DINNER AT INSADONG KOREAN BBQ RESTAURANT - MARLBOROUGH

Our second culinary adventure of the day.  We wanted to get some sushi at Aja Sushi but the place was closed on Family Day.  So we walked a few doors down to try the Korean place instead.  Located in the Vista Landing strip mall across from T&T Supermarket in Marlborough, this deceptive looking hole-in-the-wall actually produce some good food.

When we got to the restaurant, before 6pm, it looked like all the booths were taken.  We were sat on the section on the opposite wall of the booths.  The server was attentive and came and gave us hot tea right away.  However, as the evening progress, the restaurant got busier, and it was hard to wave down a server for our bill at the end of our meal.  Of course we understand as there were only three servers and one of them was a cashier as well.  At least we and everyone around us got our food quickly.

The restaurant had a lot of different items on their menu and also had two options for all-you-can-eat BBQ.  The price didn't seem too bad for the all-you-can-eat.  There was a $19.99 per person menu and a $24.99 per person menu with unlimited rice and only one can of pop per person.  They also had some delicious looking hotpot as well.  Since we are two girls, and don't really eat that much for hotpot and all-you-can-eat, we decided to order a dish for ourselves.  My friend ordered Duck Gae Jang (hot and spicy duck and vegetable stew), and I had Ttukbaegi Bulgogi (sliced sirloin beef and vegetables soup in a hotpot).

Ttuckbaegi Bulgogi (beef and vegetable hot pot soup)

Ttuckbaegi Bulgogi: $10.99

This hot pot soup was full of sliced sirloin beef and glass noodles.  There was only a few slices of carrots and mushrooms and scallions on top.  The soup was very hot, and so if you have the Korean metal chopsticks and spoon, you have to wait until this cool a bit or risk some tongue burns. The broth was very flavourful and this dish by itself was a good full meal. Also, with this meal we were served rice (mix of short grain and red) and some banchan.  I ate this as my soup cooled.

5 Banchan - side dishes

Banchan (side dishes): Free

Along with a bowl of rice each, we also had 5 side dishes that came with our meal.  First, there is the kimchi.  It was sour and spicy.  It was good but I'm not good at handling spicy.  Secondly, the bean sprout was nicely prepared.  Its a pretty standard dish, and I was glad they didn't overpower it with sesame oil.  Next, the salad was good with a mix of cabbage and lettuce.  It had a nice vinegar-soy sauce dressing. Fourth, there was the pickled daikon that had a slight crisp texture and was a little on the sweet side.  Lastly, the crispy, honey-drenched potatoes that probably most of us are familiar with.  All the sides was very well done and good accompaniment of textures.

Duck Gae Jang (Hot and Spicy Duck and Vegetable Stew)

Duck Gae Jang: $10.99

My friend ordered this yummy stew.  I didn't have a taste because I can't handle spicy stuff well.  There was a lot of duck but you have to be careful as there are bones in it.  It looked like she got the drumstick and thigh part of the duck according to the bones she fished out.  Again, there wasn't a lot of vegetables in it but there was some glass noodle present.

Overall, this place is a good place to go if you want to experience Korean food at a reasonable price.  There are hot pots and all-you-can-eat to try.  I know I will be back with people who can eat.  However, if the place gets busy, be prepare to wait and be warned that service won't be stellar.   

Insadong Korean BBQ Restaurant

#132 90 - 36 St NE 
Calgary, AB T2A7E6

587-353-3273

LUNCH AT MOROCCAN JANNAH - NORTHEAST

Located in the Interpacific Business Park strip mall by Barlow Tr. and 32nd Ave NE, this little gem has really great food.  This great eatery is surrounded by other terrific restaurants such as Inti and Clay Oven.

My friend, who never had Moroccan food before, and I decided to go there for lunch since I bought a Teambuy deal.  We went during lunch time on Family Day.  The place was not busy at all. There was only one other person there at noon.  I guess people are really spending time with their family, but I heard the place does get very busy.

As we walked in, the place was sparsely decorated with some pretty Moroccan silverware - teapot, plates, and serving dishes - throughout the dining area.  This is no a fancy restaurant but don't let the look fool you.  Most of the time, these unassuming places knock out some of the best food I ever tasted.  The server was very nice, and she let us sit anywhere.  Since it was my friend's first time, she ask the server what she recommended.  The server said all the tajines are good. We wanted to try a variety of stuff so we got a grill dish and a tajine to share.  We ordered Filet Mignon (medium) grill with couscous and Chicken Pickled Lemon Tajine.  My friend also ordered a mixed berries smoothie ($5.00), which looked more like juice than the usual smoothie, and I tried the Moroccan mint tea.  The food came out at a reasonable amount of time - the food was nice and hot. Our small table had trouble holding the large dishes.

Filet Mignon Grill with couscous

Filet Mignon Grill: $14.40

This yummy, well-seasoned grill cooked to our liking (medium) came with a salad with red onion, tomato, green olives and lettuce with a vinegary dressing, fluffy couscous, a nice light creamy dip and clay oven bread (not pictured). The salad was a but over-dressed, but the dip was amazing. I'm not quite sure what dip we got but it was garlicky and lemony.  My friend and I couldn't stop dipping our warm, soft bread in it. Just eating the bread and dip itself was enough to make us want to came back again with our other friends. 

Chicken Pickled Lemon

Chicken Pickled Lemon: $18.00

This tajine came out nice and hot.  The chicken was juicy and easy to get off the bone.  The chicken was the breast with the bone-in.  The sauce was ok and the carrots didn't very add anything special.  I didn't very taste lemon but it was flavourful with the other spices.

Moroccan mint tea

Moroccan Mint Tea: $3.00

I ordered Moroccan mint tea, and the server was nice enough to bring a cup for me and my friend.  The tea came in a very nice silver teapot and tray.  It was very hot to touch at first.  We almost finished our meal before I was able to pour our tea.  The tea was very good.  There was a whole big sprig of mint added to the tea.  I have never seen this before and its a good way to make tea.

Overall, I highly recommend this place.  The service was good, and the food was excellent.  Having the Teambuy coupon helped me discover a good restaurant.  I would gladly pay the full price for food at this restaurant.  Next time, I would be more daring in my choices of food and pick some authentic Moroccan food like merguez, other tajines, and kafta.

Moroccan Jannah

3132 - 26 Street NE

Calgary, AB T1Y 6Z1

403-414-1266

 

BRUNCH AT VENDOME CAFE - KENSINGTON

Located on the east side of Sunnyside C-train station, Vendome Cafe is cool, upscaled coffee shop.  The cafe has its and character once you enter through the door.  This nice quaint cafe is where mothers and old friends meet and students study on weekday mornings.  Since it isn't usually busy on weekdays, I decided to come here for brunch.

As you come in, you are greeted at the big service counter.  There, you order typical cafe drinks, freshly baked goods, breakfast, panini and melts, and hot items. They even have charcuterie and steak tartare available in the evenings. They also have delicious looking desserts in the display case and some alcoholic options as well.  The menu is up on their big blackboard.  Everything looked good to eat.  Once you order and opt to dine in, they give you a number and the servers bring the order to your table.  Even on a weekday, there was very little sitting option left as you look for a place to sit. Since it was mid-morning, I decided on the salted caramel French toast.  I'm normally a savory person and stay away from sweets at breakfast, but the item just stand out to me.  So, I ordered that and white orchard tea ($2.25).  The food came pretty quick.

Salted Caramel French Toast

Salted Caramel French Toast: $12

The portion was big and was pretty filling.  The french toast was cut into cubes and beautifully decorated with dollops of cream cheese whipped cream.  Caramel sauce lined the bottom of the plate, and hidden bites of caramelized bananas was scattered throughout.  Then the whole thing is sprinkled with icing sugar and black lava salt.  All I can say was yum :)

Overall, I think this cafe is affordable and has a very comfortable atmosphere.  I would recommend Vendome Cafe to people looking for brunch or quick lunch while in Kensington.

Maybe next time I'll stop by for lunch and try their duck confit panini.

Vendome Cafe
940 2nd Ave NW
Calgary, AB T2N 0E6
(403) 453-1140

LUNCH AT BANZAI SUSHI AND TERIYAKI HOUSE - DOWNTOWN

Feeling for some Japanese food on a cold day, I checked out Urbanspoon to see if there were any good Japanese restaurant downtown.  Up until my search, I didn't realized that there were so many Japanese restaurants downtown.  As a person that rarely venture downtown and my work is no where near the downtown core, it was a pleasant surprise.  I should go to downtown more often on my days off.

I heard many things about Banzai earlier in the year so I decided to check it out.

Not that far away from the C-train station, located in a little strip mall, Banzai was fairly easy to find.  I decided to check the place out after the lunch rush. Checking out the menu posted on the window of the restaurant, I see that they had a variety of rice bowls available - making me think that it is their specialty.

Upon walking in, there is a dining/seating section and a cash counter.  I quickly see this restaurant is modeled like a fast-food place, where you order at the counter and sit after you get your food.  There is no a la carte menu.  The place offer sushi rolls, bento boxes, noodle and rice bowls, sides, combos, and party trays.  There is a small cooler of drinks to choose from. There is also a counter behind you filled with utensils, glasses, ice and water you take yourself.  The service at the counter service was friendly and efficient.

Since it was a cold and snowy and I felt like soup, I ordered tempura udon, Banzai roll, and Japanese tea at the counter.  Since it wasn't busy, the person told me to find a seat, and she would bring the food to me.
At the table, there was additional soup spoons, chopsticks, napkins, and soy sauce.  My food didn't take long to come, but my udon and tea came first before my sushi.  My tea came in a tea bag from Japan. It was pretty good tea to warm me up.

Tempura Udon

Tempura Udon: $7.95

The portion was just right for lunch.  I didn't expect a big bowl due to the price.  The broth was good and not too salty.  The udon had a bit of seaweed, green onion, benito flakes and two slices of Japanese fish cake.  As for the tempura, there were 6 pieces: two pieces of prawns, two slices of yam, and two half mushrooms.  The tempura was a little oily and nothing very special to write home about.

Banzai Roll

Banzai Roll: $5.55

Banzai roll made with avocado, cucumber, tuna, salmon, and tobiko.  It wasn't too bad.  Of course, no sushi in Calgary can compare to sushi in Japan. There was nothing special about it that stands out.  It remains me of those grocery store sushi.  At least the roll didn't fall apart when I picked it up with chopsticks.

Overall, Banzai is a good place to go to when you are dining alone and a cheap place to go for Japanese food in downtown if you are not too picky about your food.  Also, check out teambuy or those daily deals website for discounts. Although, I don't think I will pay regular price at this place (since I can find mediocre Japanese food not in the downtown core), I will definitely be back to try a rice bowl and other sushi rolls with my teambuy coupon.

Banzai Sushi and Teriyaki House

526 - 4th Ave SW

Calgary, AB, T2J 0P6

403-262-9060