I had heard about this sushi restaurant during my travels and while visiting Calgary, I made it a mission to find and try out Roku today.
They have a fresh fish menu with their current specials (fish flown in fresh from Japan) and different sets and combinations of sashimi that seemed fit to share for groups. I inquired politely if they did Omakase style and was told that they did not. I asked if I could just try one piece of everything that they had from Japan. The lady said that yes, they would try. They said very humbly after some consultation with the chef that they would try to do an omakase for me and my friends! I was excited! :) They asked me politely what price range and I replied that price was not a concern and that I wanted to taste the best that they had.
Part of what I love about omakase is the experience and interaction with the chef. Tsutomu-san was very quiet and humble and I asked if I could have a nigiri style sushi of every piece of fish they had from Japan. I was presented with a beautiful platter of 8 pieces of nigiri. Akami (blue fin), Chu-toro (blue-fin), Hotate from Hokkaido, Hirame (flounder), Hirame Engawa (flounder fin), Japanese Saba (one of my faves for texture!), Tobiuo (flying fish) and Isaki (grunt). Fish was cut perfectly - generous in proportion and on rice that was so good I barely noticed it as it dissolved into the fish with every bite and chew. This chef has SUPERB skill in his hands for making nigiri and enhances the taste of each piece. We took our time savouring each nigiri as the flavours lingered deliciously on the palate moving from the delicate white fish to the stronger flavours, finishing with the Chu-Toro.
After I asked for a 5 more nigiri (fish not from Japan) - I asked specifically for Hirame Engawa Aburi-style (seared with a torch to give it a smokey flavour), Uni and Wagyu beef nigiri and asked the chef if he would match the other pieces to those strong tastes. He rounded the order out with Hamachi, Sockeye Salmon which were all amazing! My friends had never tried Wagyu beef (it's a specific breed of cattle raised in Japan) and before I go any further I have to state that I love beef and am proud of Alberta Beef. I eat steak on a fairly regular basis (tenderloins blue rare and rib-eyes rare just so that the fat renders a bit more) and LOVE it! Wagyu beef tastes different and a slice of it seared onto a perfectly pressed ball of zushi rice where the marbled fat has started to melt and drizzle down into the rice is a different class of ecstasy! I enjoyed watching the expressions on my friends' faces as they experienced this for the first time. The 3 pieces of 5 that I chose were all stronger flavours and the chef's choice to match Hamachi and Sockeye Sake (sha-kay) complimented my own selections perfectly.
Still going strong, I asked for an Ikura (salmon roe) Temaki (cone), and asked if he could "season it" special - like he would want to eat it. The cone was large, extremely generous amount of Ikura and rolled so that the Ikura was in EVERY bite of the cone (instead of just stacked on top like at some places). He seasoned it with a full leaf of Shiso (Japanese mint-basil like plant) wrapped into the Ikura in the cone and sprinkled with toasted black and white sesame - the combination of the textures and tastes were incredibly enjoyable! He matched it with a piece of Sake nigiri (Atlantic Salmon) - drizzled with Japanese mayo and seared aburi-style on his own initiative. The sweetness of the Japanese mayo seared into a carmelized crust while the Salmon was still blue-rare inside was a perfect counter-point to the saltier taste of the Ikura. The seaweed of the cone was crisp, the Ikura had a pleasant "pop" and the sesame added a neat cruch - so following this up with the smooth soft nigiri was a textural shift that was genius! I was seriously impressed! :)
I then asked for another piece of Uni nigiri (the sea urchin roe was from Vancouver Island - large, sweet and buttery - and so good I just had to have another piece!) and asked if he could match it with 2 other nigiri. He made a trio of gunkanmaki. The Uni was in the middle, flanked by Ankimo (monk fish liver) on the left and chopped Chu-Toro (blue-fin). I wasn't sure about the Ankimo when I first bit into it, but as I started to chew it into the rice, the flavours came out and it was good! The Chu-Toro tasted even better than before with the seaweed!
To finish the meal, Tsutomu-san created an Ikamentai Roll with shiso and chili when I politely asked for "a roll to finish the meal with". It was AMAZING! A great way to end a spectacular meal! :)
Total cost was about $100 for me, including tip, no alcohol. Extremely reasonable for an amazing experience!
BTW - my friend who loves Spider Rolls ordered that and said it was the best Spider Roll he'd ever eaten! He even shared a piece and I have to agree! :)
I made reservations for tomorrow already and look forward to it!