Kingyo Izakaya — Restaurant in Vancouver

I’m not someone who usually writes reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience at this restaurant on Saturday, April 19. I had high expectations after researching extensively and choosing this spot specifically for what I believed would be a high-quality, experience-driven meal. I traveled from Seattle and made a special trip from Surrey just to dine here, expecting to enjoy a relaxed, generous multi-course dinner.

Things started off promising. Our first server — a kind and knowledgeable woman — walked us through the menu and offered thoughtful recommendations. We ordered miso soup, another soup, the five-fish sashimi platter, and chicken karaage — all of which were beautifully prepared and delicious. I was planning on ordering several more dishes over the course of the evening, as I usually enjoy long, slow meals where the focus is on quality time and great food.

Unfortunately, the experience went downhill quickly. When a second server — a tall, younger male — brought out the udon dish, I had asked whether it came with a hearty soup base. He assured me it did. But when it arrived, there was barely any broth. Since I had already ordered two other soups, this was a clear preference that was overlooked. When I expressed my disappointment, we were told we could only receive more broth for an extra charge — despite the fact that the confusion stemmed from vague and inaccurate information from the server. At that point, I no longer felt inclined to continue the meal or spend more — even though I had intended to order much more.

Things continued to unravel. I had to ask multiple times for hot water, which took more than 15 minutes to arrive — and I felt like I was being met with visible annoyance by the staff. To make matters worse, my food — including untouched tofu and chicken karaage — was cleared from the table without anyone asking if I wanted it packed to-go. I was genuinely shocked.

When I brought this up, I was told there was no manager on duty. Instead, someone named Ryota came to speak with me. I explained my concern that my food had been removed and then brought back after sitting somewhere for over 15 minutes — next to dirty dishes — and that this raised health and safety concerns. Rather than address the issue, he asked me what I thought he should do about it. That response was incredibly disappointing. It’s not the customer’s job to solve the problem — it’s the staff’s responsibility to propose an appropriate resolution.

Eventually, he offered to remake the food if I waited another 8 to 10 minutes, but after spending so long trying to get the issue acknowledged, I had appointments I needed to get to and no interest in waiting further. He also offered a $15 dessert or a gift card, which I declined — not because I wanted more, but because it completely missed the point of what had gone wrong.

For context, I’ve worked in hospitality and now work in a high-responsibility career where I dine out frequently — not for handouts or compensation, but because I value great food, excellent service, and a quality experience. What I expected — and did not receive — was attentive service, clear communication, and a guest-centered approach.

And perhaps most disappointing of all — after I was told to email the restaurant directly with my concerns, I did so three times over the following two weeks and never received a single response. Being ignored after an experience like that speaks volumes.

I understand that mistakes happen. No restaurant is perfect. But when a series of service breakdowns occur in one evening and are handled without any real ownership or urgency, it reflects deeper issues in the team’s training and culture. I genuinely hope they reflect on this and make the necessary changes, because right now, I can’t recommend this restaurant to others — and I wouldn’t return.

I did also email them 4 times and followed up and gave them a call but they never reached back out. Please check your email to make sure its not...

It’s been a delay since I posted this but I tried their four course set that was offered for a limited time back in February. I went there with a friend to try it out.

The limited time 5 course izakaya included: Sesame salad Negitoro tartare Wagyu croquette

For the 4th dish we had the option of: 4a: Grilled duck breast 4b: Stone grilled Kobe beef (add $15) 4c: Grilled black cod (add $13)

For the 5th dish, we could choose: 5a: Truffle carbonara udon 5b: Uni miso udon

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The salad was nothing special but the dressing made up for it! Just wished they tossed it more evenly because there was a bunch of dressing on the bottom.

I loved the hints of horseradish in the toro tartare! It added a layer of depth to the dish.

My second favourite was the wagyu croquette because the sauce made it feel like the dish was too little. It also didn’t feel greasy which I felt added to the experience.

Me and my friend received a scallop shooter on the house. We were pleasantly surprised, but the pleasure of taking it as a shooter wasn’t too great because the pieces of seaweed were too big. It ended up blocking the whole shooter so we almost choked on it while we were trying to get the stuff out.

On the bright side, we liked the umami that the seaweed provided and was a nice refresher to break up the strong flavours of the tartare and croquette.

As for the main highlight: I got the grilled duck and my friend paid extra for the stone grilled Kobe beef. The grilled duck had very nice sweet and savoury notes from the sauce, and I remember finishing every bit.

My friend loved the experience of grilling her dish on a hot stone, and she recalled it being the juiciest piece of steak she ever had. There wasn’t a need to use the sauce provided!

Now for the udon: I wished the udon had a stronger truffle flavour because I ended up tasting the pork and the cream more. Then again, those three can be pretty strong flavours so it may be hard to strike a balance. The uni miso had a better harmonization and I wasn’t even a fan of uni lol.

I would say the food was solid overall, but just a few tweaks here and there would’ve made...

Some of the dishes here are AMAZING! Be aware though that some of the dishes and pricey and have small portion sizes.

The wagyu carpaccio, salmon sashimi, stone-grilled kobe beef, and uni miso udon were all good. I usually don’t like cold cut dishes, but I did like the carpaccio. It was definitely an experimental dish, but I enjoyed the blend of pine nuts, arugula, balsamic sauce, etc. Salmon sashimi and kobe beef were also nice, but a bit pricey for the portion. Maybe it would be good as a first-time try sort of thing.

Uni miso udon was nice. Very savory and coated with a light miso sauce. Notes of uni and crab were prevalent throughout, along with little surprises of caviar.

Tantanmen noodles were amazing. I think the noodles are the best ones I’ve tried so far. Super bouncy, great texture, and paired perfectly with the stock. Me and my partner agreed its sort of like extremely upgraded chicken instant ramen elevated with cream, pepper, chili oil, minced meat, etc. Of course, this instant-ramen comparison being put hopefully in the best way possible.

The karaage was extremely juicy, crunchy, and extremely tender. I don’t think it needs any dipping salt, it is good by itself and is by far the best I have tried in my life so far.

I also loved the tomato kimchi. A small side dish but it was bursting with flavor and juiciness from the tomato. It was not too overpowering or spicy like some other kimchi we have tried.

Service was great and our waiter was very attentive with us in making sure we had water and other things needed. The atmosphere feels upscale and the only critical thing I could say was that I wish there was more dining space on the bar counter. Don’t be afraid to check this place out if you are in Vancouver! I will definitely come back here to try some of the other dishes they...