A Touch of Ginger Delight
318 10 St NW
Calgary AB T2N 1V8
Phone: 403 270 3816
Let me start by saying that I don’t single out bad places. Good and bad experiences are equally deserving of blog space on What I Thought of It.
Being in the vicinity, we popped into A Touch of Ginger Delight in Kensington for dinner. On this Saturday night, all but one table in the medium-sized restaurant was empty. In hindsight, this should have been a warning.
We were quickly seated by a friendly server. I ordered a Coke without ice, which she repeated to herself, yet minutes later there arrived a Coke with ice. Of course, this mistake has occurred in other restaurants, but at A Touch of Ginger Delight, it was just the beginning.
I ordered item C63 from the menu, a rice dish with shredded pork and BBQ pork. My friend had questions about some menu items, but the waitress was not knowledgeable and needed to ask the kitchen twice.
While waiting for the food to arrive I went to the washroom. It looked clean, but the stench made it difficult to finish my business. I couldn’t tell where the smell came from.
Then my food arrived. The rice was warm and well prepared.
There was a salad of shredded lettuce and carrots on the side. The lettuce was browning on the edges, clearly past freshness. The shredded pork on top of the rice was cold. I don’t mean lukewarm - I mean almost freezing cold. Luckily it eventually absorbed some warmth from the rice. The BBQ pork was the thinnest piece of pork I’ve ever seen. If the shredded pork and BBQ pork were supposed to be different, then something was off, because they tasted exactly the same. To make it worse, neither one came close to tasting like pork. I felt like I was eating synthetic or expired food.
In the course of my meal, a couple of people finished and left. Their tables were cleared but not cleaned, then new customers were seated at the same tables. Perhaps more diligent cleaning would be advisable amid worries of the H1N1 virus spreading around Calgary.
Last thoughts: I am surprised that A Touch of Ginger Delight is still in business. I hope it is not always like what I experienced. This was my worst meal in living memory. I could not bear to finish my food and ended up eating something at home. I’m never going back to A Touch of Ginger Delight, and be careful if you’re planning to pay a visit.
Food -
Service +++
Ambiance ++
Washrooms -
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