Last year, I took a two week long vacation and ended up in Japan.
Like most, I was there to experience the culture. The downfall? I only spoke English.
This proved a difficult problem when dining out… Everything was in Japanese.
So I decided to be risky and pointed to pick.
And that was my last night not eating at McDonald’s. I vowed I’d never eat Japanese again!
But last night, Calgary’s Goro + Gun, with their sleek modern look, called to me like a siren of the sea… And before I could resist I was sitting at a long communal style table eyeing up their newly launched menu.
The words were printed in English so I started with what I knew, Beef Tataki.
Perfectly delicious, I tried to high-five myself for conquering Japanese cuisine once again, then somebody noted that the Beef Tataki had been served with a smoked gochujang sauce, which is actually Korean, and I realized my task was not complete.
So I moved on to the Pork Belly Steam Buns.
… And my mouth is still watering! Goro + Gun makes their own steam buns fresh, and paired with the tender pork belly they had me thinking I was eating a delicious Japanese cloud!
Then I peeked over at the table beside me….
Sushi!
What the heck?! I HAVE been eating Japanese all along! I thought sushi came from a country called Superstore.
So maybe I’m a little food-culture un-savvy; I did grow up on macaroni and cheese…
So I proudly ordered the chef’s tasting platter, which was much more flavourful than anything I had experienced in the past.
Its taste was so fresh I didn’t even need to drown it in soy sauce (which Goro + Gun just so happens to make in-house!).
The food was so good, I decided to face my fears…. It was time to bring on the big bowl and finish with the ramen.
Slurp Slurp Slurp, I was so into sucking back the slippery noodles I didn’t even realize I was giving patrons in a 3 table radius a soupy shower.
So with a little guidance from the staff, they schooled me on proper ladle usage.
I was now a Japanese foodie and I was loving every minute of it.
Reflecting back on my bad food memories of Japan, I’ll never be quite sure what I ate, but what I do know is that all my memories of Goro + Gun are good ones!
What a great new menu!
Can’t wait to visit again.
Mr. Fab + gun
