Sushi; quite possibly my favourite food in the entire world. I would much rather eat raw fish than sit down to a cooked filet. I have to admit that every so often I get in a sushi rut. I develop my favourites on the menu and I end up just ordering the same thing everytime and not really exploring new tastes.
I was so excited when ki restaurant recently invited Byron and I to come down to try out their menu. ki opened just 18 months ago in Calgary, after exceptional popularity in Toronto. While of course, it can be tricky to serve up the freshest of the fresh seafood when you are on this side of the Rocky Mountains but ki takes so much pride in their product. We met up with their general manager and Sake Sommelier, Adam Snelling and he basically led us through their unique menu with his favourite dishes served up to us for the evening. We sampled all sorts of sakes and had quite honestly the best experience I have ever had with the Japanese menu. My favourite drink of the evening of the evening had to be the Sakagura No Nigori Umeshu Premium Japan which is a pressed plum wine. It literally tastes like delicious candy and I’ve decided it has become my new go-to bottle when visiting the wine store.
The cool thing about ki is that their mandate is all about taking sushi to a whole new level. Indulge in many unexpected combinations like jumbo prawns with pureed squash or seared fresh scallops with buttered leeks. Also, unique dishes that are inspired completely by Calgary’s beef culture. So interesting the way they seamlessly meld Canadian dishes with Japanese traditions. The way they styled their plates was absolutely exquisite – almost too pretty to eat but incredibly worth it after digging in!
Another thing I absolutely loved about ki was their attention to allergies. I let them know that I have Celiac upon arrival and they immediately assured me that they had gluten-free tamari, gluten-free rice vinegar as well some fabulous gluten-free beer. As it happens, a lot of my foodie pals are also Celiac or gluten-intolerant so I would highly recommend this spot to anyone in Calgary or Toronto looking for a great gluten-free menu.
Definitely drop by this great spot if you are in the neighbourhood!
ki restaurant
