Izakaya Gon's from Japan opens in Vancouver's West End with a menu spanning teishoku to sashimi and wagyu

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      While the West End has witnessed a rapid succession of ramen shops opening up (and a few shutting down), a classy new entry from Japan has broken away from this trend by drawing attention back to Japanese culinary diversity.

      Izakaya Gon’s opened on May 18 at 854 Denman Street.

      The restaurant is run by Osaka-based lifestyle and entertainment company Beaver Group, which—fortunate for Vancouver—chose this city as the location for its first overseas operation. 

      Modern, minimalist Western-style furnishings are accompanied by traditional Japanese décor accents, including lattice window-coverings in this L-shaped, clean-lined room, which seats 45 diners. A gentle wash of muted greys and light natural wood create an airy, relaxing, and refined ambiance.

      Gon's Izakaya

      The lunch menu features a number of teishoku (set meals, with various dishes), including combinations centred around main dishes such as seasonal vegetable tempura, chicken karaage, pork cutlet, or premium wagyu beef steak bowl (ranging from $13.80 to $19.80).

      The special lunch box ($20) features seasonal tempura, fresh sashimi, premium wagyu beef carpaccio salad, chawanmushi (steamed egg pudding), rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables—but only 10 are available per day.

      An array of rice dishes and noodles (from $9.80 to $18.80) include aburi unagi oshi-sushi (flame-seared eel), seafood donburi combo, and tempura curry udon. For those who aren't getting enough vegetables in their diet, there's even a dish entitled “teppan-grilled curry and rice with one day’s worth of veggies” (which includes the daily recommended intake of 360 grams of vegetables). 

      Chicken karaage combo at Gon's Izakaya
      Craig Takeuchi

      The dinner menu covers extensive ground, spanning hot pot, grilled or fried selections, sashimi, noodles and rice dishes, and more. 

      Among the highlights, for sashimi lovers, a special seasonal choice of five varieties of assorted sashimi is available for $38. Steamed barley-fed pork ($10.80) or premium wagyu beef ($12.80) with vegetables and ponzu sauce is served in a steamer.

      Hot pot selections ($14.80 to $29) include spicy red nabe, beef tongue (with ramen) or barley-fed pork (with udon) shabu shabu; or premium wagyu beef sukiyaki.

      Grilled items ($15.80 to $25) include stone-grilled wagyu beef short ribs or beef tongue, and a limited quantity hot plate with wagyu beef hamburg steak and yakiniku wagyu beef short ribs with seasonal root vegetables.

      Meanwhile, fried items ($4.80 to $12.80) cover everything from French fries, squid legs karaage, or deep-fried mini shrimp to scallops, ebimayo, or oysters.

      There are even obanzai ($3.80), or traditional Kyoto-style side dishes, such as octopus with wasabi, chicken skin with ponzu, miso cucumber, and more.

      Gon's special matcha green tea tiramisu
      Craig Takeuchi

      To cap things off, desserts (from $6.80 to $12) include three varieties of shaved ice, with ice cream inside; matcha warabimochi; and Gon’s special matcha green tea tiramisu, with ice cream.

      The drink menu includes fruit-based cocktails, beer, whiskey and brandy, sake, sho-chu, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages.

      Adding to the small number of izakayas in the area, the addition of Gon's will help to rebalance the scales of Japanese eating establishments in an area that has become heavily dominated by ramen.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook.

      Places to go nearby

      Approx. 15 minutes away

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