Li-Ao Sushi

Ever since Peaches raved about Li-Ao I’ve been dying to go try it out.  However, since the restaurant is on the other side of the city I’ve just never made my way down there.  Hubby and I wanted to have sushi one night and we could not agree on a place to go to.  Hubby wanted to return to a restaurant that we’ve been to before cause he’s very weary of having bad sushi.  I wanted to try some place new and suggested that we drive down to Li-Ao.  I promised him it would be good (I have faith in Peaches recommendations) and he agreed.

I had called to make reservations but was told they don’t take any so we just took a chance in the hopes that the restaurant wouldn’t be full.  Luckily, the restaurant was only about a quarter full when we arrived so we easily obtained a booth seat.  For parents out there they do have high chairs but not the stand alone kind – the kind that straps onto a chair so just a heads up.

There were a lot of different things we wanted to try so why not order all of them.  We could always enjoy the leftovers as a late night snack and I really don’t know when we would come here again.  One thing we noticed while browsing through the menu were the prices.  I couldn’t believe how reasonable everything was – why don’t we see prices like this in the NW?

A complimentary dish of Deep Fried Tuna Gyozas were brought to our table and we munched on these while waiting for our order.  The gyozas were tasty – deep fried to golden with a lightly spicy filling of tuna that was barely cooked through.  They sat on a bed of what I assume was an avocado sauce of sorts.  Even hubby enjoyed these even though he’s not a huge fan of tuna.

We started with the Teriyaki Chicken ($5.95) and enjoyed both the sweet and savoriness of the dish.  The chicken was still moist and the steak sauce was really flavorful.

I ordered the Assorted Sashimi ($18.95) as I’m always in the mood for the raw fish and was shocked at the huge platter that was placed in front of us when it arrived at our table.  This was definitely a great deal!  15 pieces of assorted sashimi for only $18.95 – wow!  And there was actually an assortment of seafood not just salmon and tuna.  I enjoyed all of it with the exception of the tuna and salmon because I just thought they were cut too thick.  It was literally like eating chunks or slabs of fish rather than silky pieces of sashimi.

I cannot go without Scallop Special Sushi ($2/pc) whenever I’m out for a sushi meal. However, Li-ao’s version fell short of my expectations. There was far too much mayo and that completely masked the sweetness of the scallop.

I also enjoyed the Seared Scallop Roll ($9.95).  The scallops didn’t appear to be seared but it did have a smoky seared taste to it – perhaps they had lightly torched the tops?  I was surprised that the balsamic vinegar didn’t overpower but complimented the other ingredients.  I also appreciated that the roll wasn’t packed with rice but just enough to hold the filling together.

I had ordered the Teriyaki Beef Combo ($12.95) for my toddler and although the flavors of the dish was good the beef slices were really chewy and tough.  That was a bit disappointing as it made impossible for our toddler to eat.  Next time, I’ll order the appetizer portion with a bowl of rice for him instead.

Hubby ordered 3 rolls and could only finish half of what he ordered.   Mainly because two of the rolls he ordered were of the giant variety and I was already pretty stuffed from my order so I wasn’t much help.  The Spider Roll ($9.95) was pretty standard but done well.  The soft shell crab was fried well and the roll was quite ‘meaty’.

The House Special Roll ($9.95) was filled with salmon, tuna, shrimp, avocado, crab meat and tobiko.  Honestly, this roll isn’t very different from any other house special roll out there but the ingredients were fresh and hubby really liked the fact that the roll didn’t just fall apart as you picked it up.  That seems to happen a lot with these giant rolls and makes it quite difficult to eat.

The Seared Tuna Roll ($9.95) was definitely hubby’s favorite since it had a slight kick to it from the jalapeno.  The tuna was lightly seared with a smoky taste and the crab meat filling was creamy and moist. The presentation was a bit sloppy with this roll and since it wasn’t terribly busy the chef should’ve taken some extra time to ensure the pieces were arranged in a neater fashion. Sushi is a bit of an art form in my eyes and we eat as much with our eyes as we do with our mouth.

Service was pretty average, not outstanding but not bad either as the server did get us everything we needed.  The prices are indeed very reasonable for the portion sizes so it’s very easy to over order but I guess that’s just an excuse to try as many menu items as possible.  I only wished that this place was closer to home so we could frequent more often.

Li-Ao Sushi

#231, 2335 162 Ave SW
Calgary, AB T2Y 4S6

Open Range

We were trying to decide last minute where to have dinner on a Friday night.  It was 6pm so right dab in the middle of prime dinner time and we were still searching for a place.  Considering that it was a Friday night, we figured most places were already booked and our suspicions were confirmed after we made a few calls.  Since we recently had brunch at Big Fish hubby asked if their dinner menu was any good.  I was surprised since he’s not much of a seafood person so he took a look through the menu and decided it wasn’t for him.  That’s when Open Range came to mind and he agreed.  Open Range is known for their diverse selection of meat dishes so this certainly met Hubby’s criteria.

I had dinner at Open Range a couple of years back and enjoyed my meal there so this was the perfect opportunity for me to try more of their menu items.  I like the atmosphere of the restaurant itself – relaxed and cozy yet they serve food that would normally be served at a higher end restaurant.  The best part is that they’re baby friendly so we didn’t have to worry about him making too noise and being a nuisance to other patrons.

Since I wasn’t terribly hungry that day we decided to split an appetizer and get our own mains.  We settled for the Chili Baby Back Ribs ($13) and loved every bite.  The ribs were tender, sweet, salty, smoky and we could tell there was a nice spice rub on there.

I had the Apricot Glazed Boar Rack with Stuffed Pork Belly ($36).  The boar rack was cooked perfectly – moist and seared very well.  The apricot glaze was the perfect accompaniment.  The stuffed pork belly was roasted well – the skin was crispy and the meat was also moist and tender.  I did find the mushroom stuffing to be unnecessary though.  The green beans could’ve been a tad more tender – they were still quite raw.

Hubby went with the NY Striploin with Chimmichurri sauce ($34).  It was cooked to his liking and he really enjoyed this dish.  I had a taste and found that the steak was tender and the chimmichurri sauce was fresh and vibrant.

The service was attentive but not overpowering and they always cleared our dishes in a timely manner.  We were too stuffed to have dessert that night but will definitely be back when the mood for a meat heavy dinner strikes.

 Open Range

1114 Edmonton Trl NE
Calgary, AB T2E 0Z2