Review: Sushi Bar Zipang
Sushi Bar Zipang
1010 1 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB T2E 7W7
(403) 262-1888
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=sushi+b...1&z=16&iwloc=A
Reservations: Recommended
Parking
Plenty. On street pay-parking, in front, opposite, 1 block adjacent.
I called for resos yesterday for a table for 2 at 6:00pm. Japanese sounding lady answered and was happy to take my name and phone number. Girlfriend and I arrive today at 5:55pm..
Ambience/Atmosphere: 10/10
Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by the chefs behind the sushi bar with big smiles. I notice how long the sushi bar actually is, it's huge. The hostess smiles, gets my name, and then seats us at a small table at the front by the window. Earthy, dark green tones are in here, very modern, classy and clean. It looks like the long, skinny type of restaurant. No booths, just tables. Not exactly the biggest but not too cramped either.
Patrons were dressed casually, a few youngsters in the back dressed in skinny jeans and hoodies, collared shirt and blazer for the Cayenne owner I parked in front of. Restaurant volume was good, didn't have to raise my voice. It became a bit harder to hear my girlfriend as the place became more full (~7:00pm).
Service: 10/10
Our hostess asked for my name twice, probably just to make sure who I was. (She was a cute fobby asian girl with glasses.) Our waiter Michael was ready to explain the specials and also answer a few questions about a soba dish I heard about but never tried before. He gave us plenty of time to decide on what to get.
Upon ordering, the food came out to the table pretty quick. We were in no rush given it was beginning to look ominous outside.
Food: 10/10
We started with the midori no salad, house dressing. This was a treat, everywhere I've gone in Calgary, the house salad is done with the mayo/thousand island style dressing. Here, our dressing was a soy and rice vinegar kicker that left me loving it. Fancy greens (not just romaine lettuce, I spotted argula, baby spinach, the works) and even a few spears of crisp asparagus. The portion was pretty big. Go easy on the dressing, add more as you see fit. Presentation was thought out on the salad, as the leaves were arranged to sit underneath and to the side of the asparagus.
Next, I had the tori no karaage (fried boneless chicken strips, seasoned) and my gf had kaki ponzu (breaded fried oyster in ponzu.) Her appy came with 2 decent sized oyster chunks and 1 smaller one. I've never had one before, upon trying it, it had unique texture. Not overly sour from the ponzu. Not sure if I would make it a go-to item.
The karaage was good, well seasoned and tender, large variety in piece size (looked hand cut). It also had a small bowl of rock salt alongside the usual lemon.
Our server then brought out the sashimi and sushi (Well timed). Got a couple of the special scallop sashimi - sweetness from the scallop and not overly mayo-y. Had capelin roe dusted throughout it. The sashimi portion of the scallop was presented over a slice of cucumber, hollowed out into a bowl-shape to hold the scallop. Eat it with your hands.
I wanted to see how their wild sockeye would stack up. It was almost tasteless, very little fat marbling. GF didn't go after it so I finished it. Not sure I'm a fan, I'm so used to fatty tuna/salmon. For rolls, the shake roll was amazing. Rice was a great texture, the salmon was rich. The funky roll I got was a tanuki roll, consisting of unagi (grilled eel), egg omelet and cucumber, with a soy glaze. Interesting, I would get it again.
The window seat provided us with a good view of the pebble sized hail pelting my car and the guy's Cayenne. Lovely.
In order to please our salmon craving, we opted for shake, or regular salmon. These were THICK. Like, 3/4'' thick in width. Very rich, excellent marbling and a great cut of fish. I've never had better anywhere in the city so far.
At this point the restaraunt was pretty full. Our table was cleared and we asked for the dessert menu.
We finished our meal with the Banana Sensation. Tempura banana, deep fried, stacked into a pyramid, one big scoop of dense vanilla ice cream, then drizzled in a crosshatching pattern of dark chocolate sauce, with whipped cream and strawberries. Then dusted with green tea matcha. Holy F this was good.
Pricing
9/10
I'm no Beyond-baller, but this one was a bit expensive than most sushi places I've been to in Calgary. Granted, I came here knowing that I would be getting awesome sashimi/sushi and not your typical deep fried shrimp tempura/california rolls, albeit filling and for the most part, cheap. And I was hungry.
All dishes listed above including two green teas, with no tip, was just under $90. I think the prices accurately reflect what I was getting, but with a tiny bit of boost to help them make some money.
Overall:
9.5/10
I would go back here again. I want to go deep fry a banana now, damn that was sooooooo good. If I lived in Bridgeland, I would make this place a go-to all of the time.
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