Located in Yaletown in Vancouver, BC, the cool modern interior is fronted by a large awning covered patio where you can dine al fresco – which is usually fine in Vancouver’s great weather. Opt for the outdoor seating if you are visiting from out of town. The restaurant features yakitoris of various types. They have kobe beef meatball, wild salmon, ginger glazed chicken, Louisiana fried oyster, tempura mushroom, scallops, short ribs , 7 spice rare ahi tuna, and rosemary lamb. Each is served with accompaniment of Asian slaw marinated in a sesame and ginger vinaigrette atop a crispy papadum. We ordered two yakitoris in the bar area and received double the slaw. This was fantastic since the slaw is light and plenty enough to serve as a salad when dining.
Once we were seated we were given fresh in house maid cinnamon sugar donuts – more like donettes since they were very small. This was a great alternative to bread and butter. But be careful, they are delicious and crispy, so I could imagine myself grabbing a handful and throwing them into my mouth. My wife was not quite ready to order so she asked me to order first. I ordered 5 different yakitoris. Individually they are priced from 1.85 to 3.50 CAD; you can get a selection of 10 for 24.00 which is shareable. The waiter responded with thank you and left. He had seemed a little rushed earlier so I figured he was going grab something and would be right back. While the waiter was gone my wife and I discussed that possibly he thought the order was large enough for the 2 of us – thus the reason he rushed off without taking her order. When the food arrived I was a little shocked. I did not think it would feed even me. I asked the waiter to come back over. I told him that my rife would like to order now. She decided on a Caesar salad – which I recommend anyone passing on; it was nothing special with big cut of romaine and a pretty generic Caesar dressing.
Various Yakitoris
There’s a lack of starches on the menu so we placed an order for the home fries. You may just consider going starchless and then after your meal crossing the street to the bakery to grab a slice of bread. The short rib yakitori was tender and beefy as slow cooked short ribs should be. I also enjoyed the 7 spice rare ahi tuna and panko crusted oyster. Pass on the Kobe beef meatball; the marinara and herbs in the meatball mask any thoughts you would have that the beef was Kobe – the tenderness could have just as well come from the plenitude of breadcrumbs. The oyster is fried in a panko breading and lightly seasoned with Cajun spices. Its like a small hush-puppy with an oyster inside. After finishing the yakitori and salad we ordered another oyster and chicken; the chicken varies in quality depending on whether you are given a wider or longer piece. The longer pieces are grilled better and have less fat.
Your best bet is to go to Glowbal at night and order yakitoris along with a drink. After our meal, my wife and I looked around and noticed that most tables were eating brunch – eggs, bacon, and home fries. We left wondering if we should have done the same. – M.G.
Yakitori Menu - at the Time We Visited
