Sushi Hiro Japanese Restaurant

Second time here for a business dinner.
If you want straight up, authentic Japanese cuisine, this is the place. No California volcano fusions rolls here. For ambience, i enjoyed the tatami room concept, conducive and suitable for business dinners.
The food just kept coming, the highlight was the sashimi; fresh and served on top of lovely porcelain bowls. They had this prawn dish which was cut butterfly together with the head, very interesting concept.
Makes you feel like you’re in a sushi place in Okinawa.

I was in calgary for 4 nights for business. I enjoyed the restaurant so much I had to come here twice! The waitresses were very friendly and courteous. The food was delicious. Here’s a list of what I had:
Hot tea: they have me a whole pot of freshly brewed tea from loose leaves. Love having my personal pot!
Miso soup: mild and warm. Great start for a meal. Not too salty. Just lovely.
Teriyaki chicken: served on a sizzling plate with tender carrots, broccoli and sprouts. The sauce was a little on the salty side. Chicken and veggies were cooked to perfection. Very good with rice!
Rice: fluffy japanese rice. A bit on the al dente side.
Sashimi: this is what brought me back. I don’t know the names of all the different fishes, but I surely enjoyed the different textures. Tuna was creamy, melt-​in-​your-​mouth. Salmon was tender. And this other thinly sliced white fish was tender and springy!
Wasabi: a little mild compared to others.

Been there twice. Food is great and authentic, as the place is Japanese-​owned. Price is on the higher side, so can’t really afford to go every week lol. But the point is that I would if I could. Décor is kind of drab and communication might be a problem. You might also need to wait for you food a bit, but you can tell your dishes are made with care. Aside from these, the most authentic Japanese food I’ve found in Calgary so far. Oh and somehow I thought the sashimis were the freshest

Hands down best bento box I’ve ever had. The salmon has so much flavor and the skin is the perfect amount of crispy. The sashimi was a very solid portion and the other sides complemented the meal very well.

They couldn’t prepare a special request, only as it is on the menu. No description on the ingredients of each roll.

Been coming to this restaurant for 10+ years, and the thing I love the most about this restaurant is its consistency maintained by Mr. Hiro and his wife.
Price definitely went up with time, and at current date, Sushi Hiro definitely isn’t a cheap restaurant. However, it still carries a high level of quality for its food, although I do wish they did have bigger portions for their food.

they should hire waitress who can speak English… 1^st waitress came I ordered. she couldn’t understand what «sashimi“means. I said I want not sushi. sashimi. she said sashimi is fish with rice. and sushi is raw fish itself. im like what are you talking about!. anyways it took me 5 mins to order salmon sashimi. it was stupid.

I think this is one of the more interesting restaurant to read reviews on, because there are polar opposites in terms of opinions on this place.
I tried this place because of all of the good reviews. I’m really not sure what to make of it, perhaps I’m one of the Asian people who like «silly sushi» but upon looking at the menu and seeing a fairly limited menu which included imitation crab, a strong focus on tempura/​teriyaki, California rolls and «stampede» themed sushi, I had the impression that this is a downtown Japanese restaurant that caters to downtown business clientele. I’m not sure if that makes the things I like — a wide variety of sashimi, random stuff like takoyaki and agedashi tofu — silly sushi, but I’ve never been one for tempura, California rolls, or that much beef at my Japanese restaurants… The one thing that they have here that isn’t as common at other restaurants are the Japanese pickles — but for $ 4.25, I was expecting more than 6 emaciated pickles on a small plate.
The sashimi was average. At $ 2.25/piece of salmon I wasn’t overly impressed with the size of the sashimi or the quality. Average. I don’t really like rolls that much, but because of the limited menu, I ordered one and I found it to be heavy on the rice and light on the filling.
I liked the service, they were very friendly and cute. The layout is nice, it reminds me of older Japanese restaurants that have since shut down or remodeled, but I think it’s cute and unique at this time.
Maybe I need to go for a dinner meal. I’m not sure it really matters if you’re looking for «authentic» Japanese food or not, this place really caters to the downtown business crowd with heavy rice and carbs/​imitation crab and minimal fresh fish and creativity.

Real Japanese for real adults
Sushi HIRO is one of Calgary’s old school restaurants started by Hiro and his wife at least 20 years ago and now his son is taking charge.
Last night we had a real treat we wanted a small prIvate meal that was very special for a close freind who was celebrating a «milestone» birthday.
The experience did not disappoint. From the minute we walked in and were shown to our private tatami room to the moment we left and were personally escorted out by Mrs Hiro the experience was first class. Not only was the food first class but the service was as well. It was a true Japanise experience in which the simplicity of the surroundings matched perfectly with exceptional food and service.
What was so amazing about the meal is we eat a lot of sushi and sushi is great but how far can you go with it? This time not only did we have some great sushi but we explored Sake hand picked by the chef and dishes perfectly prepared and rarely seen outside of Japan.
Rather than go into the details of the meal itself which I am sure will change every time due to seasonal and market conditions what was important to me was the manta of the meal it was true japanese simple done well is much better than complex.
Sushi Hiro thanks for a great meal.

Been coming to this place since 2005!!! Love it! Friends with the family now!!! Great service and amazing food!!!

I totally agree with Rob M. and Jon K.
This is the real thing. My wife and I have eaten at many sushi restaurant’s in Calgary and abroad and this is consistently our favorite. We have never had a bad meal or anything but great service at Sushi Hiro. the sashimi and sushi is always top notch and very fresh. This isn’t the place for silly fake Californiaized sushi. It’s as authentic and as fresh as it can be in landlocked Calgary.
Give it a chance and as has been mentioned be adventurous and ask the chef for today’s best choice. You won’t be disappointed.

First impression walking through the door was that Sushi Hiro was feeling a little tired and dated. Of the sushi restaurants I’ve visited over the past couple of years, this one certainly feels like it’s the granddaddy of them all. Which is too bad, because years of experience counts greatly. .. but even a minor makeover could really freshen this place up.
The second thing that I took notice of is how the food is served: in some cases, on dried out wood slabs, ala 70’s steak houses.
Owning wood cutting boards at home, I’m pretty meticulous about keeping them oiled up. You know, to repel the organics from permeating the wood pores.
So… with those two immediate negatives aside…
The waiter was very friendly and attentive. I don’t always get that vibe in sushi restaurants (actually, hardly ever). Typically I get the «I’m serving you sushi, and sushi is serious business, SO NO SMILING HERE!!!»
The quality of the food was good, though a little lacking in the portion size. At least from my perspective. We kept it simple, but mostly because that’s the menu in a nutshell.
We finished, but there wasn’t anything jumping out at as after doing so.
Bottom line is we visited this restaurant because we were unable to get into our «regular.» And afterwards, there wasn’t a reason to switch.
Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge 2012 −25÷30

Running around in 12 degree weather is no joke, but i’ll risk it for a nice, good hot meal and Sushi Hiro seemed like it fit the bill.
My eyes lit up when i saw shabu shabu as an option for dinner, one of the top 3 meals you could ever want when it’s freezing outside. My eyes twinkled to see yosenabe and sukiyaki as well.
Needless to say, when they told me I couldn’t order any of those three dishes as it was two person minimum, my heart sank. I wish they mentioned that on the menu so you bring someone who’d want to order the exact same dish as you.
So i decided to get the chawa mushi, delicious egg custard, piping hot. That is also a two person minimum WTH. What in the word can one person eat here.
I finally settled with a single piece of toro and salmon sushi, a soupy rice dish and a bigger sized version of the chawa mushi, forgot what it’s called, as I wasn’t going to give up on that dish.
The large chawamushi was tasty, soupy rice, zoisui was good. The sushi was good but I wasn’t impressed by the Toro. I’ve had better toro at $ 2 a piece.
Service was so so, the group of Japanese gents sitting across from me got more attention. I never got my water refilled.

Having been coming to Sushi Hiro for years!
They have the Home-​made secret salad dressing, no other restaurant has come close to cracking. The family owned and run establishment has a inviting feel, but is in serious need of a new make-​over/​renovation. It’s 80’s lamps and pastel green reminds me of a hospital. Perhaps that’s why I usually do pick-​up instead.
The father/​son (Yoshi who’s really cute) duo work the sushi bar, with satelite TV blaring in the back (dialed to Japanese stations only). It can be entertaining to watch sumo-​wrestlers slapping themselves with baby-​power and bending over to expose themselves in a dignified manner… word of advice NEVER request to change the channel.
The Mother (co-​owner) usually comes out from the small office in the back to meet and greet her customers, she is very chatty and friendly once you become a regular she treats you like your part of the family and even will pull out family photos.
I usually order Kappa Maki, Avocado rolls, tempura, miso and my favorite House salad with the coveted dressing.

Simply put, this is the best sushi that I have had anywhere on earth. Period. Hiro is a master sushi chef that is extremely renowned in Japan and Calgary is very lucky to have him.
First off, there are two kinds of «sushi» restaurants: real sushi and silly sushi. Based on the reviews most people were looking for silly sushi. Sorry unwashed masses, that’s not real sushi and you should count yourself lucky to have stumbled into a real sushi restaurant in Calgary.
So what is silly sushi? California rolls, cucumber rolls, volcano rolls. Sensing a theme here? That’s right, real sushi is not about rolls, it’s about quality seafood and Sushi Hiro has that in spades. The real trick is to ask your server what’s good and what the specials are, fish comes in fresh daily and the selection varies. Another fantastic thing about Sushi Hiro? They actually have the exotic fish that everyone lists on the menu but never actually has. Uni? You bet. Flounder? Absolutely. Japanese Snapper. Of course.
While the sushi and sashimi are fantastic, the real treat are the specials. We enjoyed the Spanish Mackerel and the grilled Yellowfin cheeks. Both were absolutely phenomenal and served in the traditional Japanese style (they deep fry the mackerel bones once you finish the meat, delicious!). If you have never tried either of these do yourself a favour and have them next time you go as you will wonder how you’ve lived so long without enjoying this delicious treat.
I urge all you silly sushi lovers out there to give Hiro a chance to cook for you. Ask him what to have and I guarantee you will fall in love with both real sushi and Sushi Hiro itself. I know that I’ll be going back on a regular basis as he changes his menu regularly to keep up with what’s in season (I can’t wait for gingko nut season).

Had a bento box for lunch with lots of japanese flavours. Generally average, and out of all the many sushi places this was not my favourite. for a change of pace try KI modern japanese restaurant.

My long lost beloved, indeed my long forgotten love…
My last vist to Sushi Hiro was 10 years ago, and my recent visit (I came here for dinner) just refreshed my memory of this Calgary gem… Quality of food, menu selection, location, decoration had not changed a bit, still at its upmost!
I like here coz the menu selection is very tradition and authentic, unlike any other restaurant in Calgary serving the typical stuff. Here are the items I ordered:
Yamakake: finely grated Japanese yam served over maguro sashimi. Chef did a very delicate job in grating the yam to the point it’s foamy and slammy, Warning: not everyone likes it! Maguro was very fresh, compliement with the foamy yam. I think if there’s hint of wasabi or green onion will even brighten the taste… Overall, this dish is good and authentic.
Ten Zaru: another classic Japanese dish, Zaru noodle with Tempura, love the sauce, nice and refreshing! Sauce came with diced onion, wasabi, one quail egg, mix all together, dip the noodle in and slurp! Yum! This is the traditional way of eating Zaru!
Special Sashimi: 16 piece of Sashimi, fresh and nicely plated.
Kawari mushi, steamed egg-​tofu custard served in light broth… This is a fabulous dish! Another classic authentic Japanese dish, love the smooth n warm egg-​tofu custard, top with fresh seafood (lots of seafood), I ate this with rice, excellent!
Dessert: I had vanilla ice cream with red bean sauce, red bean sauce is another popular dessert condiment in Asia. Red bean sauce was fully cooked to the point like mashed potato form, it was served on top of vanilla ice cream, I waited the ice cream to melt a bit so I can mix the red bean sauce together = Red Bean ice cream! (If restaurant can make red bean ice cream, that would be fabulous!)
Overall, my experience at Sushi Hiro was great, and I don’t know why people gave them bad rating, maybe those people don’t know what to do order, or they just don’t know Japanese cuisine at all, or they are just rude and simple show no respect. Sushi Hiro had ran business for more than 20 years and still surviving today, that’s a great reason to prove they are the success!
good job Sushi Hiro, keep up the good work.

I’ve started taking the 15 min drive to downtown to indulge in some lunchtime gossip with my girlfriends. but never back to here.
I was SO disappointed. First, it’s lunch hour! I only have max an hour and a half to waste. it took over 40 minutes for 4 rolls to come out. The quality of sushi isn’t even worth Unilocaling about — but here I am sharing another bad experience.
My biggest disappointment with the sushi? We had rice EVERYWHERE, the rice just didn’t stick together. what a mess.
I get it ethnic food, ethnic experience — but I do like knowing what I’m ordering. It wasn’t very expensive, but I’d rather go else where next time.

This is the best sushi in downtown Calgary! The fact that they have been in business for decades speaks to their reputation for good sushi and excellent service. This family-​run spot is one of my favourite places to go for lunch, and I often get the take-​out.
I believe that their spicy tuna roll is one of the best maki rolls I have ever had anywhere! It is awesome, especially if you order it «Yoshi Style», with extra shichimi spice and spiced flying fish roe on the outside rice roll.
Sadly, there was a fire at this restaurant a few months ago (who honestly expects that a fire will break out at a restaurant that serves raw fish??), and they are currently undergoing renovation. You can rest assured that I will be there on its grand re-​opening!

Not bad for Calgary.
But once again, sushi is mostly about the freshness so am i being fair by holding a high standard to review?
It is better than many sushi restaurants here.
I might re-​visit if I’m looking for a sushi place nearby