Kaneko Hannosuke has quietly closed its Vancouver location

The extremely popular Japanese tempura chain Kaneko Hannosuke opened its first (and only) Vancouver location back in January 2020, but now Dished has learned that this location has officially shuttered.

According to a representative from Kaneko Hannosuke, the 1725 Robson Street outpost closed its doors on January 2 – almost exactly three years from its opening date.

“Due to our lease contract ending, we decided not to continue,” the rep explained, adding that the small size of the restaurant was a major limiting factor.

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“The restaurant size is too small for our needs as it only holds 20 seats. We wanted to expand our menu selection, however, our kitchen space was limited, which stopped us from expanding our menu,” they added.

Kaneko Hannosuke opened its second location in the province (and the country) at Burnaby’s The Amazing Brentwood back in May 2022. And while the Vancouver location may now be closed, the Burnaby spot remains open, located at the mall’s “Tables” food court.

The Tokyo-based restaurant is known for its bowls of Japanese tendon tempura – or tempura donburi, meaning rice bowl – and draws huge lines of people. Its offerings include a variety of seafood and vegetables prepared in its signature deep-fried batter and served with a secret sauce.

It’s not all bad news for tempura fans in Vancouver, though, as we’re told that the brand would like to reopen at a location downtown but is currently looking for a new address – one that will work better for its operations.

Stay tuned for more updates.