Kingyo Izakaya

Kingyo Izakaya
871 Denman St.,West End
604-608-1677

There seriously are more izakaya restaurants in Vancouver than what we know to do with them. Most of the dishes are pretty standard and similar and rarely do you find a place that makes an impression. They all have their ebi mayo and smoked cod so does it really matter which one you walk into for dinner?

Well Kingyo was supposed to be different. Rated the best casual Japanese restaurant in Vancouver by Vancouver Magazine last year, this relative newcomer to the scene was hailed for its focus and finesse. There defiantly has been a lot of buzz about the place and so I finally went and tried it for myself.

I was told that I should go early to make sure I don’t have to wait that long. Luckily, my date and I got there at about 6:30 on a Saturday night and was seated within 5 minutes at their large common table in the middle of the restaurant. Asian countries tend to have large tables where strangers just have to share, get along and eat. It’s a great idea and I think it’s part of the appeal, especially at a restaurant like Kingyo. The décor is really spectacular…well okay that’s probably the wrong word…more like Zen-inspired for sure. But there is a wonderful Japanese, tranquil quality to the space. From the slate coloured floors, to the traditional tiled roof on the sushi bard and the real bamboos in the centre of the common table, the place just makes you want to chill out and have some sake.

Having forsaken the sake and going straight for the tea menu, we quickly looked over what Kingyo has to offer in terms of sustenance. And quite honestly, nothing REALLY stood out. There were the staples of cod, ebi may, beef tataki and such. Maybe we just were adventurous enough that night. I saw the people beside me enjoying some sort of hot pot concoction, which looked interesting, but our palettes said to stay within the norm. So we ordered the smoked cod, beef tataki, ebi mayo, chicken karage and a few other items (can’t remember so must not have been too memorable). The food tasted good but nothing spectacular. They do put their own little twist on things tho. For example, the chicken karage was served with 3 different kinds of salt that you can dip you chicken in. But I kinda judge izakaya places by their ebi mayo and I’ve had better (Shiru-Bay is still the best by far!). The service was just really really good tho! Our waiter was really attentive and always just a glance away. Water was always in our cups and like any Japanese restaurant, the staff was screaming at anyone who walked in or out of the restaurant.

The cool thing at Kingyo was that when you paid, they have you a few skewers of frozen grapes! Very refreshing and very yummy. Defiantly a nice palate cleanser at the end of the meal. All in all, a great place for you to feel like you are in the Japanese country side. But if I’m not willing to travel to the actual countryside for the food, dunno if I’m willing to trek down to Denman for Kingyo.

smoked cod...my fav at any izakaya!

The bamboo really gives the room a nice feel