After several visits to the Guu Sakabar location I decided to give the original Guu Izakaya on Church St. a try.
We went at 5:30PM on a Saturday aiming to avoid the rush, but the restaurant was already nearly full. We were seated at the last two available seats at a communal table. While conversation was made difficult by the loud atmosphere the food and drinks arrived within less than 10 minutes; surprisingly fast for how busy it was.
The Salmon Tataki ($7.80) was a slightly seared sashimi dish with about 5 small pieces. The salmon was clearly good quality fish, and the garnish added to the flavour. Would highly recommend this dish for salmon and sushi lovers. The Takoyaki ($5.50) was very lacking in octopus was. If there was more octopus in the takoyaki the dish would be significantly better. The Kakimayo ($8.50) was simply amazing. No complaints, even the portion size was good.
Each of us also got the Sake Tasting option ($14 for three shots). The sake selection was limited in variety and their best sounding option (the Junmai) was unavailable. I was pleasantly surprised by the dry but sweet tasting Guu'd Sake- it was the best of the three I ordered. Meanwhile the Izumi was dry and less flavourful, and the Gekkeikan was dry and a bit bitter. My friend had the Plum Wine Sake which had a soft cherry taste.
Overall it's a great restaurant with a very loud atmosphere. Fun for larger groups and for people looking for an authentic Japanese Izakaya experience. I recommend ordering at least two (different) dishes per person and sharing to get a nice variety. High quality food with small portions for the price they charge.