Food was okay, really small portions for the price you are paying. It wouldve been fine if the service was better.
We ordered a couple of oyster skewers but apparently they had ran out so our waiter decided we didn't need to know that so he gave us something else and didn't tell us. He only told us because the other waitress said we didn't order any.
We were also seated outside and then at some point the waiter just moved the sun umbrella away from us so I asked if we could move another umbrella to block the sun, he said it was too heavy and walked away. We moved the umbrella ourselves just fine. Overall, just an annoying experience.
R O
I was excited when my friend who is a magazine publisher and editor said let's try this restaurant. Having been to Japan and lived in Japan 7 years, I was excited. The portions were indeed small and the quality we were not impressed by. Also, there was a chef tasting and touching every meal to see if it was cooked, I know that may be customary for M5 Star restaurants (the grilled broccoli before he cut and plated it).
Service was awesome and atmosphere positively refreshing.
Krista Fields
Delicious yakitori and sides, we will be back to try the ramen. Absolutely beautiful and delicious food. This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Calgary!
Manivannan Sugumar
Our anniversary dinner at this restaurant turned into a deeply upsetting experience. The waiter’s behavior was not just rude—it was blatantly racist. From the moment we arrived, she made us feel unwelcome, refused to answer basic questions, and treated us with clear disregard and disrespect. It was not a busy day, so there was no excuse for the way we were singled out and ignored.
We came here with high expectations, especially after being inspired by Chef Darren on the Netflix show. But the service we received was appalling and humiliating. This was not just poor service—it was discriminatory and unacceptable. We will never return and strongly urge others to think twice before dining here.
The only redeeming aspect of our visit was the food, which was genuinely excellent. Sadly, that alone cannot make up for the painful experience we endured.
Clara Middleton
My favourite restaurant in Calgary. The BEST seafood you could possibly get! Incredible quality, great drinks, and very friendly staff. Hugely recommended and 100% worth returning to time and time again
Adam Drover
The best culinary experience you could possibly get for the price. The food was prepared with the upmost attention to detail. We did the Yakitori Omakase (15 course meal with drink pairings). The specially reserved seats in front of the kitchen offer a show, not just the meal. Our server Adam provided an 11/10 service, explaining the intricacies of each dish and how the each drink was tied into the given course. They also offer you the option to purchase 3 ounces of the 45 day beeswax aged A5 Waygu (which we also purchased and highly recommend to take in the full experience). You will not leave hungry, or unsatisfied in any way. If you’re in Calgary, you have to visit Shokunin.
MJ Mashhadi
We went there in a rather large group and shared the food, tasting a bit of most stuff. Sushi was simple yet amazing tasting. Yakitoris were perfectly cooked and well portioned. The beef tataki was not everyone's favourite, but I liked it not so much to order again though. It's matter of taste I suppose. Missed on chicken ass.
Honestly I am so disappointed by this experience. We had been here about 5 years ago, so when going for a special anniversary coming down Calgary this was supposed to be the highlight of our trip. I could tell it was extremely busy, but we are paying top dollar for this experience.
I accidentally spilled my drink after one sip. I wasn't expecting another drink for free, but after the spill not one person came and asked me if I wanted another drink for the entire next hour we were there. Celebrating a special occasion with just tap water coming around was very lacklustre. The service felt rushed and chaotic which if the service is slowed down and people are taken care of would of been a part of the magic like it was when we went 5 years ago. You could tell they focused on the bigger tables and a 2 top would get ignored for drink top ups and just check ins. As well it took extremely long to get our food.. just overall disappointed.
Food portions were extremely small for the price.. the saving grace is how amazing the food is cooked. Just really feeling quite upset about how poor the service has gotten here.
Excellent Japanese restaurant. The quality is unarguably impeccable. Yes, the price point is high but the careful preparation and quality make it a nice fine dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seabass Belly – Aburi Style
Rechelle MacDonald
Absolutely incredible food and service. The owner reviewed the majority of the dishes leaving the kitchen, which was very nice to see some quality control, especially when you're paying these prices. The waiter was attentive. I always had water or a drink in front of me without having to ask, and plates came and went without being interrupted. Haven't seen this level of professionalism in a very long time. We will definitely be coming back
Like most of you we saw Chef Darren on Final Table. We went for my Girlfriends birthday. The server was very knowledgeable and walked us through the menu, offering different paths for a well balanced line up of courses. The sashimi was perfect cuts of fish, not just any cut, the right cut. It was mouthwatering. What makes this place special is the balance of the fresh ingredients, exact cuts of those ingredients proportional for maximum flavor, and cooked, when the dish requires it, with the upmost respect for my tastebuds. The chef had a moment to take a selfie and was very personable and even complemented one of his new chefs on the squid tempura as he was just learning and it was my personal favorite.
Great experience, the best Japanese food I have ever had across 10 provinces and 39 states.
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs, assessable restrooms.
Good 👍
Food was okay, really small portions for the price you are paying.
It wouldve been fine if the service was better.
We ordered a couple of oyster skewers but apparently they had ran out so our waiter decided we didn't need to know that so he gave us something else and didn't tell us. He only told us because the other waitress said we didn't order any.
We were also seated outside and then at some point the waiter just moved the sun umbrella away from us so I asked if we could move another umbrella to block the sun, he said it was too heavy and walked away. We moved the umbrella ourselves just fine. Overall, just an annoying experience.
I was excited when my friend who is a magazine publisher and editor said let's try this restaurant. Having been to Japan and lived in Japan 7 years, I was excited. The portions were indeed small and the quality we were not impressed by. Also, there was a chef tasting and touching every meal to see if it was cooked, I know that may be customary for M5 Star restaurants (the grilled broccoli before he cut and plated it).
Service was awesome and atmosphere positively refreshing.
Delicious yakitori and sides, we will be back to try the ramen. Absolutely beautiful and delicious food. This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Calgary!
Our anniversary dinner at this restaurant turned into a deeply upsetting experience. The waiter’s behavior was not just rude—it was blatantly racist. From the moment we arrived, she made us feel unwelcome, refused to answer basic questions, and treated us with clear disregard and disrespect. It was not a busy day, so there was no excuse for the way we were singled out and ignored.
We came here with high expectations, especially after being inspired by Chef Darren on the Netflix show. But the service we received was appalling and humiliating. This was not just poor service—it was discriminatory and unacceptable. We will never return and strongly urge others to think twice before dining here.
The only redeeming aspect of our visit was the food, which was genuinely excellent. Sadly, that alone cannot make up for the painful experience we endured.
My favourite restaurant in Calgary. The BEST seafood you could possibly get! Incredible quality, great drinks, and very friendly staff. Hugely recommended and 100% worth returning to time and time again
The best culinary experience you could possibly get for the price. The food was prepared with the upmost attention to detail. We did the Yakitori Omakase (15 course meal with drink pairings). The specially reserved seats in front of the kitchen offer a show, not just the meal. Our server Adam provided an 11/10 service, explaining the intricacies of each dish and how the each drink was tied into the given course. They also offer you the option to purchase 3 ounces of the 45 day beeswax aged A5 Waygu (which we also purchased and highly recommend to take in the full experience). You will not leave hungry, or unsatisfied in any way. If you’re in Calgary, you have to visit Shokunin.
We went there in a rather large group and shared the food, tasting a bit of most stuff. Sushi was simple yet amazing tasting. Yakitoris were perfectly cooked and well portioned. The beef tataki was not everyone's favourite, but I liked it not so much to order again though. It's matter of taste I suppose. Missed on chicken ass.
most amazing scallops i’ve ever eaten!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Creme Brulee, Karaage Chicken, Cold Shucked Scallop, Scallop Isoyaki, Assorted Sashimi Platter, Hanetsuki Braised Beef Gyoza, Seabass Belly – Aburi Style, Chicken Skewers, Tempura, Chicken Yakitori, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly
Honestly I am so disappointed by this experience. We had been here about 5 years ago, so when going for a special anniversary coming down Calgary this was supposed to be the highlight of our trip. I could tell it was extremely busy, but we are paying top dollar for this experience.
I accidentally spilled my drink after one sip. I wasn't expecting another drink for free, but after the spill not one person came and asked me if I wanted another drink for the entire next hour we were there. Celebrating a special occasion with just tap water coming around was very lacklustre. The service felt rushed and chaotic which if the service is slowed down and people are taken care of would of been a part of the magic like it was when we went 5 years ago. You could tell they focused on the bigger tables and a 2 top would get ignored for drink top ups and just check ins. As well it took extremely long to get our food.. just overall disappointed.
Food portions were extremely small for the price.. the saving grace is how amazing the food is cooked. Just really feeling quite upset about how poor the service has gotten here.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent Japanese restaurant. The quality is unarguably impeccable. Yes, the price point is high but the careful preparation and quality make it a nice fine dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seabass Belly – Aburi Style
Absolutely incredible food and service. The owner reviewed the majority of the dishes leaving the kitchen, which was very nice to see some quality control, especially when you're paying these prices. The waiter was attentive. I always had water or a drink in front of me without having to ask, and plates came and went without being interrupted. Haven't seen this level of professionalism in a very long time. We will definitely be coming back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Sake Kasu Tiramisu, Chicken Skewers, Chicken Yakitori
Amazing flavours! So unique. Beat chicken ever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Hanetsuki Braised Beef Gyoza
The tasting experience was amazing. Now it's super easy to order off the regular menu! The service is great, the food is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Creme Brulee, Cold Shucked Scallop, Chicken Skin Chips, Miso Cured Bone Marrow, Tongue, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly
Like most of you we saw Chef Darren on Final Table. We went for my Girlfriends birthday. The server was very knowledgeable and walked us through the menu, offering different paths for a well balanced line up of courses. The sashimi was perfect cuts of fish, not just any cut, the right cut. It was mouthwatering. What makes this place special is the balance of the fresh ingredients, exact cuts of those ingredients proportional for maximum flavor, and cooked, when the dish requires it, with the upmost respect for my tastebuds. The chef had a moment to take a selfie and was very personable and even complemented one of his new chefs on the squid tempura as he was just learning and it was my personal favorite.
Great experience, the best Japanese food I have ever had across 10 provinces and 39 states.
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs, assessable restrooms.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Sake Kasu Tiramisu, Seabass Belly – Aburi Style, Tempura, Chicken Yakitori
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