Aloha Modern Kitchen — Restaurant in Calgary

Cheehooooo!

There is Hawaiian-inspired food to be found on a cold and blustery Calgary day!

Did I mention that it was COLD out? Well, when we stepped into Aloha Modern Kitchen, it was warm, bright and sunny inside! We were greeted by a wall of ‘Maui Strong’ art and led to our booth. The once dark and ‘meaty’ atmosphere of the space is now replaced by the blues, greens and whites of ocean waves with fluffy painted clouds above our heads.

We ordered mocktails (pina colada for me and a cucumber spritz for him - alcohol-free drinks were not listed on the menu, but they were more than happy to accommodate). Both drinks were tropical and refreshing without being cloyingly sweet. Very nice!

We ordered garlic noodles off their Happy Hour menu (3-5pm and 9-11pm), and Huli Huli Chicken and Miso Cod from the Share Plates items.

We were asked if we ate raw fish and to our surprise, they presented us with two Oyster Shots! This may have been my favourite bite of the evening…I love oysters and I love chilli pepper water, so the combination was incredible! Hubby isn’t a fan of raw oysters, so ‘unfortunately’ I had both!

Some history about Garlic Noodles for us…it is a dish that we would order take out from Tin Roof and sit on a random Maui pull out beach for lunch. We’ve had a few versions of Garlic Noodles and this one definitely took us back to those times! I would like even more fresh garlic, but I think that it would be too much for others. These locally fresh made noodles were just saucy enough and had a nice crunch from the fried garlic and freshness from the green onion. The Happy Hour portion was perfect for one person to accompany other dishes.

The Miso Cod was a generous portion of beautifully prepared fish with a slightly sweet and savoury miso sauce. It was very easy to eat and I especially enjoyed how it wasn’t overcooked. Hubby prefers firmer fish, but still liked the flavours!

Next came the Huli Huli Chicken presented by Chef Joel under a smoking cloche! Very impressive presentation of four juicy pieces of chicken in a light soy with a slight smoke flavour. Was it authentic to the nearly burnt ’turn-turn’ chicken from roadside grills in Kihei or Hana? No. But was it delicious? Yes! The flavours were delicate and the chicken was very moist. We would want more char on our chicken, but would definitely order this dish again.

Hubby asked for some chill pepper water to give everything a kick and it was tingly-back-of-the-throat spicy without being too hot. Good thing I was full, or else I would’ve ordered a few more oysters with that water! Chef Joel also brought out some home made kimchi, which was crunchy and flavourful without too much tang or heat (hotter than the chilli water though). The table next to us ordered deconstructed pineapple cheesecake, which looked delicious…but we were stuffed!

You know you are enjoying a restaurant when you start planning the menu for the next time you go…while you are still there. We have plans to try pretty much everything else on the menu, but I think our next visit will be at lunch so that we can have their plate lunches.

Best part of the meal? We got to meet Chef Joel and his wife/GM Chera today and had some great chats with them about Maui. Chef Joel spent years working with his friend Chef Sheldon Simeon on the island to hone his own flavours and recipes. They were both so genuine and it was heartwarming to see how proud they were of this restaurant they worked so hard to open! Our conversations reminded us of Maui friends and locals, with their instantly welcoming and giving energy. How grateful we are to have had such an unexpectedly special experience!

Mahalo to Aloha Modern Kitchen for bringing your Aloha...

Enjoyed a wonderful meal at Aloha on Feb 13th.

Parking is paid and the lot adjacent is small however there is abundant parking nearby.

Was welcomed by staff and seated promptly.

You can definitely feel the tropical theme in the restaurant, the shades of blue, the gorgeous photography on the walls, the beautiful mural of a fluffy cloud filled sky on the ceiling. There is a separate room that can be booked for parties or large families and this room is my favorite, with art work and a wonderful collection of pineapples for decoration, crafted doors can be slid open or shut for privacy.

Drinks: we tried Gin and Jam (raspberry flavor- tart and delicious!), Tutu's Mai Tai, which was beautifully presented with flowers and guava powder along the side of the glass (looked like lava to me), Li Hing (refreshing flavor) this was tied for first place with the guava a day (?) cocktail and ofcourse we had to order the Auzzie's Smoked Old Fashion in honor of Auzzie.

Food: we started with musubi and the oyster shots. I love musubi and this was delicious, I would have liked it to be wrapped with more nori as I am a little rough with my musubi, especially when its THIS GOOD, and it fell apart on me but this is a me problem. Im not a fan of oysters but Ive been trying more and more as my partner loves them. I really enjoyed this oyster shot, went down smoothly with a great flavor and a blast of heat at the end- Delicious! Lip smacking!

Shared plates: Maui Ribs Miso Glazed Cod Garlic Noodles Dirty fries

The Maui Ribs were my favorite, the flavor is different then anything I've had before , there was a minor tussle over the last rib on the plate! I won , but gave it up as I didn't want to see tears this evening. Will order again.

Miso Glazed Cod: this was a large portion and it was easily eaten with chopsticks one delicious juicy flake at a time. I would have preferred a little more flavor to this. I would order again.

Garlic noodles: I am not a noodle person so I don't have strong opinions on this dish but my date had no hesitation devouring most of it (I got 2 bites in!) He would definitely order again. (; I would order extra garlic chips on this one and try it again.

Dirty Fries: these are a must when it comes to eating at any place run by team J&C. Just order them. This is a delicious and flavorful way to prepare french fries, VERY different from anything in the city.

We didn't have a dessert menu this night and really, I was too tipsy to remember to ask, but I DID try a friend's deconstructed pineapple pie and this was SO DELICIOUS!!! Oh I dream of this dessert. Hopefully it's available when I head over for a taste of the yummy lunch menu wink wink J&C*

Our waiter was Alec and he did a great job, he was entertaining and checked in with us to make sure everything was going well.

Will definitely return for more! Thank you for a wonderful evening and...

My wife asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday this week, and I chose a place we’d never been before. Why would I not pick a favorite place for a favorite meal? Because @j.harris808 opened @alohamodernkitchenyyc not long ago and I knew no matter what was on the menu I’d love it and I’d been dying to try it. And love it we did…. Across from Chinook mall in the old Gaucho space you’re transported to Hawaii, one of our favorite places on earth. Bright and tropical inside which was a stark contrast to the VERY grey day it was, it really felt like you left YYC if only for a couple of hours.

Cocktails were excellent and not only well crafted but inventive too. I opted for the brown butter/macadamia nut old fashioned. Incredible take on one of my favorite cocktails. They have an extensive drink menu that I’m looking forward to working through.

The menu is tight and boasts a lot of Hawaiian favorites. We started with the spam musubi because… you gotta. Hawaiian staple, simple, delicious. The Musubi was an excellent start and unlike some we’ve had in Hawaii, this was not only delicious but actually held together. Kalua style Maui ribs were my dish and they had an incredible soy glaze. Definitely getting these again. My stunner of a wife had the garlic shrimp and they were a lot bigger than I expected and very fresh. Sliced in the kitchen so they were easy to peel too. The garlic noodles… goddamn!! If you love garlic you need these in your life. SUPER garlicky with perfectly cooked ramen noodles that are on the firm side which is exactly how they should be. Expect to leave with ferocious garlic breath but it’s 💯 worth it. And being my birthday, my wife still kissed me. 😂 Her breath was equally corrupted so… sharing is caring? 😂

Daughter had the Fat Chow Funn which was great dish and not just fun to say. Large, thick and dense noodles with pork belly, basil and sesame. Loved it as much as the garlic noods and another must have again dish. Son had the Hawaiian Saimin with pork and dashi broth, pork belly, egg and onion. Think of a Hawaiian take on ramen. The pork belly absolutely melts in your mouth and the broth was smooth as silk. Next brisk day this will be calling my name too. We also had coconut rice, smashed crispy potatoes and the charred broccolini. Also, all excellent.

As predicted, chef Joel of The J Spot’s new joint Aloha Modern Kitchen is a smash. We will be regulars here for sure and can’t wait to go back to relive these dishes again and again. If you haven’t been, you gotta go. Whole damn menu is 🔥.

• EDIT. pictured also is the tuna poke… best poke in town by far. So much food that...