I'm craving Japanese food like crazy today (in the midst of all this deericious turkey action ahhh!!) and want to hit up a izakaya-style place tonight. What's the best place to go/ thing to order?

I'm hungry...

Thanks!

Two of the better ones in my opinion:

yelp.ca/biz/guu-garden-v…
and
yelp.ca/biz/kingyo-vanco…

Or if you want a yakitori place with a slightly different feel:

yelp.ca/biz/zakkushi-van…

At any of them, order from the fresh sheet of the day - whatever is on that is almost always going to be the best!

Enjoy!

Daang Marc! You're a freakin' samurai!! THanks for the kickin' ideas, buddy!! : )

Bump - where's the izakaya love?

Vincci? Larry?

I have to agree with Marc on this one.

Unless you want to go to Japan......Which I highly recommend.  Nothing compares to Japan for Izakaya.  There's this place I love in Kotoku area Tokyo but it's a bit far to go to.

Sorry I'm a bit late on this.  I'm stuck to using my i-phone most of the times until I get that dang new laptop!

The problem for me with most of the Izakaya's here is that there is no consistency and with more places trying to be unique, they're forgetting about the basics.

Taka wasa and beer.  Ebi mayo, stuff like that!

There are alot of popular places to go to, but right now my fav place has got to be the Guu's around town. Next is Zakushi and then Kingyo.  Why is Kingyo third?  I think they're trying too hard to keep their star status.  It's all such a close race between first and third.  

It's all about the energy, the fun and fresh food and the company you bring with you.

Out of all the izakayas, Guu has got to be my favourite place. Try out all 4 locations-each one has their own feel to it. The menu varies from location to location, and their food has never disappointed me. That being said, my favourite one is still Guu Garden: never too packed, and much more spacious. Try their tuna & melon granite!! Ebi mayo is always a safe choice. Oden is perfect for this cool weather.

yelp.ca/biz/guu-garden-v…

WOW !!!!!! KINGYO third ??? Really ??

By far Kingyo and now their second restaurant Suika are by far the better choices for iizakaya in Vancouver !! Guu has not been as progressive with their menu and the staff are not as "fun & interactive" as Kingyo or Suika. The downside is that Kingyo and Suika are a bit more expensive. However, IMO you get much more of a dining/outing experience with these two restaurants.

Yah, Kingyo, my favvourite of all Izakaya's dropped to third in one week.  It's great, don't get me wrong, but the consistency wasn't there and there were some dishes that were trying too hard to be unique when the traditional would have just outshined the one I had that night.

Still nothing like in Japan, but that is apples to oranges.

I have to say.  We never had Izakaya back in the 70's or 80's and this has really opened up the "Westerners" eyes and stomachs as to what more potential Japanese food has to offer besides Sushi.

The only time I ever heard of this Izakaya is here in Vancouver in the last two years. What is it?
Is it like a Tapas, only for Japanese food?

Yes.  Izakaya is fairly new to Canada.  In some cities, it's just beginning..  Vancouver is probably one of the most established cities in Canada for Izakaya.  Starting with places like the Original Guu (which back then went with another name but had to change)  

It is a Japanese Tapas, but in Japan portions aren't really that big anyways so, not really like tapas, but more like Bar food.
For the office worker who does a 15 hour (average shift) and before coming home to sleep goes out with other co-worker friends / dates / meetings at an Izakaya for a beer or sake and grub.

Japanese version on Pub food!  That's what it is.

Funny about Yuji's.  Alot of the reviewers from down south gave it 5 stars.    Maybe they don't really know what the food is about?  DOH!  oh oh.  I can see some backlash here.

Maybe Vancouver has already developed a particular taste for a certain style of Izakaya and the US has a different style of what flavour izakaya should be.

Like all cuisines.  Food tastes and flavours and appreciation for such varies with regions.
Like Italy, north and south, coastal etc.  It's the same for Japanese.  If you come from one region of Japan your tastes for Ramen or Udon are different than others.  Alot of people equate most modern Japanese food to what's in and around Tokyo.  For some people from Tokyo, which apparently is the center of Japan and the Earth.  They feel their form of Izakaya is the best.  
Get a chef from another region of Japan and the style is different.

Now, think of the famous Chef Nobu or Iron Chef Morimoto.  The latter trained and worked under the former for a period of time.  Quite different than sushi chefs from traditional Japan.

Take our own famous little guy on Broadway (you'll have to guess who that is).  He's got his own unique style that Americans absolutely love!!!!, but my Yasuyo thinks is just average and a little too much show and tell.
but then she's from Tokyo and she thinks the world revolves around her.   LOL!