Vancouver Empire Guu continues to expand its central
Canada presence, with the latest outpost opening in North York. Larger than its
downtown sister, there’s greater opportunity for sitting in its 90-seat dining
room and 60-seat patio. Reservations are available, making it the most customer
friendly location. Even if there is a wait, plenty of bars in the area, so a pint
at the Frog can easily keep you occupied.
As part of their summer menu, Guu was offering tako karu ($10), a cold octopus
carpaccio dressed with a refreshing yuzu
ponzu (citrus soy) dressing. It’s light and flavourful and the thin
jalapeno slices provide an extra bite for those who can handle the spice. Crunchy
slivers of daikon is a great make shift salad for soaking up ample amounts of
chili vinaigrette.
Personally, I found it was a better alternative to the
maguro tataki ($8.30), which is
similarly dressed except uses seared albacore tuna sashimi than octopus. I find
the garlic chips too overpowering, the jalapeno is a much better garnish, in my
opinion.
The gindara ($12.80)
was flavourful having been caramelized with a slightly smoky crust. The typical
sweet and savoury miso glaze is eased with a citrus twist, but the fish could
be cooked just a tad less to help retain more of the cod’s oily moisture.
For me, the takoyaki
($5.50) was forgettable; nothing to complain of but the soft deep fried octopus
studded balls just didn’t stand out. The okonomiyaki
($7.50) is such a similar dish: also sporting a golden crust that’s doused
in a tangy tonkatsu and
horseradish-like karashi mayo. It
even has pieces of diced squid mixed into it. What makes it better, for me, is
the thicker batter that incorporates plenty of shredded cabbage, which gives it
some textural contrast.
The ebi mayo
($8.80) is a popular appetizer in Japan, a simple dish of deep fried prawns
drizzled with thinned mayonnaise. At Guu, the shrimp are plump and arrive
freshly fried, with the mayo having a light spiciness to it. The batter is on
the doughier side, so tends not to be as crisp.
To ensure you’re not hungry in an hour, some filling
starches are a smart choice. The chewy thick noodles in the kimchi udon ($9.30) were slick and well-seasoned,
but definitely required more kimchi. The yaki
udon seemed popular amongst other guests and contains thinly sliced beef to
make it more substantial.
A must-order dish for me at Guu is the kinoko bibimbap ($9.30). Something about
the combination of sticky rice, plump mushrooms, cheese and the earthy seaweed teriyaki
sauce is so delicious. Served in a sizzling stone bowl, the dish is aromatic. If
you’re patient, it even develops a slightly caramelized crust on the bottom
that makes the rice even more flavourful.
Guu’s matcha
cheesecake ($6.50) has an Uncle Tetsu flare to it but the mixture is richer and
creamier. The green tea powder gives the cake a great Japanese taste and aids
in giving it flavour without relying solely on sweetness.
If you’re sitting at the bar by the open-concept
kitchen, it’ll get HOT! Take it from me – wear layers so you can strip down if
required. To help us cool off, we ordered a round of mojito. Both the lychee
($7.80) and ume (plum wine; $7.50) versions were revitalizing with the squeeze
of lime and fresh mint.
Compared to the Church location experiences, North York’s
service was much better. For one, despite ordering the majority of the items at
the same time, the kitchen released the dishes in a timely procession allowing
us enough time between dishes so we didn’t feel rushed. The servers checked in throughout
the meal to ensure we were attended to and asked whether we were finished
before collecting the cutlery.
One thing has not changed – the ear-piercing greetings from
the entire team as people enter and leave. Alas, it’s likely become too synonymous
with the restaurant that it’d be impossible to stop. The food on this visit was
positive, if I can just score a table on the patio away from the screaming,
that would make the experience complete.
Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 4775 Yonge Street (Hullmark Centre)
Address: 4775 Yonge Street (Hullmark Centre)
Website: http://guu-izakaya.com/northyork
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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