flipstah
06-21-2010, 01:51 PM
To do something nice, I took my parents out for Father's Day dinner at Catch. I had a discount voucher so might as well give this place a shot.
Oceana Seafood, Steakhouse & Bar
101 7 Street Southwest
Calgary, AB
(403) 245-8787
Ambiance/Atmosphere: 8/10
Located near Eau Claire and a stone’s throw away from the Bow River, Oceana has a modern décor, with neutral color, and comfortable seating. They also have patio dining, and window viewing.
It’s well decorated and it presents itself as an upscale dining experience.
Food: 7/10
They primarily specialize in seafood but they also have meat dishes, which we didn’t order.
I had the crab cakes ($12), which came out as four patties with a bowl of house mayo. The crab cakes were dry, bland, and didn’t taste any better with the mayo. There was also a portioning issue because the mayo:crab cake ratio was way off; too much mayo and it was just wasted away.
My mom had the Manhattan seafood chowder ($7.50), which was meaty and delicious. The soup was too watery for my liking ,but it was flavorful. Not bad.
For main course I had the Arctic Char ($29), which came with some grilled veggies and rice pilaf. Seriously, I need to find out who thought of portions here because my plate had 80% fish, 20% sides. It’s great for the price, but why have sides if you’re going to have so little?
The Char was grilled just right, albeit underseasoned; I need to ask for the salt shaker for this. The skin underneath was crispy and packed a punch; it complemented one another. Now I understand.
My mom had the Fisherman’s Platter ($24), which was a smorgasbord of battered fish with fries. You get a lot of food and tasted alright, but was underseasoned.
My dad had the bouillabaisse ($26), which had more soup than meat; the mussels were tiny, the shrimp was lacking in numbers, and it was disproportioned. Seriously, what is the deal with the portions here?
Service: 7/10
Our server was nice, but the food took a while to get to our table. It was meh, so nothing big to write about here.
Pricing: 6/10
Pricey. The bill came to $115, which was a lot to take. The main dishes justified their cost, but their apps lack the punch, and they don’t have free refills. Tsk tsk.
Overall: 7/10
If I didn’t have a discount voucher for this place, I wouldn’t normally go here. There are better places for less (i.e. Catch.)
I have another voucher so maybe next time, it'll be a better experience.
Oceana Seafood, Steakhouse & Bar
101 7 Street Southwest
Calgary, AB
(403) 245-8787
Ambiance/Atmosphere: 8/10
Located near Eau Claire and a stone’s throw away from the Bow River, Oceana has a modern décor, with neutral color, and comfortable seating. They also have patio dining, and window viewing.
It’s well decorated and it presents itself as an upscale dining experience.
Food: 7/10
They primarily specialize in seafood but they also have meat dishes, which we didn’t order.
I had the crab cakes ($12), which came out as four patties with a bowl of house mayo. The crab cakes were dry, bland, and didn’t taste any better with the mayo. There was also a portioning issue because the mayo:crab cake ratio was way off; too much mayo and it was just wasted away.
My mom had the Manhattan seafood chowder ($7.50), which was meaty and delicious. The soup was too watery for my liking ,but it was flavorful. Not bad.
For main course I had the Arctic Char ($29), which came with some grilled veggies and rice pilaf. Seriously, I need to find out who thought of portions here because my plate had 80% fish, 20% sides. It’s great for the price, but why have sides if you’re going to have so little?
The Char was grilled just right, albeit underseasoned; I need to ask for the salt shaker for this. The skin underneath was crispy and packed a punch; it complemented one another. Now I understand.
My mom had the Fisherman’s Platter ($24), which was a smorgasbord of battered fish with fries. You get a lot of food and tasted alright, but was underseasoned.
My dad had the bouillabaisse ($26), which had more soup than meat; the mussels were tiny, the shrimp was lacking in numbers, and it was disproportioned. Seriously, what is the deal with the portions here?
Service: 7/10
Our server was nice, but the food took a while to get to our table. It was meh, so nothing big to write about here.
Pricing: 6/10
Pricey. The bill came to $115, which was a lot to take. The main dishes justified their cost, but their apps lack the punch, and they don’t have free refills. Tsk tsk.
Overall: 7/10
If I didn’t have a discount voucher for this place, I wouldn’t normally go here. There are better places for less (i.e. Catch.)
I have another voucher so maybe next time, it'll be a better experience.