My friend came over from Seattle this past weekend. We decided to grab a dinner at Guu Garden as he and my other friends never had dinner there before. Guu Garden becomes more well-known among local diners now (I said so because of its hidden rooftop location) compared to when it first opened two years ago. Their customer service and food selections have improved since my several past visits. I personally think it's part of the reason why Guu got gold medal for casual Japanese last year.
That night, "horse sashimi" was up on their daily special menu. We looked at each other and raised our eyebrows. As none of us were adventurous enough, we ended up not trying it. Apparently the table next to us had similar reaction as we did. Horse sashimi might be a common dish served in izakaya in Japan. However, it's not really common here in Vancouver.
We ordered mostly non-classic Guu dishes that night as we wanted to try out what Guu Garden's original dishes. Aside from specializing in oden, Guu Garden also serves many original fusion dishes. What I meant by original here is that it's different from the other Guus.
Bang Bang G Chicken - chicken breast, cucumber, jelly fish dressed with sesame dressing.
Their take on classic Sichuan's bang bang chicken dish. At Guu Garden, they use sesame dressing instead of spicy Sichuan dressing.
Deep Fried "Miso" Calamari
The miso sauce tasted almost like a BBQ sauce. Hence I felt like eating barbequed calamari which was good.
Deep Fried Cauliflower Karaage
I like how they made this "karaage" style instead of tempura style. It was not as crispy as we expected it to be. However, the combination of mayonaise and powdered chili worked well with the deep fried cauliflower.
Assorted Oden in haccho-miso based brorth
It was my first time tasting miso based oden broth. I found the broth a little sweet, but in a good way.
Miso Kakuni - haccho-miso stewed pork belly with half boiled egg
The pork belly was a let down of the night as it was not tender as it was supposed to be.
Tuna Melon - Diced tuna sashimi, melon and dashi jelly dressed with soy based sauce, topped with shaved frozen melon and cilantro.
This was by far the most refreshing dish of the night. I like the combination of frozen melon with tuna.
Hon Maguro / Blue Fin Tuna Sashimi
Best dish of the night, the blue fin tuna sashimi was very fresh.
Roasted Duck Breast with Seared Miso Mayonnaise
Our second best dish of the night. The roasted duck breast was really tender and the seared miso mayonnaise dressing elevated this dish to another level.
Mixed Nuts & Beans salad with Black Sesame & Spicy Miso Dressing
I really like the black sesame dressing on this dish. However, I wish they could put more of the black sesame dressing on the plate.
Unagi Nuku-Sushi - Steamed Sushi in a traditional steamer topped with BBQ eel and sliced omelet, served with dried seaweed and pepper.
The unagi was cooked perfectly. We didn't expect this dish to come in a bamboo tray.
Taiyaki "Macaron" with Red Bean Fillings and Vanilla Ice Cream
The macaron's texture was kinda chewy - it has little resemblance to mochi.
