Dinner – Page 64 – Elsie Hui

September 18, 2011October 6, 2011

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I’ve been in search of the “best burger ever” status for my records and was introduced to Five Guys Burgers and Fries and with my hopes nice and high, knowing that all their ingredients were fresh, it couldn’t go wrong!

We sent in to Five Guys Burgers and quickly saw a long line up. It was on the weekends, but quite late in the afternoon. So, to my delight, I waited in line to order my burger.

I ordered a Regular Hamburger thinking it was the size of a normal hamburger. When I got my burger, it was 2 patties high, and I loaded it up with their condiments. I must say, it was a delicious burger, but some how, I’ve made burgers that was even tastier. So, I was unable to crown them “best burger ever” in my books. I’m almost looking for a place that can make a burger better than mine, and till this day, I haven’t found it.

I’m not saying their burgers are bad by any means. I sat there, and within 5 minutes, I gobbled down the entire burger.

We also had the Regular Bacon Cheeseburger thinking more “fat” would equal “more deliciousness”. It was true, this burger truly was more delicious, but not as good as my burgers.

Five Guys Burgers is a location I will be back – but after I’ve tried all other burger places, in search of the best burger ever! 🙂

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

#222 33 Heritage Meadows Way SE
Calgary, Alberta
(403) 252-3373

September 14, 2011May 11, 2019

Indian Edge – Kenilworth, England

Indian food in England is actually quite different than Indian food in Calgary. My brother-in-Law really wanted to take us for curry, and brought us to Indian Edge and I’m really glad he did. The food is so delicious, and it’s not all about spice, it’s about the flavours – which I appreciate! Here in Calgary, it’s almost a contest of how much spice you can eat, but not here – everything was really good, and the best part is, we didn’t have any stomach aches afterwards.

I ordered a Mango Lassi drink, which was done really nice here at Indian Edge. I’ve had a few experiences where it’s just pureed mangoes, and it’s really hard to slurp up a straw. The consistency is still thick enough that there is substance, and it’s not watered down. It’s by far my favourite one so far.

We started the evening with some Papadum, and when I tried it from Indian Edge, I actually said “it doesn’t taste burnt!”. I’m not sure why, but from all my previous experiences, I remembered a distinct burnt taste associated with it. So, I am glad we got some papadum, and that I tried them regardless of previous experiences. There were plenty of sauce options that came with the papadum, five of them, and I’m not sure what all of them where. I know that the one I enjoyed the most is the one most like fresh salsa!

Our main curry dishes, we ordered Mattar Paneer which was a dish of green peas and Indian cheese. It’s my least favourite from the dishes we ordered, but it was a good dish.

Not as tasty as the Lamb Jalfrezi which was the spiciest dish we ordered for the evening. The lamb was cooked until tender in a sauce with a combination of peppers, onions cooked medium with a Bangladeshi sauce.

We also ordered 2 chicken dishes, we got to try chicken tikka massala which was a creamy and tender chicken dish, with delicious sauce that was made of a tomato sauce with mild creamy coconut and almond sauce. The Chicken Tikka Massala was my favourite!

The other chicken dish that we tried was the chicken shashlik which wasn’t like the usual curries we eat, as this dish was not covered in sauce, but had fresh succulent dry roasted chicken pieces cooked in clay oven with sweet peppers,onions, tomatoes and spices – and was skewered like a kebab.

Last but not least, we ordered the Salmon tikka which pieces of salmon fillets, barbecued in tandoor in light tandoori fragrant spices. This was also a relatively dry dish, and very tasty. Large chucks of salmon and the spices was a wonderful combination.

To eat with the curry dishes, we ordered a variety of options – just to try different things! We ordered Basmati Pilau Rice, and the Mushroom Pilau Rice which was used as a vehicle to eat the curry! Both rices was really good, and it added another dimension to the curries. I think I enjoyed the normal Basmati Pilau rice more, but the mushroom pilau rice was a really close second!

We also ordered 2 types of naan, which I’ve never tried until now!! We tried the Keema Naan which was your typical naan filled with flavourful and delicious minced lamb. This was by far my favourite naan and I can eat it on it’s own! The other naan we had was Peshwari Naan which was a naan filled with coconut and fruits! I really enjoyed this as well, especially when I was indulging in a super spicy curry, it helps cut down the heat and adds sweetness! It is one of the most delicious naans, and I thought “garlic naan” was the best thing ever…

Overall, Indian Edge now sits on the top of my favourite list for Indian cuisine, which really isn’t too good. I can’t just go to Indian Edge next time I have a craving for curry. But, I still have my favourite locations in Calgary I can go to in the mean time!

Indian Edge

50 Warwick Road,
Kenilworth
(01926) 850100

September 13, 2011May 11, 2019

Marra’s Way Sushi Ltd – Canmore, Alberta

We were wanting sushi this one evening from Canmore, and even though this wasn’t the original location we were looking for, I’m happy we stopped to experienced Marra’s Way Sushi, located just off the main street in downtown Canmore.

We tried many types of sushi, from specialty sushi such as three sister, smoked salmon and spicy shrimp salad, all which were really good. I really liked the fact they used a local attraction to make the “three sisters sushi”, which really was quite tasty. I believe it was salmon, shrimp and tuna, which made a very good “sample sushi” plate. The smoked salmon was quite fresh, and I actually didn’t get a lot of smoked salmon flavour – maybe there was too much rice, or too little smoked salmon… or even the pretty pink wrap took flavour away. It was still really good, even if it was just a plain salmon roll, the quality of the fish was there.

Of course, our usual suspects as well surf clam, inari, and gyoza with Green Tea and Miso Soup to drink! The gyoza was actually quite disappointing for me, and it came deep fried without stating that on the menu. It was not only fried to a crisp, which is good, but the flavour of the pork filling was just tasteless, so it was a bad note to end with. Regardless, I think I will be back (just not for the gyoza’s), especially if I’m looking for a “fast food sushi”! Very fast, convenient, delicious and cost effective! Each plate of sushi was on a coloured plate, and with the colour, it had a price (Orange plate = $2.40, Blue Plate = $3.99, and White Plate = $5.99)

Marra’s Way Sushi Ltd.

637 10 St
Canmore, AB
(403) 609-0479

September 12, 2011May 11, 2019

Muku Japanese Ramen – Calgary Alberta

I’ve always loved Japanese noodles and ramen, and when I heard about Muku Japanese Ramen, it bumped a lot of places down on my “to-go” list. I was sick and exhausted and I just wanted a fantastic bowl of noodles. I think I got my hopes way up as we entered the parking lot, I couldn’t stop smiling. Well, unfortunately, that smile quickly turned flat for confusion, and then upside down.

The menu was great, it offered a lot of options and different types of ramen from different regions of Japan. Seeing the menu so specialized, I figured it didn’t matter what I ordered, it’s gotta be good. So, we got a little appetizer and we ordered the Shrimp Dumpling, which really was as it stated on the menu “steamed shrimp dumpling” which is what the Chinese has for dim sum… but here at Muku, they lacked flavour. It was really bland, and I had to add hot sauce to the dipping sauce it came with.

I tried the Shoyu Ramen and from the menu, it says it’s from the Tokyo region, with ramen cooked in chicken broth soup with a soybase sauce. The Shoyu ramen was topped with sliced chicken breast, green onions, bamboo shoots (menma), a tiny slice of Japanese fish cake (naruto) and a sheet of dried seaweed (nori). I must say, it was definitely prettier to the eye than to the taste buds. The noodles were under cooked, and there was a taste of

We also ordered the Koku-Miso Ninja Ramen mainly because it sounded cool! Who doesn’t want a bowl of ninja ramen? Well, this bowl had bbq pork, green onion, bean sprout, and corn, and the miso soup was quite different. It was yellow and much greasier.

Overall, I think someone would really have to drag me here for me to go again. I’ve heard of a few other Japanese noodles places in town that I’d love to try before returning. The prices weren’t terrible, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of flavour, and the texture of the noodles with a weird taste of the noodles, and the amount of grease in the soup just doesn’t attract me.

Muku Japanese Ramen

326 14 St NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 283-6555

August 25, 2011June 2, 2019

Holy Smoke Barbeque and Smoke Pit – Calgary, Alberta

I was recently introduced to Holy Smoke Barbeque and I have to say that I LOVE it! It’s delicious, and once you walk by the building, you can smell the meat being smoked! Outside of their washrooms is the wood that they use and it makes the “washroom area” smell great too!

I actually stuffed myself really full at Holy Smoke BBQ and it was worth it! I had a small Chopped Beef Brisket Sandwich with couple of ribs! It’s so neat here, they sell rib by the bone for only $1!! And, it’s fall off the bone tender, with the right amount of smokiness! I did use some sauce just to try, and I really liked their house sauce, so I used it to dip my ribs into the sauce.

The beef brisket sandwich was really tender and juicy, and I was actually a little worried when I first ordered it because I hate it most when it’s not tender enough to bite through. Here, it’s done to perfection. This is my favourite smoke house so far!!

We also ordered the Manwich Sandwich which was a combination of the beef brisket and the pulled pork, and this was a large sandwich! It’s topped with some coleslaw and a pickle, which adds not only a bit to the sandwich, but some acidity to balance the flavours. It’s a wonderful sandwich, and a must try if you’re hungry!

Overall, we definitely will return as I mentioned, it’s our favourite place for smoked meat right now!

Holy Smoke Barbecue and Smokepit

4640 Manhattan Rd SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 605-9365