Foodies love Calgary for a good reason. Every neighbourhood from 17th Ave to Altadore has some kind of its own speakeasy or restaurant that everyone attests is a must-try. While they certainly have a point, the buzz around downtown sometimes drowns out the top contenders, the hidden-gem businesses who have set up shop on the fringes of the city. One example is Ryuko, a modern Japanese restaurant located just a few turns off Macleod trail in the south end of Calgary.
Standing just across the historic Canyon Meadows Theatre, Ryuko is housed behind a building that looks more like a place of residence than a Japanese restaurant. Stark and unassuming, first-time diners are given no hints towards what to expect when they pass through the hanging curtains behind the front doors.
A bright, open-concept dining room seems to come out of nowhere. The space takes traditional Japanese elements and marries them with a contemporary edge – clean, geometric, and enticingly simple. The centrepiece of Ryuko is an open sushi bar from which a team of chefs will enthusiastically greet you as the hostess leads you to your table.
According to Ryuko, their goal has always been to find the perfect balance between tradition and modernism. Tradition is apparent, for example, in their admirable dedication to sourcing only the highest quality and freshest ingredients available on the market – shopping locally when they can. The chefs also take inspiration from centuries-old techniques like precise knife work to slice the perfect and most delicate cuts of sashimi.
The menu is split in into five parts – starters, meals, sashimi/sushi, kaiseki box, and dessert. It is strongly recommended that you arrive at Ryuko hungry because you will want to sample (at least) one dish from each of these sections.
The starters themselves can be either raw or cooked. The first sections include traditional favourites with, of course, an elevated approach. Take the “Magurocamole” as an example – a creative take on the tuna tartar with fresh avocado, taro chips, and smoke. The bluefin tuna is fatty and rich, paired wonderfully with the “guacamole” which has a hint of acidity. It’s the Japanese-Mexican fusion dish you never knew could work, let alone leave you thinking about it for weeks.
For sushi and sashimi, Ryuko offers a combination of the classics and a selection of in-house curated special rolls. The comfortable favourites include Spicy Salmon, California, and Spicy Tuna rolls.
But while you’re here, you might as well opt for something less than ordinary. For example, the sushi menu offers a selection of “Oshizushi” – pressed cubes of seasoned rice and seared fish or meat with an assortment of other ingredients. The Miso Salmon Oshizushi, for example, is a perfect balance of umami, spice, and sweetness. The salmon is fatty and rich, barely seared on the top and accompanied by a thin slice of jalapeno for a small kick.
Other “premium” selections include the soft-shell crab roll (and yes, this crab is the real deal). Thin soy paper is wrapped around deep-fried crab, fresh avocado, and picked daikon. The batter is delicate, reminiscent of tempura, and pickled daikon adds a touch of acidity which pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the crab.
After spending an evening here, you’ll come to understand that the underlying theme at Ryuko is simplicity and quality; no ingredient is on the plate unless it serves a purpose and is naturally delicious. This reveals a great level of dedication towards the art of Japanese cuisine, which Ryuko pays respect to while also welcoming innovation and fusion. It’s a delicate balance to maintain without falling into convolution – yet they pull it off.
