Incredible Japanese - Kingyo Izakaya (Vancouver Elective 2015)

Electives are an essential part of being a resident. Taking a few weeks away from my home base in Winnipeg, I am allowed to explore different cities and provinces to learn, teach and recognize the similarities and differences we have in delivering patient care. Selfishly this also gives me time to eat at new restaurants and explore new cuisines too! And so on a whim I was able to set up an elective in sunny and beautiful Vancouver, to which I dedicate the next series called Vancouver Elective 2015.

Like a groundhog seeing its new surroundings, I always do a quick food survey when I arrive at a new place. It has become second nature for me to open up Zomato/Urbanspoon and dash over to see the popular and well respected restaurants in each city. Knowing the daunting task of taking on the Vancouver world of food, I made a few key decisions for this trip:

#1 - I had to be thrifty in my food choices for this quick two week elective
#2 - traveling would be difficult and had to limit myself to the Downtown core (sorry Surrey!)
#3 - I will have to come back again as there are too many choices

With those decisions made, my first stop was a highly regarded restaurant touted for its traditional and nuanced take on Japanese cuisine Kingyo Izakaya.

In the crowded market that is Vancouver, to be able to top the majority of best-of restaurants is impressive; and to be a Japanese restaurant, a cuisine which Vancouverites are passionate for, is outright incredible. While almost unfair to descend upon Kingyo with these lofty expectations, I can happily exclaim that they were fully met and exceeded! First off, the restaurant is gorgeous. Located on busy Denman Street between Haro and Barclay, Kingyo has a decidedly traditional decor. Dimly lit with an air of essence, a trio of kimono-clad geishas welcomed and quickly ushered me over to a magnificent wooden dining table and comfortable booth style wood seating. Surveying the premises, I quickly catch site of an army of chefs behind the sushi table and marveled at them attacking and filleting an enormous salmon, while a handsomely dressed bartender swoops behind them handing out beverages of choice. Grinning to myself, I quickly muttered ... "this will be good".

Kingyo has multiple menus being offered at the same time: an Lunch special menu (changes with every month), their main lunch menu and a lunch side menu. My recommendation: ignore most of the menu and ask if they have the Deluxe Bento Box available, a dish that they only have available to the first ten customers designed to give a venerable feast of options from across all of Japan and its various cuisines. If you are unable to get one, then peruse through the decidedly traditional menu offering a host of sashimi, sushi, curries and grilled items.

Well thankfully I arrived early enough to grab Kingyo's Assorted Deluxe Bento Box. Whewf, where to begin! From an overall perspective, starting from the top left corner we have: Tofu Roll with Eel, Salmon in Sweet Lime Vinaigrette, Seaweed Salad, Fried Oyster, Shrimp Salad with Soy Sesame Vinaigrette, Braised Pork Belly with Potato and Mustard, Spicy Chicken Karrage, Tuna Tataki with Ponzu, Rice, Vinegar Marinated Vegetables, Light Soy Marinated Vegetables, and Miso Soup.

Half the battle with bentos like this is figuring out where to start; and for me it was with the Miso Soup. The warm and rich dashi stock melds with the creamy and almost nutty miso flavour which together envelop small pieces of fresh tofu to create a relaxing and appealing start to the meal. Moving along, the Light Soy Marinated Vegetables gave me a nice contrast to the miso soup (to its left) by combining crunchy peppers and soft eggplant all dusted in a light soy marinate. Finishing off this corner of the bento box are some Vinegar Marinated Vegetables to clean off the palate.

Working my way now to this corner I enjoyed a Fried Oyster: lightly coated in panko and deep fried crisp served with a dense mayonnaise dressing and wedge of lemon. Surprisingly light and not greasy, the oyster had a meaty interior with nicely balancing its exterior crisp coating. Delicious! Flanking the oyster are slices of tuna takaki (see later) and a light Seaweed Salad which nicely combines the ocean freshness of seaweed and softness of rice noodles in a soy and vinegar based dressing.

The Tofu Roll with Eel worked to create a nice contrast between the soft tofu and crisp but meaty eel. Topped with shaved daikon gives a crunchy fresh element to balance out the fat found in the eel. Beside it (to the left) is a marvelous Salmon in Sweet Lime Vinaigrette. Incredibly fresh salmon topped with sprouts and finished with the aforementioned sauce, it is the combination of fatty salmon with sourness in the lime that brings out a natural sweetness in the dish, delicious!

Beside the tofu roll is a fresh Shrimp Salad with Soy Sesame Dressing. The largest and most volumous of all the dishes, the sweet pieces of shrimp are enveloped by fresh cilantro, shaved radish on a bed of greens. While the sesame soy dressing added a nice salty nuttiness to the dish, I did find it a bit bland, especially when compared to some of the other options here.

Tucked in the middle of the bento is a marvelous Braised Pork Belly with Potato and Mustard. Extra-ordinarily tender, the pork belly literally melted in my mouth as I savoured the wondrous combination of gelatinous fat, tender meat all wrapped in a mustard based sauce. A slice of radish is there for both presentation but also as a nice textural contrast as well, a neat idea indeed!

The aforementioned Tuna Tataki with Ponzu is deserving of its own paragraph as well. As you can see in the photograph, the tuna was perfectly seared giving it a contrast of meaty exterior with smooth interiors. Two sauces, ponzu and a sweet chili, work together to enhance the natural flavour of the incredibly fresh fish.

The Spicy Chicken Karrage was the only slight disappointment of the day. While the chicken itself was beautifully tender and incredibly crisp on the exterior, the entire dish lacked flavour and was missing the spice in its namesake. And by itself, this karrage would still score highly, but I could not help but be underwhelmed when compared to the other dishes found in this bento.

As if I had not ordered enough, I wanted to try a Kanazawa Curry (small). Its namesake comes from a special type of curry from Kanazawa city, made famous for its gelatinous and gooey brown gravy so thick one eats its with a fork. Indeed the curry here is thick, but it is a natural thickness that intensifies the (?beef) broth base and heightens a surprisingly amount of sweetness. The surrounding ball of shredded cabbage brings a nice textural crunch and freshness to cut through the thick curry while pickled daikon add a nice spicy kick to each bite. Best enjoyed on the accompanying rice!

Kingyo Izakaya creates a strong standard to base all Japanese cuisine on. A beautiful restaurant is paired with traditional cuisine that is tirelessly created with meticulous detail and care make Kingyo truly deserving of all its accolades and was, without reservation, one of best dining experiences I have ever had. An instant recommendation.