Scott T.
Yelp
What I know about sushi in Calgary can be summed up in two dines: hotshot Nupo with its celebrity chief located in a posh, hip, new hotel not far from downtown (... definitely hotshot, and for good reason)... and tiny Ari Sushi, tucked away in a somewhat trendy neighborhood but with far less pretense.
I'm here to tell you there's plenty of room for both kinds of dining all things sushi, sashimi, etc. and I wouldn't have it any other way. I won't go into Nupo because that's not this review. Ari is more your neighborhood kind of sushi joint that has been created inside a newly repurposed building on a corner and hits the mark quite nicely in my opinion. Truth be told, there are probably a bunch of smaller sushi spots in the city not unlike this, and that pleases me.
Now, down to business. Warning: I'm a professional dad, what you're about to read should scare the ever living crap out of you. Came with a party of six that included my wife, our daughter and her husband and one of their young couple friends. Last night in the city on our first visit ever here. Everyone knew I was footing the bill up front, so let's just call it what it became: GAME ON. Bottles of sake started coming, and coming. Large orders of sushi and sashimi platters were arriving, plenty of seaweed salads and small tofu dishes, edamame, miso soups, tea, beer, more sake, more beer, more sushi, more sake, specialty sushi and sashimi orders. Did I mention sake was involved?
Somehow the staff made it all effortless and everything worked the way it's supposed at any restaurant: you have lots of fun, and the service and food just becomes a part of it all, seamless. No, "where is my order," or "I wish they'd quit hovering," etc. None of that. Just perfection.
At the end of the evening we stepped into the chilly night air, lingered, hugged, promised to do it again when we return and went on our way. Total bill for 6 was less, and not surprisingly, that Nupo for four a few nights earlier. Different night, different people, different kind of experience. So while I totally dig the big experience of the world class kind of dine, I adore something less pretentious, much more relaxed and the kind of total experience that was delivered here.
I'd come back here in a heartbeat and do it all over again with the same folks. Maybe we'll order sake next time.
