Calva Cafe

The food was really, really good. Super-​buttery Himachi (I’m still drooling over it). Service wasn’t quick, but not terrible. Either way, it’s just a mom and pop place and the wait would have been worth it!

NOOOOOO!!! I can’t believe this place closed! T. T
Wow, I’m so sad right now. :(As a tribute to this adorable mom-​and-​pop restaurant that served fantastic food, here is my very late Unilocal review.
First off, the owners were freaking adorable! They both engaged in conversation with my bf and me and would frequently make sure everything was just perfect. The wife mentioned how pretty I was (oh shucks!) and also said I looked 16… I was 22 at the time. –_​_​– lol
The food! I was surprised by 2 things when we came here. First, the general tsao chicken! Don’t know why we ordered Chinese food at a sushi place but boy, am I glad we did because IT WAS AMAZING! I have never had chicken this good. It was perfectly crispy, all-​white meat inside, the sauce was spicy and delicately sweet, and the broccoli was impeccable cooked. I’m salivating as I write this review… so sad I’ll never be able to order it again :(
We ordered several different rolls which which were all very fresh, neatly wrapped, ingredients evenly proportioned, and absolutely delicious. The sushi was not ornately decorated but what it lacks in aesthetics were made up for is the quality, price, and portion size of the sushi. My second pleasant surprise was their eel roll. I know eel is quite expensive (I’ve tried making sushi at home and a hand-​size piece of eel was $ 27…x_x) but the size of the eel was more than generous! Look at my picture of the eel roll because I’m still in awe at how the eel extends pass BOTH ends of the roll. It was marinated and grilled to perfection with a nice, thick drizzle of unagi sauce on top… oh man! We were so impressed I complimented the chef and he said that he doesn’t skimp out on quality and size. He did mention that eel prices are rising and soon, the price of the eel roll will increase. I think at the time we went, it was $ 12-​$ 15? But considering how large it was, it’s so worth it!
In the end, I guess they weren’t able to make it. :(the bf and I have been meaning to come back here and occasionally bring up the amazing general tsao chicken we had… thank you for the great food and memories Calva Café!

Unfortunately closed since May 2013. Unilocal hasn’t updated the site as «closed» despite us messaging Unilocal HQ a ½ dozen times since then.

Despite the great food, CC is now another victim of rising rents and a challenging business model. I was hoping their reviews on Unilocal would have buoyed them, but no luck. Speaking with the owners on closing day (5÷25÷2013), they have no plans on opening elsewhere. It’s been a great run Calva, we’ll miss you!

This place is run by a very friendly older Taiwanese couple. The size and layout of the restaurant is a little awkward and cannot really accommodate multiple large groups. It is NOT somewhere to dine if you’re in a rush or demand your water is being constantly filled by an overattentive wait staff. The place may look empty but they could have a stack of pickup orders in their queue. Your patience is rewarded with delicious and reasonably priced food.
The sushi is possibly the best I have ever tasted! It is super fresh and they obviously procure high quality ingredients.
Their Chinese dishes like sesame chicken, kung pau chicken are great and usually come with steamed broccoli and jasmine rice. When served the broccoli has been cold. Initially I thought I received it this way because of slow prep but in subsequent meals it has always been served to me this way. I don’t ever complain because it is really crisp and refreshing. I only wish I could get brown rice instead of white.
Funny item appears on the menu #6. «Human Sauce» I am assuming that ‘m’ should be an ‘n’.
If you’re impatient then ignore my 5 stars and go somewhere else.

Really amazing sushi.
I had Inari and salmon nigiri and both were so fantastic, I’ll definitely have to go back and try a roll or two.
The only bad thing was that they don’t have bubble tea anymore, but it’s still on the menu and on the sign outside. Kind of a downer.

I’ve been meaning to pop in here since moving to the Queen Anne area three years ago, and — on a whim — finally did.
AMAZINGLY good. I have a penchant for Spicy Tuna Roll, and this was, by far, the best.
Like another reviewer posted, it seemed to actually melt in my mouth.
SO GOOD.
I went in just as they were opening (3pm), and was the only customer there, so my food was made quickly (to my knowledge, the sushi is made to order, not pre-​rolled).
The owners were super sweet — I LOVE «Mom & Pop» establishments.

YUMMY. It’s a hidden gem on Queen Anne Ave. Traditional breakfast food that is served at all time. What else can you ask for? Generous portions, friendly staff. My go to place when I am craving breakfast for any time during the day!

I’m only giving his two stars so Unilocal won’t hide the review. I am very accepting of small places getting busy but this place takes the cake. We’re seated next to one other couple in the entire place, she takes our order and then says «need to wait a while… very big take out order…»
We wait. For at least my beer. I finally walk up to the counter after20 minutes and ask for my beer «very busy» is the response
But the worst part was the food. The sushi was not only stinky, but it wasn’t cut against the grain so as to be hard to chew…
I must say that I was really excited by all of he great reviews, but our experience was nothing short of a comedy of epic proportions… my wife and I had to restrain ourselves from laughing at every turn of events… to be fair, I think these folks mean well, I just don’t think they are very competent at running a restaurant. Many of us are good cooks, but that doesn’t mean we can run a restaurant

The portions are massive.
The fish is unctuous.
The beer is cold.
The owners are friendly.
The prices are reasonable.
Simply put, the best sushi I’ve had in the United States.
Period.

Sometimes its places like this that make envious of the people living on Queen Ann ave. Calva café surely deserves a little more stellar attention to its small operation.
It’s perfectly the mom’ pop sushi café that you’d expect. The elderly couple behind the counter are quick witted and fast to serve up some amazing grade-​A sushi.
I came in on a rainy weeknight, was the sole diner and treated to warm cup of tea at the bar.
The variety of sushi is pretty standard, but the grade is amazing! I had a yellowtail tuna roll that literally melted in my mouth, texture was amazingly soft.
Craving sushi on the top of Queen Ann, this would be your best pick!

I almost don’t want to give this place 5 stars, because it will be harder to get take-​out from here.
Went in the first time and dined in – it was a tight dining room, but the owners made us feel very welcome for a late lunch (which was an early opening). The sushi & sashimi combo was excellent — we got a double order of sashimi, which was off-​menu.
While we were there, we saw a number of take-​out orders. Like a lot of take-​out orders.
It’s nothing super special. Fresh fish, made to order. Take-​out may be the way to go for you if you’re looking for ambiance, but the price is right and things are homemade. And the tip on the gyoza is a great one — they’re handmade. If you’ve only eaten frozen, be sure to try some. Delicious!

The food is great, but the service is painfully, mind-​numbingly slow.
We placed a takeout order — Mongolian Beef, Sesame Chicken and some sushi. It. Took. Over. An. Hour.
I would never, ever recommend anyone eat here, unless you plan on carrying out your order and placing it well in advance, OR you happen to sit down at a table long before being hungry. By the time you see your food, you might be in good shape.
I had really high expectations for this place too, as Unilocalers seem to love it and I saw a glorious writeup on
. Sadly, I cannot overlook abysmal service when doling out stars. Oh, and? The place was empty.
I hate leaving such a negative review based on the service alone, especially when the proprietors were very sweet and charming. The food is excellent, but in all honesty, Seattle has so many great sushi places, I can’t justify waiting around for food from Calva Café. I can throw a spider roll and hit 15 other places with food just as delicious and have eaten it and forgotten about it before seeing a morsel from Calva.

DO:
Come here to please your tastebuds.
Come here to impress your ONE average-​size hipster foodie friend. Unless you don’t mind sitting apart. The seating is limited and slightly cramped. Hipsters wear tight-​fitting clothes that won’t threaten to brush fellow diners’ plates as they walk past.
Come here if you want legit sushi that is not that over-​priced, 3 pieces in a «roll,» filled with cream cheese BS that they serve for hakujins (white people) at other places.
DON’T:
Come here in a hurry or starving. You’ll end up being pissed and/​or homicidal depending on how your low blood sugar manifests itself.
Come here expect to be doted on. It’s ONE couple that runs the place. By themselves. No kids, no grandkids. Nothin. Just them. Taking your order, making your food. Cut ‘em some slack. You came for the food, not the service anyhow.
I would recommend going with someone who knows standard roll names because unlike other sushi places, the ingredients are not listed.
The hot & sour soup was the best I’ve ever had. Great flavor and chock full of veggies (not sure if that is authentic or not since I’ve never in my 25 years of hot & sour soup experience seen that, but it’s amazing so who cares!).
Spider roll was also tops. It was all I could do to not shove piece after piece down my throat. It was also $ 8.95. You see, heaven does exist.
In my experience, everything comes whenever… or simultaneously as it has been in my experience. EVERYTHING. Water, beer, soup, sushi, edamame. I don’t know if that happens to everybody, but be prepared just in case.
If I wasn’t knee-​deep in student loans, I’d probably eat here every other night. Oh wait, they’re so cheap, that would almost be affordable.

Fresh fish = AMAZING sushi!
From the outside, this mom and pop restaurant looks like they might serve Chinese food, sushi, and do your laundry all at once… DON’T COME HERE IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AMBIANCE ;)
CRAVING SUSHI?!? The fish is ridiculously fresh, shoyu is housemade, and rice is perfectly cooked. Apparently, the owners took sushi lessons from some master sensei dude (I wonder if he looks like Splinter) and it definitely paid off.
Must try: Rainbow roll, Dancing Eel, Spicy tuna

To begin, I really adore the way this little sushi restaurant feels like an oversized home kitchen, with a few extra tables for guests. The layout is intimate and warm, and the folks running things are friendly and efficient. While I believe more could be accomodated, I would recommend this place for a low key date/​conversationAL dinner between a pair, four at the most.
Rainbow Roll — I keep getting myself into trouble, claiming that so and so has the best of a certain kind of roll, so I will simply say this; perfect in every way. The portions of fish were bigger than most places, everything was fresh and delicate, and the rice was sticky but not overbearing.
Shrimp Tempura — What really made my day with this one isn’t that it was done perfectly, or even that I could taste something distinct and delicious about the tempura batter that I hadn’t experienced before. What did it, is the fact that it was 4.50 for the roll! I can’t think of a single place I’ve been too that has prices like Calva, and in an arena like this one, I am very surprised that this place isn’t seeing more traffic from us Unilocalers (although again, a UYE would be pretty hard to accomplish here).
General Tso’s Chicken — Big chunks of chicken, spicy — not too sweet sauce, tons of rice. YUM.
I’m sold and will continue to stalk Deborah F to her favorite places…

Great little joint at the top of Queen Anne. If you are craving sushi without the price tag of some of the other places, hit up Calva Café.
No crazy eating story here where we talk about slicing apart live lobsters and eating them while their eyes look pleadingly at you to make it quick. Nope. This was just a boring Monday night were I was craving some sushi, checked out Unilocal and found this place.
Do note that the insides are a bit cozy and it can get kind of crazy because it is only the husband and wife running the shop with no help, so go easy on them!
Finally, if you need your Chinese food fix, this place also serves up your mom’s cooking. Like Laura, Jeff and John just mentioned, the various chinese dishes are pretty good. Everything is made from scratch and you can even watch the mom chop the bok choy as the «kitchen» is right behind the sushi counter.
Overall, fantastic neighborhood place and very friendly.

This place is legit. Definitely a «Mom and Pop» joint. Food quality is great. Flavor is good. Price is good.
Now to the specifics. The place is run by an old couple, he works the wok, she works the register.
I got the General Tso’s Chicken. Was a little sweet for my taste, but good. It was all white meat and the sause wasn’t super thick, I think because they hold back on the corn starch.
Decent take out place, great location in Upper Queen Anne.

Ugh. The absolute WORST spider roll I’ve ever had. batter was the thickness of styrofoam peanuts and tasted like them too. Only a few people in restaurant and it took me 40 minutes to get my roll. Plus, it smelled like ammonia cleaning detergent. Very disappointing, as I thought i ordered something very basic that i could rely upon that would be good and predictable and satisfying.
The only reason it gets two and not one star is because at least the service came with a smile and enthusiasm, which counts for something I guess.

I went back to Calva to see if my good experience was just a one time thing. Nope, same great service, same great food.
One side note, the food can be a bit slow but that’s because they are making EVERYTHING to order. Can’t beat the flavor and its well worth the wait.