Quick Eats: Wa's Japanese, Calgary AB

Wa's is well known in Calgary for their uber fresh fish and authentic Japanese style, but I view it as a treat rather than a regular occurrence as the dinnertime prices definitely reflect the quality. On a recent Saturday, though, a friend wanted to meet for lunch. Located conveniently just off 16 Ave, Wa's is decorated rather traditionally inside. We were seated in the covered patio-like area, allowing us to enjoy the ample sunshine and do some people-watching. When the waitress brought the lunch menu, I was surprised that the prices were so much lower than the dinnertime menu. I spent a long time debating whether I had stomach space for the chirashi lunch - $16 for udon noodles, salad, and a large selection of sashimi served over rice. Finally deciding I probably couldn't finish both noodles and rice, I decided on the sashimi lunch - $14 for a small side dish, miso soup, salad, sashimi, and rice.

Sashimi lunch - there was a small noodle salad included as the side dish, but I was a bit over-eager and dug in before I remembered to take a picture

Can you believe all this was only $14?! The side dish (a vermicelli noodle salad), salad, and miso soup were all quite standard, but I was so impressed by the sashimi. It was beautifully plated with the black dish for contrast, and the pieces of sashimi were thick and deliciously fresh. My favorites were the tuna and scallop. Though stuffed to the brim, I couldn't leave even one piece of sashimi behind because it was that good. I was glad I hadn't gone with the chirashi lunch - my friend had opted for it and had considerably more difficulty than me finishing off her plate. 

I highly recommend giving Wa's a try, but as mentioned before their dinner menu is priced a bit on the higher side. If you're on a budget, definitely stop by for lunch - they are open Tuesday to Saturday, and their full menu can be viewed here (looks like it was updated in 2008, so I am not sure how accurate it really is).