A Himalayan High in Canmore
Good food and great Asian ambience makes Zona’s Bistro worth the trip
I've been going to Canmore off and on for 20 years or so, and have watched the town develop from a sleepy hamlet into a place where Saturday night traffic is gridlock. This is good news for Canmore's restaurants, and it's also good for eaters generally because there's a lot of good food there.
I thought I was acquainted with most of Canmore's restaurants, and was therefore surprised to learn that Zona's Late Night Bistro (710 9th St.) was the hottest place in town. So much for having my finger on the pulse. Zona's is a place with a ton of style and vision – the food is pretty good too. It's an excellent place to hang out.
Zona's is in an old house which has been renovated and it feels like it’s someone’s labour of love rather than a hyper-efficient corporate affair. The front of the restaurant is the new part, but it feels older somehow, with candlelit lamps on the wall and two booths that look like they were taken from an old train station or a church.
In the back room there's a fabulous bar with a patina that indicates lots of elbows. In the front there are more tables haphazardly spread. I'd probably ask for a table in front, as its dark ambience is somehow exotic, like you're in Nepal.
This darkness is carried through to the food as everything is served on rough dark-brown clay dishes, perfect for this place (these things are heavy, though, and I pity the serving staff).
A word about the service: it was excellent on a slammed Sunday night. Our waitress was informative, efficient and welcoming.
The menu is long, varied and reflects the chef's individuality – how can you not like a menu that serves manicotti, braised lamb shank and vegetarian Indian curry? The menu has an Asian theme in several of the dishes, and the scent of lime, coconut milk and basil permeates throughout.
The calamari appetizer ($8.75) was served as such, and came with red peppers and a sprig of lemon grass – this was the best dish we had. The peppery heat was balanced perfectly with the lime and coconut milk, and the calamari was melt-in-your-mouth tender.
A blend of shiitake and white mushrooms ($6.50) was served in scented broth, and these were also good, although I wonder whether more reduction of the broth would have intensified the mushroom flavour.
The main dishes are large and filling (they come with a half soup, served in a half-moon shaped bowl or a salad), and, with an appetizer as well, there's heaps of food. The leek and potato soup was tasty and well-seasoned, and was garnished, a bit strangely, with raw leek.
The Thai salad (an additional $3.95 with our main course) had a subtle dressing, and needed more limey zing, but was crisp and fresh. The Thai chicken curry ($14) had lots of perfectly cooked chicken and vegetables, and was served with basmati rice, but, again, the flavours were quite muted.
The braised lamb shank was served with an intense balsamic wine reduction, which was lovely.
The desserts were homey and filling – the baked banana with chocolate sauce ($5.50) is the ultimate for those people who love that combination.
I'll definitely go back to Zona's to check out other things that caught my eye – the food has real potential, but it's the atmosphere of the place which is really attractive. |
