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| - I'm not sure what's going on with the reviews so far for Modern Steak; Nathaniel says this is the "best steakhouse in Calgary", but apparently that's only worth 2 stars to him. And Christine seems to have meant to leave a review for Montana's on Sarcee Tr, so good job there...
But honestly, this place way exceeded my expectations! I got the TravelZoo voucher (which is a very good deal btw, you should too!), and showed up with my gf for an early Valentines Date. I made reservations beforehand, and with it requested some bubbly served right off the bat without our asking. We arrived and were seated right away by an excitable your lady. When our waitress, Natasha, arrived she was very nice and personable and explained the menu for us, which was quite helpful. Shortly after that our bubbly arrived, right on schedule. Well done. Also the truffle oil drizzled popcorn, which was dangerously good! (Don't listen the Nathaniel on that one either.)
We ordered a couple Oysters on the Half Shell and the Waygu Sliders to start. My gf isn't so sure about sea crustaceans, but the oysters were so tender and beautifully garnished that she had no problem. The sliders (which feature a brioche bun, btw) were also delicious, and left us wanting more. They were pretty cute too.
For the mains my gf got the Brant Lake Waygu NY Striploin, while I got the Heritage Natural Angus Ribeye 4 Week Dry Aged, and for sides we chose the Decadent Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus Parmesan with Sunny Side Egg. Both steaks were astounding! They were cooked to perfection (medium rare, mine tending slightly rarer), with the fatty bits literally melting in our mouths. They were served with a few cooked garlic cloves on the side, which we were encouraged to use as a paste with our steaks, a nice touch. We tried each others steaks, and there was an appreciable difference in taste between them. I found hers to have a delicious, classic NY taste, while mine had a more interesting flavour profile, fuller somehow. We loved them both, and preferred our own. I can honestly say I don't think I've had better steak, anywhere.
The sides also impressed. The rich, buttery mash also had a truffle hint to it, so good. The asparagus came with an ever so delicate sunny side egg on it, which dissolved upon touching it, but not before. The effect was coating all the asparagus and parmesan flakes (which were large and obviously fresh) in the yolk. These were very good, although a few of the thicker ends could have been cooked a little more, as a few were just slightly tough.
For dessert we got the Creme Brullee, which was also delicious. (Do I detect a pattern?) It was about room temp, with a perfect "cavity glass" on top of caramelized sugar that you had to break to get at the decadent custard inside.
As for service, we were quite impressed. Our waitress was very personable, and knowledgeable. She seemed to know the menu well, and shared what she liked on it. Before the mains she came by with our choice of steak knives, which was a nice little touch. This place is only a few months old as of this writing, so perhaps the previous reviewers experienced a staff that hadn't gotten it down yet, which is understandable. But know that if you get Natasha, you'll be happy.
The whole evening we were commenting on how pleasing to the eye the while place was. It's an interesting layout encompassing a 4 or 5 split level with an open area in the middle in which you can see from top to bottom. Into this they've painted everything flat black and added incredibly beautiful (and modern looking) fixtures and chandeliers. Seriously, the designer of this space had a vision, and they nailed it; it's a joy to behold.
The music, on the other hand, was not so dialed in. It was... eclectic. Ranging from techno to Johnny Cash to Coolio, and almost everything a remix version, the music was a little obnoxious at times. This is the 2nd of our two complaints (the first one being the asparagus ends), neither of which seriously detract from the magnificence of the entire night!
Do yourself a favour; pick a special night and treat yourself. It's so worth it.
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