One98eight Restaurant — Restaurant in Alberta

Interesting twist on brunch, but inconsistent and missing many basic expectations of a restaurant positioned between being a diner/quick-service and a sit down.

The first thing we noticed was the place was less than half full, and had an odd assortment of office furniture (desk chairs, mismatched laminate tables). Little decor, no music, no placemats.

Food and coffees came out at a staggered and slow pace - taking approximately 50 minutes after ordering to be served.

We ordered Egg Frittata, breakfast Bibimbap, and a breakfast BLT. Overall the food was good- but there were some surprises- like mustard on a blt, and curried homemade ketchup. My dish came with a sliced avocado that was as hard as a rock - and as bitter as a green banana. I pointed this out to the server and she said jokingly about the under-ripe avocado “well if this were mexico, that would be a sin (but this is candada).” I think this is a bit naive, even outside of France you don’t drink Chardonnay warm - these are common expectations. Similarly -there was a big deal made about the $5.5 chai tea that arrived pretty late - because it was made fresh. I think if that were the case- why not showcase that in a tea kettle like all of the other teas that were brought out? Instead it was a small juice class piping hot - too hot to hold. There was also a strange moment where they brought out a small plate with more bacon on it, informing us that they had accidentally given the egg frittata plates one-too-few pieces earlier.

Clearly they are striving to surpass standards and expectations with admittedly great food. But in trying to do that, they are missing many basics of running a restaurant- such as having napkins available - or serving chai tea in a coffee/tea cup.

Using duckfat for the hashbrowns is cool- but maybe those embellishments are a distraction? If you are serving a “bibimbap” but without a sizzling bowl, beef, or rice- should we still call it bibimbap- or is more of a salad? Fresh squeezed OJ is awesome- but squeezing it ahead or service would help it come out quicker. Purchasing the right furniture, adding some music, would all go a long way to rounding out the experience to match the same level of the food. And if there are no ripe avocados that day, they shouldnt go on the plate just for the aesthetic.

Clearly they care a lot about food, I just wonder if theres a way to round out the experience by focusing less on every detail in the food (eg buy ketchup) and balancing that care across the holistic dining experience (print new paper menus rather than handwriting in changes!) just my...

I chose this place because of the ratings but I felt GASLIGHTED after trying it. Moral of the story if you want decent food and have limited time in Canmore, I would strongly suggest the Community Cafe and Bella Crusta just right across the street to save you some money and disappointment.

Let me start with the food. First of all I did not realize this is an Indian fusion place, which is not a big deal because I like both Indian and fusion food. My mistake is that I did not know they don’t go well together. We got the Pork and Waffle Benny and the French Toast. The Waffle Benny was one of the WORST things I’ve had. The spice was too overpowering and did not go well with the eggs or the pulled pork. The waffle texture is like cardboard - and you can imagine how disappointed you’d get when you ordered a waffle looking dish and received cardboard. The eggs and pulled pork were well cooked but I cannot accept only half of the dish is eatable. The waffle was so bad that I couldn’t even finished a quarter of it. The French Toast has nice flavor and texture, but it came in a size of an appetizer and not the size you’d expect from a $17 dish. I’m giving all two stars to the flavor of the French toast. With this quality and portion, the food here is EXTREMELY OVERPRICED.

Service was attentive but food took over 30mins to be served because they only have ONE chef doing everything and an open kitchen which would leave you smelling like grease and spice when you sit there waiting and waiting for the food to finally come.

Well, this is the price you pay for trying new things. Hope my review can save you from suffering from bad food...

Our favorite place by far! We have been travelling for 2 weeks in the area of Banff/Canmore. One98eight is our favorite hands down. We dined two nights in a row! The selections and quality were exquisite, the price was reasonable and moderate, and the favors and experience-- out of this world! The first night we had mussels for an appetizer along with a rhubarb Gin mule cocktail (excellent!), and then followed with the duck and short ribs entrees. Outstanding in every way. The personal touch from the chef was so meaningful, when he came to meet us and ask about our meal. We discovered that this talented chef creates all of his sauces. It makes a difference! What an amazing culinary experience. We loved Betty, our server, who made our meal a delight in every way. She is a person who makes friends easily and we enjoyed talking with her. Our second night, we enjoyed bruschetta appetizer with pizza, which was a delicious delight. If you think you've had good bruschetta or pizza before, just wait until you have had bruschetta and pizza at one98eight. The chef spoke with us a second night, he remembered that we had been there the night before. He is a talented chef and so very personable. We recommend this wonderful restaurant with 10 stars, even if they...