Where to eat in Calgary: Bastion Burgers, Holy Grill and Pure Saigonese

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Five Stars is back! Chew Steel and I picked him up at the airport. We stopped by to show filial piety to our parents and then Ubered out to try the burgers at Bastion Burgers. Let’s listen to “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat for this post.

Bastion is located in PinBar, a bar that reminded me a little of the now-defunct Cambie Hostel in Vancouver, from the pleasantly drawn graffiti in the washroom stalls to the moody shadows in the room.

We sat ourselves, and shortly after, our server stopped by. Five Stars ordered a regular iced tea ($6), and I ordered a hard iced tea ($15). Curious, he sipped my cocktail and winced, squealing it tasted like rubbing alcohol. I shared the O.G. Smashy ($13) and the American Cheese ($14) with Five Stars.

The O.G. was smaller than the American Cheese, as it wasn’t stacked because it didn’t come with lettuce and tomato. The caramelized onions made it taste more savoury and sweet. Five Stars noted that the skirt was perfect on the patty, teetering on burnt and ultra-thin.

The American Cheese was the star of the two. Five Stars fawned over the crisp, lacy layers of the smashed patties. The layers of beef made the burgers unique. But what won me over was the full-on beef flavour and the hot melted orange cheese that stuck to my teeth, balanced against the perfect proportion of chilled tomato, lettuce, and onion. Each bite was decadent yet refreshing. Five Stars exclaimed he could taste each distinct layer of meat, sauce, vegetable, and the bun.

I asked Five Stars if the American cheeseburger beat Class Clown’s. He said he’d need a side-by-side taste test as it had been a while since his last visit. Still, he admitted Bastion was easily on par. Class Clown has the edge with its killer wine list, but the absurd waitlist is brutal.

The side of the tater tots was ultra crunchy and hot from the fryer. Five Stars liked garlic aioli and dipping the crisp edges of the beef into it. I would get the tots and the American Cheese again. Five Stars was already planning his next visit before we’d even finished.

The next day, I took Five Stars to Holy Grill. I’ve had my eye on this Calgary classic for years. My brother-in-law Dave swears by the burgers, and I’ve eaten their food when I worked at Bow Valley Square. The building would throw parties for all the employees; their caterer was Holy Grill. The food is straight-up legit. I remember one spread with pizza, burgers, skewers, calamari, mussels, and other delights. Everything tasted homemade. I parked myself by the table and ate like Honey Boo Boo before a pageant.

I like the simplicity of the setup at Holy Grill on 10 Ave SW. You go up to the kitchen to order and pay. Five Stars wanted to try the eggs benedict ($18.99) with smash browns, while I picked the beef dip panini ($19.89). I requested soft eggs, which arrived with warm orange yolks that were runny when poked. He was especially thrilled by the little jar of extra hollandaise. He’s always griping that most places skimp on it, so he thought it was a thoughtful move by Holy Grill to throw in a bonus pour.

The panini was stacked with thin slices of roast beef and melted mozzarella. The shell was crunchy, while the beef dip added a soft, wet kiss of beefy broth. Five Stars praised the juicy beef slices and said he’d return for the same dishes. I preferred Five Stars smash browns over the fries I got with my panino. The potatoes were crunchy on the outside while the inside was hot and meltingly soft. We’ll be back, but I’m adding a burger to the lineup next time.

For dinner, Chew Steel and I took Five Stars to Pure Saigonese. But first, we stopped at Side Hustle for a drink. It’s my favourite lounge in the city. Maybe it’s the welcoming all-female crew, the laid-back crowd, or the safe vibe from the combination of all the above.

After, we moseyed over to Pure Saigonese and finally met the famous Matt. If you look at Google’s reviews, you will see that more than half of the customers are gushing about his service. I’ll admit, I thought his friends were behind those rave reviews, especially since, on previous visits, the service of the non-Matts didn’t quite match the high standard of the food. But Matt is the real deal. He is professional, helpful, and busy hustling to manage the entire restaurant.

Since we ordered drinks, wings were half off ($8), so we took advantage and ordered house salted chili and chili lime nuac. The chili lime guac cham batter was buttery and sweet, with the tiniest tingle of heat. The house-seasoned chili chicken wings were good as well, though tamer. The batter reminds me of Church’s chicken. Size-wise, the wings are bigger than pub wings but not as fat as Lonely Mouth.

I always order the shrimp mango papaya salad ($12) and the shrimp tempura ($15). Our plate contained four mega-charred prawns. I love the contrast between the wildly crunchy vegetables, peanuts, and sweet-tart dressing.

Everyone’s favourite was the seafood rice ($20). What hooked me was the unbeatable trio of real Dungeness crab, shrimp, and tobiko. The generous chunks of flaky white crab meat tasted sweet and delicate, and combined with those chewy grains of rice and those briny bursts of tobiko, I couldn’t stop shovelling the rice into my mouth.

Five Stars is on a rigorous diet, borderline unhealthy, but even he couldn’t resist. He complained that the food was so good he couldn’t stop eating like a pig. Lam should patent the seafood fried rice. I usually don’t order fried rice, as I make a good one at home. However, nothing beats Lam’s top-notch ingredients. This one’s a game-changer.

Lam Pham came out to say hi and dropped off a treat for us – the roasted duck crostini ($12). The crostini was lightly toasted and airy, while the pate was creamy and not overpowering. Five Stars thought it tasted like a duck Yorkshire pudding, like a Sunday roast, but not as heavy. Chew Steel raved about this bite, even though he’s not usually a pate guy. He just returned from Vietnam and said the food at Pure Saigonese is as good or even better than what he had in Vietnam.

My older brother Narc is coming to pay homage to my parents in July. I’m not 100% sure where I’ll take him yet, but it feels like a case worth investigating. Somewhere where the flavour is worth interrogating, and the BBQ meat doesn’t crack under pressure. To be continued.

Restaurants · Wine tasting

Calgary Wine Tasting: Mikko Alkio of Clos Alkio at Vine Arts

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On Wednesday, Divine Offering and I went to a wine tasting at Vine Arts – Meet the Maker – Mikko Alkio of Clos Alkio. For this post, let’s listen to Caminito a Motel.

We checked out Sound Bar before the tasting. It’s a cozy, dimly lit space reminiscent of a chic basement. I was early and walked up to someone I thought was Divine Offering. After the woman told me she was not Divine Offering, I noticed she wasn’t even of the same ethnicity. This isn’t the first time I’ve made an error like this. Face blindness is a real thing.

Divine Offering texted me and asked me if I was inside. Yes, of course, I responded. Why would I wait outside in -25 weather? It turned out that someone had locked the door, and she couldn’t get in. When I went to open the door, another customer next to her yelled at me for locking him out. I responded indignantly that I didn’t lock him out. I was letting him in! He apologized.

I’m a big fan of the hard iced tea ($7) —it’s bubbly, full of rich black tea notes, and perfectly sweet without overpowering the tea flavour. Divine Offering tried a blood orange beer ($5), and for her second drink, she went for the non-alcoholic Bees Knees cocktail, which she loved. Divine Offering liked that the music was at just the right volume—not too loud. She also mentioned wanting to come back to try their snacks.

Right on time, we walked across the street to Vine Arts. Mikko, the winemaker, is from Finland. We learned that he’s familiar with Calgary. As a youth, he did a homestay in Calgary, where the hosts became like a second family.

His passion for wine became a business when he and his family moved to Barcelona so his three kids could immerse themselves in the city’s tennis scene. As there were no iPhones at the time to distract him, he developed a deep appreciation for Spanish wines. Despite being a partner at a law firm in Finland, he also chose to create a side hustle as the proprietor of a world-class winery in Priorat, Spain.

The first wine we tried in his line-up was Fam de Vida Chenin Blanc 2022 ($60.54). I found this wine fresh and clean, with a non-typical sweetness. Mikko noted that 14% of the wine was produced in high-quality inox tanks, with no oak aging, producing 900 bottles. Mikko said to wait eight to 10 years for the wine to mature. Divine Offering loved this wine so much that she purchased a bottle.

The second wine was a 2021 Fam de Vida Ull de Liebre ($64.50). I marvelled at the pretty purple hue and its smooth flavour. Mikko mentioned he was pleased this wine was well-received at one of Spain’s biggest festivals, which showcased thousands of Spanish wines. He shared that, much like law, the devil’s in the details regarding winemaking. He’s all about precision. His grapes use significantly less water than other wineries and have about five times less sulphur than other winemakers.

The third wine was my favourite – Fam de Vida Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($85.70). The fragrance was so lovely, reminding me of something very pretty and floral. It tasted clean and vibrant. I loved it so much that I stopped eating the cheese and charcuterie before me and sipped as slowly as possible. Mikko recommended aging this wine for ten years, but there’s no way I will wait a decade. I liked this one so much I bought two bottles. I asked Mikko what he would pair with this wine. He looked surprised as if the answer was so obvious, and apparently, it was to everyone except me. Cheese! Divine Offering also bought a bottle.

Mikko clearly favoured the fourth tasting – Fam de Vida Syrah 2022 ($88.70). This wine is aged in French oak for 14 months. He recommends tasting the difference after ten hours and then again the next day. I’m an impatient drinker, so this bottle was a no-go for me to purchase.

You can tell by listening to Mikko that he is obsessed with grapes, which is reflected in his wine quality. He’s all about letting his grapes speak for themselves, making wines that authentically reflect the land and the fruit.

The fifth wine was Caminito a Motel 2021 ($36.85). The wine is named after a song his son recommended, Caminito a Motel. Mikko would often listen to this song while searching for property.

Carminito a Motel is a blend of 35% Garnatxa, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Carinyena, with a 15% alcohol content. Aged in French oak for eight months, Mikko recommended opening this wine in five, 10 and 15 years. I bought three bottles for friends of mine who like to age their wines.

The last wine of the evening was Clos Alkio 2021 ($108.24), a top blend Mikko is so proud of he put his name on it. Plucked from aged vines, the grapes blend 30% Garnatxa Negra, 30% Carinyena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Divine Offering and I had a blast. The wine importer who set up the event was a great host, ensuring we had everything to be comfortable. Thank you, Mikko, for braving the cold Canadian prairie and sharing your wines. Hitting the Sauce gives this wine tasting two phat thumbs up.

Want more wine tastings? I keep a running list of Calgary wine tastings and events.

Greek · Mediterranean · Restaurants · Seafood

Kama: A modern Mediterranean restaurant in Calgary

February 1, 2025April 29, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

For my birthday, Bex Oxo took me to see Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons, a candlelight musical experience. As her birthday is two days before mine, I took her out for dinner before the concert at Kama. Let’s listen to “Believer” by Imagine Dragon for this post.

I was jonesing for a glass of wine, but since it was dry January, I ordered Benjamin Bridge Piquette Zero Spritzer ($6.50, 250ml). I picked the original flavour, which tasted like a simple, sweet pop. I would not order this again. This beverage ranked pretty low on my list, along with a non-alcoholic Erdinger.

Bex Oxo chose wisely, ordering a Jerry Blackberry Blackberry Ginger Shrub, Honey, Mint, Soda ($11). I took a sip and found her mocktail thick and delicious, with a tart, gingery bite to it. It was so good that I regretted not ordering it myself.

Kama has so many seafood offerings, but Bex Oxo has a shellfish allergy, so we tried the Spanakopita, Bulgarian Cheese, Nigella ($11), Brussels Sprouts, Burnt Honey Yogurt, Coriander, Cashew ($19), Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Garden Salad, Tzatziki, Honey Feta Beignets ($43).

First up was the spanakopita, generously stacked with buttery smooth spinach. The feta and dill made for a fragrant and rich filling. Unlike other spanakopitas I’ve tried, Kama’s version was filled with way more filling than pastry.

The brussels sprouts were phenomenal. Each warm sprout squished a juicy, sweet, burnt honey and yogurt sauce. I loved munching on the crunchy cashews and hits of coriander. Bex Oxo mentioned she enjoyed the charred cabbage leaves, which reminded her of slightly burnt food from a campfire. I’m not a camper, so though I couldn’t relate, I understood her sentiment. Bex Oxo has invited me camping many times, but I know my limits and play within it. This dish is a winner, and I would order it again.

The chicken souvlaki is large enough for three appetites. On the plate were five or six golden brown honey feta beignets. Bex Oxo took a bite and exclaimed that it was like a doughnut met a dinner roll. I liked the crusty, oily exterior and the doughy, dense interior.

The chicken chunks were also large; the meat was fluffy and soft. The best part of the chicken was the tangy lemon flavour and the combination of the sweet, salty, and crunchy flavour of the beignet. The simple side salad of peppers and onions rounded out this feast on a plate. I recommend this dish to anyone who loves a good, carby meal. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed souvlaki so much.

We were so full we didn’t order dessert, and we took a good chunk of the chicken souvlaki home. Bex Oxo and I thought Kama was even better than Ten Foot Henry in terms of ambience and service. Ten Foot Henry has a much bigger wine list with bottles I’m familiar with, but other than that, Kama wins my favour.

As for the concert, I enjoyed it so much that I checked out Candlelight: Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons the following week, and I’m planning to book tickets for Pink Floyd and Bach and the Beatles. Thanks, Bex Oxo, for introducing me to my latest hobby.

Want more recommendations on where to eat in Calgary? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Banh Mi · Cheap Eats · Restaurants · Vietnamese

Bee the Banhmi – Date night #17

September 15, 2024April 13, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

Can you feel my excitement? I’m on banhi mi date 17 of 19, which means after two more dates, I’ll complete the goal I set back in June 2021. For this post, let’s listen to “Imma Be(e)” by The Blacked Eyed Pea.

I’ve been curious about Bee the Banhmi due to all the positive posts on Calgary Food- FoodYYC. Lately, I’ll only go to a new place after I have cross-checked through a friend’s recommendation, as Google is full of fake reviews. However, Lululemon and Lovegastrogirl, my two most reliable sources, haven’t eaten at Bee the Banhmi.

Bee the Banhmi is located inside Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens, formerly the Avenida Food Hall and Fresh Market. While the name of the market is not particularly catchy, it does house vendors with excellent reputations. I recognized Expat Asia, Zushi, J Spot Kitchen, and Krooked Provisions. Forget lining up for brunch at OEB; this is the place to go!

We ordered Hanoi spring rolls ($8.50), grilled pork salad rolls ($12) and a grilled beef banh mi ($16.50). I don’t usually order so much food, but I wanted to try everything Crump recommended. While we waited, the owner gave us complimentary iced tea.

We ordered our food to go, and despite the 15-minute ride home, the spring rolls were still crispy. The delicate wrapping was so thin and brittle that it cracked when I bit into it. The filling inside was tender and juicy, full of umami. I would order the spring rolls again.

My friend Kournikova would love Bee’s fresh lettuce wrap. There are no noodles inside, only crunchy pickled carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers. The pork was tasty, and the peanut sauce was phenomenal—creamy, smooth, and balanced. With the price of vegetables, I thought twelve bucks was a perfectly reasonable price.

The banh mi contained double the meat of its competitors, though I found the beef dry. I added some leftover peanut and fish sauce, which gave it some juice. Based on the reviews, I think the sub usually has more sauce, as customers have commented on the sate sauce. Next time, I plan to try the cold cut sub.

The vegetables are crunchier and pickled than Soc Trang or Banh Mi Cay and more rustic in pickling zest and texture than Thi Thi. I couldn’t taste the homemade mayo and pate, most likely because of the hot chilies I added. Next time, I would omit the chilies, as they were too spicy for me. The bread was better than Banh Mi Nhu Y, as it tasted fresher and fluffier.

Chew Steel and I enjoyed the food and would return. We were impressed with the quality, and the food was slightly different from your standard banh mi spot. No corners are cut here; you’ll get a delicious meal worth checking out. Bee Banh Mi, I salute you!

Best bánh mì in Calgary → full list here: Best Banh Mi in Calgary.

Cheap Eats · Chinese · Dim Sum

Phoenix Gate – Dim Sum in Calgary

February 25, 2024April 27, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

I haven’t lunched with Ms. Biz for the last two years, and since then, I’ve stopped eating out for dim sum. She had a way of ordering food that elevated the mediocre Chinese scene eked out in Cowtown. Now I can thank my friend Truth Serum for recommending a new gem, Phoenix Gate. For this post, let’s listen to “Pink” by Lizzo.

The first dish to arrive was the Sui Mai ($6.99). Mama mia! Check out the size of the steamed dumplings. The sui mai was three times the size of Phoenix Gate’s competitors. The pork filling was juicy, and the generous shrimp topping was toothsome. The red tobiko provided a nice little crunch to the sausage heavy dumpling. I would order this again.

The shrimp in the Ha Gow ($6.99) was steaming hot and twice as big as other dim sum joints. I liked how the dumpling wrapper was dry and still had a bite. It’s a pet peeve of mine when the rice wrapper is too gummy after being over steamed. The shrimp itself was plump with a nice crunch to it.

The wrapper on the Deep-Fried Shrimp Dumpling ($6.99) was so crunchy it was almost cracker-like. The shrimp inside was more of a spongy mousse, similar to shrimp paste at a Vietnamese restaurant, than the crunchy goodness of a whole shrimp.

I picked the Stir-Fried Turnip Cake X.O. sauce ($6.99). The turnip cubes were lightly crisp on the exterior yet hot and jiggly on the inside. This dish is a winner, and I would order it again. I tried the chili oil, which I found too hot, as you could only taste the overwhelming spicy heat and not any other aromatics. Next time, I would skip the chili oil, as the food is flavourful enough.

Also tied for best dish was the Shrimp & BBQ Rice Crepe ($6.99). This dish comes with both shrimp and BBQ pork rice rolls. Hot diggety dog! What I loved about this dish was the folds and folds of the silky soft rice roll and the generous amount of shaved pork. I enjoyed the squishy and quavery texture of the noodles in my mouth.

Truth Serum told me that sometimes the kitchen makes mistakes and cooks the wrong dish, then come out and offer it to customers at a discount. Moments later, our server came out to show us an order of seafood chowmein and spoke to her in Chinese. Truth Serum translated that the chef made the wrong dish and asked us if we wanted the seafood dish. She politely but firmly declined the accidental substitution.

The Meat and Seafood Chowmein ($16.99) is enough to feed a family of six. The noodles were swimming with pieces of BBQ pork, squid, scallops, shrimp, fish and chicken, Chinese mushrooms and bok choy.

Truth Serum mixed all the noodles with the sauce, so the crispy bits were already saturated in the gravy. I thought there was too much sauce, which made the dish soupy. I also would have preferred a little more crunch to the noodles. Truth Serum suspected the chef threw the seafood chowmein back into the wok and just added the missing meats.

Guess how much this feast cost us? A mere $55 bucks! Hip, hip, hooray! I can’t wait to check Phoenix Gate for dinner, as I hear the shrimp balls and other seafood dishes are good bets. Hitting the Sauce gives this little gem two phat thumbs up.

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