Banzai Restaurant

I used to eat here quite often few years ago, and I happened to visit here again. I remember foods here were OK but this time I was a bit disappointed. I had chicken rice bawl which was too salty. I suffered to complete it. my wife ordered lunch box. Tempura were a bit wired that shell is too crunchy and sauce was just like noodle soup? There was no customer other than us and all employees are doing nothing, bunch of dirty plates were stacked left on cupboard. I might try again just because reasonable price

I was staying at a hotel nearby and saw this place. Very unassuming from the outside but surprisingly lovely inside. Order at the counter and then when you get your order go find a seat. I went there at lunchtime just before the noon rush. Ordered the beef and chicken bento box. Plenty of nicely cooked and spiced beef as well as chicken. You also get miso, salad, rice and vegetable spring rolls. Very good value for $ 10.50. Free iced cold water as well. Next time I’m in town, I’d definitely eat here again

You are looking for FRIENDLY, FAST, INEXPENSIVE, and CLEAN?
You found the right place!
Like most places down-​town, expect a crowd at lunchtime!

Service was painfully slow. When we finally received our food the was very little filling in our maki and waaaay too much rice. Won’t be back anytime soon.

The rice dishes and noodle dishes are cheap here, but the sashimi and such is quite expensive. I don’t know if I can call this Asian food, but it is a great alternative to sandwiches, soup and salad!
People come and go pretty quickly, so even if there isn’t a seat when you first get there, there may be one when you’ve received your order. The quality of the food is average, the meats are over-​seasoned and the sashimi is obviously not the highest grade.
Convenient location though, quick and efficient staff, and nice seating areas.

This is probably one of my fave sushi places downtown! Decently priced, food is amazing and it’s walking distance from the office!
You have to come around 11:30, it’s set up cafeteria style so the tables fill up really quick.
I usually get the teriyaki chicken and tempura bento box and order some sushi on the side, you’re pleasantly full for just under $ 15 (a rarity for places downtown!)
Plus they have a frequent customer card, so after 7 stamps you get a free meal!

This is the best sushi option in the area… All sushi rolls are great, including the Calgary roll with beef… Also the spicy chicken or the spicy beef with rice are very good too. As it is the best around, normally is Very busy at lunch. I think this is my favorite sushi restaurant in the area…

If you want cheap, you want fast and you don’t want typical cheap and fast food, Banzai is a good place to pop in. I met a friend here for lunch earlier this week and treated myself to a Teriyaki Chicken rice bowl for $ 6.25.
The bowl size was plentiful enough, there was a lot of rice, some sprouts and a good portion of chicken on top. I wasn’t overly pleased with the chicken, nor was I expecting super quality cuts for the price I was paying. We also got an order of dumplings, those were alright, and I did enjoy the sauce they came with.
Maybe I just need to try ordering something else next time, the chicken just wasn’t doing it for me. But the restaurant is clean and the staff are friendly. It’s some pretty good digs considering it’s housed in a bit of a rougher ½ block of downtown.

I’m Asian… I wike my wice so when it’s lunch time and I need my fix I will head over to Banzai. It’s about a block away from my work which is perfect! A great alternative to going to your nearest grease based fast food joint.
I recommend going to Banzai at around 11:30 — 11:45AM which is the time where generally the restaurant is still fairly unoccupied. Hit up Banzai at 12:00PM and you might not find a seat to sit at to eat your delicious food.
The girls behind the cashier tills are fobby, cute and super nice — always greeting you with big smiles and prepping each tray and serving each dish as quickly as possible to get keep the flow going.
I usually only will get the Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl. The portion is perfect for me by the time I am done the bowl I am fairly full, got the itis, sometimes want to sleep after lol. The bowl is $ 6.25 which I think is totally fair for what you get. Again, better than spending the extra $ 2 – 3.00 for fast food that is deep fried.
Try it out!

Stopped by Banzai on the way home. Ordered the Beef and Tempura Bento Box — sizable box with a green salad, rice, tempura, beef and sesame sauce, and miso soup. Also ordered endamame, banzai roll, alberta roll (beef w sesame sauce) and spicy salmon roll and a plate of salmon sashimi. Everything tastes good.
The only pet peeve I have is the salmon sashimi. What was presented to us was a little plate of paper thin salmon sashimi! Not that great at all! Disappointed in the thinness of the sashimi. I like mine thick!
Note: You know that wonderful steak sauce you get at Japanese Village Steak House, you can also purchase the same steak sauce here at Banzai! Great for stirfrys at home.
Free parking available in the front of the restaurant. Tight parking lot.
Food is good for a quick bite to eat.

Went to the Banzai as it was showcased on one of the Dealfinds for a great price to try out a new restaurant, so I bought one. The first time I went, it was a cold Saturday afternoon around 4PM ish and we ordered $ 30 worth of food and the Bento Box which I love the presentation and variety was okay. The tempura was horrid as it was either refried or fried with oil that wasn’t hot enough as it was greasy and lackluster. The sushi wasn’t anything to write home about but it filled the hunger and I am always willing to give them a second chance. Our second time was a Monday night enroute to a night of errands and running around. It’s a great way to drop in for a quick bite as you order and grab a table and then your number is called and you pick up your food, so a more casual and relaxed not so fast food way of dining out. The décor is nice and contemporary and the staff are friendly and warm and they came and checked at our table to ask how we are enjoying our food. So, that is a really nice touch at a fast food type style venue. The second time, the food was AMAZING and soooooooo good. The sauces on the beef and chicken on the Mega Bowls was fantastic! I ordered the smoked salmon and crab sushi this time and it was way better with piping crispy pork spring rolls which were not greasy as they must have found the temperature knob this time. I will be going back often for great food that is no fuss and out the door if I am on a time constraint as they do take out as well. They close at 7– 8PM, check their hours, as I made the mistake of going one night when they were closing after parking a half block away in the minus temperatures.
I am Craving it as we speak… YUM YUM!

Calling all Japanese Village Fans! If you want to go and get your crave-​on you can get their steak sauce at Banzai!
They have a rice bowl with beef that you can get the sauce with yum!
They have a good selection of sushi rolls that are not that expensive. Their bento boxes are super fun. You can choose what you want in yours from sushi pieces to rice and meat. They all come with a salad and soup! The place gets a little crazy at lunch time during the week, but the cooks are quick and try to get everyone out the door and served fast!
They also have large sushi/​tempura platters that you can order for your sushi party! sweet!
Its nice to have a place you can sit down and have a beer and some sushi during lunch (if you can get a table!) or you can take your food back to your office and relax.
This place is a def favorite for my friends and I, you wont be dissapointed!

Banzai became a popular location for myself and my work colleagues when I worked downtown. Conveniently situated only blocks from our office, we all pilled into this place on a few occasions. My fiancé & I also enjoyed a few lunch dates here.
Asian restaurants like this are a dime a dozen in Calgary. Almost every mall, shopping centre, strip mall, or block has one. But comparing Banzai to any other places in Calgary isn’t fair or accurate. Banzai is different for a few reasons.
First of all, the quality of food here is really good. We never had any issues with our order, nobody got sick, and the food always tasted great. Very important in my books, because I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with Asian restaurants. It’s a bit more expensive than you’ll find elsewhere, but is to be expected when you factor in their location and the size of the establishment.
The service is good as well, but not fantastic. Fairly typical of restaurants that serve this type of cuisine. The décor here is really nice though. It’s very stylish and sexy (yeah, I have a rule about using sexy to describe anything that isn’t a lady, but oh well). It’s a pleasure to sit here and enjoy a meal and it’s always kept clean. Two very important items for any location. So the next time you’re looking for lunch, stop in to Banzai, you won’t regret it!

Quality Japanese restaurant, minus the expensive menu.
I discovered Banzai by accident. We were at Southport Road by Macleod when we decided to look around for a place to grab lunch and we found it. There is a wide selection on the menu, from Donburi/​rice bowls (about $ 7) to sushi (ranging from $ 3-​$ 12) to Udon/​noodles ($ 8) and bento boxes ($ 9). The bento box combos are awesome. You can choose from a mix and match menu of cali rolls, tempura, beef teriyaki and chicken teriyaki and they all come free with salad, really nice and crunchy spring rolls, and of course, miso soup. All of which are very tasty and well-​prepared. I always order the combo, as it easily satisfies my healthy and discerning appetite. They also have Japanese beer and sake on their drinks menu, aside from your regular soda, beer and juice.
Till staff’s friendly. Banzai has two locations in Calgary, one in Macleod and one Downtown-​4^th Avenue SW. I frequent the DT branch and there you have a cozier and well-​designed place as compared to the casual, fastfood atmosphere of the Macleod branch.
Parking is available for both branches, though the DT place has only about 3 provisions.