FFWD REW

My best bites of 2014

Going to a restaurant is not just about the food — the service ambience and how clean the washrooms are can make or break your experience. Sometimes though there are those standout dishes that you keep on dreaming about weeks after you’ve gone to the restaurant and counting down the days until you can go back and get five orders to yourself.

Here are some of my favourite bites from 2014 (in alphabetical order by restaurant):

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  • 1

    Anju Restaurant and Lounge

    344 17 Ave S.W. Calgary Alberta T2S 0A5

    CRISPY TOFU ($14)

    Many food lovers in the city were huge fans of Anju’s crispy tofu at its original location and I’m sure there would have been a revolt if it wasn’t on the menu at its new location on the corner of 17th Avenue and Fourth Street S.W. This tasty appetizer retains the crisp breaded tofu with its soft pillowy insides. The tofu is finished with citrus aioli sesame seeds and gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) and served on a bed of mild and sweet sauteed kimchi. The updated dish now features tiny bits of pork belly tucked into the kimchi giving it extra umami and richness. It seems like Chef Roy Oh is convinced that meat is what will convert people into tofu lovers — the other (also delicious) tofu dish on the menu is a foie gras and tofu mousse.

  • 2

    Candela Lounge

    1919 4 St S.W. Calgary Alberta T2S 0G8

    BUNUELOS ($9)

    Candela’s take on a popular Spanish/Latin American sweet is truly decadent. While in some Latin American countries buñuelos are made from tortillas Candela takes the dish back to its doughnut roots. If you are a fan of the mini doughnuts at the Stampede this dessert is for you. The cinnamon sugar-sprinkled doughnuts are served hot from the fryer with a tiny cup of dulce de leche a creamy caramel sauce popular in many parts of Latin America for dipping.

  • 3

    Goro+Gun

    225 7 Ave SW Calgary Alberta

    SMOKED EGG ($3)

    Hiding sneakily in their toppings menu for those who are not in the know you may be missing out on one of Goro+Gun’s best offerings. The free-run eggs are soft-cooked so the yolks are still runny then slow-smoked for 48-hours to give it them distinctive smoky flavour adding richness to any of the ramen bowls on the menu. Get there early as quantities are limited.

  • 4

    Hapa Izakaya

    816 11 Ave SW Calgary Alberta T2R 0E5

    TEMARI SUSHI ($18)

    Temari sushi are small ball-shaped sushi meant to mimic Japanese decorative embroidered balls. Hapa Izakaya’s version of the dish is beautifully presented using fresh salmon tuna and yellowtail with thinly sliced vegetables and edible flowers as garnish. The best part of the dish though is the miso truffle sauce drizzled on top of the sushi. The distinctive flavours of miso and truffle work well together to create a savoury sauce while little sprinkles of ground shiso add a peppery minty finish to each bite.

  • 5

    The Nash

    925 11 St SE Calgary Alberta T2G 0S8

    CHARRED PACIFIC OCTOPUS AVOCADO ($17)

    I ordered this dish while dining with a friend who isn’t generally fond of the chewy texture of octopus. We both agreed that if you ate this dish blindfolded you would not be able to tell that it was octopus at all. The slices of octopus are meaty and tender accompanied by thin slightly crisp pieces of chorizo and an avocado sauce.

  • 6

    Shiki Menya

    827 1 Ave N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 0C3

    GOMA MAZEMEN ($14)

    My fiancé and I travelled to Japan earlier this year and discovered tsukemen which is ramen served with a side of concentrated broth and often vegetables and meat for dipping. Shiki Menya’s hiyashi tomato tsukemen was a little too summery and fusion for us but we fell in love with their goma mazemen which is ramen served in a sauce as opposed to a broth. Shiki Menya tops their signature springy handmade noodles with a rich savoury sesame peanut sauce. The dish is finished with spring greens green onion (negi) thinly sliced Japanese barbecued pork (char siu) and a poached egg. Perhaps it’s not as comforting as a bowl of soup but still worth waiting in line for.

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