Washoku Bistro — Restaurant in Edmonton

I previously left Washoku a 4 star review and I unfortunately feel that I need to downgrade it to 2 stars based on my most recent visit. I am NOT writing this review in bad faith - I am hoping that perhaps the new management can take these comments into consideration in order to improve as my husband and I enjoyed visiting Washoku in the past.

We hadn't had a chance to visit since the change of ownership and I feel that there has been an odd shift in the quality of food. The new owners have decided to tweak the menu (which there is no problem with) but the food my husband and I got was awfully disappointing. I ordered a katsu don (fried pork bowl) and while I found the pork to be good, the rest of the meal was lackluster. There was an over abundance of thick onions, to the point that I was scarcely able to find much rice or egg. While I can't say for sure, it did feel like nearly half an onion. The menu does state that the dish contains onions, but I wasn't prepared by the sheer amount of them and I feel that it entirely ruins the meal.

My husband ordered karaage curry and was disappointed with the taste of the curry. While I have seen karaage curry without vegetables, it did feel strange as his plate was barren excluding a small mound of rice, fried chicken, accompanied by a large amount of very underwhelming curry sauce.

Service was friendly and attentive, however!

As I said, I am not interested in submitting this review solely for the purpose of sharing a bad experience. I would love to return to Washoku and have the same dinner experience I had in the past but tonight's disappointing meal will make us second guess until we can be sure the menu is...

Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement but I can honestly say this restaurant is really underrated.

I always pass by this area and have been interested in dining here. My love and influence of Japanese culture make me enjoy the ambiance, welcoming treatment and of course the FOOD. Unplanned invite from a friend excited me so we definitely checked the place 🤗I came first and was assisted by a lady who seated us in a VIP style room and I was very happy ❤️Our assigned server was Chanel, she was kind and really knew what to recommend 💯 and it was so hard to choose because everything looked sooo goood!!!

We got complimentary miso soup, then we ordered iced matcha latte and red wine for drinks. I must say, out of all the matchas I’ve tried (even at expensive cafés) theirs can definitely compete because it was sooo good!!! We also ordered the premium sashimi which was incredibly fresh, soft, and mouthwatering. Their bulgogi was flavorful and savory, the tempura was pretty standard for me (but I still loved it, a tempura lover here) and for sushi we tried the dynamite roll, it’s a perfect mix of soft and crunchy tempura inside.

We ended our dinner with a matcha dessert paired with black sesame ice cream, blueberries, cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar. It was really good!👌🏻

I must say! We will definitely come back again. Our bill was $150+ plus tip, not to brag but all money we spent is really worth it!

If you’re asking me if I’d visit again.. it’s a definite YES!!!

While, I’m still longing for the day I get to visit Japan (hopefully soon!!!🙏🏻) but for now, I’ll enjoy coming back for more at Washoku...

If I could give a zero, I would, but unfortunate 1 star is the lowest on Google. I want to share my family terrible experience on Saturday. We've been to this place few times and few times ordered for a take out, so when I came in to place an order for a takeout, I didn't even think that I have to check my order when it was ready for me. So I left with what I was assuming two rolls and a fried tofu plate. When at home I opened the bag, there were two rolls and three very sad and not so fresh pieces of tofu, with no side veggies or rice. My daughter was so disappointed, because it used to be her favorite dish there. I paid $57 for two rolls and two small steam rice, and what I assumed was a tofu dish. Anyways, very disappointed! The worse, you cannot reach the place over the phone, seems like one person is serving the tables and the front desk. She was very unpatient and unfriendly, when I tried to figure out what tofu dish to take, since the menu changed, so did the dishes names. When paying by debit or credit for a take out, there are no options available if you don't want to leave any tips. Only 4 options of tips!!! So on top, I paid 10% tips without even eating at the place!

To the business owner: if you are trying to cut the corners, your business will be losing clients. So the best solution for a food business: start with a great food and service quality and keep it up in order to grow and bloom your business.

We will not be coming back to that place, unfortunately. Two years ago it was a great place, now it's a joke. To enyone reading my review, be careful when ordering for...