The Blend Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Town of Hinton

It was serendipity that we encountered this gem of a place. We were told you can get south Indian food in Hinton. We wanted a change, went here only to find out it is at noon. We were about to walk out when we re-looked at the menu and decided to try out. Glad we did! We liked it so much we went again the next night. :) Blend literally blends diverse menus but does have a sizable Indian segment due to its roots. Day 1: We went across cuisines (due to individual preferences) - Bang Bang Shrimp, Chicken 65, Chili Paneer, Bami Goreng, Souvlaki (chicken) and Alfredo Penne pasta. Chili Paneer: This is hands-down the best Chili Paneer I had.. like ever. Do not miss the gravy version. Has a mysterious variation that I have not had any other place. Chicken 65: crunchy and airy, not the dense, dry meat version that you encounter in many places that you know that has been refried many times. Other dishes were spot-on - vibrant flavor and good quantity. Host Arjun is always smiling and took good care of us. Had the good fortune of meeting Santhosh who crafted the menu and is managing the place. He has done a super job and I hope he sets more "Blends" in the US.

Day 2: In our conversations with Santhosh we came to know he is an award-winning mixologist so we eagerly wanted to start with drinks. Drinks: Twilight, Indian Kiss and Blend Splendor. All were well mixed. My drink - Indian kiss had the nice spice kick, which is what I wanted. Starters: Chili Chicken (SAME gravy as Paneer.. we wanted it!), Fish pakora and Nachos. Chili was the same outstanding gravy. Nachos were well done. Fish pakora could do with some 'kick' in the flavoring. Mains: Chicken Biryani, Lamb Seekh Kebab and Alfredo+Pesto combo pasta. Today's star was the Lamb Kebab. Soft, flavorful.. just very very good. Biryani was excellent and so was the unique suggestion to blend (get it?) the Alfredo and Pesto sauces. Salted lassi was not on the menu but Santhosh crafted one and it was excellent too.

If I felt bad about leaving Hinton, it would be not being able to eat at Blend. Its that good. Hope they continue the high standards and folks visiting Jasper should surely make the...

We were driving through from SK to Clearwater and I was craving lobster so we stopped here. My dish was fantastic and I have zero complaints. The lobster was perfectly cooked, the twice baked potato was delicious and the steamed veggies were perfect al Dante. However, my husbands pasta dish was not so good. The noodles were overcooked and mushy… to top that off the pasta sauce was so plentiful it ended up being a pasta soup with at least 1 cup of pasta sauce remaining after he ate the mushy noodles. The garlic bread was a small crostini end about 1x1.5”when he asked for more to sop up some of the sauce he was given another two 1x1.5” pieces. He was really disappointed in the pasta soup. There was no salt and pepper on the table and although my food came perfectly seasoned his was not. The servers didn’t come check the food quality even once. I had to get up to get my own salt and pepper for my husband, and get up and walk to a server to ask for the wine menu before the food came. The food did come rather quickly if you’re in a hurry but I was disappointed that the pasta quality didn’t match the...

It's a varied menu but all the dishes were made with love and care. My wife and I ordered some of the Indian-inspired dishes and were in heaven. We spent some time living in Southeast Asia and this was some of the most authentic tasting cuisine we'd had since moving back to Canada. I particularly enjoyed the Palak Paneer.

We went with my parents who ordered more European-inspired dishes and they also raved about their selections. If I had a small critique, it would be that the beef we ordered was a little overcooked and chewy, but the lamb and chicken were to die for. The lamb biryani melted in my mouth.

Bonus points for having a robust, bespoke cocktail menu. Try the Indian Kiss cocktail if you want something with a little zip to it.

The waitstaff were also helpful and friendly. They made good recommendations, and if they tell you something is spicy, believe them. (And if that's your thing, you'll be in heaven. And if it isn't, the mild/medium options were also as...