Every now and again our westernised palates just need a change from our traditional diet.  Calgary is such a diverse melting pot of varied nationalities that we are far from starved for access to great “foreign food”.  Here is our 2018 high-five list of our favourite Asian food restaurant destinations in Calgary’s northeast quadrant of the city.

🇨🇳 Chinese:

Ginger Beef Bistro House in Country Hills – where?

This neighbourhood favourite, located near the local cinema, always seems to be busy.  It requires some self-discipline to not make regular use of the daily lunchtime discounted meals for fear of being accused of gluttony!  The atmosphere is family-friendly and the service quick and unobtrusive.  Our go-to favourites have been their ginger beef, pineapple sweet & sour pork, or their honey garlic chicken.

Silver Inn Restaurant in Tuxedo – where?

Although the exterior may seem a little dated and the internal décor simplistic and sparse, don’t let this detract you from the exceptional food served here.  Located on Centre Street North, Silver Inn has been serving noteworthy Peking-style cuisine to Calgarians for over 4 decades.  With eat-in or take-out menu options you are guaranteed great eating satisfaction.  If you want phenomenal ginger beef, we couldn’t recommend this signature dish highly enough!

🇻🇳 Vietnamese:

Basil Ultimate Pho Restaurant on 32^nd Ave NE – where?

I was introduced to this fabulous find by a friend back in 2012 and have eaten here on numerous occasions ever since.  Their food quality has remained top-notch and their serving portions are very generous.  Their friendly service always makes one feel welcomed.  My default go-to meal here has always been their beef vermicelli that comes with 2 spring rolls.  But if vermicelli is not your “thing”, then their comprehensive menu will no doubt give you a suitable selection of alternate dishes to choose from.

🇹🇭 Thai:

Thai Boat on 32^nd Ave NE – where?

Having recently undergone a significant renovation, the new-look Thai Boat continues to serve up some of our favourite curries.  I love their mild green curry while their cashew and basil offerings still remain a firm-favourite for most patrons.  Service is quick, friendly and unobtrusive.  Food quality is great and the serving style has an authentic feel to it (not that I’m a Thai cuisine expert by any stretch of the imagination!).

🇯🇵 Japanese:

Kinjo Sushi in The District – where?

Although we recognize that this has become a chain of locations dotted throughout the city we do still love visiting here with family and friends to celebrate occasions.  The bright and wide-open space, the eclectic mix of art, the friendly service and the great food make it a favourite destination.  Here our go-to shareable plates are, without fail, the volcano rolls, California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, the eye-catching mango rolls and our most recent treat, the tropical oshizushi.

🇮🇳 East Indian:

Gate of India on Country Hill NE – where?

We are embarrassed to say that we’ve had this exceptional culinary gem right under our noses for 6 years and were only introduced to it during 2018 by one of our overnight Airbnb guests!  Oh my … how could we have been living in ignorance for all this time?  Our new-found favourite East Indian cuisine restaurant has become a hit with all whom we’ve taken there since discovering it.  We recommend that you eat in so that you can interact with the delightful restaurant serving staff.  However, a take-out menu is also available.  Our recommendation is to enjoy this experience with company – at least 4 of you – so you can select and sample a variety of their freshly made dishes.  It’s possible that they serve some of the best butter chicken in Calgary!  What about their chicken kali mirch, chicken korma, coconut chicken, or chicken chaitinar?  That’s just in the chicken offerings.  What about the aloo gobi, dingri dolma or samosas?  It’s all so very good!  Don’t forget to order extra butter or garlic naan bread.  It’s so good you might even want to take some of this home with you!

Do you have any firm favourites that you feel we need to try out in 2019? Please leave your comments and recommendations to us about your favourite Calgary Asian food destinations in the comments section below.