Best Casual Japanese 2013

GOLD: KINGYO

Silver: Guu | Bronze: Dan Japanese | Honourable Mentions: ShuRaku, Kishimoto

There’s no stopping perennial Gold winner Kingyo, where “shouty servers and a playful menu never overshadow the beautiful ingredients and disciplined technique on the plate.”

Guu (Silver) was at the forefront of the ’90s izakaya craze-the rest of North America is only beginning to catch up-and still delivers champion Japanese pub grub.

At Kitsilano’s Dan Japanese (Bronze) “the menu unfolds through small plates that delight and refresh the palate.” You’re in luck if the omakase menu (chef’s choice) includes the Dungeness crab sunomono salad and chawanmushi.

Honourable Mentions to ShuRaku, which brings elegance to the Granville strip, and Kishimoto for achingly fresh sashimi and nigiri presented as edible art.

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