I booked the Shokunin Yakitori Omakase last minute and got a seat right next to the pass. I…read moreabsolutely loved my meal here and thought it was good value when considering the USD to CAD exchange rate. They give you the whole description of each dish upon delivery and I love that everyone pitches in and isn't necessarily delivered by an assigned waitress. Starting with the Cold Shuck Scallop which was basically a flower that I was instructed to squish and eat. The sauce permeated the flakes. The second dish was a Shokunin Handcone with seaweed straight from Japan. I liked the progressions from the raw to the 5 skewers consisting of: Shiitake Mushroom, Chicken Oyster, Chicken Wingette, Thigh dipped in tare, and Chicken Ass. These are served with a soy egg dip and side dishes. I didn't need any refills with so much food but they were good! All is the chicken was tender and perfectly cooked. I liked that they all tasted slightly differently and who would've thought they had chicken ass. Apparently it was so popular that you can only get it with the omakase now. The Wagyu Pastrami Burnt Ends were a cherry on top for the chicken. One of my favorites was the Yellow Chicken Bone Broth which was pure, simple, and delicious. I could drink this all day! Finally, the Sake Kasu Tiramisu was a unique deconstructed take on a classic. You can't ever go wrong with these flavors! The service overall was great. Loved watching all if the chefs at their stations. They were busy and on top of everything. The only things I can nitpick about: refilling water and knowing that I preordered the omakase. Other than that, they were perfect!

Fantastic restaurant from Darren Maclean! Had the Yakitori Omakase experience at first sitting on…read moreSunday night. Restaurant wasn't terribly busy - probably because it was Super Bowl Sunday!!! Seated promptly - there are only four seats for the omakaze experience. You have a view of all the preparation of the food - sat right in front of the charcoal grill which emanated heat through the glass. The starts of the experience - the Hokkaido scallop and the chicken ass (only available on the omakaze experience and cannot be ordered in the regular dining room now). Never felt rushed, unlimited sides. Only thing that could be improved is difficulty hearing the server and chef over the background music and restaurant noise. Also some of the background music didn't seem to suit the environment (pretty sure I heard some Dr Dre!!)

I stopped by with my father pretty late, around 10:30-11pm. We went and sat down at a table and was…read morea bit confused by how long it took to get our menus. Maybe it was because we had to order at the counter? Not sure because it's our first time and didn't get any direction or help on that. It could've just been that it was late, which is understandable. However the food was really great! We both got ramen. The broth is super flavourful and the noodles are bouncy. One of ours was spicy and the other wasn't, the owner kindly went out of their way and asked if we wanted more spice in general. We actually found the spicy one, the miso ramen, too spicy to begin with but it was a very kind gesture as she put it in a small dish for us to help ourselves to. The decor is very colourful and pleasant to the eyes, although its a Japanese cuisine, I believe it is currently owned by mandarin speakers. This impressed us a lot more because of how authentic the food was. Would definitely stop by again when looking for a late night delicious meal.

The boys and I came here for lunch on a Tuesday(contrary to the hours listed on Yelp, they are open…read moreon Tuesdays). The interior of the restaurant has seen better days and they will be undergoing a major renovation from September 21st to 2025. The owner, Jay, was pleasant and attentive. He brought us a plate of complimentary spring rolls with sweet chili sauce. They were piping hot and super crunchy! Our family ordered three personal hot pots to warm us up on a cool autumn afternoon: spicy miso soup with lamb; Tom Yum soup with seafood; kimchi soup with beef. Our soups arrived in a timely fashion on top of individual burners (this was my first time seeing pink gel used as fuel) and they were intensely flavourful. My lamb was tender and the fish cakes, crab sticks, tofu, enoki/brown mushrooms, suey choy, and konjac vermicelli were deliciously satisfying and comforting. As usual, the boys and I had a taste of all three soup bases, and we decided that we liked them all! Just one thing of note: the soup tends to thicken halfway through your meal, so you might need to add a bit of hot water. We will certainly be back!

$100 for myself and my cutie. WOW , I think I had some of…read morethe best meat ever here... I cant remember what it was called but basically ordered this premium meat combo with a lot of different steaks that we got to cook ourselves over the fire pit in the middle of the table. An unforgettable experience.

Enjoyed an early dinner while on vacation. The menu is extensive and we settled on the dinner for…read moretwo. We were extremely satisfied with the quantity and quality of meat and sides. I've been to a few other bbq places where the meat is not seasoned at all, and tastes pretty bland. Gyu-kaku definitely put some salt and pepper on the meat before bringing it by, and that truely made all the difference. There were a few booths that were worse for wear with tape on the seats. For that reason it isn't my favorite spot for a date, but great food.

Great place to hang out and get some delicious food…read more Authentic AND cheap AND TASTY! Service was fast.

This was my second time here in 6 months. Their food is reasonably priced, lots of seating area…read more(main floor and downstairs). Downstairs is where you can see the chefs prep the sushi and sashimi. Order at the till and then you will receive a buzzer (to pick up your food when it is ready). You can grab the sushi from the lower level (basement). My better half has some very specific dietary restrictions and they were able to answer my questions, staff was polite and did notify us if any foods might be cross contaminated. The atmosphere is casual but could also be a nice place for a date. They had the patio open today which is where we sat. We ordered the sushi lovers tray $20 for 20 pieces (4 sashimi and 16 pieces of sushi). My kids don't eat spicy food so the chef was able to make our sushi tray to order (with the spicy sauces on the side), which was lovely. The chef asked about our dietary restrictions when I asked for the spice to be served on the side. Also, we ordered the spicy chicken ramen (TIP: if you are sharing with a non-spicy eater, you can order it with the spice paste on the side, which is what we ended up doing). Kids love the broth here, and it is chicken based. Some ramen places will have chicken ramen but then it will be prepared in a pork based broth, which doesn't work for us. We ordered two of the salmon sushi lovers trays, one chicken ramen, one chicken yakatori and one bbq chicken rice bowl. There is a good amount of variety on the menu, whether you are looking for a meal or more of a snack item. They do have chicken, lamb, beef, tofu, and pork on the menu along with vegetarian options.

My partner and I have been to this establishment about 10 times in the last year. We have brought…read morelots of friends and family here when they come out to visit from the states. This restaurant is unique and fun and the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. As a vegetarian, I'm really impressed with how accommodating the staff is when I want to order certain items without meat or seafood. My partner eats all kinds of meat and seafood so she has no problems eating here. My favourite thing to order are the tofu nuggets and the chow mein without the chicken. My partner has a whole bunch of favourites that she likes to order. This place has grown a lot since we first came to visit. They now have vending machines with lots of little cute characters inside. I love how they have a little piece of candy for you to grab on your way out. This is one of our favourite sushi restaurants in Calgary. We always look forward to having lunch here.

Went here for a birthday. They loved ordering items using the bullet train. Ask for the low sodium…read moresoya sauce. The staff was attentive. Sushi was fresh (as it could be for Calgary), portions are a bit small but the price is decently priced as well. Casual dining environment and vibes are chilled out. Parking in this area can be a bit tough during the day, paid parking in the street. After 6pm it's free. We ended up parking a few blocks down. There are steps to get into this place. Not wheelchair accessible. All their food was good. We ordered mostly tuna and salmon sushi and sashimi.

As of September 2023 and out of the 14 Omakase places I tried in San Francisco, Los Ángeles and New…read moreYork City/NJ, this was my FAVORITE Omakase experience! I'm going to Asia later this year and could possibly change my mind, but I truly thought this was the best Omakase experience ever. Food - Wow. There were so many fish I ate that I never had nor tasted in that manner, but was extremely good! I couldn't believe for one of the dishes, I ate radish, but it was the best radish of my life. Better than my momma's kimchi. They make all the simple dishes really well and the unique dishes extraordinarily well! I don't take pictures of food, so I asked my friend to take pictures of EVERYTHING because it was all so memorable! Service - One of the waitress is a doppelgänger of Korea's top actress Son Ye Jin or IU. My friend and I were very humbled by her hospitality and graced by her exquisite presence. She always filled our water, refilled our ginger and made sure we had an amazing time! Chef - Last, but not least, The chef was AMAZING!! The chef meticulously explained every single piece and dish. He was succinct, yet knowledgeable. He was very welcoming, yet extremely focused on his art work. He also is a doppelgänger of Korea's top good looking actor. It felt like a celebrity was cooking for me. I will definitely come back one day! My trip of hiking in Banff was so worth it and finishing with my last meal at Nupo was PERFECT!

Love the idea and atmosphere but the service and more importantly, the food, was a big…read moredisappointment. We did the tasting menu and the nigiri was not at all authentic as the rice was cold and not seasoned correctly. The fish itself was just ok for the price. We found the quality of food to be much better at RAW around the corner (where we went immediately after Nupo since we were still hungry after the pricey tasting menu). If you've had halfway decent sushi in any big city then definitely skip eating here as you'll be underwhelmed. For a sushi fix, head to RAW.

A great lunch spot with excellent bowls and rolls!…read more We visited Maru Sushi and Don multiple times during our stay in Calgary, largely because my daughter absolutely loved their food. We ordered a mix of dishes across our visits, including the Sanuki Udon, the Salmon and Spicy Pork bowls, and the Philadelphia and Flower rolls. The Rolls I'll skip a detailed review of the rolls since I didn't taste them myself, but they looked fantastic. They were meticulously wrapped, and the Flower Roll was exceptionally colorful and appetizing. Judging by how eager my daughter was to keep coming back for them, they must be delicious. The Udon (Sanuki Udon. Udon just means Noodle) We ordered the Udon, and the presentation was very solid. The noodles were neatly grouped and topped with the classic agedama (tempura flakes). The dashi has a standard, formulaic taste--I certainly didn't expect a from-scratch iriko base--but it makes for a very comforting and tasty-looking bowl of noodles. The Bowls I personally ate the bowls and ordered them twice because I enjoyed them so much. The concept is a bit like a Chipotle burrito bowl, but much closer in spirit to bibimbap with a lower rice-to-vegetable ratio. It perfectly fit my goal of eating lower-carb meals. The bowls are packed with a vibrant mix of mesclun greens, cucumber, avocado, edamame, corn, pineapple, and green onions. I loved the textural contrasts: tender salad leaves, refreshing cucumber, and the chopsticks-testing edamame. A great detail was the carrots--they were lightly blanched in a sweet broth, which removed the raw bite while keeping them perfectly crisp. As for the proteins, the salmon was standard, but the Korean-style spicy pork was the standout. They got it incredibly right. It tasted very authentic with a solid 5/10 on my spice scale, and the gochujang blended flawlessly with all the vegetables. Minor Critiques I only have two small complaints. First, the red cabbage and sliced radish were unusually bitter and didn't blend well with the rest of the bowl's flavor profile. Second, opting for brown rice makes the bowl pretty challenging to eat with chopsticks; the structure of the rice is loose and dry, making it hard to pick up. However, I still managed to clean my bowl completely while waiting for my daughter to finish her meal! Verdict Overall, I really enjoyed our meals here. If I worked nearby, Maru Sushi and Don would absolutely be in my regular lunch rotation.

The reviews were good, so I stopped by for dinner to try some sushi by myself. The interior of the…read morerestaurant has a nice atmosphere and is a small space. The store staff was alone, so you might have to wait. I chose salmon, tuna, hokkigai, and eel from Nigiri's menu, and added agedashi- tofu and miso soup. First of all, Nigiri's rice was not tasty. It's dry, and unfortunately, the fatty tuna (toro) sushi I had was sinewy and difficult to chew. The salmon had cuts on the surface, but also texture was unpleasant to chew. I didn't feel like eating any more, so I left the restaurant. If I get the chance to come here, I'll try something other than sushi.

Great spot for yakitori. Sashimi was fresh and the yakitori was on point. There's late night happy…read morehour where yakitori are 20% off. Very spacious inside with lots of seating. Service was good and the food came pretty fast. Street parking is available

Wow, where to start the sushi is great. The sashimi is great. The equator is great. Everything we…read morehad and there is too much to list was absolutely awesome. One of my favorites was the cucumber appetizer. Also, the steak served on a super hot stone you finish cooking it at the table. Their Asian inspired cocktails are tasty as are the oysters on the half shell parking might be a bit of a challenge but once you get out of the car, you will enjoy this restaurant.

Service- always prompt and courteous…read more Ambiance- came for my adult son's birthday. Always a relaxed atmosphere. Food - this is more traditional sushi and Japanese. All dishes, although looking small, are quite generous portions. I always enjoy coming here and enjoying good Japanese

I came here for their lunch special and it was so worth the visit and couldn't even believe the…read moreprice! My friend recommend we come here during our lunch and the service was spectacular and the food was just as amazing! I highly recommend coming here for their lunch special which was only $21 for a cirachi don (very fresh fish and seasoned rice if you just add a bit more soy sauce) with miso soup and a salad that was so refreshing and well dressed and light. It also came with 2 giant rolls! I also got their kama salmon head and it was so good! They also offer omakase here I saw a sign but didn't have the chance to try so cannot speak on that yet but I will definitely be back

Oh my gosh! Talk about hidden gem downtown. Some of the best sushi I've ever had, period…read more It's super cute inside, bright and airy and with plenty of space between tables. Staff is incredibly warm and friendly, ready to answer any and all questions you might have. The sushi is EXCELLENT. Their toro melts on the tongue. The belly, the scallops, the hamachi, it's all perfect. We loved our meal so much we immediately returned the following day to get our fill of raw fish. I wish Sushi AOI was in my backyard!

My group of three was able to get a table when we walked in on a Thursday night in October around…read more8pm. The service was very friendly and attentive. The sushi was SO good. I loved my Spicy Tuna and Dynamite rolls. I highly recommend if you're looking for a nice chill spot for some great sushi :)