Izakaya is a Japanese word for a drinking place that also serves food. Wikipedia has a bunch of details; here is a brief excerpt:
The name “izakaya” is a compound word consisting of “i ” (to remain) and “sakaya” (sake shop), showing that izakaya originate from sake shops which allowed customers to remain on the premises to drink.
Vancouver is one of the lucky food cities around the world where you can find a Japanese Izakaya restaurant outside of Japan. Kingyo, located in downtown Vancouver’s West End, is an upscale and trendy Izakaya that provides a modern, intimate, and tantalyzing taste of contemporary Japanese food and drink.
Rated as one of Canada and Vancouver’s best new restaurants of 2007 by enRoute Magazine (the inflight magazine of Air Canada), Kingyo consistently gets glowing reviews by visitors for its friendly staff, creative and innovative menu, and great service (check out some of the reviews at Dinehere.ca).
Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the staff and shown to a table quite quickly. Nice hot towels were served to us and our drink orders taken. There was a daily special sheet folded into the menu and the difficult thing was deciding on what to try. We asked the server and he recommended a few dishes. Knowing it was izakaya (tapas), we weren’t expecting huge portions, but trying out several sharing plates. We started with the ahi tuna sashimi (melts in your mouth), then had the calamari (loved how it was made) followed with the Ebi Mayo and the Black Cod.
Below are some pictures of the food that I enjoyed with my friend. Everything was really tasty and I’ll definitely go back again for more.
I made a visit to Cassis Bistro (map, web site, visitor reviews, 420 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-605-0420) and was really impressed. Cassis Bistro is a French tapas bistro hidden away in a somewhat seedier area of downtown Vancouver on the edge of Gastown (about two blocks from the Granville Skytrain station).
Ron Brill of Martiniboys (click here to read review) writes of “…elegantly simple, modern tapas fare…alluring French flavours…” and I concur. Cassis Bistro is definitely deserving of the positive buzz it has been getting recently.
Pictured below are some of the items we ordered. First was the complimentary amuse bouche, which was olives and antipasto served with French bread. The olives and antipasto were served in an interesting narrow tray and whetted the appetite perfectly. For an appetizer, we ordered a crepe with Brie cheese (around $10), which tasted great. Looking at the photo brings back fond memories! For the main course I orderedthe Duck a l’Orange ($17.50). The menu describes this item as:
Duck and oranges: a combination popular in many countries. This dish consists of Muscovy duck braised with oranges.
Let me say, the Duck a l’Orange was fantastic (or should I say merveilleux “en Francais”). I am a huge fan of orange juice and oranges in general, and duck is always a special treat for me since I don’t cook it at home. So this was a match made in heaven.
We also ordered a side dish of some vegetables: beets and zucchini (also pictured below, around $5). This went very well with a side of bechamel sauce.
Amuse bouche (olives and antipasto) with French bread at Cassis Bistro in downtown Vancouver.
Crepe with Brie Cheese from Cassis French Bistro restaurant in Downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Duck a l'orange (Duck and Oranges), $17.50 from Cassis Bistro, a French restaurant in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Side order of market fresh vegetables from Cassis Bistro in Vancouver (beets and zucchini) - around $5.00.
The Speakeasy on Granville (map, 921 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-5531) is a pub located on the downtown Granville strip between Smithe and Nelson (closer to Smithe).
A speakeasy was an establishment which illegally sold alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920–1932, longer in some states).
The drink prices are downtown average and the place is deceptively large. I often come to this spot when I want to get a drink late on a Friday or Saturday night. Due to the size of the room, one tends to be able to sit down most times during the evening. This is certainly not a destination, but true to the name is a relaxed place to unwind.
Pictured below are the nachos and beer that I ordered with my friends. The food tasted great, and was around $10.
Nachos from the Speakeasy on Granville (pub in downtown Vancouver).
