Restaurant Review: Shōjō Izakaya
SHŌJŌ IZAKAYA 10425 121st Street | shojoizakaya.com Instagram: @shojoyeg Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
Izakayas have been around in Edmonton for a while now and there is no disputing their rise in popularity. What's not to love? A Japanese bar with great drinks and also amazing food? Count me in! When Shōjō Izakaya appeared on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list for having a Favourite Patio I was sure to pay them a visit in the summer to take full advantage. Did you know that a Shōjō is a mythical Japanese spirit that has a fondness for alcohol? And it frolics along the mountainous coasts of Japan? (He's on the restaurant's logo and he's super cute.) I was about to learn all this and more on my Saturday evening visit. You'll find Shōjō Izakaya in one of Edmonton's coolest areas; the Brewery District in Oliver. The restaurant is made even more mysterious by its basement location, down a flight of stairs underneath the stand-alone brick building that houses both Wilfred's and Made by Marcus. ...Little did you know that there's a hidden izakaya underneath it all! Descending the stairs, you will be deposited into the patio area which is well-appointed with umbrellas, greenery, and string lights hanging from everywhere (I could easily imagine how magical this would look when it's dark out). The fact that the patio is underground also does quite a good job of protecting it from the elements, which is nice. Inside, the restaurant itself is moody with dark wood, concrete, and tiles. The most striking aspect of the space is the large Nihonga-style mural of a mountain range - simply gorgeous. I grabbed a table outside on the patio since it was a beautiful summer's day and I wanted to take full advantage. Our server was very friendly, easy-going, and made us feel welcome. Each day, Shōjō offers a Happy Hour from 5-6pm (and also any time after 9pm). This is a great time to visit because many of their popular food items are cheaper and there are lots of drink specials as well. You've gotta order a boozy beverage at an izakaya! I loved that they've got seasonal cocktails inspired by Sailor Moon at the moment (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury) and also zero-proof drinks on-theme as well (Chibi Moon, Artemis). Of course there is also an extensive list of saké, shochu, and Japanese whisky available as well. But I knew immediately that Kiss From A Rose ($15.00) was my drink. The other beverages at my table included the Summer Sodie and the Ube Cream Soda. Each of them were beautiful!
I was absolutely right, however, that Kiss From A Rose was the drink for me! Delicate and extremely floral, if you love the flavour of rose like I do, this will be your drink too. I loved the flecks of dried rose petals floating on the surface of the cocktail. The combination of lychee and rose cannot miss. The flavour harmony was perfect and I loved everything about this beverage! When can I have another one?? The food at an izakaya is a bit like tapas. Think of delectable small plates that are shared with everyone around you. At Shōjō the cuisine is inspired by world travels, cultural backgrounds, and twists on Japanese classics. It's a menu that is authentic but not traditional. The selection is meant to be eclectic, full of variety, and unpretentious. I definitely noticed a mix of expected fare along with some pretty cool fusion ideas. Wanting to take advantage of the Happy Hour deals, I was sure to order a few of the dishes that caught my eye before the time was up. Yaki Udon ($10.00) was the first to arrive.
This dish was pretty classic. Thick, tender udon noodles with just the right amount of chew. The soy sauce bath was bursting with umami. As one of the more traditional dishes that we ordered, this noodle bowl offered everything that it was supposed to: Delicious and flavourful noods! The other thing that I had to try for Happy Hour was the Okonomiyaki Fries ($7.00). I loved the idea behind this dish immediately.
The presentation on this was really well done! I loved how the fries were spread out around the plate much like a round okonomiyaki pancake. Originating from Osaka, the pancake is served with a bunch of toppings - just like they did with the fries! The flavour profile of an okonomiyaki is totally captured here, right down to the dancing flakes of bonito. The fries themselves were very good as well - golden and crispy. This might have been my favourite dish of the night because it was so successful at being two different things at once. And also one really great new thing.
I made sure that we ordered at least a little something from the Sashimi + Sushi part of the menu because I would be sad if we didn't! The TotoRoll ($18.00) seemed like the obvious choice because it's the only roll on the menu and must be pretty special by default.
Not served with soy sauce on the side, I was willing to accept that this dish had been seasoned appropriately and required no further assistance. Fairly standard but nicely presented, this roll delivered on all of the levels that it needed to. I chose spicy tuna as the topping which popped really well with the spicy mayo. Colourful and full of texture, each bite of this roll felt like a necessary component in creating a well-rounded meal. From the Appetizer section I really needed to try the Bruschetta ($8,00). This seemed like the most unexpected item on the menu to me and certainly the most overt example of a fusion dish. I needed to find out what they did with it.
I was intrigued by this dish. It didn't so much remind me of bruschetta as it did guacamole. I loved the idea of fried lotus chips however they didn't hold up very well as a dip-scooping vehicle. The tomatoes were bright and fresh but I'm not sure if I would call the plate an overall success. Something felt missing and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I think that it was just too much of a departure from what bruschetta is expected to be? The Duck Sando ($18.00) stood out to me as something that I absolutely had to try.
This sandwich, on the other hand, was a huge hit! I really enjoyed it! The toasty bread held unctuous, tender pieces of duck and ooey-gooey cheese. The flavour of the duck came through really well, making this sandwich such a treat. I loved adding pieces of pickled red onion to my bites for acidity. And the duck jus! Delicious! I positively drowned this sandwich in robust jus and everything about it was a delight. The Wontons ($12.00). If there's a dish in the Feature Dishes section called The Wontons I'm pretty sure that you need to order it. Or at least that's how I felt.
I was hoping that these would be super juicy and succulent but sadly they really weren't. I found the insides quite dry, almost meatball-like. They weren't served with a dipping sauce and there was only a small amount of sauce in the bowl. They tasted pretty good (these are pretty spicy!) and the construction of the wrappers was decent but for a dish called The Wontons I really expected THEE wontons. And finally, dessert. Because after all of that, there had to be a dessert. There's only one to choose from on the menu but it sounded pretty great: Panna Cotta ($6.00).
Served in a cute pot, this dessert didn't look like too much but it was SO GOOD! The panna cotta really was ultra rich and creamy, totally imbodying the mellow, vegetal grassy notes of matcha. The syrup on top was almost more like a dark honey in flavour - and also in colour. I would've expected an ube syrup to be purple! But it all tasted decadent and amazing. Definitely get the dessert! Who wouldn't want a Japanese neighbourhood pub to hang out at? I know I do. Shōjō Izakaya boasts a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed many of the dishes and there are plenty of other things on the menu that I hope to try in the future. I can certainly appreciate that Shōjō is taking risks and trying new things. They are stepping outside of the box and offering up a more modern and somewhat more global version of an izakaya and it's very fun to experience it. Visit during twilight and take in the magic of their twinkling lights with a cocktail in-hand.
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