Hapa Izakaya version 4.0. By now Vancouverites should be very familiar with Japanese tapas. Hapa Izakaya Coal Harbour formerly known as Hapa Umi, is popular amongst the after work crowd just happy to relax with cheap food and drinks.
Hapa Izakaya Coal Harbour used to be a upscale hapa but, I guess Vancouverites got so used to Hapa’s original menu and prices that it just did not fly. Now they have a menu very similar to all the other Hapa’s
Happy Hour Details:
3- 6 PM
Monday to Friday
Everything on the Happy Hour menu including the house wine and beer is under $5. I know UNDER $5!!!
Now the food…
Starting with my favourite dish the Ika, grilled squid, sake soy garlic marinade. The smoky flavour really came through. It was cooked perfectly, the texture was still crunchy.
Ebi Mayo, was overcooked and the batter was too thick.
Chicken Karaage, it was juicy and tender on the inside but the outside was not as crispy as I would have liked
Beef tataki, lacked flavor, I’m not a big fan of any dish squirted with a thick blob of chilli sauce.
Rennkon Gyoza, minced pork layered with lotus root and tempura. This was surprisingly nice, the lotus root added a crunchy texture.
Overall, it stood a little above pub food but, the atmosphere and service was so fun. The servers were hot. We sat in a booth so I was eye level with the server’s busty boobs. I couldn’t help staring at them, they were everywhere. It may be raunchy but, take it as it is, Hapa Izakaya doesn’t claim to be a Michelin star restaurant, it’s more along the lines of Cactus Club. If you are complaining about girls and guys flaunting their bodies (I might add, it wasn’t distasteful) go somewhere else.
Food Persuasion 
Hmm! I didn’t know Hapa Umi was simply renamed to Hapa Izakaya (and under the same management?). The location has seen various restaurants come and go, so I thought Hapa Umi was another victim of a low-traffic location, and the current Hapa Izakaza is just the latest tenant.
That said, they might have the best chance yet of a restaurant surviving there since they have successful locations on Robson and in Yaletown.
Yes, there are a few black holes around Vancouver. Ensemble is in one of them now. It’s a shame though, there has been some great restuarants there.