On a pleasant summer day, there is no better place to be in Calgary than the newly established East Village. Neighbouring the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, Princes Island Park, and the pedestrian trails which stretch east to west across downtown Calgary, the East Village is home to some of the best-hidden gems to be found downtown. Nupo – an upscale Japanese restaurant which boasts both plant-forward cuisine and sustainable seafood – is on the top of this list and is a must-visit establishment for Calgarians and those passing through the city.
From the historic Simmons Building to a quaint lineup of boutique shops, there are several attractions in this neighbourhood to make for an exciting day downtown. And, as evening approaches and Calgary’s nightlife is on the horizon, there is no better place to end the day than at Nupo. The restaurant is located in the elegant Alt Hotel which sits directly on the bend of Confluence Way, an attractive location offering views of the nearby East Village Playground. Once through the hotel, patrons are welcomed into a dining room with a classily modern layout of plain stone and wooden accents (a homage to Canadian interior design according to Nupo’s website) paired with a traditional sushi bar which echoes the traditional Omakase dining experience.
Chef Darren MacLean – a name which may sound familiar to foodies in Calgary due to MacLean’s other revered restaurants, Shokunin and Eight – is behind this unique concept which draws inspiration in equal parts from traditional Japanese dining and plant-based cuisine. This is sure to delight vegans and vegetarians across Calgary, who are typically bound to the quintessential avocado or cucumber roll during sushi night. Thankfully for these folks and anyone looking to add more vegetables into their routine, Nupo is proud to offer innovative and sustainable plant-forward dishes which bring all the flavour and technical prowess expected in high-end Japanese fare.
Seafood lovers are likewise not to fret; Nupo offers a selection of highly graded sushi and seafood dishes which are just as tasty and nuanced as they are sustainable. From the à la carte menu, diners can select from a distinct plant or fish menu, each section offering mouth-watering dishes like a Wild Mushroom Roll with Vegan Truffle Aioli, Tempura Cheese Curds (perhaps a nod to poutine), and a delicate Sablefish “Unagi” Donburi.
When dining at Nupo, patrons are given the choice to participate in two distinct tasting styles: à la carte and the highly sought after Omakase Sushi Experience, the latter of which has a limited number of seats per night due to the traditionally intimate nature of the experience. Translating literally to “I leave it up to you”, Omakase is an approach to Japanese dining that allows the sushi chef carte blanche when it comes to what appears on your plate. The experience requires complete trust in the expertise of the chef and in the quality of the food, and at Nupo you are guaranteed to be in excellent hands on both accounts.
At Nupo, the Omakase Sushi Experience consists of three “seasonal dishes”, a round of Sashimi, and a selection of rotating Nigiri depending on season and availability. Because every ingredient at Nupo is responsibly sourced from around the world, there is no way to predict which dish will be put in front of you until it arrives. One absolute, however, is that it is sure to be the best sushi you’ve tasted in Calgary.
Nupo, like its two sister restaurants in Calgary, is part of Chef MacLean’s Chef Exchange program, which encourages professional chefs from around the world to participate in Calgary’s ever-growing food culture. Just as Nupo brings sustainable and plant-forward Japanese dining to Calgarians, the Chef Exchange program encourages a wide array of the world’s culinary styles to diversify the kitchens of Calgary, encouraging growth through collaboration.
