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    Damso Izakaya

    4.3 (15 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM

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    midori wave roll ~$18
    Janey T.

    Really love the ambiance here. Service and food came out promptly. Rolls were nicely put together and the torched fish was a nice touch. The sauce was diluted from what I'm used to at least but still had a nice flavour.

    Chicken Karaage
    Nat L.

    After hearing so many good things about this place, we decided to pay a visit to celebrate a birthday. We made a reservation ahead of time for a Saturday evening, but honestly this wasn't needed as the place was more than half empty when we arrived. The interior is very inviting and reminded me of the street markets in Japan with the lanterns. As a One Piece fan, I especially loved seeing the anime's 'Wanted' posters on their wall, along with their collection of modern and retro Japanese advertisements. The service was standard; nothing special or above and beyond. We ordered a total of nine dishes for a party of four, and were extremely disappointed with the portion of food for the price you pay. Some of us left still feeling hungry, but decided to take our business elsewhere after noting the unreasonable portions. We were equally disappointed with the presentation of our food, as their website and Instagram displays colorful, creative arrangements, but what we received did not match what was advertised. I must say the quality of the food was, overall, pretty good however. A more detailed review of each item we ordered: - Mentaiko Avocado ($5): one of the most disappointing dishes. Their instagram shows the mentaiko oozing and overflowing from the avocado, but what we actually got were little dabs of mentaiko. Because of this, we didn't taste any mentaiko at all; each bite just tasted like avocado, and we were really disappointed that we basically just paid for heated avocado. - Ebi Mayo ($13): also extremely disappointing. I had heard from so many foodies that their ebi mayo is one of the best Edmonton has to offer, but I'd like to argue otherwise. Not only was the presentation so sad compared to what others experienced (see photos for what I mean), but the flavours weren't anything spectacular. - Kaki Fry ($15): the fried oysters were really well done! - Tofu Tornado ($10): this was one of the dishes that everyone enjoyed. Essentially, it's deep fried tofu with sauces that resemble the taste of takoyaki. However, I would say $10 for 5 small pieces of tofu is quite steep. - Karaage ($12): this was also another enjoyable dish, and one that was reasonably priced. The chicken had a good crunch on the outside, and was nice and juicy on the inside. - Tako Wasabi ($7): the taste of this dish was delicious, but the portion was extremely small for the price. - Squid Leg Tempura ($10): not at all what we expected, and again, the portion was so small for what you're paying. It did taste good though. - Kuro Garlic ($22): one of the group's favourites. The scallop was very fresh, and we really liked the unique use of black garlic which lended a sweet and aromatic flavour. - Rising Sakura ($18): another unanimous favourite. I especially loved the crunchy topping. Overall, super disappointed with the pricing and presentation of the food. The only thing worth coming back for, in my opinion, is their rolls.

    Kuro Garlic
    Rose W.

    Damso Izakaya is a new restaurant that opened during the pandemic back in November. They are currently offering a 10% discount if you directly order from them on their website. The food here has great presentation and aesthetic. The Kuro Garlic roll has 24k gold flakes on it and the Sakura roll has pink tempura on a branch which represents cherry blossoms. The taste of these two rolls were not bad. My favourite roll is the Mindori Wave. The aburi salmon on it was delicious. The carbonara udon had great presentation as well but I felt it was a bit heavy. Overall, I would say give this restaurant a try! It's not the best sushi in the city but it's still decent. I wouldn't mind trying more of their food items.

    Mark Y.

    There have been a lot of new izakaya spots popping up around E town, but Damso is in a league of its own. They offer yakitori on their menu, and most places I've found do it ok. The yakitori here is so good! My favourite is the chicken and the squid...delicious!! Their sashimi and rolls are great, and their takoyaki is on point. Definitely check out this Whyte Ave gem!

    a plate of fried chicken with a side of lemon wedges
    Salvador G.

    Successfully broke the go-to decision of always eating at Dorinku on Whyte ave by trying something new. It's hard, but sometimes change can be good. In this case, it was a surprise to me that this unsuspecting restaurant on Whyte served up some decent fare. Damso Izakaya on Whyte is a small Japanese restaurant that had some surprising dishes. First was some Parm Truffle Edamame. This dish was surprisingly tasty, might not be your thing if you don't like the taste of truffle. Surprisingly, our Dynamite Roll came out super quick. It had the shrimp tempura in it with some spicy mayo. Flavor was spot on and tasted better because it came out in under 4 minutes. Standard roll, great execution. Tried the Ika Geso (squid tentacles) skewer and it was kind of disappointing. They said it was a deep fried skewer but was hoping for it to be cooked over charcoal. Just something I'd expect from a Japanese restaurant but it's not a dealbreaker. The skewer was just ok though. Salmon tataki was also quite tasty with the nice touch of yuzu ponzo all over it. Without fail, the chicken karaage slapped pretty hard. We got it with the honey mustard sauce (cause it's my fave) and was pretty happy with the dish. It also tasted good as leftovers. Had some crunch in it even after nuking it. Another surprising dish was this massive Agedashi Tofu. Had some solid flavor but wish the tofu itself were bite sized and I also wished it was crispier. Carbonara Udon was a pretty standard with the exception of the fresh yolk in it's shell. Pretty cool to just mix that up in the udon. Although this udon had the standard bacon, parm and carbonara sauce...it kinda felt flat. Not enough tastiness for me to recommend it. I was already insanely full but felt the need to get dessert for a full assessment of Damso. Souffle cheesecake here was not too bad. Nice and dence yet fluffy? What am I trying to convey here. It's great to share and was decently presented with the matcha strewn upon it. Damso had great service here and offered a pretty cozy experience. Damso in Japanese means "to have a good chat" and i'm sure it had that in mind when designing this small yet traditional looking restaurant. Would definitely try again. Sal says: Just Try It (3.8/5) Ashley says: Sushi and edamame was good. Tofu was delicious and I loved the salmon tataki! Udon was meh.

    Truffle Roll

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    1 year ago

    love the customer service the food was great everything was just perfect definitely recommend visiting

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    Arbour

    Arbour

    4.5(13 reviews)
    0.1 km

    I went here with a girlfriend for supper. It is sweet but minimal inside. The Ambiance was clean…read moreand trendy. Menu is interesting. Our server was good but busy. This menu is meant for sharing. We decided to split some dishes - the tuna crudo, the meatballs with grilled foccacia, and the cauliflower. There was some hits and some misses. The hits first - tuna crudo was great with fermented mango, coconut milk and sesame crackers. Fresh and exciting. The second one I loved was the meatballs. The sauce was amazing and meatballs were full of flavour. Make sure you order the bread to soak up all the sauce.These two I would totally recomend. The two that were disappointing was the cauliflower. It comes as a whole head and the idea is that you cut it into pieces. So the sauce doesn't really penetrate the cauliflower and the sauce was okay but seemed to berry forward. The pizza was worse. Barely any toppings except an obsene amount of arugla which didn't add anything to the dish. I had three peices and there was only two measly small peices of chicken. It also lacked flavour. Skip these. Saying that I would come here again to try some other things. But save your stomach and don't order the pizza.

    Visited this place out of spite and got the Carnita Bowl and to my surprise it was actually really…read moregood. The presentation was interesting but the taste made up for it. Service was top notch and the ambiance of the place was also great. No complaints.

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    Arbour
    Arbour
    Arbour

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    Pip - Classic Eggs Benedict with breakfast hash and Pip's hot sauce on the side

    Pip

    4.2(218 reviews)
    0.1 km
    $$

    Very misleading hours posted we showed up there at 9:41 and were told that they were closing soon…read moreand that they shut their kitchen down at 9:45pm & that they had already done last call for food for the night. They were still willing to serve us food to go though when my friend initially asked for menus they said to go? . Super disappointing we drove a half an hour to make it on time and rushed and everything thinking that an hour and 20 minutes before it closes is more than enough time for a quick Dinner service for two people and obviously we're not a-holes so when the entire staff is ready to just shutter early and leave, we're not gonna be the two people that insist that they stay open. The guy working there was really nice to my friend apparently though. So nothing against the staff personally or anything. Oh, and the gazebo is getting wild. There's some guy out there screaming about cutting some girl named Kristen's head off so if there's any violent crimes tonight, we're audible witnesses lol

    Pip is absolutely delicious for brunch and for dinner. I ate there twice in one day because my…read moredinner reservation elsewhere was cancelled. The interior is beautiful exposed brick, warm grey chairs and banquets. Very comfortable and chic. The hostess and wait staff are friendly and extremely helpful with suggestions. For brunch I had the short rib benedict, atomic blond cocktail, and coffee. All were very good. For dinner I had the focaccia with whipped ricotta, a sazerac, the gnoochi, and an affogato for dessert. The whipped ricotta was the suggested appetizer by my server and of my goodness I could have crawled right into it--absolutely get that! If I went back to Edmonton for a visit I was definitely go back.

    Photos
    Pip - Another angle of a classy.bathroom.

    Another angle of a classy.bathroom.

    Pip - Steak frites
  new york strip w/ peppercorn sauce, roasted garlic butter, frites

    Steak frites new york strip w/ peppercorn sauce, roasted garlic butter, frites

    Pip - It's clean, a bit austere.

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    It's clean, a bit austere.

    Pals Sandwiches

    Pals Sandwiches

    4.3(19 reviews)
    0.1 km
    $$

    PALS!!! I have been a huge fan since their opening day in 2022 and it's about time that I finally…read morewrite about them! Part of the venerable Strathcona restaurant monopoly of The Next Act (the OG), Meat (the meaty one), Pip (the brunchy one), and Marlo (the taco one), Pals holds their own as the sandwich one. This five-restaurant stronghold wouldn't work if each and every one of them wasn't so dang good. But they are. Pals showed up on the scene after Pip moved across the street and there was enough room in the building to fit a delightful little sandwich shop in there as well. Pals to the left and Pip to the right - and one (beautiful) shared washroom downstairs for both. It's a pretty harmonious arrangement as far as I can tell! Pals might be a small little sandwich guy but it boasts a beautiful outdoor patio in the summertime that just about doubles the space. Named Favourite Handheld on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list and most recently awarded Best Sandwich 2025 in EDify Magazine, you'll also find them on the Worldwide Faves section of this very website. The interior is somewhat small but very bright and fresh. Casual light wood high-tops, counter seating, a few bench seats near the back, and the aforementioned patio. You'll also note pops of their signature yellow, especially on their unmistakable brick facade outside. The restaurant feels breezy and gives off a comfortable vibe that makes you want to "stop in to grab a quick sandwich." And maybe people-watch out the window for a few minutes. The staff is also super friendly which makes you feel like you're hanging out with your pals. (Ha! See what I did there?) Situated at a table on a Saturday evening, I was looking for the maximum Pals experience! Pals is all about the drinks and offers an impressive array of cocktails and beer, especially for such a small shop. The Winter Sangria sounded like a seasonally appropriate delight while their Caesar made with pepperoncini brine is an ideal compliment to their use of pepperoncini elsewhere on the menu. On this visit I opted for the Strathcona Sling (Gin, cherry liqueurs, orange & pineapple juice, bitters - $15.00) which not only sounded delicious but also might be the signature beverage of the entire neighbourhood. This drink sounds like it might be pretty sweet but I didn't find that about it. It's very refreshing and the grown-up flavours from the gin and bitters hold their own. What sounds like a kid's shirley temple actually tastes quite adult. This would absolutely be the quintessential patio beverage on a hot summer day during the Fringe - a cocktail that lives up to it's name. The Pals food menu is an extravaganza of sandwiches! There are fourteen different sandwiches in two categories; made hot or served fresh. There's usually a feature sandwich as well. Be prepared for sandwiches like you've never seen them before! But the snacks, soups, and salads are incredible as well and the quality certainly doesn't stop with the sandwiches alone. In an effort to dig into this part of the menu a bit more I thought it prudent to order the Soup & Salad Combo (Choice of soup & salad with house focaccia - $19.00). A great option if maybe you don't want a sandwich. Pals usually has two different soups and salads on the go so you're able to customize this dish with whatever combo you like. I chose the House Soup (dill pickle & spicy pepperoncini) and The Other House Salad (iceberg lettuce, tomato, green onion, blue cheese, bacon, buttermilk ranch). Let's start with the soup. How unique!! You've never tasted a zingy little bowl of soup like this before! I don't know about you, but I love a dill pickle soup very much (maybe it's my Eastern European ancestry) but the addition of pepperoncini totally changes the game. This soup packs a punch but in the most interesting and delicious way. And then the salad! I ordered this one because it sounded like a wedge salad (one of my favourites) without the wedge. A deconstructed wedge salad, if you will. And boy did it deliver! The flavours of tomato and bacon together are so classic and the generous chunks of crumbled blue cheese were perfection. I loved how well-dressed everything was - not a dry leaf in the house. A salad may sound like a boring thing to order but certainly not in this case. Let's not forget the focaccia which cannot be treated as an afterthought because it was incredible. This bread was impossibly light while still possessing the unctuous and oily quality that you want from a focaccia. The crust was impossibly crispy and dusted in salt. What a dream! Honestly, I know that you need to order a sandwich... But maybe you don't? I'm going to have an existential crisis about this. But yes, I obviously ordered a sandwich. This might be an unpopular opinion but I highly favour the "served fresh" sandwiches at Pals by a lot. The BLT is the best in the entire city, I swear. The Burrata is completely insane - I've never seen a stack of prosciutto so high.

    The sandwiches were good, the service was perfect, the ambiance was sandwich restaurant. Clean,…read moreSwedish style decor. Our server seemed too charismatic to be just a server and seemed to enjoy the job. She was careful to ask relevant questions when I requested gf bread. She didn't mind bringing me hot water and lemon. I wanted to adopt her as my daughter by the time we were ready to leave.

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    Pals Sandwiches
    Pals Sandwiches
    Pals Sandwiches

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    Dolly's Cocktail Bar

    Dolly's Cocktail Bar

    3.8(13 reviews)
    2.3 km

    Street parking limited. Make sure you make a reservation as…read moreplace is 100% full and there is a line to get in. Gender-neutral single stall bathrooms available. Our table was ready at our reservation time and we were reminded we have 2 hours to dine as they need the table for another group. Drink + food menu was slightly different from what was online but I ordered a drink that was on the online menu and not the paper menu and it was still accommodated. Chips and Guac - good, chips were a little different - like dehydrated pita. Mac and Cheese - a little dry for me but everyone loved the flavor of the chicken we added. Bend and Snap shot - I give it a 5/10, did not like but boyfriend said it was fine. Pornstar martini - I give 7/10 boyfriend gave 9/10. Bubbleicious - I give 9/10 boyfriend gives 8/10. Pisco Smash - I give 8.5/10, boyfriend gave 7/10. Strawberry Sweethart - 8/10 from us both Seasonal coffee cocktail (forget the name): 9/10 Overall cocktails were fun to try, atmosphere is great, staff are fine.

    Searching for someplace to go for a girls night out on the town? Look no further than Dolly's…read moreCocktail Bar! Slap on your sparkly dress and a pair of heels (or wear whatever the heck you want) and make your way to Downtown's pink palace! You'll remember this location as the former home of Fu's Repair Shop and Prairie Fish & Chips before that. The Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list named Dolly's as Favourite Patio and the pictures that I've seen of the back terrace look completely adorable, complete with colourful lanterns. Unfortunately, my visit was in October and it wasn't quite patio weather anymore. I turned up on a Friday evening with one of my best girlfriends in tow and we were ready for the biggest Barbiecore night of our lives! Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Dolly's had been transformed into the "Black Lagoon" for the month of October in the spirit of Halloween. (I probably should have looked into this in advance but I was unaware!) I was expecting Cyndi Lauper and Aqua but instead I got Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. The whole restaurant was draped in the most spider webs that I've ever seen. There were giant spiders hanging from the ceiling and spooky skeletons in every corner. It was a vibe, that's for sure!! But certainly not the one that I had been anticipating. Bits of pink paint and sparkly chandeliers peeked through in some areas and the neon "Dolly's" sign on the wall allowed me to imagine what the Barbie dreamhouse-esque space normally looks like just a little bit. Otherwise, Dolly's was fully transformed into the moody Black Lagoon. I should've worn fishnets instead of glitter. The servers were all very friendly and we were quickly seated at a comfortable table along the hot pink velour banquette. Dolly's invites you to sip, snack, and stay in their minor-free glamorous escape. The house cocktails and mocktails are a major part of the experience (it is a cocktail bar after all) and I was excited to get a cute pink beverage into my hand! There was also a menu of Black Lagoon-themed cocktails that were all served in fun tiki-style vessels. This menu included themed foods as well. I personally had my eye on the Pink Palace Royale cocktail which I saw on the menu online. Made with a special collab gin with Strathcona Spirits and Licor 43 (one of my favourite liqueurs), this sounded like everything that I wanted in a cocktail and more! Other drinks had names like Dolly's Dreamhouse, Bubbilicious, and the house shot was called the Bend & Snap - exactly the sort of drinks that I had come for! However, I was sorely disappointed when the server told me that the drink I wanted was no longer on the menu. It seemed that I could only order a Halloween beverage. I fumbled to find anything that Elle Woods would approve of and settled on a mocktail called Pretty in Pink (Strawberry, cream of coconut, lime, soda, mint - $9.00) and the server suggested that the bar could add vanilla vodka to turn it into a proper cocktail. I agreed. Honestly, I was just relieved to get something pink onto the table! I enjoyed this icy-fresh cocktail a lot and it delivered most of what I had been hoping for. The sweetness of the strawberry and coconut was really fun! The lime and mint added a mojito flair. A very cute and well-composed beverage but I was sad that most of the girly drinks didn't seem to be available. When it comes to eats at Dolly's the food is what you would expect to see at a party, with the idea of sharing at the heart. I loved the idea of Dolly's Funhouse (which is an epic plate of nachos), and dishes like wings, tacos, and mac & cheese. However, the dish to order at Dolly's has gotta be the Girl Dinner (Truffle tots, chickie tendies, aji verde, aji rocoto, pineapple sweet & sour, Dolly's salad - $50.00 for two). It's a must-share so grab your girlies and prepare to chow down! They had me at tots. The Girl Dinner platter arrived looking extremely appetizing and somehow exactly what I wanted to be eating in a place that looked like this. The portion was exactly right for two people and I loved the pretty floral printed plates that we were given to dish our tots and tendies onto. As previously mentioned, I enjoy a tot. (I have a suspicion that Napoleon Dynamite really imprinted on me.) But truffle tots? Now that's just a home run! Topped with sea salt, truffle oil, and parmesan cheese, these golden potato nuggets were fried to perfection with a crispy outside and a soft and fluffy inside. I could have eaten them all. They were awesome to dunk into each of the sauces and when the rest of the food was gone we were still popping tots into our mouths. We couldn't even finish them all because the portion was so generous! The star of the meal were the chickie tendies; two giant chicken tenders, of which we each got our own. I loved this chicken! The batter was really flavourful and unique, and oh so crispy-crunchy. The chicken within was very tender and juicy, proving that an elevated chicke

    Photos
    Dolly's Cocktail Bar - Front door

    Front door

    Dolly's Cocktail Bar - The best panna cotta in the city. So so good.

    The best panna cotta in the city. So so good.

    Dolly's Cocktail Bar

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    Damso Izakaya - japanese - Updated May 2026

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