


Calgary
NUPO
Japanese-style plant-forward sushi restaurant in Calgary’s East Village with omakase, vegan dishes, and dry-aged fish.
japanese · sushi · plant-forward · vegan
Our story
Located in Calgary’s East Village, we draw inspiration from Chef Darren MacLean’s mother, whose love of plants, vegan cooking, and fish and sushi helped shape our philosophy. Our name comes from her maiden name, Nuponnen, and our concept reflects that family history in a Japanese-style restaurant rooted in personal meaning.We serve plant-forward, vegan dishes alongside sushi, including fresh and dry-aged fish prepared in a specialty chamber. Guests can dine à la carte, sit at the Birchwood cocktail counter for Japanese-tea-driven cocktails, or book our six-seat counter-service omakase experience, which offers a paced tasting of seasonal dishes and nigiri.
Meet the chef
Chef Darren MacLean is a Calgary-based chef, restaurateur, and environmental advocate associated with NUPO and other restaurants including Shokunin, Eight, and Greenfish Sushi. He was Canada’s sole contender and a finalist on Netflix’s The Final Table, and he has also been invited to consult and collaborate with Princess Cruises. His work emphasizes sustainability and community through Japanese izakaya-style and sushi-focused dining.
— Darren MacLean, Chef
Darren MacLean
Chef
Signature Dishes
Menu
Restaurant highlights
Ways to enjoy
Gallery









Reviews
Google reviews
Had the best night with my supper club friends. We had the Omakase which is, in my opinion, the best thing to do to get a full appreciation for what Nupo offers. It was delicious! Such a great variety without having to make decisions. Great experience, professional staff, cozy location...Couldn't ask for more!
Wow! Amazing Omakase experience. The food was tremendous. Beautifully presented, wonderful flavors and all done right in front of you. Everything was excellent, I honestly have nothing critical to say about any of the food.However. Hostess at the front door was rude. When I first walked in, she just looked at me and said, "Ya?"We ended up getting our seats at the bar, everything was great, but the noise level was terrible. Couldn't even hear half the things the chef was trying to say. The worst part is, is that it was mostly the staff behind the bar making half the noise.Overall though, really good food. Omakase experience is a bit pricey, but I'd say it was worth it!
This was a special occasion for us so went in expecting a good experience and left very disapointed.The hostess was efficient, which is good because the entry area is fairly cramped. We had one server brings us menus and we sat for about 15 minutes before another server came and asked if we wanted drinks. When our server did come to the table he was good, quickly picked up on our dining style and tailored the service to suit. He suggested wine and answered any questions we had about the sushi options and gave good recommendations.The biggest issue by far was a person who I assume was acting as the front of house manager. He was constantly hovering around as we tried to enjoy our meal. At one point he was already reaching in to grab a plate while I was taking a piece off another plate so I
The food at Nopu was amazing, super fresh fish, great flavors, and everything tasted really high quality. Cocktails were great, and the Basque cheesecake was so good. Only downside was the service; our server didn’t seem to know the menu very well and for a restaurant of this type I expected a bit better service. But overall, the food alone makes it worth going!
The ingredients were fresh, and the sake pairing was decent. However, today’s omakase was a bit of a miss — the sushi rice temperature was a total failure. The first two pieces had completely hot rice, and later the chef seemed to notice and adjusted it, but then the rice turned too dry.
Guest testimonials
Nupo continues to set the standard. We enjoyed the Omakase on Thursday night, and from start to finish it was impeccable. Every movement felt perfectly paced, from the beautiful hassun featuring Shima Aji sashimi, Bluefin Tuna Negi Toro, parsnip tempura, charcoal grilled oysters and an outstanding lobster chawanmushi, through an exceptional progression of nigiri. The dry aged PEI bluefin was a true highlight, especially the chutoro with caviar, showcasing incredible depth of flavour. The Iwashi Dashi Ramen was one of the most unique and memorable bowls I've had, while the 7 day aged Gindara wa
Completed the omakase experience and it truly was the most beautifully curated meal I’ve had in a long time. Every flavour was a delicious experience that brought you into Japanese cuisine. Chef Yosef was friendly and interactive which made the experience. You can really feel his passion
Blown away by the food presentation, the flavours and service! Thank you!
Everything was amazing. I especially loved the eggplant and wild mushroom roll. Cocktails supper yummy.
Had the best night with my supper club friends. We had the Omakase which is, in my opinion, the best thing to do to get a full appreciation for what Nupo offers. It was delicious! Such a great variety without having to make decisions. Great experience, professional staff, cozy location...Couldn't ask for more!
Great experience awesome. Food was delicious and the chef was awesome
By far the most innovative restaurant next to Eight in western Canada, a must visit to anyone that appreciates next level Japanese cuisine, from the moment you are greeted you feel the detail of perfection and a passion of great cuisine. Thank you to everyone who made our evening a Sunday night to remember. Amazing!
Visit Us
Opening Hours
Closed · opens 5:00 PM
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday