staff:always friendly and pleasant. We have had this same waitress a few times. She is lovely!…read more service: they take our order relatively quickly once our party guests arrived. Food comes or fresh sporadically - whatever is made first comes out first. We went for my son's birthday and they gave him courtesy birthday ice cream! (Gratuity automatically included for groups larger than 7) establishment: great little hidden gem in the NORTHSIDE!! Una small strip mall area! Parking options outside in lot! Inside is a little Japanese paradise. Great decor - nice ambiance! Food: amazing. Great variety? Generous portions. Fish is fresh tasting and great quality.

Fresh food and excellent service!…read more Went with a large group of people and we tried many dishes off of the menu (some not pictured below). Dishes that I would definitely recommend are the nabe udon, cream udon (not pictured), their yam avocado roll, and their volcano roll. I think everything for the most part was good, only complaint would be that their chicken karaage was a little dry. Other than that, I think my overall experience was quite good and I hope to come back and try other items!

This place always hits the spot everytime. Premium food…read more Service is quick, as always and place was clean.

Went here with my friends and we were satisfied with all the food we ordered. The tuna and salmon…read moresashimi seemed fresh than other sushi places i had been too. Price wise i think is reasonable. We had a hard time parking though in front of it and needs to pay. We waited 45 mins to get a table on a weekend afternoon!

Food is fresh and delicious, the Dragon Ball is amazing! Service was friendly and quick. This is…read moreone of our go to places as it's consistently good.

Food is great. Sushi rolls are large and filling. They have pho type meals too. The atmosphere is…read moresmall and open. There are windows. Our rolls order was very slow however. The boss and his buddy came in a while after us but got served their food, including multiple items, before us. Hmmm. The place was not busy. Prices are reasonable. They don't have green tea. I didn't really like the brown tea they served as it's not made with tea leaves. Loved the miso soup. The server lady was pleasant. Prices reasonable. I would return.

This place made me fall in love with salmon again! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere…read morewas perfect for a family outing with a baby. We ordered the takowasabi, half dozen oysters, red ramen, deluxe sashimi, and duck pressed sushi--everything was fantastic. The sashimi, in particular, was very fresh and high quality. A couple of small notes: the seaweed for the takowasabi was cut a bit too small, and the oysters were slightly on the smaller side for the price--but overall, a great experience and definitely coming back here again next week.

Place was 100% full Saturday 7:30PM. They signed us up for the text waitlist and told us 30min but…read moreit was 15min wait to get in. Beef tataki: 9/10, boyfriend loved. I think it's fine. Assorted Sashimi 5 kinds - loved the variety but we didn't like the squid or octopus at all. Next time we will just focus on tuna and salmon. Sakura Roll: 8/10. Boyfriend have it a 10/10. Super Dynamite roll: 8/10. Great flavor but roll is too big and hard to eat without taking a too big of bite or making a mess. Garlic Salmon Fried Rice: 10/10, what a surprise! My favorite dish of the night by far. Flavor was so umami. Highly recommend. Kokuto Umeshu ice cream: 10/10 such a nice light sweet flavor over vanilla ice cream. Overall food was fantastic.

My teen suggested sushi for dinner before a meeting she had to attend and I thought why not? So I…read moregave her an assignment of finding somewhere within 10 minutes of where her meeting was. And boy oh boy am I glad she found this place! Adorable, fresh, fantastic! We shared small cucumber maki, large yam roll, and a chicken noodle bento! We couldn't even finish the food between the two of us. Two thumbs way up! I can't wait to come back and try more! I saw someone getting the blazing salmon roll to go and it looked AMAZING!!! Oh and free parking!!!

Not bad for Edmonton! We regularly come to Edmonton to visit my in-laws and I'm used to getting my…read moresushi fix regularly in SoCal. Every time we come and try a sushi restaurant out, it's usually just okay. This place surprised us. Quality was actually not bad at all. The prices are comparable to some other sushi places in Edmonton but cheap for us (in USD) and the portions were large! Like the blazing salmon roll was filled with salmon. I also ordered a hand roll and for about $6 and it was also huge and filling. We are probably going to come here for our quick, simple sushi fix when we visit annually

It's tiny and quaint in space but don't let that fool you. The food is absolutely outstanding. What…read morea great addition to the Edmonton food scene!

Omakase on Friday and Saturday only. We went Friday at 5:30PM…read more We went with the 25 course for $195/person. We also asked for a bottle of the Momo Peach sake not knowing it was going to be $40 charge even though you can find it at Wine and Beyond for $23. It was 10/10 delicious but wow price hike. Lots of parking in the communal parking lot. 1 single stall bathroom available. Long bar seating only. Best to be on time as they do start right on time but people showed up 10minutes late and still got to catch up on the courses. No intro either. No dinner "show". Chefs do not "perform" or talk, you just get to see them prepare every dish. ~19 raw fish dishes, an egg dish, 2 soups, and dessert. You get plum wine (or tea if I misheard) at the end. Unfortunately I don't have any tolerance to wasabi and they added a pinch to some of the really good sashimi dishes (tuna) and it ruined the taste for me. Otherwise it was such a fun experience and we tried soooo many fish! Would try once but for the price and how much I personally like sashimi probably will not go again.

What a fantastic experience. I've had Sushi in Montreal, Toronto... and this matches that…read moreexperience. The service is a delight, so intimate so the timing of food is exceptional. The flavours are unreal, their spicy tuna is so unique because of the sauce design and I still think about it today :)

This is the closest you will find near Edmonton to an Owner/Chef operated sushi restaurant in…read moreJapan, in terms of atmosphere, service, quality, and execution. Our favourite Sushi restaurant in Alberta.

Everything was fresh and beautifully presented. The sushi…read morerice was soft and seasoned just right, and the sashimi slices melted in my mouth. The staff were friendly and attentive without being pushy. It's a bit pricey, but the quality makes it totally worth it. I'll definitely come back again!

This is one of my favourite places to have Japanese food. (I can't just pick one, it would be like…read morepicking your favourite child.) Atmosphere is relaxed and minimalistic with a great chill vibe. Service is okay but I would say that all the times I have been there, the staff have not been super welcome or friendly. And this day was super busy, a Friday night and I don't think they had enough staff for the tables. Our dishes came by slowly which was fine because we were visiting with friends but don't expect to fly in and out. This is the one thing they can improve on. Luckily the food makes up for it. We ordered a bunch of things to share. The seasonal vegetable tempura Beef Tataki served with grated daikon, seaweed, sliced onion, ponzu dressing Black Cod with a miso marinade Japonais Premium Select -assorted chef's choice of maki rolls, sushi & sashimi We also sampled sake, beer, and Japanese whiskey Everything we had was delicous. The standout was the black cod with the miso marinade and the amazing selction of the Japonais Premium Select. A HUGE amount of rolls, sushi and sashimi. Definately worth the money if you are fine with the chef doing the choosing. Everything was super fresh. The only thing I think was just average was the tempura. It was no difference than the other places I have been to. Really worth making the reservation for, just keep in mind you may need to wait.

This is my second time to Sushi Toshi, the all-you-can-eat sushi (and other foods) Japanese…read morerestaurant. I have ordered sushi rolls, nagiri, sashimi, maki and a temaki (cone). I ordres an assortment of them - red snapper, tuna and salmon for the sushi, California and Alberta rolls, and tempura shrimp cone. This time around I ordered the beef tataki, stir fried udon with chicken, miso soup and the 6 oz steak (for this one, a hot stone is brought to your table and you sear the steak on it; sauce are also available for this dish). I had green tea to drink and had green tea ice cream for desert. Service was very good and rapid, and very attentive and polite. The restaurant's ambiance is busy and popular, but it's quite easy to relax and enjoy the food and restaurant while there.

In all my years of eating sushi, I've never went to an AYCE sushi place until now. So this was my…read morefirst AYCE experience here. And after our dinner, this place will be pretty difficult to beat. We came here for our anniversary dinner. My boyfriend put in a reservation earlier, and once we arrived we were seated pretty quickly. It was a Monday night but I was so surprised at how packed the place was. This was our first time here so the server explained how ordering on the slip works. Wait time wasn't terrible. And like I mentioned before, this place was so packed and full of people. All the servers that night were weaving through aisles, delivering food, and taking orders. They were all hustling. Food was delicious. We started off with a couple of rolls like California Rolls, Avocado, Tuna, Salmon, and Tamago. The sushi rolls were pretty small, but I didn't have a problem with it. Since it's AYCE, I knew that we'd have much more food coming. I was very impressed by the quality of fish. It tasted very fresh. Also we ordered the seared Beef Nigiri and that was delicious. We ended up ordering more of that later. For the next round, we ordered Edamame, Beef (? it was like a beef galbi cut but I forgot the name of it on the menu), Chicken Skewers, Green Onion Cake, and Tempura. For our Tempura veggies we chose pumpkin, yam, and eggplant. I loved the tempura. It was definitely a highlight of the night. The batter was very crispy, light, and all the tempura came out hot. It was wonderful. We ended up getting more after the first round of tempura because it was too good. The Chicken Skewers were phenomenal. My boyfriend and I were saying that if we had the Chicken Skewers with rice, that would just be enough. The flavor of the sauce was great: savory, slightly sweet, it was reminiscent of a teriyaki flavor for me. And lastly, we had the BC Roll, Alberta Roll, Crunchy Roll, Philadelphia Roll, the seared Beef Nigiri again, and a few other rolls. At this point of the dinner we barely had any steam left but somehow we managed. Every single we thing we ate was just amazing. I wasn't disappointed by anything we ordered actually it was just great. I will say the Crunchy Roll had this smokiness that scratched my brain in the best way possible and I was so impressed by that bite. This was such an unforgettable experience and the best place we've spent our anniversary haha. 10/10, take my money. To Sushi Toshi, I'll be thinking about you.

I came here with friends during the street performer's festival, definitely would recommend…read morebringing friends here! It has a really nice atmosphere, not sure if 'warm' is the right word, but something like that! Service was great, the staff were friendly. They did not mind that I was decked out in kandi and carrying a plush of shadow the hedgehog. They also were very patient with me and one of my two friends. I was indecisive, and my friend had never had Japanese food before. They actually gave suggestions to them which they found helpful. I also gave a bracelet to the waiter serving us. They were really cool I hope they're well :D I do wish I got something actually spicy, but I was starving so I just kinda chose at random. Next time, I suppose! The food came out bubbling (Intentionally) so I had to wait a while. It was worth it though, very creamy and smooth. I don't know how it is typically, but we found it to be very quiet as well! All around a lovely experience.

Edmonton has no shortage of izakaya-style Japanese restaurants and there are now plenty of amazing…read morespots to choose from. I've visited Dorinku's Tokyo counterpart on Whyte Ave many times (you can read my review here) but somehow the Osaka restaurant has eluded me. I absolutely love the idea of Dorinku's two restaurants; one Downtown and one in Old Strathcona, each catering to the cuisine of their respective cities in Japan. I was expecting to see some crossover dishes between their menus but was also hoping for some uniquely regional ones as well. Dorinku Osaka was named as a Don't Skip the Dishes Here restaurant in CBC Edmonton's Best Restaurants 2019 list and EDify Magazine called them the Best Japanese Restaurant 2023. I was excited to head Downtown on a Saturday evening to take a short trip to Osaka (flight not necessary). Parking is always trickier downtown but if you're lucky you'll be able to grab a street spot right out front. This restaurant feels larger and more spacious compared to its Tokyo sibling. The focal point is the massive bar in the center of the room, complete with a noki-gawara style roof reminiscent of Osaka Castle. The dining room is brighter at the front where natural light pours through the sakura branches and moodier toward the back where the izakaya vibe truly takes hold. I had heard that this location employs a robot server which I was looking forward to seeing in action but it never appeared. When I think of Osaka my mind goes directly to the iconic Dotonbori area and I almost wish that this restaurant embodied a bit more of that particular mayhem and wackiness. My group was seated right in the front which was lovely and the design of wooden slats with a circular opening in the window was particularly memorable. The menu encompasses much of what an izakaya should: drinks and snacks! But there is much more on offer as well; from sushi to bowls. Dorinku Osaka also stays open until at least 11pm on Friday and Saturday evenings to cater to the night life crowd and even offers a special late night menu (let's be real, everyone just wants those Shaka Shaka Fries). On my visit there was a features menu which included a feature cocktail called the Wabi-Sabi (Plantation rum, amaro Montenegro, Aperol, pineapple liqueur, lime, honey wasabi syrup, milk wash - $16.00). I had to try it! However, the Sakura cocktail from the Signature Seven menu would've been an easy second choice. I loved this beverage!! Complete with a single, perfectly-formed ice cube, this drink was fruity yet adult. The complex flavour bounced from sweet to tart plus there was also a hint of wasabi heat in there. I was really enamoured with this cocktail and the level of expertise involved in creating it. Our friendly server took our order and I certainly knew that we ordered way too much! It was difficult not to with so many enticing dishes to try! There are two specific dishes that come to mind when I think of food from Osaka; one of them being Takoyaki (6 pieces, katsu sauce, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, aonori - $8.80) which I ordered immediately from the Hot Snack & Sharables part of the menu. The other dish is okonomiyaki which I was shocked not to find on the menu. Seems like a pretty short-sighted omission for an Osaka-themed restaurant. For me, the dancing bonito on top is key! These takoyaki were excellent! It's pretty easy to end up with really mushy takoyaki (including in Japan) and to me, the texture of these ones were just right. The outside was fried to perfection allowing for a really nice and toothsome crunch. I wonder if they achieved this by deep-frying instead of using a takoyaki-ki. The inside was soft but not too much so, concealing a piece of octopus inside. All of the delicious toppings really make the dish. It's very easy to keep popping these tasty little orbs into your mouth. Sushi was going to be a must. Dorinku Osaka specializes specifically in pressed sushi (oshizushi) which is prepared by using a wooden mold called an oshibako that firmly compresses the sushi into compact, geometric blocks. This creates a modern and stylized presentation that dazzles effortlessly. The Dorinku Sushi Set (Salmon Pressed Sushi, TNT Pressed Sushi, Scallop Pressed Sushi, Tuna Tataki - $58.80) is a great way to try a bunch of different types! (Unless you order the full Osaka Bridge which is massive and incredibly impressive!) Served on a "smaller bridge" atop a bed of banana leaves, the presentation alone was something special. Starting with the Salmon Pressed Sushi (wild sockeye, avocado, creamy mayo sauce, teriyaki sauce, kaiware). I found myself pleasantly surprised with this one. I'm usually not a huge fan of the aburi preparation, where the top of the pressed sushi is flame-seared. (Maybe I'm too much of a purist?) But I really liked it in this case. The rich, smoky flavour worked beautifully with the salmon and other saucy components. The most simple of the sushi and maybe the best. Next was the Scallop P