend the sushi salad, kobe beef seared on a hot stone, best in the world chicken wings. I'm not a fan of the world famous Tan Tan noodles though, I find the broth extremely salty. -
Review from Fiopo F.
West Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
3.5 stars. Pretty good izakaya food. Surprisingly kid friendly and fair prices for lunch. The servers were friendly and location was easy to find. I liked it better than Guu or Gyoza King.
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Review from Miriam T.
9/14/2011
Stumbled upon this place while on vacation in Vancouver. It was one of the best Asian food experiences. I was craving ramen, so the server recommended the tantan noodles. They were so ridiculously delicious, I will never forget them. My husband had the tuna carpaccio and really loved it. To drink I had their ginger-ale which is made in house, yum! We were seriously considering eating there the following night, but as I was still craving ramen in a major way, we went to a proper ramen joint. We will surely return the next time we are in Vancouver. Oh yeah, the service was so excellent it warmed my heart. Thanks Kingyo!
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Review from Dee B.
9/27/2010
Oh this is a marvellous West End jem!
I ate the Kobe beef, chicken karaage and the Tan Tan noodles. I drank the fresh grapefruit juice and lychee liquor which went perfectly with my meal. Everything was top notch amazing. I wouldn't have anything to complain about even if I were in a really bad mood and hated the world temporarily.
Our server was awesome. We talked about Vancouver fare and all the amazing things our city has to offer.
I will be back to sample the rest of the menu.
Bonus: I started off my meal with a chocolate eclair as another customer had a bag of them from a bakery down the street. Sometimes Vancouver isn't the cold hearted b*tch you thought she was.
2 thumbs up, Kingyo. -
Review from Bronwyn G.
North Vancouver, BC
2/28/2011
Because Kingyo mostly does Izakaya, the ideal party size is one where you feel comfortable splitting small plates. I think that no more than 3 people would be ideal.
Predicting how big your dish will be is impossible, but I suggest ordering at least one more dish than the total number of diners in your party. Don't order the more expensive dishes just because you're hungry. It seems like price doesn't correspond to size here. In fact, the cheapest dish at our table ($6 rice paper sushi) was also the biggest.
The vegetable tempura is really interesting here. They shred their vegetables and then cook them in the shape of a waffle. Cool!
One of the highlights of coming to Kingyo is ordering their hot drinks. The favourites at our table were the "glass of flower tea" and "medium size warm sake in the fish jug". Too cute! -
Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
7/6/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious....you know, the word you use when you're at a loss for words?!?
Love the service, love the space, love the goldfishies, love the bamboo, love the vibe, and last , but not least, love the food.
Try everything on the menu because you can't go wrong. The only thing you'll accomplish by doing so is discovering which your favorites are. I can guaranteee that their take on the sangria is one of the best you'll ever have. My sister who was on her trip here to visit couldn't decide whether to get the 1 liter sangria or a glass, but the waitress seemed to talk us out of the 1 liter for the glass. After one sip though....we know we should have ordered the liter. As for dessert. their almond tofu dessert with jasmine tea sauce, is everything they claim it to be and more.
