Tag: local and regional cuisine

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.

The Bison on Urbanspoon

Chef's Table

I had the occasion to finally visit Chef’s Table at the Kensington Riverside Inn. Eight of us were there for a surprise birthday dinner. Our table was directly in front of the open kitchen and offered a nice view of the hustle and bustle.  We started off with an amuse bouche, which tasted like a deconstructed BLT. The flavors that I remember were lardons, and a gelee with a subtle mustard flavor.

Amuse
Amuse

My second course was agnolotti which is similar to ravioli. The flavors were very delicate and complimented each other nicely.

Agnolotti
Agnolotti

I suspect this was the birthday girl’s appetizer. The presentation was nicely done.

IMGP0601

I had the ling cod for my entree. The fish was perfectly cooked. The granola added an interesting texture to the dish. The flavors of tomato bubbles, carrot and saffron seemed very much like my appetizer. If I had realized that, I would have ordered differently.

Ling Cod, salsify, prosciutto, granola, cucumber, tomato leather, roasted garlic, tomato bubbles
Ling Cod
salsify, prosciutto, granola, cucumber, tomato leather, roasted garlic, tomato bubbles

The dessert was light and refreshing. The subtle flavor of the poached pear was a nice foil for the strong flavor of the blackcurrant ice cream.

Pearginger, blackcurrant, polenta, pistachio
Pear
ginger, blackcurrant, polenta, pistachio

The service was very good. The servers had a sense of humor and showed patience while waiting for our entire group to arrive.  They must have spent a lot of time memorizing the ingredients for each dish. It’s the type of service that I would expect from a fine dining restaurant. This warrants another trip for a special occasion, next time with hubby in tow.

 

Chef's Table at Kensington Riverside Inn on Urbanspoon