Sushi Bistro Anzu — Restaurant in Calgary

We visited at around 5:30 pm on a Saturday and there only 2 other groups of customers, but by the time we left (around 6:15) it was starting to get full. There was also a steady traffic of take-out customers and Skip-the-Dishes pickups.

The main dining area had booths for about 22 (4 tables for 4 and a larger table at the end) along with 2 smaller tables for 2 each. There was also a small section behind a curtain but it was occupied at the time so we didn't look inside. I did find that the small space got cold with the opening of the front door, and our tea didn't stay warm very long.

The business seems to be run by a family. All the staff that we saw, from the hostess/waitress to the sushi chefs and the head chef were Japanese.

They had our 2 favourite Osaka/Kansai region dishes: Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki, which were both flavourful and cooked perfectly (see pics). They brought back fond memories of the year my wife and I spent in Osaka before we were married.

We shared these along with a "sushi set" which included 8 pieces of California roll and 7 pieces of assorted maki. I found the sashimi on the maki quite tasty for what we get in Calgary. We finished off by sharing a Goma (sesame) pudding which was served with a topping of maple syrup on the side. In the end we could barely finish but were very satisfied. Our total bill, including tax, was...

Haven't been back here since it used to be Wai's. The restaurant is smallish but intimate, decor is traditional Japanese and is a comfortable place to dine. Also run by real Japanese chefs and servers, which gives the dishes real authenticity.

They bring out a daily special menu board when the menu is brought out, featuring unique takes on fresh seafood. We ordered the salmon jaw and baked oysters. Both were spectacular. The salmon jaw was so soft and moist, paired with the ponzu sauce, really elevated the flavour. The baked oysters were amazingly soft and the flavour went into the bed of spinach as well. Just amazing.

The sushi was also super fresh and tasty. All the sashimi cuts were a generous size. The rolls were a little smaller than I am accustomed to but the flavours were on point. We also tried the blue fin tuna menu, and wow, are the cuts are so tender they melt in your mouth. I would say the price to protion ratio is fair.

Parking is a bit cramped in front of the restaurant, bit there is ample street parking. I can't comment about the facilities as they were under repair, but judging by how clean the dining room was, I would say the washrooms are probably clean as well.

Definitely give this place a go of you want fresh, flavourful cuts sushi in a...

Food was generally quite good and reasonably priced, BUT the red shrimp set was a disappointment. It was a $26 set that came with 4 pieces of seared shrimp sushi, and a 'shrimp miso udon'.

The sushi was fine; the shrimp was good quality and it was seared just right. The taste was quite mild though (the person I was having this with said that it was tasteless).

The udon however was literally plain udon. The soup base was light miso soup (and I do mean LIGHT), shrimp shells (probably shells from the shrimp sushi), and...nothing else. There were a few scallions and the bowl was sizeable, but there were NO ingredients whatsoever. Not a single piece of shrimp; just their shells. Even though this is 'shrimp udon'!

The fact that this udon would have NOTHING in it was not mentioned anywhere, and on the menu it was photographed on its side and partially out of focus, so it wasn't possible to tell. For $26, you're paying for literally FOUR pieces of shrimp, plain rice, and plain noodles in a bland miso soup. The waitress confirmed that it was supposed to be this way. So even though the rest of the food was fine, I ended up leaving with a negative view of...