“Smashingly Greek” at Broken Plate

By
Wentao
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0
1189

How I wish I were in Greece right now instead of Calgary. *Frowns* I guess it’s fine if I get a real nice taste of their food and culture somewhere. *Smiles*…Except I won’t get the amazing vacation feeling. *Frowns again*

If I could have that view when I look out the window..
If I could have that view when I look out the window..

My complaints out of boredom aside (I really have to stop daydreaming), this was my first time having Greek food at an actual fancy restaurant.  You can’t always use food court meals to judge a cuisine! (*Cough* Me *Cough*)  Broken Plate is a chain of Greek restaurants in Calgary and I’ve been eager to try it ever since I passed by the location at Aspen Landing. On the day of my Dad’s birthday (perfect excuse… a.k.a happy birthday dad!) , we went in for the taste of the country of……mythology! Even some of the dishes are fancied up by being named after Greek gods.

Broken Plate on Urbanspoon

This is actually a very low-profile entrance compared to Redwater and Original Joe’s next door.

We were greeted with nice Greek-themed décor inside such as a cartographer’s map hung up on the wall. The dim lighting helped set a peaceful mood as we sat down, ready for dinner. Forgive me for the horribly underexposed photos!

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This time around, we chose a salad and two entrées. They weren’t exactly big portions, but filling and flavourful nonetheless.

Salad – Lamb Confit – $14

I didn't even know what "Confit" meant until we ordered this. The sweet dressing complimented the greens well. The lamb pieces just added up to it.
I didn’t even know what “Confit” meant until we ordered this. The sweet dressing complimented the lamb pieces and mixed greens well, helping to retain the refreshing taste.

Entrée – Zeus Chicken – $23

Hmm... ZEUS chicken... sounds powerful, doesn't it? The juicy stuffed chicken proved to be a good main star, but the dish isn't too spiced up.
Hmm… ZEUS chicken… sounds powerful just like the god himself, doesn’t it? The juicy stuffed chicken proved to be a good main star, but the dish isn’t too spiced up to stand out.

Entrée – Exohiko Salmon – $21

This was the birthday star's meal.... So I didn't taste it, sorry :( Exohiko is a greek dish where the contents are wrapped like a parcel with phyllo pastry, aluminium foil, or parchment.
Exohiko is a greek dish where the contents are wrapped like a parcel with phyllo pastry, aluminium foil, or parchment. Unfortunately, this was the birthday star’s choice…. So I didn’t taste it, sorry 🙁

The dishes were amazing, but what was unique about the visit was getting to know the meaning behind the restaurant name. In Greece, guests smash plates on the floor in celebrations to express joy and abundance. As strange as it sounds, this attracts a lot of customers; they even have a designated area of sorts to do it. I guess they have so many plates, they can feel free to break them in the name of happiness! Those poor plates end up like this (credits to Bill Gilmour for this video):

(WARNING – Please do not try this with your beloved dinnerware at home. You will damage your floor and get shards EVERYWHERE. Also, you’ll get me ranting about your horrible reading comprehension skills. If you want to smash a plate, head down to the restaurant! Just don’t do it in anger.)

Unlike dropping plates on the floor, our experience wasn’t too much of a bang, other than when my dad smacked the plate he was given to smash on the floor before I could take a GIF. It’s a pleasant place though, just not quite the star we’d thought it to be. This place is good if you want something neat, and who knows, it has the potential to be a bit of a hidden gem.

Rating: 4/5 (The interesting background of the name brought my score up a bit)