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Bolsa Vietnamese – Calgary, Alberta

Honestly, I never thought I’d find myself at Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant after the 2009 shooting for some reason. But, with all the great reviews from here, I knew I would have to! So, I pulled up my brave pants and ventured off! We were greeted at the door by really friendly staff and tons of fish tanks! They’re just their pets/decoration, but they sure had a lot of them! I ordered the Bolsa Special Salad Rolls and they were different than any other salad rolls I’ve ever had! It was soft with tons of filling and packed with flavour!

While we were deciding to order, all the staff kept mentioning to try “spicy”… so, we asked them how spicy it was, and they said “quite spicy!” So, we ordered a bowl of Pho Bo Kho – medium spicy which really means we got a bowl of satay beef rice noodles. It was the perfect amount of heat (I can’t imagine the spice with it at full spicy!) even though I know we will be back just to try it!

We also ordered something a little lighter option and opted for Bolsas Special Rice Vermicelli which was the regular warm rice noodle without soup, but with nuoc cham and goodies. The goodies in this special was pork and beef sausages and I think there were some ground shrimp cake as well! Regardless, all the individual items tasted wonderful alone and even better together in the bun style!

Overall, we’ve been comparing all our Vietnamese experiences to this one. This one has just set a high benchmark for us – so for sure we’ll become a regular customer here!

Bolsa Vietnamese on Urbanspoon

Bolsa Vietnamese

180 94 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 255-3777

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San Remo Ristorante – Mckenzie Towne

It was a late evening, and I haven’t eaten dinner, so my husband took me to San Remo, and it was really nice they didn’t kick us out as it was getting close to their closing time. We went in and was seated in a booth which was really comfortable. the restaurant and lounge still had a few tables, so I didn’t feel as bad that I was there.

Not long after we were seated, we ordered and a delicious bread basket came to the table. The bread was really nice, and the flavoured butter was a nice touch!

We started the late dinner with their Antipasto Platter which not only looked fantastic, it tasted pretty good too! This platter had assorted cheese and sliced prosciutto & salami. There were also some oven roasted pepepers, marinated olives and button mushrooms & artichokes. It was a fun platter to eat and great for sharing!

For the actual dinner, I ordered their Hawaiian Pizza which was made in the stone oven. This was the best pizza was probably one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a very long time! This pizza is made of Double smoked applewood bacon, fresh pineapple! The best part of this pizza was that it was finished with maple syrup which is excellent as it’s sweet and salty balance of flavour, it’s what makes it my favourite pizza so far!

We also ordered a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese with tons of noodles and just enough yummy sauce. There were a few large meatballs, jammed pack with flavour. The portions are quite large, and it’s quite delicious! We were able to take some home too!

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and atmosphere from this restaurant. The food was really delicious and I just had such a great time that I know I will be back!

San Remo Ristorante on Urbanspoon

San Remo Ristorante

26 McKenzie Towne Gate SE #500
Calgary, AB
(403) 251-0998

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Pad Thai – Banff

I never really make reservations while I’m in Banff as I never know where and when I am going to be anywhere. We stumbled into the Clock Tower Mall right on Banff Ave and found this Thai food place called Pad Thai. There were tables inside and outside of the restaurant (all indoors of the clock tower mall) which is kind of dingy, but that’s okay with me!

We were one of the first tables to arrive and we were allowed to sit anywhere. We chose a corner inside and by the window and it was nice! You are still “in” the restaurant and you can watch people go by and other customers! We started our lunch with a plate of their Thai Dumplings which they call “Saw Moing”. It came on a plate with 4 purple flowers. It tasted a lot like some other Vietnamese “snacks” I’ve had as it has minced pork inside and you dip it in a sauce which is kind of a mix of plum sauce and Nước chấm.

In Las Vegas, I fell in love with a dish of curry with BBQ Duck, so to my excitement, they had Red Curry with BBQ Duck and I knew immediately that it was what I wanted, with coconut rice! The portions was quite large for a lunch but it was jammed pack with thinly sliced BBQ duck in this great Thai curry sauce. Over the coconut rice, I was really satisfied.

To top everything off, I ordered one of my favourite fried dishes, which is Pad Sa Hew which has tons of different spelling for. I commonly see it spelled as “Pad Si Ew”, but regardless, it’s the same thing – my favourite thing! Basically it’s fried rice noodles with soy sauce and they make it exceptionally good here. They use nice high heat in a wok – you can taste it (there’s actually a Chinese term to describe this) but it’s one of the reasons why I love this dish from here. Tons of smoke flavour, tons of seasoning flavour, tons of goodness and the noodles weren’t all broken into little pieces.

Thai food has always had a special place in my heart as it’s food I just love as regular daily food. This little place make it quite accessible and it’s delicious! The portions are huge and the price is a tad on the high side but it sure is delicious. This make it totally worth it in my books! I’m sure I will be back sometime soon!

Pad Thai

110 banff av
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4911

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Patisserie Du Soleil Bakery and Cafe

Little cafes with a bakery? I’m in! It’s my favourite! These are the most memorable times I had when I travelled through Eastern Europe – cafes and bakeries! I found this one in Woodbine in the South West and it’s called Patisserie Du Soleil Bakery and Cafe located in a strip plaza and it offers a large seating area with a large display of goodies that they bake from scratch!

I sat down and ordered from both the fridges with their baked goodies as well as from their menu. I ordered a nice hot drink to go with the pastries so I decided to have Chocolate Truffle Mochaccino which was a nice chocolatey drink – which was delicious!

Our hot food from the menu, we tried their Belgium Waffles with Strawberries and this was fantastic! The waffles were light and fluffy with fresh whipped cream and delicious strawberries. I know, waffles aren’t anything “special”, but at least it was really good here!

As many of you know, I love cinnamon treats such as cinnamon buns… so it’s no surprise I would try their Cinnamon Twist which was more “bread-like” that was more dense, instead of being light and fluffy. It was really good and not overly sweet!

Now, I am not going anywhere without trying pastries! So, I ordered 2 of them! We got their Cream Horn which was a light and airy treat that was filled with a light custard cream that was just perfect in texture and taste! The other treat was the Neapolitan Pastry with layers and layers of flaky pastry and a delicious custard cream filling, same as in the cream horn. This was by far my favourite treat from here! The custard is just amazing, a must try for sure! Probably everything with this custard is amazing, so be sure to pick something up with it! It’s not too sweet at all, which is something I love!

Overall, this is a place I could see myself going back to – over and over again! One of the best things about this cafe is the hours, it’s opened from Mon-Sat 7am – 8pm and Sunday 7am – 5pm! I can think about going here any when I’m in the area! Just a great little place to enjoy a snack or a “light” lunch or something! It’s quiet here, so it’s nice in that manner! A hidden gem for sure!

Patisserie Du Soleil Bakery and Cafe on Urbanspoon

Patisserie Du Soleil Bakery and Cafe

2525 Woodview Dr SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 452-8833

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Brewsters Brewing Company & Restaurant – McKenzie Towne

Warm weather spell hits Calgary a few days a year – and when it does, I crave a patio setting. This time, I found myself on the roof top patio of Brewsters Brewing Company and Restaurant in McKenzie Towne. It’s located just off High Street, on the North side. The restaurant is large, but parking is quite limited, unless you’re willing to walk. On nice days, walk!

I ordered a Virgin Chi Chi as I was already feeling dehydrated from being outside all day soaking up the sun rays! It’s really just a blend of juices, but it’s delicious! I actually think it’s more a virgin Mai Tai, but what do I know! 😉

We went during their “Appy Hour” and so we enjoyed some snacks too! We ordered their super delicious Spicy Honey Garlic Prawns which was as the name suggests sweet and spicy. The prawns were quite large and fresh – so the texture was really nice. Tons of sauce and flavour, but not so much where it overwhelms the prawns!

Then, the last thing we ordered was the 1/2 Nachos which really is the perfect size for 2 people! I can see the regular order being great for larger crowds – but this was excellent in all aspects (not just the portion size). The cheese was all melted, ooey and gooey with tons of topping of tex mex cheese, tomatoes, black olives, banana peppers, jalapenos, green onions and creme fraiche all on top of thin and crispy white corn tortillas – served with salsa and sour cream!

Overall, this has been one of my favourite roof top experiences in the city and I can’t wait for my next opportunity to return! Appy hour was a complete success in my books and I should return for a regular meal too!

Brewsters Brewing Company & Restaurant - McKenzie Town on Urbanspoon

Brewsters Brewing Company & Restaurant

11 McKenzie Towne Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 243-2739