Sushi is the best tour food. Compared to other typical road staples - pizza, fast food, gas station miscellany - sushi fills the belly without being heavy or gassy or bloating, which are all the things one needs to avoid before getting onstage and yelling for a half hour.
Before a show in Calgary this week, my band happened upon Sho, a relatively new and elegant urban sushi restaurant near the Chinook Mall. We had no idea what we were in for, which turned out to be some of the best sushi any of us had ever experienced.
Yeah, so we’re not your average punk band. As soon as we saw fresh oysters on the menu we snatched them up right away. Turns out just a tiny bit of wasabi is a perfect accompaniment along with fresh lemon juice.
This was a salad of smoked duck, pea shoots, fresh tomato slices and a ginger vinaigrette. Nice balance of flavours, with the sharp veggies and sour dressing nicely complimenting the rich smoky meat.
Normally gomae doesn’t get a lot of attention, but even this staple was done better than anywhere I’ve ever had. That’s the kind of place this is.
Now, the rolls. This is where the magic really happened. We only had two, but they were incredible, the first topped with grilled lobster tail and black tobiko, while the second was the most jacked spicy tuna roll I’ve ever had. There are almost no words; both rolls were such perfectly constructed morsels of succulence that the whole table was stunned. I’ve had sushi from Tokyo to West Hollywood, and I’ve never been so surprised by a roll before.
A few other treats that made their way to the table were a tuna-stuffed avocado that was tempura-fried, some piece of toro nigiri, and some small wonton cups filled with chopped scallop and roe.
If you’re passing through Cow Town, skip the steak and hit up this joint, it’s incredible.
