Restaurant Review: Kakurenbou Japanese Izakaya

Thanks to its proximity to the Pacific and its high number of Japanese immigrants, Vancouver is known for having some of the best, freshest sushi outside of Japan. Indeed, many ex-Vancouverites who have moved East state that, besides friends and family, sushi is what they miss most about living here. However, while Vancouver has long been famous for California and Philadelphia Rolls, one area where it's lagged behind the East Coast of North America is in the realm of traditional Japanese cuisine – all that there is to Japanese food which is not sushi.

Kakurenbou Izakaya, opened June 13 of this year, is the latest – and perhaps best – attempt by local restaurateurs to remedy this oversight. Tucked off the corner of Robson and Jervis,  Kakurenbou, which translates to “hide and seek” in Japanese, is a design wonder- beautifully constructed from imported Japanese and Chinese wood, and assembled in the traditional artisan style – no nails or glue, just precision joinery holding together beautifully stained, hundred year-old beams. Right from the entrance, guarded by a traditional Japanese gargoyle (imported from Japan, as is all the artwork), it is apparent that this Izakaya is no ordinary restaurant, Taking the hide-and-seek concept to its most logical conclusion, the intimate, Kyoto-style space is sectioned off so that the whole restaurant can't be taken in or viewed a at once.

There is a touch of Japanese beauty tucked in every corner, from a glassed-in patio at the front, to poured concrete walls depicting simple, beautifully illustrated plum and cherry blossom trees at the back. Washrooms have gorgeous hand-painted basins and a clean, minimalist design, and the kitchen, in full view of customers, is elegant and simple. Kakurenbou is a feast first and foremost for the eyes – it may require several visits to take the whole place in.

But how's the food, you ask?

Well, once you've stopped marveling at the design, there's a lot to choose from on Kakurenbou's extensive menu, which includes a wide-ranging but well-selected array of high-end sakis and wines. On a recent visit, we were treated to a light and ice-cold plum wine, which perfectly complimented the parade of tapas we ordered.

As we mentioned, there's no sushi (or even rice) at Kakurenbou, rather a generous offering of tapas-style plates that embrace Japanese tradition, but also factor in modernist touches (Spicy Calamari with Leeks in a Spicy Miso Paste, and Lychee and Coconut Créme Brulé were some of the unexpected items on offer). Under the direction of Executive Chef "Yamamura," a Kaiseki-trained chef whom Lee and Kaneyoshi found in Japan,Kakurenbou's menu offers fresh, seasonal fare, with a reverence for elegance and simplicity.

For our first visit, we opted for a wide-ranging tour of Yamamura's specialties - starting with the Daikon Salad: thinly-sliced daikon radishes in a light non-oil "Ume" plum dressing, served cold with a topping of shredded, dried daikon. With a pallate-pleasing combination of sweet and salty, our opening dish prepared us for what was to come - food served in gracious proportion, delicious and flavourful without being ostentatious or show-offy.

Next up was the Toro Katsu, a plate of lightly seared tuna, dipped in bread crumbs and served with wasabi and plum sauce. Clearly freshly-caught, the tuna was cooked just like a perfect steak - near raw in the middle and crisp and juicy on the outside. Indeed, so perfectly spiced was the tuna that wasabi, normally a smothering device at local Japanese eateries, went barely touched for the whole meal, as did soy sauce.

Speaking of steaks, our next plate was the Stone Grilled Prime Steak, a sharing plate of quarter inch thick rounds of AAA Aged Beef (if you're feeling very indulgent, you can also have this dish prepared with Kobe beef). Like the Toru Katsu, the dish was simply and elegantly presented, but perfectly balanced - the beef was tender throughout, and, without the waitress having asked how we preferred our meat, cooked to a level both diners found to be perfection. With a sweet dipping sauce served alongside it, the cold, juicy steak went down surprisingly well so far into a course of tapas - neither too heavy nor too light, it would be enough to fill most diners up should they order the share plate to themselves.

Our last round of plates proved to be the best, though by that point, between two once-ravenous diners, it was hard to keep pace. Spicy Tuna Wraps, rolled in paper-thin daikon radish and containing lightly herbed, fresh veg, proved to be the best plate of the night - a light, refreshingly-sweet-but-not saccharine dish, the wraps could win over even those who don't love seafood. Definitely a summery treat, the wraps came just in time to cool us down for two more plates: traditional Edamame Sel marine de Gueran and Shrimp Yuba Spring Rolls. The spring rolls, served with avocado and a creamy, zesty, dipping sauce, proved light and lively, despite their being battered and fried. The Edamame, as the name suggests, was salted with high-grade French sea-salt, and cooked just long enough to be buttery and soft - the perfect food to pick at when one's belly is already full.

Had those bellies not been full, we might have attacked the scrumptious sounding dessert menu - the aforementioned Lychee crème brûlée, alongside a Matcha Green Tea and Black Sesame Seasoned Parfait were both devoured by the table next to us and the Blancmange(Condensed Milk) with Strawberry Granite sounded delightful, if a tad sweet.

At an average of $7-$15 a plate (with some more elaborate dishes costing more) Kakurenbou falls in the mid-to-high end category as far as price, but, with stellar service and a truly gorgeous, thoughtful design, diners will feel like they're in some luxurious hideaway. Seating is limited, and tables are well spaced out, making Kakurenbou the perfect place for a first date, a quiet business meeting, or, if you choose, an office party that takes up the whole, intimate restaurant. On our recent Sunday night visit, Kakurenbo was quiet, with only three other tables filled throughout the evening. This is bound to change as both word-of-mouth and media buzz start to spread about this impeccably-designed taste of old-world Japan. Indeed, next time you have guests in town who inquire about our sushi legacy, take them here instead - you won't be disappointed, and you may learn that the land of the Rising Sun has a lot more more to offer than rice and seaweed.

Kakurenbou is located at 793 Jervis Street, Vancouver, and is open from 5:30 pm – 12:30 am each day. Reservations at 604-696-9965. Visa and Mastercard accepted.