| Quick quiz: What’s the difference between sushi and sashimi? If you said sashimi is the raw fish without the rice, continue. If you said sushi is bait, go to the arches and get super-sized.
Question two: What’s the difference between nigiri sushi and maki sushi? If you said, ‘It don't maki any difference to me’, go boil some ichiban and watch Beverly Hills Ninja. If you said nigiri is the slice of fish on the rice, and maki sushi is rolled sushi, then read on.
Final quiz question: What’s the difference between Sushi Club (103 - 1240 Kensington Road N.W.; phone 283-4100) and most sushi restaurants in Calgary? It’s the only sushi restaurant in Kensington, of course. But is there anything else unique about the place?
We went to find out, starting with some basic nigiri sushi: maguro (red tuna, $5 for two pieces), shiitake (Japanese mushroom, $2.40 for two), shishamo (capelin roe, $3.80 for two), tobiko (flying fish roe, $4 for two), unagi (fresh water eel, $4.80 for two) and tamago (sweetened omelette, $2.60 for two).
The maguro – a.k.a. the sushi most newcomers to the food like best – did turn out to be the best of the lot. It was the freshest, firmest and tastiest. The chopped shiitake mushrooms were marinated to a soft sweetness that unfortunately took away from the bold earthy flavour they can have.
The shishamo and the tobiko were fine, though lacking the sprightliness of really fresh roe. The unagi – second best of the nigiri we tried – was a smallish piece brushed with a salty-sweet basting sauce. The tamago was presented in an interesting fashion. Instead of sitting atop rice, the large, oddly greyish piece of rolled omelette was slit down the centre and stuffed with rice.
We moved on to try some of the medium-size maki sushi. The spicy salmon fillet and dried bonito roll ($6.30 for six pieces) was an inside-out roll stuffed with salmon, sauce and Japanese radish sprouts. The rice was rolled in the shavings of a smoky-flavoured dried bonito fish. The spice was very mild, but this roll was pleasant and looked pretty with the feisty little radish shoots springing out of the end pieces.
A half-order of a giant-size marinated tuna tempura dynamite roll ($7 for four pieces) was next: four peppermint-patty-size rice rolls comprised of tuna, flying fish roe, wonderfully crunchy burdock root, cream cheese, tartar sauce and house special sauce. Tasty, but not TNT tasty. The tuna was somewhat overwhelmed by the other flavours. And though I’ve tried the cream cheese and sushi combo a number of times, it just doesn’t work for me. The first time I encountered it was at a Costco. As far as I know, the company never orders anything it can’t sell like hotcakes. So, obviously there are lovers of the cream cheese and sushi combo, and if you belong to that particular club, you’ll likely love this roll.
We also tried two of the dinner menu’s "creative rolls" – these special offerings are not on the regular sushi sheet. We tried the ELT ($6.90 for six medium pieces) and the crunchy calamari jalapeno roll ($8.90 for four giant pieces). The ELT was a fun combination of unagi, lettuce and tomato – nice for a change, but I preferred the purer flavour of the unagi nigiri sushi.
The crunchy calamari was quite spectacular when it arrived on its long, white platter drizzled with tomato salsa. Squid tentacles rise up from the rice like a seafood can-can – a sight that will fill you either with delight (if you’re one of those people constantly disappointed by restaurants whose calamari is limited to uniform round rings) or disgust. The squid is dusted with starch and deep-fried, and due to the cooking method, you can’t get much crunch. Instead, it was tender, but unfortunately any jalapeno flavour was indiscernible.
The food at the Sushi Club is on par with most of the sushi in town. If I happen to be in Kensington, it would definitely be on my list of places to consider for a meal, but I wouldn’t drive across town. It’s a relaxed place with good service and, if you’re not in the mood for a sake or a saketini ($5.50) – made with sake and shochu and graced with a spear of prettily cut cucumber – you can bring in your own bottle of choice for a $10 corkage fee. The Kensington Wine Market (1257 Kensington Road N.W.) is a convenient dash across the street.
TASTING NOTES
Want to do your bit to help Alberta producers of everything from vegetables and cheese to elk, bison and, of course, beef? Check out the Dine Alberta program this September. Besides getting a great meal at any of the 70 participating restaurants, by eating foods produced locally you provide jobs, help diversify and sustain farms and contribute to the development of a unique cuisine – ours. For more information and a restaurant listing, check out www.dinealberta.ca |
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