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Fuji Yama Japanese Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
14 reviews for Fuji Yama Japanese Restaurant
14 reviews in English
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Review from Danelle W.
Calgary, AB
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I bought a $40 for $20 Dealfind coupon for Fuji Yama towards the beginning of the year and finally decided to cash it in. The benefit of the coupon was that I felt like I could try things I hadn't before without feeling like I'd wasted too much money if I didn't like them.
Let me tell you - Octopus sushi? Not my thing.
We ended up spending about $20 on top of the coupon anyhow, with the order of sake to end the meal. The only disadvantage was the Sunday special on sake didn't apply because we were using the coupon. It might have been nice if they'd mentioned it when we ordered.
All in all, Fuji Yama was pretty good - fairly well aligned with the prices. It probably won't be my default go-to place but I'd go again if a friend suggested it. -
Review from Agnes C.
My friend bought a $25 voucher (order for $50 or more, you get half price). It was a Saturday night, the restaurant was not too busy and yet their service was slow.
As for the food, it was alright. We tried the Brooklyn salad, it was very tasty and refreshing. I am not sure if it was just a one time thing, but I found their sushi not as fresh. I am quite disappointed at this restaurant, to be honest, I had high hopes for this place.
Their decor is quite modern, and other than that, I have nothing to rave about this place. -
Review from David H.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 1/14/2012
Still extra yummy! These guys know how to cook and serve. Get over there and enjoy!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/18/2011
A - List. Recommended. The food is excellent. The service I experienced was strong - prompt,… Read more »
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Review from Tara M.
6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to Fugi-Yama a few times and I have to say, it used to be better...
I don't know what happened in the move to 17th avenue, but the quality of the sushi seems to have gone downhill in both freshness and originality and the staff has a hard time with large groups or when it's quite busy.
That said, the cooked dishes on the menu are still very nice and you can't go wrong with the tempura, edamame, gioza or a chicken teriyaki dinner - but to be fair, that's not why you go to a sushi restaurant is it?
The best thing Fugi-Yama has going for it is location, it's conveniently located on 17th ave and is a good spot to grab a bite if you happen to be jonesing for sushi before you head out to drinks; but I wouldn't make this restaurant a destination for the evening.
T. -
Review from Violet P.
10/26/2011
I can't speak about the restaurant, decor, and atmosphere as I ordered take out. I decided to have the shrimp termpura and chicken yakisoba. The tempura was delicious as it was lightly battered and not heavy tasting from excess batter cooked in oil. There were 4 shrimp served in the small order. There was a lot of noodles and pieces of chicken in the yakisoba. It wasn't the best I had though. There were ample onions and taste but it reminded me of the home style spaghetti my mom used to make. It wasn't anything special and I was expecting a little more zing. The food was decent and if there's a next time I'd try the sushi.
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Review from Rhona-Mae A.
Calgary, AB
6/26/2011 3 photos
I've eaten twice at Fuji Yama in the past month and like the place overall.
The atmosphere is very cheery, which is definitely needed when you dine in a basement location. When you walk in, a recording calls out "Irashaimase," or "welcome". When you leave, it says, "Arigato gozaimashita" (thank you).
On my first visit, it was a dreary, rainy Saturday. There weren't many people there, however, we came in just between lunch and supper. The waiter was fairly attentive and friendly. The restaurant was clean and sunny.
My companion and I opted to try a bunch of appetizers (the 20% discount was an incentive). The Avocado & Salmon Salad was absolutely delicious. The explosion of flavours danced in my mouth with each bite of Coconut Tempura Shrimp. The miso soup was flavourful, while the Philadelphia sushi roll was a delightful surprise (salmon, cream cheese and cucumbers). The tamago sushi was huge compared to other places (not too sweet, just right). The edamame croquettes were also tasty, very tender. The chicken karage was nice and crispy on the outside and juicy inside. It wasn't greasy.
The only dish we weren't crazy about was the calamari. At first, we thought they were ordinary squid rings but when we ordered it on the next visit, we learned that that's just Fuji Yama's version of calamari. There's something interesting about the batter but the calamari was a little rubbery.
My second visit was for lunch on a weekday. My companion and I felt badly for the waitress for she was the only one taking care of nine tables. Needless to say, service was slower the second time round..
I ordered the tonkatsu (breaded pork) and tempura lunch special, while my companion order the gyoza and tempura lunch special. The portion sizes were comparable to Sushi Ginza, Tokyo Garden and Banzai. My tonkatsu was quite dry, so much so that I needed to dip it in my tempura sauce. Everything else, however, was top notch.
This time, I had room for dessert. The waitress recommended the ice cream over the pie. The green tea ice cream had just the right amount of matcha. Very tasty!
Prices are pretty comparable to other Japanese restaurants. We definitely want to go back again to try other items on the menu (just not the calamari or tonkatsu). -
Review from Arc P.
1/17/2011
Found myself here on a Friday night with a group of 8 people. Nothing personal against this place. The staff are very friendly, but seemed bewildred by such a large group. They seemed to lack the artful assertiveness to take charge of the table and get those orders done. They also seemed to lack knowledge about the wine list. When we asked for umeshu, they had no idea what we were talking about even when we explained it. And they kind of left our table for long periods of time without checking up on us. That's service 101!
The food, sadly, wasn't stunning. It was ok, but the Toro and Maguro could of been more succulent, the Ika could of been less rubbery and the Ikura could of more flavourful. The price is not bad, but if I can get the same quality at T&T, what's the point of paying more. Too bad, I wanted to really like it here because it's near my place.
For all the knocks on the service, I did find them friendly and even fun. It's probably what will have me come back one more time to see if I caught them during a bad night. -
Review from Amanda L.
Calgary, AB
8/13/2010
Tonight was my second time going to Fuji Yama on 17th. I really want to like it due to its convenient location, but I just can't.
The first time we (boyfriend and I) went there the service was poor and there were some small quality issues. A big pet peeve of mine is when servers are slow to bring the bill or pick up payment after you have clearly stated that you are done. Our server was definitely in that category. The miso tasted off and the sushi was nothing to remember. Also, the top to the soy sauce was not secured or very full, so when it was tipped far to pour, the lid came right off and the remainder of the sauce ended up on the table.
We didn't finish our dinner (which is rare for me at a sushi place), and due to the slow service, some lady who I can imagine was a little sketched out (I am not sure why she was in there), noticed that we weren't finishing it and asked if she could have it. I had no issue giving her food that we weren't going to eat... but it was unusual to be approached like that during dinner.
The second time we went there (tonight), wasn't much better. However, our server was very nice and attentive. Unfortunately, the salmon was chewy and slightly fishy, and the rice did not seem fresh.
I find that the prices are a premium for a product that is poor. Although I can see why they need to charge so much, both times I was in there only about 20% of the tables were being used. It is a large space in prime real estate... I can't imagine they will be in business much longer unless they get crowds, which isn't going to happen with their current food. -
Review from Wendy P.
8/18/2010
I wouldn't call myself a sushi connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone for sushi. I've found some rolls and things I like, but to date I just can't get past the texture of the larger pieces of raw fish you often get in sashimi dishes (or always get?).
When my coworker suggested we go to Fuji Yama for lunch, she noticed my uncertain expression and said "don't worry! They have some non sushi things on their menu as well". And she was right.
With an assortment of cooked items and even rolls with no fish (I did consume pieces of the spicy tuna roll) - try the yam rolls - it was a successful sushi outing for this girl.
The service here could use some work, I'm on board with Amanda L's comments about the server being slow to bring the bill, but if you're looking for a place to get your feet a little wet in the sushi world, Fuji Yama seems a safe place to start. -
Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
3/16/2011
I had the chance to eat at this Fujiyama location on 17th Avenue SW. I find it strange that a restaurant can be in the basement and survive. Even when we were there at lunchtime and there was no one that I could see in the restaurant.
I had the endamame, miso soup, salmon sashimi and uni sashimi. The endamame and miso soup complimented my sashimi. I love, love, love salmon sashimi and the slices are just right, length about 2 1/2" height about 1/2 of your pinky size. Uni sashimi - just SMOOOOOOOTH! Love what I ordered.
Wait service was good. Restaurant was clean with white and beige colours making it very open and cheerful.
Thanks to my boss for bringing our group there for our lunch. -
Review from Jessica P.
Calgary, AB
8/28/2010
I visited Fuji Yama on 17th for the second time last night and I continue to be impressed! We ordered salmon sashimi and a few different rolls including their featured fusion roll of the night. All of the food was tasty and I had no issues with the salmon sashimi besides the fact that the pieces seemed to be a maybe bit on the small side.
Our server was very friendly and engaging and she accommodated my husband's gluten-free meal requirements very very well. I'm always happy when servers have a clue and don't get the "deer-in-headlights" when confronted with allergies and food intolerances!
I found the service to be kinda slow but not so much that it detracted too much from the quality of the experience. I will definitely be back! -
Review from vanessa t.
Calgary, AB
1/15/2010
Yuck.
This is the new Fuji Yama location. I was really excited because I heard that I really good chef was going to work there. However, when my friends and I arrived, he wasn't there.
The atmosphere was really bright and cozy. The guy waiter that we had must have been really new. He seemed really nervous, but he was really nice and he took care of his customers really well. However, when my friend went recently, he had another waiter and he forgot to enter the WHOLE SUSHI LIST, he found out after 1 hour into the dinner. But anyway, the waiter we had was great.
The sushi was similar to the quality from AYCE. The rice was way too wet that it made the seaweed super soggy and chewy (we ate it right after it was served at our table). The quality of the salmon in our salmon roll was disgusting. It felt like plastic and looked like it was rubber!
We ordered a roll with mango in it. At least the mango in the roll is fresh mango. You can tell because it has started to change colour. However, you cannot taste the mango in the roll.
Long story short, the place was horrible. The quality it similar to any AYCE place in Calgary.
Service: 4/5
Food: 1/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Price: Overpriced for the quality 1/5
Overall: 1/5 -
Review from Mason H.
Calgary, AB
4/18/2010
I love going to the 17th Ave location of Fuji Yama. I generally get the Sunomono salad, and either the chirachi, or sushi a la carte. Their butterfish is wonderful, and any other sushi or sashimi I've had is always great. The service is very friendly and I always feel well looked after.
Another reviewer has complained about the quality of their salmon. I fully disagree with their assessment, I've only had fresh, firm, beautiful chunks of salmon there. I don't know if they went on a bad day, but I urge them to give it another shot. It's my current favourite for mid-priced sushi.
My only complaint is that their karage is not really karage, it's just chicken wings with the strange side choice of tarter sauce. -
Review from Troy H.
Calgary, AB
12/12/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Fuji Yama is a great restaurant in my opinion and is highly recommended for any one who likes japanese food or sushi. Fuji Yama is a great value for the price, and both the food and service I have experienced is above par for any Calgary restaurant. The chirashi don is one of the best I have found in any sushi restaurant yet! The Udon/Yakisoba dishes have great flavor and are prepared very well. The appetizer list is both extensive and well done. I cannot comment on previous comments on rubbery sushi as I only eat sashimi. Recommendations include chicken and beef kushiagi, ika sugatayaki, soft shell crab, beef salad, chirashi don, and their lunch menu. I've eaten almost everything on their menu and eat at Fuji Yama on a fairly regular basis. The service has never been below par in my experience and the food is as good if not better then similar restaurants in the area, but at a better price.
