Anju seems to be constantly winning rewards and recognition left and right for their take on modern Korean fusion. I’ve been pretty skeptical to try it after hearing very mixed reviews from friends and family. But a friend was in from out of town and suggested Anju so off we went to give it a go Monday night.
It’s a cool, hip spot. The vibes are sweet, intimate and moody. Like how it’s open late (till 1:00am). Perfect for a late night bite.
Nice to see Blindman Brewery getting some love. Even Alley Kat is on tap (not sure why though).
You know a place is hipster when they charge for the banchan. $3.00 for kimchi? WOW. They have a daily specials menu; Monday is crabby Mondays. A neighbouring table ordered this and it was an incredibly small portion for $18.00.
You can see the rest of the menu here (1, 2 and 3).
Dubu kimchi ($14.00)
The crispy tofu was delicious; lightly friend but smooth inside. The citrus aioli was a great addition and the pork belly hidden underneath was juicy and crispy.
Dolsot bibimbap ($20.00)
They bring the gochujang sauce on the side so you can make it however spicy you want (but it’s not even spicy to begin with). Pretty standard. Sadly, not much crispy rice bits.
Spicy lamb bulgogi with rice sticks ($14.00)
The lamb was tasty but something was incredibly salty in this dish. Rice cakes (tteokbokki) were better than I expected and we appreciated the variety of vegetables.
Pan seared sea bream ($20.00)
I love sea bream so we gave Anju’s version a try. Comes with a side of kimchi, wasabi soy, nori and grilled lemon. I guess you’re supposed to use the nori to create a small sandwich like bite. Pretty mediocre; not much flavour on the sea bream and a tad dry.
Overall, our dinner was decent but fusion eateries have yet to blow me away. I can’t say I’ll be running back anytime soon to Anju but at least I can say I’ve finally tried it.
Anju
http://anju.ca
344 – 17 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 460-3341
