Seigo Nakamura (owner)
Last night I attended the opening party of Gyoza Bar, the latest restaurant and their 3rd in Vancouver from Aburi Restaurants.
Corporate Executive Chef Kazuya Matsuoka & Owner – Seigo Nakamura – at Gyoza Bar
Seigo Nakamura – owner of Aburi Restaurants opened Gyoza Bar to offer their distinct interpretation of the traditional gyoza and ramen.
Designed by Sara Gillespie of Live by Design, the space invokes an urban and rustic-elegant feel with its polished concrete, live edge maple, and BC pine beetle wood that complement the existing and timeless brick walls. Part of the kitchen is open to encourage guests to sit at the bar and see their food be prepared. A peek-a-boo window allows those interested to watch fresh ramen be prepared. Diners will get a chance to experience lunch and dinner at the 85-seat, 2,600 square feet restaurant, and Aburi Restaurants Canada’s exclusive house sake on-tap.
Making the Ramen
The ramen noodles are handcrafted in-house using a special ramen-making machine flown in from Japan. Broths are made from scratch with all-natural flavours and without the use of MSG.
Kaisen Tomato Ramen
Chicken Gyoza in a rau sauce
Kale Gomae & Grilled Chorizo
Guests enjoyed white and red wines, cocktails and beer while sampling many dishes off the menu. My favourites from what I tried, include the Kale Gomae, Hainan Chicken + Ginger Scallion Rayu Gyoza, the Harissa Tofu + Kabocha Gyoza and the Kaisen Tomato Ramen with mussels, clams, prawns, scallops, and chicken char siu.
Chefs from left to right: Reed Leah, Jason Moreno and Rudito Espiritu
The ramen bowls were hand crafted locally as were the colorful plates. The kitchen crew is dressed in plaid shirts and trucker hats and watching them in action in this open kitchen is a treat.
Gyoza Bar is located at 622 West Pender Street, in downtown Vancouver, you can phone them at 604-336-5563 and follow then on Twitter @GyozaBarRamen |
By: Richard Wolak