Sushi Night - Taste Adventure

It was a surf and turf weekend. After a crazy week with the renos and lots of mess the family - meaning me - was in no mood for cooking. Out for steaks one night and then Hubby and I decided we needed sushi. Time for The Monster's first sushi.

We chose to go to Kinjo, a sushi bar in an old Tim Horton's. We've been there before, and been quite happy. On the plus side, it's close. It isn't the best sushi we've ever had, but it's good. And after our adventure on Saturday we'll be back.

The gregarious owner, Peter, greeted us with a carved orange and melons for the Monster, a forced (by knife) declaration of love from Hubby to me, a couple of boxes of Pocky candy for the table, and a free treat of four pieces of sushi rolls, a Japanese amuse bouche. It was quite the welcome and good start to the night.

Hubby and I decided to simply order what we liked and let The Monster taste as we went. We've also learned in our restaurant ramblings with her to make sure there is at least one thing on the table we know she will eat. Usually that's bread and butter or some snacks we brought from home. At the sushi bar that is edamame.

She devoured her fruit, attempted to use chopsticks (giving up and spearing fruit with toothpicks instead like they were chopsticks), ate a whole lot of edamame, and opened wide for the sashimi we fed her off our chopsticks. She happily ate her tuna, salmon, snapper, tuna belly, and even tobiko. In fact, the tobiko was quite fascinating to her. After her first bite she swallowed and then had a little shiver, like it went down a bit wrong. We thought we were done with that but she asked for more. About the only thing she wouldn't touch were any kind of rolls. That wasn't surprising to us because she has never been a fan of rice.

Did I mention that she liked wasabi?

This isn't a restaurant review, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the service at Kinjo. The kids were welcomed warmly. In fact, one thing that struck us was just how many children were there. All the kids are welcomed with a carved orange and the Peter told us that they'd served at least 30 oranges that night. It made us, as a young family, very comfortable. Sushi bars can have a lot of reverence and formality associated with their hospitality, making you feel welcome but hushed. Not Kinjo. Kids are encouraged and entertained. It keeps the parents happy (and coming back) and the kids a bit more adventurous.

Sources:
Kinjo Sushi 403-255-8998

Taste Adventure - Calamari

A few weeks back we attended Greek Fest. It was a Greek day - with blazing heat, lots of people, dancing, and so much food! Hosted by the Calgary Hellenic Society it is a display of Greek culture through performances, hospitality, and food. Oh, and oddly, one Ukrainian dance performance.

We loaded up on souvlaki, potatoes, and calamari. By the time we found a seat among the crowded tables the Monster was clawing at us to get to the food. That's normal - she always wants to eat. We weren't sure if she would want anything besides the pita since cucumbers are a recent addition to the diet and meat only makes sporadic appearances. And forget about pototoes entirely. We did not anticipate the calamari to be the object of desire.

The plates were set down, she climbed up on the rickety folding chair, and before you can say, "Opa!" her hands were on those rings of squid. Like most kids she first saw them as a carrier for tzatziki. What is it with kids and dip of any kind? After some very deliberate licks of garlicky goodness she chomped down on that fried ring of cephalopod. Then she grabbed more and more. It still had to be dipped in tzatziki, of course. Unfortunately for us, she ate most of it.

This gives us hope for when we return to restaurant adventures Greek can be high on the list. Calamari can keep her busy for hours.

Sources:
Calgary Hellenic Society