Guu

I've never been to Asia. Thus, I have no frame of reference for any kind of Asian (in this case, Japanese) inside joke. That's how I'd regard Guu - an inside joke...

We visited the popular Thurlow Guu location (recommended to us by The Salt Tasting Room wait staff), which I think is an irreverent take on a Tokyo dive bar; only with more thoughtful food. We waited outside 20 minutes for our table and were then ushered in as the waitress and chef yelled in Japanese at each other and then us; a welcoming, of sorts. Wok smoke filled the heavy air. We were crunched against the bar between other fellow diners. More yelling. But it was never kitschy. Never (remotely) Benihana. My problem? I was never quite sure whether I was watching an earnest recreation of home or a tongue-in-cheek version of a familiar institution. But that's a compliment and that's my problem. If I'm eating Japanese, why shouldn't I be transported to Tokyo? Why shouldn't I be disoriented and unsure? Isn't that authentic? Authentic or not, it's foreign to me and that's fine...

The menu was broad and interesting, as well as a minefield for both my allergies and my sensibilities. Shrimp galore, Pig intestines, fish heads with salt, marinated jelly fish...

We waited another 15 minutes before our waitress took our drink/food order, but then our food arrived in less than five minutes...

Fresh Beef "Sashimi Carpaccio" with Tomato Ginger Sauce and Mustard Mayonnaise
Smoked Salmon and Three Kinds of Tomato Salad
Grilled Black Cod with Miso Mayonnaise Sauce

Dishes were priced between $4-8 (Canadian), leading me to believe we'd get small tapas-sized plates. Nope. Each dish was good-sized, almost a meal unto itself. And I wouldn't describe any of the dishes as delicate. Miso mayonnaise glopped atop a slab of cod. Large pieces of smoked salmon haphazardly added to a simple salad. But everything was good. Tasty. Some accessible. Some interesting. My friend got the Pumpkin Croquette Ball inside egg with original sauce...

Would I go back? Yes. Although, next time, maybe I'll bring along somebody to translate the humor...

Cost: $$
Rating: 7/10

Guu
838 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
604.685.8817

The Salt Tasting Room

I'm not sure where it was that I saw or read about TSTR (after a quick Google, I think it might have been a Food Network show or maybe Food & Wine magazine), but when learning I'd be spending a quick couple days in Vancouver, it's the first eatery that came to mind. It was the immense chalkboard wall of charcuterie and cheeses that left an impression...

Nestled in (what I perceived to be) a faux grungy alley in quaint, yet touristy, Gastown was a simple idea. Pick your meats and cheeses (total of 3), pick your condiments (3) and pick your wines (3). Pair them yourself or have the helpful and knowledgeable staff pair them for you...

Full disclosure: we arrived on a lazy Tuesday evening and it's reasonable to think our experience might have been different on a packed Friday night...

I've documented my historic disappointment with wine bars (Cliff Notes: love the concept, "eh" on the execution), but I'm not sure I'd call this place anything but perfect. Every step of the way I felt I was eating something hand-picked. Something pre-screened. That's all I ask. I start envisioning a distributor shoving surplus product down a buyer's throat and the vibe's lost...

After some intense deliberation, here's where I spent my $30 Canadian (solid portions btw):

Manchego (Spain)
Marcona Almonds
Shepherd's Ridge Pinot Noir (Wairau Valey, New Zealand)

Pancetta Salami
Guiness Grainy Mustard
Langmeil Three Gardens (Barossa Valley, Australia)

Valdeon Azul (Spain)
Similkameen Apricots
Renato Fenocchio "Elena" Barbera d'Alba (Piedmont, Italy)

Two words: Valdeon Azul. I like Blue Cheese. I've had good, I've had bad. My point: I'm no devotee. But every bite of that wedge was an experience. A strong, balanced flavor that paired perfectly with wine and the apricots. But what I loved was that it wasn't overly rich. Not over-the-top buttery, as blue cheese can be. Later, I learned it's a blend of cow and goat's milk customarily wrapped in Sycamore leaves. Complex flavors I don't have the vocabulary to describe...

All three pairs (trios?) worked. Well. Differently. And it was fun. I love assembling food. I love making those micro-decisions that help craft the experience. What should my pancetta to mustard distribution look like? Do I finish the blue cheese before downing an apricot? Good stuff...

The concept's not new. Meat, cheese and wine. But give me good meat, good cheese and good wine. TSTR delivers on all three and the mix-n-match pairing is what takes it over the top...

Cost: $$
Rating: 9/10

The Salt Tasting Room
45 Blood Alley
Vancouver, BC Canada
604.633.1912