Anju Restaurant & Eecha Lounge

This trendy establishment has earned a title for itself in the short time it has been opened. The venue is found between two busy streets in a older style building.  The set up inside was slightly awkward but worked well with the ambiance they were trying to project.  They specialize in transforming traditional Korean ingredients into familiar yet unique modern flavours.

There is so much selection on the menu, I have been here several times, each visit seems to get better and better.  The plating of each dish is precise in detail.

I highly recommend the savoury Truffled Yam fries with gochugaru aioli dipping sauce. The texture of the sauce resembled that of mayo with a tint of garlic and Gochugaru which is Korean red chili pepper powder that gives the dish it's unique spiciness.  The lettuce wrap Broek Acres pork belly is another dish I look forward to spoiling myself again.  If you love bacon, this is a definite dish you must try.  Broek Pork Acres is local farm in Alberta known to raise pastured hogs producing superior quality cuts of pork.  Anju prepares this succulent pork dish along side with fresh butter lettuce, basil and and sesame oil mixture that completes this dish. I've never been disappointed

Give this place a try you won't regret it!

Mug Shotz Sports Bar & Grill

This place is a hidden gem.  If you can get past the dark parking lot and through the doors you will find a sports pub with dart boards, big screen T.V.s and Calgary Flames swag on every wall.  I have lived in Calgary all my life, and have never heard of this place until a friend ate there and just could not stop raving about the food.  After verifying his testimony against the reviews found on one of my favourite websites www.hotwings.ca, the ratings alone convinced me that it was worth a try.  I was forewarned that this place was a hole in the wall hidden deep within Calgary's industrial area, but I knew from experience that the best dishes can be found in places where you least expect.

Mug Shotz, without a doubt lived up to it's name for their wings. Fried to perfection, the flavours were not only in the sauce but embedded in each bite of the chicken wing.  Every flavour we tried was unique on it's own.  My favourite was the Mug Shots salt and pepper which consists of an exquisite combination of flavours resembling Chinese salt and pepper squid.  Everything from onions and chilli flakes to julienne red and green peppers, a definite must-try for your first time. They have been rated the best wings in Calgary for a reason, try it out, you won't regret it.

Tipperary's Pub

This was a great place to go on a Thursday night to catch the game.  No matter where you sit there seemed to be a good view of one of the many TV's in the venue.  It was an upbeat environment with a traditional yet modern Irish pub theme.

We ordered a variety of the $2 basket of dry rib special, fries and a side of rich, savoury and flavourful gravy that resembled KFC gravy.  For the price and the 13 flavours of ribs to choose from, you really can't go wrong.  This time around the ribs were juicy and plump, not dry and chewy like many other places.

I read the reviews on this place and was surprised at the mediocre response since I had such a good experience. But I guess the success of a pub is based on how consistently they can bring customers back in and consistency is based on so many factors. The cooks, the service, as well as the number of orders running through the kitchen at one time are only a few of the factors that can make these cheap rib or wing nights a hit or a miss. From my experience working as a cook in a fast paced pub environment, just a few extra minutes in the fryer can change any food item from juicy and crispy to dry and crunchy.

I can't speak for all the food items on the menu, but as far as what we ordered, everything turned out really well.  I would recommend trying out Tipperary's, especially on a Thursday.