Guu is Guu'd

 

Rarely is a meal so spectacular that you are still in awe of it a week later. Luckily there are still some amazing meals where every aspect is perfect. Excellent service, tasty drinks, sublime food, and an exciting ambiance can come together to make an unforgettable meal. This was my experience at Guu. Behind the extremely bland exterior of an awning on a rather unremarkable street lies one of the best restaurants in Vancouver.

Because celebrating my Mom’s birthday motivated my visit to Guu, we started out the evening with some nice cocktails. I definitely recommend the sake mojitos and since all cocktails are under $9, I will be enjoying more in the future. Most of Guu’s menu items are authentic Japanese tapas. And I know that Japanese tapas sound like a bit of a contradiction, but trust me that they are delicious! The atmosphere is almost controlled chaos with an open kitchen, bar, and limited space. Despite this, the high energy only made our meal better.

Between my Mom and I, we had six dishes including dessert. We started with the Aigamo Salad, which was a roasted duck salad with a wasabi dressing. Truly one of the best salad dressings I have ever tried, but this was my least favorite of the dishes. Up next was the Ebi Mayo, which was a deep-fried prawn with chili mayo. I cannot think of tasting a better prawn dish in my life. Sadly my photos of the prawns don’t really reflect how delicious they were!

Next was a daily special of mussels in a garlic butter sake broth. The mussels were tender and the broth was light and refreshing. Fourth came Hotate Butter, a delectable garlicky scallop dish served on some of the best bread I have ever tasted! Our last savory dish was Tuna Tataki in a ponzu sauce. I am a self-confessed tuna addict and Guu did not fail me here! The meal was completed with green tea ice cream that left me wanting more. 

In the end I have to say that I wish I could visit Guu every day. Or work there, learn their secrets, and gorge on tuna tataki and prawns for the rest of my life. Mmmm.