Gyu-Kaku (Broadway): Japanese Yakiniku House

Gyu-Kaku has been on my radar for quite some time but we’ve only just managed to visit this place in late November. Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Japanese yakiniku houses which specializes in self-grilled meats that the diner cooks at the table. Generally, you see this much more prevalent in Korean cuisine so it’s nice to try this Japanese version.

We were fortunate enough to arrive early enough on a Saturday that they still had their happy hour specials available and decided to order their Happy Hour BBQ Course ($55) which includes Gyu-Kaku salad, miso soup, steamed chili dumplings, beef sukiyaki bibimbap. For your grilled items, you get Bistro Hanger Steak Miso, Filet Mignon Salt and Pepper, Yaki-Shabu Beef Tare Sweet soy, Toro Beef Tare Sweet Soy, Chicken Thai Basil, Mushroom Medley, and Broccoli.

They have a nice selection of drinks here so we decided to try the Tokyo Sunrise ($7) – Shochu, Peach Schnapps, Grenadine, and Orange as well as the Osaka Rainforest ($7) – Shochu, Melon Liquor, Orange, Pineapple, and Lime. Both drinks were refreshing but I preferred the Osaka Rainforest. The steamed chili dumplings are exactly how they sound like… thinking back, I wonder how they would have tasted if I grilled them a bit to get a bit of crispness to the exterior.

We also ordered the Fried Crunchy Calamari ($6 happy hour) and Tofu Nuggets ($5.50 happy hour) both served with a chili mayo sauce. I really enjoyed the tofu nuggets which were packed with a mixture of onions, edamame, and carrots.

From left to right: Chicken Thai Basil, Yaki-Shabu Beef Tare Sweet Soy, Filet Mignon Salt and Pepper, Bistro Hanger Steak Miso, Toro Beef Tare Sweet Soy. At the table, they have 3 types of dipping sauce… one lemony, one sweet, and one spicy.

My actual favourite of the meal was the Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap served in a stone bowl. I’ve had dolsot bibimbap before at Korean restaurants but this was something else. I loved the texture of the rice and how all of the ingredients melded together. We actually wound up with a bit too much food so we tossed the leftover grilled meats and veggies into the bibimbap to bring home.

As with most places like this, it can get a bit expensive if you order a lot of items. It’s best to go with a group so you can try a bunch of different things.

#201-950 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC

www.gyu-kaku.com/vancouver-broadway/

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