And the (original) owners came, before they emigrated to Canada, from Malaysia!

Manio, welcome to chowhound.

Well I'd suggest Alloy. Outstanding wine selection and creative menu. On a Saturday (ie not during our insane downtown exodus weekday rush hour) it's an easy drive down Macleod to 42nd Ave SE, turn left, stumble on an amazing mid-century modern office reno that's like something out of LA (in a good way). http://www.alloydining.com/

It's called "Cultural Centre Restaurant" and the entrance is on the east side of the building but not in or through the main lobby of the cultural centre. You enter on the street side and the resto is downstairs. If you just asked about "the buffet" that would be sort of like going into the Hyatt and asking for "the fish" when you want to go to Catch- he was possibly confused.

CCR is pretty huge so maybe you weren't seeing what's described here. It's table-top hot pot and the buffet takes up a large amount of the floorspace with foods to cook in the hot pot.

Any particular neighbourhood? If you're downtown there are some good suggestions in response to "css" with pretty much the same q yesterday but s/he specified in the area of the Hyatt.

Why did I think Hyatt? Must have been remembering a different post...

felix, you're IN Chinatown!

Do you mean MBA Noodle House?

Han's is in the same building as Delicious Country, next to Rogers. Amazing Taiwanese food.

manio- OP is staying at the Hyatt. No point in taking the C-Train since the Centre St Station is next to it.

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Delicious Country
303 Centre St SW #104, Calgary, AB T2P 2B9, CA

Isn't Rebekah at Anju now? Also, your opinion of Nectar (which no longer exists, so please no beating a dead horse) doesn't necessarily reflect her skill as an all around chef.

I loved her video.

Han's is not that busy on Saturdays- we've never once had a problem getting a table. Dinner is very quiet; lunch less so but no problem if you get there before 12. There is no gwai lo menu at Han's; there is only the one menu.

Oh, and I see you specify "dinner." HAN'S. You will not have a problem getting a table, but note they still list an 8pm closing time. I say "still" because their takeout menu says 11.

For one dinner your main challenge will be to choose from among the many excellent spots that are steps from your hotel.

I'd add Centini to DeeDub's superb list.

Brava is great but it's a solid mile walk from your hotel. There are better options that are, I say again, mere steps away. Catch is practically in the Hyatt (it's right next door).

The following morning I'd strongly recommend Caffe Rosso or DeVille for coffee- they're both less than a block from your hotel. Actually DeVille has two locations that are both less than a block away, one each at Art Central and Fashion Central.

Have a great trip!

I've stopped in several times over the last few weeks and business seems to have really picked up- great to see!

Today I had their sausage roll. Beef sausage from Second To None Meats surrounded by too-rich-for-words puff pastry. I got mine fresh from the oven. HEAVEN.

Fratello is a roaster. They have never had their own shop, just online ordering and the ability to buy beans from the shops that they supply (beano, insomnia, caffe crema, etc). This cafe will offer not only the ability for customers to buy their best beans off the shelf, but will also be what sounds like an amazing coffeehouse in its own right along the line of the Chinook Centre "coffee lab" run by Phil & Sebastian. They'll have both a standard espresso bar (albeit one with two Slayer machines, the same machine they use at Beano and Crema) but also a six-station pourover drip bar, first of its kind in Canada.

KIngsland is mere blocks away too.

I am looking forward to Fratello's Analog Cafe in the new CFM. CFM lost Phil & Sebastian and none of the other markets has a coffee spot of that level of quality; Fratello is aiming incredibly high with this one and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

It took me about 3 seconds to find Cafe Koi's offerings and I'm sure there are others.

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Cafe Koi
1011 1 St SW #100, Calgary, AB T2P, CA

Sushi Cafe is the one on the 8 St side of Calgary Place Apartments.

If you iike tempura asparagus in a roll, I urgently recommend the Green Goddess roll (it's veggie) at Midori on 17th SW and 9 St. One of the best veggie rolls I've ever had!

Shawarma isn't that highly seasoned. It's NON-ground meat (chicken, beef or lamb) cooked on a vertical spit. The meat is often, if it's gooooood, marinated before cooking but it's generally not that aggressively seasoned- and of course as you note this is a regional thing so there are exceptions. I know that in Canada, shawarma is seasoned but not what I'd call highly so.

Gyros and the Canadian version of Döner known coast to coast as "Donair" on the other hand is VERY highly seasoned and is made of ground meat (beef, lamb, or some combo thereof) binded with breadcrumbs. You won't find this in Germany. Especially the Canadian version, with a dousing of garlic and "sweet" sauces. Sweet sauce is a bizarrely delicious mixture of sweetened condensed milk mixed with vinegar.

I'd really hope that OP gets to head up to Halifax and get some Donair. Might make your German nostalgia fade.

What's the typo? You both misspelled "caramel" but I don't get the joke about that.

I would absolutely expect T&T to carry it. Conch isn't popular in Jamaica. It IS popular in parts of Asia. If not T&T then try other Asian markets.

Solly's website makes it clear that they only deliver to the lower mainland. The vast majority of BC (geographically speaking) is screwed, never mind Alberta. They don't even ship to Victoria.

If there is any way to contact the folks who ran Margarita's Dishes at CFM they'd be an excellent resource for this sort of thing.

Also please note comments below. :-)

Stephen Ave. Not Steven. And Calgary can also be packed DT on a weeknight. It's not 1997 anymore.

Boxwood is a fantastic reco.

What, like $25 is too expensive? What does Williams-Sonoma charge?

We get it, you hate CFM, move on.

...and the offer ended just as I found out about it. Dammit.

Please, whatever else you order, get at least two of the Chili Goma Ebi sushi.

But it won't be petite! :-)

Amazing how some tragedies uncover blessings like this- great silver lining.

I assumed as much but had to ask.

There's no city with airport code "YYV." Do you man "YYC" or "YVR"?

Not a chain yank. This is a great site and I'm embarrassed not to have heard of it before.

I am a little concerned about its not having been updated recently...

Great AYCE experience tonight: The hot pot at the Chinese Cultural Centre Restaurant. Absolutely amazing. We had a group of 7 and it wasn't just delicious but fund and interesting too.

THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN ON CH. THANK YOU!!!

I think it's time to resurrect "who crapped in the cornflakes."

REAL DONUTS, not Tim Whoretons corporate afterbirth, is something to celebrate, young man.

Vlasic! They're superb.

Andrew Zimmern. Bizarre Foods. Nothing online suggests it's "amazing." It supposedly has certain medicinal qualities but is otherwise disgusting. Looking at pictures of it makes me nauseated.

I would bet that you can't find it anywhere on this continent, never mind Edmonton of all places.

My partner is a huge oenophile and extols the wine offerings in Calgary constantly. His favourites include Highlander, Zyn and Metrovino. He's an Opimian member- www.opim.ca, check it out.