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| - Itadakimasu!
I've been carefully avoiding Japanese food since I moved home from Japan a few months ago since I knew it would only end in disappointment, but the time finally came one hungry night in Calgary. My husband had read good things about Wa's, so we headed over and were seated immediately on a Sunday evening.
We only ordered nigiri sushi and maki, so my review is only on that, and I have to say I was quite pleased. For those ordering by the piece, note that unlike most sushi-yas in Japan, the prices are by the piece, not for a two piece set of nigiri. Also, be sure to check the chalkboard for the day's specials. Fresh fish of any kind should dominate your choices for the day, even above favourites.
The fish was fresh and flavourful, for the most part. The best item was the scallop, which we ordered more of immediately. The salmon left us wanting, which is not the case, but it was not as fatty as we like. The anago was tender and soft, yet very flavourful. Definitely recommend that.
As far as rice (shari), which is the real hallmark of a good sushi joint (let's face it, in today's global world, good fish is just an airplane shipment away), it was a bit dry and grainy - not as pillowy as I wanted. But it was well seasoned and not gummy or completely falling apart, so it was acceptable.
The maki rolls were imaginative, but some were not well executed. The "Flames" roll was a bit too spicy and overwhelmed the fish. The tempura in another roll was really excellent, and enough to make me consider ordering some on my next visit. But the nori was fresh on all of them, and proved that they had been rolled to order, or atleast not too long before they were served.
The service was up and down. We did not receive a "Irrashaimase!!" from the staff upon entering the restaurant like all the other patrons, and unlike all the other tables, we did not get hashioki for our chopsticks. They questioned if we knew the difference between anago and unagi twice... but the food spoke for itself, so I am willing to put up with some slanted service if they think we are sushi newbs.
When I lived in Japan I loved saying "This is pretty good...for Japan." on western dishes. Now that I'm home, I find I say "This is pretty good...for Canada." Wa's definitely qualifies, especially with it's better than average nihon-shu selection. It's good, but God help you if you need to find truly excellent sushi on the prairies. Best to book a flight to Narita...
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