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Great place to go for some Japanese tappas. The service was okay. You only have 1.5 hrs of time per table. Most restaurants allow 2 hrs. The ambiance is casual and trendy. I like the food and would say salmon with 7 friends was my favourite. The drinks are okay. I was disappointed with the diva. The mojito was better. I would probably order food, but not drinks.
Guu is the noise your stomach makes when you're hungry. This is where you take care of that in style. The Guu family of restaurants was the first izakaya in Vancouver. Since their start in 1993, they have grown to five locations in Vancouver and one in Toronto. Each is different from the others in atmosphere and culinary emphasis. Traditionally, izakayas were establishments where one could find good camaraderie, food , and drink. In North America, it's pretty much just food and drink. This Guu is probably the most innovative and experimental. They like to put their twist on the cocktails and the food. White Sangria was absolutely delicious. The dominant flavor was lychee and you can't go wrong with that. The Guuu'd Yaki Udon was probably the only menu item kept from the early days. It's still a winner. Salmon and Seven Friends (I count eight) was wonderful. Some of the friends may be a bit off putting for some,but wrap them up in the nori and be amazed.
We came in on a very wet and rainy late afternoon after walking around Gastown. This place is so cute and it's an izakaya. Their menu is surprisingly very small, and their special izakaya menu is also limited in my opinion. Lots of similar items... We got grilled miso cod, sashimi salad, beef tataki salad (which was a bit disappointing from the photos we saw), salmon belly, which was huge and yummy, but on the salty side, hamachi carpaccio (first time saw it came in a bowl with salad), pork sausage on grill, which was not what we expected. We also got a Japanese style gobo soup with beef gristle, cheese rice grilled bowl, deep fried squid, and chicken bang bang salad. Overall the good was satisfactory and the service was great. And it was a good shelter from the wet and cold weather.
Honestly, I'm pretty surprised how low the reviews on this restaurant is. I swung by for dinner on a Saturday and had an incredible experience at this izakaya. If you want a table, you probably want to make a reservation, but if you don't mind sitting at the bar and you have a small party, you can probably get away with it. Their menu has so many unique items and everything is super high quality. Takowasa (4.25/5): Super fresh wasabi with tenderr pieces of octopus made for a delicious and unique appetizer. Pork Cheek with Kanzuri Ponzu (4.25/5): This may be biased because pork cheek is my favorite cut of pork, but it's cooked just right with the fat crispy and the entire cut is just cooked so it doesn't feel chewy at all. Paired with fresh green onions, this is an amazing side. Salmon with Seven Friends (4/5): This felt like the Japanese version of bibimbap without rice. Definitely worth trying if you haven't had it before, but I will say it is less salmon forward than the name may imply. Guuu'd Burning Pudding (4/5): A great version of the classic creme brulee. I did enjoy the theatrics of them presenting it still flaming at your table. You can definitely still taste the alcohol a bit though even after you dig in.
Came here because we were craving Guu after having it last month. For food, we had the following: Deep fried chopped octopus (daily special) - light batter, slightly oily as it coated my lips. The octopus was quite chewy and large in size, making it an experience when chewing lol. It could've benefited from a longer tenderizing process. This was served with salt and lemon, no sauce. We found this to be the only miss of the night. Pan fried tuna belly (daily special) - quite soft, almost creamy, not overall salty from the sauce. Take note you are eating for texture here as tuna is not typically flavourful. Flounder carpaccio (daily special) - vinegarette is not overpowering but adds flavour to the bite. Greens and onions are fresh and balance against the slightly creamy texture of the flounder Pork cheek with ponzu sauce - pork cheek is yummy! Having the outer slices and working your way into the fattier pieces showcases different aspects of the pork. The wasabi hit me in the throat by my own doing but I enjoyed the kick regardless LOL Pork belly kakuni - Our last dish of the night, which was (unexpectedly) a Japanese style Peking duck. Pork was hella soft, having been stewed in a syrupy broth. The tortilla could've came out slightly warmer but that's only a small nitpick. In terms of braising, this is as fine as braising can get. It was filling and we enjoyed every bite of it. For drinks, we had: Long island iced tea - This was a solid take on the long island. Bubbly from the coke, the alcohol mixed well to create a light zesty sweetness. Similar to a fizzy VLT iced tea. Despite the lightness, it still packed a punch for me which I appreciated. lalalychee - nothing to write home about unfortunately, if we had to summarize it, it would be "tall glass of soho"
We had a GUU'd time eating GUU'd food and drinking GUU'd beer. We have been eating at GUU With Otokomae in Gastown for many, many years and we always have a fantastic time. The low lighting, music blasting, friendly staff gives off a fun vibe. The food hasn't changed much. We ordered exactly what we have been ordering all these years and it still tasted delicious. My all time favourite dish here is the deep fried cheese. On the table: Panko Brie Cheese - deep-fried breaded brie cheese w/ mango & blueberry sauce 9.9 Takowasa - marinated octopus & wasabi-stem served w/ 6 pieces of roasted seaweed 4.9 Ikamaru Grilled Squid - grilled marinated squid 11 Negitoro Garlic - chopped tuna belly & avocado w/ garlic baguette, green onion wasabi sauce, seaweed sauce 8.9 Wagyu Beef Tataki - thinly sliced, seared WAGYU BEEF w/ original onion sauce, garlic chips, green onion 11.8 Today's Sashimi Salad - today's assorted sashimi on greens dressed w/ guuu'd dressing & wasabi mayo 11.8
Price/quality (4/4): Came here with a friend on a Thursday night. The food was good, though what really knocked it out of the park that night was the lobster tail. It's rare to find a lobster tail at that price level, and even rarer to find one as tasty. Service (1/1): Service was friendly and effective. Would I come here again: Yes
Salmon with 7 friends This was recommended by a friend, and I love it! Raw sockeye, 7 kinds of Japanese side dishes, natto, fried garlic slices, pickled radish, pickled plums, etc., mixed with seaweed and wrapped in seaweed, the taste and texture are very complex. If you can't accept natto, you may want to avoid it. Cheese Tofu SOOO delicious, with a little more honey and caramel sauce on top of the cheesy tofu I used to have, so it was sweet overall. It's dense but not greasy Sashimi Salad One of my friends' favorite dishes. There are scallops and yellowtail in the sashimi. The large pieces are also very fresh. Surprisingly, there are shredded radish underneath, but I don't think the sauce is refreshing enough, it's not Japanese vinaigrette, it's mayo Tenderloin Beef Bibimbap Probably the most average dish in the whole place. Too little sauce, so some are bland. At the beginning, the rice is sticky if the eggs are not coagulated, and the dry and fragrant rice is more delicious when there is rice in the back.
Visiting Vancouver we thought it best to tackle this cuisine and it didn't disappoint. It's a tapas-style menu, mostly small shareable dishes so take advantage of that with your mate. The only real criticism was the octopus was very over cooked other than that, the sashimi is what dreams are made of and the udon noodles were soft enough to sleep on.
Just went to this restaurant earlier today. We went with my family to try something new, and we were craving Japanese cuisine. Food was good. The sashimi salad was fairly large, with diced tuna, partially grilled salmon (my favourite), and scallops. Great portion and taste for $15.80! The grilled salmon bento box tasted good. 2 pieces of grilled salmon were provided, garnishes, a veggie salad with dressing, rice, and a potato salad. Great portion for only $15.80. The grilled mackerel bento box, like the others, was cheap and large ($14). Everything was the same between the two bento boxes except the fish served. I found the mackerel to be a little over salted... rice, salads, and garnishes were all decent. Miso soups were served with the bento boxes, also a bit too salty for me. Still drinkable, with an abundance of tofu, seaweed, and green onion. Service was good, immediately provided us with menus and water/tea right as we were seated. Food took about 15-20 minutes to come. The atmosphere was nice with quiet music playing in the background. If you're someone that can't walk very well up/down stairs, you have to walk up two flights of stairs to reach the seating area. Overall, good place for a meal on a cold rainy day! May come back again with friends to bring
It's almost like being transported to Japan! Great lunch specials and such nice presentation. Pros: -Negitoro Garlic was SO BOMB!!! Highly recommended. It's like a fish spread over garlic bread! -Staff is very friendly and attentive! Cons: -I'm not sure why we were served hot tea in a regular glass... -The Agedashi Tofu was unique... the tofu was like encased with a gel and there was a lot of dashi in the bowl, like tofu-gel soup. Haha
Was venturing around downtown Vancouver and came to this place! It's a restaurant with a brick wall and rustic aesthetic with a bar that gives it a hip and trendy vibe. The waitress was very nice and offered us tea many times and the restaurant is kind enough to provide coat racks for our winter coats. Overall a nice ambience and a good place to chat with friends since it's on the quieter side (at least when we went). The food however was kind of disappointing. I felt like the price points were a bit high for the quality and the flavors weren't anything that wow-ed me away. My boyfriend ordered a dish that barely gave any sashimi. I ordered a miso mackerel bento that was tasty but sort of felt easily replicated at home in my opinion.
This place is a fantastic lunch choice--ample seating, cheap prices, and unique options! Guu with Otokomae deserves more than 3 stars. I shared the Salmon with Seven Friends dish and Mackerel Lunch. The former was SUCH a unique, fun, and flavorful dish. It came with a bunch of ingredients ranging from different textures & flavors, all cut into tiny bite sized pieces. Then I mixed everything together and ate it with seaweed. This is the first time I genuinely enjoyed natto! I also tried the mackerel dish which was incredibly delicious thanks to the oily skin. The hack is to use the rice from that dish with the Salmon with Seven Friends mixture. Everything was a great price and I would come here again!
This Guu was so different from all the other ones i've ever been to. I tried natto for the first time and the texture was quite interesting. Having it blended in with the garlic chips and diced cucumbers etc was a nice thing to enjoy wrapped up with seaweed And wow the mushroom cheese bibibap was shockingly super good despite there being no meat in it. Deep fried brie in panko is a definite must try! The ambiance was lively dim and energetic. Service was consistent and quick. Didn't wait long for food, i didn't have to plan the outting at all. Resos were made and it was awesome. I can't wait to go back. read more
This is a classic izakaya in the heart of Gastown. It was not too busy despite it being the day before a World Cup game hosted in Vancouver. Parking is extremely limited and paid so recommend taking transit here. We tried the deep fried calamari, Wagyu beef tataki, 3 choice dry aged sashimi, scallop carpaccio, and some beers. The dishes were fairly small for the price and was a bit average. The sashimi was good but tasted just like regular sashimi, so not really worth the premium. The Wagyu beef tataki didn't taste as fresh as I hoped, but the ginger sauce equalized the flavor. The scallops were pretty good. All of these paired well with the beer. Not a negative but a heads up that you may face a language barrier when placing the order so definitely make clear what you want to get by pointing out the items you want off the menu read more
As always amazing good. Here are some of my favourite items. The steak is super tender and extremely tasty. The mushroom bibimbap is really tasty and when you spread over the bowl, it's very crispy. The sashimi salad is really delicious, with the nice texture. I love this time the grilled squid is super tender, super tasty! Overall, Guu is an amazing place for Japanese food, and the music and atmosphere are like a bar, but very nice to group dinner and share items. read more
Great place to go for some Japanese tappas. The service was okay. You only have 1.5 hrs of time per table. Most restaurants allow 2 hrs. The ambiance is casual and trendy. I like the food and would say salmon with 7 friends was my favourite. The drinks are okay. I was disappointed with the diva. The mojito was better. I would probably order food, but not drinks. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Guu is the noise your stomach makes when you're hungry. This is where you take care of that in style. The Guu family of restaurants was the first izakaya in Vancouver. Since their start in 1993, they have grown to five locations in Vancouver and one in Toronto. Each is different from the others in atmosphere and culinary emphasis. Traditionally, izakayas were establishments where one could find good camaraderie, food , and drink. In North America, it's pretty much just food and drink. This Guu is probably the most innovative and experimental. They like to put their twist on the cocktails and the food. White Sangria was absolutely delicious. The dominant flavor was lychee and you can't go wrong with that. The Guuu'd Yaki Udon was probably the only menu item kept from the early days. It's still a winner. Salmon and Seven Friends (I count eight) was wonderful. Some of the friends may be a bit off putting for some,but wrap them up in the nori and be amazed. read more
We came in on a very wet and rainy late afternoon after walking around Gastown. This place is so cute and it's an izakaya. Their menu is surprisingly very small, and their special izakaya menu is also limited in my opinion. Lots of similar items... We got grilled miso cod, sashimi salad, beef tataki salad (which was a bit disappointing from the photos we saw), salmon belly, which was huge and yummy, but on the salty side, hamachi carpaccio (first time saw it came in a bowl with salad), pork sausage on grill, which was not what we expected. We also got a Japanese style gobo soup with beef gristle, cheese rice grilled bowl, deep fried squid, and chicken bang bang salad. Overall the good was satisfactory and the service was great. And it was a good shelter from the wet and cold weather. read more
Honestly, I'm pretty surprised how low the reviews on this restaurant is. I swung by for dinner on a Saturday and had an incredible experience at this izakaya. If you want a table, you probably want to make a reservation, but if you don't mind sitting at the bar and you have a small party, you can probably get away with it. Their menu has so many unique items and everything is super high quality. Takowasa (4.25/5): Super fresh wasabi with tenderr pieces of octopus made for a delicious and unique appetizer. Pork Cheek with Kanzuri Ponzu (4.25/5): This may be biased because pork cheek is my favorite cut of pork, but it's cooked just right with the fat crispy and the entire cut is just cooked so it doesn't feel chewy at all. Paired with fresh green onions, this is an amazing side. Salmon with Seven Friends (4/5): This felt like the Japanese version of bibimbap without rice. Definitely worth trying if you haven't had it before, but I will say it is less salmon forward than the name may imply. Guuu'd Burning Pudding (4/5): A great version of the classic creme brulee. I did enjoy the theatrics of them presenting it still flaming at your table. You can definitely still taste the alcohol a bit though even after you dig in. read more
3 years ago
Came here because we were craving Guu after having it last month. For food, we had the following: Deep fried chopped octopus (daily special) - light batter, slightly oily as it coated my lips. The octopus was quite chewy and large in size, making it an experience when chewing lol. It could've benefited from a longer tenderizing process. This was served with salt and lemon, no sauce. We found this to be the only miss of the night. Pan fried tuna belly (daily special) - quite soft, almost creamy, not overall salty from the sauce. Take note you are eating for texture here as tuna is not typically flavourful. Flounder carpaccio (daily special) - vinegarette is not overpowering but adds flavour to the bite. Greens and onions are fresh and balance against the slightly creamy texture of the flounder Pork cheek with ponzu sauce - pork cheek is yummy! Having the outer slices and working your way into the fattier pieces showcases different aspects of the pork. The wasabi hit me in the throat by my own doing but I enjoyed the kick regardless LOL Pork belly kakuni - Our last dish of the night, which was (unexpectedly) a Japanese style Peking duck. Pork was hella soft, having been stewed in a syrupy broth. The tortilla could've came out slightly warmer but that's only a small nitpick. In terms of braising, this is as fine as braising can get. It was filling and we enjoyed every bite of it. For drinks, we had: Long island iced tea - This was a solid take on the long island. Bubbly from the coke, the alcohol mixed well to create a light zesty sweetness. Similar to a fizzy VLT iced tea. Despite the lightness, it still packed a punch for me which I appreciated. lalalychee - nothing to write home about unfortunately, if we had to summarize it, it would be "tall glass of soho" read more
We had a GUU'd time eating GUU'd food and drinking GUU'd beer. We have been eating at GUU With Otokomae in Gastown for many, many years and we always have a fantastic time. The low lighting, music blasting, friendly staff gives off a fun vibe. The food hasn't changed much. We ordered exactly what we have been ordering all these years and it still tasted delicious. My all time favourite dish here is the deep fried cheese. On the table: Panko Brie Cheese - deep-fried breaded brie cheese w/ mango & blueberry sauce 9.9 Takowasa - marinated octopus & wasabi-stem served w/ 6 pieces of roasted seaweed 4.9 Ikamaru Grilled Squid - grilled marinated squid 11 Negitoro Garlic - chopped tuna belly & avocado w/ garlic baguette, green onion wasabi sauce, seaweed sauce 8.9 Wagyu Beef Tataki - thinly sliced, seared WAGYU BEEF w/ original onion sauce, garlic chips, green onion 11.8 Today's Sashimi Salad - today's assorted sashimi on greens dressed w/ guuu'd dressing & wasabi mayo 11.8 read more
Price/quality (4/4): Came here with a friend on a Thursday night. The food was good, though what really knocked it out of the park that night was the lobster tail. It's rare to find a lobster tail at that price level, and even rarer to find one as tasty. Service (1/1): Service was friendly and effective. Would I come here again: Yes read more
Salmon with 7 friends This was recommended by a friend, and I love it! Raw sockeye, 7 kinds of Japanese side dishes, natto, fried garlic slices, pickled radish, pickled plums, etc., mixed with seaweed and wrapped in seaweed, the taste and texture are very complex. If you can't accept natto, you may want to avoid it. Cheese Tofu SOOO delicious, with a little more honey and caramel sauce on top of the cheesy tofu I used to have, so it was sweet overall. It's dense but not greasy Sashimi Salad One of my friends' favorite dishes. There are scallops and yellowtail in the sashimi. The large pieces are also very fresh. Surprisingly, there are shredded radish underneath, but I don't think the sauce is refreshing enough, it's not Japanese vinaigrette, it's mayo Tenderloin Beef Bibimbap Probably the most average dish in the whole place. Too little sauce, so some are bland. At the beginning, the rice is sticky if the eggs are not coagulated, and the dry and fragrant rice is more delicious when there is rice in the back. read more
Visiting Vancouver we thought it best to tackle this cuisine and it didn't disappoint. It's a tapas-style menu, mostly small shareable dishes so take advantage of that with your mate. The only real criticism was the octopus was very over cooked other than that, the sashimi is what dreams are made of and the udon noodles were soft enough to sleep on. read more
2 years ago
Just went to this restaurant earlier today. We went with my family to try something new, and we were craving Japanese cuisine. Food was good. The sashimi salad was fairly large, with diced tuna, partially grilled salmon (my favourite), and scallops. Great portion and taste for $15.80! The grilled salmon bento box tasted good. 2 pieces of grilled salmon were provided, garnishes, a veggie salad with dressing, rice, and a potato salad. Great portion for only $15.80. The grilled mackerel bento box, like the others, was cheap and large ($14). Everything was the same between the two bento boxes except the fish served. I found the mackerel to be a little over salted... rice, salads, and garnishes were all decent. Miso soups were served with the bento boxes, also a bit too salty for me. Still drinkable, with an abundance of tofu, seaweed, and green onion. Service was good, immediately provided us with menus and water/tea right as we were seated. Food took about 15-20 minutes to come. The atmosphere was nice with quiet music playing in the background. If you're someone that can't walk very well up/down stairs, you have to walk up two flights of stairs to reach the seating area. Overall, good place for a meal on a cold rainy day! May come back again with friends to bring read more
It's almost like being transported to Japan! Great lunch specials and such nice presentation. Pros: -Negitoro Garlic was SO BOMB!!! Highly recommended. It's like a fish spread over garlic bread! -Staff is very friendly and attentive! Cons: -I'm not sure why we were served hot tea in a regular glass... -The Agedashi Tofu was unique... the tofu was like encased with a gel and there was a lot of dashi in the bowl, like tofu-gel soup. Haha read more
5 years ago
Was venturing around downtown Vancouver and came to this place! It's a restaurant with a brick wall and rustic aesthetic with a bar that gives it a hip and trendy vibe. The waitress was very nice and offered us tea many times and the restaurant is kind enough to provide coat racks for our winter coats. Overall a nice ambience and a good place to chat with friends since it's on the quieter side (at least when we went). The food however was kind of disappointing. I felt like the price points were a bit high for the quality and the flavors weren't anything that wow-ed me away. My boyfriend ordered a dish that barely gave any sashimi. I ordered a miso mackerel bento that was tasty but sort of felt easily replicated at home in my opinion. read more
This place is a fantastic lunch choice--ample seating, cheap prices, and unique options! Guu with Otokomae deserves more than 3 stars. I shared the Salmon with Seven Friends dish and Mackerel Lunch. The former was SUCH a unique, fun, and flavorful dish. It came with a bunch of ingredients ranging from different textures & flavors, all cut into tiny bite sized pieces. Then I mixed everything together and ate it with seaweed. This is the first time I genuinely enjoyed natto! I also tried the mackerel dish which was incredibly delicious thanks to the oily skin. The hack is to use the rice from that dish with the Salmon with Seven Friends mixture. Everything was a great price and I would come here again! read more
This is a quintessential Japanese restaurant in a Western setting. Reminds of the Elephant Bar in Nagoya. Still a western vibe but very popular with Asians. They were able to get all 11 of us at a table last minute. The other Guus actually laughed at us over the phone when we asked to seat 11. The service started fine BUT they forgot to take our order at the other side of the table. Our food came out slowly. My partner ordered appetizers first so maybe they thought we did order? We only were the third party to come in. No excuse to say they were too busy to take our order. Everything went downhill from there. They totally forgot two black cod dishes, 3 bibimbap dishes, and a order of truffle fries. My older kid was starving waiting for his rice dish. He kept saying: I'll give them 2 stars. They were apologetic but they were short staffed. They didn't give us our miso soup when the other side of our table did. The first dish was done 20 minutes before we even got our miso soup. Do better. read more
I was catching up with Calgarian friend for lunch and decided to bring him here for Japanese food. We ordered Tako Wasa ($4.90), Spicy Agedashi Tofu ($6.80) and Sashimi Salad ($11.80) and they were all fresh. Tako Wasa was good, but taste of wasabi was a bit strong. Agedashi Tofu was yummy and so was the Sashimi Salad. Sashimi Salad tasted citrusy and refreshing it came with daikon noodle and some kind of cornflakes (or something crispy). I'm not sure if the menu changed at all, but it had so less selections from what I got at Guu Garden last time. Service was fast. Guu Otokomae is definetely a good place for a hangout or a date night. read more
2 years ago
Their food is one of a kind for Japanese cuisine. Dessert 4.5 but the menu for the chef salad is awesome and the entrees are 11/10 the food is so good there that everytime I visit Vancouver I go the and only there 5 stars read more
Service: 5/5 Friendly & Quick to cater. Very polite and assists with how certain dishes are supposed to be handled. HappyHour&Drinks: 10/10!!!! Plenty varieties of Sakes, Beers, Cocktails & specials for every day of the week. BONUS great HappyHour choices. Food: 8.5/10 Salmon&7Friends - Delicious, colourful, LOTS of variety in flavour & a fun interactive dish. PERSONALLY I wasn't a fan of the natto beans which had a very slimy texture (similar to Okra) that lingers and leaves a flem-like feeling in the back of your throat... (Gross I know... & I apologize). It also stinks, the Natto beans. Personally I wouldn't mix everything and pick and choose the flavours I want. Chicken Karaage - Pleasantly deep-fried. Soft inside... Great. Negitoro - Buttery, savoury, PERFECT for sharing. General: Could use some more dishes on the menu. read more
8 years ago
First dinner of our Vancouver trip back in December! Friend recommended any of the Guu's. It gets packed very quickly, I called at 5 PM and there were no more reservations already for dinner. Fortunately we were able to get two seats at the bar. What we ordered: - Yaki Udon (pan fried udon with beef, mushroom, green onion, soy sauce, and butter) - Burnt Pudding (?) - I mistakenly assumed this to be creme brulee, but it's not. It's really just pudding and they torch the top lightly, but they don't put the crackly sugar on top like creme brulee has. It is very Instagram worthy though because they torch it in front of you. - Mushroom Cheese Bibimbap - a little odd that they serve Korean food at a Japanese izakaya but... this was delicious! They serve it to you in a sizzling stone pot and then mix it up for you on the spot. - Spicy agedashi tofu Overall the food was great but nothing super duper special, service was great, the bartender kept refilling our hot tea (good because we had been freezing outside) read more
4 years ago
Quite a few people but no specific vibe. Some staff are friendly, some not so much. Not very attentive and sometimes hard to get a staff's attention. Missed one of our order and messed up one because the waitress that served us that evening didn't care to repeat and confirm what we had said/ordered with us. Their drinks are mediocre and in general pricey. Small portion and some dishes are tasty, but some are not memorable. Had some yummy food but overall experience is mediocre at best. The Brussels sprouts were a bit mushy and tasteless. The Tako wasabi is overpowering that it made some of us choke, and completely covered the taste of the octopus. Noddles were good. Definitely not a place I'd go back too. Whether another restaurant with a lower price range or similar price range, I'd guarantee a lot of place around Vancouver with better and more consistent quality in food and service. read more
Good late night food but slower friendly service. The salmon w 7 friends was the most unique and delicious item. We also had day's worth of veggies (which I expected it to be more but it was small), wagyu beef tatakii was OK ( not as tender as expected, tasted more like regular thinly sliced beef), chicken karage (it was good elas expected w tender meat and crispy exterior), pork cheek w kanzi ponzu (was OK, not tender, more like eating chewy fat), beef tenderloin steak bibimbop (was OK, just some beef w a lot of rice and other stuff with it). Nothing too special but still gets the job done for izakaya. Convenient location in gas light district. Need to make reservations to get in but bar area had seating. read more
3 years ago
Great cozy dinner place in the heart of Gastown! We didn't end up getting any entrees and just ordered a bunch of small plates to share and all of them were good. The fried Brie was surprisingly delicious along with the takoyaki and agedashi tofu. Chicken Karaage is always a classic and was great, I especially liked the sauces it came with. I would probably skip the Negitoro next time though, it was a bit too fishy for my taste. Also it was my birthday and they brought out a free dessert which was so nice! read more
4 years ago
Great service and food. We didn't have a reservation so we sat at the bar but still had a great time with the family and the employees were very friendly read more
Great place for Japanese tapas or just sake and cocktails. I've been here a handful of times. Great atmosphere, good service, and good food. It gets loud but I think its part of the charm. Located in the touristy part of Gastown but does not feel touristy at all. I'm a big fan of all Guu locations. This one is seems larger than the other locations, has a great bar where you can enjoy a drink or two. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
We were there for family lunch. Food came pretty quick and tasty. My teenage girls loved their food as well. We would love to go there again read more
7 years ago
How does this place have so few stars?? We came here on the fly on a Wednesday night and honestly had the most amazing time and ate the most amazing food! FOOD pork rice bowl - daily special, so delicious, flavorful, almost ordered two! Enough to share with 4 people. They give you mini bowls Wagyu beef tartare - good and real yummy with the onions, would not order again thigh Panko fried Brie cheese - A MUST ORDER!! Omg!!! I don't know what sauce that was but with the squeeze of lemon it was actual heaven in my mouth. Could have eaten the whole thing to myself. Salmon and seven friends - good if you like gooey raw fish! I liked it a lot and they give you nori to wrap it like a mini taco Shrimp and pork dumplings - simple and delicious Salt crusted sea bass - daily special, SO GOOD! they give you a mallet to crack it open! Unique and so moist, perfectly fresh with a squeeze of lemon. Lots of little fish bones though so get ready for that. Would order again!! Takoyaki - a must order! Delicousssss SERVICE The staff is so sweet!!! All of them super nice and enthusiastic, I wish I got their names. They are really interactive and do a lot of the food mixing for you. I would come here again and again!! Def try this place!! read more
A friend had rave reviews about Guu, so we definitely had to check out this Izakaya while in Gastown! There was a pretty long wait for a table (we didn't have reservations), but luckily, we were able to get seats at the bar. A server took our coats and umbrella and hung them up in a closet as soon as we were seated. He returned our items to us at the end of our meal. Service was good, but the food was excellent! Food: - Sashimi Salad - Assorted sashimi (salmon, yellowtail, etc.) on greens dressed with "guuud" dressing and wasabi mayo. Sashimi was very fresh! I usually don't like the flavor of wasabi, but the dressing was not overpowering at all. - Chicken Karaage - Deep-fried chicken with garlic mayo. Crispy on the outside, and the meat is tender and juicy on the inside. - Guu Yakiudon - Pan-fried udon with beef, green onions, and mushrooms, topped with dried bonito flakes and dried seaweed. This dish was very tasty, and I enjoyed the combination of ingredients. - Hot Stone Bowl Sweets - French baguette, custard sauce, coconut ice cream, blueberry sauce, and chocolate sauce in a hot stone bowl. So yummy! I've never had anything like it before, and I can't wait to eat this dessert again. Overall, everything we ordered was delicious! I will definitely stop by here again if I happen to be in Vancouver! read more
Do you want guu'd Japanese food (yes, I know lame)?! Then Guu is the place for you! We came right after it opened on a Saturday night, we figured with all the awesome reviews this place would be packed later in the evening. We chose to sit at the bar since it was wide open, there was only one other couple there. Now if you're not accustomed to Izakayas, there's quite a bit of chatter between the kitchen and the wait staff, so expect it. Guu's food menu has 7 sections: Sashimi bar, pan fried or grilled, deep fried, carbohydrate, salad, sweet and little dish, plus there is a separate handwritten menu that has their nightly specials (make sure to take a look at it). We ordered the grilled black cod, enoki scallop, spicy agedashi tofu, kimchee udon, the sashimi special, and the banana tempura. I have to say all the dishes were delectable. But the stand out was the grilled black cod (thanks to the bartender around the corner who recommended it), it was melt in the mouth good! And the sashimi special, you have a choice of 3 fish, so we chose scallops, hamachi and UNI for around $15 CAD, you can't beat that deal! There were so many choices for dishes that we knew we were going to have come back here and not soon enough! read more
7 years ago
There's nothing I love more than a place where I can get a variety of tasty dishes at an affordable price, and Guu really took me by surprise on that front. I split five separate dishes with a friend, and I think we barely broke $20 each! And everything was not only delicious, but perfectly portioned out for sampling and sharing. The fried taro balls were soft and well-paired with the matcha salt, the takoyaki was delicious and and slathered in flavourful toppings, the negitoro was tender and refreshing, and the grilled squid had the perfect texture - there was barely any seasoning, just perfectly prepared squid, and I loved it. The banana tempura was solid too, everything I want from fried banana and ice cream - coconut ice cream at that! Sitting at the bar gets you great service, the ambiance is a fun sort of nightlife-lite, and the food is great. What more can I ask for? Nothing, except an excuse to go again. read more
8 years ago
We went here for dinner and the food was really good! There is several locations around the area. I've only been to this one so not sure how the others compare. We got the mushroom bibimbap, ebi mayo (shrimp), and takoyaki (octopus balls) for two people. If you're feeling hungry, I would recommend getting another dish. The bibimbap was large and filling. All dishes were really great and the atmosphere was nice. In addition we had a cocktail as it was $2 off on Mondays. The lychee cocktail was really good! I would recommend coming if you're in the area. read more
1 star for attentive Japanese "anything for the customer" spirit from the wait staff. Generally the food is delicious but not overly impressive (such as eel bibimbap, kimchi pork bibimbap) However, two items that stood out was 1. Daikon salad with seaweed dressing. The mayo based dressing has a mellow fragrance from toasted seaweed. And the Daikon must be special treated because it's just refreshing and crunchy without the usual spiciness that comes with daikon. It was a delicious salad that I tried to recreate at home but unable to do so. 2. Fried brie- gooey mild cheese lightly breaded with Panko, accompanied with blueberry and mango sauce is tasty. Although I'm not a fan of the syrupy nature of the blueberry and mango sauce (I imagined though this would be so much better with my home made jam/preserve) but I love the salty/sweet play off so well in this fried brie dessert. It's a MUST TRY! read more
8 years ago
On a weekday night, they we're quite busy. There was only tables at the bar left so we grabbed some seats there. I like guu because it's tapas style and you can try a variety of dishes. They also have a daily special sheet that changes. The first thing that caught my eye was white sangria. This was white wine, fresh fruit, and ramune. It was pretty nice and refreshing. For food, we tried the negitoro garlic, pork cheek with kanzuri ponzu, stewed beef gristle, mushroom cheese bibimbap, and the eggplant agebitashi (on the specials menu). The eggplant is a cold dish, where the eggplant has been soaked in a dashi broth and was served on a bed of greens. It was a little bit salty, but was tasty. The negitoro garlic was quite a large portion. There was plenty of negitoro left after spreading it on the four pieces of garlic bread. I wish the garlic bread was a bit crispier so that it would be easier to bite. But the negitoro was very fatty and flavourful. The stewed beef gristle was a little disappointing. It felt like there was way more vegetables than beef gristle. However, it was an interesting dish as there were a lot of different textures. The burdock was crunchy and the taro jelly was softer and soaked up the broth. The flavour was good. The pork cheek was one of my favourite dishes of the night. It was simple but had lots of flavour. The pork cheek was super tender and soaked up the sauce. For dessert, we had the guud burning pudding. They torched it in front of us and it is definitely something to Instagram about. Also tried the homemade brownie with coconut ice cream. The brownie was different than what I was expecting. I wanted a warm and fudgey brownie. However, it was served cold and was quite dense. It was still tasty, just wasn't what I was expecting. Overall, it was a tasty meal with fantastic service. I always love the atmosphere of places like guu. read more
8 years ago
I love going to Guu! It's been a while since I've been able to go here, but I managed to find a friend to eat with. This particular one is my favourite because of the ambiance. A perfect date spot, plus food that will make you turn your head and wonder what the table beside you got. My go-to dish is the mushroom cheese bibimbap, which is on their regular menu. The waiter is able to mix the dish for you to get the full potential of your meal. I like the crispness of the rice as it heats up from the hot stone bowl. The mushroom and cheese works together with this crispy rice to give you a burst of satisfaction with each bite. Come to Guu for a great way to finish your night downtown. Great food with daily specials to entice you. read more
5 years ago
We came out to this location because our favourite place downstairs was full and had a line up. With limited time, my colleague and I decide to try out this place. It had a vintage, heritage style decor and ambiance. We ordered a fried fish and breaded chicken dish. I was not really happy with the breaded chicken dish I ordered. It was very bland overall. I can distinctly remember not enjoying the meal but I hope it's just because i chose the wrong dish. read more
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More info about Guu with Otokomae
105 - 375 Water Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6
Canada
Gastown, Downtown
Directions
(604) 685-8682
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http://guu-izakaya.com
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Guu with Otokomae - japanese - Updated July 2026
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