Service was very prompt and friendly! The decor seemed a bit dated but it was comfy. Food cake very promptly. My favorites were the tontori (melt in your mouth pork cheek!!) and arugula gomae (with toasted hazelnut for that perfect nutty flavor). My boyfriend liked the tuna tataki. The salmon oshi I ordered with less rice and it was perfect. Nice cold sake! I would come back for a casual bite and drink. read more

See all

There's a rooftop patio which would be cute in the summer. Prices are good plus you get a discount if you order ahead for lunch. Happy hour menu has lots of options. There's complimentary tea. We had the Royal bento. It comes with lots of food. The sashimi prawn was super fresh. Great presentation overall. It also comes with miso with veggies in it and rice. The staff came and asked if we wanted more miso as well. There's a hot and cold house sake. The location us up quite a lot of stairs. Meter parking is across the street and there is a parkade in the complex. read more

Haraheri - Royal bento - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Who would've known Vancouver had such an amazing Izakaya place. Found it next to the hotel and I was skeptical, thinking it was not a "Japanese" restaurant. But was I completely wrong. Not a huge menu, but an extremely well orchestrated menu with lots of seasonal choices. I'd come back to Vancouver just for this. Extremely nice staff, very attentive and very resourceful! read more

See all

One of my favourite ambiance's at a Japanese restaurant because of the authentic seating. Food was immaculate too. My favourite was the beef tongue as it was so flavourful and such kind staff. read more

See all

I have been wanting to check out Haraheri for a while now, but never found the opportunity or occasion to go. I'm so glad that I was able to dine there. They have three different tasting menus, and each menu requires a minimum of 2 people to order. It's also served family style. We ordered their Izakaya Course which was $40 per person. In came with the below items. 1. Edamame chilli oil and garlic pan-fried edamame green soybeans pepperoncino or simply sea-salted 2. Gomaae Salad house sesame "aedoko" dressed assorted seasonal vegetables 3. Tuna Tataki ponzu dressed seared tuna sashimi on sliced onions, topped with scallion & garlic chips 4. Vegetable Fries Moriawase green bean fritters, cauliflower karaage and fried Brussel sprouts served with side roasted garlic soy-nnaise 5. Tori Karaage marinated in special house batter, homemade garlic mayonnaise 6. Ebi Mayo prawn tempura with cilantro pesto & sriracha mayonnaise 7. Harami grilled harami beef skirt steak, home made gochujang and garlic chips 8. Mentaiko Aglio e Olio fettuccine all'aglio olio with cod roe, yuzu kosho, topped with scallion and black tobiko 9. Sea Salted Sake Ice Cream homemade sea salted sake kasu ice cream There was a bit too much fried food for our group, but everything was very tasty. My two favorite dishes were the Vegetable Fries Moriawase and the Harami. The fried cauliflower was so good, I especially liked the seasoning on top. The steak was tender and delicious. The gochujang wasn't spicy, and helped elevate the steak's flavor. I personally would have liked the steak to be closer to a medium rare (rather than medium), but everyone else at our table didn't share the same sentiment. The salad was nice and refreshing. I loved the sesame dressing. The Tori Karaage and Ebi Mayo were tender and perfectly cooked. I quite liked that the shrimp wasn't over cooked. The ice cream was unique and I would have it again. It was a good combination of sweet with a hint of savory. The sake was noticeable, but not overpowering. Their staff have a firm 2 hour seating limit. Although the restaurant wasn't fully packed, we were reminded that our 2 hour limit was up. All in all I found the meal to be delicious and super filling well worth the $40 for a 9 course meal. I would love to try their Haraheri Course and happy hour menu. read more

See all

We have gone back several more times in the recent few weeks, so it looks like this is becoming a bit of a regular haunt for us. We went without reservations on a Saturday night and they graciously squeezed us in. We had: the mentaiko aglio e olio which is fantastic (I've had it more than once now). Very light spice level. the saba sushi which was a fabulous value and delicious. This will be my new go-to order! tako karaage - which was tasty and tender, albeit a touch greasy. tuna yukke tartar - this was a bit meh for me. I didn't care for the sweet sauce, and thought the bread was too doughy for the dish... but husband liked it. The tuna itself was good. tontoro - grilled pork jowls, which is one of my favourite cuts. The shaved marinated onions helps to keep the richness in check, and this is a dish we have ordered several times. read more

It was my first time here upon an invitation for a surprise 60th birthday celebration. There were about 50 people in our party. The host had pre ordered all the dishes and it just kept coming dish after dish. I've never heard of this resto and they have amazing food. I especially love the texture and bite of the fettuccine. I've never had it so good. There's a small patio outdoor and it was set up for a Photo Booth. We had so much fun. As I didn't order and pay for the food, I can't comment on the price and value. It was an epic party and I forgot to take pictures of most of the food until later. read more

See all

Beautiful location, diverse menu, extensive hours, it's the perfect spot for hanging out over delicious eats. The cauliflower karaage is a must-try! Love the flavour and the texture. The duck breast is my personal favourite! It's so yummy with the seared miso mayo. On top of their regular menu with a wide range of dishes, Haraheri also has tasting courses available, at $35 or $55 per person. We opt for a la carte this time but I'll be back to try the tasting courses next time! There are paid parking lots available, as well as street parking. Service was professional and friendly. The restaurant may be a bit hard to navigate to if you aren't familiar with where the stairs are! read more

See all

This place has really good izakaya. Friendly service, great presentation, and a wide menu. - Nasu / the eggplant was really good. The flavour is just heaven. - cauliflower Karaage - highly recommended very crunchy. - the sashimi set was great. Salad, soup, everything on point. - love that they use brown rice throughout. Much healthier. - eel and tuna tataki also really good. The eel in particular - great texture. - the oden set - good flavour. Doesn't quite stand out as much as other stuff. I look forward to coming back and trying some other dishes. Could come back many times and not be bored. read more

See all

Tasty Japanese tapas on a rooftop in Vancouver, what else could you ask for? The aburi sushi was fresh, cauliflower kaarage was crispy, tontoro was the perfect amount of smoky, mentaiko udon was creamy! read more

See all

Hidden little Japanese restaurant serving up a various of izakaya dishes and bento style meals. Service was really friendly - seated promptly, water topped off, server checked on us. Food came out a little slow but nothing that bothered us. Food was tasty and everything tasted fresh. Some dishes were a touch salty, but would pair well with beer or drinks. I found one of the sets a little heavy on fried items, but that's not the restaurants fault. I like how the tempura/fried foods remained crispy even after cooling down. I think this place would be fun to visit in the summer when the weather is nice and patio is open. read more

See all

I had a great first experience at this place last night for another birthday celebration. The service was okay. It was easier to book online but difficult to change the numbers so I had to call online. I like the ambiance of this place. It's modern Japanese with some warmth and brightness. There are also different seating options. Definitely going to this place again because of the interesting options. The food was very good. Great value for the set menu as the portions were large! We opted for the 40$ and I had a drink to go with my meal. My favourite were the mentaiko noodles, harumi steak and the tuna tatami. The ice cream was a nice touch and I will definitely be back! read more

See all

This used to be Guu Garden but now is Haraheri. It features a similar concept of Japanese tapas that are well priced, filling, and tasty. I recommend the tako wasabi as that always has a kick read more

Haraheri - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Haraheri has a Japanese staff. They are izakaya so the menu is geared towards drinking with food. They have both traditional offerings and fusion ones. The food was pretty good. read more

Went there during happy hour and the value of the food is very good for the quality. service is good and everyone was polite but could be a little more attention. it took us a good 10min to get the attention of the servers to get our bills Recommend saba shima sushi, quality of the saba was excellent read more

Food here is amazing! I was surprised why the rating here is so low but rating on Google maps is much higher but I think this may be due to the old reviews since I saw someone said that it got rebranded. My favorite was the Tontoro which has a nice balance of lean meat and fats which makes it really tender and lots of flavor in the sauce. The mentaiko aglio olio was delicious too! It's pasta covered with tiny black and white fish roe and it has nice texture with the noodles. The karaage was really light and juicy on the inside. Perfectly fried and it was great with the house mayo. The Bento boxes is great to try a variety of things and I got the Royal Bento which came with some tempura, sashimi and some other dishes. The tempura was light and crispy and the sashimi was fresh! Definitely recommend all these dishes! If you get an option, you can pick to sit at the Horigotatsu which was a fun experience and great ambiance. Service could be a bit slow if it's busy as I noticed the workers are running around but not too bad. Good food is worth waiting! :) read more

See all

A cute izakaya styled restaurant that serves smaller portioned bites. Atmosphere is comfortable, service is nice, and the menu is extensive. We ordered: - Tuna tataki 3/5 - Mekyabetsu 5/5 - Truffle & Mushroom Cream Udon 4/5 - Sukiyaki 4/5 Overall pleasant experience with fair prices. read more

Haraheri - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

First and foremost I want to point out that it's difficult to host a huge party without something taken away whether it's the food getting cold, mix up in orders or service. Haraheri was fantastic. I booked a party for 16 people for a birthday party. I even checked ahead of time if the bills can be split and it wasn't any issue. At the end of the night, we just put it on one bill, but I appreciated the owner's patience for all the multiple questions I had. When we got there, I realized I forgot to mention that we wanted to sit outside, but since there were open tables, they gladly accommodated us. The outdoor space was beautiful and didn't feel like we were downtown, but on a rooftop little oasis. The food and drinks came out at a wonderful pace, without over crowding the table but not too slow where we were waiting too long either. There were too many dishes to name, but the stand outs were the tuna tataki, salmon oishii, beef tongue in broth with rice, grilled beef tongue, mentaiko pasta, tako wasa and salmon sashimi. We were having such a good time I forgot to take pictures. The staff here are amazing, so nice and we never felt rushed. read more

Haraheri - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Very nice spot tucked away two floors up in the middle of downtown, but it's a very private location. We decided to try it based on the many vegan dishes they have. They have a vegan tasting menu ($35), which comes with 8 dishes plus a dessert, and for which they require minimum 24 hour notice for some reason. Honestly, while we enjoyed a few of the dishes, too many were deep-fried and a couple just weren't adequately flavoured. The edamame with chili oil and garlic to start was bland (needs salt), and the shishito peppers were spicy as hell but way under-flavoured. Though the first tempura-like vegetable fry dish was nice -- with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and green beans, plus a soy-nnaise dip -- it got a bit much, especially when the next dish was deep fried zucchini, and the one after was agedashi tofu with kale tempura. The best dishes were the gomaae salad (mostly arugula and lotus root, with a sesame dressing) and the final one: the truffle & mushroom cream udon, a sort of a carbonara with mixed mushrooms -- really nice. The dessert -- a jello-like mochi -- was decent too. Very friendly service, lots of food for the price, but balance of dishes has plenty of room for improvement: Too much deep fried stuff and not enough protein. With a little re-working of the vegan tasting menu, this could be quite good. As is, we likely won't return. read more

See all

we were a party of five and made reservations on opentable on our way to eat bar and patio haraheri on a saturday around 2:15 pm. this japanese izakaya is conveniently located on the rooftop (third floor) of 888 nelson, m101, nelson square building, near the law courts. they have standard seating, a beautiful and spacious rooftop patio seating and also traditional japanese style of dining where a low dining table is set into a cutout in the floor, allowing diners to sit on circular cushions with their legs positioned under the table. note, it is customary to remove your shoes if seated in this style. it took a while for a server to acknowledge us, but we were seated shortly after. the service was a little slow since we were in the corner, but the staff was polite and friendly. the restaurant wasn't very busy, with just a few other diners. they have one of the most generous happy hours, in terms of time, from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm and 9 pm to close on saturdays! tuesday - thursday 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 8 pm - close friday 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 9 pm - close saturday 11:30 am - 5:30 pm, 9 pm - close sunday 11:30 am - 5:30 pm taking advantage of the happy hour menu, we ordered the following: tuna tataki: slightly seared, served in a yuzu ponzu sauce with raw marinated onions and garlic chips, this was my favourite dish tori karaage: deep fried boneless chicken thigh, decent, with a nice garlic aioli dip calamari noir: not very crispy and a little chewy, the squid ink miso sauce made the batter soggy ebi mayo: prawn fritter had a crispy exterior and was flavourful, slightly spicy sauce cajun salmon oshi sushi: pressed sushi, lightly seared another party ordered the chicken nanban, sweet and sour chicken karaage, "shibazuke" tartar sauce, with sliced cabbage, he didn't finish this and got this boxed to go. the two vegans in our party were impressed that they had a good variety of plant based options and they seemed to enjoy their meals: vegan bento ($25): included cauliflower karaage, ingen fries, green bean fritters with soy-naise, kabocha croquette, potato salad, eggplant, gomaae, creamed brussels sprouts, spicy fried tofu, and okra kobachi. the dishes reflected the japanese culinary philosophy of balance, harmony, and seasonality. truffle and mushroom cream udon ($15), mushroom and soy milk cream udon noodle with truffle, porcini, enoki, eryngii, kikurage and shiitake. rebranded as eat bar & patio haraheri, this used to be part of the guu family (guu garden) and has been a hit or miss over the years. overall, it was a pleasant dining experience despite the slow service. read more

See all

Surprised about the score this place has! I guess I don't recall the service being particularly bad or good, but it's a nice quiet, hidden spot in downtown outside of happy hours, and the food is spectacular! I don't recall the exact names of the dishes but their sliced duck was sooooo good. Mussels pretty decent. The and the cauliflower and chicken karaage were so delicious, highly suggest ordering all four. Prices are also reasonable compared to many other places these days. read more

See all

I came here for dinner before but I didn't have a chance to write a review until now. And I just came here for brunch, so I should write about my eating experience here. All the food and presentation looked great! If you see photos of the bento boxes here, I would be drooling and looking forward to eating the food again. Each item was cooked and presented well. No doubt about it. One thing that I would like the restaurant to be improved on was the temperature of the food. I believe most of the food was cooked ahead of time, so when we placed an order, the chef or staff at the kitchen would put them nicely in a bento box, so everything looked great but the food was not hot at all. The rice, miso soup, and everything else were at room temperature. It will be greatly appreciated if the food is cooked and hot right out of the stove or oven. The restaurant is on the rooftop of a low rise building. My family and I walked stairs and it's quite a lot of stairs to get to the restaurant. If someone who can't walk on stairs or who is on a wheelchair, you might have to look around and see if they have an elevator to go up to the top floor. It is a great place to meet with friends or family and enjoy a special meal here. There is a parkade next to the building or people take public transit and walk to the restaurant. read more

See all

Haraheri is a cute izakaya spot, and I finally got to check it out on a Friday night with a group of four. We ordered 2 of the $35 tasting menus and 2 of the $55 tasting menus, plus the Truffle Mushroom Udon. The service was excellent, and I really liked the Zashiki Horigotatsu seating (traditional style but with space for your legs). The place got pretty busy, and it did get quite loud, so if you're looking for a quiet spot, this probably isn't for you. We also saw a group of 16, so it's great for larger parties. Food highlights: - Truffle Mushroom Udon: Rich, savory, and truffly! - Szechuan Lobster Fettuccine: It was delish - it was quite tomatoey with very little spice, but still really flavourful! - Mentaiko Aglio e Olio: Super flavourful - the perfect combo of fishy and savoury! - Gomaae Salad: Surprisingly really enjoyed this one! An arugula salad with the perfect sesame dressing - light but super tasty! We were stuffed, and for $35 per person, it's a fantastic deal. I bet the patio would be amazing in the summer. Highly recommend, and I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

We loved this hidden gem so much we came two times in one week! We normally eat a lot of Japanese food and find that a lot of places mostly serve your regular rolls or specialty rolls with yakiudon/soba. We love the menu selection here. I originally was captivated by the bento box, but actually fell in love with the curry udon. Everything tasted super authentic here read more

See all

Haraheri previously known as Guu Garden is an izakaya so small sharing plates. Easily made reservation on OpenTable and chose to sit out on patio. They have this cute little heater on the table to keep you a bit warmer. Menu was QR code where you could order and pay. Tried - Tontoro: nice portion of pork cheek, pretty tender and yum Oden- ordered both the chefs choice and specific ones. Def recommend mochi in tofu pouch! Sukiyaki- comes with beef simmered with veggies and tofu in soy sauce broth. Comes with bowl of brown rice. Keeps you nice and warm esp on cooler evening Beef tongue steak with garlic- cubes of beef with garlic and some glaze Curry udon- includes a med boiled egg and 2 prawn tempura. Nice flavour in curry just not sure if id order it again Ebi mayo - big portion with 10 shrimps with a spicy mayo, crispy breading and not drenched in sauce Smoked black cod collar- 3pcs smoked and Salted. Family liked it but I would've like more flavour Staff attentive but not staring over your shoulder which is perfect. Overall def try it if you haven't. read more

See all

Come on by for rooftop patio dining @guuharden. The tables are socially distanced and the weather was perfect for dining outside in May 2021. I really liked the garden around the patio which reminds me of Japan. It's the 2nd time I've seen this system at a restaurant, ordering from your smartphone. Such a great system to use to minimize contact as well, I am sure it helps the staff with orders going. straight to the kitchen. We both order the lunch Royal bento box and was delighted my it arrived. Everything looked appetizing with bright colours and organized placement in the bento box with attention to detail. The Royal bento box includes: - 3 kinds of sashimi - ebi mayo - chicken and cauliflower karaage - ingren fries - bang bang e salad - saba shima sushi - grilled fish - vegetable kobachi - miso soup. My favourite were the fresh sashimi, specifically salmon and scallops. They both melted in the mouth and you knew they were fresh. The rest of of the items, honestly was also delicious. The shrimp was super big and juicy in the ebi mayo. The chicken was boneless and super moist and crunchy on the outside. I enjoy vegetables with the bang bang e salad, cauliflower karaage and vegetable kobachi. I was wasn't able to finish as I was quite full. My husband gladly finished the rest of mine. If you haven't tried Guu Garden, you must! Support local by dining in (patio) or pickup/delivery. read more

See all

"Guu Garden" otherwise newly branded as Eat Bar & Patio Haraheri is a rooftop restaurant with a sweet patio and excellent wait staff in downtown Vancouver. I have to make a note right away that the service was 10/10, big props to staff for dealing with our large party and accommodating all our needs in such a professional manner. In terms of service and ambiance, I have nothing but good words to say. However, my review ultimately targets the quality and quantity of the food and in regards to the food that night - I was slightly disappointed. I understand that the restaurant aims for tapas small plate style food and the portions are meant to be on the smaller end but I felt that the food didn't reflect the high price point. Gomaae salad - $10 - There was an interesting array of vegetables to complement this dish and taste wasn't bad but it's nothing special Bang bang G salad - $9 - Delicious salad dressing but wish portion size was slightly bigger :( Duck breast cha-shu - $14 - Definitely the saddest dish, the slices of duck breast were so small and thin...taste was good though so it slightly makes up for it Beef tongue chazuke - $9 (no picture cuz forgot hehe) - This one was actually really good, the rice in broth was a great touch that adhered to my taste buds! Cajun salmon oshi sushi - $14 - This wasn't good...the cajun was strange paired with the aburi and the brown rice wasn't a good touch in my opinion Mentaiko pasta - $14 - Creaminess was on a good level and didn't overpower the mentaiko taste but it's ultimately nothing special I also ordered the melon soda float 1oz and it was super yummy - so yummy that I have no picture of it because I chugged it in one minute! Overall, this cute rooftop patio is a great place for vibes and drinks with friends but I wouldn't come here hungry and expect good food. read more

See all

Beautiful patio dining @guugarden . Couldn't ask for better weather in May! Ordered the Royal bento box which had a great variety of their deliciousness. Fresh sashimi and my favorite were the scallops. Super fresh and delicious! Their ebi-mayo is on point with the spiciness and the prawns were fried perfectly. Loved their chicken and cauliflower karaage. was juicy and delicious. I think I might need to just order that as a separate dish next time. Their patio outside was very well distanced and we were able to order online. Quick, efficient and COVID-friendly so highly recommended! read more

See all

I've eaten at most of the other Guu's but had never been to this location for some reason. When I realized recently that they have a great outdoor patio (technically on the rooftop too even though it's only a two-story building), I knew I had to come and try it out. I made a reservation a couple days in advance for dinner on Thursday at 5:30 pm. It wasn't too busy when we arrived and we had a choice of indoor or outdoor dining. We went with outdoor. The ambiance here is definitely a little bit more upscale and fancier than the other Guu locations I've been to. For example, each outdoor table comes with its own heating flames, which I thought was really cool. There are no physical menus. Instead, there's a slip of paper on the table with the barcode you can scan to access their website for the menu. The most interesting part is that you also order and pay directly on the website, so that means little to no interaction with your server throughout the meal other than them bringing the food. I got one of their cocktails, the Strawberry Season ($11), which is raspberry liqueur, peach liqueur, strawberry puree, and tonic. It was good but had a pretty bitter aftertaste for some reason. We tried a bunch of different items from the menu (* indicates my favorites): *Chicken karaage ($14 for 10 pieces) Fried cauliflower ($7) Deep fried brussel sprouts ($7) Garlic okra ($5.30) - wasn't a fan of this as the okra was cold. I was expecting a hot appetizer *Unagi hitsumabushi chazuke ($10.50) - my favorite dish of the night! Maybe it's because it was cold and rainy the day we came, but this really hit the spot. Who knew unagi in a dashi broth with rice could be so satisfying?? Salmon oshi sushi ($11) - did NOT like this at all. There was a weird taste to the sushi. I think it was some spice or maybe the red chili powder (togarashi) they sprinkled all over the sushi... *Beef tongue ($14) - get this if you like beef tongue, which I clearly do :) Tontoro i.e. grilled pork cheek ($9 for small) - I didn't realize how fatty of a cut pork cheek was and regretted ordering it as soon as I realized read more

See all

Came here for a birthday dinner in a group of 15 people. Service was great and food came out quick! Lovely interior design. We sat in lowered booths where you had to take off your shoes (can't remember the correct word for this style). Somehow, while stepping up on the wooden platform I tripped on the spaced wood shingles and completely fell. Lol. My favourite dish was the tuna tataki and everything else was mediocre. Tip for the karaage, pour half of the sauce on to the daikon, eat every bite with the sauced up daikon and chicken piece. Their take oshi, Cajun spice, which gave it a little kick in your mouth. Also, there was an absence of the pea shoot on top of the oshi, could've added depth in flavour. I've had better mentaiko at bubble world and sushi California. This one lacked umami. Overall, this restaurant is awesome for hosting parties and drinking food. They did not the surcharge gratuity for having more than 6 ppl. read more

See all

The place might be a little hard to find at first. Look for the sign in the plaza and go up 2 sets of stairs! The place itself is quite small so the wait could be awhile if you have a bigger group. My boyfriend and I came on a Friday night and waited 20 minutes (not bad) and got sat at the counter. Food 3/5: Overall the food was okay. Not much flavor and the proportions were ridiculously small, especially for the price. We got the Unagi Bowl which was actually pretty good. The rice was flavored really well, mixed with a perfectly cooked unagi and flavorful mushrooms. The wagyu was extremely small and really hard to chew... we had to spit some out cause we couldn't swallow some. The best part of the dish was the vegetables that were seasoned very well Service 3/5: Not a single time did they come around and check up on us. Took awhile for us to ask for anything (water, the check, etc). Honestly the main plus is that they have japanese toilets with seat warmers - perfect for the winter lol read more

Haraheri - Wagyu - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Came for dinner and they have a mix of cold and warm dishes. The restaurant is very relaxed and it's easy to order a few things to share. You can try the noodle soups, warm dishes, cold dishes and vegetable dishes. Everything we had was good. The patio is large and definitely worth checking out. read more

Nice interior and their patio actually looked pretty cute too. Service was good and the food was alright. The beef tongue steak was a pretty big portion. Not all pieces were tender, as the end bits were quite chewy. I got the small size of the tontoro and it came with plenty of pork. However I thought it was just okay. My favourite dish was the mentaiko aglio e olio. The noodles had just the right amount of chew and the yuzu brightened up the dish. Overall, the meal was pretty good, but it wasn't that special. They do have a variety of dishes to choose from, including cold and hot dishes. read more

See all

I'm finally getting around to reviewing my most frequented Guu location and I'm honestly confused as to why it doesn't have a higher rating. Guu Garden is definitely my favourite branch out of the izakaya chain, especially during the warmer months. Post work beers on their patio are the epitome of summer nights for me - mega Sapporos here are always fresh and a great way to start your evening. They have a rotating menu of daily specials, but I have a few staples I like to stick with. The oden here is great comfort food, with the miso broth perfect for colder temperatures and the dashi a nice alternative when it's warm out. Typical fried izakaya fare is done well here, with my favourite being the chicken karaage. The crispy batter envelopes pieces of juicy chicken without being too greasy, and pairs perfectly with a swig from your cold beer. I also love their green bean fries and rendition of ebi mayo. I usually also order one or two filler items like the salmon oshi sushi or saba shima sushi. The rice to fish ratio is on point and the pickles/accompaniments really highlight waxy specific type of fish. Service is fairly consistent, but especially commendable with larger groups. I've had/attended large celebrations here in the past, and the wait staff always go above and beyond with ensuring your party is well attended to. It's also nice that the ambiance is upbeat and lively (as with most izakayas), but the lush greenery and rooftop environment make it a hidden oasis of sorts in the middle of downtown. If you do have a big group, they also offer party menus with a wide variety of dishes. At $15-25 per person, I find these really good value, especially for guests who might feel overwhelmed with izakaya ordering. There's no shortage of options for Japanese tapas in Vancouver, but Guu Garden will always be one of my go-tos for catching up over a beer or socializing with friends. read more

Haraheri - Mega Sapporos on the patio - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I am a big fan of all the Guu's and this one is no exception. This one is a little nicer than some of the other ones I think. It's on the second floor on Nelson. The menu is similar to the other ones, lots of small sharing plates either cooked or raw. We usually always order the kim chee fried rice, the chicken karaage, and the tuna tataki and then order some stuff off their fresh sheet. Service is friendly and the room is quite nice. read more

Haraheri - big sapporo - Japanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

3.5 stars 3.5 * Royal bento box 12cad is very good price. Sashimi is just ok not that fresh. But not bad either. 3 yakiniku don 9caf. Thick cut beef and juicy. look tender however there were s some silver which make it hard to chew. They didn't put enough SAuce so the dream SF was bland. 4 taiyaki red bean and green tea ice cream is very good. I enjoy chewy taiyaki the pastry shell is a bit thick so the red bean filling is too little. The food Fe cream was very good and rich of green tea. read more

See all

Casual vibe Good for drinking and eating shared Tapas Food - one of my favourite chicken Karage read more

See all

During our recent trip to Vancouver, we found an Izakaya that was worthy of 5 stars. Guu Garden is located just across the street from my hotel the Sheraton Wall Centre. In a retail section of an business complex it occupies the top of the garden level and has indoor and outdoor patio seating. We arrived just after 8 pm and got the last open seats at the sushi / bar. The menu is has a variety of kitchen, sushi, and grilled items. The extensive drink selection makes this place a perfect place to hang out with friends. After we were seated and ordered our meal the crowds built up so much that I over heard the hosts tell the new patron it would be over an hour wait. We ordered the following: Drinks Green tea Tokyo Mojito Kitchen items Chawan Mushi. Steamed seafood egg custard Chicken Karrage Oden fish cake, seaweed jelly, daikon. soup Grilled Miso Black Cod Sushi Local Spot Prawns Omakase Marinated saba toasted rice roll British Columbia sockeye salmon All of the items were excellent and prepared well. Service was super, our server even with a busy packed house took the time to draw me a map of the nearest 7/11 convenience store and gave it to us before we left. read more

See all

If this is your first time to Guu Garden, like me, make sure you head upstairs to the 3rd floor! COVID review: Guu Garden has a good socially distant table system in place. Outdoor seating on the patio is very nice, whether it's rain or shine. In addition, with just your phone and data, you can view the menu, order off the menu, and pay your bill - how convenient! Now onto the food...here's a review of the dishes I ordered, in no particular order: 1. Chicken Karaage, 5 pieces for $8.00 - (3/5) As an avid lover of all culture's fried chicken, this was just okay. The pieces ranged from large to small sizes, exterior was very crunchy, but some interior pieces were dry. The mayo/lemon combo definitely helped! 2. Duck, $12.00 - (5/5) The duck was very flavorful and tender! I would definitely order this again. 3. Yaki Udon, $12.00 - (3/5) Typical yaki udon, nothing too special - good option for you carb lovers out there! Overall, I would come back because of the nice atmosphere/ambiance and to try other items on the menu. read more

See all

I had been to this Guu location a few times before (a few years ago) but didn't recall it being particularly good or bad. So when we wound up being in the area last night, we decided to pop in for dinner. It was crowded when we arrived, thus we were told we only had 1.5 hours to order and eat. That was fine with us ...until they forgot to bring out one item from our order, then rushed us when it finally arrived - 10 mins before our seating time was up. Not cool. Service issues aside, Izakaya food is generally known to be overpriced, but this place takes it to the next level by being all but mediocre in taste AND tiny in portion size. For 2 people, we had to order a bunch of items to even get close to being full. Each item we ordered ranged from $5-10, so you can see how it adds up pretty quickly. It's unlikely that I'll return to this Guu location again anytime soon. read more