B-Kyu Gurume

While some people dread the end of summer, we look forward to the arrival of national fairs like the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and the culinary offerings that come with it. Last year, we discovered the Thanksgiving Waffle by Fran’s Restaurants at the CNE – a combination of Canadian tradition and comfort food. This year, we hear they’ve got Poutine Balls and a Baonana Split that reminded us of something we discovered in Japan called “B-kyu gurume.” Learn more about the inexpensive delicious trend that’s taken the world one bite at a time.

Japanese cuisine is changing. Here in Canada, long gone are the days when “Japanese cuisine” was just a synonym for sushi. And in Japan, the culinary scene seems to have finally escaped the looming shadow of Michelin stars and traditional, multi-course “kaiseki” dinners. But that doesn’t mean a country renowned for its cuisine has taken a gastronomic nosedive – quite the contrary, in fact.

The last several years have seen the rise of “B-kyu gurume” – literally, “B-grade gourmet.” The translation is a bit of a misnomer as B-kyu does not denote low quality. However, it certainly renounces fancy mood lighting and stuck-up waiters. Furthermore, a large part of the appeal of B-kyu gurume is how it counters the pretentious notions of the high-end A-kyu cuisine, liberating food lovers from the golden shackles that Japan essentially built its dining reputation on. Its popularity has grown to include dedicated magazine guides and TV shows. There are even major food festivals surrounding the movement.

So what is it, exactly?

The Japan Times defines B-kyu as “inexpensive, down-home cooking that reflects local culinary traditions.” “Everyone describes it differently, but for me B-kyu is a soulful food. It has to be delicious, cheap and made with quality ingredients,” says Koji Yamamoto, owner of Yakko Izakaya in Osaka. “My favourite thing about B-kyu is how we mix in other cultural foods with our traditional cuisine to create something new. It’s a dish made up of different countries.”

At its heart, B-kyu looks a lot like the same food craze that has swept Canada in recent years: slightly elevated, blessedly cheap, and cheerful comfort food. For Shinji Yamaguchi, who spent years eating his way through Japan and now runs Toronto’s Gushi street food stall, it’s about fun and sheer enjoyment: “B-kyu gurume is not fancy, you can eat it aggressively, and it looks good and tastes good – like junk food.”

Written by Nelson Tam. B-Kyu Gurume was featured in Issue 7 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine