Seoul Korean BBQ - Calgary

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Price: $ 10-15 per person - $$ 15-25 per person Would I go Back: Yes

This restaurant is easily the best Korean BBQ restaurant in Calgary. It's a really large restaurant on MacLeod and even if it's really busy you're bound to get seats really quickly without reservation. It's also a great place for a party as they have seperated areas where they can fit large parties. I mean bus load large!

They have a large menu with pictures in them so you're not half guessing what you're ordering and if you can't decide you can always try their set meals of BBQ or Hot Pot that have a bit of everything for you to try. You may also substitute certain food in the set meals as well for somethng else you like. Do not under estitimate their meals though . It comes with soup, salad, a few appetizers rice, and lots of meat. This is not including the dishes they give with your meal which they serve four different kinds with unlimited refills which the staff is a happy to oblige (I would know cause my dad likes downing them like crazy and he's not shy about asking for more) and sweet soup dessert (they don't always give it to you as not alot of people like it so you may have to ask for it, they also make this themselves so they may have run out of it for the day if you went late). So if you're with a party of 4 even if you're party eats a lot, order the set meal that will feed 2-3 people there is plenty to go around. I also like this when I go with my family because they usually can't decide what to order and my dad will try to order everything on the menu.

The food is always pretty good here even when it's busy. Why I put the two different prices is because if you go there for lunch it would be in the lower price range and if you go at dinner for the set meal depending how you order you should be within the second price range. I usually go with just my boyfriend so we never have the set meals as it's way too much food. If we each order a dish (by the way comes with a bowl of ricer per dish, the 4 side dishes and sweet soup dessert) and nothing else (tea is free) we had been in the first price mark for dinner. Usually though we hit in the second price range because we would order a drink.

We always come here when I crave for Kimchi Stew. They make the best kimchi stew here and lots of stuff in the stew. I gave the food rating a four because sometimes there is a bit of a slip when they're really busy with the other food. You always have an option to bbq stuff at the table or have the kitchen do it. We always get the kitchen do it as it's only a order of beef bulgogi or it's with my family and it's alot easier to feed everyone. They have a really yummy appetizer that is sweet and sour daikon (radish) wrapped in daikon with a pepper.

Service compared to most Korean restaurants can be said amazing. As most of you that been to Korean restaurants in Calgary would know that you'd be lucky if they waiter or waitress knows English. You have to wait a while before they come and take your order because they're behind the counter determining who's going to brave taking our order from our table. With lots of finger pointing at the menu you will finally have your order taken. Then it takes forever for the food to get there (and lots of finger crossing that you're getting what you ordered) and don't say anything in front of the waiter/waitress unless you're planning to order something or just to say thank you or else you will get something on top that you don't want (this had happened to us many times). At Seoul there is almost none of that. Almost all the waiters and waitresses have a firm grasp of English and those that are a bit iffy will just get you to point at the menu to make sure that they are hearing what you said and take you're order with a smile. You can also order by the number as well. :P
All the waiters and waitresses we had are very nice and on the ball of things even when they're busy. It also helps that they don't have a high changeover of staffs. They also acknowledge you when they can't get to you right away.

The atmosphere here is great. The restaurant is high high ceiling that's very industrial  if you look up so they can fit fans over every table to ventilate when you're bbqing. At eye level they have decorated it nicely with Korean decoration and bamboo blinds between some tables to add privacy. You're never too close to your neighbours. They are very clean as well. They have a system worked out to clear up the tables and have it set up for more customers. Quite amazingly fast. Their dishware are always clean. Last time I checked they're in the process of slowly updating the bathrooms. They had installed new sink and they even have a station with toothpicks, floss, mouth wash and disposable cups! The bathroom stalls itself are not done when I last went.

Aftermath: Overstuffed, satisfied and smelling like Korean BBQ.

WARNING: If you go here or any Korean BBQ do not wear clothes that absorb smell. Even if you don't bbq at the table you will always come out smelling like Korean BBQ. So warn all attending parties. You also might not want to go anywhere with anyone after that has not eaten with you, they will smell you all night. :D

Palliser Hotel The Oak Room Afternoon Tea - Calgary

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Price: $$$ 25-35 per person       Would I go back: Yes    Reservations: Recommended

Afternoon tea is held in the Oak Room on the main floor of the Palliser Hotel. They only have afternoon tea on Saturdays as on Sunday is when the have their brunch. Like all afternoon tea places, I would recommend booking ahead especially if you have a food allergy so they can prepare the food to your dietary needs. Plus they don't advertise afternoon tea on their website so sometimes they may not have this service available call ahead to make sure they have afternoon tea available.

The Oak Room is a lounge like the Rundle Lounge in Banff Springs it is nicely furnished with dark wood and old Victorian style decor which sets a nice atmosphere. I've been here twice for afternoon tea and they've seated us in nice big comfy arm chairs. Unfortunately, unlike the Banff Springs Hotel, Rundle Lounge it is lacking a view of ..... anything really. But also unlike the Rundle Lounge they don't have busy resorters going in and out of the establishment so it's all afternoon tea goers that are there during the afternoon tea time slot. This is still an upscale bar lounge though so one will see a bar area in the Oak Room where one is having tea.

Unlike the Rundle Lounge though the service here are on the ball of things. Both times I've been here they knew the reservation name right away and already have a table ready. As mentioned in one of my reviews I have a peanut allergy and both times I went they remember right away that one of the member of their guests have a peanut allergy. Which the chef had made a special tray with peanut safe delicacies. On one occasion they had only one tray as it was a small group the server informed of which on the tray I can have and brought me a separate dish with some pastry and treats specially made for my peanut allergy. The waiting staff was friendly, attentive to our needs and walks through those that are first time experiencing afternoon tea. Since the Palliser does not advertise they have an afternoon tea there was not special blend made for that hotel but the the waitress had a full selection of teas and can recommend types of tea based on a person preference in flavours.  There is no being forgotten here after the three tier tray comes out the waitress comes to check on you to see if there is anything else you may need, bring you more hot water or a fresh pot of tea.

The food on the tray was good. In fact I would say it's better than the Banff Springs Hotel. There weren't just finger sandwiches, there were other savoury pastries as well.  There were scones with yummy devonshire cream and jam but there weren't a big selection of types of scones but more than at the Rundle Lounge. The pastry and treats were not lacking in creativity like at the Rundle Lounge and there weren't all nanaimo bar like treats, in fact I was quite impressed with their selection they had and the attentiveness to my food allergy that they made me special treats that were safe. As I mentioned earlier since it's not an advertised afternoon tea with Fairmont they don't have their special Fairmont blend tea but they still have a nice selection of tea available. Which you can try a different tea when the server comes to refresh your tea.

In all the food was good and much more creative than the Rundle Lounge in Banff Springs Hotel and the price of $25 you pay for this afternoon tea experience is more worthwhile than to trek all the way to Banff unless you want that scenery. This is no fine dining top of the class afternoon tea but you have attentive servers, good food, and it's worth the amount you paid.

Snow Palace - Calgary

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Service

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Cleanliness 

Price: $$ 15-25 per person for both lunch and dinner  Would I go Back : YES

This is a place that my family go to quite often. It's located in Crowfoot in NW Calgary. When we don't feel like cooking or going to far from home this is a go to place for us. 

They serve a lunch dim sum, congee, noodle menu that they make on order so your dim sum is fresh. The selection isn't big for dim sum but the congee, noodle, fried rice, chow mien, and noodle soup menu is quite substantial. They even make food that is not on their lunch menu but is on their dinner menu. 

The staff on the most part are really friendly and the owners are working with the staff.  Their service is usually good and you get your food at a decent time. If something is a little slow they will let you know. You usually see the same staff working here all the time so it says quite a bit about how the owner treats the staff. Occasionally there is a new staff or temperory staff and may not be friendly which the senior staffs corrects quite quickly. 

They serve set dinners for western Chinese style dining as well as the Chinese style set dining. Both types of dinners are not "set" as you can make substitutes for a price if the item you want to substitute is priceier. They also have a la carte menu and specials on whiteboards. They accomodate certain requests even if it's not on any of their menu as long as they have the ingredients and the chef knows how to make it. 

In saying that we go there often it's not the best of the best Chinese food we had. Sometimes as well depending on the time of the day and the how busy they are the quality of the food may slip. Take out with them can be a bit up and down as well. By all means are the food bad even when they slip but if you had their food when it's really good you can tell it had slipped a bit. They also serve a variety of beverages and amount of food are a decent size.

The restaurant does not have a fancy decor, nor is it a big restaurant. They have booths, tables and mirrors on both side of the wall to make the place look bigger. There is no fancy wood or fancy decor, in fact it's almost borderline cafeteria like. In fact would be cafeteria like if they hadn't used table clothes to soften up the cafeteria look.

This is one of the most cleanest restaurants I've been in. The tableware and utensils, seats, and bathroom are all very clean. In fact I don't even remember drinking from a chipped cup or eating from a chipped bowl. 

If you're there during the evening you might get a chance to meet some of the owner's family. It's a very much a family runned restaurant with some staffs.

Aftermath: We always go home overstuffed and satisfied. 

If you are to go there during the weekend for lunch reservation is recommended as they can get quite busy. Especially on a Sunday.