Review Red Ember Japanese Cuisine - Calgary

EDIT 2021: This restaurant always has been a hit or miss (on most occasions an incredible that was worth one or two misses). However the last four times I’ve gone I’ve been extremely disappointed. The fish was not cut properly and was not fresh, the rice would either be undercooked or it would fall apart. One of the four visits, they gave an almond size amount of rice. I’ve always had a soft spot for this restaurant, and I understand what a hard time this is for them. But for the price of the meal, the lack of quality can no longer be justified. I think I’ve given them enough chances for redemption, and I am sad to say I will no longer be a customer. PREVIOUS REVIEW: One of the best sushi restaurants in town. The place is small and cozy, and can get quiet busy so I like to go on weekdays or have a late or early dinner. It’s really easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for, and the parking is almost kind of awkward. The butter fish, salmon belly and hamachi nigiri are to die for. They give really generous portions and the fish always tastes fresh and flavourful. The Cajun rock roll is a must try. And I like that they give you a salmon tempura sample at the start of the meal, super delicious. Service is polite and quick. However, it does take quiet awhile for them to bring out your food. But the presentation, quality and taste is honestly worth the wait.

Red Ember is a beautiful little gem located in the Kensington area of Calgary (on the other side - the side that rarely anyone walks on). Fish is super fresh, and the tempura tasted fresh as well. The Avocado Bomb was delicious! I love going to this little Japanese restaurant and trying new menu items, as well as classic favorites (like the Agedashi tofu).

We were in the area and thought we try out this Japanese restaurant. We were very glad that we did have supper here. We had a side of yam tempura which was nice and crispy. For an appetizer we shared gyoza. They were very good. We were given a complimentary salmon tempura was was excellent. I ordered the chicken teriyaki with a side of of two Hotategai scallops. They were so good I could have eaten a dozen or more. As for the teriyaki I really enjoyed it. My wife had the Bulgogi Yaki Udon and it was very enjoyable. Service was excellent with the server asking us several times how was the meal. Yes we would come back and yes we would recommend this place.

The service was really good, but the place looks a little tired (stained menus) and I believe the average quality sushi was overpriced. Most of their special rolls had tons of sauce or were deep fried, and the Nigiri was large but not excellent. Some people might like this style of sushi, but if you prefer traditional sushi look elsewhere.

I went here for the first time today and this is now my favourite Japanese restaurant in Calgary because their food actually tasted really good. I’ve never had salmon tempura and unagi tempura rolls anywhere else. I would definitely recommend this place, the price was good for the quality of food. Parking was a little hard to find though and you have to pay for it, although it’s only $2/hr.

By far my favourite sushi restaurant in Calgary!! Servers are super friendly and attentive. They name each piece of sushi when they deliver it. Delicious free appetizer. Beautifully plated and everything is super fresh. Atmosphere is warm and inviting. The portions are great for the $$. Two thumbs WAY up.

Great atmosphere; very calm. Quality of the fish can be hit and miss as with most sushi restaurants in Calgary. Parking is awkward to get to, and the closest lot requires payment. Price is reasonable - high mid range amongst sushi places in town.

Great sushi and a reasonable price. Did a pick up order and it was ready on time and the service was great :) Would get again! Photo of the party tray A

From Chicago, IL and there are only 2 places that compare to this. One is Roka Akor, the other was in Japan. This place has phenomenal food for a good price. Don't let the looks deceive you, the food is absolutely top notch. It's a must try if you love sushi, sashimi, and much more. Miso soup was the best I've had outside Japan. Just go!

Absolute great service by Christina and Theresa. The food is outstanding. If we go for Sushi that's the place to go to. Thank you Calvin for your outstanding cousin!

Love having these guys in the neighbourhood! I've been ordering from here and dining in for years and am always very happy with the friendly service and the quality of food. Party Tray A is our go-to for a basic takeout for 2-3 people. I usually walk, but the one time I did drive, parking was fine. There's some 2 hour parking in the neighbourhood (I'd suggest east of 14th) if you're concerned about pay parking.

Apart from the super slow service (not like it was that busy) the food was tasty. Got a parking ticket parking across the road at the car wash parking lot. And my gf also got a ticket paying for parking in the parkade next door. Kind of annoying. (Never had to pay at the car wash for parking before)

Outstanding service. Great food. Mellow ambiance. A quieter, pleasant alternative to our usual sushi haunts elsewhere in Calgary. We'll definitely be back.

Better than Globefish across the street. Really great service, need better drink selection.

Average

Every time that I have eaten here has been excellent.  The service is always good, and the sushi is fantastic.  We are continually trying different rolls here, and have never been disappointed.

I had lunch combo D because I was caught by the jumbo shrimp tempura. Yes, the shrimp tempura can count as jumbo size; however, it’s not the shrimp itself. It is NOT jumbo shrimp. I interpreted it so wrong. The tempura coating was very thick. <br/>How they use bowls and dishes is another interesting focus. They use general Japanese soup bowl for rice; and general Japanese rice bowl for soup. I think that they want to serve you more soup. They serve you less rice in a bowl because the combo includes enough sushi. In fact, they are quite thoughtful. On the other hand, I am not happy that they serve food with broken dishes. And the basket for tempura is unpleasant ( I think it’s not clean for food ) even though they use a tempura paper in between. <br/>The dish for tempura is unexpected small for dipping. As the coating is very thick, I think the sauce is not enough for all tempura. Luckily, I don’t want that much coating so the sauce is just enough.

L always order the chirashi ($18.99). The rice was fragrant with vinegar. Christina asked Calvin to give me two amaebi (raw spot prawns) as she knows this is my favourite sushi. When eaten raw, the prawn is sweet, creamy and crunchy.

I’ve been to Red Ember quite a few times now, and I’ve yet to be let down. The quality of food is always amazing, really pretty presentation doesn’t hurt the overall impression either. The staff is friendly and attentive. Yes, they get busy, and the service might not be the fastest, but I feel like it creates a nice alternative to most sushi places, where it sometimes seems like they just want you to eat and get out as quickly as possible.<br/><br/>I am a big fan of sashimi, and they offer a great variety of it. Pieces are rather large, which my husband and I sometimes forget about while ordering as you can see from the photo. This time we’ve had their hamachi sashimi (always incredible), and tried salmon belly and butter fish sashimi as well. The rolls are Volcano and Tropical Paradise - both incredibly tasty!<br/><br/>They also typically bring you an amuse-bouche as a nice surprise to start your meal. <br/><br/>If you don’t feel like sitting down, you can get takeout from there, which I’ve also been happy with so far.<br/><br/>Only suggestion I can make - and it’s the same one for all good Japanese restaurants here - is to expand their wine lists. It would be amazing to have a sushi place I can go to with friends and have some good quality sashimi with a glass of nice wine.

It's been awhile since I have been here. There is a paid parkade right beside the restaurant since there is no parking lots at the restaurant since it's right off Kensington. The food here was pretty good but the service was a miss. It was super slow and we had to ask for water and tea refills. Luckily we weren't in a rush cuz they hardly came to check on our table. Was able to make a reservation which was nice.

I'm not sure why the ratings are high here? My thoughts on the sushi was nice presentation but flavors were mediocre. The nigri portion size seemed much smaller than the sashimi. Some of the rice broke apart and fell to the ground when I tried picking up the sushi. I mean I've been practicing chopsticks since I was five so I'm pretty sure I know how to use them. For the sushi price I don't feel like the quality was there. I didn't see anything offered here that other places don't offer at a cheaper price. The service was not great as our order got mixed up with some items missing and others not what we requested.

Not sure why the 4.5 ratings on here because our experience tonight was far from that. Slow service. Food came out wrong. Forgot our scallop sushi. Too much rice on the rolls and to top it off, not the cheapest place for mediocre to below average sashimi and rolls. I don't mind paying premium prices for quality sushi but when you only have a chunk of rice wrapped around a shrimp tempura with small pieces of unagi, half an avocado and two drops of sauce...sorry not worth $15.95. I would like to mention though that the free salmon tempura appetizer was a nice touch. I just expected more in terms of service and in the quality of food for the price. Won't be coming back unfortunately.

Zomato are you kidding me with the 4.2 rating?! Our experience was so far from that.<br/>The ambiance is run down and cheap looking.<br/>The service was horrible! Our waitress didn't bring me a water for an hour after I asked for it. Our order was messed up. The food took forever to come out and the restaurant was only half full.<br/>The food itself was terrible. Our beef tataki was sliced too thick and was fatty. The deep fried soft shell crab was the worst I've ever had. Would you like some crab with your batter?! And waaaay too salty. Just gross. The sashimi was decent.<br/>Side note: Parking here sucks.<br/>No, I don't think we'll be back.

Absolutely loved it and wish we didn't wait so long to try this hidden gem! Everything was super fresh, the miso, tempura, rolls and sashimi were all very fresh and generous portions. The sample appetizer was a salmon tempura which was amazing! Very fresh and tasty. The staff/owners were super friendly and and very welcoming. We will definitely be back!

This particular sushi place was on my list so we decided to try it when we had a chance. We drove around a couple of times. If you blink you will miss it if you've never been there before. It was pretty quiet. The waitress was very friendly and interactive with kids. We had Ramen with salmon tempura. The broth was flavorful and the tempura was light crispy and very tasty. We also had the dragon roll. It was good but not really spectacular. Kid did not want to eat it due to sauce. We also had the maki roll combo which was also good. Kid also had an avocado roll which was Wolf down. My only complaints here are if we are going to eat at your establishment there should be free parking. The sign says customer but it's a pay parkade. The bathroom was nice and clean and roomy but no change table. Baby gets changed on the floor which could be a deterrent. Probably good place for date night and some of the other rolls.

Sushi here is very fresh especially the sashimi! My whole family and myself was very satisfied with the food there! It's a smaller place, but it was worth going to.

Went here for dinner last night. It's small and quiet but it's a great sushi restaurant. The pricing is pretty good too. There's paid visitors parking for the building accessible through the front.

great sushi place. The snapper wrap and salad is one of the best I get it every time. I absolutely love their salad dressing which goes to show the attention to detail they pay to all aspects of their menu!

I enjoyed our dinner here! The agedashi tofu is yummy and it was nice to get a free appetizer. Nice cuts of sushi and fresh. I will need to come back for the butterfish as it was sold out (so must be good). Had the Salmon belly nigiri and it was actually very soft in texture and delicious.. Kind of melted in my mouth.

Red Ember is a nice little place in Kensington! Tried the red ember roll, dragon roll and kamikaze roll and they were pretty good! The kamikaze roll did not feel too special tho. Seaweed salad was alright, had normal salad with it but would have preferred more seaweed salad by itself instead. Service was good as well!

The yam tempura, spicy tuna, and all of our other standby rolls are top notch at Red Ember. While I’ve enjoyed many of the rolls from the specialty section of the menu, you’ll rarely see me put in an order that doesn’t include my perennial favourite, the Mexican Roll. Filled with creamy crab salad, and topped with tender steamed shrimp, rich avocado, and a crunchy jalapeño kissed with a drop of hot sauce, each bite is perfectly balanced. The aburi nigiri, lightly seared fish or meat on rice, is another favourite, and while I’ve never tried it anywhere else, I can’t imagine a better beef version than the lightly charred, melt-in-your-mouth bites you’ll find at Red Ember.

My absolute favorite sushi place! <br/>I had one 'miss' meal here but I'd give them the benefit of the doubt as it was a busy Friday evening. <br/>The best unagi I've ever had here was on my first trip; the hamachi and sashimi are incredible. Everything melts in your' mouth and the tempura batter is on point. <br/>I've never tried any of the hot dishes; there's no need to! But that availability is a definite bonus if you plan to dine with anyone less interested in sushi. <br/>All items are beautifully handled and presented. <br/>I love this place; I hope it never changes! They have my support 100% .

This is our 'go-to' sushi place since Sushi Club closed. Party it's because we live close but we are very pleased with the sushi and service at Red Ember. I always think Tempura is a good test of Japanese restaurant and theirs is quite good, although not quite as good as Sushi Hiro. Portions are large, and if you pay cash they give you 10% off.

My fav sushi place in Calgary :) and not only because it's nearby. Great food and the staff are friendly and accomodating. The complimentary appy is always a nice touch.

It's Unfortunate that we often forget about this place because it's not in a very noticeable area. However, every time we do go, we thoroughly enjoy it. The battered dishes are all lightly battered with clean oil. The sashimi were served fresh and nicely cold. Tako wasabi was very refreshing as we could tell the cucumber was freshly chopped and maintained a nice crunch. I would definitely say this is a "hidden" gem as you really have to look out for it. There's pay parking right in the building for convenience.

Hello friends!  Feels like it’s been a while with the restaurant posts, but this will be short.  It’s been a while since John and I have been here.  We just got a few things since we had eaten earlier. Spicy Snapper Wrap- fresh Snapper wrapped with Spring vegetables and homemade hot sauce

It's been a while since we been here. We got the spicy snapper wraps, which weren't spicy at all. There were so many textures and different components that the taste of the snapper was lost, but I still enjoyed it. John felt there was more flavour after he removed the cucumber. The assorted sashimi wasn't bad but it wasn't fantastic either. The salmon sashimi was still a tad cold, borderline frozen in the center. The tuna did melt in your mouth though! The aburi salmon was not seared enough. More then half of the salmon was still raw. The kamikaze roll was decent as well. I was nervous that it would have been overwhelmed by mayo, which special scallop is usually made with, but there was a great balance. Overall, it was a busy and bustling Friday night with good company and pretty good food

One of my favourite places to go for sushi with my friends! The food is delicious, the prices are reasonable and the customer service is great!

I think this place is just about average. The chicken karaage is good, the sushi is ok and everything else is about the same. I don't go out of my way to come here but sometimes we get take out because they offer delivery, which is convenient.

This past week I finally got to meet up with a good friend of mine. We loved our first two visits to Red Ember so we decided to come again! The service here is always consistent and their food, well, is very good for Calgary’s standards (something more up my alley). We were given these sample appetizers on the house to try. It was salmon tempura and it was so good! I didn’t hear the server say it had salmon so I was expecting sweet potato given the orange colour that was peeking through the layer of tempura. The salmon was fresh and tasty, and had the nice flakes as well.

My husband brought me here for my birthday and overall I'd say it was better than what I expected.<br/><br/>For Calgary Alberta Prairies not even close in vicinity to an ocean standards, the sashimi was really fresh.<br/><br/>Our meal's positive highlights was that we ordered two of the large sashimi order (I think it had around 24 pieces each) they were a good assortment and the slices were thick and fresh. The tuna was amazing and I'm normally more of a salmon sashimi over rather than tuna. They included a few pieces of hamachi which was their special feature that night. Given that hamachi is usually more expensive I would have rather they left it out and instead substituted it with a cheaper cut as the hamachi tasted very fishy and was definitely not fresh. (I guess I learned my lesson to always ask them to exclude their special of the evening)<br/><br/>We ordered soft shell crab which I also regretted as it was crusted with I think bread crumbs which had a stale oil aftertaste and was hard to chew. I would have preferred light pano or tempura batter as the crust. The soft shell crab tasted a bit like sewage which I had to wash down with sake. (I guess I learn the hard way again to ask the server if it is frozen or only order it fresh when in season)<br/><br/>Overall though the sashimi was really good and i would definitely go again just for sashimi and nothing else.

Great variety of sushi rolls with fresh sashimi! People here are friendly and are quick to help you. Food is presented very well and is much better than many of the sushi restaurants in town. Would recommend their specialty rolls- they're packed with flavour and texture!

probably my favourite sushi restaurant in the city. if i had to describe it in one word, all i'd be able to say is, "hghhhh".<br/><br/>it's very hole in the wall and is in a large red brick building, so it's easy to pass it by. <br/><br/>great service, food presentation, and food quality. you can really tell that quite a bit of thought goes into how the food is presented to you! waiters are very attentive and accomodating, and know how to make some nice recommendations. sashimi cuts are clean, have good variety, and the portions are very substanial. the tuna in particular is buttery, and doesn't have the prominent freezer burn taste (which, in my opinion, is a huge plus). as a person really big on sashimi, i always order ther 24 pc sashimi. larger sushi rolls stay together if eaten in more than one bite, and they have good, creative house rolls. <br/><br/>it's clear that many of the customers that go to red ember are frequenters (them getting greetings from the chef as indication), and the place really has a warm, friendly atmosphere in addition to it's good store ambience.<br/><br/>all in all, the ambience is great, the fish is fresh, the service is nice, and to top it all off, they have one rad bathroom.

UPDATE MAR 2016:<br/>soooo i decided to give red ember another try despite not having the best experience before... but a lot of ppl said good things bout it and im open minded so i was like kkkkkkk it better be gucci this time... and it was!! we got the red dragon roll, volcano roll, tiger eye roll, and takoyaki! all of em were bless. i would say the tiger eye stood out the most and would definitely get it again. service was also really good cause the waitress was super friendly. we got a complimentary mini appetizer which was cute. sooooo i would come back again. <br/><br/>before:it took 3 tries to eat at red ember.. the first time we couldnt find a free parking space (note: parking is super weird here and costs money idek); the second time it was closed (so go look at their hours before getting down there) and the third time we finally made it... the foood wasnt bad but it didnt stand out all too much for me! its a cute lil place tho.

Check your bill when paying. I made a mistake not to look at the bill more closely so didn't know that tip had been added which was usual so I tipped another 15% - on the tip itself again. Restaurant should let customers know that tip has been added on.

Relaxed atmosphere. Not rushed!!. I went here with my cousin today for lunch. We went closer to the end of lunch service. I was expecting to be rushed out but we were not.<br/>We got the Kamikaze roll, the lunch special & the Yam roll.<br/>Everything was good except the Dynamite roll the shrimp was not as fresh. <br/>I would recommend friends for sure next time.

OUR FAV. My boyfriend always ordered pick up from here... and on valentines 2014 he took me. Ever since we try to go once a week. It is so romantic, such a good atmosphere, and the service is amazing. We have been here at least 30-40 times and not once have I had a bad experience. we even went for new years and the service was Still amazing. redember has created many special memories for us and i recommend it to everyone I know. The waitress with the short hair is the best. Cannot say enough good things, it's a great place to take a first date!!!!! Make reservations though is can be full as there are only about 15 tables in the whole place if you are feeling extra romantic reserve the big corner booth. OH and make sure you try the tempura green tea ice cream.

Not authentic and dirty. If you don't care about your well being after eating the raw food, this is the place for you.<br/>plates were so dirty, I tried not to use it at all.<br/>Portion was nice, but it was a bit over priced for the taste. ($80 for two)<br/>It wasn't real sushi, instead the raw fish on top of the piece of rice.<br/>It may be personal, but I would not have gone to place, if I knew that chef was chinese.<br/>Not authentic at all, far away from real sushi.

Re: AMAZING all around. This is my first dinner at Red Ember and it will not be my last. The service was exceptional to begin with. The sashimi was fresh and the portions were substantial. We had a couple of spicy tuna and salmon rolls and the "real" crab california roll that was simply awesome. For the price the food was excellent. The atmosphere is inviting and simple. The bathroom was very clean and this by my standards makes or breaks a place. <br/><br/>Overall I highly recommend going here for the food, service and overall experience.

Excellent from start to finish. Perfect setting for catching up with friends. Great service. Sashimi melts in mouth. New favourite Japanese!

This is my second review. N.... This is my second review.<br/>Nevermind on fresh fish.<br/>Disgusting fish. Very old and dry.<br/>The udon soup is just hot water.<br/>Agedashi tofu was still good.<br/>I would not go back.<br/>The server is very nice.<br/><br/><br/>-----17 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>Agedashi tofu is awesome. F.... Agedashi tofu is awesome.<br/>Fish are fresh - nigiris are good.<br/>The rolls are okay but they taste too blend (different rolls but taste the same) and also they have too much rice.<br/>The sauce for spicy chirashi is not good (needs more vinegar and sugar - gochujang is too dominate). Also tastes too blend.<br/>If I go back again,<br/>I would just order sashimi & nigiris and the agedashi tofu.<br/>Presentation of food is nicely done.<br/>The place looks clean but plates and cutlery are dusty.<br/>The server was really nice.

Amazing. We eat at Red Ember at least twice a month- we live in beltline and drive over faithfully to have a fill of Red Embers' sashimi, amazing rolls, and the great service provided by Christine. The staff are very kind, and the fish is always fresh. It's become a staple visit for when guests come stay with us. Ohh and if you like Gyoza, you should have it here, the dumplings are never overdone :)

We've tried at least 20 sushi restaurants in Calgary, and this has been our favorite so far. Well worth a visit if you appreciate good sushi. Great service to boot.

Great sushi. This might be my favorite sushi restaurant in Calgary

Yeaaaars. Ive been coming here since it opened and its always amazing. Congrats to the chef and owners, keep it up guys!

Tropical Roll. Amazing food. must try.

My favorite place!. My favorite place in town! <br/>Trust me, you won't regret having dinner here.<br/>The service is great, the taste is even better!<br/>Also, it is a perfect place for date night!!

Oh sooo good. Went here in a large group served promptly and with care. Loved everything on our table. Even made it special for the kids! Just a great experience!!

Does urbanspoon allow for double thumbs up?. This was probably one of my best experiences in Calgary for sushi!! And I've been in Calgary for 25 years!! <br/><br/>Our waitress Ren was very nice and very attentive. She checked on us frequently throughout the meal to make sure that everything was ok. <br/><br/>The Chicken Karaage was amazing with their house special sauce (it looked like Italian dressing). All the rolls and sashimi we ordered were super yummy too! <br/><br/>Thanks Ren for making our night a good experience. We'll be back soon!

Awesome food. This is my second time here and the food still taste so good! Definitely recommend the sashimi and red ember roll. The food was presented nicely, atmosphere was relaxing.

Love this place!. I typically don't dine in - but it is a lovely, clean and comfortable setting. I'm pretty fussy about my sushi and I am never disappointed. Fresh, delicious and creative. The service is friendly and timely. Highly recommended!!

Authentic Japanese Restaurant. Dined here last night. Service was perfect, and the sushi was very fresh and generously portioned. The space is very clean and nicely decorated and I loved the Japanese plates and bowls. We really appreciated the complimentary appetizers, too, a very nice touch. My only suggestions are: the tempura shrimp in our dynamite roll tasted stale, like it had been cooked the day before, and the Korean noodle dish was bland tasting and could have used more color, maybe some green vegetables? It was just a bit boring. But we did like everything else, and the warm welcome from our servers will bring us back.

So Good. As much as possible, Red Ember has filled the hole in my heart that Sushi Club left when they shut down. I have enjoyed everything that I've had so far, but the menu item that I keep coming back for is definitely the mexican roll. It is so unbelievably good....

Incredible Food & Service. My favorite sushi in town, and very reasonably priced. Every time I go out for sushi, and I don't go to Red Ember, I regret it. Highly recommend it to anyone.

Best Service for Sushi Place. Have had:<br/>- Various Nigiri/Sashimi<br/>- Edamame<br/>- Red Ember Roll<br/>- Dragon Roll<br/>- Red Dragon Roll<br/>- Tiger Eye Roll<br/>- Rainbow Roll<br/>- Tropical Paradise Roll<br/><br/>Pros:<br/>- Never been dissatisfied with anything purchased, had different rolls multiple times<br/>- If you are aquaman, you can eat here (filled my glass 5 times without me having to ask)<br/>- Amazing Cajun Prawn and Maguro White (Well Albacore is always awesome...)<br/>- Very friendly service and servers very knowledgeable.<br/>- Deep friend rolls are not to oily somehow<br/>- Always complimentary appetizers<br/>- Very nice ambiance (Not to noisy, nice music, nice decor)<br/>- Great presentation of dishes every time<br/><br/>Cons:<br/>- A bit on the pricey side (For two, typically approx $60-70)<br/>- Could not find free parking, the parking beside the restaurant is pay parking<br/>- Red Ember roll is 5 different types, would be nice to have multiple of one type offered.

Great!. Amazing flavour! Great people, great service...simply perfect.

The atmosphere and service were great. The food presentation was great. However the Red Amber lost points with me on the food itself. The rice on the rolls was over cooked with a very mushy texture. The sashimi was cut a little too thick, but that could be a personal preference. I was disappointed in the sushi from Red Amber

Ambiance and service was great as always. Besides the fact that the plate was dirty, the spoon was chiped, and it took a while to order, everything was great. The food was great as always it had great flavour. The spicy tuna rolls were great but it was pretty spicy compared to most times. I love everything about this restaurant, it is one of my favourite sushi restaurants. I definitely recommend for special occasions and for days when you just want some good sushi.

Funky and trendy decor. Great service! Food was okay. Plating was nice but the rolls were a bit sloppy. Avocado on rainbow roll looked horrible and mushy, fish was a bit wet, rice needs a bit of work.

Delicious. Great place for lunch! Food is quick, and very delicious. Atmosphere is relaxing as well. For sure a great place to bring a date, and the staff are amazing!<br/><br/><br/>Definitely will recommend friends and family!

Red Ember is the Bomb. What I've tried: Ikakaraage, Sashimi, Red ember roll, Dragon Roll, Red Dragon, Flames Roll, Rainbow roll<br/>What I recommend: Sashimi(Thick fresh cuts), Rainbow roll(tuna/salmon/redsnapper/prawn all in one, and pretty much all of them.<br/>Ambiance is intimate with wonderfully attentive servers. The Chef you could tell was very particular with presentation and the unique flavors and sauces make one sing! <br/>This is my favorite sushi place at the moment in Calgary, close second if not tied is Big Catch but only because of location!

Liars. Called to order delivery, and was told they do not deliver. I felt embarrassed over the phone.

Calgary's best kept secret.. This little Japanese cuisine is the best in the biz. Every dish I have ever enjoyed from their menu has been second to none. Everything from taste, to visual, to freshness of each dish has made this little restaurant stand out among the best in the city. Amazing staff and service. Get here early as seating is limited and all the good stuff is sold out fast. That's how you know each day, every ingredient is prepared fresh.

Great taste and presentation. The staff were very courteous and attentive. I enjoyed the dishes VERY much. Would have been better with the TV NOT showing Poker and CBC MOVIE. The background music was annoying. Suggest compliment GREAT FOOD and service with music and visuals to compliment the restaurant.

Amazing!. Just recently decided to try out this little place hidden on 14th Ave and I must say the few times I have been here I have really enjoyed my stay!<br/><br/>Ambiance: Seemed a little small; expected a bigger place from all the hype. Humble little restaurant. Cute.<br/><br/>Food: Their rolls are amazing, as well as their sashimi! Their food presentation is on point, which was the main reason why this place caught my eye from floating pictures on the net. They give big/generous pieces of sashimi, I usually order the salmon and toro. My favourite roll would have to be the kamikazee roll, seriously bomb dot com.<br/><br/>Service: Service is pretty good, they are super friendly and genuine which is something I look for in waitresses/waiters at any restaurant.<br/><br/>I conclude that this place has grown on me since day one. I could almost say this restaurant could be my new favourite or one of my all time favourites already. I will be coming here way more often in the near future!

Very Delicious!. I have been there a few time and I found that what I ordered was very tasty and very well presented. The gyoza was very good, and all the rolls were very fresh and had alot of different flavours. The service was really good, the waitress provided explanations of all the different rolls and what was in them. I have not much sashimi but ive heard it was very good and fresh. Im mosty a roll kinda guy and for that reason its the best sushi place ive ever been too. I would recommend it to anyone.

Great customer service, okay food. My friend and I came here for lunch and it was completely empty from the time we arrived till the time we left. I found that to be a little strange considering all the positive reviews.<br/>Christina was our server and she was awesome! Very friendly and attentive. When our food came out she described each dish to us too. I thought that was really sweet of her.<br/>The food itself is okay, nothing special really. The presentation was nice.<br/>We shared a takoyaki and my friend loved it but to me it just tasted like the typical frozen ones. My friend ordered a sashimi and sushi combo and I had a sashimi and teriyaki beef combo. All lunch combos come with soup and salad.<br/>The beef teriyaki was good, a little sweet but nothing a bit of soy sauce can't fix. The sashimi that I had was okay. It wasn't the best or the worst I have ever had, but again, I was expecting better from all the reviews here.<br/>My friend also agreed that his sushi and sashimi combo wasn't anything spectacular either. <br/>I will give this place a try again, eventually, if I'm ever in the area.<br/>I feel like I didn't try enough menu items to fully judge, but from what I did have I would rather go elsewhere for.

Disappointed.. I love sushi and was excited to try Red Ember based on the reviews here. The restaurant was very quiet the night that we went and the service was good for an Asian restaurant. The restaurant looks to be newly renovated and has a pleasant atmosphere. <br/>Unfortunately, the food was not nearly as good as I hoped. The gyoza was very mediocre - greasy, broken wrappers, almost bland. The sushi was okay. The tuna sashimi was pretty good and they have some very well imagined rolls if you like the globefish-style maki.<br/>One of their specials that night was salmon belly sashimi. It was definitely not fresh and was the grossest salmon belly I've ever had. It tasted like it had gone off. When a sushi joint can't even consistently have fresh fish in sashimi where it is OBVIOUS if the fish is old, I cannot trust their rolls, where old fish can be hidden among layers of mayonaise, spicy sauce, mango, etc...

Red Ember. One of my favorite sushi restaurant in Calgary. Their service is always top notch! The sushi is always amazing and fresh. Every time I venture downtown to Red Ember, my must-order are their salmon tempura and their Mexican roll.

Nothing special. I normally only visit urban spoon to check out new places to try, and normally do not contribute to the reviews myself. However, I felt inclined to write one this time. Based on all the positive reviews, I was really excited to try this place out. Unfortunately, it failed to impress! We started off with the takoyaki which was cold and soggy (they tasted like the frozen, store-bought versions). The beef tataki was cut too thick, and simply did not taste like beef tataki at all! It was bland, and the pieces of meat tasted slightly burned. We also ordered two of their rolls, which were decent but nothing to write home about.<br/><br/>Overall, i was quite underwhelmed with this place. The sushi was OKAY, but the appetizers were very disappointing.

ALWAYS ALWAYS GO TO RED EMBER FOR SUSHI. We have been going to Red Ember for about 2 years now and have never been disappointed!! Christina is always kind and courteous. She recognizes us when we come in and we feel welcome. I have never been disappointed by their food or service. When we try other places, they leave us comparing back to red ember. Prices are good, portions are great. All I can say is we love you guys!

I don't know what the person with the negative comment is talking about red ember not being fresh. Sakana grill and sushi bbq inn is nothing compared to red ember. Their fish is extremely fresh. I came here a couple days ago with my sister for the first time and at first I thought it was taking a little longer than expected to get our food but once we got the food I could see it was totally worth the wait! Such beautiful prentation and everything was absolutely delicious! My sis and I love eating really spicy so we asked for them to make everything extra spicy. The waitress was so sweet as well even brought us extra hot sauce and jalepenos without asking for them. Everytime we come in she gives us a dish of hot sauce and jalepenos because she remembers we like spice! I would definately recommend this place to everybody who loves sushi!

Terrible. Ignore the shills. I went to Red Ember a few months ago and wasn't going to write a review, but it really bugs me when bad places get a lot of positives from 1 review wonders. Even more so when they go out of their way to post negative reviews of their much better and more deserving competition.<br/><br/>When it comes to sushi restaurants, price point and reviews set the expectation of whether you're going to get top quality sushi like Sushi Club, Wa's, and Zipang, or a cheap fill, like Sakana Grill, Sushi Tokyo, or Sushi BBQ Inn.<br/><br/>We went in with high expectations, only to be highly disappointed. Seeing Toro and Hamachi belly on the "fresh catch" board, we knew we had to order it. But unlike the buttery melt in your mouth toro we get at other high end sushi restaurants, we got blobs of fish that looked like they were hacked up with a dull cleaver, held together by strings of chewy sinew. The Hamachi belly tasted like any regular hamachi, nothing that would have demanded the premium that the fatty belly slices should get.<br/><br/>Everything else was very mediocre, right down to the typical flavorless jello-like salmon that you get at other low end sushi restaurants.<br/><br/>This place belongs squarely with the likes of low rent all you can eat joints, only they charge double the price.<br/><br/>Pass.

Great sushi spot!!. IMO-best sushi i've had in Calgary, by far. The rolls were super fresh and not that expensive relatively speaking. And way better than the over-hyped sushi club. I shall be a repeat customer to this place!

Best in town! Good sushi and best service!!!

Red Ember is the best sushi restaurant you can find in Calgary, it is affordable and the service is great. the food is amazing, words cannot describe the taste of it

Best Sushi in Calgary!. This is the best sushi spot I have found in Calgary and I have eaten at many (globefish, tenshi, kinjo, etc...). The service is friendly and attentive. The presentation and attention to detail is spectacular. The food tastes great. All that is missing is an amazing shrimp sunomono, but I have yet to find a good one in Calgary. Overall, well done!

Amazing Sushi!. Just had my first experience at Red Ember. WOW! the sashimi was so fresh it melted in your mouth, and the tiger roll was my absolute fave. This place is a good if not better than Globe Fish!

Great Service. Often grab take out from here for lunch. Always fresh and always great service!!

Cajun prawn OMFG!!!. Absolutely fantastic. Been here 4x, today got the cajun prawn and the flames roll- both were effing orgasmic, best rendition of cajun prawn I've had in Calgary or in any city really. Bug chunks of prawn meat look like lobster and taste like it too- unctuous, perfect. Flames roll is a much better spin on the crazy buster at globefish but with more fish and tempura prawn, crazy good. Rice? It's fantastic, best in town.<br/><br/>Why the hell this place only has a 72% like rating must be because people are confusing it with the inferior Sushi Kai it replaced. Red Ember is now right up there with El's for me for my favourite sushi in YYC.

We decided to try this place after a recommendation from a friend. We had a superb meal with top notch service. The server was very attentive and the service was probably the best we've ever recieved at a Japanese restaurant. The sushi was excellent and very fresh. Their rolls were also very creative. Their tempura was fried perfectly, light and crispy. We will definitely be returning!

Beautiful, creative presentation and excellent service! Our new favourite for sushi.

Good in every way. Hubby took me here for Mother's Day dinner since I've been telling him about this new Japanese restaurant. For a Saturday night, the restaurant was quite empty and still didn't fill up after we left. As we walked in, we noted the restaurant was Chinese managed (not a problem). Our server was super friendly and provided superb service throughout the night.<br/><br/>After learning their catch of the day, we were given a few minutes to review the menu. Unsure of what to really order, hubby got the chirashi with Korean spicy sauce (his safe choice). I got the 10 piece chef's choice nigiri, a couple of rolls for us to share, and two pieces each of the Hokkaido scallop (special), hamachi and unagi surprise. A sample of salmon tempura was brought out to us on the house. Nicely battered and crispy, it was delicious but I'm not a fan of fish tempura.<br/><br/>My assorted nigiri came out first. Good amount of fish over a small amount of rice. Everything tasted pretty good and standard but you can see some creativity from the chef (sliver of avocado over smoked salmon). The best piece, and most pleasant surprise was the lightly seared ika. I hate ika. I can't stand how chewy it is and never order it. The way it's prepared here, and this is just my guess is they make tiny cuts across the fish, then lightly top it with sauce and sear it (or the other way around). This works so well bc I've never had ika that was smooth and tender. I'm not kidding. I would order this again!<br/><br/>Our two rolls along with the specially picked pieces of nigiri arrived next. Very impressive. I gave my unagi surprise to my toddler and he loved it! I then tried the hamachi and really liked how fresh it was. Again, giant piece of fish. Good fish to rice ratio. Hubby tackled the giant Hokkaido scallop and said wow... it was big, fresh, and had a pleasant sweetness to it. Yum. Another must order again item. The rolls... I can't seem to remember much about them (not that they were forgettable - it has been a while) but they were delicious. I do love how the kamikaze one had a ton of scallops inside it! And the red dragon roll had nice seared salmon on top of it. Hubby's chirashi arrived last - this was a bit different. Instead of pieces of fish on top of rice, there were four-five different kinds of fish chopped finely over veggies and rice served with the Korean spicy sauce. You're supposed to spoon the sauce over and mix it up to eat. Kind of Korean style I guess? Regardless, even though the fish selection was nothing special the Korean sauce was absolutely tasty.<br/><br/>At this point we were stuffed but quite satisfied. Our server came to check on us periodically. She actually came by to check hubby's teapot to see if it was hot enough and went to refill hot water without us asking. Then came by again to fill hubby's cup. I don't remember ever having this kind of service in Calgary, ever. Prices were very reasonable. I hope they can keep up on their quality of food and service as I'd love to eat here more often! I will definitely return!<br/><br/><br/>-----13 May, 2012-----<br/><br/>Extremely fresh. Hokkaido scallops had a sweetness to it that is not normally found with regular scallops.

Creative and delicious sushi. Before you die you have to try the "unagi surprise" nigiri- it's on the separate sushi menu not the laminated dinner menu. Unbelievably delicious.

Excellent experience overall =). I had a great experience for lunch here so I came back for dinner. Again, I was fully satisfied with the persistent excellent quality of food and service. The food was elegantly decorated and the fish was really fresh. The server is knowledgeable and served my friends and I in a friendly and passionate manner. Would come back for lunch and dinner again for sure!

Sashimi Heaven. I had been advised in advance by a friend to try the sashimi. I wasn't disappointed. Godzilla-sized and delicious, the presentation elegant, this was sashimi done to perfection!

Wonderful Dinner. The sushi was wonderful and well decorated! I also liked the Tako Kimchi which was very well done too. The prices are reasonable, and the place is very clean which is important too. I would came back again for sure.

Talented Chef. The Head Chef is amazing. I had the privilege to watch his work, and he would only have the best ingredients for his customers. He is dedicated to his art! Highly recommended!!

Tasty combo lunch. Popped along to this new restaurant in town for lunch with friends - enjoyed one of their combo lunch specials - the Sushi & Tempura special. <br/><br/>Fresh fish on the sushi, right amount of crisp tempura batter on the veggies, well presented, hot enjoyable miso soup, good service.<br/><br/>Looking forward to returning in the evening to try more of the menu.

Each roll was delicious as expected. I enjoyed the traditional use of the siracha for the spicy tuna roll and the crab mix was perfect in the California roll, barring the unripen mango but its winter in Calgary so that was a given. I quite enjoyed the rolls off their signature menu, especially the Mexican Roll, featuring steamed prawns, crab meat, avocado all topped with jalapeno and spicy mayo.

All in all, the service was really friendly and the ambiance of the restaurant was quite nice, but the food, though beautifully plated, was only average in taste and value. I was definitely disappointed that prices had gone up so noticeably in such a short time, and without being updated on the restaurant’s website, which is a pet peeve of mine. For $60 between two people, I’d expected a lot more. Perhaps I simply hadn’t ordered the right things, but based on this visit, I can’t say I’d make a special trip to come here again.<br/>

My co-worker was raving about the sashimi here and I thought it would be a great spot for a double date this past Saturday. I seem to have to get my sushi fix once a week and I think it's more fun eating sushi with more than two people because you get to try more. We were really impressed with the food and service on Saturday night- great sushi and I will definitely be back. I've seemed to ban Globefish as I think it's too trendy/not the best compared to what else this city has to offer. Here's what we had in Kensington at 609 14th Street NW.<br/>

My visit on this night reminded me why Red Ember is my favorite Japanese restaurant and I always have a positive dining experience here. There’s no other restaurant where I walk in and be greeted by name (ok… maybe at a few Chinese restaurants) and be treated like royalty during the entire dinner.

Red Ember is one of my top favorite restaurants for sushi.  They have consistent good food, the server Christina is super polite and courteous and the prices are very fair for the portions.  I have introduced this place to friends and family and they all love it!

I’ve been meaning to visit this place since the last sushi restaurant that was here closed. The restaurant wasn’t full, so the server was attentive. The decor is interesting, the walls were a nice shade of red.  Everything was nice, except that the tables were covered in brown paper that curled on the ends. Makes it look a bit cheesy. We were served an amuse bouche on the house before the appetizers arrived. It was a sashimi salad with cucumber. Delicious! I ordered the wakame salad to start. I was suprised; it came on a bed of lettuce with tomato on the side. It was definitely a bigger serving then I expected.   I also ordered a piece of aburi sushi. It had a nice sear on the top. My entree was the chirashi sushi, which would have been big enough for two. Except that I just finished a day of snowshoeing and had no problem consuming the entire thing myself. The fish was delicious and artfully presented. I will be coming back to try the rest of the menu. Amuse Bouche Wakame Salad Chiras

...... Red Ember is a smaller restaurant, but the size is advantageous as it creates a very sensual, even romantic atmosphere. An elegant blend of dark reds and blacks combine with lighting as dim as candles to set the tone for the night, whether that be just with family, friends, colleagues or perhaps your significant other. Besides the atmosphere, the service is just impeccable. Our server was extremely helpful and on top of what had to be done; our tea cups and water were filled when empty in the blink of an eye. Red Ember was almost full so I commend our server for doing such a great job and really sealing the deal for us to come back again. Ou

I quite enjoyed the rolls off their signature menu, especially the Mexican Roll, featuring steamed prawns, crab meat, avocado all topped with jalapeno and spicy mayo. I really like spicy food and tend to gravitate towards sushi rolls that provide that bit of zing. It’s also rare to find the steamed prawns rather than tempura prawns which also makes the roll a slightly healthier choice (minus the spicy mayo).