Pomegranate Lounge
836 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC

6+ years ago, when I moved to Vancouver’s West End, I used to walk around the area a lot. Back then, I didn’t pay too much attention to nearby restaurants, as I was more interested in… Well, just walking around! However, I had to eat and didn’t care where. Hell, I am not ashamed to say that the people in Subway knew me enough to almost starting to call me by name! But, once in a while, I chose to go to actual sit down restaurants and one that caught my attention in those days was Rooster’s Quarters. Why the particular interest? While there weren’t that many izakaya places yet (while there was Guu and Gyoza King, there was no Hapa or Kingyo), it was one of the few non Asian restaurants. Somehow, it seems it was only a matter of time… And, indeed, it closed last year. I was wondering what would replace it and, given all ethnic options, I was quite surprised when Pomegranate opened. It was a tapas-type place but it didn’t have decor or ambiance as the other nearby tapas-like place, including izakaya. So, what then? With that in mind, I went there with PO.

Here is one thing that I should learn about tapas places: going there for lunch might not be necessarily the best of ideas. After all, it is supposed to be more of an after-work activity. But, I have been busy in the last couple of weeks and that meant going there after work wasn’t much of an option. Despite the restaurant was semi-empty, its menu didn’t really reflect that. There was one page dedicated mostly to tapas but, the rest, was mostly regular fare. Given we were there for lunch (read limited time), we decided to go for something can, supposedly, can be easily prepared and consumed. But, of course, we had to as well order something to share, which ended up being…

Calamari. No particular reason for this one but we both agreed this was one that you would easily order to share. From a frying perspective, it wasn’t too crispy and the batter didn’t hold very well. However, that batter was quite thin and the end result wasn’t chewy. The addition of the jalapeño peppers was a nice touch to contrast the two tastes. The tzatsiki was also a winner, as it provided some creaminess and freshness at the same time.

Out of the brunch/lunch options (including omelette and egg benedicts), we both went for sandwiches. In PO’s case, he went for one of the dishes I would have ordered myself: flatbread halibut burger – battered halibut filet with prosciutto, lettuce, roma tomato and pesto mayo. One thing that drives me crazy at times is that the description of flatbread is not really consistent. At times, it is something similar to a pizza; at other times, it is a sandwich, like what was served. But, given what was served, the feelings was mixed. While the idea was good, the execution left something to be desired. For example, we both thought the halibut would have been better had it been grilled rather than fried. Likewise, had it been set up in a pizza like environment would have been easier to eat. But, then again, it was not me trying to eat it so… The pesto mayo didn’t really add much and the prosciutto provided some necessary saltiness. One detail that really failed was the fries. I think the visuals should tell you enough…

As for myself, I went for the steak sandwich and, rather than fries, I went for a salad. Starting with the salad, I thought the dressing was interesting yet odd at the same time. It was quite sweet and we found out why when we were told it was a maple syrup vinaigrette. I was expecting something acidic so that caught me completely off guard. By itself, it was too sweet for my tastes but I can imagine some people liking it.

As for the steak sandwich itself, it had some heavy savouryness in it, thanks to the amount of mushroom in it. The steak itself was cooked medium, despite I request it to be medium rare. This switching in the steak done-ness didn’t detract from the end result, as there was enough juice over that bun. And, talking about the bun, it felt generic but did its work, as it soaked the au jus as mentioned above.

Overall, their offerings are quite decent; in fact, somewhat better than expected. Price didn’t hit a sweet spot though (they were ~$12 each) but they do have cheaper options. And, as for the tapas, despite we tried only the calamari, we thought they were good enough to make us drop back – specially if I don’t want to find for a table in an izakaya but want small plates to share. And, did I mention they have daily (drink) specials? Because of this, I hope they will be able to succeed.

Kitanoya Guu
375 Water St
Vancouver, BC V6B

I wonder how long has Guu been in Vancouver. What surprises me more though is that I have never been to one! When a group of ex-colleagues agreed on meeting after work and Guu was mentioned, I was all up for it. (On that note, some places refer it as “Guu with Otokomae” rather than Kitanoya Guu. Don’t ask what is the difference…)

We agreed on meeting in the Gastown location.

It was not a Friday so it was not as full as one would have expected. Afte arriving, we were given a hot wet towel, called oshibori, to clean our hands. When all the members of our party were there (unfortunately, some could not make it so the party that night was 6), food ordering started and, of course, arriving. Since we are in izakaya, drinks are expected, in this case, a couple of bottles of Asahi beer.

As for food…

Edamame, boiled green soy beans. It was OK, though I must mention I am not crazy about it.

Okonomiyaki, sometimes described as a Japanese pancake. Not sure if that’s an exact description but that works for most people. I asked for this dish. It was not overly savoury but the sauce on top gave it a sweet note. Sorry about the fuzzy picture; I had to quickly take the picture as people wanted to start digging already!

Yakiudon, as if there was not enough carbs already! It was good, as it wasn’t too oily, compared to, say, a stir fry.

Ebimayo. I have been told this is one of the best know dishes: Fried shrimps with a special mayo. If this is a signature dish, unfortunately I must say it is overrated, as I did not find the shrimp too “sweet”.

Dumplings. It was OK, specially if you compare it to a Dim Sum place.

Salmon sashimi. It was OK. Not sure if it is wild salmon but given it is more orange than the usual farmed one, that would hint me they are.

Korokke or Japanese style croquette. In the small bowl to the right, it was pop corn ribs. Now that I think about it, I think we had a bit too many fried dishes… Not extremely excited about either one.

Steak tataki. Is it me or it looks like a carpaccio? Anyway, this was quite good. On a funny note, this is what I was referring to try to take pictures when people are hungry!

For desset, we ordered fried banana with ice cream. The ice cream here was coconut ice cream. I think the banana was not ripe enough but, regardless, it was a good way to finish it. We also ordered an Earl Grey Crème brûlée but did not have a chance to take a picture of it. It was also really good.

As a bonus, we were given frozen grapes. Notice it was not ice-cube frozen, instead, it was as if you were biting to really fine ice or snow.

Overall, if it is food alone, I would say it is just above average. Some dishes are good but others are just OK. However, in my opinion, going to an izakaya is not all about food. Instead is about providing an environment where you can meet with friends, drink, have some food and enjoy the time. In that case, Guu is quite good.