Our final foray into Calgary's foodie festival, The Big Taste, was at Anju. Typically, a visit here focuses more on the 'small plates' experience, packed with plenty of modern Korean flair. Doing it Big Taste style was a different, but no less delicious. One of our favourite restaurants in the city, Anju also recently made Avenue Calgary's Top 10 in Calgary - a very well deserved recognition for this excellent restaurant!
Even though it wasn't part of the Big Taste menu, we couldn't help but get one of our all-time Anju favourites, the Gochujang Chicken Wings. Gochujang is the king of Korean condiments. It's a fiery red sauce, made with red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt and sugar. It's the perfect balance of heat and sweet. Doesn't that sound like the perfect companion for wings? The chicken wings themselves were meaty and coated in thick, flavourful breading. It was topped with green onion and sesame seeds that brought so much more flavour than your typical garnish. This dish is an absolute must-have as part of any visit to Anju.
Our first appetizer off the Big Taste menu was a Grilled Salmon Skin Hand Cone. Although this dish felt more Japanese than Korean, it still showcased Anju's eye for execution. The Salmon Skin was crispy, and was complemented beautifully with tobiko, avocado, and cucumber. It came with a sweet and salty Kabayaki dipping sauce. Yum!
The humble yam fry, here made not so humble by Anju's Korean creativity. The yam fries were perfectly cooked and came covered in grana padano cheese, green onion, and a drizzle of truffle oil. What really stood out for us was the Gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) aioli. While it wasn't too spicy, it was full of Korean flavours that made the fries even more delicious. It took us a grand total of 90 seconds to completely clean off the plate. It was awesome!
For one of our entrees, we had the Sous Vide Short Rib. It was phenomenal! The short rib was flavoured with sweet soy and was one of the most tender pieces of meat we've had. Imagine a perfectly cooked excellent quality short rib, and now imagine it even better. This was the treat we got from Anju. We only wish we had more of this, and we would have wanted more no matter how much we got! The glaze on the plate had a smokey Korean BBQ flavour. It added so much depth to the delicious mashed potato and baby carrot sides. A stellar dish all around!
Our other entree was the Pan Seared Scallops. They came with prawns and an array of Asian vegetables and garnishes. The broth had a wonderful earthy flavour. The scallops tasted a bit overcooked - perhaps we let the scallops sit in the broth too long while we took photos. Such is the life of a food blogger!
For dessert, we had a Green Tea Coconut Butter Tart. It was accompanied by a light ice cream, salty soy walnuts, refreshing soju pears and a citrus mousse. The tart itself was flaky, and the coconut flavour in the filling shone through. Our favourite part of the dessert was combining the surprisingly salty walnuts with the sweeter elements of the dish. It also came on a really cool plate that we want for our home!
Now for the dark horse of the meal - the divine Dark Chocolate White Truffle Pâté. It is a challenge for an amateur photographer or food blogger to do this dessert justice - we will certainly try! Every component of this dish was unique, full to the brim with unexpected and mouth watering flavours. The dish had Asian black vinegar, which is sweet, savoury, smokey and woody. Chocolate Gochujang ice cream was legitimately spicy, while soothingly sweet. An orange compote gave the dish a citrus balance. The pâté had a deep, rich dark chocolate flavour and an unmistakable truffle oil finish. There was also a crispy wafer for additional texture. Every bite of this dish was a surprise, and every combination of the components gave us a whole new perspective on this dish. It was complex, beautiful and pushed the boundaries of what makes a great dessert. This dessert is a true experience unto itself. Luckily for us, this is part of Anju's regular menu. While it may not be for everyone, it is for anyone who enjoys a food adventure! We are beyond impressed. Hats off, Anju!
V's Final Word: Anju never disappoints. I'm glad we got an old favourite, the Chicken Wings. The sous vide Short Rib was incredible! And I can't stop thinking about the out of the world chocolate dessert. It's not often that highlights from a restaurant are spread equally in their appetizers, mains and desserts. This is a testament to how impressive Anju truly is.
P's Final Word: I'm a meat guy, so normally I would use this space to gush over how good the short rib and wings were - and they really, really were. The chicken wings are possibly the best in the city! But then came dessert. I can't get over how memorable that Dark Chocolate White Truffle Pâté was. What a surprise that it was the highlight of the entire meal. Exciting doesn't even begin to describe the roller-coaster of experiences I had enjoying Anju's sublime creation.
Price Range: $100 for two Big Taste Meals and Gochujang Chicken Wings
Website: http://anju.ca/
Address: 344 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0A5