Canada – Page 35 – Elsie Hui

August 4, 2014August 5, 2014

Big Fish Dockside Seafood Restaurant – Calgary, AB

I was looking for an occasion to try Big Fish and really didn’t have one, but I wanted to go anyway – so we did. Located right on Edmonton Trail, you got street parking as an option. The restaurant is a little one, so it is best you make a reservation.

I really enjoy eating crab cakes, so I ordered their Crab and bay Shrimp Cakes so I ordered some and they were quite tasty. The taste and texture was really amazing, with the citrus aioli, it was a fantastic pairing.

Our other started was the Seafood Chowder which was quite hearty and filled with tons of seafood and flavour. I really liked it as it wasn’t rich or heavy, so it was a really good starter.

I ordered the Seafood Pot au Feu and it was interesting! It looked and smelled amazing and it actually tasted quite good, until I ate a piece of some fish that was in here and it left a terrible after taste in my mouth that I couldn’t get rid of for the rest of the night. I’m not even sure what it was, but I couldn’t finish the fish from there after – but I ate everything else!

My husband ordered the Pistachio crusted Artic Char and that tasted really amazing! There was enough pistachio on it that you knew what it was and it left a nice crust on the char! The portion was large and the char was perfectly prepared. It was pretty unique and amazing!

Overall, we had quite an amazing time! We think about returning for their oyster specials on Mondays and just to relax with those and some friends. So, we’ll be back to trying other things!

Big Fish Dockside

1112 Edmonton Trl NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 277-3403

July 31, 2014July 31, 2014

Green Bamboo Peking House – Pincher Creek, AB

Although we haven’t ventured much into the Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass area, we have started to venture in that direction more lately. We were looking for lunch one afternoon and found ourselves on Main Street of Pincher Creek – and we walked into the first restaurant after we parked – which turns out to be Green Bamboo Peking House which is a spacious restaurant that can seat many people, owned and ran by Chinese.

As standard Asians, we’d order tea. On this particular day, there was no smorg, but their buffet was a big one with many options! I’m sure we’ll be back one day to try it out! As this was just a lunch, we ordered a Wor Wonton to split and it was really good! Although it looks plain and empty, there’s a good portion of wontons in there and the soup base had a lot of taste, the vegetables were really fresh!

We also decided to order Singapore Style Noodles and it was packed with flavour with a good kick to it! The shrimp and bbq pork was really tasty and good portions of that as well. The noodles weren’t too greasy and it wasn’t all short pieces of rice noodles either.

Overall, we enjoyed it here. With sitting in the car for a long time, it didn’t make us feel sick as it wasn’t greasy. The dishes were well seasoned and there was actually a lot of customers at the odd time when we went! Hopefully their smorg is awesome!

Green Bamboo Peking House

757 Main Street
Pincher Creek, AB
(403) 627-5555

July 31, 2014July 31, 2014

The Coup – Calgary, Alberta

We went to The Coup for my sister-in-law’s birthday as this was a place she picked – which is great, I’ve never been here before! It’s a cute little place on 17th Avenue which caters to local & organic, and meat free!

We started our day with our drinks, where I ordered a Chocolate Chai and it was rather tasty. It’s not as spicy as I would like it, but it was a good blend.

I decided on ordering the Un-Traditional which turned out to be a plate of food that I actually liked quite a bit! It had scrambled eggs, toast, rosemary hashbrowns, king oyster mushroom bacon, smoked maple baked beans. I really enjoyed the rosemary hashbrowns, it was very tasty and quite different from other hashbrowns!

My husband had ordered the “un-baked” hippy split that was a mixture of granola with quinoa, banana, and hemp hearts made with almond milk. This bowl was actually quite tasty and really filling!

Our overall experience here was positive. It satisfied the meat lover in me and my husband – still leaving feeling satisfied and really full. It was a great place and now I know I can take my sister here when she visits as she’s vegan, it will be easier for her!

The Coup

924 17 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 541-1041

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014

Vimy’s Lounge and Grill – Waterton, Alberta

While our visit in Waterton, we decided to have breakfast at Vimy’s Lounge and Grill which was located in behind the hotel we were staying at.

I ordered the Vimy’s Breakfast which had 2 eggs, maple sausage with toast and hashbrowns. The links of sausages were excellent! Both my husband and I approved such wonderful sausages!

The other breakfast we ordered was their Eggs Benny Poutine which was poached eggs on hashbrowns, covered with cheese and hollandaise sauce.

The overall experience here was quite amazing! The scenery inside and out was amazing, with wild animals just outside the door. The food, service and price was extraordinary!

Vimy’s Lounge and Grill

101 Clematis Ave
Waterton, AB
(403) 859-2150

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