It’s amazing how much information is available at our finger
tips these days. At a blink of an eye news will travel around the world and
back. So it’s no surprise that in the restaurant industry, hidden gems only
stay hidden for so long. Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase, if you
build it they will come. Which I find to be the equivalent of if you make good
food, they will come. Such is the case with Cerezo, when I saw the amazing
dishes posted online at various sites. It was only a matter of time before I made
my way over to try it out for myself.
Atmosphere: Quaint and homey, the restaurant has a charm
derived from the juxtaposition of old world western and new world cuisine.
Price Range: Mid $10s
Food: We ordered off both the tapas menu and the daily
special menu. There were a good selection of choices and I was so tempted to
order one of each. Although, I did find my restraint and decided on the
following, starting with the Bang Bang Chicken which is steamed chicken with a
spicy sesame dressing over a bed of lettuce. It was a very light dish and
perfect for those looking for a healthier option. The only thing I would have changed was to
either grill the chicken or lightly sear it to provide that crispy texture. I
really enjoyed the spicy sesame sauce and almost wish there was more of it, but
then again. It wouldn’t have been nearly as light. A nice refreshing start to
the meal.
Next we had the Salmon Sashimi which was a special plate
that evening. It was fresh slices of Sockeye salmon served with wasabi, cream cheese
and yuzu. The salmon was very flavourful and it was a nice change dipping it in
to the yuzu instead of the typical soy sauce. The slight sweetness of the yuzu
enhanced the flavours of the fish making it another light and healthy dish to
start our evening.
The Ton Toro was a special feature which was BBQ pork jowls
(the fatty portions of pork near the neck region of the pig) served with a side
of creamy potato salad wrapped in romaine lettuce. I did find the pork to be a
bit tough and could have used a more seasoning. The potato salad was tangy and
extremely velvety, where the texture was similar to mashed potatoes providing a
boost of flavor to the dish overall.
My favorite that evening was the Ikameshi or grilled squid
stuffed with rice. When the plate
arrived, it was beautifully presented and quite striking. The squid itself was perfectly cooked, not
chewy and stuffed with nicely fragrant Japanese style tobiko infused rice which
reminded me of eating sticky rice. The
sauce was a perfect combination of sweet and sour with a side of spicy
togarashi mayo to add that extra kick. I am still drooling over this dish as I write
this blog.
But that’s not the only thing that had me drooling. The Blueberry
Parfait was also amazing. Layering jello,
cake, yogurt ice cream and blueberries with blueberry ice cream and whip cream
on top. It took my breath away. For those that know me, know how much I love
ice cream. I could imagine ordering these every day and never get sick of them.
Helps that they constantly change the parfait features as well ranging from
green tea to blueberries, strawberries to chocolate, and the combinations are
endless.
We decided to walk by the dessert display and couldn’t walk
away without ordering something and landed on the Strawberry Shortcake. Layers of light white cake with whipped cream
and fresh strawberries throughout. It wasn’t overly sweet and very well balanced.
It made me wonder what all the other desserts tasted like. Guess I’ll just have
to make my way back again.
My Picks: Ikameshi (stuffed grilled squid), Any dessert but
specifically the parfaits
Overall: Like all information, sometimes they’re right,
often they could be wrong. However they masses were right with this one. The
food and service at Cerezo was amazing (especially the desserts!). I think I’ve
found my new dessert hangout, maybe I’ll also grab a couple to go as well!
1002
Edmonton Trail NE
Calgary, AB
(403)
250-8897
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