Calgary

Always feel nice to be home. The sprawling land, the clear sky, the mountains and the fresh air makes me calm and slow down. This time back it happened to be my birthday and I went to Catch in the Hyatt downtown Calgary. It is a seafood restaurant featuring fresh catches of the day and oysters from the West and East Coast.  It is a lively, happening place, although the service might need a bit of more friendliness that suits the open concept bar/dine area on the first floor. You can literally watch the chefs making food in the kitchen which is located in front of the seating area separated only by a waist-high wall. This makes the place all the more open, fiery, and inviting. We sat in a booth area and were served with surprisingly delicious bread and ordered two fresh catches and one steak and obviously, oysters. Their oysters were absolutely fresh and fantastic. When oysters are fresh, you shouldn't taste any sea fishiness but only the freshness and the smooth texture of the oysters themselves. For main, I had their sable fish which tasted like a warm piece of butter, smooth, delicate and melts in your mouth without the greasy taste. It was a fantastic fish. One thing I was genuinely surprised by was how nicely their baked potatoes were made. They are crispy on the outside but soft and gooey inside. I am generally not the biggest fan of baked potatoes but I swept those away in a hurry while at the same time, admiring their perfect texture and taste. The wine list is also quite impressive. We had their Malbec, a bubbly from Italy and Muscadet from France. All were quite wonderful ; the Malbec was especially full bodied and smooth. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and everyone walked away happy and content.

To find out more information on Catch The Oyster Bar http://hyatt.com/gallery/catch/index.html