Dinner – Page 16 – Elsie Hui

December 7, 2014

Magpie & Stump Restaurant – Banff, Alberta

We’ve been heading to Banff a lot more recently to get away from the city and this time we went to enjoy the Banff Santa Claus Parade of Lights. We stopped for dinner before the parade and went to Magpie & Stump where we enjoyed a fantastic dinner! Once inside, the place was already packed, and tons of tables were trying to get in-and-out before the start of the parade. We didn’t care if we missed it, but we were advised their kitchen was a little backed up from the amount of customers.

I felt like a sugary drink, without the alcohol so I got a Virgin Pina Colada which is one of my favourite drinks! It wasn’t the best one here, as it was fully of ice and watered down even at the start – so by the end, it was really quite flavourless.

We ordered their Spicy Shrimp Tostadas which was basically a large salad in between to large crispy corn tortillas, topped with a bed of pulled pork and spicy prawn. Then, it was topped with some delicious bbq sauce and lime crema. It was a large dish and very refreshing.

We also ordered their El Pollo Piquante Fajitas which was spicy grilled chicken with tomatoes, peppers, onions, queso and salsa on the side for you to build on flour tortillas. It was a fun, interactive dish which was delicious and quite spicy!

Overall, we loved this place, the service was quite good even when they’re so busy. The food was fresh and delicious and the location is really good as they’re right next to public parking. The food came out fast enough that we were able to eat, pay and get outside in time for the parade even though they warned us they’re backed up! So, they did an amazing job!

Magpie & Stump

203 Caribou Street
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4067

December 4, 2014December 5, 2014

Elk & Oarsman Pub & Grill – Banff, Alberta

Every once in awhile we like to go into a local pub or bar for lunch. This time while traveling through Banff, we went and sat on the patio of Elk & Oarsman which was really nice. Although I don’t have a picture of the place, the view was phenomenon!

We sat down on this bring afternoon where I ordered myself a Virgin Caesar as it’s become a drink I love, especially if it’s spicy. It’s definitely spicy here with tons of flavour!

I ordered their Elk Poutine which was thick cut french fries with gravy, braised elk and cheese curds. A delicious combination of things I love! It was the perfect combination for this particular lunch! There was actually a lot of french fries in this order and we didn’t actually finish the entire plate – we did eat up all the elk though!

My husband ordered the Lamb Shank and it was a giant piece of braised lamb in Cabernet honey jus. It was tender, juicy and tasty! Although the picture doesn’t look as appetizing, it was a great piece of lamb shank!

Our overall experience here was phenomenal and it’s no wonder why they’re always so busy! They have great food and service and the location is ideal – right on Banff Ave!

Elk & Oarsman Pub & Grill

119 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4616

December 4, 2014December 5, 2014

Cafe HK – Calgary, Alberta

This side of the restaurant is a portion of T.Pot China Bistro and it’s just off to the side – but they have their own name and different style of Chinese food. Cafe HK is a cafe style whereas TPot is your sit down meal type food and a bit more traditional.

We really like it here although we don’t come here often, I like to think I don’t come here enoough! This particular visit, we started with Jelly fish, Surf Clam and Seaweed Salad appetizer which sounds kind of strange, but it’s got all the things I love on 1 dish! It was meant to bed. The surf clams tasted great, they’ve cleaned it well and prepared it to perfection!

Then, because of the hour we dined, it’s a late lunch/early dinner, they still had their afternoon specials on – which came with drinks! We both ordered their Almond Drink which was amazing! It smelled good and tasted great! My husband loved it more than I did, as I prefer mine to be sweeter.

I had a crazy craving for Beef Fried Ho Fun so I ordered that as it as still on special. Surprisingly, it was quite a large dish and it tasted great! Just the way I expect it to taste – and since I was craving it, it as even better!

As we weren’t expecting the dishes to be so large, we also ordered on their menu Chicken and Pineapple Rice Bake which was also really a large dish! With rice at the bottom, topped with chicken, pineapple and cheese – then baked… this ooey gooey goodness hit the spot for both of us!

We love this place, and we’re glad we stopped in again! I’m sure we’ll be back when another craving kicks in! It is your typical Chinese place, so service is decent, it’s quite clean, and the food is fantastic! Of course, prices are reasonable as it is competitive in a Chinese populated neighbourhood.

Cafe HK

Unit 100, 9650 Harvest Hills Blvd NE
Calgary, Alberta
403-532-3982

November 29, 2014

Grand Central Bar & Grill – Okotoks, Alberta

We always go to Light Up Okotoks during the festive season and this year was no different. We went there a little late so we decided to go eat first. We randomly walked into Grand Central Bar & Grill right on Elizabeth Street.

We weren’t actually hungry or anything so we just had some wings and pizza! We ordered a serving of their Salt and Pepper Wings. The wings were fried really nicely and they tasted quite delicious!

Then, we shared an Okotokian Pizza which was a pizza with ham, pepperoni, mushroom, and pineapple and topped with a slice of tomato on each slice of pizza. The pizza was tasty and the crust was pretty good and not greasy at all.

Overall, we had a great experience at the Grand Central Bar and it was fun to sit by the window and watch the crowds go by. It was a lovely evening and we got to see the giant Christmas tree all lite up. It was a great experience and we’re sure we will be back for snacks and appetizers one day!

Grand Central Bar & Grill

9, 49 Elizabeth Street
Okotoks, AB
(403) 938-0929

November 29, 2014

Waldhaus Restaurant – Banff, Alberta

We went to Banff for a weekend where we wanted to try Waldhaus that claims it’s inside Banff Springs Hotel. It is on it’s property, but outside. There is a shuttle that takes you to and from the restaurant and it’s located pretty much on the golf course.

Once we got seated as we had a late reservation, we were offered some delicious bread. The special bread in the basket would be the pretzel croissants. It’s pretty filling, but it was really tasty! The texture was amazing and with some butter, it was a nice treat! It’s a pretzel rolled into a croissant shape.

I ordered the Vension Medallion which was delicious! The vension was tender and juicy and marinated really well, and of course cooked to perfection! The vension was topped with lingonberry preserve with some black garlic jus and the combination was amazing.

We also ordered the Jager Schnitzel which was a thin piece of breaded and fried veal with mushroom ragout on top. We really like the mushrooms on top and the combination of the fried veal with the mushroom gravy – it was divine!

As we had such an amazing dinner, we decided we would have some dessert. We wanted to try some traditional Black Forest Cake as everything was made traditionally. The black forest cake was made with a modern twist, so it was quite different.

We had an experience to remember and loved our time here. To top off the experience, the chef came out and chatted with his customers and he even stopped at our table to talk to us! We were impressed with the entire visit, especially the food! The service and atmosphere was top notched!

Waldhaus Restaurant

405 Spray Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-6860