The best sushi and Japanese restaurant in Calgary: Shokunin

Let me preface this post by declaring I used to live in Japan. And I hate eating sushi and other Japanese food. In Calgary, that is. I’ve been disappointed so many times, I’ve stopped going out for it. And then I went to Shokunin.

Calgary Japanese Restaurant

Shokunin is arguably the best in Calgary if you’re looking for a Japanese restaurant or fresh sushi. There are only four cool neighbourhoods in Calgary and Shokunin is in one of the them.

Situated on trendy 4th Street, this Japanese restaurant is totally bijoux, with about a dozen tables and bar seating. The best seat in the house isn’t at the bar bar (yes, I meant to write that twice), but overlooking the open kitchen.

There, you can watch the cooks and Calgary Chef Darren MacLean put the finishing touches on their beautifully plated dishes.

Calgary Japanese Food

Shokunin is an izakaya, which is a Japanese-style pub – rare for Calgary. Despite being a casual joint for drinks and small food plates, it sports a fine dining mentality (think dashi tuile).

And it’s not crazy expensive, either. You can get an amazing grilled chicken skewer for $3.50 or a bowl of noodles for around $15. My friend Michelle is always like, “Is this really a great restaurant or are you just writing about it because you have to?”

Fair point, Michelle. I did have to write about this restaurant for a fancy hotel magazine. But after doing my bit, I realized there’s a larger story to tell – especially for those who live in Calgary and love their Japanese food.

I knew I was going to blather onto friends about how much I adored Shokunin, so why not give up all the deets, so you can have a night out as exquisite as what I experienced.

Sushi Calgary

I’m calling it! Shokunin serves up the best sushi in Calgary. Sushi is all about texture and here, the fish is firm and meaty. It has no scent. A proper sushi plate is all about attention to detail, which you’ll notice in the freshly grated wasabi.

You don’t want to mix that into your soy sauce, though. Fresh wasabi is soluble in water, and if you schmear it into soy sauce, it kills the flavour. Dip your sushi in the soy first, then hit it with their wasabi.

Even the ikura (fish roe) is a cut above. What we typically get in this city is frozen, tasteless and occasionally slimy. Shokunin uses fresh trout roe. These coral balls of salty goodness burst between your teeth. It’s fresh and inviting. And should your waitstaff recommend you to order the sablefish, trust them. It melts in your mouth.

Shokunin Calgary

What I like to start off with at Shokunin in Calgary is  bison tataki. This dish is an excellent example of artful Japanese techniques using Alberta products. Bison is a lean meat, but this dish is flavourful and juicy with rendered fat and yuzu juice.

Yuzu is a citrus fruit that’s like an orange/lemon hybrid. When I lived in Japan, it was all the rage to throw it in your bath. On its own, it tastes terrible (way too bitter), but with the bison tataki, it delivers just the right amount of acidity.

I only wish I’d asked for a side of salt. Shokunin is one of those restaurants in Calgary where they don’t put salt and pepper on the table.

Best Bar Snack!

For a guilty pleasure, go ahead and order the the chicken skin chips if you’re into skin snacks. That dish has gotta be at least 1000 calories and it’s worth every single one of the them. Especially if you’re tipsy.

If you want a bit more protein, go for the chicken karage. For more fun bar snacks, the squid tempura is super tender and the gyoza is jam packed with braised beef.

Yakitori Calgary

You can’t leave  without sampling a few of their yakitori – meat skewers grilled over some special Japanese charcoal. Shokunin is one of the best places to get yakitori in Calgary, but Gorilla Whale comes a close second.

You can go exotic ordering the ass (their words not mine), which is the pope’s nose BTW, or stick with what you know like necks and thighs. A lot of work goes into getting the meat off the neck, so it’s good value.

Each and every time I eat Shokunin’s yakitori, I think of The Huz’s brother. He’s a foodie (but not an annoying one) and would LOVE it here. Too bad I never remember to tell him.

Calgary Sushi Restaurants

Even if sushi is what you’re after, you’re in Calgary, which means it’s hard to get away from beef. And you don’t want to. Not all sushi restaurants have this much range, so it’s on the menu and you can afford it, try the Kobe beef.

It’s real Kobe beef from Japan, not that Wagyu beef from Brant Lake. Not that there’s anything wrong with the wagyu from my high school ex-boyfriend’s family. (Waving to the Ball family.) It’s just that there IS a major difference in taste and many diners are unaware, think they’re getting real Kobe beef when they’re not.

Back to the Kobe beef. This is the real deal. It’s incredibly rich. You only need a few slices. It’s an expensive treat for sure, but a splurge-worthy one if you’ve never tried it.

Best Kale Salad in Calgary

Besides crushing hard on their sushi, Shokunin also has quite possibly the best kale salad in Calgary. The kale salad at Charcut is also a contender for the best in the city. 

Shokunin’s sesame kale salad is also appropriately priced (remember, we’re in Calgary).

The Huz: It’s good, but it’s kind of expensive, isn’t it?

Me:  Give your head a shake! It’s cheaper than Earls (I fact checked) and this one has way more kale. Plus it’s better tasting, so there!

As for other veg dishes, the Grilled Cabbage is another winner. Simply put, it’s artful, beautiful and delicious. Fat, charred ribbons of cabbage taste almost bok choi-ish. It’s nothing like your grandmother’s Sunday roast cabbage, that’s for sure.

Sake Calgary

Sake is something else I’ve been sorely disappointed by since leaving Japan for Calgary. It’s pricy, but Junmai Dai Gingo is worth it if you can afford it. This sake is sweet and tastes like a Riesling. For real. The table next to us had the Sake Flight and raved about it. I’m totally doing that next time.

In addition to the sake, I also threw back Kiiro, a killer cocktail made with their own ginger juice. You could arguably say it possesses medicinal qualities. Another fun one was the Shiso colada. It’s like a less sugary pina colado made with a shiso leaf – which is so good on its own.

Japanese beer fans will want to try their house brew made with leftover rice mash. I hate beer (I hate that I’m saying hate so much in this post), but even I had to admit it paired well with any of Shokunin’s fried appies.

What to Order for Dessert

I’m not a fan of Asian desserts. They’re usually pretty light and each time I go to Shokunin, I ended up getting so stuffed, I get this pain in my left shoulder. It’s weird, I know.

Still…. I recently managed to scarf back a couple spoonfuls of miso yuzu creme brûlée. The miso taste is so subtle, you don’t even notice it. And the dish was huge! Not a little ramekin pot, but a full sized bowl. Four people could’ve split this.

The piece de resistance, however, was the red bean chocolate tart. Confession: I didn’t look at the dessert menu and asked the waiter to bring us his two favourites. He just called it chocolate tart and omitted the red bean reference. Good thing too, because the thing I hated most about living in Japan was anko – this super annoying red bean paste. It’s in EVERYTHING in Japan.

Think you’re buying a simple, unassuming white bun for a sandwich? Think again. In Japan, they stuffed that god awful red bean paste into anything they could. Luckily, I didn’t catch a whiff of red bean in the tart. All I tasted was chocolatey goodness melting over my tongue.

Nestled beside the tart, a delicate puff of smoked cream heightened the flavour. Between the velvety richness of the chocolate and the sweet but smoky cream, I ascended to dessert nirvana.

Shokunin is open late, but you’ll want to come early – especially if you’re into ramen and yakitori. (They often sell out before the night’s over.) This is one restaurant where I want to try everything on the menu. And I think I can. I’ve made a serious dent on it in the past few weeks. Next time I’ll bring in my daughter  to expand her culinary horizons. (2020 Update: It’s her favourite restaurant in Calgary.)

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on the table to next to ours, but what they had to say pretty much summed up my thoughts on Shokunin. “It’s too bad. Most people wouldn’t appreciate this.”

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