furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

Even though I've been aware of Furusato's recently added lunch hours for some time now, I hadn't stopped by to check out the scene. With the doors now open at 11 AM, we ended up arriving just after 12. We were greeted by a sparsely filled restaurant; something I've never witnessed during my regular supper visits.

With the low number of customers, my father and I opted for a table. This just so happened to make it easier for me to snap a few pictures of the interior.

Rarely, if ever, would I branch out from drinking tea while indulging in sushi, and this occasion was no different.

Needing something extra to warm the belly, I decided to start with a bowl of miso soup. This is something I've never ordered from Furusato, and was surprised by what arrived. I don't recall for the life of me, ever having spinach in a bowl of miso. While the soup base it self was relatively predictable (seriously, show me a stand out miso), the addition of spinach was a nice surprise. There was also a good stash of green onion and tofu.

I went with one of my usual options, chirashi, and finished every last bit of rice. As an aside - When I eat rolls, and nigiri for that matter, I rarely utilize my side bowl. Meaning I don't do a lot of soy sauce/wasabi dunking. Sashimi on the other hand, has always been something I'm more likely to dip. I mention this because, on my last visit, I noticed a couple who created their soy/wasabi mixture before pouring the liquid over their chirashi orders. Forgetting about his until about half way through my bowl, I decided to dump what I'd already created, and give it a go. The big difference I noticed was with the rice, which sucked the liquid up giving the dish a strong soy flavour. Not really my cup of tea. Is this mix/dump concept new, strange, different, common. If you know, let me know.

What stood out in the dish on this day were the scallops and roe. The scallops were hinting that they have seen better days, while the roe was extra delicious. Don't ask me why, it just was.

My father opted for his classic standby, rainbow roll. Deciding to branch out, he settled on the avocado roll to follow

Both were a success in his mind. Dipping my hungry fingers into his avocado roll, I found the avocado at it's ripest. Which in this case made the roll very smooth, but also very messy to pick up with your hands. Not really a stand out in my mind.

Even with only one sushi chef working, at supper they have two, I didn't notice any lag in food delivery. This surely has to do with the lack of customers though. A solid lunch, I'm looking forward to see how things pan out. I just hope it doesn't affect supper in any way.

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

With my father left to his own devices on Friday, he went looking for food. Which in turn meant he called me to ask if I wanted to go for supper. Inquiring as to where, I jumped when he wanted sushi.

Pulling up to the bar 10 minutes after the doors open, we were greeted warmly by the staff. Looking around, only 2 tables were occupied, yet by 5:30 (20 minutes later), the restaurant had no empty seats. I'm always blown away by restaurants who pull this off.

I ordered the medium sashimi platter and two pieces of uni. I've said more than my fair share about these items before. No surprise, both plates were delicious.

My father ordered a rainbow roll and spider roll. In the past I would have said his favorite type of roll was a dynamite, but I think the spider roll has recently taken top spot. He enjoyed both.

Another good experience at Furusato. Talking with the general manager, Dave Phung, I asked how the fairly new lunch hours were treating them. He mentioned it's hit or miss, with more regulars than drop ins. He didn't look overly convinced about it.

Oh and the first picture in this post, was taken just after sitting down. When we left around 5:45, it was less than half of that. I was blown away by the disappearing mound of salmon and tuna. In our short time, we watched the two chefs go through 8 or 9 chunks of salmon and 5 or 6 of tuna. Nothing says fresh like turnover, right?

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

Wait, wasn't I just here last week. You betcha! Sushi is something I'll never get sick of, and with my father wanting to dine out for the evening, it seemed like the simplest choice.

Having to run an errand, and not knowing when he would be done, I opted to go for a ride. It seemed easier, as we just agreed to head over when ever he was done. Strangely enough, it didn't take much time at all and we arrived on Whyte 10 minutes before they open at 5. As we chatted on the sidewalk, a line started to form. A line I tell you! There are certain things I have to see to believe, and a restaurant lined up at 5Pm, is one of those thing.

Before long the doors were open and we pulled our selves up to the bar. The itamea, and general manager, Dave, remembered me from the week before and welcomed us to the bar with open arms. We ordered our tea, and it arrived with a plate of salmon. Unlike my previous visit, where I was offered a complimentary non-menu item, salmon balls, this was a plate you could ordered from their menu. Pieces of salmon, cooked in a similar teriayaki sauce, and presented with a crispy bean sprout salad. With a wink and a nod, Dave said, it's on me. A nice but unnecessary gesture, the salmon was cooked perfectly. My only complaint; I could have eaten a whole bowl of the sprouts myself. So good!

I fell back into my regular sushi routine, and ordered chirashi (scattered sashimi on rice). While not the most elaborate of presentations, that award goes to Sushi Wasabi, the bowl was quite filling. Atop a bed of rice sat tuna, salmon, octopus, red snapper, mackerel, roe, scallop, shrimp, surf clam and egg. Delicious. I switch back and forth a lot between a sashimi plate and chirashi, as I find my choices fairly limited. With so many elaborate and doctored up rolls available for those who don't necessarily enjoy fish straight up, my hankering for sashimi leaves me with only a few choices.

My father ordered a rainbow roll. How about a side look.

It was the first time I've seen a rainbow roll like this. In all my sushi eating experience around Edmonton, the sushi chef usually cuts through the entire package. Here, the roll was made and sliced, before being adorned with sashimi. It may seem like no real difference, but it looks so much better to me, and allows you to snag a big piece of fish with each piece. A definite must have at Furusato.

He followed the rainbow roll up with a spider roll (soft shell crab). This is probably one of my favorite rolls, and my father loved it.

I was feeling the need for an additional piece of sushi so I asked the itamea to prepare two pieces for me. I told him to be as creative or basic as he would like, and that it could include anything available to him. What I got was the above, and boy was it delicious. Stuffed inside this sweet tofu pouch, was (starting at the bottom) a slice of avocado, rice, smoked salmon, roe. The combination was really fantastic. I'm not a fan of smoked salmon, but this was like a mini firework of taste going off in my mouth. I even offered to trade the second piece with my father for a piece of his spider roll, but he declined. Too bad for him, lucky for me!

I asked about the new lunch hours, and things seem to be alright. It's only been a couple of weeks, but Dave mentioned people are starting to get wind. I also inquired if they are running the full menu, or just a sample of it for lunch, and he said all the same choices are available. Until the next visit..which I'm sure at this rate will be sooner than later!

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

Things are good when you are treated to a meal. Things are even better when you are treated to a meal of your choice, which is then only surpassed by that person suggesting we try Furusato knowing I consider it to be the best sushi shop in town (here, here). Which brings me to this post and maybe, just maybe, the best sushi experience I've had in town to date.

If there is one thing I've learned about my time at Furusato it's that seats fill up fast. Forgetting they don't take reservations on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, I attempted to call in a spot as it was already past 5. With no success on the phone, I mentioned to my fellow diners we were going to have to wing it. Lucky for us, 3 seats at the sushi bar were emptying as we walked in and we assumed our front row positions.

I don't know if it was my camera or our front row seats, but the sushi chef placed a small dish of salmon balls in front of us 'on the house'. Mentioning these were not even on the menu, the salmon balls were a success. Biting a sample in half, there were obvious chunks of salmon and seemed akin to salmon tartar, rolled into (rum ball sized) balls, lightly cooked and then tossed with some teriyaki sauce. My first ever comped item. But on to our orders and the first dish up was my medium sashimi platter. A good mix of fish including tuna, salmon, scallop, mackerel, shrimp, surf clam, octopus, and snapper. Maybe I'm a sucker for fish but I love a plate of good plate of sashimi.

Next on the bar was the special sushi, an 18 piece platter. Similar to my sashimi plate it included salmon, tuna, surf clam, shrimp, clam, octopus, snapper, as well as a tekka roll, two pieces of roe and tamago (sweet egg). Everything was deemed a success.

Finally a sushi combo box (13 pieces). While offering less nigiri, it included a California cone and spicy tekka (tuna) roll. Being an amateur sushi eater, I found this a brave choice and wasn't surprised to hear the order was a little overwhelming. The cone and spicy roll went over extremely well, but the scallop and egg didn't fair so well. Egg? I know, but my fellow diner could not get past the idea of sweetened egg. Good thing there was no inari (tofu) on the plate, as I almost consider that like dessert sushi. I was the lucky recipient of both the tuna and salmon pieces.

Feeling totally content at this point, I opted to push the limits with a little luxury. Some fatty tuna (toro) and uni (sea urchin). These two delicacies are definitely my weakness. The toro melted away with no effort and that infamous acquired uni taste was exceptional.

Standing up as we left our sushi chef asked if I had visited before. I mentioned I had on many occasions before he introduced himself as the manager. We shook hands (by touching elbows) as he introduced his mother who ran the back of the show. We briefly talked about his time preparing sushi at Furusato (13 years), and how the previous itamea had recently retired.

All in all, my experience tonight was nothing short of fantastic. A great mix of conversation, food and atmosphere. If you have never dined at Furusato, now would be a good time. A new owner, who recently closed the restaurant for 10 days to complete some renovations, has kept the staff and is, in my opinion, putting out the best sushi in Edmonton.

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sushi wasabi - edmonton, ab

sushi wasabi (take 3)
5714 111 Street
780.433.0533

I stopped in recently to sample the goods from Sushi Wasabi again. While it did occupy my number one spot for some time, I've been having such a good time at Furusato that I haven't eaten here in over half a year.

Arriving around 6, we grabbed the last table in the house. Quickly reacquainted ourselves with the menu, we chatted over a fresh pot of tea. My dinning companion settled on combo 7 (I think); 2pc salmon, 2pc tuna along with a tekka roll (tuna) and salmon roll. Pieces seemed well proportioned, and there were no complaints. Although the wasabi did seem a little neon this evening.

If there is one thing I love about Sushi Wasabi, it would be the presentation in their chirashi bowl. So it almost goes without saying, if I'm in a small group, I'll be ordering this. Having sampled chirashi around the city, I'm still amazed that no one compares with what you get. Not only do you receive a decent chunk of fish, but also vegetables and 3 types of roe. Why no one else in town includes vegetable garnishes, different types of roe, or even egg (at times), is beyond me.

Things were good, the service was steady, and the restaurant stayed packed during our entire visit. Sitting near the front, I did pick up on a potential customer service issue. The mother/wife of this family fun operation has some English barriers, which is no problem in person, but when answering the phone I noticed it could come across as brash. If the conversation went beyond a basic point, she would seemingly become flustered and yell for her son to come answer the phone. Many times, just putting the phone down and walking away. I've never called, and I have a feeling she means well but it was just something I pondered throughout the night.

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yokozuna japanese restaurant - edmonton,ab

Yokozuna Japanese Restaurant
4121 106 Street
780.431.1508

A monday craving for sushi means one thing these days. Either I suck it up and wait for Tuesday, so I can visit Sushi Wasabi or Furusato, or venture over to Yokozuna. By writing this, I'll let you assume correctly that I didn't suck it up.

I was greeted by a 'new' look restaurant, and the recent renovations explain why the restaurant was closed on a previous visit. I found the Yokozuna on the homey side before, and these renovations have created a more elegant, crisp appearance.

Feeling fairly hungry, I ordered the 17 piece sushi platter and a pot of tea.

The one thing I noticed right away was the missing pieces of BC Roll. Asking the server, she just shrugged and said the chef (is it itatme?) didn't feel like putting it on. Huh? But it's included on the menu. What does that mean?

I made quick work of the platter and don't really have anything worthwhile to say about the food. Nothing bad, just nothing exciting. This was my 5th visit this year and probably the most disappointing. I found the portions of fish quite a bit smaller than what I've come to expect and for $26 dollars, I can't help but think I should have opted for my classic chirashi ($18 w/ miso). So, while I got my sushi fix, the iffy service and quality on this day left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

* I just noticed before posting that their gari is now white, instead of the lowly neon pink. Maybe this upgrade has something to do with the new look and feel.

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton,ab

furusato japanese restaurant (take 2)
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

After my first, and highly successful, visit, it was only a matter of time or should I say days before I went back. Stopping in on a friday night at 5:30, we found the restaurant just over half full with a few groups walking in at the same time. Before you know it, the place was jammed up with a single lonely table left. It's a good thing there was just two of us, as it was a two person table. A line up was soon started and it got me thinking; I wonder if restaurants like Sushi Wasabi and Furusato fill up so quickly, because along with great food, their hours are so short.

We were positioned at the back of the restaurant, so while it gave me a better look of the place, the light was so poor my pictures turned out pretty bad. The wait staff were great and the only hiccup was the timing of dishes. Speaking of which, my dining companion ordered the chefs sushi selection ($14.95). The plate was simple and delicious. The one thing I loved was how the sushi chef split both the scallop and the clam, so they formed around the ball of rice. I've never seen that before.

While I ordered one of my favorite selections; chirashi bowl ($17.95). It was definitely worth the slightly higher price as it was jammed with sashimi, including 3 large pieces of both tuna and salmon. The bowl did have a small section of egg, but no vegetables, unlike the gorgeous version served at Sushi Wasabi.

And we split a spider roll ($12.95). I really wanted to try this dish again, and while it doesn't take much of an arm pull to eat soft shell crab, I still don't know if I'm sold on their breading. I'll be really surprised the day I find someone who doesn't enjoy this dish.

Another great sushi experience, leaving me with one last mission. With Furusato and Sushi Wasabi both closed on Mondays (I have actually written "NO SUSHI MONDAYS" on my calendar) where will I go if I get smacked with a craving?

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edo japan - edmonton, ab

edo japan
millwoods town centre
780.461.5133


One day while out and about getting some goodies, I ended up at Millwoods Town Centre. I'd already eaten lunch, but the two friends I was with had stomach rumbles and were enticed by smells of mall food. With your basic choices, and nothing that stands out in the food court, both decided on Edo. This was after a lengthy debate between Edo and a donair. I had to giggle inside as the two dishes are not in the same league, let alone the same sport.

Edo was created in Alberta (Calgary) in 1979 and has 52 locations in Western Canada alone. I for one did not even know they had locations in the US. Apparently they are famous for their time honored teriyaki sauce and offer a pretty basic menu. Chicken, shrimp, pork and beef dishes, along with udon soup and sushi(at some locations). You can get your teppan style dish put on rice or noodles and if you like, finished with a spoonful of the sauce!

Dish one was pork


Dish two was chicken and shrimp


All of us decided that while the meal did it's job, the vegetables were on the mushy side and the rice was like glue. I suppose there is a reason I don't eat out like this very often and I'm not bummed out that I ate before I started my day. As we ended up sitting near the stall, I couldn't help but notice the continual evil glares I got from the woman behind the counter after I took a photo.

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furusato japanese restaurant- edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335


With all my sushi goodness requirements well taken care by the folks over at Sushi Wasabi, it's been hard to pull myself away and try something new. This was made even more so with the terrible experience I had at Ichiban. However, it is something that must be done and after hearing nothing but great things about Furusato I finally caved.


Researching what I could, I heard it was fairly small and usually quite packed. With this knowledge, I decided to head over just after they open at 5PM. The space is small, but with around 16 tables it is definitely larger than Sushi Wasabi. With the restaurant just opening, I was ushered to my table right away. With my love for chirashi bowls, my test dish for sushi restaurants, I had to pull myself away from ordering a bowl and decided to go with:

medium sized sashimi plate - this consisted of 16 pieces and rang in at $16.95. I don't think the presentation was very exciting, but the taste was fabulous. Especially the tuna which melted like butter in my mouth. I will definitely get this again.


spider roll - I found myself craving soft shell crab lately and this hit the spot ($12.95). The one difference that I noticed was the crab breading. I don't think I've eaten a spider roll before that wasn't in tempura style batter. This version was heavier/crunchier..almost like a bread crust. Good..just different.


whole bbq'd squid - with the above dishes sitting nicely, I couldn't help but notice the table beside me with this appetizer dish ($7.95). It reminded me of a post from Chowhound which got me looking for something like this. The squid was great, and whatever spice was sprinkled on left a great after bite that really hit the spot.

My first experience was really good. The cozy restaurant has a great vibe, which must be why so many people were greeted by name. I can't help but think with the great food and quality service, the tables (which did fill up inside of an hour) are occupied by quite a few regular patrons. I know after one visit, they likely won't remember me, but I will be back sooner than later. I suggest you head down if you are on Whyte; maybe i'll see you there.

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ichiban japanese restaurant cuisine - edmonton, ab

ichiban japanese restaurant cuisine
8750 149 St
780.481.5252

It was one of those days where you are already talking about what to eat later in the day, and you haven't even finished breakfast. Thinking of something casual and relatively fast, we ended up deciding to have sushi for lunch. This meant I was going to be venturing out again into the sushi unknown as my new regular go-to place, sushi wasabi, isn't open at lunch and I would be running errands on a different side of the city. Let the sushi adventure begin.


As I don't dine out very often on the west side, and never for sushi, I was a unprepared for what options were available. So before heading out I checked a chowhound thread and saw a few mentions of ichiban japanese restaurant. With this new information I looked no further, and three of us met up at 11:30 for a little lunch.

The restaurant is located in a strip mall and occupies a tidy little space. Walking in, the place was empty and we had a choice of booths. I'm not surprised considering the time, but it filled up relatively quickly with the lunch crowd giving us that 'good, it seems popular' feeling. My standard go-to 'test' dish has become a chirashi bowl, what better way to see preparation, and with this on the menu the choice was an easy one to make. My fellow diners ordered a super spider roll, sunset roll, maki maki roll, and white tiger roll.

There was still nobody else in the restaurant when we placed our order, so it was a bit of a surprise when another table started receiving their food before we did - maybe because they ordered bento boxes, or maybe this was a sign. When our order arrived I was instantly bummed out. They say we eat with our eyes first, and this is unfortunate because the chirashi dish looked very weak. After digging in, it didn't get better; not one part of the dish did anything to shine. The rice was tasteless and very clumpy, the fish was poorly cut with torn edges and it had a distinct fish smell. Besides two large chunks of imitation crab and very dismal sashimi portions that was their offering. There was no other garnish, vegetable or greenery of any kind in the bowl. I'll eat my way through most things, but I actually gave up with this dish.

Hoping the rolls couldn't be any worse, I sampled a bit and didn't see much improvement. The spider roll was the star of the group, too bad there was only 4 pieces, because the other three rolls were below average. The rice was packed so tight that it ended up being gummy and you really had to chew to get the rice to separate.

Unfortunately something happened to my memory card, as it's now giving me a corrupt data message, so the only photo I have is the above...maybe it's better that way, I won't have to relive the meal again. I really don't know what to say about this experience. It was just plain bad. I feel more let down by this 'established' sushi place then I ever have at a Tokyo Express. The restaurant was doing steady take out business, and like I mentioned it filled up quickly, so they must be doing something right. On this day however, none of what we got was right.

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sushi wasabi - edmonton, ab

sushi wasabi (take 2)
5714 111 Street
780.433.0533

It doesn't take much for me to skip out and have some sushi for supper, so with a recent request by my father to do just that, I knew instantly where I would be taking him. And yes I realize I already discussed sushi wasabi, but it is quickly becoming my go-to sushi place and I didn't feel like branching out on this evening.


Having a late lunch (the exact opposite of my last visit) I knew I wouldn't be digging deep into the menu. Opening the menu I headed straight for the sashimi while my father searched for his love - maki rolls. Along with an order of green tea ($3), I picked a 12 piece sashimi plate ($24.50) and a side order of rice ($1.50). It was exactly what my body craved - a good supply of fish, with a bit of rice.


My father decided on a 1/2 order of futo-maki ($6.50) and a sankai-maki ($12.80). Now, on my last visit, I mentioned trying a futo-maki style roll, which I realized this time is actually labeled 'California Special' ($19.50). On this visit my father ordered what is actually labeled as 'futo-maki' on the menu. To the uninitiated, a futo roll is quite a big larger than your average roll, but they all pale in comparison to the massive California Special. Not feeling like maki on this evening, I passed on my father's offer to dig in, but he claimed both rolls were good.


I couldn't help but be visually intrigued by the senaki roll (described as an inside-out maki with salmon, tuna, and various vegetables, fish roe on the outside) and will definitely order this next time I visit.

With my father being an early eater, we were there a 1/2 hour after opening and the restaurant was basically empty; a first. As well, it was nice to see the owner/sushi chef back to his regular happy demeanor - if I hadn't eaten late and with the restaurant near empty, I have a feeling I could have successfully entertained my first omakase....but then again, I'll never know. Until my next visit.

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