Kingyo

The food was so good. Everything was really well balanced and flavorful. The cod was so flaky and delicious, and the combination with the sauce made it even better. We also got the corn and that was very good. I think the beef tongue stuck to the rock a little bit, but the sauce was quite tangy. I think the uni miso udon was my favorite dish though, followed by the black cod and tan tan noodles. I likes the bibimbap but compared to the other dishes it didn't stand out as much.

We put our name down and walked around the area. They told us to expect a 30 minute wait but I believe they texted us within 15-20 minutes.

I'd probably rate Kingyo a bit higher than a 3 realistically, but the negative experience leaves me a bit hesitant...I should have gone with my gut and ordered one of the beef dishes that were on the menu, but I opted for the ebi mayo and what I believe was a sizzling tofu/eggplant special(?) I couldn't locate it on the online menu, which leads me to believe it must have been on their specials menu.

The shrimp were crispy and absolutely delicious, but I was really disappointed by the sizzling bowl. First, it was so overwhelmingly hot and oily that when they brought it out, it was splashing and spraying hot oil all over the table and on me. I tried my best to eat it while it was still hot, taking pieces of food out of the bowl to cool down and still managing to burn my mouth. By the time things had cooled down 30+ minutes later, it was just overcooked food sitting in a huge thing of oil...it wasn't really appetizing and I ended up wasting so much food. I've had sizzling bowls and dishes before, but the amount of oil was really off-putting. I'm talking like 1/4 to 1/3 of the stone bowl was just oil. My friends had some delicious sashimi and pasta that I was able to try, but the sizzling bowl kind of ruined the experience for me.

We also sat at a long shared table and the people on the corner kept putting their used plates and bowls by us. The service was incredibly friendly, which leads me to believe I'd enjoy this place a lot more the next time around, with a different dish.

Decent izakaya although not sure it lives up to the hype.

Kingyo is a pretty typical izakaya with some good dishes and some that are fine but not particularly memorable.

The good: sashimi salad (nice and fresh), the ebi-mayo (generous sized prawns, perfectly cooked, with a tasty Japanese mayo sauce), and the duck (nice flavours, tender cook on the duck)

The meh: agedashi tofu (as someone who typically loves agedashi tofu - also the truffle it's supposed to have was barely noticeable), black cod agedashi (more like a fishball/meatball), salmon tartare (the seaweed tempura was unnecessarily thick and chewy and distracted from the taste of the salmon)

Drinks were cheap although tasted a bit basic. Ambiance was typical of an izakaya (small, cozy, nice enough for a date night or casual dinner), service was attentive.

Overall, a perfectly fine izakaya but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way for it.

Stopped by Kingyo in between stretches of time at Stanley Park, so it was nicely situated for a quick lunch. Our group of 7 had a reservation for 7 people at 12PM so when we arrived we were led to a big table in the back corner of the restaurant. My husband and I split two entrees, the sizzling seafood bowl and the ramen laksa, as well as a couple of appetizers - the karaage and the salmon tartare. The karaage was not bad - very juicy, but not quite crispy enough - and I really liked the salmon tartare paired with the nori chips.

The sizzling seafood bowl was kind of disappointing; there wasn't a ton of seafood included, and it mostly tasted like a non-fried-rice version of seafood fried rice. For the portion and the price, I would not order that again. Conversely, the laksa ramen was excellent and we really enjoyed the broth and the noodles.

Others got the eel bowl, the wagyu croquette bowl, the tonkatsu bento, and the miso black cod bento. They all seemed to enjoy their meals, especially the dashi that came with the eel bowl to turn it into soupy rice at the end. The tako wasabi appetizer and the hot stone beef tongue appetizer that others ordered were also tasty. Even though we got seated right around open, they were already out of the 8-orders-per-day bento, which was disappointing for a few of the people in our party. All in all though it's a solid lunch place in the downtown area!

This is our third trip to Vancouver in recent years and everytime we go we make sure to have at least one meal at Kingyo. The food is exemplary, the service is outstanding, and the ambiance is like sitting in a Japanese ryokan. The menu is so diverse and it never stands still. Everytime we visit it is new but the overall standard and focus remains the same. The best way to sample this excellence is with their Classic Assorted Bento. They only make 8 of these a day but if you call ahead you can reserve one for yourself. The latest incarnation consisted of a large square platter with 16 different items on it. There is too much to go into detail but just note that each item is meticulously crafted and is basically a sample of their more popular entrees. It is simplest amazing to say the least and incredibly priced (currently $38). We always order two bentos amongst three or four of us and then order a few things that aren't in the bento. We always leave stuffed and satisfied with many memories that will go into permanent storage.

I decided to go to Kingyo for lunch, arriving around 1 PM. We got seated quickly at the communal table in the middle. Our waiter handed us menus and brought our waters right away.

The menu at Kingyo was pretty big, so it took us a while to decide. We started with the ebi mayo and yuzu tuna tataki. The ebi mayo was really good; the shrimp were large and tasty, though the batter was a bit too thick for my liking. The yuzu tuna tataki, on the other hand, was just okay--it had a light yuzu flavor but mostly tasted like plain tuna.

For our mains, we went with the truffle carbonara udon and the uni toro bowl. The truffle carbonara udon was the most unique dish I had there, and it was delicious. The truffle flavor was strong and consistent, which was a pleasant surprise. The uni toro bowl was beautifully presented, almost too pretty to eat. The toro was rich and fatty, pairing perfectly with the roe. The uni was fresh and melted in my mouth. The seasoned rice went well with both the toro and the uni, though I could have done with a bit less rice.
We enjoyed our meal so much that we decided to order an extra dish--the wagyu sushi. It was a great choice. The wagyu was perfectly cooked and added a lot of flavor to each sushi piece.

Overall, Kingyo was fantastic. The dishes were amazing, and the service was fast and friendly. If you're in the area, I highly recommend checking out Kingyo.

Kingyo was one of our favorite dinners during our girls trip to Vancouver! We loved the high energy and vibes of the Izakaya and were greeted warmly on a Sunday night. We got lucky to be seated immediately even without reservations.

For food, we enjoyed their Korean bibimbap, grilled fish, creamy udon, and grilled wagyu meat. It was super fun grilling the wagyu on the giant stone! Our favorite dishes were probably the Korean bibimbap and grilled fish. The bibimbap was full of fresh seafood and each bite had different chews and textures. The fish was also grilled perfectly and we absolutely devoured every inch of it! The cocktails were also super yummy, light, and came in the cutest cups. 10/10 recommend!

I normally don't give places 5 stars but dam this was one of the better restaurants in Vancouver. For the price, quality and service it's definitely worth it. I'm a little biased because I liked Raisu more but if you want beef you come here, if you want sushi you go to Raisu.

The beef carpaccio was a good starter as it is not too heavy. I was kinda shocked because even though it was good it wasn't really anything mind blowing or stood out.

The empress gin and tonic was something I've never had before as I'm use to Bombay gin etc in the states. I did like how it was a little stronger in alcohol because I typically don't like my drinks sweet.

The wagyu bowl honestly has been one of the best ones I've tried in Vancouver so far. I don't really venture out to eat wagyu since I feel At times it can be a bit gimmicky but since I'm visiting from the states I just full sent it. It was cooked beautifully rare and it was surprisingly so tender.. I was not expecting that at all since it does look like the skirt cut off the cow.

BEEF TONGUE IS THE GOAT HERE. If there's one thing you want to order.. you better order the dam beef tongue. My god literally just sear it on the stone for 5-6 seconds on each side and your Gucci. The beef tongue didn't even taste like tongue because it was so f*cken tender.. as if it's been hand massaged. The sauce that comes with the beef tongue complimented it really well as it masks the irony taste.

The almond and hochija brûlée was decent.. I was so sad they didn't have the black sesame one :(.

Overall experience.. the service was amazing, friendly and really bubbly. Food was excellent and came out pretty quick, price of the food was shockingly good but it's probably because my USD conversion to CAD was great. Ambiance and vibes of the restaurant felt super Japanese and I'd definitely recommend this place as top 10 restaurants in Vancouver.

I would definitely be back if I ever visit Canada again!

This bustling restaurant on Denman serves sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese small plates. The quality is good, and the dishes are nicely plated. There are some interesting cocktails, including the house signature Kingyo, a refreshing mix of tonic, seltzer, light rum, and shiso. Since shiso is my favorite herb, this was a highlight for me.

Decided to try this place after reading all the high reviews. Came on a weekday for lunch and surprisingly there's street parking right in front of the restaurant

Ordered the wagyu croquette, halibut ramen, and the tuna sushi plate. Overall thought the flavor is on point. Service quality is excellent. Ingredients tasted quite fresh. For the quality, the price is actually pretty good.

Definitely recommend this place for anyone visiting the area.