Day 88: My Favourite Restaurant

I love food. I appreciate eating food more than I did when I was younger. As I grew up, I like to try various restaurants. Maybe to see the different experiences. Food for me when I was younger was a survival method. Now food is more enjoyable and not so much a chore. I eat really slow. I heard it is better for your metabolism if you eat slow. I eat slow and enjoy my food while I'm chewing it. I am not a pro at distinguishing different flavours. But I know when I like something and when I don't.

My favourite restaurant is Kingyo. It is located on Denman street. I think some people have heard of this restaurant. Not everyone has heard of this restuarant becuase when you walk by it's just looks black and hidden. The sign isn't that big for you to notice the restaurant.

My first time there I was with my friend. We made a special trip to go to that restaurant. I read a review of that restaurant and asked my friend if he wanted to try it. I didn't decide it would be my favourite restaurant till I have eaten there a few times. It is an izakaya restaurant. Izakaya restaurants are Japanese tapas. The food is served in small plates.

My ex and I lived in the West End. Kingyo was within walking distance from us. We went there once and we liked it. Then we went there the next time and enjoyed it. We went there at least once a week for about two months.

I like it there for many reasons.
1) The decor/atmosphere - when you walk in, the wall on the left is decorated with pictures from Japan. It looks like authentic suburban Japan. It gives me a taste of what it would look like in a small town in Japan. In the middle of the restaurant is the 'bamboo bar'. It's a rectangular bar but with floor to ceiling bamboo shoots. The dining tables look like they are from ancient Japan. They play jazz music which is very relaxing and soothing.

2) The service - they are all very nice. They wear uniforms that are clean and appropriate. They wear short sleeve button t-shirts with their logos on it. It not too sexy or revealing for the girls. If you ask them about the food, they are well versed in what they serve. The service is consistent.

3) The food - the taste of the food is delicious. We tasted about 1/3 of the menu. It all tastes different. The food is consistant. We tend to order the same dishes over and over because we liked it. Every time the food came out, it tastes the same and we can expect it to taste good. We know what to expect on how it tastes. There are several izakaya restaurants that are similar. But I think this is by far the best one. The other ones are cheaper but the food isn't as good and the atmosphere isn't as good.