Whether you’re fine dining or grabbing an ice cream, Calgary’s got some pleasing plates that are as much a feast for the eyes as they are for the palate. We set out to find some of the handsomest head-turners on Calgary menus. Here are just a few we found.
Feast your eyes on some of Calgary’s most dashing dishes
Baked Alaska at Modern Steak
Fire is always mesmerizing, and when you pour it over a gorgeous, textured Italian meringue tableside, it becomes spectacular. Modern Steak’s baked Alaska is an experience as much as it is a dish. With a salted caramel gelato, vanilla sponge cake and tart lemon curd all nestled in that flaming meringue, you’ll want the video rolling when this beauty arrives at your table.
Modern Steak | Multiple Locations | modernsteak.ca
Aush-e-reshteh at Caspian Market
Persian cuisine has a wealth of soups, among them aush-e-reshteh, a thick soup commonly served during gatherings, Nowruz, and Ramadan. It contains an abundance of fresh herbs, beans, traditional noodles, and kashk, a unique Persian yogurt. Farah Soltani of Caspian Market shares that “almost every Iranian food is garnished before serving” and aush-e-reshteh is no exception, with fried onions, garlic, and mint artfully arranged on top in complex patterns.
Caspian Market | 3404 3rd Ave. N.W.| 587.352.3736
Smoking Jacket at Proof
For Reece Southern, bar manager at Proof Cocktail Bar, a cocktail is appreciated three ways. “First, you drink it with your eyes, then with your nose, and finally, with a sip,” he says. The bar’s “Smoking Jacket” Bourbon cocktail is certainly a treat for the senses. It’s a smoky take on a classic old fashioned, with a mix of peated scotch, bitters and sugar, all covered in a fine haze of cherrywood smoke.
Proof Cocktail Bar | 1302 1st St. S.W. | proofyyc.com
Halo Halo at Pacific Hut
Halo-halo is the quintessential Filipino dessert—a refreshing mix of fruit, flan, sweet corn, nata de coco, red beans, halayang ube, and crushed ice. Halayang ube is mashed purple yam with condensed milk, coconut milk, and butter. Pacific Hut owner Ron Ala says the key to his restaurant’s popular and colorful halo-halo is their homemade flan and halayang ube.
Pacific Hut Restaurant | 3223 17th Ave. S.E. | pacifichut.ca
Happy Camper Sundae at Made by Marcus
Made By Marcus makes beautiful and tasty sundaes, and as team member Brit Savage describes, “Each component has to be delicious on its own as well as contributing to the flavour as a whole.” That’s certainly true of their Happy Camper sundae, with its generous swirl of vanilla soft serve drenched in hot fudge, dusted with graham crumbs, and finished off with a perfectly toasted marshmallow.
Made By Marcus | Multiple locations | madebymarcus.ca
Oreo Shake at RE:GRUB
RE:GRUB’s gorgeous, perfectly Instagrammable shakes will satisfy any sweet tooth. According to RE:GRUB’s Shumaila Halani, the Oreomania shake is one of the most popular shakes, and with good reason. It’s a hefty Oreo shake with chocolate drizzle, a heaping dollop of whipped cream, and a pair of freshly deep-fried Oreos.
RE:GRUB | Multiple locations | regrub.ca
Lobster Shrimp at Orchard
Calgary’s Orchard Restaurant promises a blend of European and Asian technique and cuisine. Its lobster shrimp appetizer showcases this perfectly: a crispy potato mille feuille topped with yuzu aioli flavoured lobster and shrimp, finished with a mix of salmon caviar, furikake and pickled red onion. On the visual presentation of this stunning dish, owner Andrew Denhamer says, “The most important step… is how to highlight the main ingredient, from there, we try and find contrast through colours and textures.”
Orchard Restaurant | #134, 620 10th Ave. S.W. | orchardyyc.com
Kaieseki at Sukiyaki House
Sukiyaki House’s head chef Koji Kobayashi is no stranger to kaiseki, a formal Japanese multi-course dinner which emphasizes the use of seasonal ingredients and a variety of cooking techniques. While kaiseki has been on hold due to the pandemic, Koji shared that a springtime kaiseki at the restaurant would likely involve ingredients with colors reminiscent of cherry blossoms, and in-season fish like Spanish mackerel. Here’s to hoping that kaiseki returns soon!
Sukiyaki House | #130, 207 9th Ave. S.W. | sukiyakihouse.com
Charcuterie Boards at Brie & Banquet
When you order a charcuterie board from Brie and Banquet, you’re getting an edible work of art. With a background in food and interior design, proprietor Katie Eyre is uniquely qualified to make her boards look as good as they taste. “I’m always on the hunt for the prettiest, most interesting and tasty inclusions,” she says. Her favourite ingredients? Edible flowers, fresh figs, local honeycomb, fresh sprouts and herbs, and her in-house dried citrus.
Brie & Banquet | 524 42nd Ave. S.E. | brieandbanquet.com
Octopus at River Cafe
This eye-catching ring is River Café’s grilled Pacific octopus. Not only is it hot stuff to look at, it packs a spicy punch with a pepper sauce and salami (both house made) with a gorgeous plating and floral garnish. General Manager Heather Pedhirney says this beauty always garners some ooohs and ahhhs at the table.
River Café | 25 Prince’s Island Park S.W. | river-cafe.com
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