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Kinjo Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
415, 5005 Dalhousie Dr NWCalgary, AB T3A
(403) 452-8389
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
27 reviews for Kinjo Sushi
Review Highlights
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"Hint: it's not just because of the free Pocky." In 3 reviews -
"LOVE their Hot California roll and Mango roll." In 2 reviews -
"...to the price to the quality of food makes it top notch in..." In 3 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from M H.
5/1/2012
This place was great! As I travel the world for work, I have a little bit of unique take on the service industry since I'm frequently a lone American female diner. By far, this was the best customer service I've had in a long time. I often get ignored or forgotten as I don't tend to draw any attention to myself, but multiple servers greeted me and checked on me throughout my meal, including the owner. The free sample plate of sushi was great, as I was starving after a long day at work. It didn't taste like it had been sitting in the cooler forever either, which is frankly what I expected when it was put on the table. By the way, they have two single tables very close to the center of the restaurant which was very reassuring and noticed immediately - that alone was worth a nice tip since I get tired of being stuck near the kitchen. There were lots of things going on - it stayed very busy but not obnoxiously loud, and I was never bored throughout the meal. The owner was hilarious, and told me to come back with my boyfriend - when I explained I was only here for work from the USA and single, he immediately started flirting and calling for more free food! He said in his restaurant he always made sure the ladies were happy - I couldn't stop laughing! And the free Pocky once I finished eating was awesome. I had the Okinawa Roll and the Black Rock Roll by the way (since I reckon I should talk about the food a little) and the taste was good, fish wasn't overpowered by sauce, and the mango was fresh. The rice was cooked well and the rolls were tight and cut to be perfectly mouth-sized.
Nothing is perfect, so I think the two things I would mention that were less than perfect are: 1) that the ginger/wasabi plate you get is the super cheap stuff and really dry so if you like to eat either with your meal, don't expect much and 2) I was a little disappointed by the lack of variation in plain ol' fish, but then again, I'm in a landlocked province in Canada so I guess that isn't terrible. I know I'm spoiled when I'm home down in south Florida!
Summary - great job with this restaurant, especially if it's truly a chain. Keep up that customer service; I'll probably be back again this week before I leave for home!
Edit: Went back tonight and it was great again! Forgot to mention that my servers were Jennifer and Queenie - super awesome gals! -
Review from Ali Z.
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Let's get my bias out of the way first. I don't like sushi. It isn't an aversion to fish or finding raw fish to be 'icky' rather I simply don't have a liking for the taste or texture of sushi, sushi rolls or sashimi. So it obviously wasn't my first choice to have lunch at Kinjo's. That said let's dive in and have a look at a sushi chain restaurant.
Kinjo's has a large, bright, well lit and with many windows seating area. I don't the exact seating capacity however there is enough seating to handle even the busiest of lunch rushes. The hostess was polite and quick to seat us however only one menu was provided making selecting our sushi a little more difficult that we had anticipated. Once we had made our selections service was prompt with the food being delivered quickly and a server refilling water glasses without prompting. One thing I hadn't expected, which makes perfect sense when you think about it, was the table order history dangling from a hook of the side of the table. The form itself isn't obtrusive however the server constantly making a swipe for my knees did take some adjusting to.
As previously stated I'm not a fan of sushi so I won't comment on the quality save to say my lunch companions were happy with the taste and noted that the salmon fillets were large enough that they needed to be cut into pieces rather than attempting it in one go.
You know in every sushi restaurant there's always that one guy, he's the one obsessively scanning the menu hoping for a small hidden item that reads: cheeseburger and fries (or something as blandly similar), well that's me. For my sushi adventure I decided to order chicken fried rice (fast food Chinese in a Japanese sushi restaurant - yeah I'm aware of how bad that makes me sound) and teriyaki beef. The rice was good, the rice was mushy and had some small flavour to it however it was the quality one would expect given what I ordered where. The teriyaki beef was significantly better, a small serving with broccoli and a drizzle of sauce ontop. The combination of the two gave me a MacGyver like Edo of Japan except sit down in a completely different chain.
So if you're reading this I'm assuming you're already a fan of Kinjo & sushi and are making sarcastic comments about my philistine palate and how I consider McDonalds haute cuisine. I understand completely, trust me, I judge you equally harshly when you order Pakistani and Indian food (butter chicken = Big Mac and ordering korma or daal really isn't much better). For all my fellow non sushi liking brethren, take a deep breath, issue a sigh of relief, I'm here to tell you there is hope for our kind yet. Just flip to the "Grill" page hidden at the back of the menu and order freely and often because sushi is meant for sharing while our non-sushi items are decidedly not.
Teriyaki for all and wasabi for some! -
Review from Zigge M.
Calgary, AB
3/27/2012
Really liked it - first time at this location and what a difference from the south. I have not been to the south in a few years as it got boring.
The northwest location is great! Large, different variety of seating areas and an amazing visual menu.
Ordered several different items - all were great, though I found the sashimi much thicker slices than I prefer....regardless, definitely recommend and will be back. -
Review from Chelsea W.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 2/19/2012 ROTD 5/2/2012
So the last time I wrote a review about Kinjo Sushi was a while ago, however having visited the restaurant for the past year, here's an update if any of you are interested.
Kinjo has been known for many years now to be one of the top sushi restaurants to dine at where the original southwest location in Calgary always had both new and returning customers where business was and is still booming. After the owner of Kinjo had decided on creating another location in Calgary, this time in the northwest quadrant of the city, it was probably one of the greatest business decisions as the restaurant is constantly packed.
Forewarning to diners, I recommend either dining at Kinjo either for lunch or for a really late dinner. Unfortunately Kinjo does not take reservations, so regardless of how big or small the party is, I would say avoid the prime time 6 or 7 o'clock meal as the restaurant is just jammed packed...literally. Unless you have a backup plan to dine elsewhere, wait times for tables can last up to 30 to 40 minutes. Kinjo is also a popular place for birthdays - so if you're looking for a venue that isn't noisy, do be warned that Kinjo may not be your top choice. Based on my experience of coming here (which is a lot) there usually is an average of 5 or more birthdays held where all the staff of Kinjo will join in the festivities by clapping, singing, and drum-beating for that special individual. So as for forewarning, it can be a rather noisy meal for diners.
As a final note to my update, if you're craving for a beer but don't feel like spending a lot at the liquor store, definitely come to Kinjo. For the northwest location only, Kinjo serves $3.50 pints of beer where you have the choice of Traditional, Alexander Keiths, Big Rock, Sapporo. If you consider how much a beer is at a bar, its a damn good deal at Kinjo.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/17/2011 ROTD 5/11/2011
Back in the day, Kinjo used to only have one location in the southwest of Calgary where the place… Read more »
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Review from Jenn D.
This place is the most fun Sushi place I have ever been to.
The restaurant itself is gorgeous, it's has a million tables and beautiful decor. When I was here, it was constantly full and what a great vibe! The wait staff were all great to me and I just loved being here. I ended up being here for 4 hours and was treated so well.
The food was delicious, service great, atmosphere a ton of fun...I will definitely be back! -
Review from Kyle H.
Calgary, AB
4/5/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Love this place! Way more space than the macleod location. Sorry Andre :)
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Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 10/2/2011
Visited Kinjo today and found out that the restaurant now has Brown Rice Sushi for an additional 10% more for the price of the menu item. I'm happy to have found a sushi place that serves brown rice. Yay!
The food is always good here. Wait service was a bit scattered. He gave me the wrong bill and then forgot to give me my visa receipt after he asked me if I wanted one. Go figure!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/22/2011
We tried Kinjo Sushi after reading all the reviews here on yelp. We were there earlier at about 4… Read more »
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Review from Cory C.
Calgary, AB
11/30/2011
I have only been to this Kinjo location the 1 time and I have to say it's one of my favorites. Everything from the service to the price to the quality of food makes it top notch in my books. If I have a complaint it's that I like it considerably more than the Kinjo nearest to me and that means a trip across the city when I have the craving. I know it's gonna sound silly, but a huge selling point for me is that they have sweet soya sauce. I have only found this at one other place and that alone is reason to come back.
29/30 -
Review from Robert M.
8/3/2011
I took my friend Nadine here for her birthday and it was a lot of fun. I've been to Kinjo once before and the first thing I noticed was how big it was on the inside - definitely not what you'd expect from how it looks from the outside. It has a very open layout, really comfy chairs and just the right amount of light - not too dark or bright.
What I like about this sushi place compared to others I've been to is that they always bring you some samples before you order - love that touch.
And, as is the standard at Kinjo, at the end of the dinner, if you're there with a girl (which I was), one of the male servers will bring a box of Pocky for her to have.
As I mentioned, I came here for Nadine's birthday which I told our waitress about 3/4 of the way through our meal. Nadine is shy when the spotlight is on her so I was looking forward to seeing what they would - well they got pretty much all of their staff over to our table to sing her Happy Birthday complete with some bongos.
What I wasn't expecting was after they sang to her, they made me sing a song to her - luckily they sang along with me!
All in all, it was a great time and the price is pretty good compared to other sushi places I've been to. Would definitely recommend if you live in the NW :)Listed in: Sushi
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Review from Whoop K.
Calgary, AB
9/25/2011
I love this place! The decor is very warm and modern. The restaurant is really huge so there is always enough seating for people even on busy weekends. The service is friendly and efficient and I really like the nice touch of humour from the staff. Once you visit you'll definitely understand.
The food is great, no complaints. Usually every time I come here I get a complimentary plate of sushi to taste, which is awesome because this is how I found my favorite, the volcano roll. YUM.
I would definitely come back here, and I have been many times. -
Review from Paula M.
Banff, AB
1/30/2012
fave sushi location so far here in Calgary!
service is always prompt and friendly, fresh sushi and great appetizers
good prices
love the pocky you get in the end hehe! -
Review from Stephanie S.
Calgary, AB
3/7/2012
I LOVE KINJO!!! Definitely one of my favorite sushi places. After reading the great reviews on Yelp I decided to give this location a try, since it's right near my house. Since then I have been back 5+ times. Each time the food is delicious. Yes, it does get a little annoying to hear the same banter every time you go. And yes, you do not want to go for your first date here (awkward...). However, the wine is delicious and VERY inexpensive, the menu is HUGE - there is literally something for everyone (OYSTERS! Yum), and the service is wonderful. It is busy pretty much anytime you go, but I've never had to wait longer than 3 minutes for a table. Usually the servers are very attentive. I especially love the plate of various rolls they bring you when you sit down! It's fun to try the different options and I'm usually SO hungry so I enjoy the quick bite before I decide what I want. I love that they offer the sweet soya sauce (I previously swore off every sushi place except Sushi Boat because I hate regular soya sauce!) And of course, the free Pocky is a really nice touch, I even got a box when I bought my sister a gift certificate from here for her birthday. They also offer sushi making classes, which I think is a really neat idea. I will absolutely be back to Kinjo, again and again!!
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Review from Sabahat N.
Calgary, AB
4/29/2011
Are you in the NW area? Looking for a great sushi restaurant? Look NO further. Head to Kinjo Sushi!
First things first, as soon as you take in the gorgeous decor of the restaurant and sit down, they will bring you a small plate of 4 complimentary sushi pieces. What a fantastic way to start the meal!
The portions are small - so that means you can get order a variety of stuff and get to try so many new stuff! Everything tastes amazing! Literally, everything I have tasted on this menu has been great, I have never been let down! The prices are SO reasonable, it makes you want to order everything!
The service is A+. If you're lucky that day, you may just get a small basket of complimentary tempura also! If the owner is there, you're in for laughs.. He walks around all the tables with his huge knife and talks to everyone at all the tables. If he sees a couple, he will make the guy profess his love for his girl and sing for her! If he sees a group of coworkers, he will make the male coworkers tell the female coworkers how lucky they are to work with them! Its hilarious! Really a great time! And then if he takes a liking to your table, he will bring you more sushi - complimentary!! I am so serious!!
Not to mention that they will cap of the meal with handing you a box of free Pocky sticks to take home!
Once again, if you're in the NW area, feelin' like sushi, and appreciate a great time during lunch OR dinner - Kinjo Sushi is the only place you should consider. Actually, just stop considering and head there immediately. -
Review from Kathy J.
Calgary, AB
7/10/2011
Kinjo is great for sushi lovers who have kids.
My husband and I used to drive to Centre Street or Kensington to get our sushi fix, so we're over the moon to have discovered the Dalhousie Kinjo - only a five minute drive from our house. We've tried a couple of the options in our area and have never been satisfied with the quality of food/ambiance.
A few notes on our experience:
- service was fast and friendly.
- the place was spotless. very clean.
- the food was delicious.
- the ambiance was fun and lively (perfect for kids).
- clean highchairs and booster seats available.
- large diaper changing pad in women's bathroom.
- open concept kitchen (nothing to hide).
- the staff seemed very appreciative of all their customers.
- they went out of their way to make our daughter feel special.
- prices were very reasonable.
We are so happy to finally have a restaurant near our home that we want to be regulars in. Welcome to the NW, Kinjo! -
Review from Jenny G.
Calgary, AB
11/26/2011
Just when I was beginning to lose faith in Calgary sushi places, I found KINJO!
Wow, wow, WOW! Service was exceptional... From the person who greeted us, the servers, and the cool guys who treat you to Pockey!
One thing I noticed is that everyone paid attention and spoke to our daughter. They brought out a plate of fruit that included an orange sculpted into a face. Such simple things that add up to an awesome experience.
Loved the separate vegetarian one page menu, as we usually have to sift through sushi menus to find what we can eat.
Food was fast, fresh and delicious!
You can bet we will be back. Don't know why it took us so long to try Kinjo. Other NW Calgary sushi places will really have to step up their game to compete! -
Review from Ken S.
Calgary, AB
8/14/2011
Having previously lived in south Calgary I was familiar with Kinjo's MacLeod Trail location and was thrilled to see they've opened in the NW. While there are a few sushi restaurants in my neck of the woods none have genuinely impressed me. Sure, some are OK but never went that next step to make me crave their food. Well, I've been to Kinjo three times in the past week so nuff said about making me crave their food (if any of you have watched So I Married an Axe Murderer I'm beginning to think they're using the Colonel's strategy for return customers...sorry for the geeky movie reference).
Their portions are very generous, the fish has always been extremely fresh and they have a good selection of different rolls and what I really like (unfortunately my trainer will disagree) are the different types of tempura. LOVE their Hot California roll and Mango roll.
Staff are friendly and quick!
Safe to say I have a new favorite sushi hangout close to home!!!
Oh, I forgot to mention that they have "misonase" sauce as a menu side. For anyone who's ever been to Japanese Village an had their miso/sesame sauce (served with any beef dish) you'll recognize this condiment. Its a sesame and miso sauce that can be used for dipping or as I like it as a topping to rice. While I normally try to keep my carb intake in check that restraint goes out the window when it comes to rice with that sauce. And also like to keep my fat/oil content in check but that also gets set aside as I could honestly down the misonase sauce as a shooter. Its SOOOO damn good. -
Review from Linh N.
Calgary, AB
All the reviews had 5 stars for this restaurant so I had to stop by and give it a try. They didn't take any reservations so I was hesitant to go because I didn't want to wait 40 mins to eat. When I called they informed me that it was only going to be about 10 mins wait and indeed it was despite being the 10th name on the list.
The atmosphere was very similar to a lounge, much like Joey's Tomato. The service was extra speedy, hence the short waiting time. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted with free samples of rolls and ginger beef. Very cool, who wouldn't want free food right?
Our server was running back and forth as if there was a prize to win for the fastest server. Our food came out really fast and it didn't tasted like it was pre-made so that was a relief. They had a lot of small, appetizer dishes so you won't have a problem with choices and the prices are really reasonable for sushi; although the tataki dishes are much pricier compared to the rest of the menu. Their sashimi slices are extra thick so definitely the best bang for your buck. I don't think there was a dish that stuck out for me but if I had to choose then it would be the beef tataki. Unfortunately there wasn't enough beef...hehe..but the sauce was exceptional and the slices were considerably thin.
Their low price margin attracts a lot of customers and their owner walks around and interacts with everyone which I think was a clever business plan, making them extremely busy.
Overall, my experience was pleasant and the food quality was decent. Good enough for me to come back because service was very prompt and prices are probably the cheapest in town when it comes to sushi so can't go wrong with that.:) -
Review from Kare N.
Calgary, AB
5/1/2011 5 photos
My first time experiencing Kinjo Sushi was at this location. What an amazing impression...
First of all, the wait times are very reasonable. Sure there are a lot (and I mean a lot) of people waiting, but tables clear very fast as this place is HUGE!!
We got some complimentary sushi, 8 pieces to be exact, since we had a table of 6. So one plate of 4 for each side of the booth :) They were delicious!
We tried the kinjo roll, mango roll, and the chef's special midori roll. Very yummy rolls :) i enjoyed the smoky taste of the Kinjo roll, as well as the warm cream cheese in the midori roll. :) The avocado and mango combination for the mango roll was also divine!
Peter Kinjo came to our table and greeted us, he also made the boys say nice things to the girls at the table. The girls also got free Pocky after. He really makes an effort to chat with the table. :)
Staff are very welcoming, very humous, too! Our server was really fantastic, came to check up on us a lot, and I love how the waiters/waitresses when bringing food, they check it off on the list like a dim sum restaurant. Helps to keep track of the food they bring out so often!
The prices are soooo reasonable. I don't know if it's because they've just opened, but honestly the prices here are so much more inexpensive than the prices at other great sushi restaurants. You can definitely have a good meal here if you're on a budget of $20 :)
We also tried the green tea ice cream, it came with some Pocky sticks and whipped cream.
Overall, I would totally recommend this place :) Easily accessible, great food, great service, and Pocky!!! -
Review from William L.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2011
Great atmosphere, great service, great food. The Las Vegas roll is very large (almost a meal on its own) and especially tasty as is the Salmon Crunch. When Peter (the owner) is in he makes a point of visiting every table and ensuring that all the relationships are good. :)
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Review from Leigh A.
Calgary, AB
8/9/2011 ROTD 8/25/2011
What a riot! My first time to this place and I loved every minute of it. Lovely decor, soothing lighting, the staff make you feel comfortable right away. Watching the food being delivered to the tables was like being at a gallery opening to see the works of some fresh new artist. And the thing I liked the most was the gang of staff singing to/with us, banging drums and making my daughter and her boyfriend say loving things to each other. All in all, the experience it was a feast for the senses and had a kind of joyous feel to it. By the way, we were told by the staff that if they make sure the woman at the table is happy, then for sure the man will be happy. Makes sense to me.
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Review from Simon K.
Calgary, AB
This restaurant has become one of my favorite sushi please in the NW. The service was good the couple of times that we've been here. The food was very good overall. Their Toro is also very good and real unlike some restaurants in town. Prices are not too bad. How much you want to spend really depends on how much of an appetite you have. For quality food, I really don't mind spending the extra money.
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Review from Olusola U.
Calgary, AB
Good food, great service and very family friendly. There's something for everyone on their tapas menu. Kids got complimentary cookies and fruit plate. Great weekend family outing.
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Review from Teresa A.
Calgary, AB
4/11/2011
I've eaten here for both dinner and lunch. Peter, the owner, ensures he greets everyone at the table with a great sense of humour and some free sushi. The atmosphere is fun, well lit and comfortable. The food is authentic as is the very helpful Japanese staff. The variety of food to be had will keep you coming back.
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Review from Victor P.
I've been here several times now, and each time the sushi has always been fresh and tasty, with innovative presentation for some of the rolls (e.g. the dragon combos). Peter Kinjo knows how to imbue the place with personality, which he exudes in spades (watch out for the knife!). Sashimi is A+ and the spicy squid rolls (not on the main menu) are terrific. Great food, great atmosphere, and lineups out the door on Friday and Saturday. Hint: it's not just because of the free Pocky.
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Review from Bianca P.
Calgary, AB
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
The manager made my boyfriend say sweet things to me before giving us our complimentary Pokey for dessert. We also received complementary sushi. The food was delicious and to top it off, the staff was friendly and attentive!
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Review from Lena C.
Calgary, AB
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
great atmosphere during weekday lunch. good staff and brought food out fast. new fav place for sushi! plus they give you free pocky, but thats not the reason why this place is my fav. the sushi was made really well and the sashimi was so fresh! just like it should taste. we ordered a few dishes for lunch to try and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. its great for families and friends to hang out. complimentary dishes are also a nice touch since we can sample some dishes befor e we order.
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Review from Sherri R.
Calgary, AB
7/26/2011
Amazing Sushi!!!!! Great vibe, and friendly service. Peter is always a good smile! I am a regular!
