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| - I have heard good things about Chef Roy Oh's take on Korean cuisine and recently, I finally had the opportunity to see what his restaurant Anju was all about. Tucked away in a cozy corner of downtown Calgary in a renovated 2-story house, this unassuming building was about to yield its secrets to this anxious diner. Eat to drink, Drink to live, Live to eat. This simple mantra which is the first thing you see upon visiting their website speaks of the minimalist grace and style that Anju pulls off so wonderfully, from the design of the space to the flavours of the dishes.
Korean food is known for its use of spicy chili, fermented kimchi, and the plethora of those curious little sides, called banchan. It's an orchestrated composition of umami with high notes and low, balancing the spice with savoury and sweet. Colours and textures all play an important role as the dishes come alive before your eyes and on your palate. The 7 course tasting menu was about to show me what Anju was all about.
We started off with a spicy salmon taco with a sesame slaw on crispy wonton taco shells. The dressing of the slaw was a delicate balance of that roasted sesame flavour with a touch of acidity. Of course, you can't go wrong with raw salmon. Cool and meaty, it was a great start to an evening.
What followed was probably one of my favourite dishes of the night. A beautiful braised oxtail tortellini with soy topped with shaved grana padano. That oxtail was simple yet sublime with a solid savoury, slightly sweet base complemented by the sharp hit from the grana padano for the ultimate punch of umami in a single bite. Unreal.
Next was panko breaded crispy tofu with sautéed kimchi and citrus aioli. The crispy panko was seasoned to make it slightly spicy, but not overwhelming. It's textural contrast with the silky tofu underneath was well executed and the kimchi underneath was clean tasting, yet faithful to the essence of what you expect from kimchi. Top that with the citrus aioli bringing its hint of sweetness and you have one delicious starter.
The housemade kimchi here is a brand all its own, I might add. It doesn't have a heavy, super fermented flavour, but the fermentation flavour does shine through, giving this kimchi a taste that's unique. It's almost reminiscent of a sparkling white. Seriously. I think that this is important as the kimchi plays a huge role as an element to a lot of the dishes here.
What arrived next was the wings I have always been hearing about. Korean fried chicken, or KFC as it's affectionately known as, has a signature style. It's a super-crispy double-fried chicken, in this case, the wings which are then coated with a spicy/sweet gochujang sauce. These wings, in my opinion, can drop the other hot wings like a bag of dirt. Anju's tasting sampler came with 3 flavours - salt and szechuan pepper, teriyaki, and gochuajng.
First off, these wings are enormous and when they arrive at the table, they almost tell you that they mean business. The crunch factor is equally as impressive and the meat inside is tender and juicy. Sauces are well balanced and flavourful. What I did appreciate was the salt and pepper wings. The aroma of the salt and szechuan pepper was enticing while the flavour was what you'd expect from a well-seasoned piece of meat. A subtle yet effective way to highlight the quality of the chicken itself.
The kalbi that arrived next was tender and tasty. Silver Sage produces some good beef and these short ribs were perfectly grilled and marinated. To accompany this was a simple plate of roasted Brussels sprouts with lop cheong and a lemongrass dressing that was delicious. The lemongrass provided balance to the richness of the thinly sliced lop cheong, all brought together with these roasted Brussels sprouts which have you hunting around the plate for the charred bits.
Finally, the pork shoulder bo ssam. In this mini-version of bo ssam, you still get the fresh lettuce wraps and mint with all the toppings and condiments, just in a smaller presentation. The pork shoulder is pulled and dressed with sauce and roasted peppers and includes the delicious bits of crispy ends you get with a full roast, so you're not missing a thing. The richness of the meat comes through as you bite into the fresh, crisp lettuce wrap with the herbaceous hint of mint leaf and whatever else you choose to top your perfect handful of goodness.
To finish, ice cream bars were the perfect way to end the meal. With flavours like mango and honeydew, I was brought back to the grocer's freezer at T&T for the first time, thinking to myself how Asian ice cream makers could make such awesome confections.
Great job, Anju! I love your work and I will be back.
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