Gun Izakaya

On an average Friday night at Gun Izakaya, everyone is chatting and laughing and eating skewered meats and shared dishes. The interior is filled with slate, wood, velvet, and a hint of smoke and fire coming from the charcoal grill. All help to give off a general feeling of celebration.

Chef Jeff Chanchaleune and his restaurant partner, Rachel Cope, certainly have something to celebrate with Gun Izakaya, which has brought something truly unique to Oklahoma City. It’s the kind of place to gather family and friends with food that delivers an experience.

Gun Izakya’s menu is inspired by Chanchaleune’s trips to Japan’s Yakitori Alley shops on Memory Lane. He has an admittedly selfish desire to bring that food to OKC so that he can eat it every day as well as share with others what he has enjoyed so much in his travels. Yakitori is served alongside other favorite items from his journeys there such as dumplings and Osaka okonomiyaki, a savory duck and cabbage pancake served with in-house made sauces like garlic aioli and bull dog sauce.

“You’re really meant to come with a few friends, order for everyone, and try a little bit of everything,” explains Chef Jeff. “I wanted to create conversations and a place you'll want to hang out. ‘How's your day been?’ ‘How's your life?’ ‘I haven’t seen you in forever’, you know, just hang out, eat and drink, talk about food and talk about your lives.”

Chef Jeff grew up in a kitchen; his father is also a chef and Jeff’s inspired by both his father’s and mother’s cooking.

“Growing-up, we always ate family-style and that's what I like about this concept. I wanted to bring that feeling because you get to try a variety of items, but you also get to just be with family and friends and talk.”

He worked his way through high school and college, thinking he’d get out of the kitchen, but then realized that’s where he’s happiest. After cooking in Chicago for awhile, he came back home and started KaiTeki Ramen, then Gorō Ramen, and now Gun Izakaya.

“But I think it’s just always been in my blood and I unknowingly learned all these skills and flavors from my parents,” said Chef Jeff. “My mom is Thai and Laotian and my father is Vietnamese and Laotian. The chilli bomb at Gorō for example is actually inspired by her food and whenever I eat the paitan with the chili oil, it still reminds me of my mom’s chicken noodle soup.”