Calgary is a bustling, multicultural city with more varieties of cuisine than could be listed off in a blog post, but it wasn’t always this way. The first authentic international restaurant to sink roots into Calgary’s dining scene was the Taj Mahal. You may have seen it on the 4800 block of Macleod Trail: an otherwise unassuming two-story commercial building with spectacular marble columns and surrounds around one location, evoking ancient India. One of only two of those in the world, it was carved over four years in India and carefully reassembled here. The “Taj” introduced Calgarians to the joys of East Indian cuisine, and the lunch buffet has been running since the 1970’s. Winning award after award, it is divided into two: line up in the middle and turn right for vegetarian and vegan, or left for meat-based curries. The food stands on its own, you should really sample their offerings, but also reflect that you are in a rich bit of Calgary’s history when you dine there.