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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 on Urbanspoon

Li-Ao Sushi

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

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Beamers Coffee Bar – Canmore, Alberta

So we wandered off to the side streets just off of Main Street in Canmore, and found ourselves at a place our friends recommended to us called Beamers Coffee Bar. I wasn’t aware this was here, and yet they have another location right on Bow Valley Trail! 2 excellent locations and I’m glad I’ve now discovered this local favourite!

Once inside, there are tons of goodies in the fridge and the menu is quite extensive! We just settled for a little drink with no snacks even though there’s so much to choose from! We love this place and we love how their Beamers customers bring back pictures with their Beamers cups. It’s a fun thing and I remember we took an extra clean cup for us to add to their collection. However, we forget to bring it wherever we go…

We just settled for a flavoured latte and it was fantastic! It was perfectly roasted and the service was fantastic as well. The atmosphere added to our experience! I’ve had flavoured lattes before and it can get overly sweet too fast or under flavoured where you’d barely know you paid for a shot. Beamers gave us the perfect balance and I appreciate it!

Beamers is a great place for a quick bite or for catching up with family & friends! This will be a place I will return to for sure!

Beamers Coffee Bar on Urbanspoon

Beamers Coffee Bar

737 7 Ave
Canmore, AB
(403) 609-0111

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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 on Urbanspoon

BeaverTails

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

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Rimrock Resort Hotel Banff

I had the lovely opportunity to stay at night at the famous Rimrock Resort in Banff. It’s a beautiful resort that is tucked away from the tourist of Main Street Banff. I love how the resort is built into the side of the mountain and offers spectacular views all around! We stayed in their regular Standard Guest Rooms which was still spectacular! The room was quite large and spacious complete with working desk space, seating area, and mini fridge.

My favourite part about the room was the seating area, as it’s right by the windows – which where punched out so you can lots, close and in the distance! We didn’t have too much view as we were quite low at floor 3. The neat thing about this resort, the hotel lobby was on the 7th floor and it sometimes confuses me to go “UP” to the lobby!

I love hotels that offer king size beds, so I loved this bed! It was quite comfortable as well, and the blankets was the perfect thickness for the season. The thermostat was a little weird as you had to push the “up” or “down” button for awhile before it changes. If you set it higher than 22C, the heat stays on constantly and it’s a tad noisy so I had to turn it down a bit and grab the extra blanket as I like to be really warm.

The bathroom was nice, it was huge and had toilet paper on both sides of the toilet, so I guess it can please all guests! 🙂 I’m not sure, it was honestly a little weird! I love the huge counter top for me to put stuff on – and I don’t even have lots, but it’s just nice to spread out. Our room had the standard tub with a shower head. The tub is quite strange as it curves at the bottom, so there wasn’t too much “flat” standing space, but we made do with what we had.

This resort did use nice bathroom amenities, as they offered Pharmacopia amenities and they smelled really nice! They used their Verbena product line which lightly scented and it’s an all natural and organic product!

Overall, we loved our stay here at the Rimrock and glad we made a weekend trip with a stay here! Check out below for my room walk-through to see it all!

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Blondes Diner – Calgary 4th Street

The most wonderful meal for me is breakfast – and my favourite place to enjoy breakfasts are at diners. I love them, old style, new style or even no style! I first heard about Blondes Diner from watching TV actually… on Top Chef Canada, they have a chef that’s a contestant on the show. Right away, I knew I had to try this diner! The location of this diner is right on 4th street and I believe it use to be a Greek restaurant at this location. It’s easy to find and quite spacious inside. Parking is a little trickier, but that’s the area!

We went in on a Sunday, relatively late in the afternoon – for sure past noon. There was still a line up for a table which is a good sign! The service was casual, but it wasn’t slow! By the time we got to our table, our waitress came right away. It was a awful weather outside, so I decided to have a nice cup of Hot Chocolate which I enjoyed thoroughly! I wish it was a tad bigger because I was almost done my hot chocolate by the time my lunch got to the table. Well, maybe I was just enjoying it too much! 🙂

Looking around the restaurant, it was really clean and modern. There were seats with plastic chairs and some cozy chairs! I was fortunate enough to sit by the window in the cozy chairs! It was a really relaxing experience at Blondes, and that’s something I love!

I love coconut, and so when I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to try their Crispy Crepe which the menu describes it as coconut frangipane, seasonal compote, whipped creme fraiche! It turns out as a delicious thin crepe with shredded coconut filling inside, and topped with pineapple compote! Wow, this was such a delight to have and something I wouldn’t mind having again and again!

We didn’t know what else to order, and thankfully they had a delicious sounding featured breakfast! This breakfast was a hot beef sandwich with a side of chickpea salad. The hot beef was full of flavour and it sat on a nice thick toast with tons of gravy on top. The chickpea salad was so refreshing and would be an awesome side for a summers night!

Overall, we had a great time here! It was fun and exiting and a nice modern take on a diner and more upscale. With that said, it’s just a nice breakfast/brunch/lunch place instead of a diner! But, worth it was worth the visit!

Blondes Diner on Urbanspoon

Blondes Diner

2005 B 4th St SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 474-3867