Restaurant Review: Lava Dining

 

Tucked away in Kensington is a relatively new restaurant featuring fusion cuisine with an Asian flare. I first found out about it when we were walking around the neighbourhood last year and when our friends asked about a new restaurant to try I suggested it. Needless to say I was quite excited when they came back and told me that the food was beyond amazing! I definitely had to check it out for myself.

Atmosphere: Contemporary and open, the space is really used to showcase the food itself.

Price Range: Mid $10s - $20+

Food and Wine: We decided to start with the Rare Seared Albacore Tuna Salad featuring a variety of fresh seasonal vegetables with a tarragon vinaigrette and garlic aioli. This wasn’t your typical tuna salad. The plate was stunning and beautifully arranged. You know what they say about eating with your eyes first. Luckily for us it was also extremely flavourful and refreshing. I really enjoyed the tarragon vinaigrette, which highlighted the taste of the tuna exceptionally well and all the different vegetables were a nice addition.

Next we had the Thai Chili Calamari which came on a bed of grape tomatoes and arugula salad with key lime vinaigrette. Again, this was another light dish since the calamari was grilled as opposed to deep fried. I really enjoy arugula and this was a good use of the peppery greens along with the tangy tomatoes and vinaigrette to tie the whole dish together.

We definitely had to try the Asian Sliders and ordered one of each. The Kakuni Pork Belly was my favorite since the extra fattiness from the pork belly itself provided that extra unctuousness to the steamed bun. Although the Braised Beef Short Rib was also quite tender and delicious. The short rib had a nice robust flavour blending well with the cucumber kimchi and jus. Lastly the Confit Duck Leg was an interesting choice and it reminded me of Peking Duck, the flavour profiles being very similar. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but did wish that there was a bit more greenery to cut through the heaviness of the sliders themselves.

For dessert we ordered the Lava Style Ice Cream Volcano which sounded quite exotic. It comes as your choice of different ice cream selections with a baked meringue and chocolate fudge sauce. We chose green tea and mango ice cream, which wasn’t an exact match but was what we were craving at the time. The ice creams were tasty and the dessert was satisfying, but we were expecting some sort of volcano or lava flow. Maybe that’s just the kid in me expecting a baking soda vinegar volcano, which probably wouldn't taste too good, but more so for effect.

We accompanied our meal with the Sumac Ridge Cabernet Merlot which is a blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot varietals. A medium bodied wine that features dark cherry notes and a smooth finish, it definitely held up well against all the different dishes we sampled that evening.

My Picks: Albacore Tuna Salad, Thai Chili Calamari

Overall: We were glad that we stopped by because all the dishes we sampled were delicious. It was a bonus that they’re using local ingredients and gluten free options are also available for those that require it. I’m glad that we saw it when we were strolling through the neighbourhood and like our friends we definitely enjoyed our meal.

Lava Dining
314D 10 Street NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 283-8608
Website: lavadining.ca