604 Now
Food

What It’s Like To Dine At Ryuu Japanese Kitchen

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen

When my wife and I were considering moving to Vancouver, we consistently heard that the sushi here was the best. Was it the reason why we moved here? YES! #jokingnotjoking. In the year and a half we’ve lived in this great city, we have had little to complain about the copious amount of sushi we have consumed. Are we sushi connoisseurs? Far from it! But we do know what is decent for our bellies and Ryuu sushi made our bellies and mouths sing happy phrases as we ate away in this tucked away little gem.

If you know anything about the downtown area, there is literally NOTHING (or very little to amuse you) on Seymour Street between Robson and West Georgia. As we were headed to Robson to find some grub, we walked past Ryuu Japanese Kitchen.

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen | Photo: @mrdavemallari

[sjnow-ad-large-leaderboard]

Considering its discrete location, we were pleasantly surprised to find it busy and even more flabbergasted as to how large and swanky the restaurant was. Why swanky? With its neat lines, modern and well-kept furniture and waitresses wearing short(ish) black skirts; it reminded us of Cactus Club and Joey’s. Due to its ‘swankiness’, it wasn’t necessarily the most ‘kid friendly’ or ‘homey’ Japanese restaurant. Could you bring your kids and stroller? I am sure you could, but forewarned, you may get glances your way.

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen – Interior | Photo: @mrdavemallari
Ryuu Japanese Kitchen | Photo: @mrdavemallari
Ryuu Japanese Kitchen | Photo: @mrdavemallari

With any new restaurant we go to, we pick a couple of dishes that we can compare to other restaurants we’ve gorged away at. One classic dish we like to order is the chicken karrage. If the chicken karrage isn’t up to par, well… let’s just say it’s difficult to have an unbiased opinion about the restaurant moving forward. At Ryuu, our eyes and tummies were pleasantly pleased when not only did the karaage look delicious, it tasted scrumptious as well.  And every other dish after that hit it out of the ballpark! From the miso soup, to all of the sushi rolls and the steak dinner, we were completely content with the food and the prices as well.

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen
Chicken Karaage | Photo: @mrdavemallari
Sushi | Photo: @mrdavemallari
Ryuu Japanese Kitchen
Original Hamburger Steak | Photo: @mrdavemallari

All in all, would we recommend this place? Absolutely! But go after work with a group of co-workers and try out their happy hour and grab a few drinks or have a quiet date with your partner. Should you bring your kids with grandmamma and grandpappa? To each their own, but I would recommend a more family-friendly suited Japanese restaurant than Ryuu. Happy dining!

Ryuu Japanese Kitchen | Photo: @mrdavemallari

[sjnow-ad-large-leaderboard]

Log in or create an account to save content

Become a local insider