Snack – Page 10 – Elsie Hui

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 23, 2014

Pho Ao Sen – Oakland, California

We went for some Vietnamese while our visit to California and met up our family Pho Ao Sen and it’s located right on 12th Street. This restaurant is so busy and they have parking both beside the restaurant and across the street.

We started with the standard, some salad roll, which they call Goi Cuon- Spring Rolls, which looks really impressive! The taste was quite amazing as well, even their dipping sauce was pretty unique and very delicious! These huge salad rolls were stuffed with both shrimp and pork, and the standard stuff like vermicelli, mint, bean sprouts and lettuce.

We also got another standard appetizer, the Cha Gio- Egg Rolls which was the crispy/fried version of the Vietnamese Spring Roll. They call it an egg roll here, which is quite different from a Chinese Egg Roll, but a lot of people use these terms interchangeable. These Egg Rolls was a mixture of ground pork, shrimp, vegetables, cellophane noodles, and wrapped then fried to perfection. It was actually really tasty without the dipping sauce!

I was still fighting the tail end of my cold on this day, so I ordered a nice hot bowl of Pho Gai which is their Chicken pho. The bowl of noodles was huge and there was a huge amount of chicken. The broth was tasty!

Then, my husband ordered the Beef Stew soup, what they call Pho Hoac Mi Bo Kho which was really fragrant and flavourful. The soup was really quite thick though, it was unique and very different from the ones we have here! This bowl of soup and tons of everything which made it extraordinary delicious!

Overall, this place was pretty amazing! No wonder it’s a favourite of so many people! I’m sure we will be back some day!

Pho Ao Sen

1139 E. 12th Street
Oakland, CA
(510) 835-5588

November 17, 2014

Lungomare – Oakland, California

We decided to take a walk in and around Jack London Square where we decided we wanted to sit down and have an early lunch. We walked into Lungomare as there was a lot of people sitting on the patio – and we wanted to be there as well.

I really wanted a Hot Tea and they have a nice assortment of teas to choose from. They give you a nice tea pot for you to steep the tea to your liking. I got their Breakfast Blend which is pretty standard – but I was looking for something basic on this morning.

I ordered their Bagel Sandwich which was a bagel with house smoked salmon, eggs over well, cream cheese and other various toppings with a bed of potatoes on the side. It was really good and the house smoked salmon was fantastic! They do a lot of in house smoking according to the menu and I’m sure they’re all very tasty!

My husband got their Shrimp & Grits which was really seasoned quite well. The shrimp was huge and very tasty – excellent texture and cooked to perfection. He got a side of their house smoked bacon and that was magnificent! It was really nice, the texture was fantastic and it wasn’t overly salty!

Overall, we had a fantastic experience here and would return as service, atmosphere and food was all very good and memorable.

Lungomare – Jack London Square

One Broadway
Oakland, CA
(510) 444-7171

November 13, 2014

Peet’s Coffee & Tea – Piedmont, California

We found ourselves stopping for a quick coffee break on a beautiful afternoon at Peet’s Coffee & Tea right on Piedmont Avenue that crosses with Glen Avenue. It’s pretty easy to find if you’re strolling on Piedmont Avenue, and parking can be tricky – but there is street/meter parking available.

Once we entered the cafe, there was an advertisement for Cinnamon Hazelnut Latte and I knew immediately that it was the drink I really wanted to try. We got a small one of those and they did do a nice latte art on the top – although I squished the cup to make the art not so clear, the coffee was wonderful! You definately get the aroma and taste of cinnamon, hazelnut and coffee! It was a delightful latte!

We also ordered a holiday favourite of ours, the Peppermint Hot chocolate and this was really nice! Very chocolatey and very pepperminty! The hot chocolate was amazing and with that chocolate syrup swirl on the top, it added extra goodness to the drink!

We absolutely loved this little cafe and we know we will be back. We like spending time around this area for many reasons, and now this will be on the list of many!

Peet’s Coffee & Tea – Piedmont

4050 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA
(510) 655-3228

November 13, 2014November 13, 2014

Ici Ice Cream – Berkeley, California

We heard about an amazing ice cream place in Berkeley and although I am a little sick, I figured I’m going to have ice cream anyway! 🙂 We ventured and found Ici Ice Cream which is located right on College Avenue. They do have street parking along the sides, and be prepared to wait in line outside as the shop is a small one with tons of customers!

We decided to try their Pumpkin Caramel Swirl flavoured ice cream in a dish and it was amazing. It definitely tasted almost like a pumpkin pie and it almost seems like it can have the texture of a frozen pumpkin pie filling. It was amazing and very enjoyable. You get pieces of frozen caramel swirl within the ice cream so it’s a nice treat when you get some!

We also got the Vanilla Creme Brulee in their home made waffle cone! The cone was really different but it was really tasty. Definitely not too sweet at all, and it had a chocolate nugget at the bottom to stop ice cream from dripping down as it melts. The ice cream was amazing and there was pieces of the broken burnt sugar from the brulee which added nice texture to the ice cream!

We love local shops and stores and we have no problem waiting for a good one. This place was worth the wait! A great treat any day!

Ici Ice Cream

2948 College Ave
Berkeley, CA
(510) 665-6054