Calgary | ​DAY 1: (Pt. 2) Lonely Mouth Bar, Downtown Preview + The Rec Room

Read Part 1 HERE !

​Toronto is two hours ahead of Calgary. By the time we had settled into the room, I was exhausted and ready to tumble into bed after a nice, rewarding shower. In spite of having expressed an inclination towards ordering UberEats, the sleepy polar bear hovered about sheepishly, refusing to budge.

Fighting fatigue, we readied ourselves for the drive into downtown.

Contrary to the calm conditions of the highway, I was surprised to find an abundance of flickering lights as we entered into the downtown district. Calgary had a night life after all.

​The sleepy polar bear urged me to secure a table first, for there was limited parking surrounding the restaurant. Hurriedly gathering my things, I hopped onto the sidewalk.
After taking a few steps, I realized it was remarkably warmer than it appeared. Icy patches remained on the walkway in spite of the above-zero temperatures. In the upcoming days, we would learn that this was, unfortunately, the norm.

​​Lonely Mouth had been my pick, as was 90% of the itinerary. The storefront adopted the form a tall wooden entrance, awakening vague recollections of Raku. Amidst the dimness, I had failed to see that the entrance was not one door, but two. Yanking hard to combat their weight, the corner of one door promptly slammed into my big toe, causing a pained yelp and groan of annoyance.

Limping into the eatery, I entered through the second door - this one propped open for customer ease - and scanned the environment. The dining area was illuminated minimally and fully occupied. I hovered about until a member of staff approached me. The hostess inquired whether I had made a reservation; I hadn't. But even so, there were three tables available in the covered patio area.

Being seated away from the crowds was great. Beyond being able to hold a conversation at normal volume levels, the booth seating offered more space for my jacket and backpack. The heater installed above were less to my liking, as it caused profuse overheating. It was probably geared towards patrons clad in skimpy going out attire, but internal temperature is unlikely to be low with alcohol in one's body.

Water was served prior to the arrival of the sleepy polar bear. Interestingly enough, there was no additional charge for sparkling water.
Not sure of the status of parking acquisition nor the delivery speed of sustenance on a bustling Friday evening, I took to requesting Tempura Ebi, the sole dish the sleepy polar bear was bound to enjoy, and a Hitachino Nest Yuzu Lager. The evening marked my first and only instance on the trip of being asked to provide proof of age for alcohol-affiliated affairs.

​The Yuzu Lager was refreshing and zesty: light, as lagers tend to be, and not hoppy or malty whatsoever. The drink was ideal for those looking for a juicy beer that is less a radler and more a beer. Had the eatery also carried the Espresso Stout I had spotted on their online menu, I likely would have ordered that too.

The sleepy polar bear's entrance coincided with the arrival of my drink, at which point we discussed - in brief, for one of us was hungrier than the other - the remaining items to be requested. Instead of the hostess this time, a different member of staff approached our table. Shortly afterwards, he delivered a ceramic plate with two steaming hand towels, intended to be used just before the arrival of food.

View the full album HERE !

​Tempura Ebi emerged as no more than two pieces of battered shrimp. They were tasty, boasting a light breading over substantial fleshiness, though personally too greasy as a starter. Green specks adorning the surface was assumed to be the proclaimed "yuzu matcha salt", though did not offer any discernible flavour.

The Tonkatsu Sando with Bulldog BBQ was presented as a trio of sandwiches, each crustless and spanning the length of one's hand. Neatly fitted between two slices of toasted milk bread was a generous slab of pork shoulder. Unlike the repulsively tough wreck of Dosanko's Beef Belly Katsu, these cuts were incredibly tender, possessing unfathomable suppleness and harmonious proportions of meat and fat. Its extent of scrumptiousness led me to want to keep consuming, despite satiation. I reached for one half more, devouring it without hesitation. Perhaps the only element capable of heightening the dish would be a mustard condiment used in conjunction with the eatery's housemade Bulldog BBQ sauce.

Brussel Sprouts had conjured up a dismal image in our minds sheerly based on its name. However, after learning of an okonomiyaki component, I was persuaded. Served on top of a tender okonomiyaki were Brussel sprouts that had been unsheathed in layers and rendered thin and extremely crisp. Its innate bitterness had vanished, leaving behind a satisfying wispiness. The sleepy polar bear likened it to nori, though I was quick to note that nori was susceptible to moisture infiltration. Neither the traditional toppings of nori or bonito flakes would have persisted in maintaining this degree of crunch. My sole gripe was of the creation being too saucy, often causing the mayo-and-bbq-sauce mixture to overwhelm both the texture and profile of the Brussel sprouts and okonomiyaki.

Often a no-fail dish for izakayas of all sizes and levels of sophistication, Lonely Mouth's Tuna Tartare did not align with our expectations. The lower half of the mound was mashed avocado, while tuna fragments and chunks were in the top half. Beyond the tartare not being entirely constructed of tuna, the variance in uniformity also had us raising our eyebrows. We felt cheated, especially given its high price point. Nineteen dollars would have equated to a small sashimi or medium plate of bluefin nigiri. Moreover, the "miso emulsion" ladled on top was excessively creamy and salty.
The crackers, on the other hand, were a very innovative use of leftover udon dough. They were amusing too: bland at the first taste, yet ending with salty aftertaste.

​About the midpoint of our stay, our section on the patio was no longer peaceful. A group of four women were seated at the table adjacent to us. They appeared as acquaintances more than friends, blabbering with an air of arrogance and eliminating peace from our immediate surroundings. Most were dressed similarly, if not identical, in fitted bottoms and cropped, sleeveless tops exposing tiny tattoos with no particular structure in order.

I pulled my belongings closer towards myself, avoiding the carefree handbag toss of our neighbours.

​Our last shared plate of the meal was an Udon bowl with shaved beef and onsen egg extras, the former ringing in at nine dollars and the latter at four. Standard components included fresh scallions and a heaping portion of tenkasu. The negi rings were a pleasant discovery; thinly sliced with strong aromatics yet devoid of pungency, the choice was well received.
The udon, supposedly crafted in-house, was springy and sprinkled with a trail of togarashi, presumably for both kick and colour. Flavourful without being sodium-laden, we expressed fondness for the clear, hearty broth. The onsen egg was wonderful as well. Shaved Beef was more to my preference than that of the sleepy polar bear. Their consistency lay between shabu shabu and deli slices, but were puffy as opposed to flat, and offered a sense of substantialness: chewy palpability.

​My belated decision of a Satsuma Daiquiri was made in poor judgement. The satsuma-infused rum was barely evident, and the drink retained bitterness without being creamy. Resembling a more astringent variation of the Yuzu Choya bottle at home, the cocktail was a poor choice to conclude the meal. 

​Individual washroom stalls were situated at the back of the restaurant. Inside the bathroom, as well as along each corridor, was the eatery's logo. It even adorned the packaging for matchsticks by the sink. (Though, I have no idea why there are matchsticks in a bathroom.)

​Service was attentive and speedy overall, especially in regards to requests for takeout boxes and drinks. This treatment was largely contrary to expectations, for busy Friday evenings often equate to slow-moving crowds, slow-moving serving staff, and slow delivery of essentially everything.
In review of the environment and sustenance, we were quite pleased. Going had been a good choice, albeit our tiredness.

Exiting onto 17 Avenue, we trekked east to find Element Cafe. A rarity it was to find a café that opened past 5 PM in any downtown core!

There were a decent number of patrons inside the café, even at the late hour of 9:30 PM. Even the assortment gracing the display case was greater than expected.

Between the loaves, muffins, and cookies on offer, there wasn't a single specimen I wasn't capable of recreating. Following my gaze to a box of Linzer cookies, the sleepy polar bear commented, "Those look like yours!". I nodded knowingly, "Yes. They are the same type of cookie, after all."

​A cookie quad of Birthday Cake, Red Velvet, Espresso, and Chocolate set me back fifteen dollars. Individual pieces would set me back $4.50 each, so I opted to save fifty cents overall.

 An Iced Americano and three-dollar end-of-loaf Coffee Cake slice were obtained as breakfast for the following day.

​Our last order of business was to visit Deerfoot City.

Given the terrain layout from Google Maps, I had anticipated to be greeted by an indoor shopping mall. Upon pulling into the slushy asphalt lot, I learned that the plaza operated strictly with uncovered, outdoor entrances, much like Shops at Don Mills.

​After parking directly outside The Rec Room, we began a windy but warm trek to Walmart. Majority of the retailers had shuttered for the evening, with the exception of an inconspicuous eatery by the name of Viet Lounge. A few tables' worth of diners had gathered within, barely visible from beyond the tinted glass windows.

​We continued our way towards Walmart for backup slippers (not mine, of course) and large format water bottles to sustain us for the rest of the trip.

​Then, back we went to The Rec Room.

"We have Rec Room here..." The sleepy polar bear had pointed out defiantly at my proposal.
"Yes, but they could have different prizes!" I countered, recalling my experience at the larger, newer facility at Brentwood.

​Similar to downtown Calgary, The Rec Room was busier than I thought possible. Young adults flooded the games floor, which offered more or less the same selection as back home. There were arguably a handful more pinball machines and chance/redemption games, though neither my go-tos of Speed of Light nor Kung Fu Panda were present.

Following a few games of Grand Piano Keys, I headed towards the Trophy Case. The selection was absolutely disappointing, essentially on par with Playdium Brampton, yet devoid of the vibrant branded Pokémon and Pokéball plushies.

​With nothing of value to redeem, I resorted to one round of Pump It Pump! - in winter boots, no less! - before fatigue caught up with me. We couldn't resist exploring the facility, and found that the Calgary outpost actually comprised of three floors.

On the first floor were arcade games, and on the second a bar and booths for dining. The third floor featured a stage with live music, golf simulation zones with couches, and a few more simulation games. Elevators or a seemingly endless flight of stairs could be used to navigate between the levels.

A fruitful yet taxing first day, we ended our arcade adventure around 11:35 PM, eventually slumping into bed at 1:30 AM MST - aka 3:30 AM EST.​