Padmandi: Best Vegan Restaurant in Calgary (That Actually Hold Up)

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My father is back in town! To celebrate this joyous news, Chew Steel and I brought takeout to my parents’ house. I thought long and hard about where to order from and decided on Padmandi, a vegan restaurant in Calgary’s Heritage / Kingsland area. Let’s listen to If You Leave by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark for this post.

I’ve eaten from Padmandi Restaurant and Eatery at work events. I still remember how shockingly delicious their faux chicken drumettes and satay skewers were in 2024. This was the first time Chew Steel and Boss Lady had ever eaten at a vegan restaurant.

I ordered noodles, the Kwetiau Goren ($19), Ginger Beef ($21), Curry Chicken ($22), Coconut Rice (four orders, $12), Mushroom Tofu ($18), Spicy and Savoury Eggplant ($18) and the Fried Enoki Mushrooms ($16). The prices were reasonable for the quantity and quality.

The employee on the phone recommended adding fried enoki mushrooms for texture. When probed, he responded that the mushrooms hold up really well in takeout containers. He’s correct. This dish did add a contrast to the softness of the curry and rice. Boss Lady stated she liked all the dishes, though she nibbled the most on the enoki mushrooms.

Chew Steel’s favourite dish was the ginger beef, made from soy beef strips. Ludwig noticed a meaty chew to the ginger soy, with strands that mimicked the toughness of flank steak. I reassured him it was not meat.

The flat rice noodles were slick and smooth, thick and chewy. There was a generous amount of mock meat, and crunchy strands of carrots and bok choy. Ludwig thought the noodles were superb. We all appreciated the spicy heat. The noodles are a winner.

I was especially impressed with the heavy coconut curry. The faux chicken even had ridges that reminded me of chicken breast texture. The vegetables still retained their freshness and shape. The rich sauce was beautifully absorbed by the fluffy coconut rice. I would get this again.

For me, the standouts were the noodles and the curry chicken. I also liked how the vegetables in all the dishes still had a clean bite. It’s no small feat to time them so precisely, especially for takeout. Even the snow peas snapped lightly, with a touch of sweetness.

Chew Steel remarked that all the dishes tasted distinct from each other. Neither he nor Boss Lady missed eating meat. Ludwig was overjoyed that he could eat everything, as he’s normally restricted by his diet. He went back for three rounds.

We’re already looking forward to our next meal. I’m thinking of adding soy beef redang, roti, and the sweet-and-sour ‘shrimp’ to our order. Thanks, Padmandi, you were a parental success! Hitting the Sauce gives Padmandi two phat thumbs up.

High Line Brewing Inglewood Calgary: Veggie Dogs & Craft Brews

August 5, 2024April 30, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

Lululemon and I met up for brunch on Saturday. As I was already in Inglewood getting my hair lopped off, she met me at the salon, and from there, we looked for a suitable eatery for our mood. Let’s listen to “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks for this post.

Lately, Lululemon has been a big influence on what I eat. She’s introduced me to Vegan Street, DJ’s Market, Italian Centre Shop, and a soon-to-be-sampled bean curd banh mi at Nhu Y Sub. Lululemon suggested we get hot dogs and beer at High Line Brewing. I was game because there’s nothing better than the simplicity of a dog on a bun.

High Line Brewing is larger than it appears from the outside. Once you pass the front bar section, there are several rooms to sit and sip the afternoon away. You pay at the bar, grab your beer and then find a table. We first sat inside in a nook under a large tree before moving to the patio.

We ordered a vegetarian Chicago Doggo ($11) with chips and some beer.
I sampled four beers: CLUB MATE+, Dadge, Wabi Sabi, and Heartless Romantic. What I liked about these beers was that they felt like an eclectic sampling of sodas and cocktails. The Dadge, a cucumber ale, had a fresh, mild melon taste that reminded me of the refreshing cucumber water you get after an Eucalyptus steam.

The Club Mate+ reminded me of a cherry cola but sweeter. The hard tea and yerba mate were so mild that I could hardly detect them, though I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have a sensitive palate.

The Wabi Sabi was my favourite of the flight. It reminded me of all the sparkling lemon sours I consumed in Tokyo. The sour tasted like bright, tart lemon and tea. The Wabi Sabi was also noticeably bubbly, which I prefer over the more softly carbonated beers.

The Heartless Romantic was another cherry sour but more tart and less sweet than Club Mate+. I would order this one again, but I preferred the Wabi Sabi.

The outside of the bun was grilled and crunchy, while the interior was soft and fluffy. The temperature of all the ingredients was perfect. Warm bun, steaming hot dog and cold, crisp condiments. The vegetarian weiner tasted like a regular hot dog but lacked that elastic snap. Proportionally, the ratios were perfect. Each bite has some sausage, bun, and a delicious hit of mustard, pickles, onion, and banana pepper. The tomato was fresh and juicy, the sweet flavour highlighted by the hit of celery salt and the heat and crunch from the banana peppers. Oh, this dog just hit right.

Though I was full, I insisted on getting the next round of drinks and some chips and salsa ($9) because I know Lululemon likes to snack while she drinks. The corn tortilla chips were gluten-free, cut thick, and crunchy. Salty and well-seasoned, the corn chips paired wonderfully with the tangy pineapple salsa. There were way more chips to dip, so next time, I’ll request more salsa and sour cream so we don’t run out. I also made a mental note of the selection of gluten-friendly beers for my celiac friends.

Lululemon sipped on Zing, a ginger beer infused with lemongrass, lemon, and lime. The lemongrass flavour was particularly noticeable. I tried Honeybush ($7) from Ol’ Beautiful, and it was one of the best hard teas I’ve ever tasted. I loved the dry, rich notes from the black tea.

Thank you, Lululemon, for lunch and your excellent company. I look forward to our next vegetarian and gluten-friendly adventure.

For more reviews like this, see my picks for cheap eats in Calgary under $15.

Restaurants · Vegetarian

Killarney Gem: The Himalayan Restaurant

October 4, 2023April 9, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

On Saturday, I had reservations to check out Clos de la Oyster Barre as I heard a wine writer was pouring some excellent glasses of wine. However, Quebecois texted me that they got a babysitter and invited us to join them at Cassis Bistro. Neither could accommodate extra guests when we checked with each restaurant, so I suggested The Himalayan. Let’s listen to “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka for this post.

Quebecois and Sirski came over to our house to share a bottle of Burrowing Owl I’ve been saving, a present given to me a few months ago. Then we hopped into L’s SUV and zipped over. The restaurant seemed short-staffed, as one tired but kind looking woman was doing everything in our section.

To start, L and Sirski ordered beers ($11). Quebecois and I couldn’t find anything we liked on the wine list, so we ordered a pineapple cocktail ($11.50). We enjoyed our drinks. The pineapple was sweet, and the pleasantly strong, tropical notes reminded me of being at a Mexican resort.

For food, we shared the pork momos ($16, plus two extra dumplings), butter chicken ($24), mango shrimp ($26), chau chau chicken noodles ($21.50), Himalayan eggplant ($21.50). The curries and stirfry came with saffron rice and naan.

The wrapper of the steamed dumpling was thick and sticky, encasing a well-spiced and juicy pork filling. The creamy dip was mild and complemented with the spices in the seasoning.

We dove into the mains, and there were two clear favourites: the chicken chau chau noodles and eggplant stir-fry. The soy flavour in the chau chau noodles was mouthwatering and the fragrance of the wok hei was intoxicating. The only thing better was the caramelized smokiness in the tender chunks of chicken. I would get the noodles again.

L doesn’t even like eggplant, and he loved the stir-fry. While the eggplant was soft with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, the green peppers and onions were nice and crunchy, sticky from the rich tomatoey sauce. Cooked eggplant is unfortunately, an unphotogenic subject, but for what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in taste. Whoever was operating the grill is a wok hei master.

The mango shrimp wasn’t too sweet and mild in flavour. I enjoyed dunking the light, crisp naan to soak up all the sauce. The butter chicken had a good kick as we requested a medium spice level.

L and I agreed we must come by the Himalayan more often to eat. The next time we come, I want to try one of the tomato-based curries over the cream curries, and we will order the noodles and eggplant again. Thanks for the fun company, Sirski and Quebecois. It was good to hang out again.