Sushi Chef Makiko Ozawa puts the finishing touches on rolls at the beautiful new Sukiyaki House

Find It...

Sukiyaki House

When you think about it, there aren’t too many upscale sushi shops in town. In a city that houses dozens of posh steakhouses and fusion spots, only a few chic sushi joints spring to mind. Enter Sukiyaki House.

Located beside Rush on 9th Ave. S.W. in the downtown core, Sukiyaki House is Calgary’s latest sushi option and a beauty to behold. With a focus on clean lines, the design highlights the room’s tall ceilings with massive, bowl-shaped lighting. Taking the decor a step further, the space features stylish wallpaper and a metal cherry blossom wall hanging.

Arriving at 7:30 p.m. for our Friday reservation, my boyfriend and I are seated at a comfortable booth. I order a glass of Kung-Fu Girl, a Riesling ($12) from Washington vintner and mad genius, Charles Smith. My boyfriend goes with a smooth bottle of Kirin pilsner (large $10).

We start with the mussels sakemushi ($14) and the agedashi tofu ($8). Poached in sake and butter and loaded with garlic, the mussels are fresh, but only average. Topped with house-made salsa, the dish seems somewhat out of place on the menu.

The tofu is much better. Perfectly crisp and slightly firm, the flash-fried tofu is topped with ginger, daikon and green onions. Being avid agedashi fans, my boyfriend and I are happy campers.

We also try the yam tempura ($8), a Jenga-inspired stack of yam sticks dusted with matcha and curry salt, served with a traditional tempura sauce. Great execution.

For sushi, we try the evening’s special of blue fin tuna ($4.50). It melts in our mouths with no fishy aftertaste — a lovely bite. We also sample the gyu tenderloin ($3). Beautifully layered with tataki style (slightly seared) AAA Alberta beef, this piece is drop-dead good.

It’s worth mentioning that Sukiyaki House’s sushi and sashimi prices are pricey (25 to 80 cents higher than average), but the quality is definitely there. Just be careful when ordering; it’s going to add up fast.

We get excited looking at the selection of rolls. Diving in, we try the crunchy spicy tuna ($11). Not your typical roll, the tuna mixed with hot sauce and green onions is dolloped atop a cucumber maki roll and sprinkled with chopped corn flakes. It’s a massive mouthful — the flavours are great, but simply too much for one bite.

The chicken katsu roll ($10) sounds intriguing. Made with panko breaded chicken, mango mayo and peaches, the dish sadly falls flat. The ingredients don’t offer enough punch, so we add lots of wasabi.

Our favourite is the spicy salmon ($9) — a basic spicy salmon roll with tempura crumbs, topped with jalapeno slices. The presentation is beautiful, the bite portion is good and the flavour is fantastic.

For dessert, our waitress urges us to try a creation from the in-house pastry chef. We decide on the sake crème brûlée ($8). Though I don’t pick up on the sake, the silky smooth custard is divine — one of the best I’ve had in the city. Presented with a drizzle of chocolate in the shape of a treble clef, you can’t go wrong with this dish.

My feelings on Sukiyaki House are mixed. Overall, the dishes were good, but the saccharine sweet service was definitely on the pushy side and somewhat neglectful. For the cost, I would expect the plates to be exchanged between the appetizer and sushi courses and to be asked if I would like more wine when my glass is empty. Walking out, we felt less than satisfied, a feeling you should never have after spending $150 on sushi and drinks.