My sister had been wanting to go for sushi for
a while. It seemed like every time I asked her what she wanted for dinner, she
suggested sushi. I like sushi well enough, but I certainly don’t crave it like
she does. Especially not during the winter when the weather is cold and gloomy.
To me, sushi is better as a light summer meal.
But then again, that could simply be because I
always order sashimi. I suppose that could be another reason I am a bit less
keen on sushi; Edmonton is not exactly the ideal city for good quality sushi.
There are a lot of lower quality sushi joints in this city and the few that
have higher quality, fresh sushi tend to be toward the pricey side of things.
That said, there are certainly a few good sushi
restaurants. Izakaya Tomo has fantastic sushi among their other offerings.
Mikado is always a good choice, as is Kyoto.
Japonais Bistro (pronounced za.po.ne, according
to their website) is relatively new to Edmonton’s sushi scene. It’s located in
the space previously occupied by One One Eight and, before that, Suede Lounge.
The interior has been remodeled and is bright, open, with clean lines. There’s
a clear view into the kitchen and a cute park bench-style set-up on the
raised seating area.
I had read some mixed reviews prior to going
down there on a January evening with a friend who was visiting from Calgary.
Some said it was disappointing and overpriced, others claimed it was the best
new sushi place in town. Overall, I was impressed. The fish was fresh, the
sashimi was buttery smooth, and the prices weren’t unreasonable. Although service on the
evening we were there was only ok.
Oh, and as usual, the boyfriend complained that
they didn’t have a dark enough beer for him. *eye roll* I wasn’t feeling
particularly well that evening so I skipped my usual wine and opted for a pot
of green tea. It was piping hot and very satisfying.
I ordered the jalapeno yellowtail ($16.95),
salmon sashimi (6 pieces; $9.95), and yam tempura ($7.95), planning to share
most of it with the table. Unfortunately, the yellowtail never arrived, but I
was so full from everything else that it didn’t really matter. I was a bit
disappointed because I tried the jalapeno yellowtail at the Rocky Mountain Food
and Wine Festival and it was perfect. But I really could not have eaten another
bite.
The salmon sashimi was probably the best I have
eaten in Edmonton. It was so buttery and fresh and cut to the perfect
thickness.
The serving size of the yam tempura surprised
me a bit – there was so much on that plate! It was perfectly crispy and piping
hot. Really can’t go wrong there. It took all 4 of us to finish off that plate,
though.
We were all incredibly impressed when my
sister’s volcano roll ($16.95) arrived at the table. It was beautifully
presented to look like a volcano with the tobiko sauce and scallops tumbling
down like lava. She devoured this roll and said it was absolutely delicious. I
tried a couple pieces of scallop that had fallen off the “volcano” and was
impressed by their texture and freshness.
 |
| Volcano Roll: hot spicy chopped scallops, squid, and tobiko sauce over an avocado and eel roll ($16.95) |
 |
| Chef's Chiice Sushi (6 pieces; $14.95) |
The boyfriend also ordered the Bakudan roll
($8.95), which was just a spicy tuna roll with tempura bits. It was nothing
special; in my opinion the best spicy tuna roll hands down is at Tomo. This one
had a good amount of spicy and the tempura bits added a nice little bit of
crunch. Again, the plating was beautiful and showed a nice attention to detail.
At the end of the night, we were all
comfortably full and satisfied with all the sushi. Next time my sister wants to
go for sushi, there is no doubt that we will be returning to Japonais Bistro. It’s
so nice to find a restaurant serving fresh, quality sushi in Edmonton!
11806 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 0N7
www.japonaisbistro.ca/
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