3 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

Banff's newest sushi restaurant was designed to feel like a mix between a 1970s ski lodge and a traditional Japanese restaurant with wood paneling in the main dining area and a long sushi bar; private karaoke rooms are in the back. The menu has classics like miso soup, tempura, and a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi, and ramen alongside more inventive fare like cheeseburger gyoza, oshi (press) sushi, hand roll tacos, and build-your-own bao buns. The Japanese BBQ menu highlights Alberta beef and chicken. This restaurant celebrates happy hour daily, with the exception of holidays and long weekends, between 4-5 pm with half-price sushi and discounted drinks and ramen.

This is slow food at its best, with just one chef and one server and patrons sitting either at tables along the perimeter or at the small bar, watching the sushi as it's prepared à la minute. Tatsuhiko Okazaki, the owner and chef, is famous for fashioning tantalizing combinations from the freshest ingredients. Try the Jasper Roll, made with crab meat and shrimp and served with a spicy sauce. Sapporo beer and sake complement chef Okaki's creations perfectly. Only about a dozen people can fit in this sushi bar at once. Reservations—only possible for the earliest seatings, at 6 and 6:30—should be made well in advance.

An izakaya is the Japanese version of a British pub or a Spanish tapas bar, and this one is extraordinary. The vibe is Tokyo underground and though it’s authentic Japanese fare, the specialty here is grilled meats and vegetables, particularly yakitori (skewered chicken). Creative cocktails and a nice selection of sake and Japanese whiskey round out the experience.