Snack – Page 14 – Elsie Hui

July 27, 2014

La Boulangerie – Calgary, Alberta

I still really love bakeries and cafes and when we drove by Le Boulangerie I knew I wanted to try this place and enjoy my snack on it’s patio. So, we parked our car and paid a fortune for coming here. I should’ve parked further away and taken a stroll over, but that’s the price I pay sometimes!

This cafe is quite popular and it’s busy! Even at the odd hour that we went, it seemed like it was packed. The selection of goodies inside was huge, but we opted out for our favourites as its just a little snack. You can order things from their hot menu items or sandwich items as well as their bakery/pastry selection. I decided to have their Hazelnut Eclair which looked quite delicious. I was worried about it being too sweet, but it was very subtle. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste very fresh although it was tasty. I could only imagine how wonderful it would be if it was fresh!

The other thing we ordered was their Almond Croissant which didn’t look that appealing. It did have almond flavour but it too wasn’t very fresh. It was quite crispy on the outside but it wasn’t light and fluffy on the inside. I’m not sure what’s going on, besides thinking it wasn’t too fresh.. or I was just overly excited and being to hopeful.

On a positive note, our drinks were very delightful! I ordered a cup of Chai Tea Latte and it was really fragrant and delectable! It was really nice to enjoy a nice hot drink on a breezy summer day on the patio!

My husband also enjoyed his Hot Chocolate which was decadent and delicious! Our drinks really hit the spot and it was good!

Overall, I think if I do return, I will order something from their savoury menu where they have to prepare it – like their crepes! Now that I read other customers reviews, it looks like crepes are a popular thing here! So, I could be back for that and some hot drinks!

La Boulangerie

2435 4 St SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 984-9294

July 27, 2014July 27, 2014

Tea Funny – Calgary, Alberta

We were looking for a gathering place for a bunch of us friends to gather for a little snack and someone mentioned to us we should go to Tea Funny located right on Centre Street. Parking isn’t the most convenient, but we found some street parking and walked on over.

Once we were inside, we noticed that their menu system is on an ipad which makes it kind of easy to order and personalize what you want. The ipads were a little damaged but they have the ipads embedded into the table where it can easily be damaged as you put food on top of it, or you can accidentally spill your drinks onto it. It was a very neat concept and modern!

I didn’t actually get a picture of my drink, but I ordered their Milk Tea with nothing in it as I really like Hong Kong style milk tea, and for some strange reason I always think places that are like this would have it. The drinks are quite delicious and they come in a good sized cup. We ordered some snacks to share and we started off with Chicken Wings and those were quite good! Really nicely fried and seasoned!

We also ordered some Fried Squid tentacles which is a dish I’ve always loved. It wasn’t done poorly here so that’s very exciting, although it was not the most tender it was still tasty.

The last thing we ordered and shared was some Fried Udon with Beef which wasn’t a large dish, but it’s a snack place, so it made sense. The prices were a little high, but the food was quite decent and the atmosphere is quite nice.

Overall, we enjoyed this place and we’ll probably be back especially during weekends and evenings when parking will be easier to find. I’m not sure about the winter though when the sidewalks will be piled up with snow, but we’ll see when time comes.

Tea Funny

123-1323 Centre St NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 978-5888

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014

Skoki’s Waffle and Frozen Yogurt – Banff, AB

We were wandering around Banff, when we stumbled upon a new frozen yogurt place which was neat as we’ve been seeing a lot more of these places pop up. This particular one is called Skoki’s and it’s located right on Banff Ave, which is an optimal location!

Once you walk in, you walk along the left wall to the back where you pick up a cup or line up for a waffle bowl. The waffle bowls look pretty thin, but I wasn’t hungry so I opt’ed for just a normal bowl. As you walk along the wall, you come to the wall with all the frozen yogurts. Fill it up with as much or as little of your favourite flavours!

When you’re done picking your selection – you can go to the topping bar and load your cup with toppings! Then, you get your bowl weighted and paid.

Finally, you get to enjoy your custom created treat! The yogurt was really good and the topping selection was quite large. It definitely was a great little treat!

Skoki’s Waffle and Frozen Yogurt

109 Banff Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 985-2220

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014

Leo Burrito Tacos – Radium Hot Springs, BC

We didn’t know what to eat during out trip out to Radium, BC and we decided to eat at Leo Burrito Tacos just off of the highway. It’s really easy to find, but the parking lot is a little small.

I ate their Pork Taco which was sold individually and it’s pretty small. This taco basically has pulled pork, some salsa and pickled onion. The evening we went, they were out of pineapple salsa which was the one it’s suppose to come with – but I got mango salsa instead. It was a good taco and very fresh. The meat was tender and juicy.

As my taco was a little small, I ordered a side of Leo Gems which was basically tatertots. It looks like it comes in a small bowl, but there’s actually lots of Leo Gems hiding in the bowl! They were fried really nicely as it was still crispy when we got to the end.

My husband ordered the 12″ King Kong which was a giant burrito which had all my husbands favourites for a burrito: slow cooked beef, cheese and sour cream!

This trip, I went with my sister and her husband. My brother in law enjoyed a salad while my sister had a Suzy Q Burrito which was a good sized burrito stuffed with roasted bell peppers, mushrooms and guacamole!

Overall, this little restaurant was really quite good! It was relatively cheap, the portions was quite reasonable for burritos and Leo gems and the best thing was the food was extremely fresh and delicious! Another great thing about here is their opened late!

Leo Burrito Tacos

4951 Hwy 93
Radium Hot Springs, BC
(778) 527-4999

July 9, 2014

Vic’s Hong Kong Style BBQ & Cafe – Calgary, AB

I really enjoy simple Hong Kong style breakfasts and lunches and Vic’s Hong Kong Style BBQ & Cafe is in the old location of Happy Valley Restaurant, which is on the top floor of this building.

They have newly renovated the place so it looks simple, masculine and clean actually! It’s very comfortable and you still get the Hong Kong style ambiance.

This visit, we went quite late for breakfast and yet too early for lunch… so we just ordered whatever we felt like. I ordered one of my favorites which is with preserved vegetables (zha choy) with pork in rice vermicelli! I have always loved this dish and I ordered it – and loved it!

My husband ordered what he loves most – which was stuff from the BBQ, where he picked roasted duck with roasted pork belly over rice. It’s normally called a 2-item combo from here. The BBQ wasn’t the best but its’ always a delicious treat to have anything from the Chinese BBQ! Overall, he inahaled his dish as I inhaled my bowl. We loved it!

We have actually been back a few times since this place opened. The food is decent and the prices are really good. It’s a Chinese place, so we got the Chinese service! It was a good time!

Vic’s Hong Kong Style BBQ & Cafe

100D 3 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 237-7321