Robert WebbWhen you hear the word pancake, do you think about fluffy breakfast flaps served with maple syrup and butter? If so, prepare to have your tastebuds delighted by something entirely different but equally delicious. Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake: it’s one of many types of pancakes you can find in Japan, and it’s made with a fluffy batter. Typical mix-ins include cabbage and green onion and pork or shrimp, and it’s cooked on a traditional teppan grill and served with a thick, sweet brown sauce atop. Okonomiyaki is a staple dish in Japan: Okono means “however you like it” or “as you like it” while yaki translates to “grilled.” And in Vancouver you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to okonomiyaki.
In this article, we’ll talk about the best Japanese pancakes in Vancouver.
How much do Japanese pancakes cost in Vancouver?
In Vancouver, okonomiyaki will usually cost between $10 and $20 dollars.
The Best Japanese Pancakes in Vancouver
We’re here to guide you pick the best tasting and most savory Japanese pancakes out here in Vancouver. We want you to enjoy a memorable dining experience and feel a grasp of Japan’s atmosphere.
Now here are our criteria for creating this list:
1. Kishimoto Japanese Restaurant
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Variety | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Kishimoto Japanese Restaurant is easily one of the go-to places in Vancouver when we talk about Japanese cuisine.
For one, Kishimoto is a multi-awarded restaurant that has already won back-to-back honors as one of the Top 3 Japanese Restaurants in Vancouver.
Kishimoto also bagged runners-up awards as the Best Neighbourhood-East Side Restaurant and Best Japanese Restaurant in 2019.
These were awarded during the Vancouver Magazine 30th Annual Restaurant Awards and Vancouver Courier Stars of Vancouver, respectively.
Secondly, its owner, chef Akira Kishimoto, has accumulated 25 years of culinary experience in traditional Japanese cuisine both in Japan and Canada.
Kishimoto has a wide menu variety and serves two types of Japanese pancakes.
The traditional seafood okonomiyaki is just one of the many signature dishes of Kishimoto. It is made up of cabbages and a mix of prawns, squids, scallops, and clams and topped with Japanese barbecue sauce, mayo, and fish flakes.
The saltiness of the seafood mix complements the savory taste of the signature Japanese barbecue sauce and the sourness of the mayo. Just make sure that you’re not allergic to any of its ingredients.
Its vegan counterpart is served with shiitake and velvet oyster mushroom and topped with the same sauce and condiments.
Japanese pancakes are naturally oily but Kishimoto’s signature barbecue sauce will balance its flavors. Don’t forget to dig in while it’s hot to fully enjoy the combination of seafood.
Kishimoto, however, has a limited seating capacity so we recommend booking early reservations. Also, take note that it is only open to serving during dinner time.
Prepare your pockets as well since Kishimoto has relatively expensive prices even for its Japanese pancakes.
Pros
- Wide menu variety
- Award-winning restaurant
- Reservations allowed
Cons
- Limited seating capacity
- Relatively expensive price
- Only open for dinner
Customer Reviews
Bring your date
“The atmosphere at the restaurant was calm and relax, staff was nice, the owner was super kind and thoughtful. All the dishes were amazing, you can tell they put a lot of effort on all their dishes! Good portions too! Good spot for dates and with groups of friends. Will go again!” – Bubble X, Google Reviews
Just like family
“My favourite Japanese restaurant ever. It run by the nicest people, the staff are basically like a family. The photos I took aren’t even all of it, the food is beautiful and tastes even better!!! The black cod misozuke literally melts in you mouth!!!” – Vivian Huang, Google Reviews
2. Guu with Garlic
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Variety | ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Guu lets you experience the izakaya experience among locals here in Vancouver.
Guu’s humble beginnings started in Thurlow way back in 1993 as Raku before transitioning to its current name in 2000. It’s known to be the very first izakaya in Vancouver.
For those who aren’t familiar, izakaya is a casual Japanese bar that serves alcohol and snacks. Izakaya is very much similar to pubs and taverns in Western culture.
For this particular review though, we’ll be highlighting its branch in Robson which is named Guu with Garlic.
Guu with Garlic, from its name alone, specializes in garlic-based dishes or garlic-infused food. It is the second branch to open which also has a wide menu variety.
Since it’s open every day, you can enjoy its solo Japanese pancake on its menu for a relatively cheaper price.
Guu with Garlic also remains as the branch to serve okonomiyaki.
Its classic Japanese pancakes are prepared by deep frying the squid first which is actually the main ingredient. The simplest part comes as it is topped with its signature tonkatsu sauce, mustard mayo, and bonito flakes.
The deep-fried squid makes the Japanese pancake more savory while it has additional texture due to its slight crunchiness in every bite.
The other food on its menu is also sold at a relatively reasonable price. You might want to try Guu’s various selections of sashimi and donburi too.
Since it also has a limited seating capacity, we also highly recommend booking your reservations before dining in.
Pros
- Wide menu variety
- Has multiple branches
- Open every day
- Relatively reasonable price
- Reservations allowed
Cons
- Limited seating capacity
- Only serves one kind of Japanese pancake
Customer Reviews
Quick and fresh
“Everything I ordered was delicious. Seated at the bar with a great view of the process, food was served quickly and fresh. Staff checked in frequently and I was very satisfied from start to finish. I ordered the calamari, okonomiyaki, salmon salad, seared tuna salad. Would come back in a heartbeat.” – Evany Chang, Google Reviews
Another hidden gem
“This place is an absolute hidden gem in Vancouver!!! Their sashimi lunch special is so beyond worth it, it’s a mustttt when in Downtown Vancouver 😽” – Edith Law, Google Reviews
3. Yuu Japanese Tapas
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Variety | ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Yuu Japanese Tapa specializes in making its signature ramen.
But serving tapa, an appetizer course, in Japan wouldn’t be complete without its okonomiyaki.
Yuu offers a wide menu variety and it serves one of the most affordable Japanese pancakes in Vancouver.
Its seafood okonomiyaki, which is also called Japanese-style pizza, is presented with a more unique approach.
The sauce and toppings are equally divided all over the pancake itself just like how a pizza looks like.
One side occupies Yuu’s signature sauce and mayo, another is topped with seaweed flakes, and the middle is sprinkled with bonito flakes.
This actually creates a different texture and overwhelming flavor once you grab a bite or two. You can also try a different approach by simply mixing it up all together and taking a spoonful of the pancake.
Most diners come back here often because of the delicious Japanese food and the cleanliness of the restaurant.
What we liked about Yuu is that it offers a more spacious dining area for its customers compared to other Japanese restaurants.
Yuu also has long operation hours, giving customers a better chance to experience their menu.
Take note though that it’s closed on Thursdays, so you may want to plan your trip accordingly.
Pros
- Relatively cheap price
- Long operation hours
- Spacious dining area
- Clean and well-maintained
Cons
- Closed on Thursdays
- Offers one kind of Japanese pancake
Customer Reviews
Health is wealth
“I love this place, I feel safe to eat here.They have hand sanitizer on every table and plastic board between the table. All the staff still wear mask.We order seafood okonomiyaki,pan fried udon with beef and creamy mashed potato curry udon.Food taste good!” – Mandy Ng, Google Reviews
Worth the hype
“All in all, the hype is definitely worth it please give this place a try! This is how a perfect restaurant should be ran – according to me and my grandma agrees!” – Tammy Y, Google Reviews
4. Kaori Izakaya
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Variety | ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Kaori Izakaya has established itself as one of the go-to izakayas in Vancouver.
Aside from the wide menu variety, what we liked about Kaori Izakaya is how the friendly staff complements the welcoming ambiance of the establishment.
Another thing that impressed us is the cleanliness and maintenance of the restaurant. Its vibrant ambiance adds more satisfaction to the whole dining experience.
You can actually smell the aroma of the food diffusing all over the dining area.
This is what makes you more drawn to eat at Kaori Izakaya and try its other dishes such as tempura, karaage, sashimi, among others.
Talking about its Japanese pancakes, Kaori Izakaya, unfortunately, offers one variant only.
Rest assured though that the okonomiyaki is full of flavor and melts in your mouth despite not being served on a sizzling plate.
Just make sure to dig in while it’s hot because there’s no sizzling plate available to preserve its freshness and heat.
For its price overall, Kaori Izakaya sells its food at a relatively reasonable price.* Aside from its taste, the food proportion is enough reason for your money to be worth it in our opinion.
Kaori Izakaya is definitely a must-try for night owls since it’s only open during dinner time.
Pros
- Fair prices for good proportions
- Clean and well-maintained
- Friendly staff
- Spacious dining area
Cons
- Only offers one variant of okonomiyaki
- Only open for dinner
Customer Reviews
Mouth-watering
“We often would ask what the chef was making because it smelled so good or looked amazing and our server would find out for us. The server also gave us more time to figure out what we wanted since it was our first time there.” – Rocco Briganti, Google Reviews
Sit back and relax
“Peaceful environment with friendly service. Really enjoying with a few friends. A very good place to chill.” – Hennie San, Google Reviews
5. Seiza Japanese Cuisine
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Variety | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Authenticity | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Looking at its menu, Seiza Japanese Cuisine offers a very wide variety of food from appetizers, salads, and tempura, to name a few.
For its Japanese pancakes in particular, Seiza offers both vegetable okonomiyaki and seafood okonomiyaki, with the latter being one of its signature dishes.
There’s no better way to enjoy Japanese pancakes than having it served fresh and hot. Seiza guarantees this by using a sizzling iron pan to preserve its heat over time.
The portion sizes for the Japanese pancake are quite adequate. However, we recommend asking for extra tonkatsu sauce to maximize the flavors.
What makes Seiza unique though is the fusion of Asian and Western cuisine.
Seiza reintroduces a mix of cultures by using traditional ingredients and applying a more Western approach to cooking. The touch of Japanese cuisine, however, remains given how extensive the ingredients that Seiza makes use of.
It also has a very spacious dining area where you can dig into your heart’s content. It’s also a plus that you can almost never run out of options given a wide menu variety.
You can enjoy some of its other food too such as udon, ramen, teriyaki, and donburi which all have a modern twist.
Be ready to prepare your pockets though, because its food and even the okonomiyaki are being sold at a costly price compared to other Japanese restaurants.
While we had a good time dining here, some diners believe that there’s still room for improvement in Seiza’s customer service.
A couple of diners we’ve talked to believe that some waiters could be a little more attentive to their customers. This is something that Seiza should discuss further moving forward.
We also suggest arriving at an earlier time since finding a parking spot is quite difficult since Seiza only offers street parking.
Pros
- Wide menu variety
- Open every day
- Reservations allowed
- Fusion of Asian and Western cuisine
- Spacious dining area
Cons
- Serves food at a costly price in comparison
- Room for improvement on customer service
- Street parking only
Customer Reviews
No regrets
“I opted for the Vegetable Okonomiyaki which arrived at the table on a sizzling hot cast iron pan. Mmmmm…so good! Don’t regret it at all. Will get my Zaru Soba fix some other time! The Lobster Roll was quite an eyecatcher and yummy to eat as well.” – Josephine Ma, Google Reviews
Hands down
“This is one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve been to in Vancouver – hands down. The food was incredibly delicious and fresh. Service is friendly and very efficient, and the portions are fair. Everything looks beautiful when presented. We loved everything we had, especially the salmon oshizushi and the lobster roll!” – Tim Douglas, Google Reviews
FAQs about Japanese pancakes
If you’re looking for more Japanese food, we got you covered with our article on the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver.
