One of Beep Beep’s favourite spots in Calgary is Cassis Bistro. I’ve yet to meet anyone who isn’t smitten with this place. My own siblings were also instant fans. Let’s listen to Jardin d’Hiverv for this post.
This one’s a short post because we skipped appetizers and dessert. Beep Beep’s a light eater, and my own appetite’s still finding its way back post-surgery. But these mussels at Cassis deserve a special shoutout because they were so damn good.
I notice on the menu that Cassis now brings in mussels ($34) from Salt Spring Island. Best decision ever. Some of the mussels were so fat that they were the size of a large oyster. Every mussel was steamed perfectly, silky and tender, with an almost custardy center that melts on the tongue, right down to the very last shell. And then there’s that taste, fragrant of the sea and delicately sweet. The wine our server picked, Pouilly-Fume ($18) went so well with the mussels.
I noticed the duck fat fried frites are different now. Each one is longer and not as brittle as before, resulting in elegant, crispy stems with a still-soft center. When I dipped each frite into the rich, garlicky aioli, I nearly wept with joy. I held back my tears from a fraying thread of self-dignity.
We also shared an order of Beef Tartare au Couteau ($32), with more of those golden frites and a salad. According to my French friend, Fougui, no one does it better than Cassis. I love the pomp and ceremony of cracking that bright orange organic egg farm yolk and stirring the creaminess into the tartare.
The cool pieces of beef pop with the flavour of briny capers and mustard. The portion of beef tartare is generous. Our server selected a glass of Cotes Du Rhones ($14) that Beep Beep mentioned paired well with bright flavours in the tartare.
When we left the patio, I bumped into the owner, who, fun fact, happens to live a few blocks away from me. I told him the mussels were so good I would be back in a week. What I really wanted to say to him was never, ever retire. Calgary needs Cassis like a moule needs its frites.
Beep Beep came to visit me! To celebrate, we booked a massage at Vital Performance Care, and then we dropped by for dinner at The Exchange in Eau Claire with Chew Steel. Let’s listen to ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ for this post.
We kicked things off with The First Bloom Gin & T ($15) — a fragrant goblet of organic gin, grapefruit tonic, ice, and rose petals. Chew Steel opted for the smoked old-fashioned, which was as smooth and well-crafted as it looked. But it was Liam, our server, who truly impressed with his wine recommendation: a bottle of Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir ($105) from the Russian River Valley. I don’t usually go for Pinots, but this one won me over — vibrant and full of flavour, like ripe strawberries steeped in warm tea.
Chew Steel’s Peruvian Pork Sandwich ($24) was sumptuous. When I took a bite, the richness of the crisp pork belly, enveloped in a warm, crusty bun, packed a flavourful bite. And that carrot soup hit the spot. Thick and hot, each sip was perfectly seasoned and so soul-satisfying. You could taste the love in the sandwich and soup! I would order this again.
I’ve ordered the Roasted Pork Copa ($33) twice now because it’s that good. The sweetly glazed pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender, even better when dipped into the tart cherry sauce. The stewed farro is silky with just the right bit of chew, and the generous portion could easily satisfy two. Beep Beep declared her wine paired nicely with the pork.
I enjoyed the Highwood Crossing Organic Grain Bowl ($22). The yuzu vinaigrette was bright and complemented the emerald green avocado, pea shoots, grilled chicken, and grains. All the ingredients tasted fresh.
I’ve also tried the Poached Icelandic Cod ($31), a customer favourite, and the portion is impressively generous. The sauce leans a bit too sweet and milky for my taste, but the Spiced Humbolt Squid ($18) more than makes up for it — thick-cut, tender, and coated in a crisp gluten-free cornmeal crumb. Personally, I’d love it even more in a light tempura batter, but then again, I’ve been living on McNuggets and Oreo McFlurries lately, so I know my palate might not be the gold standard.
We plan to take G-Mah, Bobbino, and my mother, Boss Lady, in the next month. I have my eye on some other dishes. Our Italian friend Fit told us the garlic and olive oil tagliatelle is stellar, which says a lot, knowing her food preferences. I’m also keen to try the burger and ribeye steak, both of which were recommended by other servers. In any case, Hitting the Sauce gives The Exchange two phat thumbs up.
Divine Offering has spoiled me twice now with takeout from Pathway Momo’s, located in South Airways, in the northeast quadrant of Calgary. She’s beenobsessed with these momos since the pandemic. After tasting them myself, I get her love for Nepalese dumplings. Let’s listen to Touch by Katseye for this post.
Momos are in a league of their own. Infused with aromatic spices and wrapped in a delicate, silky dough, it packs a whallop of flavour. You can get these babies steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, tandoori-style, soup-based (jhol), or marinated in a spicy vegetable chilli sauce (sadeko). The sadeko is so hot and fiery that it made me pause in panic, then meekly go back for tentative seconds.
Divine Offering always orders at least three varieties. This time, she picked steamed pork ($11.99), vegetarian adeko ($12.49), and chicken jhol ($11.99). Texture-wise, I love the pork dumplings for the firm and juicy filling and the pop of coriander. Though I usually prefer dumplings with a crispy pan-fried edge, with the momos, I like them steamed to let the wrappers shine. The casing is toothsome and just dry enough to hold its unique shape in your mouth, yet pliant enough to soak up the sauce.
The chicken filling is softer and less dense than pork. Divine Offering prefers the chicken, for its light, marinated flavour and heat from the chilli oil. The vegetarian momos are bright and fresh. The filling tastes like real vegetables, minced, not frozen or puréed mush. The dumplings are so good, I plan to place an order for my friends Lululemon and Bex.oxo.
Divine Offering pointed out the craftsmanship in each dumpling, noting how each type is folded differently — pinched, crimped, or pleated. She said the jhol style gets even better the next day, like leftover ravioli.
There’s something addictive about eating these dumplings cold. The coolness of the wrapper contrasts even more with the warm spices. Each bite is so yummy and delectable. I must have eaten a dozen, with zero remorse.
I haven’t been to the restaurant myself yet. There are two locations, one in the NE and the newest location in the SW. Divine Offering swears by this NE spot, calling it a casual, diner-like place serving food so good it could easily charge more.
If you’re looking for where to eat in Calgary without spending much, this is one I’ll keep coming back to. I plan to go and do a friend and family pickup and drop-off, or maybe host a momo party. These dumplings are so good, they need to be shared with the world. Hitting the Sauce gives Pathway Momos two phat thumbs up.
Before my brother and his kids left the province, I took the whole crew to Sukiyaki House. Sure, BC has no shortage of Japanese restaurants, but I had a feeling this place would stand out. Let’s listen to “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine for this post.
When we arrived, Justin greeted me and asked what brought us in. I gestured toward my clan and said my family was visiting. Once we got to the table, the kids asked me about Justin. I told them he was the owner’s son and a graduate of the Haskayne School of Business. They both looked thoroughly impressed and whispered I’m famous. Sadly, I’m not famous. I’m not even verified on LinkedIn. The owners just make a point to get to know their guests.
I ordered a range of appetizers. First up was Roblox and Jellybean’s favourite dish: seared tuna tataki. The tuna was delicate and soft, which contrasted with the crunchy garnish. Jellybean thought the sauce tasted like a juicy orange. Roblox said the tuna tasted like the inside of sashimi. Jellybean leaned in and said, “This is the best thing I’ve eaten the whole trip.”
The karrage was a hit. Narc said he could eat a whole bucket of this chicken. Roblox found his words and noted it was super crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside. Another winner!
Narc enjoyed the fried shrimp, noting the generous ratio of shrimp to batter. I took a bite and noticed the flavour of sesame oil in the creamy sauce.
Boss Lady loved the octopus tataki and the marinated squid. She even ate the greens, noting how fresh the garnishes were. Asians love their vegetables. The kids pointed out that the octopus was both chewy and crunchy.
Narc noticed how different the California roll tasted with real crab. When I chewed, the taste of the fluffy crab filled my entire mouth. There was so much crab that it was poking out slightly at the ends. My mother nodded in approval.
With the sashimi and nigiri platter, Boss Lady’s favourite was the wild sockeye salmon and scallop nigiri. She practically squealed with delight when she bit into the enormous piece of scallop. Tentative on her first bite of raw scallop, Jellybean wasn’t quite sure what to make of the smooth, silky texture. Both kids liked the sashimi and devoured everything.
I realized at this point I’d forgotten the tempura and miso soup. Not that it mattered, as everyone was already stuffed. My mother was really impressed with the food and said she’s never had better in Vancouver. I patted her on the head. Boss Lady doesn’t hand out compliments lightly, and especially not for other people’s cooking.
Near the end of the meal, Judith came by to check on us. When Jellybean asked who she was, I said, “That’s Judith. She and Justin are Anna’s kids, and Anna owns the restaurant.” Roblox and Jellybean looked at me in awe and asked, “You know Anna, too?”
I nodded and then ordered them dessert, homemade mochi with red bean paste. I told them Anna made the desserts herself. Boss Lady admired the knife work and couldn’t stop marvelling at the fruit, especially the longan.
This lunch was a resounding success, as I knew it would be, as it is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Calgary for a reason. Hitting the Sauce gives Sukiyaki House two phat thumbs up.
We took a day trip to Edinburgh from Newcastle. It’s a 1.5-hour train ride away, and staying in Newcastle meant we saved around $500 on our hotel room. For this post, let’s listen to the Arctic Monkeys, Do I Wanna Know?.
My brother, Narc, strongly recommended visiting Edinburgh Castle (£24), and his wife suggested the Palace of Holyroodhouse (£25). However, he texted me “Hollywood”, so the entire time we were in Edinburgh, I told locals who asked me where I was going next that I was heading to Hollywood Castle, instead of “Haw-Lee-rood” Palace.
We arrived at the train station and walked up the Royal Mile. Holy, I’ve never seen such an impressive mile in my life. We walked down cobble streets aligned with towering medieval and Renaissance buildings. The piercing sound of bagpipes, mournful yet inspiring, almost stopped us in our tracks. The sight of the buildings, churches, and ancient castles was even more stunning to me than my visits to Dubrovnik or Greece. Chew Steel asked me if my father had ever visited Scotland. No, I responded, he hasn’t, likely because Scotland doesn’t have enough composers to compel him to fly over.
In no time, we made it to Edinburgh Castle, just as the rain began to fall. Not the warm summer rain I’m used to in Calgary, but a sharp, bone-cold drizzle that chilled my bare legs and arms like a bottle of wine. I miscalculated the weather. In Liverpool and Newcastle, a heatwave occurred, and I incorrectly assumed the weather would be warmer.
No worries, I wrongly thought again, as I would be warm once inside the castle. Edinburgh Castle is perched on a rock, and most of the tour is outside, exploring the main gate, the open plaza, the main courtyard, and the artillery areas. The warmest spot was the prison, which was cozy with its puppet light show and rows of hammocks and blankets. I was shivering so badly I wanted to crawl into one of the beds.
I also realized too late why my brother liked this castle so much. It was all military-related: the Mons Meg, a medieval cannon; the One O’Clock Gun; and a section dedicated to a vast array of medals, swords, and other symbols of military valour. The castle was originally a royal residence, but it later evolved into a military fortress. Edinburgh itself has a very long military history.
When we left, the sun came out again and dried my clothes. For lunch, we headed to Salt Horse, which is located in the centre of the city, a few blocks away from all the action. We sat down, a table away from an Asian female and her Caucasian partner. This detail will make sense in the following paragraphs.
The bartender knows his craft, not just about the history of the brewery or the style of beer making, but also about current anecdotes related to certain bottles. I told him about a delicious raspberry I tried at the Broad Chare. He recommended I try Timmermans Black Pepper Lambicus (£6.80), a bubbly Belgian beer. Chew Steel ordered Kriek Boon (£6).
What a lovely beverage! Thick and fragrant, the black cherries tasted and smelled a little like fresh pink roses. The black pepper was subtle and complemented the dark fruit. I’m a fan. Chew Steel enjoyed his beer was well.
As we sipped our beers, our bartender dropped off a plate of wings at our table. I told him we hadn’t ordered this, and he looked genuinely puzzled. The woman sitting next to us chimed in, “That was ours.” He laughed and said, “Oh well, you can see why I got confused about who ordered what. Right?” He gestured to us and then to them. One interracial couple exchanged a glance with another, and a silent moment of recognition passed between us. I joked to our doppelgangers, “We all look alike.” She laughed and offered to share the wings, which was very Asian of her. I declined, even though I really wanted one, and introduced myself, because we’re probably related, somehow.
Her name was Lisa; she was originally from San Francisco and now lived in Paris. She and her husband were heading to Montreal and Quebec City. I gave them some travel tips — where to go and, just as importantly, where not to go. Lisa wished us goodbye, and her husband disclosed Lisa was after some haggis, as she’s a devout foodie. For once in my life, I bit my tongue, but my eyes registered with Lisa’s husband, and I nodded in understanding.
For food, Chew Steel and I both ordered the Bowhouse (£15), which features dry-aged beef and bone marrow, accompanied by homemade, twice-cooked fries. This is a tasty burger! I could taste the bone marrow in the patty, which complemented the dryish texture well. I would come here again.
After our meal, we made it down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which was much more hospitable. The palace was full of interesting twists and turns, like the royal portraits and Mary, Queen of Scots’ private chambers, where her secretary was murdered by her husband. We finished the tour with a walk through the royal gardens.
We checked out some other areas, famous streets, and the most impressive statue honouring writer Sir Walter Scott, housed under a towering Gothic structure. Exhausted, we headed back to Newcastle for the night. One more day in London and we were back home! To be continued.
Hitting the Sauce 