Restaurant Reviews Archives - Page 5 of 15

March 9, 2014

Curry Club Restaurant

In trying to satiate my new found hunger for South Indian food, I ventured out to the Curry Club Restaurant. It’s a small family run restaurant that also offers a lunch buffet, catering and delivery. Apparently they also sell their dosas, Idli batter, and Wada mix.

While we were waiting for our appetizers, we noshed on some complimentary papadam. I started off with the chicken 65. I thought it spent a little too long in the deep fryer but still tasted good. Loved the fried curry leaves!

Hubby got the samosas, three of them. I’m getting a little picky here, but some parts were over fried. The filling was delicious. It came with a side salad had a dressing tamarind along with a green sauce that was herby but I cannot discern the flavor. Coriandor and fenugreek perhaps? The taste was delightful.

We ordered naan and roti to go with our meal. The naan was light and flavorful. Not as oily as some others if you like it that way. Roti was light as well.

The lamb tandoori full of flavor. It came with a side of rice that was gratis, as we didn’t order any. Continuing with my exploration of Indo Chinese cuisine, I ordered the paneer Manchurian. Interesting combo of classic Chinese flavours (ginger, garlic, green onion and soy sauce) tempered with Indian spices and heat.

One thing they could improve on was that they did not ask for spice level, but they should. By default, its a healthy medium. My nose was running but that’s how I react.

I suspect they had a new server in training. But he double checked our order, and the chefs also brought out the food and did the quality checks. It wasn’t busy; there were only two tables. We got our food fast and hot.

Servings are huge, come with appetite.

February 24, 2014

Marina Dosa & Tandoori Grill

Looking for a place to fuel our post-climbing hunger, we decided to make a trip for Indian food. I’m very familiar with East Indian food, but not so much with South Indian and Indian Chinese food. Marina Dosa & Tandoori Grill is a small restaurant in a strip mall. It seems to be family run. The maximum seating is for four as they are in booths. Good to note, in case I want to bring back all my friends. There is a counter in the back with a large menu board, presumably for ordering takeout.

Having no idea what we were ordering, a nice lady sitting at the table next to us helped us understand what we were considering. The server also came by and she was very helpful. I sort of thought that we could eat family style, but as the dishes arrived, it didn’t seem like the correct choice. We definitely splurged on the food; both of us were fascinated by all the unfamiliar dishes.

We ordered vegetarian samosa cholle to start. Imagine some beautifully fried samosas. Then smother them in a chickpea curry. Samosa cholle, and a meal in itself.

We moved onto one of the restaurant’s specialties, dosa. We ordered the Marina masala dosa, which is a South Indian crepe that is wrapped around a filling. Ours was stuffed with onion and potato, served with sides of a soup with cumin and spice undertones, coconut chutney and a spicy tomato based chutney.

Our next course was vegetable Manchurian, which is a Indian Chinese dish. Fried vegetable croquettes in a sweet and spicy sauce. It tasted a bit like sweet and sour sauce combined with a good dose of soy sauce and Indian spices. We ordered it medium spicy and it was. Not like in some other restaurants who treat medium spicy as mild for Canadian taste. An intriguing dish, I will have to try to make it at home.

We moved on with lamb kothu paratha, which is a stir fry made with eggs and chopped up paratha bread as a base. Paratha is also known as parotta. I’m more used seeing paratha as a stuffed bread on East Indian menus. It was served with a side of a yogurt based sauce. We also had a side of naan thinking the dishes would be more like East Indian style. The dishes are meals in themselves; no additional starch was needed. Our server mentioned that the dishes could be eaten as is, or with a side of naan, roti or rice. By the end of the meal, we weren’t sure if family style was the correct way to order as we were only given one dinner plate and that was halfway through our meal. No matter, the food was delicious. The flavours are strong and bold; enticing for people with adventurous taste.

The server was very friendly and helpful. The dishes took time to come out but that is the price to pay for well prepared food.

February 23, 2014

Lily Vietnamese Submarines

Lily Vietnamese Submarine is a small takeout on Bowness Road. They also serve noodles, rice and bubble tea. But I came here for the subs. It’s very easy to miss if you didn’t know what you were looking for. I ordered a chicken satay to go back to work with. It was a good size and tasty. The peppers gave it a nice kick. Fast, fresh, and friendly. Great if you are in a hurry.

February 16, 2014

Cedars Deli

After a day of skiing in the mountains, I was famished with nothing in the cupboard and hunger to tame. Hubby had to go to the mall so we visited the food court in Market Mall and I found Cedars Deli. I have been on a Mediterranean kick of late, with making my own pitas and falafel. Even thought this restaurant is in a food court; it is a local, made in Calgary chain. I was looking for something fresh and healthy, and this fit the bill.

I ordered the Mediterranean plate which had: two falafel, three vine leaves (dolmades),one kibbeh ball, a generous spoonful of hummus, tabouli, tahini and a large whole wheat pita. Everything was tasty and there was more than enough to satisfy my hunger. Don’t let the food court facade fool you. This is healthy, good tasting local food.

February 10, 2014

Safari Grill

There is a strip mall, at the corner of 28 St. SE and Memorial Dr. It is nondescript, and full of ethnic food proprietors. A Jamaican cafe, a Middle Eastern cafe, a Filipino cafe, and Safari Grill. The mall has an interesting name, Short Pants Plaza. I’m guessing it is named after all the tropical cultures that have set up shop within.

After five hours at the climbing gym, I was ready to polish off some serious eats. A short drive down the street brought us to the Safari Grill. Being seriously hungry, the three of us shared the Spicy Kuku Bite (chicken in tempura batter with a sweet and spicy chili sauce) and the Mboga Combo. This was a combination of vegetarian appetizers: fried cassava, samosa, round potato scallops fried in batter and fried lentil balls. It came with dipping sauces: mild green chili, hot red chili, tamarind, yogurt sauce and coconut chutney. It reminded me of the dipping sauces from Tiffin, across the street.

East African cuisine tends to feature inspiration from Indian dishes, along with a good dose of grilled meats and spice. Some of the entrees were meant to be shared at the table and some were individual. We choose the individual plates. I ordered the Afrique Mishaki, which was BBQ chicken cubes marinated in peri peri and grilled. It was served with a side of spicy corn and masala chipsi (fries). The dish as a whole was medium spicy.

The food is well done, and the portions are substantial. The decor is very zebra, with lots of African trinkets. The service was good. I suggest going with a hearty appetite; you will not be disappointed.

February 9, 2014

Khao San Thai Kitchen

Looking in from the outside, this restaurant looks like an inviting oasis from the Calgary cold. The decor is tasteful, and the house is packed.

We started with the golden tofu and scallops. The tofu was crisp and the sauce packed a flavor punch. The scallops remind me of something you might see in a fine dining restaurant.

Moving along to the pad thai. One of my friends commented that it was the first time the noodles were done al dente. The panang salmon was an interesting dish. The battered fish in the sweet and sour basa stayed crisp as the sauce pooled nicely on the bottom of the plate.

It’s really popular, and there seems to be an endless number of regulars, as the waitstaff greet the customers with friendly recognition. The service was spot on, even when it got really busy.

Salmon Panang Curry and Sweet and Sour Basa

February 8, 2014

Soban Korean

I had an evening engagement downtown at the Central Library, so my friends and I decided to try Soban Korean in the Dragon City Mall. Regarding the underground parking, I have a public service announcement. The rate is $9.45 before 5pm and $4 after 6pm until 6am next day. If you arrive at 5:30, you will still pay $9.45; you may not pay in increments. When you go back to renew after it expires in a hour, you will wait in line behind ten people that made the same mistake. Thank you for reading and back to your regularly scheduled food review.

The food was really good. We shared the seafood pancake, which had the nice slightly charred crust. The pancake also did not fall apart like some others I have eaten. The banchan (side dishes) were tasty. It’s the first time I’ve tried radish kimchi. I also liked the tempura yam. For my entree, I ordered the pork bulgogi which came on a hot plate with quite a few veggies. Yes, I could come back.

Radish pickle, pickled onion, pickled bean sprouts, tempura yam and fried potato

February 6, 2014

Red Ember Japanese Cuisine

I’ve been meaning to visit this place since the last sushi restaurant that was here closed. The restaurant wasn’t full, so the server was attentive. The decor is interesting, the walls were a nice shade of red. Everything was nice, except that the tables were covered in brown paper that curled on the ends. Makes it look a bit cheesy.

We were served an amuse bouche on the house before the appetizers arrived. It was a sashimi salad with cucumber. Delicious! I ordered the wakame salad to start. I was suprised; it came on a bed of lettuce with tomato on the side. It was definitely a bigger serving then I expected. I also ordered a piece of aburi sushi. It had a nice sear on the top. My entree was the chirashi sushi, which would have been big enough for two. Except that I had just finished a day of snowshoeing and had no problem consuming the entire thing myself. The fish was delicious and artfully presented.

I will be coming back to try the rest of the menu.

January 28, 2014

Mucho Burrito

I don’t often review chains. This would be a first on this blog. I was craving a Mexican food experience like the one I had in Hawaii, at Maui Tacos. I love fresh food with toppings that you can put on yourself. So my friends and I paid a visit to the one in the Beltline. It’s a standalone restaurant with some kitschy Mexican decor. All well and fine, how was the food? It was actually pretty good. Think of it as a Mexican Subway. Order the basics (taco, quesadilla, salad or burrito) and go crazy with the fillings and toppings. I ordered a regular chorizo burrito. Not pictured, as how can you take a good photo? I topped it with Mexican rice, black beans, pepper, medium salsa, cilantro and sour cream. It was extremely filling. I didn’t have to chug a litre of water afterwards which means it wasn’t overdone with salt. Next time, I would order the small instead.

My friends had the taco salad and tacos, as seen below.

January 28, 2014

The Bison

If there is one restaurant in Banff that I will come back to, time and time again; it’s The Bison. Well crafted, rustic and hearty food. Suitable for an après-ski dinner.

I was in the mood for some hot soup. The oxtail was fall-off-the-bone and flavorful. The crispy bacon hit the spot. The broth tasted like it was cooking for days.

BRAISED OXTAIL SOUP poached egg, grilled focaccia, root vegetables, bacon — BRAISED OXTAIL SOUP
poached egg, grilled focaccia, root
vegetables, bacon

The bison ribs also tasted like they were stewed for days with the same fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The dish stayed hot throughout the meal thanks to the cast iron. The portion sizes are definitely on the larger size, considering we were hungry skiers and split dessert. I had enough for lunch the next day.

CARMEN CREEK BISON SHORT RIBS baby potatoes, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, bacon — CARMEN CREEK BISON SHORT RIBS
baby potatoes, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, bacon

The crème brûlée was heavenly. There were chunks of apple underneath the caramelized topping. The gingersnap twirl was a nice touch.

CREME BRULEE apple cinnamon spiced, gingersnap palmiers — CREME BRULEE
apple cinnamon spiced, gingersnap palmiers

Service was good, although slower towards the end of the meal. Reservations highly recommended, especially on a Saturday night.