Calgary Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Eat Your Broccoli!

September 13, 2013

CEREZO Cafe and Bar

There’s been a quiet restaurant revolution going on in this part of Edmonton Trail for some time. All sorts of different places are popping up. From rustic casual to fish and chips to a Mexican Taqueria. CEREZO is a take on Japanese fusion much like Carino. They serve tapas which I quite like as I can sample a variety of dishes. The restaurant is located in a small house off the main street; it is easy to miss if you are not looking.

Onto the food. Our first dish was an assortment of sauteed mushrooms served with thin slices of toasted baguette. I love the rich earthy flavors with a hint of garlic. Next was the duo of quiche. One was chicken and the other, tuna. It was topped off with melted cheese. The crust of the quiche had a sweet quality which complemented the dish nicely. Also a touch of heat from some kind of hot pepper. The deep fried spring rolls had a rich shrimpy flavor. It was dusted with a lemon garlic salt which added a burst of flavor. To counter the strong flavours of the preceding dishes, the savoy cabbage and bacon in the dashi broth was a nice change. The gravlax salmon was presented beautifully. There was a dab of wasabi, garnished with lemon zest. The mascarpone cheese was a nice twist on cream cheese. The salmon swam nicely in the yuzu sauce.

The dessert menu was presented in a unique way. There was a selection of cakes, mousse and tarts, all of which could be paired with your choice of ice cream. I choose the strawberry shortcake with salt ice cream. The salt ice cream tasted like vanilla with an aftertaste of fleur de sel. An interesting combination. Hubby enjoyed his chocolate covered green tea mousse with matcha ice cream.

Service was really good to start off, but then it got busier and it was a little slow. Still, definitely worth a return visit.

Chocolate Covered Green Tea Mousse with Matcha Ice Cream

Strawberry Shortcake with Salt Ice Cream

September 1, 2013

Reader's Garden Cafe

I love character houses, locally made from scratch food, a room with a view and Mother Nature. I found the perfect combination in Reader’s Garden Cafe. The restaurant is located in the Reader Rock Garden, which is worth a visit on its own. We took some time to explore the garden before dinner. With the help of my friends, we managed to identify most of the veggies. They grew: purple kohlrabi, swiss chard, parsley, beets, tomatoes, rhubarb and kale. Also a few strawberries here and there. They also grow the flowers they serve in their dishes.

The grounds are popular with weddings; we saw a photo shoot while we were there. I love the narrow stone steps and footpaths. Certainly a place to linger for an afternoon of reading or quiet contemplation. We were seated in the front room which had spectacular views of downtown, the Saddledome, and the Stampede.

They’re only open seasonally from about mid-April to October.

The service was a bit slow, but attentive. They did mention that they have a small kitchen. Almost everything is made from scratch or grown on the property. The yogurt and grainy mustard that came with the charcuterie board was made in house. I also liked the pickled watermelon rind and homemade soda bread that came with the platter. All the flowers and some of the veggies are from their gardens. They were really good in accommodating my birthday cake. Which was a mango mousse cake from Yamato decorated with fresh fruit. The server had a sense of humor to go with the ones at our table.

This is a gem of a cafe and hopefully I will be back again before the season is over.

Charcuterie Board Boar sausage, pickled watermelon rind, house made soda bread, baguette, dill pickles, pickled beets, grainy mustard, yogurt and roast beef — Charcuterie Board
Boar sausage, pickled watermelon rind, house made soda bread, baguette, dill pickles, pickled beets, grainy mustard, yogurt and roast beef

Beer-Braised Saskatoon Berry Beef Short Ribs

August 28, 2013

Juree's Thai Place

Hungry after a day in the mountains, we decided on quick, tasty and close. Juree’s fit the bill. I’ve been here several times before and have always enjoyed the food. All their curries have rich flavors with liberal use of coconut milk. The larb kai had some very spicy and herby notes. I really liked the deep fried tilapia, served whole with sweet and sour sauce on top. The service was very quick. On this night, there were some ladies dressed in traditional outfits dancing outside. I should really visit more often.

Massaman curry with pork and green curry with prawn

August 19, 2013

South Silk Road

When it comes to Chinese food, I have my list of usual suspects: Cantonese, Hong Kong style cafe and occasionally Westernized. I’ve tried a bit of Szechuan and it’s a little too spicy. It was interesting to find something different in Yunnan food. Yunnan cuisine takes strong influence from Szechuan and a host of other cuisines. There is liberal use of chillies, mushrooms, fungus and flavorful meats.

I’ve not had Chinese food like this anywhere. One of my favorites was the deep fried taro roll with black sesame seeds. I suspect it might have been a dessert but we were served it as an appetizer. A few of our dishes were liberally laced with fresh and dried chillies, but they were easy to avoid. I enjoyed the wood ear fungus salad “mok yee”. The mushrooms and dried vegetable in the dry beef dish were nicely spiced. The twice cooked pork had some fatty roasted pork, some lean slices and tofu. There was also squash that was fried tempura style which was good. We were all full but just had to try the dessert, the pineapple rice. It was served warm. That too, was really good.

We arrived early so there weren’t too many people. Service was very attentive and we chatted with the chef owner. As the evening progressed, the service slowed a little but they were nice enough to flag us down when we forgot our leftovers.

There is so much more to try so I am definitely returning.

Dai style tree mushroom and bamboo salad

Steamed rice with honey and coconut in pineapple

August 5, 2013

Laurier Lounge

This little place has been on my wishlist for some time. Over the years, on Urbanspoon, the reviews haven’t been consistent and I’ve experienced why.

The restaurant is located in an old character house in the midst of towering condo developments. I like the plaster walls and eccentric decor. I think it would be suitable for a romantic dinner, except the room we were in had a lot of tables in a very small space. It was loud, even with only a table of four next to us. I really wanted to try the beef, but the source could not be adequately verified. I only eat organic or naturally raised beef. On the menu though, they do say they source from local organic producers.

We both shared the cheese fondue which was delicious. We asked for seconds of the bread to finish it off. My appetizer plate was not clean, but our server replaced it quickly with a new one.

Hubby had the beef bourguignon and I choose the bouillabaisse. My stew came with an abundance of seafood: whole lobster claw, shrimp, clams, a fish similar to bass, potatoes, onion and carrots. The soup was full of flavour. The only thing was that the broth was oily. I should not have filled up with bread, but the portion size was hearty; I took home the leftovers. When I got home, I dug out my lobster shears and pick. The claw was cracked in half, but it wasn’t sufficient to get to all the delicious meat.

The service was slow, as the table next to us received their meals before us, even though they arrived later. Out server was new to the restaurant, but she did try.

I might consider coming back, but since there are so many new and good restaurants to try in Calgary, it might be a while.

August 5, 2013

Yann Haute Patisserie

I hosted brunch for some friends on Saturday and I was looking for something light to finish off the meal. One of hubby’s favorite desserts is macarons, so that was an easy decision. Our friends were generous enough to bring us one of each kind that was available that day. I don’t remember all the flavors, but they all tasted good.

July 27, 2013

Shibuya Izakaya

Coming back late at night from the mountains, I was looking for something to satisfy my salt and comfort food craving. I decided on curry ramen. I was surprised how good the curry was. I think I like it better than the one at Menyatai last week. Maybe everything tastes better when you are hungry. The broth was rich, but lovely mild Japanese curry. The ramen was chewy as I would expect. It came with roasted pork, slightly soft boiled egg, nori and wakame. They have some other interesting menu items, such as grilled fish, which I would like to try. I might have to trade in Sakana Grill for this on climbing nights.

July 21, 2013

Village Ice Cream

For some reason, this place is not easy to find. We were coming up from Bow Bottom Trail and Google maps got a little creative with the routing. The location is very easy to miss and I would not say pedestrian friendly with the sidewalk next to it blocked off for construction. But what a gem. This little place, and I do mean little has only about 10 flavors at a time with a few seasonal ones. What they lack in quantity is made up for in quality. The salted caramel was rich and flavorful, and the regular (not vegan) toasted coconut was full of flavor. This place is out of the way, and I would go out of my way to eat there again.

Salted caramel and toasted coconut (not visible)

July 18, 2013

Olive Chicken

Mmm… Korean fried chicken. The last time I had something similar, it was from Fritou’s in Skyview Ranch. Their chicken was pretty good. On my way home from yoga, I decided to pick up a little dinner. Olive Chicken is a small place in the Korean strip mall on 10th Ave. I’m guessing they are mainly a takeout joint as there are only a few tables of two to sit at. Menu is straightforward. Fried chicken. Hot and sweet. Or regular. And combos.

I ordered the small, which deceivingly, is enough to feed two people. The chicken was fried in popcorn, I think. If not, it was very similar in texture. It stayed crunchy, even though it was drenched in hot and sweet sauce. But that is the best part. It was freshly fried right in front of me. It was quick, it only took about five minutes from order to takeout. They wrapped it in foil, so it stayed warm for the 20 minute bike ride home. This could be strangely addictive.

July 14, 2013

Menyatai Japanese Ramen

I love ramen. Not the stuff that comes in the packages from the grocery store, but freshly made noodles. It’s hard to find good ramen in Calgary. I think I have finally found some.

We started off with the deep fried gyoza. It was good, but I prefer the pan fried. My friend had the vegetable ramen in miso soup. I had a taste, it was good. I had the curry ramen with cha shu. I like Japanese curry for its mild flavor. The ramen noodles were nice and chewy. I am definitely returning; I could probably eat here every week.

The service was quick and the dishes were presently nicely. My idea of fast food.

Vegetable ramen with miso soup, tomato, green onion, bean sprout, corn, kan-pyo, carrot, onion, spinach and nori

Curry ramen with bean sprouts, soft boiled egg, cha shu, Kan-pyo, nori and corn