Hapa Izakaya

[Ling]

The steamed pork buns--fat pieces of unctuous, braised pork belly that you fold into your bun, then dip into warm broth.

[taryn]

I second the pork belly, it was by far my favourite.

[inanimate]

I remember the spicy negitoro served with garlic bread being one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life.

I refer to it as "the best tuna sandwich evar"

[Yuki]

Yesterday was my last day in Vanouver so I had to get some good japanese food before my departure to Calgary.

Since my sister had tried Guu, so we went to Hapa Izakaya. We ordered negitoro, a crispy rice dish with eggplant and pork (I love anything that is made with eggplant), and a salad to start. The negitoro was okay but we thought the crispy rice dish did not meet our expection. The eggplant and pork sauce was so Chinese-tasting that it is very similar to a dish that my grandma make(Stir fried eggplant with pork bits). I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that but we didn't really expect something that is so Chinese tasting in the menu. Finally, we have decided that Hapa Izakaya style is not suitable for us so we went over to Guu to continue our dinner. I think that Hapa Izakaya is leaning more towards fusion and nice decoration with large spaces. Hapa would be a nice place to bring guest but for partying with close friends and sister, I prefer the food and warm environment of Guu.

[foodiluvm]

Always a great experience for me at Hapa Izakaya. I have friends who used to work with the owner Justin Ault and before they opened, Justin had mentioned casually at a party years ago that he was planning to start a izakaya restaurant downtown in a few months. Hapa has not dissappoint since the doors were opened. Although they refrain from taking reservations between the hours of 6 - 8 pm, the wait for small tables are rarely long. Worth a try is their karaage jyan which are bite sized chicken tenders with a special sauce and onions. We also adore their Korean rice bowl which comes piping hot and topped with an egg...I believe its called bibimbap at Korean restaurants. This dish is both fun to look at and tasty. Its not a place to really get stuffed unless you over-order but more a place to dine and be merry. Definitely a great place to bring any out-of-towners to impress upon them how lucky we are to have a place such as this. With their recent expansion into the space next door, the wait has been faster as per my observation. Worthy of mention is their cold sake served in this really neat bamboo container, tres cool.

[Ling]

^I actually don't think the sake that's served in the bamboo tastes very good. I'd rather get a bottle of something that tastes better to me...but then again, I don't know much about sake.

Edited September 17, 2005 by Ling (log)

[foodiluvm]

^I actually don't think the sake that's served in the bamboo tastes very good. I'd rather get a bottle of something that tastes better to me...but then again, I don't know much about sake.

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i do agree Ling. It tastes ordinary but cool to look at ...definitely go for bottled cold premium sake.

[Mooshmouse]

While continuing my jaunt through the digital photo archives, I dug up these pictures from one of several meals that *Deborah* and I have had at Hapa Izakaya. Once Abra organizes the snapshots from her recent Vancouver holiday, she'll post a rather comprehensive pictorial of our dinner at Hapa last Saturday night. In the meantime, here's a small sampling of four menu items.

Kabocha and Walnut "Salad"

A delicate, lightly spiced puree of Japanese pumpkin. Spread onto melba toast together with the whipped cream, its sweet goodness melts in your mouth.

Miso-marinated Sablefish

Perfectly cooked fish that flakes apart at the touch of a chopstick.

My memory for menu descriptions is about slim to none at the moment. Suffice it to say, this is diced albacore tuna topped with diced avocado and tobiko, accompanied by beautiful, crisp nori to be used as your primary dining implement for this dish. Fresh, clean and wonderful.

Salmon Yukke

Raw sockeye salmon bathed in a spicy-sweet soy-chili sauce. A bit too much sauce for my liking; however, the daikon strands act as a rather refreshing palate cleanser between bites.

[chrisstearns]

^I actually don't think the sake that's served in the bamboo tastes very good. I'd rather get a bottle of something that tastes better to me...but then again, I don't know much about sake.

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The draft sake they serve in the frozen bamboo is very much in the 'cheap and cheerful' category. It's meant for quaffing more than savoring. If you want something more refined, you're bang-on to get something nicer in a bottle. Personally I love ordering the frozen stuff, but I can't help wondering if over the course of a few years, strange creatures have started to grow in the bottoms of those bamboo jugs...