Product Review – Page 76

June 10, 2013June 10, 2013

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt – South Trail Crossing

I truly love all sweet foods, and I have a special spot for cold sweet foods/snacks… so, this is something I crave all the time – which is kind of a bad thing! But, I’ve learned to just enjoy in small amounts, but lots of days! This Tutti Frutti location is the South Trail location just off 130th Ave SE and I think it’s a brilliant location with tons of young families, this will be the perfect place for everyone!

This Tutti Frutti location is rather spacious and bright – and it’s really quite nice. You start at the back of the store and begin by taking a cup, then filling it with your favourite frozen youghurt. From there, you can go to the toppings bar and then pay. You’ll find yourself near the door so you can easily take it to go or turn around and find a table to enjoy your newly created treat!

I took my treat to the nearest table I could find so I could dig in. On this visit, I opted for the Death by Chocolate Froyo and the Chai Tea flavours, topped with their mochi’s, cheesecake chunks and bobas!

My other half enjoyed a few flavours of his own too! He was in the fruit mood, so he picked Grape froyo and Mango Pineapple Sorbet, so both his flavours seemed lighter! He topped it similarly with mine with just the mochi and the bobas.

Overall, this is obviously a good place to be! On a cool night with rain in the forecast, the crowds just keep rolling in and out – constantly! You know on a bright sunny day, it will be packed! Since this is so addictive, I’m sure even during the heart of winter, you’ll find me and other froyo fans there!

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt

4307 130th Ave Unit 23 SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 460-2481

June 7, 2013

Li-Ao Sushi, Calgary

One of my co-workers told me Li Ao Sushi was a fantastic place to go to for sushi, and so I knew it was a must for me to try! Tucked away a little in the southwest (Bridlewood) strip plaza is this little restaurant! It’s not a huge place, but they do seem to change tables quickly. A lot of their customers were take out as well.

We sat down and was still looking at the menu, and the waiter gave us a plate of Deep Fried Tuna Gyozas which was compliments of the house! We looked at it funny at first, but when we bite into it, it was packed with flavour! It was no ordinary fried tuna gyoza, it was excellent!

We ordered a bowl of Miso Soup each, and it was standard – but at the same time, miso soup doesn’t get too fancy or different, so at least it was good!

For the sushi, of course I ordered a few sushi pieces which are my favourites, the Salmon and Tuna Sushi and those came together first on a plate with both of them. They were in huge pieces and the fish was very fresh!

After that, the next plate that came was my huge order of the Smoked Salmon Sushi as it’s a favourite of mine as well, and if it’s there, I’m ordering it!

We ordered some of their special rolls, and the first roll that came out was the Salmon Mango Roll which they didn’t really describe what it was – but it was a tempura shrimp with avocado roll topped with some cream cheese. Then piled high on top of that was salmon and mango. The mix was so delicious and almost refreshing! I did find there was a little too much cream cheese, but it didn’t stop me from finishing the roll!

The last roll we decided to order was the Female Dragon Roll and we really picked it because anything with the word “female” in the name has got to be awesome! 🙂 In honesty, it wasn’t as good as the salmon mango roll for me, but this was still good! I actually don’t remember what was inside, besides the ingredients that you do see… the tempura shrimp, with salmon and spicy mayo! I guess it just wasn’t that memorable for me.

Overall, the portion sizes here are huge! It’s definitely worth your time, money and effort to give this place a try! At the end of your visit, the owner will give the ladies in the restaurant a box of Pocky sticks too!

Li-Ao Sushi

#231, 2335 162 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 719-9668

June 1, 2013

MacKay’s Cochrane Ice Cream

I actually can’t believe I haven’t blogged about this little ice cream shop in Cochrane! It’s a place where I go once every few years as it’s a little out of the way – but I love! I recently was going through Cochrane, so we knew we would have to make a stop here at MacKay’s Cochrane Ice Cream. It’s located right in their old town on 1st Street, and it’s not really too hard to find, as there aren’t that many streets around! 🙂

This little ice cream store is always packed with customers, even in the winter – which really shows how amazing they truly are! There is a huge selection of flavours and you basically walk up to the counter and tell them what you want. They will then tally it up on a sheet, and you will use that sheet to pay with. While in line to pay, they prepare your order for you. It’s quite organized actually!

On this particular visit, I enjoyed their Chocolate Fudge Chunk in Waffle Cone which was truly a delight! A perfect treat any weekend!

Needless to say, I will be back, as it’s not my first time returning already! Sure, it’s not often, but I do make the effort when I’m out that way! Time after time, I’ve been impressed and left very satisfied. That’s how I know it’s money well spent!

MacKay’s Cochrane Ice Cream

220 1st Street W
Cochrane, AB
(403) 932-2455

May 25, 2013April 5, 2020

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

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

May 21, 2013May 21, 2013

BeaverTails – Banff Alberta

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about BeaverTails in Banff. Weirdly, every time I’ve made it to Banff, something happens – one thing or another, and I haven’t tried BeaverTails… until now! This little store front is located right on Banff Avenue and it’s easy to find as it’s often the one with a huge line up!

This little place offers tons of options that all sound good – from ice cream/gelato/sorbets to french fries/poutines and much much more! Of course, with the name being BeaverTails, I knew that was what I wanted! I decided to try an Apple Cinnamon BeaverTail which was a deep fried dough with butter brushed on it… dipped in their cinnamon sugar mixture then topped with Apples and their apple sauce (kind of like a warm jam).

If you love apple pie and cinnamon bread… then, this is your snack! It’s like a fast food apple pie kicked up a few notches and it’s fresh! There’s nothing you wouldn’t like about this! It’s not over sweet, it’s not too messy (if you keep it horizontal like a pizza). If you’re not into treats like this, then I think you will enjoy their frozen treats (it’s the next thing I’m going to try!)

As mentioned, I really love this place. I think it’s perfect for any season. When it’s cold out, you can enjoy a BeaverTail and when it’s hot out, you can enjoy a frozen treat… and everything in between! So, believe me, I will be back every time I go to Banff!

BeaverTails

120 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 760-0606