Tag: sushi

Sushi Bistro Anzu

Ahh, another restaurant has risen from what was formerly known as Wa’s. Another new restaurant, serving ramen. A must try for me. Well, they are a sushi restaurant, and just happen to have two ramen dishes. And a bunch of udon and soba.

We were quite hungry after a day at the climbing gym. We started with the wakame salad. It was light and refreshing topped with what tasted like toasted burdock root.

Chuka Wakame Salad
Chuka Wakame Salad

The grilled oyster was pretty tasty. It was cooked in a mayonnaise and cheese sauce, topped with tobiko.

Yakigaki (Grilled oyster)
Yakigaki (Grilled oyster)

I ordered their tonkotsu ramen, which had the white broth which is typical of this style. It was quite good. I inquired about the noodles; they were from frozen. Which is fine with me, as I’ve had frozen ramen that was tasty. My friend had the spicy ramen, appropriately called “Hell Ramen”. I had to agree, it was hot.

Tonkotsu Ramen
Tonkotsu Ramen

The staff were pleasant and friendly. We went early in the dinner hour, so it wasn’t too busy. Return visit? I think so.

Sushi Bistro Anzu on Urbanspoon

Li-Ao Sushi

I was in the deep south today, running an errand and then looking for some lunch. After vetoing hubby’s vote for Five Guys Burgers, I was happy to discover that Li-Ao Sushi was nearby. They are located in a strip mall, well off the main drag.

I ordered the seafood udon, mainly because I was in the mood for hot soup. The lobster taco looked interesting so I had that too. Hubby started with the tempura calmari and followed with a spicy sushi platter. Their servings are generous; the platter could easily serve two people at an affordable price.  My udon was only average but I was impressed with the lobster tacos. There was also a complimentary appetizer of fried gyoza, which tasted more like fried wonton.

The chefs speak Cantonese. I don’t judge; I enjoy all Japanese food as long as its good. The service was good and they offered pocky Kinjo style at the end of the meal.

I probably won’t be back as it takes me a long time to journey to the deep south of Calgary. But if I lived in the neighborhood, I would definitely go for takeout.

Lobster tacos
Lobster tacos
Fried wonton
Fried wonton

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Seafood udon
Seafood udon

Li-Ao Sushi on Urbanspoon

Komé Sushi Kitchen

On our way out to Hill Country, we stopped in Austin for lunch. This was a less random pick than some of our other choices, as we had the use of Yelp and Urbanspoon. Komé Sushi Kitchen is nestled on a street with a bunch of older shops. Most of the street has a gritty feel, complete with the graffiti on the buildings. It’s not much to look at from the outside but inside it’s a nice Japanese style bistro. Their awards line the entryway. The hostesses are friendly, greeting customers in Japanese as they walk in the door. Finally, a place that uses real chopsticks, not the splintering wooden kind.

The scallop sushi with mango and avocado was just the perfect bite. Good way to freshen the appetite.

Battleship sushi Scallop with mango and avocado
Battleship sushi
Scallop with mango and avocado

The mackerel came with a small dish of Japanese pickle, miso soup and rice in addition to what was on the plate. A very tasty and affordable lunch for $8.50. The fish was tender and perfectly cooked. Reminds me of the fried mackerel my Mom used to make when I was little.  The service was friendly and they handled their lunch rush well.  After heavy Texas BBQ, Mexican and Cajun; this is a refreshing treat.

Shio-saba Teishoku Grilled mackeral
Shio-saba Teishoku
Grilled mackerel

Komé Sushi Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Shigatsu Fusion Japanese Sushi Lounge

Missing the old Gunkan sushi, but eager to see what popped up in it’s place, we headed to Shigatsu. I’ve heard lots of rave reviews, so we went there for lunch. I like the decor.  It seems well suited to a romantic dinner. We had a late lunch around 2pm so we were the only customers in the restaurant.  I wonder if it would be loud if it was full.

We started off with the Aji Fry, which was tempura fried horse mackerel on greens with a mustard vinaigrette. Tasty.  We each had combo meals, a roll combo and sushi combo.  I do admit that it was a plain choice. We must not have been in an adventurous mood.  I thought it was pretty average. We also had a Dynamite roll which I thought was pretty good. The complimentary Rice Krispie balls dessert was interesting. Service was good (We were the only ones in the restaurant for most of our meal).  I appreciated the creativity in their menu and felt that I didn’t give them a fair chance by ordering normal items.  Will be back for some of the fusion and more unique choices.

Roll combo (top) and sushi combo
Roll combo (top) and sushi combo
Rice Krispies Balls
Rice Krispies Balls

Shigatsu Fusion Japanese Sushi Lounge on Urbanspoon