For the Love of...: …Sura Korean Restaurant (Calgary)

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 7.5/10

Friday night, we were looking for another Korean restaurant to try and settled on Sura Korean Restaurant.  On the exterior Sura seems to be under renovations, with an unfinished patio, but the interior seemed comfortable and spacious.  However, the dining room filled quickly and we had some difficulty getting in and out of our table because the tables were so close that it left little in the way of an aisle.  The bathrooms were not exactly pleasant and in need of better lighting, heating (it was ice cold in there) and another stall (there was only one big one in the women's washroom).  Perhaps they are still in the process of renovating the interior?  Despite all this, we would go back to Sura in a heartbeat for the delicious Korean food.

We chose to have the pork bone and potato soup, which is a spicy, rich and deeply satisfying soup.  The soup has pork spine bones which still had large chunks of meat, cabbage, green onion, red peppers and perilla seeds.  There is an addicting quality to this soup that we know we probably can't replicate at home without many hours spent prepping and simmering.  The menu at Sura lists only one size, a large pot enough for 4-6 people.  The waitress offered to do a half portion for half the price, which in retrospect would have been a better size for us.  We ended up taking some soup home but it was just as good the next morning.

Next we ordered the "BBQ trio" which included BBQ beef short ribs, chicken and pork. It was served with a side of rice, lettuce, spicy bean paste dipping sauce and a whole host of side dishes including kimchi, deep fried zucchini, pickled seaweed, pickled bean sprouts, garlic fried potatoes, lotus root, daikon and soy glazed soy beans. The meats were of really high quality and cooked to perfection. Our favourite had to be the beef short ribs which were cut thick, but tender and moist at the same time. If you've never had Korean BBQ before, the procedure is simple. Tear off some lettuce, layer in some rice, meat, some spicy bean paste and then dig in. This is a great dish to share amongst a group of friends and is best enjoyed with a glass of Korean beer (Hite is my personal favourite).

All in all, we were really happy with our meal here. Not only was the food well prepared but the service was quick and efficient in spite of the evening rush.