With
so many Japanese restaurants with a rendition of Gyu or Guu in their name,
keeping them separate can be confusing. At the corner of Church and Jarvis,
sits Gyu-Kaku that’s more barbeque house than izakaya… it also has nothing to
do with the popular Vancouver chain. Instead, Gyu-Kaku is part of a 650-restaurant
worldwide franchise (though none located in Japan), started in LA.
Although
their menu focuses heavily on barbequed proteins, there are also a number of
izakaya-like dishes on their a la carte menu. If you’re indecisive, choose from
the “BBQ course” meals available - we went with the meat lovers for two ($60). With
“meat lovers” in the title, you’d expect there to be tons of protein. Served in
two stages, based on cooking time, it’s a smart way to avoid
overcooking the meat. The first round included yaki-shabu beef, toro beef,
and kalbi chuck short rib. With these
thinner cuts, we were advised to cook them 30-60 seconds per side.
Since
the yaki-shabu is the thinnest, these
were done in no time. Depending on the slice, they were a bit chewy, given the
brisket is also rather lean. Despite the thick layer of fat on the toro, it was also a tougher cut of beef,
but as you chew through it, the melted fat covers the tongue mixing with the
sweet caramelized glaze to create a lovely sauce. Meanwhile, the kalbi is a combination of the two, my
favourite of the bunch.
All
the meat arrives marinated and flavourful. However, if it’s not strong enough
or you want to change the flavour profile, bottles of sweet, spicy (really
sweet and spicy), and ponzu (slightly
sour) dipping sauces are also available at every table.
As we
reach the finishing point, a second helping of meat arrives including
bistro-hanger steak, New York steak, and spicy pork. These thicker cuts require
up to two minutes per side – since we’re getting full, waiting longer is a
welcomed break. Taking the longest to cook, the thick slices of New York steak
are good, but should have a peppery coating instead to give it that charbroiled
taste. Meanwhile, the spicy pork definitely had a kick, which sort of sneaks up
on you and gets you at the back of the throat before you realize what’s
happening.
By
far, our favourite protein was the bistro-hanger steak. It’s tender, juicy, and
has a real full-bodied flavour. While good on its own or with a bite of
over-watered sticky rice, I particularly enjoyed the hanger steak tucked into a
piece of lettuce salvaged from the salad.
There
were a few vegetable dishes included in the meal, but it’s not a lot. To start,
a bowl of Gyu-Kaku salad - leafy green lettuce topped with shredded daikon and
a creamy miso dressing. During the meal came a bowl of hot salty edamame and a
foil packet of corn that’s re-heated on the grill. We also added on an order of
kim chee ($4) to the dinner, since
the crunchy spicy cabbage goes so well with barbequed meat.
As if
there wasn’t already enough protein, an order of chicken karaage accompanies the meal; the deep fried nuggets of chicken
really juicy and not too heavy given they’re only dusted with a light coating
of flour.
To
end, a scoop of ice cream (green tea, vanilla, or black sesame) - the coldness a
welcomed respite after the hot barbeque meal.
The
restaurant is a little warm, but thankfully not smoky. Gyu-Kaku uses a special grill
that sucks the smoke into the bottom of the table and out through a vent; even
with over a dozen of them in use, the restaurant was relatively smoke-free and
I left not reeking of cooked meat. Staff are also regularly replace the metal grill
plate (ours was changed three times), which also cuts down on the smoke and
ensures the later slices of meat don’t have burnt pieces of sauce on them.
Compared
to traditional Korean barbeque restaurant, Gyu-Kaku’s service is impeccable; staff
checked in at regular intervals, we never had to ask someone to re-fill our
water or bring more sauce. Gyu’s yakiniku
dining is quite enjoyable. Thanks to the comfortable spacious tables and ingenious
smoke sucking equipment, I can get my fill of grilled meats without smelling
like it.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 81 Church Street
Address: 81 Church Street
Website: http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
