For the Love of...: ...Muk a Muk Bistro and Lounge (Banff)

Overall - 8.5/10
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Food - 8/10
Ambiance 9/10
Service - 8/10

Located in the The Juniper, a hip boutique hotel across the Trans Canada highway from Banff is Muk a Muk Bistro and Lounge. Named after the Chinook word for "feast" one is definitely in store for a meal highlighting local Canadian ingredients served alongside amazing views of the Rocky Mountains.

After having ridden the Bow Valley Parkway, taking in the beautiful autumn scenery we were famished and ready for a nice meal as reward. For starters we settled on the wild mushroom bruschetta and Slave Lake pickerel ceviche. The mushrooms were rich and earthy and went well with the balsamic reduction that added a nice sweetness to the dish. The ceviche on the other hand was light and fresh and was served over a quinoa salad.

For our mains we chose the pan roasted BC cornish hen and the grilled Alberta rib eye which were the two heartiest dishes on the menu that night. The cornish hen was perfectly roasted, producing crispy skin and moist tender meat underneath. The caper pan sauce was slightly tart and cut through the richness of the meat. The grilled Alberta rib eye was well seasoned, melt-in-your-mouth tender and went well with the rich wild mushroom and asparagus sauce. Both were immensely satisfying after a long day on the bike.

After filling up on our mains, we only had room for a selection of sorbets and ice creams which included flavours of watermelon-blueberry, mango-pineapple and vanilla bean. All were light on the palate but intense in flavour and made for a nice end to a very satisfying meal.