On this cold Saturday night we didn’t want to venture far for dinner. We went to an old standby, Dairy Lane, but the wait was 2o minutes. Not wanting to wait, we decided to try Vina’s next door.
Vina’s is a family run neighborhood restaurant. It was busy, but we were seated quickly. The menu is pizza and classic favorites. I decided on the Chicken Souvlaki. It came with a side salad and garlic bread. The portions were generous and the food was satisfying. The food came out hot which is always a good thing. The roasted potatoes were nicely done and so was the chicken. The only thing was the vegetables looked like they were from frozen.
The service was friendly and quick and the prices were good value.
My in-laws took me out for a little post Christmas dinner. We wanted to go to Supply and Demand, but they were booked for a private party. So we decided to visit Juniper, an old standby. The food was very good and richly satisfying. Even after Christmas dinner. The service was attentive and friendly.
Amuse bouche Date with honey and spicesOysters with Juniper spicy kick, gin ice and citric pomegranateSTEELHEAD TROUT cured and smoked with carrot cinnamon purée and orange herb saladInteresting looking foon.Orange Lemon Cardamum Crème BrûléeAmuse bouche for dessert Chocolate brownie
When I first heard about this restaurant, I thought they served Newfie food. My mistake, I apologize. This is French Asian fusion cuisine. The Chef and owner is very friendly; he likes to chat with his customers when he is not busy. The restaurant was empty when we arrived for 6pm. Our meals arrived piping hot, and in good time. There was only one server, and as the restaurant got busier, the service slowed. We had to ask for the dessert menu and the bill, but that’s alright.
I’ve been waiting to try this place since they closed and moved in March. It is indeed worth the wait. The food comes in generous portions. Beware, the entrees come with two sides, that would easily serve as an appetizer. We started with the calamari. It was piping hot and crisp. I had the lamb shank with the corn chowder and house salad for an entree. The lamb was fall-off-the-bone fantastic. I liked the crisp potato skins that fell over the top. The sauce was rich and velvety. The corn chowder was smooth and creamy. The salad contained iceberg lettuce but probably would have been livened up with some dark leafy greens. It was served with a dressing that tasted like butter pecan. Yum.
Hubby wanted the prime rib but it was sold out. So he settled for the Muscovy duck. Settled is not the appropriate word. It was apparently delicious. We both followed it up with a homemade tiramisu.
The clientele seems to be mostly Asian on this night. This is upscale food in a casual decor. I suspect that restaurant is family friendly as there were young kids there.
TEMPURA CALAMARI CRISPY CALAMARI BREADED IN TEMPURA FLOUR SERVED WITH THE ROCK TARTAR SAUCEMUSCOVY DUCK BREAST ROASTED 10 OZ DUCK BREAST SERVED WITH SAUTEED SPINACH AND MUSHROOM IN ORANGE BRANDY SAUCESoup of the day Corn ChowderROCKING LAMB SHANK JUMBO LAMB SHANK BRAISED WITH ROSEMARY DEMI JUSTIRAMISU HOUSE MADE
This is a restaurant that I come back to repeatedly. I don’t know how often I’ve been back, but for a while last year my friends tried to come every three months. In seafood starved Calgary, this satisfies my craving. We’re not talking sushi. The warm oysters, were just that; warm on the outside, but raw in the middle. Delish. Their fish is always cooked perfectly. Dessert was rich and satisfying. Service was attentive but not obtrusive.
Chocolate ganache hazelbut torte with raspberryFeature warm oysters with parmesan cheese and alfredo saucePan roasted halibut with wild rice and crab fritters
Ahhh.. Dairy Lane. I’ve been going there for years, since its in the ‘hood. On this particularly chilly night, we decided to make the short drive. All three of us were in the mood for the classic Dairy Lane Burger, with different toppings and sides. I had mine straight up, with the yam fries. My dining companions choose the bacon, cheese and fries. The burger was juicy and the fries were crisp and well seasoned. All of us ordered our own chocolate shake. Perhaps we should have shared. Be forewarned: you get the shake and half the metal container. I would say, almost a liter of shake. Why chocolate shakes on a chilly night? Not sure, but according to our server, it’s not uncommon. The portions are huge and they support local producers. ‘Nuff said.
If you don’t like waiting in lineups, go on a chilly, snowy weeknight. One of the best diners in town.
I had already judged this restaurant before I ever ate a meal here. I am going to be honest in my review. Last time our reservation was cancelled but we arrived on time. I decided that I would give this place a second chance. When we arrived, there were two tables, a reserved for two and one for four that had yet to be cleared. We we given the one for two and we did not have a reservation. Moral of this story: even though they accept reservations, don’t make one.
There was only one server for a busy dinner service. We waited 1o minutes to order, and the waitress apologized. They were out of a lot of items. We wanted to try the glutinous rice rolls and Hainanese chicken laksa. They were out. So we ordered deep fried chicken nuggets Taiwanese style, preserved duck egg with tofu, and seafood laksa with yellow noodles. I overheard the table next to ours trying to order bubble tea. They were out of some of the flavors. My friend had the cold honey lemon drink and I had the dates and longan tea. Our food arrived in good time. We had to ask for bowls as we were sharing our meal. I was surprised when the server came by to do a quality check.
The food was really good. Everything was flavorful. The dates and longan tea reminded me of the Chinese soup my Mom used to make. The drink tasted sweet, like luo han guo (monk fruit). I liked the preserved duck egg with tofu. It was topped with a sweet soy type sauce and bonito flakes. The laksa was spicy enough for me, but my friend preferred Tropical Delight’s version, which was spicier.
We had to get the attention of our server to get a takeout box. I can recommend this restaurant for its food, but not for service. Perhaps I expected more than I got. I am used to subpar, even rude service in some Chinese restaurants. I don’t expect it from a Malaysian restaurant. If you really want to eat here, be patient and skip the reservations.
Seafood laksa with yellow noodlesDeep fried chicken nuggets Taiwanese style
I was in the deep south today, running an errand and then looking for some lunch. After vetoing hubby’s vote for Five Guys Burgers, I was happy to discover that Li-Ao Sushi was nearby. They are located in a strip mall, well off the main drag.
I ordered the seafood udon, mainly because I was in the mood for hot soup. The lobster taco looked interesting so I had that too. Hubby started with the tempura calmari and followed with a spicy sushi platter. Their servings are generous; the platter could easily serve two people at an affordable price. My udon was only average but I was impressed with the lobster tacos. There was also a complimentary appetizer of fried gyoza, which tasted more like fried wonton.
The chefs speak Cantonese. I don’t judge; I enjoy all Japanese food as long as its good. The service was good and they offered pocky Kinjo style at the end of the meal.
I probably won’t be back as it takes me a long time to journey to the deep south of Calgary. But if I lived in the neighborhood, I would definitely go for takeout.
A new KFC restaurant has opened in Kensington. I love Korean fried chicken. I tried Olive Chicken, now for their competition.
The decor of the restaurant was trendy and modern. With a counter for ordering takeout. One of our party suggested that this was a chain. I wasn’t so sure, but it did seem like expensive decor for a restaurant of this type. It turns out that it is a chain alright, from Korea. I usually don’t like chains, but I can lower my standards for an unknown international one.
We ordered the half and half chicken with the sweet sauce. I love sweet sauce. It’s less sweet than Olive Chicken’s, which was overly sweet. It still had a huge hit of garlic which I love. The original fried chicken was crunchy and all of it was juicy inside.
There were some slips with the service. The service was fast; they were not very busy. But the waitress spilled the dishes when she was clearing them, and we got the wrong bill. She was very sincere and apologetic.
Their food is definitely good and I will give their takeout a try.
When a friend setup a night out at Cerezo with a Chef’s tasting menu, I could not resist. I know I was only there a couple of months ago, but a change in season brings a new menu. Our party of nine took up half the restaurant, and we were awarded a private event sign at the back entrance. I feel special. An ironic thing that happened was that two of our party turned themselves away when they saw the sign, thinking the restaurant was booked for someone else. Ah, what they missed.
We had a twelve course menu with a palate cleanser. I felt this dining experience was definitely elevated compared to the first time I was here. The fusion of Japanese and other international flavours was apparent. I enjoyed the texture of the scallop ceviche – it was sliced paper thin. The prawn wrapped prosciutto was a nice diversion from the lighter fare we had to start. The crab cakes were delicious and swam in the puddles of Hollandaise. I though the meal was heavy on the beef, with three dishes. But then again, this is Alberta.
We had an endless debate on what was in the beef panini. We settled on the flavors of dark sweet soy and possibly five spice. It’s good when a dish spurs debate. The yuzu mimosa served as a palate cleanser and offered quite a hit of alcohol. It did surprise me. The goat cheese came shaped as a pear with a whole clove as the stem. The desserts were delicious small bites. We eased into the course slowly with a refreshing lemon tart. The chestnut custard was a hit with most of the table. Finally, we were assaulted with the strong flavor of the matcha chocolate cake. It was a delightful dining experience.
The pictures are arranged in the order of serving.
Caprese With Buffalo MozzarellaPonzu Sockeye Salmon GravlexScallop Ceviche With Truffle OilDaikon Radish Wrapped Tuna TartareProsciutto Wrapped Prawn With Caper AioliBeef Shabu-Shabu SaladMiso Bisque Sauce With CrostiniCrab Cake With Miso Hollandaise SauceBeef Suji PaniniYuzu MimosaGoat Cheese Pear With Pom JamTagliata With Wasabi SauceLemon Tart, Chestnut Tart and Chocolate Cake with MatchaMenu
We got in from a day of driving from Kelowna. I had a craving for ramen, but we couldn’t find parking in Kensington, so we decided to head downtown. I haven’t been to Sushi Hiro in a few years so we decided to drop in. The restaurant serves traditional Japanese food – no fusion here. My friend and I shared the Yosenabe hot pot. It included: clams, squid, whitefish, Japanese fish cake, chicken, salmon, enoki and oyster mushrooms, green onion and nappa cabbage. It came with additional broth and udon noodles. I think the broth was kombu dashi as there was a large piece of seaweed in the pot. There was also a side of yuzukoshu which I have never tasted before. It is fermented paste of yuzu peel, chili pepper and salt. It is very strong and a little goes a long way. The taste reminds me of Szechuan peppercorns with a tart finish.
The hot pot was more than enough for two people. The service was good and they speak Japanese. It’s a refreshing change to find a traditional Japanese restaurant. Worth another visit.
