Took a little trip to Japan over the weekend. Okay not really, but Gyubee took me pretty close! This Japanese BBQ located at 95 York St, Ottawa transforms your Byward Market surroundings to a clean, bamboo plastered reality.
If you’re not familiar with the concept of such BBQs, the basic idea is that you order the meats you’d like and cook it at the table. The beauty of this kind of a joint is that it can make even the most novice chefs feel like they know exactly what they are doing. Best of all, the restaurant is “all you can eat”, and best believe I ate all I could. So much so, I lost count of how many dishes I had polished off, and that is excluding the 3 cups of crème brûlée I managed stuff down towards the end.
I was surprised at the speed at which these dishes came out, especially because they were all marinated, prepped, and very fresh! The menu has a variety of dishes including chicken thighs and cartilage, seafood like shrimp, a few vegetarian dishes including mushrooms and corn, and my personal favorite, the range of beef dishes they have offering the most choice. There are a range of sides, or “essentials” as I like to call them, including white rice (of which I downed about 4 bowls), noodles, and bibimbap (make that 2), which even though is a Korean dish, fit right into the cuisine.
This place is perfect for all you meat lovers out there, but unfortunately this may not be the place for all my vegetarian readers. As great as the variety is on the menu, it is really centered around meat, and the price of around $40 per person may not be the best deal for you to only choose from about 5 vegetarian dishes.
All in all Gyubee offers a perfect balance of a casual and intimate night out with a group of carnivorous friends. Offering this experience not only in Ottawa, but find Gyubee in Downtown Toronto, Markham, Scarborough, Mississauga, and Montreal! I know I can’t wait to head back there… as soon as my wallet has been resuscitated.
A Side of Fries 