I'm always down for Shoku. Small plates so you can try a bunch of different vegan items. I always go for the tofu bao, it's great. I don't usually go for the vegan sushi because of the price, but it's good (cabbage on top is trying to replicate raw fish, I think, so not everyone might like that). Inari, skewers, tempura. Just wish they had a vegan miso soup.
Marty
Super quality food! I have not had such good ramen for a very long time. Add that to fairly reasonable prices (for Banff) and hip decor - and you've got yourself a winning outing. Recommend - Baos and pork ramen!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Ramen, Daily Ramen
Kerstan Chung
I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical walking into Shoku Izakaya—being in a tourist destination, I kept my expectations low. But wow, was I proven wrong! From the moment I saw the menu, I was hooked. Everything sounded mouthwatering, and the service was incredible—the waitress was so friendly and welcoming.
I decided to try the Chirashi Sushi Bowl, and honestly, I expected a small, overpriced portion for $32 CAD. Instead, I was blown away. The bowl arrived brimming with an impressive variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, and the waitress kindly walked me through every type of fish included. The freshness and generous portion size completely exceeded my expectations—it was worth every penny.
For my drink, I ordered the Game-Set-Matcha Mocktail, which was a delightful surprise. It tasted like a perfectly balanced lemonade with a subtle hint of matcha—lightly sweet, refreshing, and absolutely perfect for my palate.
Another standout dish I tried was the Katsu Curry Bowl, a more affordable option that was just as flavorful and satisfying. The rich, savory curry paired with crispy katsu was comfort food at its finest.
Overall, the food and presentation at Shoku Izakaya went far beyond what I’d expect from a restaurant in a tourist hub. I’ll definitely be back the next time I visit Banff—it’s a must-try spot for anyone looking for incredible Japanese cuisine!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Travis George
Fantastic cocktails, and great bartender's. A great place just off the main strip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
YON2
I was shocked to see another review mentioning that their employees were being racist. Unfortunately, I had a similar experience.
On the 22nd of October, around noon, I visited the restaurant. A lady with shorter hair was serving our table. She was very kind and polite, but the manager’s behavior was quite the opposite—rude and even aggressive.
We ordered ebi mayo, deep-fried shrimp, but had to politely send it back because the batter inside was undercooked and still raw. I could even pick up pieces of the uncooked batter with chopsticks. The server saw the batter, apologized, and took it back to the kitchen. It wasn’t her fault, and we reassured her that it was okay—things like this can happen.
Out of nowhere, the manager came to our table and insisted there was nothing wrong with the food. We hadn’t asked to see the manager, nor did we even know she was the manager at first. To our surprise, she raised her voice at us, which left us feeling confused and uncomfortable. Later, as we were leaving, I asked the server if that person was the manager, and she quietly confirmed that she was.
What puzzled us even more was why the manager felt the need to approach us in the first place. She could have simply let the server, who was already doing a wonderful job, handle the situation. The server was professional and kind throughout our visit, and we truly appreciated her service.
However, the manager’s behavior completely ruined our experience. Her approach felt unnecessary and confrontational. It left us wondering if she couldn’t stand seeing her staff treat us well and felt compelled to intervene just to be rude.
As someone who works in the restaurant industry, I understand that mistakes can happen, and I rarely complain. But I couldn’t eat raw food, and it felt unjustified for the manager to escalate the situation.
This experience was deeply disappointing. As an Asian customer, my experience here was particularly upsetting, and I would caution others from similar backgrounds to be mindful before visiting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Dan Clements
GREAT
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mackenzie booth
I’ve been here a few times for lunch, and will probably continue to eat here whenever I’m in Banff.
I’ve tried the kakaage udon and the vegetarian curry, and both are very good. Good portions, and great flavour.
I feel like the price is reasonable considering the quality you get. I also like that it never feels too hectic in there, and it’s a nice sweet spot between casual but classy.
Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian options that don’t feel like an afterthought.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MarcoinTheMountains Michayluk
New owners but the train is rolling and chugging along. Well well well better then ever
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atsumi W
The food and service here were both excellent. The variety of vegan options makes this a great place for anyone to dine at.
Vegetarian options: There was a good amount of vegan options. Some dishes were also able to be made vegan upon request.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan, Agedashi Tofu, Korean Fried Chicken
U K
I knew people in a touristy city like Banff could be resentful, but didn’t expect this bad. I brought my grand parents from my country to this restaurant but regretted it so much. It was the worst racism I’ve even experienced, or it hurt more because it wasn’t just toward myself but to my family. The white female server literally rolled her eyes in front of us. It’s pathetic that those white people have grown up to be the people who has such an attitude in their thirties.
It was our first time coming here and we were really glad we got to try it. We managed to get a table without being on the waitlist, so just keep in mind that they do get busy and they do not do reservations from what i heard they do if it is 6+ people but fact check me I could be wrong!
The food was great! The highlight were definitely the skewers, we got the ika and the duck breast and the sashimi was of course amazing! Service was a bit slow but super understandable they were understaffed for the volume of customers in the establishment.
We will be back to try the katsu and the curry bowls for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Y L
Disappointed food . Their Veggie option mean remove original meat and left few side veggies in a plain noodle. And charge $17.5 with 22%tips at least. Even other food are so and so and overpriced food and tastes not like original Japanese food at all.
Very slow service.
Vegetarian options: Bad and disappointed food
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nicolas Mouracadé
Delicious food, lovely service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ahi Tuna, Korean Fried Chicken
Will Rowe
We had a great lunch at shoku. The green tea pot is a great option for cool temperatures to warm you up while you wait for your food. We had the spicy tuna special and spicy shrimp roll which were both great. Everything else we saw looked great and would definitely try a bowl in the future. Our Australian server was cool too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Megill
For 16 sushi, we had to wait around 30 mins after we ordered. Some of the sushi we had the worst I’ve had and each cost 5 bucks or more. Don’t eat sushi here, not worth it.
I'm always down for Shoku. Small plates so you can try a bunch of different vegan items. I always go for the tofu bao, it's great. I don't usually go for the vegan sushi because of the price, but it's good (cabbage on top is trying to replicate raw fish, I think, so not everyone might like that). Inari, skewers, tempura. Just wish they had a vegan miso soup.
Super quality food! I have not had such good ramen for a very long time. Add that to fairly reasonable prices (for Banff) and hip decor - and you've got yourself a winning outing.
Recommend - Baos and pork ramen!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Ramen, Daily Ramen
I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical walking into Shoku Izakaya—being in a tourist destination, I kept my expectations low. But wow, was I proven wrong! From the moment I saw the menu, I was hooked. Everything sounded mouthwatering, and the service was incredible—the waitress was so friendly and welcoming.
I decided to try the Chirashi Sushi Bowl, and honestly, I expected a small, overpriced portion for $32 CAD. Instead, I was blown away. The bowl arrived brimming with an impressive variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, and the waitress kindly walked me through every type of fish included. The freshness and generous portion size completely exceeded my expectations—it was worth every penny.
For my drink, I ordered the Game-Set-Matcha Mocktail, which was a delightful surprise. It tasted like a perfectly balanced lemonade with a subtle hint of matcha—lightly sweet, refreshing, and absolutely perfect for my palate.
Another standout dish I tried was the Katsu Curry Bowl, a more affordable option that was just as flavorful and satisfying. The rich, savory curry paired with crispy katsu was comfort food at its finest.
Overall, the food and presentation at Shoku Izakaya went far beyond what I’d expect from a restaurant in a tourist hub. I’ll definitely be back the next time I visit Banff—it’s a must-try spot for anyone looking for incredible Japanese cuisine!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic cocktails, and great bartender's. A great place just off the main strip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
I was shocked to see another review mentioning that their employees were being racist. Unfortunately, I had a similar experience.
On the 22nd of October, around noon, I visited the restaurant. A lady with shorter hair was serving our table. She was very kind and polite, but the manager’s behavior was quite the opposite—rude and even aggressive.
We ordered ebi mayo, deep-fried shrimp, but had to politely send it back because the batter inside was undercooked and still raw. I could even pick up pieces of the uncooked batter with chopsticks. The server saw the batter, apologized, and took it back to the kitchen. It wasn’t her fault, and we reassured her that it was okay—things like this can happen.
Out of nowhere, the manager came to our table and insisted there was nothing wrong with the food. We hadn’t asked to see the manager, nor did we even know she was the manager at first. To our surprise, she raised her voice at us, which left us feeling confused and uncomfortable. Later, as we were leaving, I asked the server if that person was the manager, and she quietly confirmed that she was.
What puzzled us even more was why the manager felt the need to approach us in the first place. She could have simply let the server, who was already doing a wonderful job, handle the situation. The server was professional and kind throughout our visit, and we truly appreciated her service.
However, the manager’s behavior completely ruined our experience. Her approach felt unnecessary and confrontational. It left us wondering if she couldn’t stand seeing her staff treat us well and felt compelled to intervene just to be rude.
As someone who works in the restaurant industry, I understand that mistakes can happen, and I rarely complain. But I couldn’t eat raw food, and it felt unjustified for the manager to escalate the situation.
This experience was deeply disappointing. As an Asian customer, my experience here was particularly upsetting, and I would caution others from similar backgrounds to be mindful before visiting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
GREAT
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been here a few times for lunch, and will probably continue to eat here whenever I’m in Banff.
I’ve tried the kakaage udon and the vegetarian curry, and both are very good. Good portions, and great flavour.
I feel like the price is reasonable considering the quality you get. I also like that it never feels too hectic in there, and it’s a nice sweet spot between casual but classy.
Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian options that don’t feel like an afterthought.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
New owners but the train is rolling and chugging along.
Well well well better then ever
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and service here were both excellent. The variety of vegan options makes this a great place for anyone to dine at.
Vegetarian options: There was a good amount of vegan options. Some dishes were also able to be made vegan upon request.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegan, Agedashi Tofu, Korean Fried Chicken
I knew people in a touristy city like Banff could be resentful, but didn’t expect this bad. I brought my grand parents from my country to this restaurant but regretted it so much. It was the worst racism I’ve even experienced, or it hurt more because it wasn’t just toward myself but to my family. The white female server literally rolled her eyes in front of us. It’s pathetic that those white people have grown up to be the people who has such an attitude in their thirties.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
It was our first time coming here and we were really glad we got to try it.
We managed to get a table without being on the waitlist, so just keep in mind that they do get busy and they do not do reservations from what i heard they do if it is 6+ people but fact check me I could be wrong!
The food was great! The highlight were definitely the skewers, we got the ika and the duck breast and the sashimi was of course amazing! Service was a bit slow but super understandable they were understaffed for the volume of customers in the establishment.
We will be back to try the katsu and the curry bowls for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Disappointed food .
Their Veggie option mean remove original meat and left few side veggies in a plain noodle.
And charge $17.5 with 22%tips at least.
Even other food are so and so and overpriced food and tastes not like original Japanese food at all.
Very slow service.
Vegetarian options: Bad and disappointed food
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Delicious food, lovely service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ahi Tuna, Korean Fried Chicken
We had a great lunch at shoku. The green tea pot is a great option for cool temperatures to warm you up while you wait for your food. We had the spicy tuna special and spicy shrimp roll which were both great. Everything else we saw looked great and would definitely try a bowl in the future. Our Australian server was cool too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
For 16 sushi, we had to wait around 30 mins after we ordered.
Some of the sushi we had the worst I’ve had and each cost 5 bucks or more.
Don’t eat sushi here, not worth it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
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