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