Feel Good Food at Nourish Bistro

    Derrick Szuszkiel December 19, 2018

    Nourish’s reputation tends to proceed itself and I knew I was in for a treat.

    This post is a big deal for me because it marks when I went on my first ever solo business lunch to Nourish Bistro in Banff. I love the atmosphere. I especially liked the birch tree that adorns the entrance and the amazing artwork that decorates the walls. The primary colour scheme of Nourish Bistro is hues of green and red with birch wood accents. I feel that these earthy tones go hand in hand with the fresh origins of the cuisine.

    Speaking of which, when you walk in the door you can smell the fresh vegetables and spices they use to make their delicious food. Nourish Bistro is well known for its strictly vegetarian and vegan menu. Alex Boston, the general manager, explained Nourish’s philosophy to me. “Vegans and vegetarians already come here, so we have that niche market covered. We want to cater to the non-vegan friends who they take with them and say it’s the best meal they’ve ever had.” That’s the challenge Nourish is taking on; trying to get meat-eaters like myself to enjoy eating their vegetables.

    Their updated menu is cleverly designed to make vegetarian cuisine very approachable. A quick glance at the menu reveals familiar dishes like poutine, pizza, and nachos. Those nachos have a reputation of being “the best in Banff” according to the locals. Nourish Bistro definitely wants to impress the carnivore with their new Jacked Up Ribs. The dish resembles a full rib dinner with pulled jackfruit, garlic mashed potatoes, beans and gravy. The ribs are “phenomenal,”remarks Alex, “I’ve never had jackfruit before and I was blown away.” I will have to try them for myself one day because they were completely sold out from the night before.

    Nourish is also proud of its cocktails, and like their food, they have a very unique approach to them as well. At Nourish, they let their bartenders design their own cocktails which “allows them to be creative and make their mark on the place,” says Alex. Another interesting practice they employ is barrel aging cocktails. Essentially, they put a particular cocktail in a small barrel which they let sit for weeks. This process infuses the alcohol with concentrated flavours. The cocktail menu rotates seasonally so there is always something new to try.

    After the interview, a beautifully arranged patter of gyoza, cauliflower bites, jalapeño poppers, and erupting orbs arrived.

    The erupting orbs are the most intriguing new menu item I tried. Known as panipuri in India, they are a popular street snack. They are a crispy semolina puff with pomegranate, potato, socca noodles and tamarind chutney stuffed inside. These have a real diversity of textures and flavours. Crunchy puffs and noodles. Soft and smooth potatoes. Sweet and sour pomegranate. Wonderful. The poppers were also great. The vegan cream cheese had a nice cinnamon kick with a smoky pepper flavour from the jalapeños. The seasoning blend of cumin, chili and paprika on the cauliflower bites was spectacular. They also had a meaty texture that reminded me of a boneless chicken wing. Last was the gyoza. The stuffing mixture of mushrooms, cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts was delightful.

    The platter also came with a selection of dips, alfalfa, bean sprouts and slaw to try. The red pepper aioli was tangy and sweet with a distinct pepper taste. The chili sesame dip that came with the gyoza was nice and spicy with a good soya flavour. The veggies were crisp and fresh and tasted great mixed together.

    After I finished, I said my thank you’s and headed back to my car. I noticed that I felt rather euphoric. The food had this amazing quality of tasting wonderful while being fresh and healthy. I felt that I did my body some good by eating at Nourish Bistro. When you’re in Banff do your body a favour and Nourish yourself.

    Foodies unite with our delicious newsletter

    Connect With Us

    Close Coupon

    Share This Page

    Share this page with your friends & followers, and don't forget to use the hashtag #thediningguide.