Japonais Bistro

the service was so bad, need enough patient to wait. Won’t be there twice:) (DONT order the tempura！！！)

Went there this past weekend. We were visiting edmonton and checked on line who had the best rep for sushi. And it was true! The décor is rustic cute and the sushi was fantastic! We loved everything we tried. Suggestion, try the mango roll soooo good! We will definitely be going to this place every visit to edmonton.

Went here last for the first time and tried the Cheesy Dragon while my friend had the traditional bento box. It was great and the service was really great.
Would go again.

My favourite sushi in Edmonton so far! Doesn’t look like much from the outside. The inside is better but could use a trendy make over. But the sushi and menu are awesome. Staff have been good both times I came. Definitely would say best sushi I’ve had in Edmonton.

Everything is sooooo good! I love how the menu is unique, you don’t find anything like it in town. It reminds me of izakaya in Vancouver.
We had:
— the gyutan (thinly sliced beef tongue, came raw and you get to cook it on this piece of hot rock)
— uni pasta (omg! So decadent and unctuous)
— toro aburi (toro? Amazing! Aburi toro? Even better!)
Two thumbs up!

The food was soooo good. I have been here few time, every time I try different food, every time will make me feel awesome.
The Pasta they have with some sea food, make me unforgettable. And the stone grill beef make me feel so much fun, also it taste so amazing.
But every dish don’t have much. Each dish maybe is not enough for one men.

Best sashimi in town. Everything is perfect every time we go and seriously their menu is so innovative! I recommend you go with the «chefs choice» dishes on the lunch menu, they will not disappoint!!! I won’t eat sushi anywhere else now because it tastes like crap in comparison to the stuff you can get at japonais. 10/​10, would put in face again and again and again.

Excellent sushi in a town where it’s difficult to find decent sushi. They can’t be beat in YEG.

We love, love, love this restaurant! The gluten free menu is full of delicious and interesting options. We come here for special occasion meals like anniversaries but also for a nice lunch. Favourite gluten free dishes include: Mango Tango, New Style roll and the Halo roll. OH! And I always love their salmon sashimi.
I’ve heard their Omakase is pretty great too if you’re feeling adventurous!

I would love to give this place a higher rating, but based on the experience I had there, it isn’t quite a 4 or 5 star. Nothing about this sushi experience stood out for me.
We decided to try something different, so we started with the amberjack and sea snail. The amberjack was very fresh, and so was the sea snail, albeit a bit chewy– to be expected though. We then had the volcano roll, which from the description looked delicious, and came recommended by the waitress. Unfortunately, it came up flat. It lacked flavour, and any flavours that would’ve been presented were muted by all the sauce.
The whole meal plus a bottle of wine was $ 90, which I felt to be a bit steep.
All things considered, I will be going back at some point. I would like to try different items on the menu, and see if that experience corroborates with all of the other 4 and 5 star ratings this place has received.

Japonais Bistro is one of Edmonton’s newer sushi places, at around only 2 – 3 years. I’ve been here when it first opened, and then several times afterwards. Having only just started blogging, I have to go back to all the places that I’ve already been, but I’m not complaining! Just more food for me to eat. It’s located on Japser Avenue and 118 Street. There is some parking in that little plaza, but it’s very scarce. There’s some meter parking immediately east of the restaurant on the street that you can usually grab a spot though! The inside is relatively big compared to the other sushi places that I’ve been. It’s nice and simple on the inside.
Japonais Bistro is self-​described to focus on a modern Japanese menu with a touch of North American influence. They serve a larger variety of different dishes, and some really unique food combinations. They also have oyster night on Tuesdays, which I have been guilty of going to on an occasion or two!
This most recent occasion, I went with my sister. I had just gone there a week before with my brother but my sister deleted all of my pictures by accident. We decided to start off with the Japanese calamari. Calamari is one of my favourite appetizers to get at a restaurant. At only 10.95 $, I figured why not start off with this? I’m actually surprised that I never got it before. It came out nice and hot, and it was surprisingly a relatively large portion. It actually came with a little side salad as well, which was unexpected. The calamari was perfectly cooked. Nice and tender, and the breading was really cripsy and light. They lightly drizzled some wasabi sour cream on it, and it was really good. The sauce could have used a little bit wasabi but otherwise this was a great choice of appetizer. The little salad was really light and refreshing too. The vinaigrette had a little bit was sweetness and it was really nice to eat in between pieces of calamari.
I’ve had almost all of the rolls here before, so I decided to go with one that I haven’t had before — The Love Crunch roll. It’s described as baked crab, avocado roll with salmon and spicy tuna, tempura bits, sweet soy and tobiko. I wasn’t completely sold on the mountain of tempura bits for the presentation. A little bit sure, but I think it was a bit overkill. Overall, it was decent. I find that most things at Japonais Bistro is on the heavier side, and less fresh and light. I didn’t expect the salmon to be cooked on the outside, but overall it was alright. One thing I do have to say about The Love Crunch roll is that you do end up getting a lot of fish. There were generous portions of salmon, tuna, and crab…

I stayed away from this place for a while thinking it was really expensive. I was pleasantly surprised not only was it reasonable it was the best sushi I’ve had in Edmonton in a LONG TIME.
With all the AYCE places sushi quality has gone down. A lot. I would rate this place higher than Mikado which used to be top dog in the city but has lost it lately I feel. It’s not worth the price there any more — but Japonais came through.
We will be back.

Great starters. Fresh fish. Nicely seasoned dishes plated with style. Authentic japanese food with a twist.
First off its great that they have opentable to make reservations. Its easy and conveinent. Theres a small parking lot in the front for about 6 cars. And lots of street metered parking available.
Ive been to japanais bistro so many times. For lunch, dinner and in between. Lol…
Anyways my favourite time to come is just after the dinner rush at 1pm. Everything is available at lunch prices with better service. This place runs with only 2 waitresses which clearly is not enough. They are forgetful and rushed. The service is completly lacking and may ruin your experience. Sometimes ive had speedy service too. I find it hit or miss. But inconsistent for sure. So minus a star.
My favourite dishes at lunch are the lunch omakase and the spider burger. The omakase is fantastic with a selection of favourites chosen by the chef for the day. Typically it has 2 fresh oysters, either a tuna nacho or seafood ceviche, a fish collar, sashimi or sushi, seaweed salad, chicken karage, tempura and edamame. Its a very good selection and the taste of every dish is tasty and fresh. Its worth every penny and i never seem to finish it no matter how many times i try. The spider burger is a burger with deep fried soft shell crab. So crispy and tasty its the ultimate seafood burger.
At dinner I must order the tuna nachos, seafood collar and ishiyaki beef every time. The tuna nachos are crisp and complement the sweet and spicy tuna. The fresh avocado and onions keep it fresh. Its kinda like a tuna tataki on chips.
The sea bass collar is my favourite. A crisp caramel grilled outside with a tender juicy inside. The caramel sweetness is divine with the fish. Similar to vietnamese fish hotpot. This dish is delicious.
The ishiyaki beef is fun and tasty. Small slivers of beef served with a hot plate. You sear the meat for a few seconds on each side then dip the meat in either ponzu sauce or sesame sauce. Its creative and fun. Looks great and tastes even better. This reminds me of eating kobe beef in vegas. Its so good but never enough. More meat please :) but at this price its a great dish! My son loves it and orders it everytime.
Overall japanais bistro has so many dishes that would appeal to any palate. They have gluten free sushi rolls, Fresh oysters, beef tataki, yellowtail sashimi, uni pasta, tempura, ramen, udon, grilled chicken or beef and freshly grilled fish. The variety is superb. The desserts are awesome too. I dont know any other place in edmonton with green tea crème brûlée. The food has never disappointed me. It reminds me of my visits to japan. Some dishes have a french twist to them or are new fusion flavours of trendier japanese dishes.
My tip skip the sashimi here. Pieces are thin and tiny here.
I love the space as well. It used to be suede lounge/​bar. But now theres booths and tables with a modern flair. Rich browns and reds. With classy clientele like businessmen in suits and women in dressy attire. Its a fun night out if the service doesnt kill it for you. But sometimes great food will keep u coming back for more.

I’ve only been here about three times but while this restaurant is more expensive than most Japanese restaurants in Edmonton, it is well worth visiting because of the unique menu options alone. In addition they do serve some of my personal favourites when it comes to desserts and treats. But it certainly isn’t an inexpensive place.
Still it impressed my mother when I brought her here and that says a lot. I’ve eaten indoors and out on the patio and both are good. Portions are small on occasion depending on the dish, but the food is often very unique to this particular restaurant when compared to other sushi places (and Japanese restaurants in general) in Edmonton. So I’d say this restaurant is one that one might visit as a treat or a special occasion but not an everyday Japanese staple of my diet unfortunately. Good food though and really good service from the wait staff when I have had the chance to visit. I ought to visit here more frequently than I already do.

Came here nice and early and got fantastic friendly service. It’s my second time here, but this time I brought the husband. He had the Robato Bento box, and I had a Miso soup, Assorted Seafood Chef’s Specialty, and a Green Tea Crème Brulee.
The miso soup is delicious, with a robust broth. Delicious!
Normally I’m all about the bento box, but they all had tempura with them, and life is too short to eat battered food, even if it is Japanese. Husband said the tempura was a little greasy.
I LOVED the assorted seafood. Last time I came here, they were out of the ceviche, so I opted for extra sashimi instead. Glad I got to try it this time. It came with little chunks of octopus. The oysters and sashimi were excellent. The oysters tasted like a vacation at the beach, and the sashimi included a surf clam and a RICH piece of sweet shrimp that tasted like they fattened the thing up for Thanksgiving. Decadent. The tuna tataki was very fishy tasting, and could have used more ponzu sauce.
My crème brûlée was super creamy, but I didn’t find that it tasted much like green tea. My husband’s dessert forte is crème brûlée and I think he could have easily done just as well making it.
Overall, I loved the food, but I loved the service more. I hesitate to give this place a five. I think it’s because of the price. This place is a tad expensive,($ 9 for a Sapporo with grapefruit) but I didn’t think the food here was much better than anywhere else with the exception of a few items. Perhaps that’s our doing. Perhaps we ordered a little too conservatively. Maybe if we’d been more adventurous, we’d be truly ‘wowed’. I’d come here again if my friends wanted to try it, but for the price I’d just as soon go somewhere else.

Food is tasty and well presented. It has some special dishes that u won’t be able to find in other traditional japanese restaurants (eg, uni pasta)
The service is quite slow thought…

It’s one thing to do Japanese food, it’s another to do it with style. Japonais pull both off and sticks the landing.
We started with Takoyaki. Main course was a traditional bento box with tempura, sashimi, rolls, sushi and a tiny seaweed salad. Everything, and I repeat everything was outstanding. The sashimi and sushi melty in your mouth. Takoyaki, crispy on the outside and hot, gooey on the inside. Even the tea was deliciously addictive. Food was great!
The atmosphere was wonderful. Open concept, but the kind of place you can an have a quiet conversation with someone. Almost minimally, intimately, calm and cool. Like a zen garden!
The service was spot on with the waitress quietly, yet periodically checking up on us.
I’ve been to place in the city where the Japanese food is great. However, Japonais is one of the few where the atmosphere is right up there with the food. With this being so close by, I will take advantage of the opportunity to visit as much as possible. A new Japanese favourite.

This last visit, we had our favourite server. He made our evening experience such a HUGE improvement from the prior visit.
It’s nice to be able to walk in and not have to wait for a seat.
That Halo roll… I know the sauces don’t agree with me, but it’s SO absolutely delicious — we ordered two this time. Kissed by a torch, the flavour changes oh so subtly, and it is remarkable HOW fantastic it was.
Again the shrimp cone wrapped in soy sheet with the mango was good, but they have made me better.
Now I know which server I want next time I visit.

Can you say LUNCH omakase??? Second time that I’ve been to Japonais Bistro and I have to say, it is definitely growing on me. Really down to earth restaurant with delicious food (although be prepared to wait). It’s all about quality over quantity, err’day.
Anyways, we went for lunch on a Tuesday and all three of us decided to get the lunch omakase ($ 20/​person). So instead my usual ramblings and excess overwriting, I’ll let the pictures do the talking (everything was top notch).
As you can see, there was a variety of items to devour :
— Miso soup to start — not too salty. Perfect way to start our meal off on a cold September day.
— Rice and seaweed salad — I could eat this seaweed salad all day
— Chicken karage — crunchy, perfectly fried and tender/​moist in the inside
— Salmon and tuna sashimi — nice edible sizes. Tasted very fresh.
— Oysters — not sure exactly what kind they were but they were slightly on the sweeter side.
— Salmon collar — cooked perfectly and very tender
— Tuna tataki — came with with roasted garlic pieces and red onions
— Seafood ceviche — pieces of octopus, shrimp and fish. Couple of chips to eat the ceviche with. Om nom nom.
Japonais Bistro is a solid, solid spot just west off the downtown core. Definitely a great spot to check out and a classy atmosphere to boot.

My initial thought was that Japonais would be a 1-​star review for me, but ultimately, I decided to add an extra star because the food itself is delectable. The service, however, is another matter.
I’ve been here twice, and both visits were exercises in frustration.
Visit number 1 was fruitless — my friend and I were seated promptly, and ignored for 10 minutes — this was mid-​afternoon on a weekend, and the place was nearly empty. We left without having tasted anything more than water.
Visit number 2 was during lunch hour on a weekday. Our party of 2 arrived early, hoping to beat the lunch rush. And, indeed we did! Only 2 other tables were seated, so we were set for a great express lunch.
Our server took our order promptly and served us miso soup. Great start!
But then we waited. And we waited. And we waited.
As I looked around, I saw that the neighboring table wasn’t faring any better. The two ladies seated across from me were checking their watches and phones constantly, and twisting back to look at the kitchen for any signs of life. They asked to pay their bill before their food arrived — and when it did finally arrive, they scarfed down a scant few bites and dashed out of the restaurant. I felt badly for them.
Concerned, my friend asked the server how long our food would be, and she said she’d check with the back. She didn’t.
15 minutes later, and an hour since we arrived at the empty restaurant, our food finally arrived. And yes, it was delicious.
Unfortunately, having to get back to work, my table wolfed the contents of our boxes and walked up to the bar to pay (as we didn’t want to wait a long time for the bill).
Someone who appeared to be the owner/​manager of the place rang us up and asked how our lunch was. We told him the pace and service was atrocious, and he simply said, «I’m sorry» as he handed over the receipt.
I’m sorry, mister owner/​manager, but I won’t be back to Japonais while there are equally delicious, quickly-​served and economical sushi options further down Jasper Ave.