Yummy #4: Lunch at the Calgary Zoo

Hello Again:

It's Yummy. Today, I am going to share with everyone my dining experience at the Safari Lodge. If you are wondering whether the Sunday Brunch are being held there, I could answer you with an enthusiastic YES! However, this time I went for lunch on a Friday because I got a complimentary ticket and lunch to the Zoo for a Private Function.

The Safari Lodge in the Calgary Zoo

Upon entering the Zoo, I was immediately greeted by a welcoming Peacock and a train of Animatronic Dinosaurs. It took us a short meandering around the zoo before my friend and I were able to find where the function would take place.

Entrance to the Prehistoric Dinosaur Park

Animatronic Dinosaurs and I

Peacock and I

The lunch was served in a buffet format. Although the food selection was limited, the food quality was fair. Appetizers included Caesar Salad, Garden Salad, Vegetable Soup and a variety of bread. Vegetable selections included roasted scallop potatoes, baby carrots and broccoli in cream sauce. Entree selections included veal in red wine onion sauce and chicken breast stuffed with alfredo and asparagus. Dessert included fresh fruits and a variety of mini pastry tarts, cheesecake, mousse, brownie and so forth.

Appetizers and Entrees

I will begin discussing the appetizers then entrees, followed by the desserts. The Caesar salad was very good, the croutons were crunchy, the lettuce was crisp and fresh and the parmesan shavings were delicious. However, the soup tasted quite plain and the vegetables were overcooked. The scallop potatoes were alright but I really liked the broccoli, it was crunchy but not too hard and the cream sauce on top made it very tasty. In terms of entree, I absolutely loved the stuffed chicken breast with aspargus and cream sauce. The chicken was very tender and the aspargus in the center had absorbed all the juice from the chicken, allowing both the chicken and its stuffing to instantly melt in your mouth. The veal was fair. The sauce and the mini onion bulbs were delicious. If the veal was stewed a bit longer, it should be more tender and more able to absorb the surrounding sauce, potentially making it easier to masticate.

Fresh Fruits

A Variety of Tarts, Cheesecake, Mousse, and Nanaimo Bar

Last but not least, the desserts. The fruits were quite fresh, juicy and sweet. The desserts' quality was great. I absolutely enjoyed the yellow passionfruit tart. The cream was fresh and the passion fruit cream was made with genuine passion fruit puree. The cheesecake, Nanaimo bar and mousse was a bit too sweet and there was too much cream on the raspberry tart. Other than that, their pastries were fabulous, comparable to the ones you purchase from Sunterra Market.

Overall, it was my pleasure to visit the zoo during the nice weather and able to enjoy a fantastic meal in a warm and welcoming environment.

Calgary Zoo Address: 1300 Zoo Road NE, Calgary Alberta

Telephone Number: (403) 232-9300