Sushi Dinner at TOWA SUSHI, Calgary, Alberta

2116 4 Street SW

Calgary, AB

(403) 245-8585

Having recently moved to Calgary I have been excited to experience some of the city's restaurants, I've heard this city holds some true culinary treasures. That's why I was so excited to go to TOWA SUSHI restaurant that has come highly recommended.

I must admit that having recently been to Japan and experienced Japanese fresh and delicious sushi I have a hard time enjoying generic sushi. Towa did not disappoint.

The restaurant is quite small and quaint with warm light and smiling faces of patrons enjoying their every bite. Tables are near each other providing for a communal atmosphere. There are also bar tables, for more casual dining or for sushi on the go, very reminiscent of eateries in Japan. From the moment you walk in you feel welcome and at home.

The bustling staff is gracious and very hospitable not to mention very good at all other things that sometimes are lacking in many other restaurants in this city ... such as service.

I'm happy to say that I enjoyed dinner with 5 other people, I say that not only because the company was fabulous but the dishes come in very generous portions and it was wonderful to enjoy and try a large number of them while sharing them with friends.

One of the biggest surprises of the night came at the beginning of the dinner as an appetizer, agedashi tofu, deep fried tofu served in tempura sauce garnished with daikon radish and fresh ginger. Most things that are lightly battered are tasty (if prepared correctly) but this tofu was sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delectable. I would love to know what brand of tofu was used. The batter was crisp and light, perfectly complemented by the tempura sauce that it floated in.

Other dishes included the 'towa tempura' consisting of shrimp, broccoli, and yam. 'Black and white roll' made with salmon, 'calamari roll' with deep fried calamari, cucumber, lettuce and mustard, 'caterpillar roll' with fresh water eel, 'fire cracker roll' made with jalapeno tempura, sour cream and smoked salmon, 'scallop tempura roll', 'unagi roll' made with sweet omelet, avocado and fresh water eel. There might have been a few more but they were eaten too quickly...

Being pregnant, I could only indulge in eating non-raw sushi. For anyone who knows me, they know it is difficult for me to eat sushi and not eat raw fish however my fellow companions said it was perfect. For those of us who choose not to eat raw fish the other pieces more than made up for missing out on the raw pieces. First of all, all the pieces were incredibly fresh, not only the ingredients but it was obvious that they were all prepared freshly after we placed our order. In addition each order was beautifully presented. The menu is very unique and creative, it carries many different sushi combinations with native ingredients to Japan such as toro and many ingredients that are more common such as shrimp and squid. TOWA offers many culinary choices from common to unique and for someone who is not able to eat 'raw' foods there were plenty of alternatives.

Overall the eating experience at TOWA was incredible, the food was ingenious and delectable and well priced, not over priced. Service was prompt and diligent and the atmosphere felt like being a part of a big Asian family. I'm looking forward to going back and trying some other items of the menu. TOWA is a true culinary gem in the heart of Calgary. Sorry no pictures, I didn't bring my camera. For a quick peek inside the restaurant click here.

Trip to Calgary

My friend Sarah and I share a deep love for all things cheese. This recipe is from the archive for a delicious Creamy & Cheesy cauliflower.

Its been a little while since my last post, and I apologize but this post has nothing to do with the upcoming Easter holiday, but that's because I just spent the last 5 days in Calgary, Alberta.

My husband and I, will be moving there in about 2 months for duration of 2 years and I had the pleasure of going out west to find accommodations, thank goodness for my friends Sarah and Mark. Wow!!! Not only were they perfect hosts, but they drove with me all over the city day after day looking for a place to live.

People in Calgary say its tough finding a place to live not just because it is very expensive (current price of a home, condo, or townhouse is over $460 000) but because the city is bursting at its seems and there is not a lot of vacancies to rent or real estate to buy. Growing up in Toronto I was optimistic that I have seen everything, the traffic, the insane real estate prices and the general mayhem of living in a large metropolitan. Nothing was further from the truth, Calgary stands on its own, with no comparison.

There are an endless number of people moving into the city everyday, there is no shortage of jobs. The city is constantly buying out homes to expand the city streets, construction doesn't stop... except when its too cold to work. People drive erratically, rushing due to the long commutes.... nevertheless this young city outpours with positive energy, and vigor for life. Most of the people in Calgary are not actually from this city but they don't want to live anywhere else. They love having the mountains a 45 minutes drive away, fabulous skiing in the winter, hiking, kayaking in the summer plus endless other sports are at everyone's fingertips, this a very active city. In addition Calgary is a multi-cultural center and over the last years it developed an amazing array of different restaurants everywhere, not just downtown. A truly great place to live.

Coming to Calgary I met a lot of wonderful people. The locals, as soon as they found out that I'm a food writer couldn't stop telling me about all the best places for grocery shopping, gourmet cheese shops, their favorite restaurants, family recipes for "Ginger Beef" (that's for another blog entry), the best pancake recipe and endless food related stories. I have the fondness memories from Calgary and can't wait to experience it all and write about it.

Between looking at homes I also had the pleasure to come along to a real cowboy bar (Ranchers) with live country music. Hanging out with a brigade firefighters and paramedics (my friends friends) I knew I was in safe hands. In addition to experiencing the cowboy night life, Kyle one of the firefighters, a champion two-stepper, taught me how to country dance. That was a lot of fun!! I am sure I will be doing some more two-stepping when I'm back in Alberta.

Who could say no to this sweet little face?

The day before my flight back I finally saw a few places that were nice, close enough to the hospital and not exuberantly out of our price range. Talk about moving fast, on the day of my flight we put an offer and when I landed I found out that it was accepted. Shopping for a home in 5 days, who said it couldn't be done!! :-) There is still one very important condition that has to be met, Madison our black lab needs to be approved by the condominium committee. Wish us luck!

Click here for my Creamy and Cheesy Cauliflower recipe.