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| - I'd heard great things about this place, and folks had suggested I go there for "great Chinese food in Calgary". Seeing that Silver Dragon is located in the heart of China Town, I had such high hopes. But I really cannot even say that the meal was okay. Certain elements were okay, and a few even good, but overall, it was not worth the time or money we spent. And I regret our decision to waste one of our few meals in Calgary at this restaurant.
First, the good aspects: the vegetable dumplings we ordered as an appetizer gave us high hopes for the meal. They were huge! And delicious. And grilled to perfection. The sauces they were served with were nothing special, but the dumplings on their own were so nice, I really didn't need a sauce.
Now, the okay: the eggplant dish was fine. It was tasty, though not particularly memorable. A little soy sauce and chili sauce perked it up a bit. But I really feel as if the chef should be creating the sauces, not me.
Finally, the bad: the scallops and tofu in black bean sauce was abysmal. Sure, tofu on it's own has no really distinct flavour. But anyone who has ever cooked tofu knows it absorbs the flavours around it. So I was greatly disappointed when I took a bite of tofu and it still has absolutely no flavour. The black bean sauce was so bland that my Norwegian partner commented that he makes a better black bean sauce, and you know what? He does! I have never had a black bean sauce with no depth of flavour. No seasoning at all. And no amount of soy sauce or chili sauce could redeem this dish. We did take the leftover eggplant and dumplings home with us, but we left over 2/3 of the scallop dish right there on the table. We just couldn't eat it. And believe me, we are NOT picky eaters.
If you are in Calgary's China Town, I urge you to skip the fancier decor of Silver Dragon and head next door to the run down Happy Valley. The food there is outstanding and the service is much more attentive than the overpriced Silver Dragon.
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