THE BEST SUSHI I'VE EVER HAD omg!!! This was a recommendation from a friend who grew up in Calgary and goes there frequently for business. His favorite dish is the Aji tataki, which I have not tried, but plan to try next time! I was in town for a business trip as well and made it a point to go to Sushi Hiro because of the amazing things my friend said. I tried some sushi and their special mushroom soup. The next time I was in town for business, I brought my work crew and we sat at one of the big tables where you take your shoes off and sit into the ground. It was a very fun and unique experience and we had a lot of privacy at our table. We asked for our food to be selected for us and IT WAS AMAZING. Cannot go wrong with anything on the menu here. Hiro San, Takako and Yoshi from Phuket are so sweet and warm and welcoming. I can't wait to go back.. read more

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Chirashi pretty and good, hotate good, special hotate very good but pricey at $8.50 each piece, amaco maki okay, beef tataki very good, zaru soba a bit too hard, tempura the best, mushroom shrimp squid awesome, negitiro meh, ca roll meh. They need to put the pieces smaller next time. Love the father son duo and the vibe of the traditional modern Japanese restaurant decor. Would love to try more stuff next time! read more

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This restaurant is like a time warp from the 90s. I thought it was cool to be in a place that hasn't changed since it opened. Think Nick's Steakhouse but Japanese. On a Friday night, this place was packed with regulars. Customers recognized each other. The owners recognized customers. I overheard a customer tell his daughter's boyfriend that he comes every week and would come more often, but he feels that would be too indulgent. The prices are reasonably priced. Not cheap but not expensive. My favourite dish was the nabeyaki udon. The broth is legit. The vegetables were traditional and perfectly cooked, which is hard to do as it takes time. Good portion and priced well at $14. The chirashi was presented in a covered box. One of toppings on the rice was pink and sweet like hard rock candy. Fairly priced at $20 and it comes with miso soup. Tempura and chicken karrage could have used some salt. I like the tempura at Red Ember better. The chicken karrage was actually a drum that was peeled back. Very cool as the skin gets nicely blistered and crunchy by the deep-fryer. I want to return to try the sukiyaki and other hot pot style dishes. That udon is killer. I'll also bring my coworkers to check out their lunch. Service was pleasant, from the servers, sushi chefs, to the hostess (the owner's wife I think). read more

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Sushi Hiro Japanese Restaurant is a casual Japanese restaurant, which located on 5th Ave Southwest Downtown Calgary. It is a medium size of the restaurant, but the location of the restaurant is not very easy to find. It mainly serves sushi, bento boxes, and kitchen entrees. My friend and I had a late lunch at Sushi Hiro Japanese Restaurant. We arrived at the restaurant around 1 pm. Even though it was weekdays, the restaurant was still very busy. But, we had no problem to get a table. After we sat down, the server came to us and brought drinks and menu to us. The menu was very simple, but there were no many selections and no pictures. We had very hard time to order our lunch. The server was very friendly and helpful, who helped us. We ordered $9.50 Chicken Teriyaki and $16.50 Nigiri Sushi special to share. After we ordered the food, our food came out the kitchen very fast. The Chicken Teriyaki was in the large portion and came with a salad with house dressing and a bowl of rice. The taste of the chicken teriyaki was very different from other restaurants. There were large pieces of chicken and the taste was very awesome. The salad was in Japanese style so delicious. It was a great deal for two people to share. The Nigiri Sushi Special was not that excited, which were fresh raw fish on sushi rice, included 8 pieces nigiri sushi and 2 pieces maki roll. Very easy, simple, and expensive. If two people share this dish, I would like to recommend people to order more stuff to eat. In summary, both my friend and I love Chicken Teriyaki more. The prices of the food were expensive in this restaurant. But, it was very nice to try different Japanese restaurant in Calgary. read more

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Food I would say 4 stars but the only issue is the service. They seem to be very confused. I mean confused on what each person's role, how to put in order and even how to take order. So I came here during lunch time. The place looks legit, Japanese with Japanese speaking people. So they opened up half the restaurant during lunch time. We ended up sitting at the Sushi bar. I mean its only two of us so it doesn't matter. My colleague got the Hiro Teriyaki and I got the Chirashi bowl. To get them to put in the order was troublesome. So we had a waiter #1 take down my colleagues order and he told me that he could not take down my order because anything that is sushi related must be ordered from the sushi bar which is where we were sitting. I questioned him couple times and he said yes. The two guys at the sushi bar are chef. I don't see them taking orders. So I was told to wait each time I try to talk to the sushi chef and after about 10 mins one talked to me and he said I should order it from the waitress. So I got the waitress and she took my order and didn't know why the other waiter told me to order from sushi bar. I later found out that the waiter didn't even put in my colleagues order. The Waiter #1 just walked around wiping down tables. If he is not taking order why did he even come talk to us. The food also took a long time to come out on top of getting the order in. I placed my order and didn't see it make it into the sushi chef order counter like 10 mins later. Getting the order in took 30 mins and not to mention about preparing. it. What was more amusing was the confusion of the sushi chef and the waitress walking in and out and what order is what. Its like a Gong Show at the sushi bar. It was totally amusing. Total time in and out, is over an hour. But its hard to enjoy yourself when too much stuff is happening behind the sushi bar. Looks like the older sushi chef is not very happy. The young sushi chef seems to be ok, greeting customers as they come and go and continue making sushi. I don't think I will come back. I mean running a restaurant has to have all aspect. Having tasty food is just one part but service and managing customers and food quality and timing is an art and requires a lot of skills. Price and Service don't really match up at this restaurant. read more

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Love their sushi and sashimi, sometimes they have special Japanese sashimi which is so delicious. Unagi don and udon are also our favorites. After their recent renovations, the restaurant is more wheelchair friendly read more

Came for lunch last week. Couldn't remember why I don't come more often and then realize... they're ok but not great. My friend got the lunch bento ($16.50) which was a decent amount of food with good variety, but my sashimi plate ($14.50?) really just that and a bowl of rice. No salad, soup or anything else... was quite lacklustre, and I don't like how the sashimi cut was small rectangular chunks. Service was pretty good though and prices are decent but the sashimi was pretty average. There are just a few other places I would rather go to for sushi and sashimi at the same price point. read more

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Sushi Hiro is probably a happening place at mid-day, when the working lunch crowd is less concerned about decor, atmosphere and furnishings kinda reminiscent of an 70's airport lounge... ... but you know what? The sushi is pretty good, the staff are really nice and maybe that's all that matters. I thought the rolls looked a bit rough or rushed... but they tasted fine. The Red Tuna sashimi is also worth a mention. Pretty good. So go at lunch? Maybe quickly after work? The food is fine, but not a visually impressive or notable space. Not really a date place. Not at all. Still, it's close to home... so I'll be back. read more

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My long lost beloved, indeed my long forgotten love... My last vist to Sushi Hiro was 10 years ago, and my recent visit (I came here for dinner) just refreshed my memory of this Calgary gem.... Quality of food, menu selection, location, decoration had not changed a bit, still at its upmost! I like here coz the menu selection is very tradition and authentic, unlike any other restaurant in Calgary serving the typical stuff. Here are the items I ordered: Yamakake: finely grated Japanese yam served over maguro sashimi. Chef did a very delicate job in grating the yam to the point it's foamy and slammy, Warning: not everyone likes it! Maguro was very fresh, compliement with the foamy yam. I think if there's hint of wasabi or green onion will even brighten the taste.... Overall, this dish is good and authentic. Ten Zaru: another classic Japanese dish, Zaru noodle with Tempura, love the sauce, nice and refreshing! Sauce came with diced onion, wasabi, one quail egg, mix all together, dip the noodle in and slurp!! Yum!! This is the traditional way of eating Zaru! Special Sashimi: 16 piece of Sashimi, fresh and nicely plated. Kawari mushi, steamed egg-tofu custard served in light broth.... This is a fabulous dish! Another classic authentic Japanese dish, love the smooth n warm egg-tofu custard, top with fresh seafood (lots of seafood) , I ate this with rice, excellent! Dessert: I had vanilla ice cream with red bean sauce, red bean sauce is another popular dessert condiment in Asia. Red bean sauce was fully cooked to the point like mashed potato form, it was served on top of vanilla ice cream, I waited the ice cream to melt a bit so I can mix the red bean sauce together = Red Bean ice cream! (If restaurant can make red bean ice cream, that would be fabulous!) Overall, my experience at Sushi Hiro was great, and I don't know why people gave them bad rating, maybe those people don't know what to do order, or they just don't know Japanese cuisine at all, or they are just rude and simple show no respect.. Sushi Hiro had ran business for more than 20 years and still surviving today, that's a great reason to prove they are the success!! good job Sushi Hiro, keep up the good work. read more

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A solid Ma & Pa Japanese restaurant that serves ALL the basics - sushi, tempura, etc. The menu is NOT extensive, but everything they serve is authentic and tasty. A thumbs up! read more

I was in calgary for 4 nights for business. I enjoyed the restaurant so much I had to come here twice! The waitresses were very friendly and courteous. The food was delicious. Here's a list of what I had: Hot tea: they have me a whole pot of freshly brewed tea from loose leaves. Love having my personal pot! Miso soup: mild and warm. Great start for a meal. Not too salty. Just lovely. Teriyaki chicken: served on a sizzling plate with tender carrots, broccoli and sprouts. The sauce was a little on the salty side. Chicken and veggies were cooked to perfection. Very good with rice! Rice: fluffy japanese rice. A bit on the al dente side. Sashimi: this is what brought me back. I don't know the names of all the different fishes, but I surely enjoyed the different textures. Tuna was creamy, melt-in-your-mouth. Salmon was tender. And this other thinly sliced white fish was tender and springy! Wasabi: a little mild compared to others. read more

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My absolute favourite place for sushi in Calgary! Apparently, this place has been around for a long, long time but I've just visited recently and wished I knew about it sooner. I've been here for lunch and dinner and the food and service have been consistently good. The fish is unbelievably fresh and prepared beautifully. The sushi is more traditional, as opposed to a western or fusion-style, but this is what I prefer. It is a large restaurant with lots of parking out front. read more

We found this decent restaurant in Calgary on vacation. The food is good and the appetizers come in big portions, compared to the usual you get. I like the squid karaage. Service is exceptional, the smiles and greetings we got were good. I guess the restaurant prides on service as well. It's worth the try if you live pr pass by the area. read more

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Very nice and clean place. The staff is very polite and as a matter of fact, these two stars are for them. The food quality isn't very high and for what you get, it's very pricey! You can get much better quality sushi with the same amount of money you spend here. Unfortunately it's not the best place to go for sushi! read more

Simply put, this is the best sushi that I have had anywhere on earth. Period. Hiro is a master sushi chef that is extremely renowned in Japan and Calgary is very lucky to have him. First off, there are two kinds of "sushi" restaurants: real sushi and silly sushi. Based on the reviews most people were looking for silly sushi. Sorry unwashed masses, that's not real sushi and you should count yourself lucky to have stumbled into a real sushi restaurant in Calgary. So what is silly sushi? California rolls, cucumber rolls, volcano rolls. Sensing a theme here? That's right, real sushi is not about rolls, it's about quality seafood and Sushi Hiro has that in spades. The real trick is to ask your server what's good and what the specials are, fish comes in fresh daily and the selection varies. Another fantastic thing about Sushi Hiro? They actually have the exotic fish that everyone lists on the menu but never actually has. Uni? You bet. Flounder? Absolutely. Japanese Snapper. Of course. While the sushi and sashimi are fantastic, the real treat are the specials. We enjoyed the Spanish Mackerel and the grilled Yellowfin cheeks. Both were absolutely phenomenal and served in the traditional Japanese style (they deep fry the mackerel bones once you finish the meat, delicious!). If you have never tried either of these do yourself a favour and have them next time you go as you will wonder how you've lived so long without enjoying this delicious treat. I urge all you silly sushi lovers out there to give Hiro a chance to cook for you. Ask him what to have and I guarantee you will fall in love with both real sushi and Sushi Hiro itself. I know that I'll be going back on a regular basis as he changes his menu regularly to keep up with what's in season (I can't wait for gingko nut season). read more

Running around in 12 degree weather is no joke, but i'll risk it for a nice, good hot meal and Sushi Hiro seemed like it fit the bill. My eyes lit up when i saw shabu shabu as an option for dinner, one of the top 3 meals you could ever want when it's freezing outside. My eyes twinkled to see yosenabe and sukiyaki as well. Needless to say, when they told me I couldn't order any of those three dishes as it was two person minimum, my heart sank. I wish they mentioned that on the menu so you bring someone who'd want to order the exact same dish as you. So i decided to get the chawa mushi, delicious egg custard, piping hot. That is also a two person minimum WTH. What in the word can one person eat here.. I finally settled with a single piece of toro and salmon sushi, a soupy rice dish and a bigger sized version of the chawa mushi, forgot what it's called, as I wasn't going to give up on that dish. The large chawamushi was tasty, soupy rice, zoisui was good. The sushi was good but I wasn't impressed by the Toro. I've had better toro at $2 a piece. Service was so so, the group of Japanese gents sitting across from me got more attention. I never got my water refilled. read more

Real Japanese for real adults Sushi HIRO is one of Calgary's old school restaurants started by Hiro and his wife at least 20 years ago and now his son is taking charge. Last night we had a real treat we wanted a small prIvate meal that was very special for a close freind who was celebrating a "milestone" birthday. The experience did not disappoint. From the minute we walked in and were shown to our private tatami room to the moment we left and were personally escorted out by Mrs Hiro the experience was first class. Not only was the food first class but the service was as well. It was a true Japanise experience in which the simplicity of the surroundings matched perfectly with exceptional food and service. What was so amazing about the meal is we eat a lot of sushi and sushi is great but how far can you go with it? This time not only did we have some great sushi but we explored Sake hand picked by the chef and dishes perfectly prepared and rarely seen outside of Japan. Rather than go into the details of the meal itself which I am sure will change every time due to seasonal and market conditions what was important to me was the manta of the meal it was true japanese simple done well is much better than complex.. Sushi Hiro thanks for a great meal. read more

We found ourselves downtown with a sushi craving, and this was the closest place. What a delight! We ordered tempura and sushi dinner, and teriyaki chicken and sushi dinner. Forget the tempura and the chicken ... their sushi was the best! We really enjoyed eating their specialty! The miso soup was perfect, the Japanese salad competent and eminently edible. When it came, the chicken was admittedly just OK, but the tempura was done exactly to spec--yum! What made us enthusiastic fans of the place, though, was the exquisite and delicious preparation of our sushi and sashimi. Let these people do what they do best and you won't be disappointed! We were particularly impressed with how fresh the sashimi was. Authentic and perfect! The staff was friendly and courteous. We've become fans! read more

First impression walking through the door was that Sushi Hiro was feeling a little tired and dated. Of the sushi restaurants I've visited over the past couple of years, this one certainly feels like it's the granddaddy of them all. Which is too bad, because years of experience counts greatly . . . but even a minor makeover could really freshen this place up. The second thing that I took notice of is how the food is served: in some cases, on dried out wood slabs, ala 70's steak houses. Owning wood cutting boards at home, I'm pretty meticulous about keeping them oiled up. You know, to repel the organics from permeating the wood pores. So... with those two immediate negatives aside . . . The waiter was very friendly and attentive. I don't always get that vibe in sushi restaurants (actually, hardly ever). Typically I get the "I'm serving you sushi, and sushi is serious business, SO NO SMILING HERE!!!" The quality of the food was good, though a little lacking in the portion size. At least from my perspective. We kept it simple, but mostly because that's the menu in a nutshell. We finished, but there wasn't anything jumping out at as after doing so. Bottom line is we visited this restaurant because we were unable to get into our "regular." And afterwards, there wasn't a reason to switch. Yelp's 30 Day Challenge 2012 -25/30 read more

Only fresh, only the best quality, only seasonal. I demand no less. To be served with understated aplomb, by experts in an authentic environment (having been to them all) makes it the place. Let them do a sashimi plate and enjoy. read more

Not bad for Calgary. But once again, sushi is mostly about the freshness so am i being fair by holding a high standard to review? It is better than many sushi restaurants here. I might re-visit if I'm looking for a sushi place nearby read more

Been coming to this restaurant for 10+ years, and the thing I love the most about this restaurant is its consistency maintained by Mr. Hiro and his wife. Price definitely went up with time, and at current date, Sushi Hiro definitely isn't a cheap restaurant. However, it still carries a high level of quality for its food, although I do wish they did have bigger portions for their food. read more

Sushi Hiro Japanese Restaurant - Tekkadon - My favorite menu @ Sushi Hiro. - Japanese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

This is the best sushi in downtown Calgary! The fact that they have been in business for decades speaks to their reputation for good sushi and excellent service. This family-run spot is one of my favourite places to go for lunch, and I often get the take-out. I believe that their spicy tuna roll is one of the best maki rolls I have ever had anywhere! It is awesome, especially if you order it "Yoshi Style", with extra shichimi spice and spiced flying fish roe on the outside rice roll. Sadly, there was a fire at this restaurant a few months ago (who honestly expects that a fire will break out at a restaurant that serves raw fish??), and they are currently undergoing renovation. You can rest assured that I will be there on its grand re-opening! read more

I totally agree with Rob M. and Jon K. This is the real thing. My wife and I have eaten at many sushi restaurant's in Calgary and abroad and this is consistently our favorite. We have never had a bad meal or anything but great service at Sushi Hiro. the sashimi and sushi is always top notch and very fresh. This isn't the place for silly fake Californiaized sushi. It's as authentic and as fresh as it can be in landlocked Calgary. Give it a chance and as has been mentioned be adventurous and ask the chef for today's best choice. You won't be disappointed. read more

I've started taking the 15 min drive to downtown to indulge in some lunchtime gossip with my girlfriends.. but never back to here. I was SO disappointed. First, it's lunch hour! I only have max an hour and a half to waste.. it took over 40 minutes for 4 rolls to come out. The quality of sushi isn't even worth yelping about -- but here I am sharing another bad experience. My biggest disappointment with the sushi? We had rice EVERYWHERE, the rice just didn't stick together. what a mess. I get it ethnic food, ethnic experience -- but I do like knowing what I'm ordering. It wasn't very expensive, but I'd rather go else where next time. read more

The first note for going here (at least for weekday lunches) is to make a reservation, it gets very busy around the lunch hour. The decor is fairly standard, if a little run down. Service is prompt and friendly. Now onto the food: 1) It's quite expensive I got the Assorted sashimi platter which came with 3 tuna, 2 salmon, 2 red snapper, 1 scallop, 1 steamed shrimp and a bowl of rice, the pieces were tiny (perhaps 1" x 1" x 1.5"). That was 13.50, the meal did however include tea. 2) The quality is fine but nothing spectacular. If you're craving sushi on the west end of downtown it's pretty much the only sit down option and it is acceptable but I wouldn't trek across the core just for it. read more

Having been coming to Sushi Hiro for years! They have the Home-made secret salad dressing, no other restaurant has come close to cracking. The family owned and run establishment has a inviting feel, but is in serious need of a new make-over/ renovation. It's 80's lamps and pastel green reminds me of a hospital. Perhaps that's why I usually do pick-up instead. The father/son (Yoshi who's really cute) duo work the sushi bar, with satelite TV blaring in the back (dialed to Japanese stations only). It can be entertaining to watch sumo-wrestlers slapping themselves with baby-power and bending over to expose themselves in a dignified manner.... word of advice NEVER request to change the channel. The Mother (co-owner) usually comes out from the small office in the back to meet and greet her customers, she is very chatty and friendly once you become a regular she treats you like your part of the family and even will pull out family photos. I usually order Kappa Maki, Avocado rolls, tempura, miso and my favorite House salad with the coveted dressing. read more

Hands down best bento box I've ever had. The salmon has so much flavor and the skin is the perfect amount of crispy. The sashimi was a very solid portion and the other sides complemented the meal very well. read more

Sushi Hiro Japanese Restaurant - Lunch box - Japanese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Not sure how long Hiro San has been here on fifth avenue, but it is at least thirty-five years. This is a traditional atmosphere, perhaps a little tattered around the edges, but very comfortable nonetheless. The service is always attentive and welcoming. I haven't ever had fish here that was not fresh. The Aji tataki is superb, and I always get the chirashi sushi box. My favorite sushi restaurant in town bar none. read more

Second time here for a business dinner. If you want straight up, authentic Japanese cuisine, this is the place. No California volcano fusions rolls here. For ambience, i enjoyed the tatami room concept, conducive and suitable for business dinners. The food just kept coming, the highlight was the sashimi; fresh and served on top of lovely porcelain bowls. They had this prawn dish which was cut butterfly together with the head, very interesting concept. Makes you feel like you're in a sushi place in Okinawa. read more

Wonderful sushi. This restaurant is always good and the quality is excellent. Love their spicy tuna and salmon rolls. Service is very good. The wait staff is pleasant. We have come here on some occassions and the service was slow, but overall it's been great. The food is excellent and it is nice to enjoy with a bit of Sake. read more

I went to yuzu for lunch on a Saturday with my boyfriend. I got to admit the food was great. I got the pork shoulder n scallop wrapped bacon robata. We also got 3 different rolls. Therefore, we used the $10 off coupon if we checked in on yelp. However, they charged us a 26percent service charge after tax for just the two of us during lunch hour. For me thats just ridiculous! If it was for an outstanding service, i dont really mind. But here, they need to be called upon for ordering, refilling the water.. And there were only two other guests at that time. read more

Truly a Japanese restaurant!! Really because they seem to be the only workers there! The place can hold maybe 25 people if they are skinny! The food is always good and they seem to have a following since no one would just "run into " this place! I have had the Saba (grilled mackerel ) the mixed tempura, and the salmon shioyaki (salt flavor) The food has always been great and really has that "sitting in your living room at home" taste to it. This place is simple, delicious, and a blast from the past. Go check it out before its too late! Remember its a little old Japanese couple running the place. Im sure they are not very fast for groups.... if they can even fit! read more

My favourite place in Calgary. Our family has spend all our special nights of the year (birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, graduations) for the past 15 years. Service is great, the owners are very nice, kind people. Fish is always ultra fresh, sashimi is cut beautifully, rolls are traditional (no cornflakes or captain crunch), nabeyaki udon is awesome (cooked to order, great broth, served in a great bowl). Appetizers are great, highlights are beef tatataki, agedashi tofu. Tempura is best I have ever had, light, crispy, flavourful. Features are always great, try the salt roasted hamachi cheeks. Sapporo draft, barley tea & sake list is the highlights on the beverage side. read more

I went to Sushi Hiro tonight for dinner with my husband. The service was amazing (as always), they greet you the moment you walk in and let you chose where you would like to seat (they have both Japanese style tables and classic restaurant tables). The waitresses came around multiple times to check on us and brought the food at a nice pace (not too slow not too fast)! The food was great starting from the super fresh sushi and sashimi! The appetizers were delicious ( we had chicken kaarage, Japanese pickles and pickled crab). The tempura was piping hot and crunchy while the rice was very fluffy! Even the salad and the miso were great! The atmosphere is typical Japanese and perfect for a relaxing dinner with friends or family. read more

they should hire waitress who can speak English... 1st waitress came I ordered. she couldn't understand what "sashimi"means. I said I want not sushi. sashimi. she said sashimi is fish with rice.. and sushi is raw fish itself. im like what are you talking about!! . anyways it took me 5 mins to order salmon sashimi. it was stupid. read more

I always get sushi to go at this place, because the ambiance is not my fav. However, love the sushi, can't recommend it high enough. Amazingly inexpensive, the quality is consistently good, and when I don't feel like cooking, what a great place to go. I think they've been there forever (obviously never renovated), and you can tell - that's Japan. Definitely one can always find a seat there, I've never seen it packed. But there are always people, and they all seem to really like it. So 4 out of 5. read more

I googled the Japanese blogs and saw good comments. I went there for my lunch and ordered chirashi. I could not trust the service that they were providing to other customers, so I ordered chirashi so that they didn't need a skill. I just needed a fresh raw fish. As a native Japanese, I have tried tons of sushi bars from cheap to high-end, and this was the worst one. I am not sure about the dinner, but I don't want to take a risk to try again. read more

Great little hole in the wall, outdated-looking sushi place. Food is amazing (try the salmon skin cone) and the chefs are friendly (sat at the sushi bar). Highly recommend it. read more

My favorite traditional Sushi restaurant. This is great sushi by any standard. They always have a selection of fish flown in that is not on the menu, just need to request. I wish they served beef tataki at lunch, only complaint. Great lunch or dinner location, love sitting at the bar. read more