Irashimase! Welcome to the new Hapa Izakaya in Kitsilano. Would you care for a cool slice of Tokyo after a stroll on the beach?
The original Hapa Izakaya, at 1479 Robson St., has been booming since it opened in 2003. An izakaya (roughly translated as "eat and drink" spot) is the Japanese version of an after-work pub. Owner Justin Ault, a third-generation Japanese-Canadian, discovered them while working in Tokyo for 10 years as a stockbroker.
Though Vancouver was already home to more casual versions (Guu, Guu with Garlic and Gyoza King), it was Hapa Izakaya, with its dark industrial-minimalist design, comely waitresses and buzzy hipster vibe, that almost single-handedly popularized the izakaya concept by lending it some polished glam.
The first Hapa was so incredibly busy right from the get-go, Mr. Ault soon expanded next door with 35 new seats, including a private dining room and lounge area. And now he and his wife, Lea, have opened this second satellite location in Kits.
When we walk in the door, we are greeted with a tsunami wave of shouts from the servers. The sunken room is sleek and dark, with reams of black wood and soft candlelight. The seating plan doesn't include the lowered platform benches that you'll find in the first Hapa (thus we aren't asked to remove our shoes).
It does, however, boast several spacious, round tables suit-able for large parties, and a long ringside bar by the open kitchen.
It's all very slick and attractive, but there's something missing.
The restaurant is a little less noisy, a little less steamy and - ah, that's it. As opposed to the original Hapa, where nearly half the clientele is Asian, everyone here (save the waitresses and kitchen staff) is white.
A quick glance at the drinks menu seems to suggest that the owners are targeting a more Western crowd at this new, upscale residential locale, where Japanese and Korean ESL students aren't quite as plentiful. In addition to the requisite plum-wine cocktails, premium bottles of sake and a draft version served in bamboo pitchers, the list includes a full page of mojito martinis. Rum and sushi? Well, why not?
The food, served tapas size, was never very traditional, even at the first location. As Mr. Ault once explained to me, it's quite trendy in Japan for izakayas to put pasta and other Western fusion fare on the menu.
Hapa's most popular dish is aburi shime saba, raw Norwegian mackerel scorched tableside with a butane torch. Sadly, it's not available here. The daily fresh sheet features a similar preparation with albacore tuna belly ($8.80), but it's already sold out.
We begin with beef tataki ($7.80), rare beef carpaccio sliced relatively thick and served with a creamy chili-based sauce that's more sweet than spicy. Hotate carpaccio (also $7.80 and from the daily sheet) is far more intriguing. The plump, slippery scallops are ocean fresh and marinated in a zesty caper-parsley oil.
The food presentation has definitely been stepped up a notch. The dishes - still all $10 or less - arrive on large white plates with tall bouquets of radish-wrapped chives and other artful flourishes.
The pretty embellishments, unfortunately, don't do anything for the agedashi tofu ($5.25). The golden-fried tofu is nice and silky, but wilting under an excess of watery dashi (a soup stock made from dried kelp, mirin and soy) and a soggy mound of grated daikon.
Fried potatoes ($6.80) are a tasty treat, sliced thin, tossed in a garlic-butter-soy sauce and sprinkled with a wriggling heap of bonito (dried fish) flakes. Ebi mayo ($7.25) is better than average. The shrimps are fresh and fat, deep fried in a crispy tempura batter and tossed with a spicy mayonnaise sauce that is light enough to enliven but not overpower.
Tako wasabi ($3.80) is a sinus-clearing bowl of phlegm-y octopus, diced into small crunchy bites and seasoned with wasabi. We enjoy the flavour, not so much the texture. Meanwhile, tsutsumi age ($8.90) must be an acquired taste. It's a fried chicken breast stuffed with cheese and shiso, the latter being a green-leaf herb that smells like lavender. Try to imagine a Japanese version of chicken Kiev filled with sweet-scented bath salts. Weird.
Ishiyaki ($7.90) is a standard hot stone bowl filled with rice, minced pork, chives, tomato, lettuce and miso. The waitress cracks an egg over top, stirs the sizzling mix, tamps it against the hot stone and lets it sit until a crispy crust is formed. It's substantial, very salty and perfect for drinking, but there's nothing special about this version of the ubiquitous dish to distinguish it from all the others you'll find around town.
And that's pretty much how I feel about the new Hapa Izakaya. When the first restaurant opened, it was sophisticated and fresh and exciting. But now there are a handful of imitators (Kingyo on Denman Street, Zakkushi on West 4th Avenue and 1215 on Davie Street) doing the same thing.
By the end of the evening, when the beautiful people had trotted out and the waitresses began clearing the tables and stacking chairs, I felt like a tourist who had overstayed her welcome.
Hapa Izakaya will no doubt do well in this resort-style neighbourhood just up from Kits Beach. Me? I prefer the original. It just feels a little more edgy and a lot less contrived.
Hapa Izakaya, 1516 Yew St.,
604-738-4272
