The Guu chain includes izakaya-style restaurants that out-of-towners flock to, and locals always recommend. Within Vancouver, Guu has 4 different spots that all offer varying Japanese cuisine, no struggle rolls. From the second you walk in as they welcome you (exuberantly) with “IRASSHAIMASE”, you know that whatever ends up on your plate is going to be of the authentic variety. The mega-Sapporo is my favorite biru that comes an awesomely huge mug. We also tried two of their most popular menu items; the maguro with 5-color sauce, which was sort of like a tuna-based tartare, and the spicy kimchi pork bibimbap, both of which were extremely tasty. After, we sampled Guu’s very own Guu’d beer made locally from Vancouver-based microbrewer Russel Brewery, while a house red wine is rumoured to be in the works. Overall, Guu is doing a lot of things right, including shipping fresh sashimi from Japan, offering a dope cocktail menu and holding down the truly comfortable ambiance. Absolutely a spot to check out for those visiting Vancouver.