For the Love of...: …Cerezo Cafe & Bar (Calgary)

Overall - 8.5/10
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Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance - 7/10

When we go out and try restaurants we've never been, it usually takes us a couple of weeks for us to post on it.  However, occasionally we have a meal that impresses us so much, that we feel the need to share it right away. Such a meal happened at Cerezo which is located in an unassuming little house on Edmonton trail. They describe themselves as a Japanese izakaya which means their menu is made up mostly of small plates made for sharing and that go great with beer and wine.

A nice surprise was the amuse bouche of tuna tartar wrapped in a thin sheet of daikon and topped with trout roe. It was one perfect little bite that combined the freshness and crunch of the radish with the rich diced fish. It went great with the pilsner on tap.

We ordered a number of smaller plates that ranged in price from $7-$15 to share. They included the chicken karaage (deep fried chicken), braised beef shank, slow cooked pork belly and the seared scallops with enoki mushrooms. Surprisingly each dish was full of unique flavours, interesting textures and perfectly seasoned. Our two favourites came down to the pork belly which was rich and tender and complimented perfectly by a dusting of crushed sesame seeds and the braised beef shanks which were slow cooked in a soy based broth and topped with sweet caramelized onions. 

The evening special was wild mushroom risotto served with duck confit. The confit duck leg was perfectly done with crisp skin and moist tender meat which can be a difficult feat to achieve as sometimes the meat gets tough and stringy by the time the skin is sufficiently crispy. The only criticism though was the meat was on the salty side. The most interesting part of the dish though was the thin egg crepe that topped the risotto. The crepe which in addition to visual appeal also added another layer of texture and richness to the dish.

The desserts continued to impress us and included a strawberry shortcake and carrot cake both accompanied by homemade vanilla ice-cream. Our favourite was the carrot cake which was moist and dense reminding us almost of eating sticky toffee pudding. The short cake on the other hand was light, airy and very satisfying.