In search of something different for dinner I wandered down Denman Street on a beautiful Sunday evening. Seeing it was 6:30PM I was expecting packed restaurants and I wasn’t wrong. The first place I came across was La Parissian and all the tables available were in the back area-crappy for pictures so I kept walking and found my destination-Guu Kobachi.
I grabbed a seat at a large communal table at the front by the window and was promptly served a warm moist towel-a traditional thing at Guu’s and Izakaya’s. The interior is all wood which adds a warmth to the space. The communal table at the front can seat around 10-12 people around it and there are some tables and a bar that make up the rest of the seating in the space, this could be one of the smallest Guu’s I’ve ever been to.
Looking over the fresh sheets and drink selection and specials I decided that I would make my selections from these, they also have a menu with standard items for this location.
Sapporo Draft Beer
I started out with a mug of Sapporo draft. Nothing beats a cold beer on a summer day and for around $5.50 this was a good deal . They also have pitchers of Sapporo on special Sunday nights.
Sesame Green Beans
While I was waiting for my food, I was served a complementary dish of Sesame green Beans. These were a nice treat and went great with the beer. The dish consisted of al dente green beans smothered in a sesame sauce with chili on top.
the chili on the sesame green beans
With the sesame sauce being nice and creamy the chili did a great job of cutting that richness and added some great spice.
Beef Short Rib Salad
For one of my choices I went with the Grilled Beef Short Rib salad for $7.80. The thinly sliced and grilled short ribs were peppery and tender. The greens for the salad were arugula and organic greens, thinly sliced onions and some red peppers. There was some dried items in the salad that I though were thinly sliced mushrooms but I’m not sure. The dressing was really light and refreshing. I’d order this again and it totally hit the spot.
Guu Spiced Chicken Karaage
My other choice was a favorite of mine, chicken karaage. Guu Kobachi offers 2 different types on on the regular menu and one on the fresh sheet so I chose the latter. The Guu Spiced Chicken Karaage was lightly coated and not battered so it was really all about the chicken with this plate. The seasoning was very savory tasting, it reminded me of Shake and Bake. The chicken was cooked perfectly and it was super tender and moist. This dish came in at $6.80.
3 Layer Cheesecake
For dessert I went with the 3 Layer Cheesecake for $5.80. It was described on the menu as having a Oreo layer, a baked layer and a “rare” layer.
3 Layer Cheesecake
The Oreo layer added a nice chocolate flavor. In the middle was the baked layer, it had that traditional baked cheesecake denseness and was rich and creamy. On top lay the “rare” layer, It reminded me on a thick sour cream with a hint of sweetness-a pleasure to eat! I was pleasantly surprised at the fact there were 3 pieces so it’s great for sharing and the chocolate smiley face was a nice touch, the one thing I could have done without was the dried orange-I’m not a fan of uneatable garnishes.
I think the addition of another Guu to Vancouver is a great idea let alone having it 5 minutes away from my apartment! If you find the line up at their sister restaurant 3 blocks away to long you now have another great option to check out.
