Recently, I traveled far, far away to... Calgary, Canada and found a Korean "tapas" restaurant called Anju. Okay, fine... I didn't find it... my boyfriend did, but who's keeping score! Anyways, we ventured over here because my boyfriend had heard good things about this place from his coworkers. To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical because the food there (in Calgary) wasn't that great. However, I have to admit that this was the first place I've eaten there that made me happy and satisfied.
Since this place is a "tapas" place, we ordered a few items. First off, we had the AAA Short Ribs with Sweet Soy Marinade and Potato. This dish was DELISH! The short ribs were marinaded in this heavenly sauce and it was very flavorful. The potatoes that came with this dish was cooked perfectly as well.
However, the potatoes that came with the short ribs were in no comparison to their Truffle Yam Fries with Gochugaru Sauce Aioli. OMG! The sauce was AMAZING! (and spicy). The fried sweet potatoes were simply the best I'd ever had! This place was not kidding when they say they have the best sweet potato fries! ::sigh:: yes... I'm craving for them now....
We also ordered their Chicken Stone Bowl. Basically this is a rice dish topped with diced chicken, red bell peppers, soy beans, zucchini, and a lightly poached egg. The bowl was really made of stone and I believe the rice was cooked in it. The stone bowl was crazy hot (so be careful!). I didn't like the fact that the server failed to mention how hot the dish was, so it was a joy when I tried to move the bowl. The idea of this dish... you mix together all the toppings with the egg and the egg gets cooked while its being mixed. It also comes with a side of chili paste. We used more than half that container (the hot sauce is right next to the bowl in the picture) and the dish still wasn't spicy. I'd have to say that this isn't a dish you'd want to try here because it wasn't that great. My boyfriend wasn't impressed with it (and he LOVES rice). Honestly, I've had better rice stone bowls from the Korean market in Houston (and its way cheaper there as well- I'll blog about it soon, no worries!).
We also ordered their Seasonal Vegetable, which was bok choy. It was cooked with kimchi and fermented tofu paste (I know it doesn't sound good, but it was). I'd have to say I enjoyed the veggie more than the rice bowl.
Now, when you go to Canada, you must try their Caesar! It's basically a Bloody Mary but made with clamata juice instead of V8. Now, I don't know what the deal was, but the drink is AMAZING. The glass is also rimmed with salt and pepper and super SPICY! For those of you who know how much I drink (please sense sarcasm)... I can down these baby faster than my boyfriend and can have at least 2 within an hour. It was just THAT good! Anyways... we tried Anju's Kimchi Caesar and it was pretty good. I prefer a "regular" Caesar, but this wasn't bad either. My boyfriend, on the other hand, hated it. He didn't like the kimchi mixed with it (and you do get pieces of kimchi in the drink).
Overall, I liked this place. The restaurant is located in a two story house. You could walk right past it if you're not looking for it. The place was also very small. There weren't a lot of tables/seating. The upstairs had a bar and what looks to be a lounge area. This place is definitely worth trying out if you're ever in Calgary, Canada.
Since this place is a "tapas" place, we ordered a few items. First off, we had the AAA Short Ribs with Sweet Soy Marinade and Potato. This dish was DELISH! The short ribs were marinaded in this heavenly sauce and it was very flavorful. The potatoes that came with this dish was cooked perfectly as well. 
However, the potatoes that came with the short ribs were in no comparison to their Truffle Yam Fries with Gochugaru Sauce Aioli. OMG! The sauce was AMAZING! (and spicy). The fried sweet potatoes were simply the best I'd ever had! This place was not kidding when they say they have the best sweet potato fries! ::sigh:: yes... I'm craving for them now....
We also ordered their Chicken Stone Bowl. Basically this is a rice dish topped with diced chicken, red bell peppers, soy beans, zucchini, and a lightly poached egg. The bowl was really made of stone and I believe the rice was cooked in it. The stone bowl was crazy hot (so be careful!). I didn't like the fact that the server failed to mention how hot the dish was, so it was a joy when I tried to move the bowl. The idea of this dish... you mix together all the toppings with the egg and the egg gets cooked while its being mixed. It also comes with a side of chili paste. We used more than half that container (the hot sauce is right next to the bowl in the picture) and the dish still wasn't spicy. I'd have to say that this isn't a dish you'd want to try here because it wasn't that great. My boyfriend wasn't impressed with it (and he LOVES rice). Honestly, I've had better rice stone bowls from the Korean market in Houston (and its way cheaper there as well- I'll blog about it soon, no worries!).
We also ordered their Seasonal Vegetable, which was bok choy. It was cooked with kimchi and fermented tofu paste (I know it doesn't sound good, but it was). I'd have to say I enjoyed the veggie more than the rice bowl.
Now, when you go to Canada, you must try their Caesar! It's basically a Bloody Mary but made with clamata juice instead of V8. Now, I don't know what the deal was, but the drink is AMAZING. The glass is also rimmed with salt and pepper and super SPICY! For those of you who know how much I drink (please sense sarcasm)... I can down these baby faster than my boyfriend and can have at least 2 within an hour. It was just THAT good! Anyways... we tried Anju's Kimchi Caesar and it was pretty good. I prefer a "regular" Caesar, but this wasn't bad either. My boyfriend, on the other hand, hated it. He didn't like the kimchi mixed with it (and you do get pieces of kimchi in the drink).
Overall, I liked this place. The restaurant is located in a two story house. You could walk right past it if you're not looking for it. The place was also very small. There weren't a lot of tables/seating. The upstairs had a bar and what looks to be a lounge area. This place is definitely worth trying out if you're ever in Calgary, Canada.
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