Curries in Canmore

Coconut Curry from Spice Hut in Canmore - Just what’s needed to warm up on a cold winter day!

When I was a kid I was scared of curry. I thought every curry dish was tongue-numbingly spicy and I wanted no part of tasting something I thought would make me cry. Boy. Did I miss out!

Curry, a general term that refers to a wide variety of dishes from the Indian subcontinent certainly can be spicy, but heat (from the addition of fresh or dried chilies) is not an essential ingredient.

Mild curries are just as satisfying as their hot counterparts, their delicious flavour coming from spices like coriander, turmeric, and cumin. Curry tree leaves may also be used in certain dishes.

FOODIE FACT: Curries may be wet or dry. Allow most of the liquid to cook away and evaporate and the result is a dry curry where the other ingredients wind up being coated with spices. Wet curries are more saucy and may include ingredients like coconut milk, cream, tomato purée or yogurt. 

In terms of what might else might be included in a curry, the list is long. Meat-lovers can enjoy dishes featuring lamb, goat, beef, chicken, or seafood while vegetarians have plenty of options with curry dishes that may feature all kinds of vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, or tofu.

Currie lovers in Canmore have lots of choices when it comes to finding fine-tasting curry dishes. Try these restaurants for starters:  

Mad Dog Café
The Shops of Canmore

Famous for authentic curries, during the winter months the Mad Dog Café celebrates the first Friday of each month with a curry night. At $30.00 a person, this is a great deal for the curry-lover. Choose from five different curries (three meat and two vegetarian options) served up with samosas, naan bread, chutneys, and a papadums. Arrive hungry and tuck in! 

Want to try preparing fabulous curries at home? Check out the spice kits for sale at the Mad Dog marketplace.

Indian Authentic Cuisine
F-1702 Bow Valley Trail

Walk into Indian Authentic Cuisine and start to salivate - the scent of spices wafting from the kitchen is irresistible!

The word vindaloo is derived from Portuguese words meaning ‘wine’ and ‘garlic’ but has come to be associated with a spicy dish that often features lamb, beef, chicken and potatoes. If you like lamb, try the Lamb Vindaloo at Indian Authentic and savour the hot, sour vinegar gravy flavoured with Goan spices. 

Can’t decide what to have? Order a variety of dishes (like this mango chicken option from Spice Hut) and share with friends.

Spice Hut
1310 Bow Valley Trail

Prefer prawns? Try the Coconut Prawn Curry at Spice Hut where your curry options are plentiful. Curious about other Indian dishes? No problem - the extensive menu is perfect for ordering multiple dishes and then sharing family-style. 

Coconut Curry at Spice Hut

For more dining options in Canmore, take a browse through our online menus for Canmore restaurants - just click the ‘Explore’ button on the main page.  Dining out? Don’t forget to tag us (@tastecanmore) and start earning Menu Hunter points!

Welcome to the Club (the Canmore Dinner Club, that is… Now, Invite a Friend!)

Not a member of the Canmore Dinner Club yet? What the heck are you waiting for??

Love Dining Out? Making Friends? Here’s the Club for You!

One of the things I love most about travel is the way a meal can stretch out for hours. Maybe that’s because the places I enjoy visiting most (France, Spain, islands in the Caribbean) have a very different relationship to mealtime than is typical here at home. Here we are often rushed, grabbing something to eat on the fly. Even when we do get out for a meal those phones are all too often not just at the table but in our hands fighting for our attention even when we are dining the company of those we love most. 

I don’t know too many people who anticipate with relish dining alone (I am such a person, but maybe that’s because I always have a book to read and a book I’m writing tucked into my bag so a few minutes alone at a table to which someone will bring food and drink is a delicious luxury….)

My point is, we are missing out by not sharing long, slow, leisurely meals together while enjoying the company of others and practicing the fine art of conversation. 

The Canmore Dinner Club is our answer to this unfortunate direction the culture of food and dining is taking in all too many places. 

How Does the Canmore Dinner Club Work?

Every couple of months a group of us - (some will already be friends, some will become new friends…) will get together in a different restaurant in Canmore. Expect chef’s tasting menus, sneak peaks at new menu items, and a chance to experience food and drink you might not necessarily try otherwise. 

Depending on the restaurant, there may be live music, or dancing, or jugs of margaritas. There may be board games or special desserts prepared just for us. Though we’ll usually be going out in the evening, I love brunch, so every now and then we’ll mix it up and go on a dining adventure during daylight hours. 

What Does it Cost?

There’s no cost to join - just like our Taste Canmore Facebook page and ask to join the Dining Club Group. It’s just that simple. We’ll approve you and keep you in the loop. 

Of course, eating out is more fun with friends, so if you know someone you think would enjoy eating out with the rest of us, invite them to join the Facebook group as well. 

It’s going to be fun! Let’s go out for dinner, shall we?