Category: Restaurants

Japanese · Restaurants · Special Occasion · Tokyo · Wine tasting

Yakitori Sanki Tokyo: Bib Gourmand Spot Worth the Stop

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One of my best-ever dining experiences was at Yakitori Sanka in Tokyo. I found this tiny spot when looking through the Michelin guide. The owner uses specialty local chickens and dusts each piece with sun-dried salt from the eastern Kochi Prefecture over Tosa binchotan charcoal. Not only was this the best yakitori and sake I consumed, but the service from the entire staff was bar none. For this post, let’s listen to “That Certain Female”.

I booked online via Table Check as soon as reservations opened, a month before our visit. I pre-ordered the eight-course yakitori course (6270 ¥), which included four appetizers and several chicken and vegetable skewers. The cost of the food and wine was more than reasonable for the quality and deliciousness we experienced.

The restaurant is hidden upstairs on the second floor. The room is clean and modern, showcasing a large charcoal grill that smoked and flared throughout the night. All the seats surround the open kitchen so that everyone can view the action.

I started with a sparkling wine. I read the owner is a sommelier. We noticed the chef would try all the wines before they were served to guests to test their quality. The wine itself was nice and mellow, with fruit-forward notes. I knew right away I had to try some of the other wines and sake because I felt I would appreciate the line-up.

Our set of appetizers included the most delicious warm custard. The nugget of braised beef and tomatoes exploded with rich flavour on our tongue. Chew Steel noted the salt texture in our green salad and commented that everything was perfectly seasoned.

The first skewer was the chicken shoulder, speckled with wasabi. The meat was soft and plump, with a clean flavour. L and I tried a fruity sake, which smelled like melons and was so smooth that I couldn’t even taste the alcohol. What I loved about this sake was that it was easy to drink and went well with the food.

The next chicken skewer was magnificent. The skin was thick and crunchy, and the meat was salty and juicy. I chewed as slowly as possible to enjoy the flavour. I noticed the chef intently dusting each skewer with salt and watching the smoke from the charcoal. Once every while, he would poke or add more charcoal to the grill.

One of my favourite pieces was the chicken gizzard. I loved the crunch, as the interesting texture reminded me of a cross between celery and cabbage. Each bite filled your mouth with the most delicious charcoal fragrance.

One of Chew Steel’s favourite bites were the chicken and green onion and grilled cabbage, which we could watch cooking for a lengthy time on the grill, more than twice that of the chicken. The cabbage was crunchy, with an explosion of refreshing, onion-like bite.

We then supped on super hot fried tofu. The room holds about 14 seats, and by 7:00 p.m., each spot was filled. Though Yakitori Sanka is tourist-friendly, it was frequented by native-speaking Japanese customers on Saturday.

The mushroom was so delicious it tasted like beef but ever so tender. I could feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I sucked the juices from the morsel. Chew Steel said this place would ruin us because other yakitori places couldn’t compare with it. He’s correct.

For our second sake, I wanted to try the drier one. I appreciated how the staff communicated all the details of the food and sake, using adjectives to describe each item. They were attentive all evening and it was clear that wanted us to have a positive experience and not miss any particular detail.

The meatball was unique—clear white juices from chicken. There was something very Canadian about the simplicity of flavour. The chicken was fluffy and clean.

We were given a soul-satisfying chicken broth at the end of our courses. The soup was nourishing and comforted my stomach, a nice touch to end the night. After we finished our soup, we were handed a cup of tea to sip on.

Yakitori Sanki is a special spot we plan to revisit in Tokyo. You can tell by watching the owner cook and the professionalism of the staff that they exemplify excellence in both craft and service. This restaurant ranks as one of the best that I’ve ever experienced. Hitting the Sauce gives Yakitori Sanki two phat thumbs up!

Planning a trip? See more in Where to Eat While Travelling: Restaurants Worth the Detour, including Tokyo picks.

Restaurants · Vietnamese

First Street Corner – Pure Street Food

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On Saturday, I met up with my colleagues. I hosted a little gathering at my house, and then we met for brunch the following morning at First Street Corner, in Calgary’s Victoria Park neighbourhood. For this post, let’s listen to: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. 

I suggested First Street Market because we wouldn’t have to wait in line, and there are traditional breakfast items and things I like to eat, like pho, dosas, and tacos. Freedom went to Friends with Benedicts, Nightengale bought a sandwich from Alforno, and Hammer bought a rice bowl from K-Town Fried Chicken. Despite the long lineup at Friends with Benedicts, Freedom picked up his food rather quickly. Hammer enjoyed her crispy soy garlic tofu bowl and recommended that next time, I try the new Korean stall. Nightengale carefully ate her messy sandwich, which dripped with white globs of fior di latte. I’ve been craving pho for months, so I went to Pure Street Food when I saw the owner, Lam Pham, was at the helm of his restaurant. 

When I sat down, I took a moment to inhale the sweet, comforting fragrance of Pure’s hu tieu bo sate ($19). Oh, it’s been too long since I last ate here. The steam from the pho floated up; and the scent clung to my hair for hours afterward.

Unlike other Vietnamese restaurants, there was more meat than noodles. I especially enjoyed the tender slices of beef shank and brisket. I could taste the quality of each piece of beef. My favourite part of the meal was gnawing rather indelicately eating around the beef rib to suck out all the gelatinous goodness. I noticed the bean sprouts were spanking fresh and ultra crunchy. Even the basil tasted extra vibrant. The noodles were noticeably silky and slippery, and I saw that the longer I took to eat them, the more the heaviness of the broth was absorbed into them. The broth is rich and heavily infused with spicy sate oil. 

Near the end of our meal, Lam came over to our table and dropped me off a treat—his special sesame donut with pork belly and pork crackling ($8). I was already so full of my pho, but the fei poi in me couldn’t resist such a gift. Each donut half was stacked high with soft layers of pork belly, pickled carrots, cucumber and sriracha aioli. At the back of each donut was a light, crunchy crackle from the pork. Each bite was decadent, heavy from the sauces, and sweet from the thin sesame shell, like a savoury dessert. 

There was so much in the bowl that I couldn’t finish all the noodles, and I barely drank the broth. Such a waste, as a beef broth like this, is an elixir of life. Next time I come, I’ll get my meal in a takeout bowl, eat all the noodles, and then take home the broth and meat. My new place of employment is two blocks from Pure Street, so I’ll be sure to return soon for my pho fix.

Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Restaurants · Seafood

Salt & Brick – New spot in Calgary

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For our monthly girls’ night, we picked Salt & Brick, a hot spot that just opened up. Unfortunately, Betty was sick, so it was just Kournikova, Quebecoise and me. Let’s listen to “Confident” by Demi Lovato for this post.

We were seated on the main floor, near the front door. I liked our spacious table and comfy seats, which looked more comfortable than the low-riding tables in the lounge. We started with cocktails ($17) and admired the high ceiling and fun vibe. 

Based on our server’s recommendation, we tried the Beef Picanha ($42), Okonomiyaki Cabbage ($20), Brussel Sprouts ($23), Scallops ($35), and Cod Cheek Tempura ($28). Quebecoise selected an easy drinking white wine ($60), which went well with all the dishes we tried. 

The now closed Foreign Concept made the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever tried, and Salt and Brick come in a close second. The sprouts were charred, salty, juicy, and sweet from the pickled grapes. The beer cheese sauce was rich. Kournikova commented that she could do without the buttery popcorn, which she thought didn’t add anything to the dish. The next set of pictures are better, as Quebecoise had the good sense shed some light from her phone for the photos.

Next was the okonomiyaki cabbage. The softness of the cabbage and the creaminess of the sesame aioli and bulldog sauce were delicious, reminding me a little of Pigeonhole’s version, as both are decadent. Kournikova preferred the cabbage over the Brussels sprouts because she found Salt & Brick’s version unique. 

The scallops were large and meaty. I enjoyed the sweetness of the heirloom carrots, while Quebecoise noted the smokiness from the bacon. Kournikova moaned that all the dishes were so rich. Of the three of us, I’m the least healthy and happiest from the night’s overindulgence of cream, butter and oil. 

The green papaya salad accompanying the cod cheek tempura stole the show. The nuac cham dressing was refreshing and tart, while the roasted peanuts added a pleasantly dry crunch. Wholesome, so simple, but so good. We all raved about that salad.

My favourite dish was the beef picanha. The edges of the steak were smoky and charred, and I enjoyed chewing the little niblets of hot fat. The steak itself was nicely spiced and tender. The mashed potatoes were thick and creamy, heavy and well-seasoned. I would order this again. 

Service was attentive and knowledgeable, and always on hand to discuss the food and wine we ordered in detail. I’m glad we checked it out, and I can see why Salt & Brick is such a popular spot. I’m looking forward to our next outing, perhaps hitting up an oldie but a goodie like Klein/Harris.


Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Cabos San Lucas · Cheap Eats · Restaurants · Seafood

Where to Eat in Cabo San Lucas

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Cabos San Lucas is only a four-hour flight, which makes for a quick and easy vacation for us. This trip was our fourth time in Cabos. I like revisiting vacation spots because I get to know all the best places. For this post, let’s listen to “La Raspa”.

One of my new favourite restaurants is Pezcabo, a 25-minute walk from the Marina. If you aren’t familiar with Cabos, consider taking an Uber as my wi-fi was spotty and it took Chew Steel some sleuthing to find Pezcabo. The menu is only in Spanish, and even with Google Translate, it took guessing to decipher. I downloaded some photos from Google to show what I wanted, not that I needed to, as there was one server whose English was so fluent that I could tell she studied abroad. We ordered ceviche, raw clams, octopus, tuna and fish tacos, and spicy tuna tostada.

We tried two types of ceviche – a raw prawn and octopus ceviche and a mixed ceviche of fish, octopus, raw and cooked prawns. I’ve never tasted fresher seafood, so good that I didn’t bother adding any of the dozen or so sauces on our table. I would get the ceviche again.

The raw clams came chopped up and only needed a squirt of fresh lime. The clams were sweet and clean tasting with a pleasant chew. Lately, I’ve been more on a clam kick than oysters because I find the flavour and texture more appetizing.

The spicy tuna tostada was a winner, taking on Asian flavours from the heavy mayonnaise and sesame seeds. The portion was so much that I asked Chew Steel to help me finish it. The diced tuna was cool in temperature and firm, and you could still taste the quality of the fish.

My octopus taco was delicious. The octopus was tender to the tooth, stewed with onions and cooked in a soy-based sauce. I would get the octopus tacos again.

On our second visit, one of the servers brought us complimentary shots of mescal with slices of orange. I found this liquor so smooth that I wanted to order a second one but restrained myself as it was a long walk back to our hotel. Next time we visit, I would like to try fried pork, tuna ceviche, baked clams, and oysters.

For the best fish tacos, visit the One and Only Tacos. The owner uses seabass, and you can taste the difference in the silkiness of the fillet. You have to wait a while at this seafood shack because they cook to order, but that ensures everything arrives piping hot. The salsa, hot sauce and cilantro sauces are homemade and a cut above their competitors; the flavours are lighter and brighter and don’t mask the star ingredients.

For tripe and asada tacos, El Paisa gets top marks. The tripe was creamy and decadent, reminding me a little of beef tendon. The regular steak is my preference over the more expensive, less greasy version, as its fat makes each bite squirt with flavour. With each order, you get homemade guacamole, cucumber, and other toppings.

Tacos Gardenias is a goodie for the shrimp tacos. I get three giant shrimp per taco, three times the size of other places. The shrimp has this incredible toothsome crunch with a golden-brown batter. There are bottles of sauces and a tray of cabbage, salsa, hot peppers and pickled onions to top your tacos.

Our go-to evening spot is La Lupita for the service, ambience, live music and some of the best chorizo and al pastor tacos. The chorizo is a flavour bomb – crunchy from fried pork skin and juicy from the homemade sausage. I ordered two chorizos, and the second proved too rich even for me. Except for the al pastor, most of the tacos are two or three times the cost of other places, but the amount of filling and creativity in each dish makes it more than worth it. If you have any recommendations, let me know. I’m always eager to taco ’bout the best eats.

Want more travel recommendations? I keep a running collection of restaurant and travel guides organized by city.

French · Restaurants · Special Occasion

Cassis Bistro: Where to go for French food in Calgary

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Five Stars and Me Shell visited Calgary to celebrate my belated birthday, which also happened on Lunar New Year. I debated against three options for our dinner – Sukiyaki House, Klein/Harris, and Cassis Bistro. I opted for the latter because Me Shell loves French cuisine. Let’s listen to “Racing Horses” by Cheng² Duo for this post. 

Upon arriving at 7:30 p.m. on a bustling Saturday, the music and energy of patrons lit up every seat in the house. We started our evening at the bar. I selected a glass of champagne, Me Shell opted for a gin and tonic, and Five Stars enjoyed a beer and lemonade cocktail. As we soaked in the energetic buzz, I admired the large white roses adorning the bar’s countertop.

Once seated at our table, we shared a charcuterie plate and a black olive tapenade. Don’t skip on the appetizers; the quality of each ingredient shines through. We relished combining bites from the fresh baguette with duck rillette, ham, and salami, then punctuating every third nibble with some salty tapenade or a tangy cornichon.

Service from the entire staff kept the meal seamless, replenishing our crackers and bread as we devoured our appetizers. We were getting full and wanted to save room for the main course, but we didn’t want to stop eating the charcuterie because it was that good. I know the French don’t do leftovers, but I’m Chinese, and we prefer not to waste food in my culture. The owner, Gilles, understood our dilemma and offered to pack away our appetizers. Thankfully, Gilles is culturally aware and exceedingly gracious. As it was the new Lunar Year, I saw this as a lucky omen for our family’s future dinners at Cassis. 

I recommended the steak frites to Five Stars, and he was thoroughly impressed. Five Stars looked at the ruby center and exclaimed he could tell this was a perfectly cooked steak. He took his first bite, closed his eyes and let out a little moan. I snagged a bite and loved how it was both tender and chewy. The meat itself was flavourful, charbroiled on the crisp edges. The crowning glory of his plate was the peppercorn sauce. The gravy was hot and decadent, soaking up the frites beautifully.

Pro-tip: Always get the featured fish or meat dish. You’ll get something unique and nearly impossible to find in Calgary. Me Shell picked the meat feature, duck breast, accompanied by a cheese sauce-infused potato dish and a flavorful salad featuring pine nuts and pomegranates. I’ve tried duck confit before, which I love for its fatty and crispy goodness. This dish was different. The breast was sliced thin and cooked to a medium rare. The texture was firmer than duck confit, similar to a lean steak. I loved pairing the bubbling hot side of cheesy potatoes with the salad of pomegranate, bitter greens, and pine nuts because of the contrasting textures, richness, and temperatures.

The seafood feature was monkfish with lobster sauce. This was the first time I tried monkfish, and I found the fish dense and meaty, reminiscent of a cross between a scallop and lobster. I liked how the light sauce complemented the fish’s natural sweetness, so I could still appreciate the delicate flavour profile.

The dessert was the perfect finale, solidifying Cassis Bistro as our new family tradition. The creme brûlée was warm and creamy with a delicate sweetness. The top layer was so thin that it shattered from a gentle tapping from my spoon. In contrast, the mousse was so rich from the intensity of dark chocolate. Both these desserts are worth ordering again.

From the hostess to the server and every other employee we encountered, the staff outdid themselves in terms of hospitality and food. The impeccable service impressed my siblings throughout our visit from the moment we entered until we left. Thanks, Me Shell, for taking us out for dinner. I look forward to showing off some of the other Calgary gems when you return in the spring.


Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.