On my first day of work, my boss MRP took me out for lunch. He suggested ramen at Goro + Gun, conveniently located minutes from our office. For this post, let’s listen to “Feel So Good” by Mase.
MRP ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen ($18) and the Steamed Buns ($10). I asked our server if she favoured the Tuna Poke ($16) over the Veggie Roll ($13), as I was unsure what to order. MRP encouraged me to get both, which solved my dilemma.
MRP said he always orders the buns whenever he comes to Goro + Gun. These little baos overflow with deliciousness. The warm bun was soft and squishy, soaking up the juicy braised pork filling. My tastebuds danced from the sweet, sour and savoury notes of the BBQ mayonnaise and chilled pickled root vegetables. The steamed baos are worth ordering again.
The flavour combination of Goro + Gun’s poke is better than fast food joints, such as Banzai and Po-ke. What I loved about this dish was the delicate sheet of paper-like rice cracker that tasted like a freshly fried shrimp chip. Along with chunks of ahi tuna, the poke came with crunchy fried onion bits, pea shoots, cucumber, creamy cubes of avocado and chewy pieces of seaweed. The sauce was zingy and bright. I would order this again.
The veggie roll was hefty, as the filling and the amount of rice were generous. The dominant flavour came from the grilled king oyster, which was meaty and satiny. The crunchy cucumber, pickled vegetables and creamy avocado brightened the flavour profile. The sushi rice was a tad sour, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.
The next day, everyone in our office went ice skating and snacked on churros and hot chocolate. When the office social committee organizer, Miss K, discovered I’m obsessed with banhi mis, she said we could order Vietnamese subs for our next event. I looked at her like she hung the moon and stars, because she can. Hitting the Sauce gives her office two phat thumbs up.
Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.
