Street Food – Hitting the Sauce

Friday was my last day at my job, leaving me an entire weekend of unemployment before I started my new position. Chew Steel wanted to mark the occasion by going out for dinner. I picked Paper Lantern as I wanted to relive my experience with Danni and the Olympian two days earlier. Let’s listen to “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys for this post.

Chew Steel asked our server for a recommendation and mentioned he enjoys rum. She suggested the Zombie Milk Punch ($18), which consists of three rums, lime, falernum cinnamon, grapefruit, grenadine, absinthe, bitters and clarified milk. I enjoyed my Mai Tai ($12), but his cocktail was even better. He remarked that he’d never had a drink that he enjoyed this much. I could taste cinnamon and lime. Chew Steel said it was smooth with the right balance of sweet, tart, and booze. I made a mental note to bring my friends Kournikova and Lululemon to Paper Lantern for cocktails.

The Mango Salad ($14) didn’t disappoint. I was worried it wouldn’t be as good as Wednesday. The dressing isn’t too sweet and has a warm, lingering heat. I love the zing of the mint and the toothsome texture of the mango and papaya. The only other salad that compares to Paper Lantern’s is Lulu Bar’s Sichuan noodle salad.

Chew Steel enjoyed the Beef Stew ($14). The beef and carrots were so soft that chewing wasn’t necessary. The rich gravy complemented the crusty baguette. The beef stew is the dish if you are craving a “meat and potatoes” type of meal.

I wanted to order the “What’s the Kitchen Having ($14),” a rotating dish the kitchen makes for dinner. The salad greens were so fresh. The noodles were light and springy. Eating the greens with the noodles and meat reminded me of a Vietnamese bun with a different Asian twist, as the noodles were thicker, and the sweet char sui reminded me of Chinese food.

The soup tasted like it took a long time to prepare, as it had that wholesome flavour to it. Chew Steel thought there might have been shrimp in the base.

My favourite dish was the Crispy Crepes ($14). I tried a version of this dish at Cuty in Dalhousie, and I wasn’t a fan. However, Paper Lantern’s version has converted me. Our order came with two golden brown turmeric crepes. As I bit into it, the crepe gave way to a steamy pile of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and mung beans. The roasted sprouts, fragrant from the wok, added a smoky note that elevated every bite. Wrapped in lettuce and dunked in fish sauce, these crepes have texture, freshness, and umami. I would order them again.

Chew Steel and I found a new hangout. He was impressed with the cocktails and food. This is my third visit, and knowing who runs the kitchen, I know we can expect the same consistency in the future. As we left, I glanced through the kitchen window to catch an admiring glimpse of the female chef responsible for our delicious meal. Hitting the Sauce gives Danni’s parents two phat thumbs up.

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

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” – William Congreve

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When I applied to No Mans Dinner – a supper club in Calgary – I was informed that no female members are permitted. I pointed out that rule 5 stipulates no female guests, but there was no rule about female members. Despite my outstanding qualifications, I was still rejected. Being the private person I am, I had to post this devastating blow on my Instagram feed.

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I joked to Loaf2go about having our own supper club – No Man’s Dinner. Loaf2go was also initially joking when she encouraged this, but after some back and forth and a coffee date, our new club was born. Loaf2go designed the logo and created the rules. Please note – despite our name, we are inclusive of all foodies, with one exception. No children.

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We picked Greta Bar for the first meetup. Even though it was -27 weather, the adult arcade bar was packed with customers. You’ll either love or hate the music – a fun, nostalgic mix-up of 80’s and 90’s music. I enjoyed listening to Bon Jovi, Spice Girls, New Kids on the Block and Biggie Smalls. For this post, let’s listen to Bon Jovi’s ” Living’ On a Prayer”.

Loaf2go texted me saying she would be a little late. I was in the same boat. Traffic was awful. She and her husband T arrived 3 minutes late. L and I were literally seconds behind. Happyeatsyyc and Lizarooprai were already sitting at our table when we arrived.

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L was surprised there were so many men in our party, considering our club is called No Man’s Dinner. There was Iatehere, Pak_to_Eating_yyc’s boyfriend, Lizarooprai’s plus one, and the spouses of the Founder and President. I finally met HangryinYYC, my go to expert for dim sum in Calgary. I already knew ShellyKirks from my travels to Japan. The last to arrive was Jeanie.Mark. I found out she was late because she saw a car accident and she had to stay as a witness.

For happy hour, house beers, wine and select cocktails were $5. Shop Fries, Greek Doughnuts, and Jamaican Patties were $5. The Greta Brown was tasty – with notes of espresso and chocolate. I preferred the brown over the Greta Blonde, the latter being a bit too yeasty for my taste.

I enjoyed the Greek doughnuts ($6.50, HH $5) more than I thought I would. Each piece was warm and puffy, tasting a bit like a deluxe Tim Horton’s crueller Timbit. I didn’t find the addition of honey too sweet. I’d order this again.

Loaf2go shared her Ginger Beef Baos ($13) with us. The sirloin beef is from Community Foods. I liked the squishiness of the homemade white buns. The beef was cut thin and lightly battered.

The table’s favourite dish was another one of Loaf2go’s picks – the Currywurst Pretzel ($13). She said she knew it would be good because the sausage is from Empire Provision. The house-made curried ketchup had a hot kick to it.

Shelly ordered the Jamaican Patties ($10, HH $5). The wagyu meat was also from Community Foods. I enjoyed the heat in the curry ground beef. Shelly liked the turmeric pastry because of its thin, crispy shell. I liked the ratio of filling to crust.

I ordered the Street Nuggets ($12) – buttermilk brine chicken with pickles and onions. I picked hot sauce, which was very hot. Loaf2go enjoyed the this dish more than I did. I prefer my nuggets with more a crunchy exterior.

I also ordered the East Coast chip shop fries ($5.50, HH $4:00). The potatoes were made from fresh-cut Hutterite red skin potatoes. Everyone thought the fries were a tad overcooked.

I tried some of Loaf2go’s Thai Mango Salad ($6.50). I could taste the fish sauce in the dressing. I wasn’t expecting to see a Thai salad that looked so authentic.

L and I were impressed that Greta was not afraid to use some heat. I thought it was cool that a bar that sells this range food of international dishes didn’t dumb down the spicy dishes. I wonder if the clientele appreciates the heat.

Our next foodventure is going to be at Bar Modern, a new steakhouse on Stephen Ave for happy hour. If L is good, I might even splurge and buy him a steak dinner. Modern Steak serves beef from its prize-winning Black Angus Bull with Benchmark Angus. I’m pretty curious to see the difference between ranch specific Alberta beef and the sale stuff I buy from Safeway.

Want more recommendations on where to eat in Calgary? If you’re planning a night out, I keep a running list of the best restaurants in Calgary.

Tag: Street Food

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