Unobtrusive Izakaya Bliss

Toratatsu
Japanese Cuisine / Izakaya
735 Denman St
Vancouver, BC
V6G2L6 Canada
ph:(604) 685-9399

We have an on-going Izakaya competition between friends weighing the good and the best amongst our favourite Japanese bistros. Toratatsu, a newcomer in Vancouver's expanding Japanese Izakaya family is surely a tough competitor. Having an edge for it's non-traditional Japanese look but delivering very good Izakaya staples such as Ebi Mayo and Agedashi Tofu makes this bistro a place to visit.

I first heard of Toratatsu from my Japanese roommate who obviously knows what an Izakaya should be. She came home from a night of drinking and gushed about this hidden gem and thinking that I have a radar for good restaurants, especially in the downtown area, not to have heard about it was a bit of a surprise. I immediately called my friend and reported what my roommate have said and sure enough we have found ourselves in this cozy bistro days after.

Toratatsu is located in the quiet area of Denman St. but it's also joined by a few other restaurants. It's a great location off Robson St. especially if you're looking for a more intimate night. The warm red hues of this bistro also contributes to the intimate environment and the modern decor gives this place the right amount of funky look that makes you feel stylishly comfortable.

We were given a warm, un-Izakaya like greeting meaning that they didn't scream intangible Japanese phrases to us as we entered. Our server quickly gave us the menu and left us to decide our picks for the night. We went for the very interesting Negitoro Tuna with avocado fries and tuna dip, Cheese Tofu, Spicy Chicken Wings and Ebi Mayo. The Negitoro Tuna was the first one to arrive and the first bite was just OK but as we ate more of the tuna dip, we find ourselves liking it more and more. The tuna was very well seasoned and complimented the avocado fries very much. It was a good start, but then the Ebi Mayo came and I silently wished that this dish came last so we could savour it more. The prawns were juicy and succulent and I have to say this is by far the best Ebi Mayo I have tried. It's not BS when they said "world famous Ebi Mayo" because it does deserve to be well-renowned. The almond and the wanton crisps also added a nice crunch to this dish. The cheese tofu came shortly after and it was surprisingly very very good. We didn't know what to expect but it was delicately sweet, more like a dessert that could make you forget that cheesecakes exist. It was absolutely divine. We saved the last bite of the Cheese Tofu for last for last and moved on to the chicken wings which was nothing great but I was having a bottle of Asahi and the "beer's best friend" written on the menu as a caption for the chicken wings pushed me to order it. Ah, the power of words! Beer and chicken wings was just hard to resist that night and if I wasn't craving for liquid yeast, I would have tried their sake since this little bistro serves premium sakes and to my delight it's also served in a bamboo pitcher! I guess that takes the edge out of Hapa Izakaya. Oh yeah, they still have their scantly clad servers to boot but obviously they're not for me.

We were in between full so we were deciding whether or not to go ahead and order the Kushi-age but for some reason I just said no but not to dessert this time! We ordered the Camembert cheesecake which was just slightly sweet, a little too slightly actually and the distinct taste of the Camembert overpowered the honey but it was still good especially for the people who are looking for a not-too-sweet dessert although the Cheese Tofu made more of an impression to us.

I promised myself to go back to this place and I did actually a week after and brought a boy. I first took him though to Guu on Robson but he hated the awkward sitting place by the bar the staff offered us and the 45 minute waiting time if we do decide to wait for a table and dine there. We declined the offer and I thought about Toratatsu which was my second option. We were happy because not only we were seated immediately but we also got to choose our table. He liked the ambiance as well which I knew he would for it's intimacy. I picked the Ebi Mayo right away and ordered the dishes I snubbed the last time like the Agedashi tofu, the Toratatsu roll and of course the Kushi-age. The Ebi Mayo is a sure winner as we enjoyed it down to the last bite. The Kushi-age came after the prawns and I have to say, I was a bit disappointed. It was dry and really it was no big deal but thankfully the two dishes which came after the Kushi-age put this Izakaya back on top of the scoreboard. The Agedashi tofu was very good and the slimy okra juice (which my guy hated for the texture, it's OK, more for me!) gave it more flavour. The Toratatsu roll made with prawns, avocado and salmon caviar was also a winner which my date claimed as his dish and gave me the whole bowl of tofu to finish.

Toratatsu is a really a good find, it is a great Izakaya sans the wait (ten points added). I'm glad that my roommate introduced me to this place. I would go to this bistro again and again most especially if I have Ebi Mayo on my mind. And like I said, there are tons of Izakayas to choose from in Vancouver and most of them are good, more than good actually but if you're looking for a more quiet night of Japanese tapas and sake where you don't hear loud Japanese phrases being exchanged every 2 seconds, Toratatsu is the place for you.

* picture stolen from toratatsu.com