June 23rd, 2008
Rajdoot is a staple of fine Indian dining in Calgary. On the night we went (a Saturday) the place was dead, but that meant the great service was guaranteed. We ordered drinks and got them right away. The lack of a crowd even on such a normally busy night meant we could have a great conversation and enjoy the tasteful décor, and watch as the chef cleaned the kitchen oven-room where the tandoor is.
The waiter (who could have been the owner, or at least the manager) was helpful with suggestions and very cheerful.
The Food:
We ordered Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, a lentil stew called Daal Makhani Bhukhara, and a spinach and cheese dish; Methi Chaman Braham Bhojan.
The Butter Chicken was a disappointing start for such a luscious staple of Indian cuisine in Canada. It tasted overly tomato-y, but was still creamy and rich. Roger called it ?unexciting?, but we?’d soon realize it was an amazing antidote to the firey lamb.
The lamb Vindaloo was spicy and saucy and so good! The meat was tender and not fatty or gristly, and the sauce was nicely balanced between flavourful and spicy-hot.
We had never tried the Daal before; it?s described as an ?Afghan style lentil?. It was spicy without any heat and very aromatic. The fresh-baked garlic naan sopped it up perfectly.
The Methi is like a stew of firm cheese (like a boconccini or a haloomi) in a sauce of pureed spinach. An odd combination, and it may not sound appetizing, but it was mild and savoury with a nice balance of textures and flavours. It?d make a nice light appy.
The Verdict:
The food was fantastic. Everything we wanted our Indian meal to be. The only complaint; it wasn?t hot. It was barely warm, even with a hotplate underneath it at our table. Rajdoot is a generally pleasant dining experience with tasty offerings and a comfortable atmosphere. You couldn’t do much better for Indian in Calgary.
In all: Erin gives it 8.5/10
Roger gives it: 8/10
February 26th, 2008
Globefish Sushi & Izakaya
2009 - 33 Ave. SW
Saturday night marked the first outing for Erin and I as RKK.com restaurant reviewers.
As well as being a cool room to dine in, Globefish boasts one of Calgary’s most elaborate Sushi and Izakaya menus. Truthfully, it’s tough to leave GF with a bad taste in your mouth. The sushi masters demonstrate a lot of creativity in their rolls and the Izakaya menu is vast and flavourful. The fish is fresh and is every bit as tasty as you’d get on the coast.
If sake (rice wine) is your thing, there is no other place in town. They have an extensive sake list and even provide a sampler (might be occasional.) We did the cold sampler and settled on a bottle of hot stuff!
We toured the menu and ate well from both styles of Japanese. The highlight was likely the Spider Roll or the Crispy Spicy Tuna roll. Truly, it’s hard to find a bad dish on this menu.
Aside from the installed art on this particular night, the only drawback was the price. $90 isn’t unreasonable, but I come from a West Coast bias and feel that a meal like this doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive. But, the dining room was full. So, what do I know?
Narah shisha lounge
A block or two West of Globefish on 33rd.
From sushi to shisha and this was a total accident. When you open the door to Narah, the place looks like Cheech & Chong’s basement. When you get inside, it’s one of Calgary’s most positive places to hang out and fill your lungs.
If you’re new to hookah, Narah is a very welcoming environment. The menu offers several tasty tobaccos for you to inhale and etiquette on how to inhale. The room is nicely appointed and was jammed on this night. The service is very friendly. A few things to note: this joint ain’t licensed, so you can’t get your drink on while you get your smoke on. Also, there are a lot of people in here of various races who enjoy being happy and not causing trouble. That’s a good thing that should never be disrupted… not that you would.
Narah also has a full menu, so you can grab lunch or dinner there. Awesome place.
February 22nd, 2008
This is more of a warning than anything. There’s going to be a fair amount of crabby posts on this blog. There’s a good reason for that. I have high expectations when I’m paying for something.
I see no justification for offering terrible food or service at a restaurant and then handing the customer a bill at the end. That’s ridiculous. As such, there will be complaints posted on here for anybody to read whenever I feel that I was (or you would be) let down by a restaurant I’ve visited.
Enjoy!
February 22nd, 2008
My wife-figure Erin and I like to eat and drink. And we have a lot to say about it. Check in with this blog frequently for a fresh take on all things food & drink; from restaurants and pubs to bottles and recipes.
