** This restaurant is now closed. **
From Japanese folklore, shōjō is a mythical spirit with a penchant for drinking alcohol. It's a fitting name for an izakaya, a Japanese bar serving drinks and snacks.
Izakaya are casual places where you go to unwind after a long day of work. Food is served tapas-style, smaller portions for sharing, and can be ordered in rounds just like the drinks you'll no doubt be consuming.
Shōjō Izakaya is located basement level in the Brewery District, just down the steps of Wildfred's/Made by Marcus' shared space. There's plenty of free parking outside the restaurant as well as the heated underground parkade.
We went for lunch on a weekday so the restaurant was a bit quieter with only a few tables occupied. There's a mix of seating, from booths to high-top tables to seats at the bar. Our server had a really infectious personality, just super bubbly and attentive.
Shōjō's lunch menu has pretty much the same items as their dinner menu, but if you're rushed for time, they also have rice bowls for maximum efficiency. Prices are quite reasonable, so you're able to try a variety of items without breaking the bank. They even have weekly dinner specials and happy hour everyday from 5-6pm and 9pm-close.
In terms of drinks, their bar menu includes Japanese-inspired craft cocktails, mocktails, sake, beer, and Japanese whisky.
We pretty much ordered all of their most popular dishes, starting with the koji fried chicken ($10.00). Resembling chicken karaage, their 'KFC' is cuts of chicken thigh marinated in shio koji, ginger, and garlic. After a dusting of potato starch, it's double fried for maximum crispiness. Served on the side is nanban, a ginger citrus soy sauce, but the chicken can also stand on its own without it. The meat is well-seasoned, moist, and crispy. It's light, not too greasy, and super addicting. A must order!
Shōjō also offers a small sushi selection. It's pretty much just salmon, tuna, and scallop in different preparations: sashimi, cones, or maki. We tried their pressed salmon sushi ($16.00) which was 10 pieces of sushi rice and salmon, pressed together and then flame-torched with miso mayo. Garnishes include radish sprouts, togarashi, nori, and tenkasu (tempura crisps). I thought this was just okay. It's exactly what you expect it to taste, nothing more, nothing less.
For a more filling dish, we ordered the mushroom cream udon ($14.00), their take on pasta using udon noodles. Mushrooms are pan-seared and cooked with their signature kombu soy cream sauce. The sauce is creamy, umami, and really clings to the noodles well. A surprising hit, even for someone who doesn't care for mushrooms that much.
Our last item was the ebi katsu sliders ($14.00) which comes with two per order. These sliders are inspired by the McDonald's Ebi Filet-O in Japan, which I also got to try back in 2017. Sandwiched between buttered brioche buns is the panko-breaded shrimp patty, tartar sauce and shredded cabbage. This was delicious! The shrimp patty was crispy and juicy and everything all worked together. Go there on Wednesday when sliders are on special for $5.00 each.
Shōjō Izakaya surprised me in the best way possible. Even though I don't drink, their food is definitely a reason to return.
Shōjō Izakaya
10425 121 ST NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 540-4800
- CT
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