Guu (Richmond)

Guu is one of the most highly talked about restaurants in Richmond. Everyone's been there at least once, and myself...lets just say more than a few times. A few weeks ago I was feeling a bit peckish, but not quite famished, and Guu came to mind. Most of their menu consists of tapas type items, excellent for a small pick-me-up but also delightful for the famished foodies who want to try a bit of everything.

A defining feature of Guu is the way they greet you as you walk in - every person working there will shout a greeting at you, and if you've never been there before, it can be alarming! But by now, I've learned to love the attention and can't help but beam as I hear the greetings.

One of the most popular drinks in Japan is Ramune - known for the unique bottle and the way it is opened. Guu's Ramune has the cutest design:

The staple that I always always always get at Guu is yaki udon - pan fried udon noodles with mushroom and beef. It seems simple enough, but it is so filled with flavour and is absolutely delicious. It sure as heck doesn't taste the same when I try to make it at home.

Another dish I love at Guu is the okonomiyaki - deep fried squid and cabbage Japanese pancake with tonkatsu sauce and mustard mayo. There's also a generous drizzle of teriyaki on top and of course garnished with katsuobushi (fish flakes!).

Next up was something I hadn't tried before: kabocha korokke - pumpkin and broiled egg croquette. Simply stated, this is a lightly fried ball made of pumpkin with a tiny egg embedded in the middle! I'm not quite sure what the sauce on the outside was, but it was delightfully tangy and added a nice balance of flavour to the otherwise very sweet pumpkin.
Ahh, what can I say about the aigamo pizza (teriyaki duck breast pizza with tomato sauce and mayo) other than it is incredible. Duck is no doubt my favorite meat, and this dish definitely has all the flavours you would want from a pizza but also has that little unique kick of duck.
Lastly was the ton toro - pan fried pork cheek with yuzu ponzu. While this wasn't a horrible dish, it really didn't do much for me. It was overall a little bit bland and by the end of it, I figured that pork cheek probably wasn't really my thing.
I also have to say that the service at Guu is absolutely superb. Their servers are attentive and friendly, and the food comes out incredibly fast. If you like quiet restaurants, this won't be your thing - not only are there greetings being shouted out, but the servers shout out the food orders as well. I love how bustling the restaurant always is, so it is always a pleasant experience for me.
Some other dishes I recommend are: bibmbap (mixed seafood and rice in hot stone bowl with spicy garlic teriyaki sauce) and kakuni (steamed pork belly, daikon, and poached egg with steamed bun).