Product Review – Page 67

November 5, 2013November 5, 2013

Tropical Delight Noodles House – Calgary, Alberta

Nothing warms one up more than hot and spicy food – so on this cold Saturday afternoon, that’s what we wanted! We heard wonderful things about Tropical Delight Noodle House in the Northeast end of Calgary, located in a strip mall with very little parking. This place is worth seeking out though, so be patient with them as they’re quite popular and they’ve got really limited hours (Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5:30PM).

Once inside, there it wasn’t too bad as it looks like other customers didn’t want to venture out during a snowfall warning day — so we got seated quite quickly this time! I started by ordering one of their Red Bean Drinks, well, it was called that in Chinese, don’t remember their English name given, but it was actually really good! It was the perfect subtle amount of sweetness and even though it was cold outside, it was still a nice treat!

I knew what I wanted, I wanted their Laksa Noodle Soup which was hot, flavourful and delicious! It hit the perfect spot in my belly! This spicy bowl of soup had shrimp, tofu, egg, and fish ball with rice vermicelli, of course in their awesome soup!

We also ordered their 2 Item Combo which was suppose to come with a drink — and they never gave it to us. It wasn’t something we needed, so we actually just left without a word about it at the end, since I paid $5 for my drink, I felt like I had to finish it instead. Anyway, for this combo, we had rice with beef randang and curry chicken. It looks like Chinese beef stew with 2 pieces of curry chicken. Both were really delicious and filling too!

Overall, an excellent choice for a place to put on your to-go list if you like ethnic and spicy food. Not everything is spicy, even though I do recommend the laksa! The Beef Randang was extremely delicious and I know my husband would recommend that before the laksa! Well, there you go, you gotta go now and figure out if you like the soup or the rice more!

Tropical Delight Noodles House

4604 12 St NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 261-1811

November 2, 2013

Kilt & Caber Ale House – Calgary, Alberta

Every once in awhile, I have the need for some chicken wings and this time, I found myself on the patio of Kilt & Caber in McKenzie Towne. It’s not a hard location to find at all, and it’s a nice place!

We were seated outside (on a warn evening, of course) and it wasn’t bad! With a newly installed fireplace in the space, it was quite inviting! So, I ordered my drink of choice during this phase, my Virgin Caesar!

From there, we started with wings! We got Salt and Peppered Wings as it was during their wing night! The wings were really good, fried nicely and flavoured fully! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside… and it wasn’t meatless wings where it’s just skin and bones! So, we were very satisfied! The picture doesn’t show that it looks good, but we often don’t ask for the celery and carrot sticks when it’s a choice! Veggies isn’t something I eat if I have a choice!

I was trying to eat a little meal, so I ordered their Greek Wrap with soup, and it wasn’t a little meal at all! The wrap was made of their naan, stuffed with chicken, lettuce and cucumbers, and topped with their tzatziki sauce! It was a decent wrap, nothing extraordinary, but not bad either! The soup was their soup of the day, Cream of Broccoli and it was pretty good, and it seemed to be perfect for a chillier patio evening!

My husband ordered the strangest looking Sheppard’s Pie which was rectangular! Strangely, he ordered it with a salad as well, so it was just strange. The Sheppard’s pie tasted fine, but it didn’t seem like it was made fresh. It almost seemed like it was just defrosted and a giant bowl of brown gravy was poured on top. At least he ate the entire thing, but everything tastes better with gravy!

Overall, I think this is a great place for wings and drinks. Unless you’re looking for an average meal where nothing really matters, then it’s fine! I really enjoyed the wings, so I’m sure I’ll be back for those! It is an Ale house afterall! I’m not sure what I was thinking!

Kilt & Caber Ale House

53 High St SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 257-6297

November 2, 2013

E & W Family Restaurant – Three Hills, Alberta

For those who don’t actually know me… my name starts with an “E” and my husbands name starts with a “W”… so, when we drove by Three Hills and saw E&W Family Restaurant, we knew it was a place for us to try! This restaurant is located near the edge of the highway, and it’s family owned and ran by Chinese but of course caters to a more “Caucasian” crowd with “Chinese” food.

This restaurant had a dine-in menu as well as a buffet. We just figured we won’t be a pain and order from the menu as there was really good looking food sitting at the buffet – so we opt’ed for that option. The owners felt that they should make us some fresh food to top off the buffet, and they insisted to do so, which was really nice!

I enjoyed many servings and rounds of food. Even though I didn’t have pictures of everything, I know I started with an assortment of food that they did have out! A bit of each and I soon realized I fell in love with their Peppered Chicken, so I had more every time I went back! The owners made more as well, to fill the buffet… so I almost felt the need to finish it all! I failed at that challenge, but it was delicious anyway!

I then went back and forth for a bit, and found that I also really liked their Chow Mein so I had plates of that too! I love buffets as I eat tons of what I find that I like! The only problem here was that there was too much I liked… and it was a long drive home!

Overall, we went here with an empty stomach and left really really full! The owner was telling us about Dry Island Buffalo Jump which wasn’t too far from there, so that’s where we went next! What a neat stop here at Three Hills! I’m sure we’ll be back someday! The owner sold some pet fishes from his tank, and I already mentioned next time I go there, I’ll bring a pet fish home!

E & W Family Restaurant – Chinese Buffet

1011 2 St N
Three Hills, AB
(403) 443-2388

November 1, 2013

Caffe Artigiano – Calgary, Alberta

We were downtown running a few errands this one afternoon, and walked into Caffe Artigiano for a quick bite and some coffee! The cafe was beautiful on the outside and welcoming, so we walked in!

We had ordered a Latte which was not only made to perfection, but they topped it off with foam art. It was really rich, but luckily it wasn’t my cup!

I got to enjoy a cup of Chai Tea Latte which was really good here. It ranks on the top for one of my favourites, although not at the top, it’s still really high up there!

Then, we decided to grab a quick lunch as well, so we ordered their Cranberry Smoked Turkey Panini, or something like that… anyway, they heated up the panini and brought it to our table. It looked and smelled absolutely amazing, and I’m soo glad we ordered this! It had the perfect balance between sweet and savoury!

Our overall experience here was just top notch! The environment was great, service was really awesome, and the location is quite optimal! Best of all, their stuff tasted great! I’m sure when I’m in the area again, I’ll try to stop in for another delicious treat!

Caffe Artigiano
100-332 6 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 699-9855

October 31, 2013

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters – Calgary, Alberta

I was trying to be lazy and just have a nice cup of coffee. We figured we’d try Phil and Sebastian over at Marda Loop… so we drove all the way there for a cup of latte! It was a busy Saturday afternoon, so the wait was lengthy and there weren’t enough tables and chairs as most of the seating was taken up by people on their laptops.

We eventually found a spot near the front, by the window. I think it’s a winter syndrome when everyone’s got their winter gear out and it takes up a lot of room. So, you gotta get cozy in this busy cafe! At least everyone was friendly!

I just ordered a latte, it was pretty dark, but it’s okay! I love that they always do the foam art on top! It makes me think my drink tastes a million times better with it!

Overall, my experience was a positive one! I really enjoyed my latte, the area was awesome, and the people were great! I do like this location over their Chinook Centre location — even though Chinook does have covered parking and a mall!!

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters

2043 33 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 686-1221