This is an excellent place if you're looking for Japanese done differently. This is a yakitoria where the menu focuses on meat skewers using all the different parts of the chicken. There is a catch though: they only butcher a certain amount of chickens each day so some skewers will run out. The menu also features A5 wagyu beef, if you're looking for something to make the night really special.The A5 wagyu almost melted in your mouth, and the flavor was rich and smoky. The skewers were also all incredibly tasty, and even though you only got a couple per serving, trying all of the different parts became filling really quickly.I also tried the Shokunin Tori Ramen, which was unlike any I've had in Calgary. The broth was rich and flavorful, and mixing in the gochujang miso paste made it spicy without detracting from the rest of the meal. The chashu was tender and light, but overall still filling.Lastly we tried both desserts, the kiso creme brulee and sake kasu tiramisu. Between the two I prefer the tiramisu, which was light but packed with flavor.The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and even made recommendations for sake that would pair with the meal. It really made the meal so much better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sake Kasu Tiramisu, Beef Tongue Skewer
Kevin Robinson
Great service and amazing food, loved everything I tried. The cost was really reasonable for the amazing quality.
My wife and I were very excited to try Shokunin after reading about it so many times in Avenue Magazine, and seeing Chef Darren on Netflix.Even though we are frugal at fancier restaurants, we were able to enjoy our time and experience. Over 2 hours we were guided through the menu and left full, with favourite dishes, and hopes to come back again to try other items we passed over.Would recommend!Vegetarian options: There are not a ton of vegetarian options to choose from. If you are pescatarian you have lots of options.Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs or barriers and the tables can be moved easily. The bar area will be too high unfortunately.
Such a cool experience. Always look forward to the next time I’m in Calgary and can visit. The menu is amazing and the portions make it a super fun tasting experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Miranda H
Just say yes. Don't worry, there is something on the menu for almost everyone. We had excellent service, some truly amazing bites, and great cocktails. This place is a touch on the pricey side but you are definitely getting some serious quality. I spent some time living in Japan and this place is pushing modern ideas but with respectful nod to the traditional methodology behind Japanese food. Japan is the Foodie Nation and this place does it. Update 2024: Omakase experience is lovely with a direct view of the kitchen and with a chance to chat with the chef and learn more about the ingredients presented. Also recommend if you're looking for a fun experience!
The food was alright, but the experience was not what it was expected to be. I decided to try this restaurant out after watching the series on Netflix with the head chef being from Calgary. I love to support local and his passion for japanese cuisine got me extremely excited about trying Shokunin, however I was let down.Our server seemed uninterested in serving us and more interested in chatting with the young ladies seated a couple of tables over. I had finished my drink and waited at least 20 minutes to even get asked for another one, and another 15 minutes to receive the drink. When our drink arrived, I mentioned we were pretty much ready to go by the time it arrived the reply I got was "My bad". I was still charged for the drink.In the future I will be sure to look at reviews before going to a high end restaurant like this - it seems as though I'm not the only one who has experienced poor service from this server.Disappointed!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Martina Esterer
I have to say everything about our dinner was exceptional !!! So beautifully presented and absolutely the yummiest !!! Thank you for making my mother in law’s birthday dinner so spectacular and special!!!
Great food and a great atmosphere. I had a great time eating chicken. Vegetarian menu is limited but the mushrooms are great. I like the music level and the wine menu has some solid picks.Definitely order the dessert.Also if you part downstairs remember to keep your receipt if you want back in…. The code is printed on the front of it and the elevator is in Blaze Pizza.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Blen Sayore
Food was great but would have appreciated it if the manager would not curse out employees in front of customers.
Dinned here last night and had to sit on if I even wanted to leave a review. I would never come back to this restaurant ever again. The food was barely edible. My friends did say they had good sushi and a good crème brûlée. I however found the dessert gross. Putting aside the barely edible food the service was appalling! He over heard that I have an onion allergy and immediately started saying what I could and couldn’t eat. When I tried to explain that it’s a mild allergy I just have to pick it off or remove the onion parts myself I’ll be fine. But I didn’t even get the chance to say so. Only one girl there over heard and showed concern and when I explained to her she left it alone. This woman deserves a raise! It really sucks getting your hopes up about a restaurant only to have it be crushed. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
Amazing food, amazing staff, and amazing cocktails. I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Skewers
Sam Staker
Really enjoyed dinner here with my partner. All the dishes were delicious and well balaced flavourwise (even the Miso soup was elevated!) Also the food was brought out at a pace that really allowed us to settle in and enjoy the experience. Servers friendly and knowledgeable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ayda Aslan
We love this place! The food is absolutely delicious. Some must try’s: gyoza, grilled napa cabbage, skin on breast, skin on thigh and of course the Gindara Sablefish Aburi, Salmon belly Aburi and the tiramisu! Service is great as well and you never feel rushed. 5 star experience!
We made reservations for the YYC EXP and overall things were pretty good. The sushi and the scallop were absolutely to die for (as expected) the fixed menu really took us out of our comfort zone. It was a great amount of food, and well presented. I do wish that everything wasn't served with a side of "spicy".
This is an excellent place if you're looking for Japanese done differently. This is a yakitoria where the menu focuses on meat skewers using all the different parts of the chicken. There is a catch though: they only butcher a certain amount of chickens each day so some skewers will run out. The menu also features A5 wagyu beef, if you're looking for something to make the night really special.The A5 wagyu almost melted in your mouth, and the flavor was rich and smoky. The skewers were also all incredibly tasty, and even though you only got a couple per serving, trying all of the different parts became filling really quickly.I also tried the Shokunin Tori Ramen, which was unlike any I've had in Calgary. The broth was rich and flavorful, and mixing in the gochujang miso paste made it spicy without detracting from the rest of the meal. The chashu was tender and light, but overall still filling.Lastly we tried both desserts, the kiso creme brulee and sake kasu tiramisu. Between the two I prefer the tiramisu, which was light but packed with flavor.The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and even made recommendations for sake that would pair with the meal. It really made the meal so much better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sake Kasu Tiramisu, Beef Tongue Skewer
Great service and amazing food, loved everything I tried. The cost was really reasonable for the amazing quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly, Shokunin Ramen
My wife and I were very excited to try Shokunin after reading about it so many times in Avenue Magazine, and seeing Chef Darren on Netflix.Even though we are frugal at fancier restaurants, we were able to enjoy our time and experience. Over 2 hours we were guided through the menu and left full, with favourite dishes, and hopes to come back again to try other items we passed over.Would recommend!Vegetarian options: There are not a ton of vegetarian options to choose from. If you are pescatarian you have lots of options.Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs or barriers and the tables can be moved easily. The bar area will be too high unfortunately.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Goat Cheese Tempura, Chicken Skewers, Tempura
Such a cool experience. Always look forward to the next time I’m in Calgary and can visit. The menu is amazing and the portions make it a super fun tasting experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just say yes. Don't worry, there is something on the menu for almost everyone. We had excellent service, some truly amazing bites, and great cocktails. This place is a touch on the pricey side but you are definitely getting some serious quality. I spent some time living in Japan and this place is pushing modern ideas but with respectful nod to the traditional methodology behind Japanese food. Japan is the Foodie Nation and this place does it. Update 2024: Omakase experience is lovely with a direct view of the kitchen and with a chance to chat with the chef and learn more about the ingredients presented. Also recommend if you're looking for a fun experience!
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly
The food was alright, but the experience was not what it was expected to be. I decided to try this restaurant out after watching the series on Netflix with the head chef being from Calgary. I love to support local and his passion for japanese cuisine got me extremely excited about trying Shokunin, however I was let down.Our server seemed uninterested in serving us and more interested in chatting with the young ladies seated a couple of tables over. I had finished my drink and waited at least 20 minutes to even get asked for another one, and another 15 minutes to receive the drink. When our drink arrived, I mentioned we were pretty much ready to go by the time it arrived the reply I got was "My bad". I was still charged for the drink.In the future I will be sure to look at reviews before going to a high end restaurant like this - it seems as though I'm not the only one who has experienced poor service from this server.Disappointed!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
I have to say everything about our dinner was exceptional !!! So beautifully presented and absolutely the yummiest !!! Thank you for making my mother in law’s birthday dinner so spectacular and special!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Chicken Skin Chips, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly
Great food and a great atmosphere. I had a great time eating chicken. Vegetarian menu is limited but the mushrooms are great. I like the music level and the wine menu has some solid picks.Definitely order the dessert.Also if you part downstairs remember to keep your receipt if you want back in…. The code is printed on the front of it and the elevator is in Blaze Pizza.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was great but would have appreciated it if the manager would not curse out employees in front of customers.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Creme Brulee, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly
Dinned here last night and had to sit on if I even wanted to leave a review. I would never come back to this restaurant ever again. The food was barely edible. My friends did say they had good sushi and a good crème brûlée. I however found the dessert gross. Putting aside the barely edible food the service was appalling! He over heard that I have an onion allergy and immediately started saying what I could and couldn’t eat. When I tried to explain that it’s a mild allergy I just have to pick it off or remove the onion parts myself I’ll be fine. But I didn’t even get the chance to say so. Only one girl there over heard and showed concern and when I explained to her she left it alone. This woman deserves a raise! It really sucks getting your hopes up about a restaurant only to have it be crushed. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing food, amazing staff, and amazing cocktails. I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Skewers
Really enjoyed dinner here with my partner. All the dishes were delicious and well balaced flavourwise (even the Miso soup was elevated!) Also the food was brought out at a pace that really allowed us to settle in and enjoy the experience. Servers friendly and knowledgeable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We love this place! The food is absolutely delicious. Some must try’s: gyoza, grilled napa cabbage, skin on breast, skin on thigh and of course the Gindara Sablefish Aburi, Salmon belly Aburi and the tiramisu! Service is great as well and you never feel rushed. 5 star experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sake Kasu Tiramisu, Sablefish, Binchotan Seared Salmon Belly, Chicken Skewers
We made reservations for the YYC EXP and overall things were pretty good. The sushi and the scallop were absolutely to die for (as expected) the fixed menu really took us out of our comfort zone. It was a great amount of food, and well presented. I do wish that everything wasn't served with a side of "spicy".
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Cold Shucked Scallop, Assorted Sashimi Platter, Chicken Skewers
Come from the UK due to the final table, absolutely amazing food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5