Cranbrook Sushi – Crazy Good Value in the Rockies

Hola Bloggies:

Lately, it seems the Fiancé and I have made it our mission to try all the sushi restaurants in the Canadian Rockies. Don’t worry . . . there aren’t too many so we should be able to manage just fine.

For tonight’s dinner we ended up heading to a place called Cranbrook Sushi; a very recent addition to the market. And while this particular restaurant may be in a non-descript strip mall they’ve done a great job remodelling the interior.

 

While we perused the menu we were offered complimentary hot or cold green tea. This may not seem like a big deal except that many sushi places in the Canadian Rockies will charge almost $3 for tea.

Truthfully we were somewhat overwhelmed by their awesome menu. The sushi rolls were exceedingly cheap (with most rolls under $5) and the cooked food selection looked amazing. In an attempt to sample the menu I chose one of their set dinners while the Fiancé decided to order rolls.

We ended up massively over ordering. This was mostly due to an assumption that given the price the rolls would be very small. Not so amigos. Next time (because there will definitely be a next time) we will order considerably less.

The first thing that came out of the kitchen was a complimentary rice and yam chowder. It was very delicate in taste and beautifully presented. A really nice touch!

The shrimp rolled in green stuff is a dish the restaurant calls Rollie Rollie. Essentially, a deep fried prawn covered with your choice of noodles. The Fiancé chose cha soba (gree tea flavoured soba noodles) and proclaimed the dish to be really good. Not too greasy and a good value appetizer.

Another complimentary dish. This time miso soup. I like complimentary. It’s a good price!

From there on in the food just seemed to come out in waves. By the end I was scared every time the waitress came out of the kitchen. I was afraid the dish would be for our table. Usually it was. Eeeek!

I’ll let the pictures tell the tale.

 

That would be the box part of my set menu. I tried a bit of everything and while the tempura was light and crispy and the miso soup was good, the fish really stole the show! I loved the gunkan (a boat shaped sushi roll) and the nigiri sushi. My gunkan had some chopped raw salmon, a bottom of rice, and a little layer of spicy sauce in between. While my nigiri sushi was perfectly fresh and delicate. Then there was the grilled black cod; a small piece but just enough to make me ooh and aaaah.

 

Next came the sukiyaki which is basically a combination of meat, broth, veggies, and tofu cooked at your table. I loved the earthenware containers that concealed the little canister that cooked the ingredients. Excellent presentation.

Traditionally the sukiyaki meat is passed through a fresh cracked egg and then eaten beside either rice or noodle. I shared this portion of my meal the Fiancé. We both loved the flavours of the meat. It was another highlight of an already great meal.

Just when I thought the meal was finally over the waitress brought out a cone roll. Apparently it was part of my meal. I was going to say I couldn’t possibly finish anything else and then I realized it was a chopped scallop temaki (cone sushi). Since it wasn’t that big I sacrificed myself and finished the meal. Ha!

 

The Fiancé who had a selection of their rolls proclaimed them to be great albeit too much food. But that’s our fault and not the restaurant. In retrospect we would stay away from the Cranbrook roll (pictured above) given that it’s way too much food and eats like a meal. Instead, we would stick to one or two small rolls.

Overall we were really happy with our experience at Cranbrook Sushi. The service was excellent and the food fantastic bang for your buck. Next time we would order only one or two dishes rather than a wider selection. Bottom line? I would definitely recommend Cranbrook Sushi to anyone passing by the East Kootenay region of the Canadian Rockies.

 

Question? Have you ever accidentally over-ordered at a restaurant?