Pho Ga Sate at Nho Saigon

This is the Pho Ga Sate at Nho Saigon in Marda Loop, a neighbourhood in Calgary. It's sooo spicy and peanuty. I get mine with a pineapple milkshake, which is a refreshing contrast to the spiciness.

Nho Saigon
Marda Loop
2111, 33 ave sw
Calgary, AB T2T
403-246-1388


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Shikiji, a ramen house in Calgary

Miso ramen at Shikiji on beFOODled's Flickr page.

There's one thing that puts the ramen at Shikiji in a league of its own: You get a facial while you eat!

Ramen here is served in a bowl that's honestly at least 10 inches wide. Every time I leaned over to slurp up a noodle or hunt for a slice of BBQ pork, I got a steamy miso facial treatment. I could have literally dove in and swam around, like Rool, the brownie in Willow who falls into a barrel of beer and can't believe his good fortune :)

There are four ramen choices on the menu: soy, miso, BBQ pork and shio. The difference, I think, is mostly in the broth. My bowl, which must have held several litres of miso ramen, cost a mere $11.60. The first thing the server brings is a little mortar filled with sesame seeds and a pestle for grinding them up. You can grind the seeds while you wait, and then sprinkle them over your soup. The only thing missing was a boiled egg.

How I wish Shikiji was in Ottawa, but alas, it's a little gem that belongs to Calgary. It's one of the many places that makes this city sparkle with a great but still largely unacknowledged culture.

Aside from the delicious noodles, there's a full menu of every Japanese favourite you could imagine, from edamame and gyoza to donburi and sushi. Below is a photo of the bento box that S's mom ordered.

Shikiji Japanese Noodles and Sushi
1608 Centre St. N.E.
Calgary, AB T2E 2R9
Tel: 403.520.0093
www.shikiji.ca


Bento box at Shikiji on beFOODled's Flickr page.

Sushi Hibiki in Calgary

Sushi Hibiki is a tiny restaurant that has the best tempura in Calgary, according to S's parents, who are Japanese restaurant aficionados. But of course I opted for the ramen because it is one of my favourite Japanese foods and hard to find where I live. I finished this whole bowl and really enjoyed it. It was nice and light, and I really liked the addition of the hard-boiled egg (not all restaurants offer eggs with ramen). Another bonus: A bowl of ramen at Hibiki also comes with a three-piece side of sushi.
It's also very affordable — I forget how much this ramen was, but it was definately under $12, which is what I have to pay in Ottawa for ramen that, although with egg, is devoid of an interesting side.
Hibiki is very clean, quiet and newly renovated. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an interesting decor, and like many restaurants in Calgary, it lives in an anonymous strip mall. But it is cozy, the staff are friendly and the service is good, and the ramen is delish.

Sushi Hibiki
6-630 1 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB T2E 0B6
403.264.1211

Tokyo Garden in Calgary

Tokyo Garden's sushi bar in Calgary on Flickr by beFOODled.

S and I are on holiday in Calgary right now. We are visiting his parents, who also live for good food. On Thursday night they took us to Tokyo Garden where they are VIP customers according to Ali, the head waiter. We sat at the sushi bar and I tried some varieties for the first time, like uni (sea urchin eggs) and squid and caviar. They were nice, but I still prefer my old favourites - mackerel, unagi (BBQ eel), hamachi (yellowtail), tuna and salmon. The sushi here is excellent, way better than any place S and I have tried in Ottawa. For one thing, each sushi is huge - more than a mouthful, and it tastes so fresh. S's parents have been coming here long enough to know when they get the fish in (it comes on Wednesday), so if you ever go to Tokyo Garden for sushi, come on a Wednesday or Thursday night!

Tokyo Garden
100-10201 Southport Road SW
Calgary, AB T2W 4X9
403.252.7676