Sho Sushi: The New Kid On The Sushi Block

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     calgary, dining out, reviews, Sho Sushi, sushi

My friends love going out for sushi. When it’s decided that we’re heading out for some rolls, t’s always a little bit of a discussion picking out which restaurant to dine at. Like most people in Calgary, everyone has their favourite sushi place. Some people love Globefish, some like Wa’s (I love Wa’s), or Zipang in Bridgeland…this list can go on and on…No matter which place I truly love at the moment, I’m always up for trying out a new establishment.

Sho Sushi opened up recently on Macleod Trail, just south of Chinook Mall (it’s right beside Campers Village, everyone seems to know where that store is, but never goes in it…). As far as sushi restaurants go, this place is massive. It’s two floors and even has a small patio on the upper level. My friends and I popped in a couple weeks ago for lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the nice interior and their extensive menu. The price point here is amazingly low, with appetizers ranging from $3 to $7.50 and sushi rolls going for $3.50 to $9.90.

We ordered a handful of dishes, starting off with the Tuna Tataki ($8, pictured above) and the tofu. The tataki had a nice sear on it, topped with minced daicon and served with a sweet soy dipping sauce.

I’m generally not the hugest tofu fan, but, for whatever reason,when I’m at a Japanese restaurant I crave it. This starter was a bit of a let down. The tofu wasn’t as soft as I’m typically used to when ordering this style of dish at other establishments, which made it hard to bite into. As well, the size of the chunks of tofu were quite large, only adding to the difficulty of eating.

Perhaps I shall crave tofu no longer?

Moving on, we ordered the Beef Fried Udon ($6), which came out piping hot with a nice amount of thinly sliced beef, peppers, scallions, all tossed in a rich, earthy sauce. As far as the pre-sushi roll items went, this one was by far my favourite.

We also had an order of Vegetable Tempura ($4), that was pretty standard issue. Broccoli, peppers, yams, et al fried in a basic tempura batter. Mildly forgettable, but, then again, tempura is very the stand out dish when you’re out for Japanese food, is it?

The true winners during our lunch hour here, was what arrived next. We decided on a couple specialty sushi rolls, the Lobster Roll ($8.50) and the Fire Dragon Roll ($7.50, pictured) and a Sushi Pizza ($9.90). It’s hard to tell by the photo, but the dragon roll actually comes to the table aflame, which was fun to watch. Who doesn’t love a little pyrotechnics with their meal?

None of the aforementioned dishes are traditional sushi offering by any means, but all three were delicious. Not to mention at a considerably lower price than other higher end Japanese restaurants around town. (*cough* Globefish *cough*)

The deliciously breathtaking Lobster Roll topped with tobiko and drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce.

Sushi ‘pizza’, also known as segments of fried sushi topped with Japanese mayo and slices of tuna.

Aside from a few hiccups in our service and a couple lacklustre appetizers, I thought Sho was really great. I loved the reasonable prices, enjoyed their specialty rolls and the overall feel of the room. My friends and I decided that one of the best parts about dining here was that you didn’t feel rushed. Some of the busier sushi establishments in Calgary can leave you with that ‘in and out as fast as possible please‘ feeling, which is never pleasant. I will most definitely be back to eat at Sho again some time soon!

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