Kitanoya Guu Garlic

There is really an atmosphere of authenticity here. We were lucky to walk by and get a table. It has a certain vibe - and you may like it or you may not. They aren't very good paying attention to folks seated out on the patio. We sat there and we had a hard time getting attention several times. I had to walk up to the waiter to pay the bill. The reason I give them 2 stars was we had to send back the deep fried minced pork cutlet. As you can see in the photo, it was raw. That's quite disappointing. I must say though, i would have given them 3 or 4 stars otherwise. The stewed pork kakuni was amazing. Heavenly even. The rest of the food was good as well.

We arrived quite early around 5:20 pm as we knew we wouldn’t get a table later. We got two bar seats which we enjoyed. Didn’t realize that there would be a fresh sheet at 5:30 pm. What a sweet surprise! Great food. Sashimi was really fresh!

So, we came to GUU WITH GARLIC on a Thursday night at around 9pm. The restaurant was busy but, luckily there wasn’t a line up to get in. Before we talk about the food, let’s get one thing out of the way: the service was ridiculously erratic! The young lady who welcomed us and brought us to the table seemed to be the only one actually paying attention. We asked for water first, which took about 20 minutes to get to the table. Then, we order drinks, which took about the same amount of time. Later, the same thing happened when we wanted to order appetizers so, we just decided to order everything we wanted, which, ended up all being served at the same time. All other servers were just walking up and down without looking around at the tables. We were sitting in a corner so, it was hard for us to signal anybody. Anyways, once the food started to arrive, it was delicious. So, to an extent, it was worth it! We ordered a bunch of dishes until our waitress that young lady actually told us that our order should be sufficient; which it was. Portions weren’t particularly huge but, a few choices were more than enough for two adults. Everything was fresh and well presented so, we enjoyed our dinner after all.

This place is really cute, it serves traditional Japanese eatery vibes which makes you feel like you are in Japan. They also have daily menu in which you can pick from fresh selection of Sashimi and hot food. Not to mention, the service is incredible. The food taste nice, a lil too expensive to me.

Not a japanese food expert so take this review with a grain of salt. Came here on a Friday evening. Place was somewhat crowded. We tried several items and all of them were good. Great service! They patiently explained all the dishes and even gave some good recommendations. We sat at the end of the bar somewhat secluded and could see the entire kitchen from our seats. It was great watching folks work at breakneck pace yet make those meticulous actions. Staff all speak Japanese to each other in the stereotypical sing song way and while I don't know what exactly they were saying, seemed like positive messages every few minutes. Food was fresh and delicious. Had a cold wasabi & octopus dip with sea weed wafers and the dip was very fresh and somewhat intense which I loved as a palette cleanser Also had their fried chicken with dip, small Japanese hotpot, scallops pizza, and beef in sauce. The portions are small so you can try multiple dishes. Overall, good

Friendly staff and fresh seafood. I love how authentic the environment is and we were seated right away. I ordered the assorted sashimi and the marinated eggplant which were both delicious. Very simple but fresh. The prices are average izakaya prices so it can get quite pricey depending on how much you order. Overall, a great place to try.

Small establishment. It was quite busy so my friend and I sat at the corner of the “bar” next to the wall. It was a bit of a squeeze. Thankfully they have hangers on the wall behind to hang coats. Could be a hassle going in and out depending where you are sitting because everyone will have to get up. Anyway, EVERY item ordered was delicious! Started off with the Assorted Oden w/ Soup. It was quite cold outside so I found it quite comforting and the soup was light. I had never had boiled daikon before. It was quite delicious. I wasn’t too crazy about the hard boiled egg though. It was over cooked because the yolk was green and very dry. I thought the Kimchi Cucumber was going to be red and spicy. But not at all. Perhaps I’m ignorant to the fact that not all kimchi means spicy? It was ok. Mildly sweet and sour. The Kakuni Stewed Pork Belly was absolutely amazing. The meat was so tender and came with another boiled/stewed daikon which I ate to myself The poached egg was good. The soy sauce gave it a nice flavor. As for the Assorted 5Kinds sashimi plate, I really enjoyed the Yellowtail. The scallops were good also. Actually tasted the sweetness and I’m no sushi connoisseur. The Carbonara Udon was interesting. I have never had carbonara before but I did enjoy it with udon noodles. It just tasted like a creamy sauce over udon noodles. I didn’t get a chance to try it before the egg was mixed in. I enjoyed it nonetheless. The final dish, Pan Fried Pork Intestines. I really enjoyed this dish and so did my friend. She ate 3/4 of the plate to herself!! It would have been nice if we had rice. This dish I highly recommend! I found out that each Guu has their own specialty which I thought was interesting. I would love to come back to this one for the other menu items before going to the other locations. I highly recommend this place. Probably not good for large parties though.

Nice izakaya with a warm atmosphere! Delicious food - simple and very well cooked. Enough choice to please everyone. Prices are correct. A very nice time with friends!!

Expensive, but very good! Excellent spot with unique offerings as the menu is always changing. I highly recommend trying the melon float with saki ice cream, though ask if they can make it without ice since the ice cream keeps it cold enough.

This place is an absolute hidden gem in Vancouver!!! Their sashimi lunch special is so beyond worth it, it’s a mustttt when in Downtown Vancouver Ordered: 1. Sashimi lunch combo ft. yellowtail, albacore, wild caught salmon, mackerel, scallop, & poke 2. Chicken kaarage w/ garlic mayo The sashimi was super fresh and the restaurant was rly generous with the slices! I love thick slices of fish & each of the ones were amazing*_* The mackerel here was one of my favorites which is surprising considering I typically don’t like it. Price: $19 CAD for sashimi/$11 CAD for chicken The price is beyond reasonable and such a steal for ALL the fresh fish that comes with the combo. It’s still insane to me that the sashimi was only $15 USD!! Searching up how to obtain Canadian citizenship now

Directions to Kitanoya Guu Garlic with public transportation

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