We were on our patio pretty much the whole weekend sipping wine, which could only mean one thing…it is finally summertime in Calgary. It is my favorite season in the city, the leaves start coming out, flowers are in bloom and we commence patio season. Along with patio season also comes new menu launches from restaurants that are focusing on using seasonal ingredients and local produce! One of those places is Yakima Social Kitchen & Bar at the Marriott YYC Airport. We were lucky enough to get invited up to try some of their new dishes and all I have to say is I am still thinking of some of those dishes!
When we arrived, we were escorted into a beautiful private dining room (after valeting our car, you get free parking when you dine with Yakima, so no worries about having to find parking!). The room was set up with an amazing array of their brand-new appetizer and share dishes, along with a mini bar where their talented bartender was going to be mixing up drinks all night long.
It was hard to pick and choose what to try first since everything looked so appetizing. One of my first and favorite bites the whole entire evening was the Maple & Soy Cured Smoked Salmon with acadian seaweed salad and pea shoots. I can’t even begin to describe the flavour explosion that hits you along with the fabulous melt in your mouth texture that they’ve managed to achieve with the salmon. Chef Forsythe mentioned that it was achieved through a slow smoking process that allowed the salmon to reach that level of tenderness. I can and will probably eat multiple orders of this as long as they have it on their menu! Fingers crossed it’s something they keep on their menu!
Another favorite was their Smoked Alberta Brisket Sliders with creamy horseradish mayo, caramelized onions and arugula. Also a result of slow smoking, the brisket were falling apart delicious. I loved that they were in slider form because it’s the perfect size. Some people could find that brisket is a heavy cut of beef so it was perfectly portioned, but if you want more no worries…you can always eat another one. The Pork Belly Egg Noodle featuring cured pork belly, vegetables and sweet soy glazed noodles. One of their Asian inspired dishes, the pork belly and noodles make for a nice combination.
On the flip side, if you’re looking for something lighter and refreshing, there’s the Tuna Poke which is fresh ahi tuna with sushi rice, avocado, mango, beans, pickled carrots and topped with sriracha mayo. It’s refreshing and healthy, a nice choice for those looking for a lighter meal option. There are also their wonderful salads such as the Yakima Harvest Salad featuring sumac roasted squash and roasted hazelnuts in a wild berry dressing or the Foraged Mushroom Salad with arugula, baby kale, aged gouda dressed with a maple vinaigrette. Both were tasty and fresh.
Aside from the wonderful bites on display, we were also treated to specially selected dishes throughout the evening directly from the kitchen such as the Three Sister Lentil Stew reminds me of comfort food, flavourful and hearty with squash, corn, spinach and wild rice pilaf. The Pork Chop Bear & Flower Farm served with corn and potato hash, bacon and apple jam. I really liked the presentation with the bone-in, which gives it that extra flavour.
If you’re looking for something more substantial there’s the Canadian Rangeland Bison Ribeye, a 10oz steak with roasted fingerling potatoes, vegetables, wild mushroom and a red wine jus. It was extremely tender and succulent. I’ve had bison before but definitely never like this, it was another standout dish for me. The Alberta AAA Beef Filet is another option if you’re looking for good ol Alberta beef. The aging process gives it more depth of flavour and it comes with confit potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a marsala wine sauce.
The food alone was amazing but the fantastic cocktails really brought the meal to a whole new level. Yakima has a new cocktail feature every month and this month is the Strawberry in the Fields. The drink uses elderflower liqueur, tequila, and strawberry hibiscus tea making it taste like summer in a glass. Another one of their unique drinks is the Year of the Butterfly. A gin based cocktail which literally changes color when the lemonade is added in at the end going from a blue to a brilliant purple, amping up that wow factor. Don’t let the size of it fool you, it definitely packs a punch and should be enjoyed slowly to pick up the nuances of the drink. We couldn’t not try their smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned. Unique due to the added cardamom in the simple syrup as well as having the entire drink served under a smoke dome. The found the cardamom added an extra spice flavour to the old fashioned and I quite enjoyed it.
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Those cocktails definitely put us in a summer mood. I’m super excited for all the warm weather ahead and all the amazing summery dishes. Yakima perfectly blends the flavours of Acadian and Asian without losing focus on freshness and flavour. It’s a perfect way to celebrate the upcoming season and I know I’ll definitely be stopping in again soon for their new menu. Smoked salmon anyone?
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