Dinner at Nan Chuu

One of the few authentic Japanese restaurants in Richmond (outside of the Steveston area) and one of my favorite izakayas in Greater Vancouver is Nan Chuu. Owned and run by the Gyoza King people, the food is worth the drive and parking headache (it's on the busy restaurant strip on Alexandra Road).

We started off our meal with the seasonal Monkfish liver. It's amazingly sweet, with a slightly lighter texture than pate and was not the slightest bit fishy.

Next, came the seared tuna tataki (the tuna is good in any form here), chicken skewers (standard robata fare) with mayo, and the Gyu Tataki.



The meat was richly marbled and thinly sliced. Incredibly fresh and tender, their beef tataki is the best I've ever had. Similar to eating buffalo, it actually tastes like what beef is supposed to taste like.

We also had the grilled ox tongue and of course, the ebi mayo.



Nan Chuu opened about 2 years ago and they seem to be in the middle of a transition. Many menu items have been taken off, including one of my favorite sashimi appetizer plates. They've expanded into offering oden, which I have not yet had a chance to try. The atmosphere is less boisterous than some of the Robson St. izakayas and it's a generally more low-key, quieter environment with dimly lit wooden booths, a small bar, and handmade clay dishware. They also have a large selection of Japanese beers, sakes and spirits, as well as shochu-based cocktails.