Momofuku Noodle Bar- East Village (New York City, USA)

After hearing and reading about all the food award nominations for Momofuku of course I had to try it. We went on a Friday night and waited in line for 45 minutes to be seated. The restaurant is small, intimate and casual. I really liked the wrap around bar concept where people are seated at the bar facing each other and the bartender. 

We immediately ordered a bottle of sake and a few of their buns: beef brisket and shrimp buns (see menu). 

The beef was served in a doughy bun with horseradish sauce, pickled red onion and cucumber. The shrimp was served with pickled shallot and spicy mayonnaise.

For our entrees we decided on two noodle dishes: the Chilled Spicy noodles- a serving of egg noodles with sichuan spiced sausage, spinach cashews and the spiciest chili sauce. Our waiter warned me of the spice level but I like to think I have a high tolerance for spiciness, so ignoring her warning I ordered the dish anyway. It arrived looking colorful and fresh. I was so eager to take the first bite. I wish I had a cartoon photo to depict how I must have looked after the first bite. My mouth, nose and entire head was on fire. My sinuses watering immediately, I decided to ignore the signals and take a second bite hoping that maybe my taste buds would adapt. They didn't. I called over our waitress told her its too hot and that I would have to order something else off the menu. The manager came over and told me that they would not take it off the bill since it states that it is spicy in the name of the dish. I didn't argue. In fact I never asked for it to be taken off. Oh well, I'm sure they have had to fight that question more than a few times. I don't know why they would make it so spicy beyond being edible. Our taste buds in North America are not adapted to that amount of hot chili oil in one spoonful. Oh well, on to the next dish. 

I ordered the Momofuku Ramen as a replacement hoping that the broth would soothe my burning tongue and lips. It arrived shortly after. At this point, I was over the entire meal but felt obligated to take a few spoonfuls of the ramen if only to be able to write about it on my blog. For $16 it was quite the disappointment. 

Overall, I was not impressed with the menu or the food. There was no originality and being from Vancouver I've definitely had better buns and ramen in my day. It has always been hard for me and other Vancouverites to find good Asian food outside of Vancouver- we are truly spoiled to have some of the best in Van City. But back to MoMofuku. I heard someone call it hipster food. And I would have to agree. There is nothing particularly amazing at this Noodle Bar. But the atmosphere is lively, the decor modern and simplistic and the food will definitely fill you up. 

(As a sidebar- the photo quality is low as I didn't have my SLR handy- all photos were taken by my iphone with poor lighting). 

Gyoza King (Vancouver, Canada)

Its hard to have one favorite Japanese spot in Vancouver since there are so many to choose from, especially in the lower Robson/Denman area. But Gyoza King has stood the test of time as being my ultimate favorite downtown Japanese tapas joint.

I've been going here regularly since '04 (whenever I'm in town that is) and was happy to see that nothing has changed on my most recent trip: same great service, great food and menu. If you go on the weekends be prepared for a long line up. This isnt the place to be if you have a large party as the restaurant itself is pretty small and filled up with a lot of regulars. For the Gyoza lovers out there, this place has amazing gyozas. My personal favorite is the ebi-nira (prawn, pork and chives), not to say that the others aren't great since they are all pretty amazing. The Gyozas are hand made to perfection and everything else is en par.

Always on my list of orders are the beef sashimi, tuna tataki, agadeshi tofu, kimchi udon, ebi mayo, cheese croquettes, chicken karage and takoyaki.  Did I just list everything off the menu? Its probably because everything here is so delicious. 

The beef sashimi was slightly seared on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. Drizzled with ponzu sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds served with chives and other goodies. 

The tuna tataki- another personal favorite is  also slightly seared served in a small bowl drizzled with sauce and served with chives and turnip. 

BBQ Tongue

Being with a group of adventurist foodies we decided to try the tongue. It was very chewy and nothing extraordinary. I probably won't order it again given that there are so many other delicious options on the menu. 

Prawn, Pork and Chive Gyoza

The best part of the meal is always the handmade gyozas. You can order them steamed or deep fried with a variety of different fillings, including a vegetarian option. I always get the ten piece and can honestly probably have 20 myself..they are THAT good. 

Agadeshi Tofu

Agadeshi tofu is a staple Izakaya dish. I love the combination of the crispy outside and soft inside of the tofu mixed with the delicious sauce which I end up drinking like soup.  And I absolutely love the one served at Gyoza King. 

Takoyaki

Takoyaki, otherwise known as octopus balls, otherwise known as deep fried octopus batter served with mayo and a variety of delicious spices and flavors is also a personal favorite. You can never go wrong with this one. Just be careful as they are very hot. I usually poke them to let out some of the steam...having burnt my tongue one too many times. 

All in all, if you are looking for a solid Japanese Izakaya restaurant in the downtown core, serving good food at relatively cheap prices in a great atmosphere then you must try Gyoza King. Or if you just want to try some of the best Gyozas in Vancouver then you should also make your way over to Gyoza King and enjoy.

Hapa Umi 海 (Vancouver, Canada)

I've been a big fan of the Hapa restaurants ever since the first opened up years ago in front of my house on Robson street. In fact back then I split my time between Hapa Izakaya and Guu with Garlic on Robson. I love both Hapa Izakayas (Robson and Yaletown locations) and was excited to hear that another Izakaya was opening close to my office  on West Cordova making it an optimal location for a work lunch. 

On the wettest, coldest, rainiest/snowiest day I made my way down to Hapa Umi wanting nothing more than something to warm me up. The venue is very clean and modern. In fact the Hapas are commonly referred to as the Japanese version of Cactus Club. Same service, similar clientele, just different food. The food was good although I myself prefer the other two locations. Perhaps it was the lunch menu but I was not a big fan of the Tempura Udon as it lacked in flavour. The udon noodles were not authentic and handmade as those in other udon restaurants but I guess that is to be expected of a Japanese restaurant not specializing in udons.  The salmon sushi roll was delicious and fresh and my friend's Udon dish was okay; however nothing that good to merit the price. Overall, it is a nice location for a work lunch if you are willing to spend more than the average for lunch. However, overall if I had to choose I would stick to the other Hapas preferring their menu and ambiance over Hapa Umi. 

Suika- Japanese Izakaya (Vancouver, Canada)

We are so spoiled in Vancouver...on many fronts but particularly on the food front. Thanks to the various immigrant groups that have made this city as colorful as it is today you can have any type of food your little heart desires any time of day and night. I've searched the world through and through (excluding Japan) and can hands down guarantee that we have some of the best Japanese Izakayas in the world. This confidence was bolstered by my last visit to a new Izakaya (its been around for 1 year now): Suika Izakaya.

This place was recommended by fellow bloggers. Wanting to try something outside of the downtown core we headed over the bridge (5 minutes over the bridge) to Suika- located on Broadway and Burrard.  It is a great Izakaya place: good food, great service and great ambiance. The decor is really well done. I especially loved the empty sake bottles hanging chandelier.

Tuna Tataki

Lotus Roots- Delicious

Duck

You all know by now that I love everything Japanese so its no surprise to hear that I loved this restaurant from the food, decor and our super sweet Japanese server. We will be back soon Suika (don't let Guu know okay? It will be our little secret!)

Shizen Ya (Vancouver, Canada)

Shizen Ya is a great little spot for a quick work lunch located on Hornby street directly across from the courthouse. If you like all organic products, vegetarian and vegan Japanese dishes you will love Shizen Ya. The quality of the food is really above many other downtown sushi locations and there is no doubt that all ingredients down to the brown rice and wasabi are organic. Given that it is all organic it tends to be a little pricier than other sushi spots but then again you are paying a bit extra for the quality. It was so healthy that I did indeed feel a bit hungry not so long after (but then again that's just me on an average day). Try for yourself and let me know what you think.

 

Guu is Guuuuud (Vancouver, Canada)

There once was a time when Guu with Garlic was my all time favorite restaurant in Vancouver.  To the point that my best friend and I spent most Friday and Saturday night dinners there. But that was in 2004.

Having just recently returned to Vancouver I was looking forward to going back to Guu. With all my high expectations in place I went back over the weekend and although it was not in any way horrible it just was not the same. Back in the day Guu was amazing and was less known than it is now.  As a rule of thumb I always trust a restaurant whose majority clientele are of the same origin as the food. The local Japanese community used to flock to this restaurant...! As you may have noted by now I do consider myself Japanese on the inside (given my love for all things Japanese) and thus also flocked here every weekend. 

But on to the actual restaurant: The menu has changed completely and there is not as much selection as there was before. And of course with the popularity has come smaller portions. The tuna tataki and beef sashimi were once my all time favorite but have now lost all flavor. They used to be infused with delicious sauces which are now served on the side (and again the portions are noticeably smaller). 


However, for those going to Guu for the first time they will not be disappointed as they won't realize what Guu was then and what it is now. Through word of mouth I heard that it has new management...which makes sense since Guu now has 5 locations in Vancouver including Guu Garden that I have yet to try. 
If you do happen to be in the mood for Japanese I still recommend making a trip to Guu. My favorites still remain the same: kimchi   udon noodles, beef udon noodles, beef sashimi, agadeshi tofu, beef tongue, and calamari. 


I am now on the hunt for the new jewel of the Vancouver Japanese Izakaya world. Any suggestions?

As soon as you enter this small and crowded restaurant every host, server and cook is yelling at you in Japanese... I assume they are welcoming you to their restaurant. The food is Japanese Izakaya and I think the photos will do all the explaining. 

Tuna Tataki

Shark fin and Jelly fish 

Calamari 

Kimchi Udon

Beef Shashimi 

Whole grilled squid

Octopus balls or Takoyaki 

Yellow fin Sashimi (melts in your mouth)

Prawn tempura served with mayonnaise 

Agadeshi Tofu

Guu with Garlic is located at: 1698 Robson Street, Vancouver, 

Tel: (604) 685-8678