By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

“Let's eat downtown tonight,” my friend texted. So off we went to try ShuRaku, located in the entertainment district on Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver.
We started with the Gomae. Unlike some of the common versions out there, this one was not slathered in an obscene amount of sweet syrup. Instead, it was lightly dressed with sesame puree. The spinach itself was prepared nicely with a slight chew while being tender. Next up was the Renkon Kinpira, lotus root sautéed and simmered in sweet soy sauce and sesame oil with a hint of chili. The spice level was a bit too understated and it gave way to a heightened sweetness and noticeable saltiness. We liked the crunchy texture though.
The Chicken Nanban was described as succulent chicken thigh, deep fried and drizzled with sweet and sour nanban sauce. The dark meat retained a juicy moistness, and there was only a light crunch from the deep fry, while the sauce seasoned the meat without being overly salty.
Next, we had ShuRaku’s signature dish, the Japanese-Style BBQ Back Ribs. These were fall-off-the bone tender Canadian pork back ribs glazed with their own secret BBQ sauce. These were moist and tender, with plenty of meat clinging onto the large bones. As for the glaze, it was sweet while being savory.
We also tried something a bit more healthy with a plate of Nigiri, Negitoro Roll, California Roll, and Salmon Roll. The sushi rice was slightly on the dry side, but it still had an appealing chewiness. The fish was appealing with a nice sheen and a fresh taste - as fresh as flash frozen can get. The Agedashi Tofu was a hit and miss in one dish. I found the exterior of the tofu was crispy, but beyond that, the coating became gummy. The batter merely slid off after one bite, but the silky tofu was positive as well as the balanced sauce.
The Chicken Yakisoba arrived on a sizzling hot plate. The yakisoba featured chewy noodles, with some smokiness that went well with the caramelized sweetness. The big pieces of chicken were sufficiently moist, but in need of more seasoning. As for the pork cutlet don, it was not very good. We found the meat was overly dry and chewy, while the panko coating was soft.
Lastly, we tried the Sake Miso Gindara. As much as some people would like you to believe black cod is easy to prepare, that is not always the case, especially with a sake marinade. This one was done right. The fish retained was flaky and buttery., and both the sake and miso were noticeable. This was a well-executed dish.  
Overall, we were satisfied with the food, especially for a late night meal. Considering ShuRaku is located right in the heart of the Granville Entertainment District, the ambiance was low-key enough for us to have meaningful conversation without needing to yell.

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.

ShuRaku Sake Bar and Bistro
833 Granville Street, Vancouver
(604)687-6622

The Good:
• Decent eats
• Relatively low-key atmosphere
• Above-average service

The Bad:
• Pricey relative to portion size
• Good, but not great