Restaurants
Guu SakaBar
Guu SakaBar is the second Toronto location of the Vancouver-based Izakaya franchise. Just like Church Street's Guu Izakaya, Guu SakaBar is a blast from the moment you enter until the second you step back onto the street.
From the sidewalk, Guu SakaBar's facade is an austere brick wall with the look and feel of a sophisticated bunker. But inside, it's a party - quite literally. The cheer that erupts when we walk through the door prompts us to think we've arrived at a shindig held in our honour.
This is Guu's usual welcome, but many are actually being celebrated. Throughout our meal, we witness four different birthdays, manifested through frenzied productions led by staff - as servers hand out shooters to those being fêted, their cheers become songs and the whole restaurant gets involved.
The host seats us directly beside the sound system and we must discuss menu options over the thumping bass of club beats and the yelling of the energized servers. The atmosphere is electrifying, but this is certainly no place for a quiet date.
With its warm lighting and wooden accents, it's hard to believe this beautifully decorated restaurant was once a Burger King. The venue known as "Guu 2" is divided into a cozy tatami-adorned zashiki room and a communal dining room. Seats are also available at the bar overlooking the kitchen.
The menu offers an abundance of extravagant Japanese tapas-style creations. Overwhelmed, we select items at random, certain we will not be disappointed. A smiling server takes our order and walks a few steps to yell our meal choices at the kitchen staff. They receive the order and cheer, of course. Allusions to a "fancy Japanese Lick's" are heard on more than one occasion.
We start with drinks - Japanese beer is flowing freely, as photocopied signs posted all over the restaurant inform patrons that one dollar from each Sapporo purchased goes to Japan's earthquake relief efforts. Guu SakaBar could earn its way to our heart via our stomachs, but this altruistic gesture gives us another reason to swoon.
The first dish arrives quickly. The Kimchi Udon ($7.80) is a bed of deliciously firm udon noodles in a creamy sauce, topped with a mix of kimchi and spicy cod roe. A pinch of nori seaweed adds color and texture to what ends up being our favourite fare of the night.
Our next dish is considerably less visually appealing. The Assorted Oden ($7.50) is a sizzling hot pot full of strangely shaped treats. A large disc of taro jelly, a hollow tube of puffed fish cake and a hard-boiled egg are some of the delicacies floating in the steamy broth. Our table is not the biggest fan, but I take a particular liking to the creamy custard-like texture of the taro concoction.
Intrigued by the presence of Brie Cheese ($5.20) on the menu, we order it. Within a few minutes, three deep-fried wedges of double cream brie arrive at our table, the buttery cheese soaking in a pool of mango sauce. It's a rich treat, but the tart mango balances out its extravagant decadence.
The Seared B.C. Tuna ($6.80 - top photo) is one of the best cuts of fish I have ever tasted. Lightly seared and thinly sliced, it melts in the mouth almost instantly. The Sashimi Salad ($7.80) is equally delicious and combines assorted cuts of (raw) fish with shaved daikon, greens and wasabi mayo.
The Daikon Salad ($6) is an eclectic and refreshing mix of juicy pieces of radish and cucumber, tender jellyfish and deep-fried potato slivers.
By the end of our dining adventure, we are still slightly peckish - this is often the downside of tapas-style meals. Luckily, the dessert options all seem delicious. We share the Green Tea Cheesecake ($4), which narrowly wins our favour over the Almond Tofu ($3.50) and the Sake Tiramisu ($5). Those will have to wait for next time.
Guu Sakabar is open from 5 p.m. to 12 p.m., Monday to Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday to Saturday and from 4 p.m. to midnight on Sunday.
Discussion
51 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
Two of us ate here the other night; we drank a ton and ate a ton, and our bill only came to $135, around $150 with tip.
While I'm still not sure if the Guu2 food is as good as the original Guu, I'll definitely go back. The experience alone is worth it, SO much fun!
Since when did the Annex have a shitty restaurant rep? Sure the Green Room has been a saga but that's most certainly been perpetuated by BlogTO writers frequently updating on the places status.
Some of my favorite sushi spots in Toronto are in the Annex and there's certainly a couple great brunch spots as well as a ton of wonderful evening hangout spaces. I dont know much about this place in particular but it seems like the type of place that gives you lots to look at but not much to eat. I'll pass.
i've been a resident for over 10 years and have to say i am definitely not alone in finding it difficult to have a good dining experience.
dollar for dollar you won't find a better restaurant experience in the city, at either location.
I, for one, will NOT be eating there any time soon!
I, for one, will NOT be eating there any time soon!
It is true - not many good restaurants in Annex area. Lots of terrible sushi places... certainly not my dinning destination, but I guess if you don't know better it is good.
maybe we don't know any "better" whatever that can mean, but we're just regular torontonians who want to give you a peek into the new places in town.
The last time I was there and had a strange experience. As the night progressed the kitchen was getting a bit slow and whipping out the small dishes. The table next to ours waited 20 mins for a dish or two they had ordered. They called the busy server over and said they were canceling the dishes and wanted their bill. When the bill came they then insisted on speaking to the manager to see if they could get a discount. The table was pretty rude to the server and the manager as well when they were complaining(I saw their bill and it was just $40).
20 mins is a bit long to wait for such a small dish, and the service is bound to have a few hiccups considering they just opened, but such bad behaviour on the customer's part is just embarrassing. Shame on you sucky babies.
expensive? what are these comments?
Guu is dirt cheap. Its a fucking Izakaya you losers its not a restaurant.
Try to bring something cool to this city and ppl will just never get it.
Guu should stay in van where people get food. Stead of trying to revolutionize a city with like... 3 good restaurants. Toronto food scene sucks... at least Guu is doing something to shake it the heck up.
Geeze.
Glad you liked Guu so much you tipped a whole 11%.
fYI servers have to give a percent of what they earn to the kitchen/hosts/bartenders. So when you under tip or god forbid don't tip at all (for good service) you're actually making the server pay out of their own pocket.
* is it ~13%?
yer math: it was actually a little under 13% tip. (tips and taxes are [or should be] calculated on the services rendered) :P
K was cheeeeeeeeeap and i hope their date didn't put out.
BTW: the oden the reviewer didn't like, is the way oden is.
or do what i tell a lot of people, have 1 drink less, and add that drink cost to the tip...
It wasnt even one of my favourites, I like Gyoza King and Kingyo better.
I cant wait for all the TO people to think Izakaya isnt cool anymore so the crowds die and I can just go have a drink and easy bite with some friends..
PS your not comparing it to the original unless you are referring to the Thurlow location. The original TO location was a toned down version (menu) to see if people here would accept it
i for one tip on the bill after taxes and the tip i leave is based on service. if i receive outstanding service i don't mind leaving a 20% tip or more, if its good service i will leave a tip of 15% or more, but if the service is shit and i am the only one in the restaurant, i am not going to be pleased and i will probably leave you a tip that is less then 15%.
secondly, all you people who are calling K cheap are pathetic. since i was the one who was with K and paid, K's figures were just a guesstimate as K did not pay, hence why K said 'around'. our bill came to $134.11 after tip which was 15% (considering i used the 15% tip option when i used the debit machine). oh and orly that tip was based on the total bill after taxes. K and i have been to guu on several occasions and we have left very generous tips of 20% or more and that was because the service was outstanding. however on this occasion the service was not as exceptional as it usually is, which i understand given it was opening night, and when our bill had came there was an additional 5 drinks and 2 dishes on our bill. they obviously adjusted it once i mentioned the error, but it was still a bit upsetting hence why i left the 15% tip.
sorry everyone for the novela of a comment but some of the people who comment on this site are moronic and have no idea in what they are saying.
Tipping on tax isn't the same as tipping on food/drinks--anyone with have a brain can see that. People can do whatever they want, but its nothing less than giving a bonus because its not being done for services rendered.
Am I the only one thinking there is something wrong with this picture?
Restaurants should pay their staff properly.
Just came back from Australia. Service is excellent with a few exceptions at highly touristic spots. A friend returned from New Zealand and there is no tipping expected in restaurants there.
Tipping should be a reward for outstanding service, and not be automatically expected.
what are you even saying? I had to read your comment 3 times and then give up. it seems like you're taking a jab at what i said. when you tip you are most definitely adding a gratuity to what the restaurant did for you...but tipping on tax is a chump move plain and simple. anyone that suggests otherwise is, i would guess, working (or has worked) in the industry.
(or were you saying that tipping isn't mandatory? i think anyone with 'half a brain' could figure out that the bill tells you what you pay to avoid johnny law getting involved)
Also: If anyone can't figure out what 15 or 20% tip is...i have to warn you that you are inhibitig my ability to ever again trust another "i believe that children are the future" song. to my mind, you would have to will yourself to not understand how to calculate a tip on a multiple of 10 or 5. (this is a troll inviting anyone to reveal their pride in their ignorance!)
Funny, people arguing on tipping at a Japanese restaurant. While anyone who has been to Japan knows, you don't tip at all when eating over there...
Still, since when did 15% tipping become normal and expected?
in japan, it is rare to tip, if they don't care, why do you?
it is true that guu receives a lot of hype, but that is due to the lack of izakayas in toronto (ones with such heightened atmospheres).
food quality...up to you i guess, i always love it and no one ever said it was cheap. feels like blogto is filled with babies.
First of all, get it right. Guu isn't tapas. It's fucking izakaya. Do you know how bloody annoying it is to read a review where the reviewer hasn't the slightest clue as to what to expect from izakaya? It's akin to going to a sports pub and wondering why they only offer wings, chicken fingers and fries.
Secondly, if you knew the culture of izakaya, you'd understand that the snack food is somewhat secondary or at least complimentary to the drinking. When you go to an izakaya spot, you are going to drink...then eat some decent food.
That said, I wish TO had something like Guu Thurlow.
Anyway. Haven't been to Guu2. I had a great time at Guu1. Can't wait to go back.
1. Customers: Reward good service with your repeat business
2. Businesses: Pay servers more to reward good service and bring customers back.
3. Me: Happy that I don't have to do math after 5 beers and worry that I'm being a "bitch"
As for those pointing out that you won't leave feeling full: That's true. In izakaya is meant to be a place to go for drinks after work, and the food is more incidental. For these purposes, I think Guu is perfect.
If you are not into Snacks and Beer/Sake... don't bother. But if you're not into snacks and beer wtf is wrong with you?
As for it being overrated. Ya maybe, if there was another Izakaya downtown I might "rate" it. But right now its the only one and it's awesome.
The service is great. I love the loudness and cheerfulness of the waitresses! ( but I thought I was going deaf because of constant noise... )
The food is well made and delicious. My favourite was takoyaki gratin and tuna sushi with garlic chips and okonomiyaki. But really I liked all the food we ordered!
80 dollars for 3 people is not bad including 6-7 dishes, drinks (2cocktails and one oolong tea) and a cake