New restaurant in rare West Downtown house

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New restaurant in rare West Downtown house

Postby newsposter » Mon May 25, 2009 3:49 pm

Regretably, there are very few original houses left in the west end of downtown. One of them is home to a new korean restaurant. Here is a photo of it in a previous incarnation
http://www.calgaryheritage.org/images/d ... own_01.JPG

excerpt from John Gilchrist Calgary Herald column March 29 2009

During the economic boom of the past few years we saw the opening of numerous restaurants, some in obvious locations, some in obscure or unusual ones...

Take 507 10th St. S. W. for example. The first time I visited this location--two owners ago--I checked the map to ascertain exactly where it was and how to approach it. It's an old brick house--one of the few remaining in this stretch of downtown--that's on a brief stub of 10th Street between 5th and 6th avenues. It's surrounded by big condo towers and is awkward to get to for both downtown lunchers and evening diners.

But new owners Anh Au and Roy Oh are not deterred by the location. The couple has decided that this is the right place for their modern Korean restaurant called Anju (403-532-9419).

They took over the two-storey building late last year, after an ill-conceived wine bar failed there, and added a more expansive kitchen than existed before. They've spread 55 seats over two levels and created a sleek, dark, of-the-moment look. The black-and-grey speckled linoleum floor is a surprisingly warm contrast to the many polished concrete and hardwood floors around town.

Oh, who is of Korean heritage, has created a menu that combines Korean flavours with Canadian ingredients. So you'll find bison short ribs braised with Korean spices and black cod served with potatoes and zucchini. Plus stone rice bowls filled with vegetables and grilled meats, salads of prawns and salmon, lettuce wraps of meats and vegetables, and the namesake "anju."

Anju are small plates-- Au and Oh describe them as Korean tapas -- that are served with drinks. Larger than the kimchee side dishes that typically come with Korean foods, the anju at Anju include spicy, salt-cured squid, red chili prawns and green

onion cakes, each for $4 to $5. They're served with a long list of wines, cocktails and beer.

It's a far cry from traditional Korean restaurants and it's a concept that should become very popular-- if Au's and Oh's customers can find their way...


Full story:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/columnists ... story.html
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