I'm usually not the type to leave reviews because, honestly, it feels a little corny, and I love…read moregatekeeping . But as a tourist visiting Calgary for the first time, Ari made my first impression of the city incredibly sweet and heartwarming. The chefs' technique was impressive, and the service was exceptional. You can clearly see their experience throughout every plate. Honestly, it's hard to even judge it because each dish feels more like a piece of art than just a meal. You don't see these details unless you spend couple hundreds at Omakase place. The staff checked on us consistently without ever feeling intrusive, making the entire experience feel welcoming and genuine. Ambiance was cozy and nice. Love their various plates and glasses. I can already tell Ari is going to be packed before long. So before the hype really takes off, do yourself a favor and check this place out. It's my first time in Calgary, but I'd absolutely come back just to visit Ari again.

Having read stellar reviews, I just had to give this place a try. I was able to get same evening…read morebar seating when I called the restaurant directly. The dinner special is what I came for. A variety of sushi for $48. The value was excellent. Presentation was lovely. My only suggestion is to remove the avocado from the sockeye sushi. Service was friendly and attentive. There is onsite parking which makes life a lot easier when you're not familiar with the area.

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 :)

My new favourite sushi place! I've never been here physically THIS REVIEW IS FROM AN ORDER THROUGH…read moreDOORDASH! Had to call the restaurant to inquire about their delivery through DoorDash. The guy on the phone was snippy and ride. But damn, their food is so good the 2 minute encounter I had with him doesnt mean jack. Here's what I got: Salmon sashimi: best salmon sashimi I've had in Calgary! Thick, creamy and so so delicious they give 3 generously sized pieces for $5.95! Mango addict: not your traditional mango roll, this one includes smoked salmon which adds a very distinct taste to the roll. It's overpowering and different but not in a bad way; if you like adventurous flavours I recommend it! 8 pieces for 11.95! Spicy tuna: I was expecting a roll that would be creamy (with mayo) but instead I was met with an unexpected crunch! Just the right amount of spicy for the taste buds with a nice sweetness that sriracha brings. I'm not a fan of cucumber, but in their rolls they put a generous amount of protein so I wasn't overpowered with watery cucumber. 8 pieces for $6.50 Salmon avocado: a nice soft but not overly ripe piece of avocado with a thick, savoury piece of salmon in a simple roll! 8 pieces for $6.50! The only thing I didn't like were the California rolls I ordered, but that is because I personally don't like them and wanted to taste them for the first time in a very long time. Because it's personal preference I won't take off a star! I will definitely be a repeat customer. They arrived quickly via DoorDash, but they also have a personal delivery service if you call them. They included 2 small containers of soy sauce and 2 pairs of chopsticks as well as napkins for delivery. There is no wasabi or ginger in the photos because I asked them not to include these with my meals.

Wanted a mid-day "snack" and have been craving sushi so I ordered some salmon avocado rolls and…read moremiso soup. The sushi was really well priced and great quality! If I had just ordered that I would easily give a full 5 stars. The miso soup was just okay though... definitely want to try more things from Nami in the future and will update my rating if I find everything else is as delicious as the sushi!!

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.

Went here for the first time since it was recommended to me. Place was nice, service was good and…read morethe portions were nice too. Loved seeing the little serving robot as well. Definitely will be back

Tried out this place for one of our first meals in Calgary as visitors from Toronto…read more First of all, we were really impressed with their coconut shrimp - they don't smother it in so much batter and sauce like many other places we tried, as you can actually taste the shrimp! Also, their tempura shrimp was huge! Pretty much twice as long as any other shrimp tempura I've had. Additionally, another very notable thing about this place is that they actually didn't miss any of our ordered items, again unlike many other AYCE sushi places that sneakily "forget" your orders (especially of the pricier / fancier items) or bring you a much smaller portion than you requested. The food was tasty, the only downside is that a lot of the rolls and nigiri tended to be rather large (nigiri were all packed full with rice) - we had to leave a lot uneaten and ended up getting slapped with an extra $30 charge. If we ever come again we will order less; we just didn't anticipate they'd actually bring us everything we ordered at the amount we requested - what an indication of our expectations set by AYCE sushi places in Toronto =.='

Came here with some co-workers for lunch on a Monday. I've come here before - while not the best…read moresushi or ramen I've ever had it is always consistent. Plus close to my office which is a plus. It was quite busy in there but we came early and were seated right away. For lunch they have a ramen combo where you pick a ramen and then choose a drink and an appetizer. We each did the combo. I got the Tonkatsu Ramen with Tonkatsu broth. The noodles were al dente. The egg was cooked just right. And the broth was really good. For my appie I decided on the California roll which was excellent. The rest of my co-workers got seafood, or spicy, or regular pork with either California or gyoza. No complaints from them. Service was good for a busy lunch place. Food was fresh. I've never had a bad meal there.

I ordered some of their special rolls and my kids loved it. Their salmon wasn't properly cut had a…read morevery weird cut. I didn't love the chicken they use for chicken udon but I would still Come back to order their special rolls I decreased my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars because I had the chance to dine in here. No one seats you the waitress didn't even come to take our order for the first 15 mins of us sitting down. It was not even busy it just seemed like the waitress didn't care. After we placed our order it took an additional 30 mins to come out when we only ordered 4 items.

We needed a place close to the airport that was open late and this place was perfect. Located in a…read morequaint part of town, parking was easy on the street the restaurant was on. There was no wait for our party of 4, but the restaurant was busy with lots of energy around 9pm. We were seated in a corner booth and had a nice view of the restaurant. There is also a small grocery area at the front, with Japanese favorites and some prepared foods to go. There was a nice selection of sushi, noodles, and meats, which we had some of each. I had a prime Rib and Angus skewers and both were excellent, but the magic sauce was the best on the angus. I had a bite of the tonkotsu ramen and the broth was bold, but not too heavy. Lastly, I had the bluefin tuna roll, which was a good size and so fresh, you could taste it. The blend of ingredients in this roll hit the spot. The service was great and we were in and out in under an hour.

I came to Ikusa for dinner recently. The restaurant has a really good vibe for hangouts and reminds…read moreme of izakayas in Vancouver and Japan. In terms of food, I tried their Bluefin Tuna Roll, Creamy Scallop Roll, Chef's Choice Sashimi, Gyu Tan and Hotate Yakitoris. Overall, I'd give the food 8/10 - Bluefin Tuna Roll: 7.8/10: Real bluefin tuna, but overall reminds me of an avocado roll with bits of tuna, and not worth it - Creamy Scallop Roll: 7.5/10: Good flavour, but expected more like chop chop roll, especially given the price (else it's a California roll with scallop on top) - Chef's Choice Sashimi: 8.5/10: Good pieces of fresh sashimi - Gyu Tan Yakitori: 8.3/10: Good, slightly overpriced given the portion - Hotate Yakitori: 7.5/10: Nicely grilled but overpriced

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.

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.

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