Opened behind much fanfare and excitement in January 2020, the first Canadian location of Japanese import tempura chain made it three years before shuttering.
The 1725 Robson St location of Kaneko Hannosuke made it through, it appears, until just the end of 2022. The restaurant has no formal closure announcement on its website or social media, but as of January stopped listing the Robson outpost.
Kaneko Hannosuke continues to operate a location - what had been the second - inside the "Tables" food court of The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby.
Launched originally in Japan before franchising out to Taiwan, the U.S., and Canada, Kaneko Hannosuke is known for its "tempura tendon." The Japanese specialty is a type of donburi (rice bowl with toppings) that features crisp tempura atop the freshly steamed rice and a light soy sauce.
The concept seemed poised to be a trend, as Kaneko Hannosuke was followed soon by Tendon Kohaku, a Singapore-based franchise that also specializes in Japanese tempura rice bowls. Tendon Kohaku has three locations - one in downtown 麻豆传媒映画and two in Burnaby.
