Travel – Page 30 – Elsie Hui

January 5, 2015

Chili Island – Calgary, Alberta

This year for Christmas eve, we thought we were so smart and made reservations to a place that didn’t open. So, we were left on a scramble with a lot of other families looking for a place to eat! We found Chili Island that was opened, and luckily we found a good parking spot as it was busy!

We were seated right away and we were expecting service to be really slow as they were very busy with dine in customers as well as take out. They actually did an amazing job getting food to their hungry customers! We started with a soup, their Gar Tom Khars Soup which was their Thai Chicken and Mushroom soup with coconut milk. I like it because the coconut milk helps with the spiciness of Thai soups! It was delicious and extremely fragrant and flavourful!

Then, we got an order of their Peek Kai yod Sai which was Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings which was really quite shocking! The order had 4 wings which were super sized. The middle portion of the wing was deboned and stuffed with minced pork and other goodies, and then deep fried! It was amazing and gigantic and really quite spectacular as it was something we’ve never had before! I would highly recommend this dish/appetizer but make sure you come with a big appetite!

For the main entree, we shared an order of their Cantonese Chow Mein which is really nicely done! The fried noodles were crispy, using the thin egg noodles and topped with really fresh veggies and meat! The entire dish was cooked well, seasoned well, and priced well! We thought for sure we would have left overs for Christmas lunch, but everything tasted so good we decided to enjoy everything fresh. After you take these noodles home, it won’t be crispy, and we didn’t want it to go to waste!

Our overall experience for Chili Island was it was surprisingly delicious and not exactly overpriced for the food you get and the portions! We had a wonderful time and realized what an amazing job they did, even with such a large rush of customers! I am sure we will be back, with no hesitation!

Chili Island

4600 130 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 726-0733

January 5, 2015

Harvest Room at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Edmonton, Alberta

During our stay at the Fairmont Hotel Edmonton, we decided we would eat our breakfast there and then venture around Edmonton before taking off and starting the journey back to Calgary. We figured we’d grab our breakfast at the Harvest Room the restaurant on their main lobby.

We were seated immediately, and it’s a small dining room so we were shocked we beat the morning rush! We didn’t feel like having their buffet, so we decided we would order ala carte! We figured for sure we wanted to try their Jasper Ave Egg Croissant which was a croissant stuffed with bacon (although they called it grilled ham), fried eggs, cheese, and tomato. There was also some potatoes on the side which was absolutely delicious!

From there, we figured we’d order something sweet, so we settled for their Stuffed French Toast which was my favourite! Tt was a brioche bread stuffed with mascarpone cheese and blueberries, and it had a side of sausage which had lots of links – which was amazing!

Overall, this was a fantastic breakfast. Everything was made fresh so it was hot and tasty and it looked beautiful! We enjoyed our time in this dining room!

Harvest Room – Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

10065 100 St
Edmonton, AB
(780) 424-5181

December 29, 2014

Tres Carnales Taqueria – Edmonton, Alberta

We were thinking about a quick and simple dinner when we stumbled into Tres Carnales Taqueria which we’ve heard of by Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here”, and like always, John Catucci’s recommendations haven’t failed us yet! We love this place!

We started our meal with their Sopa de Tortilla which is a soup I enjoy making myself! It’s really fresh and awesome here and their chips are deep fried which makes them extra crispy and extra delicious! We enjoyed it thoroughly as they hit it with some lime juice, guacamole and sour cream!

We then ordered some food to share where we picked their Quesadilla Carne con Chile which was magnificent! Once you bite into the quesadilla, the delicious beef that was tender with the melty cheese – this was our favourite for the evening!

We also ordered an order of their Tacos de Pollo which was little tacos with chicken in it! It was really tasty and their tortillas were really tasty and something different!

Overall, we were really glad we decided we wanted to stop in here for our dinner! It’s lighter than what we could have had and it was so tasty! It was a bit on the costlier side, but the quality, freshness and passion really made up for it!

Tres Carnales Taqueria

10119 100A Street
Edmonton, AB
(780) 429-0911

December 29, 2014December 29, 2014

Zenari’s – Edmonton, Alberta

I was in downtown Edmonton one morning and thought I needed some sugar for breakfast. I walked by Zenari’s a few times before I just wandered inside to order some food! This little place is located right across from Holt Renfrew on the main level. It’s pretty easy to find!

I decided I was going to eat cake for breakfast, so I got myself a piece of their Carrot Cake which came in a large slice. It wasn’t cheap, but it was a decent size! The cake was pretty delicious with the perfect amount of cream cheese icing!

Then, to complete my meal, I got myself a Mocha which seems to be the perfect coffee break meal that I turned into a breakfast! The mocha was good, although not different from anywhere else – so it was just costly!

Overall, a neat dining experience! It was quick and simple and I can see lunch rush being extraordinary! The prices are slightly high for a coffee place treat but quite reasonable if you were stopping in for lunch and have pasta, sandwiches, etc!

Zenari’s

10180 101 St NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 423-5409

December 29, 2014December 29, 2014

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Edmonton, Alberta

I love historic hotels and Fairmont has a bunch of them that are spectacular! We got to stay overnight at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in their standard room which they call Fairmont Room. It was a decent room, it’s not huge but it’s comfortable. The lobby wasn’t large, but they do have the pool/spa facilities on the lower floor which is like an extension of their lobby.

Once into the room, it wasn’t very big and it’s definitely got everything you need! There’s the bathroom the the left and a closet with tons of space including an in-room safe in the closet. The bathroom wasn’t bad, there was plenty of space.

Our room had a queen bed in it and it overlook the bus Central Station which was extremely noisy. The view wasn’t bad at night as you can see some of the river – but if noise is an issue, this isn’t the view you’d like!

The overall feel and room was comfortable. The hotel staff was able to accommodate me checking in early and the hotel was great! The staff was friendly – but their valet staff did take longer than expected. At least twice we asked for our vehicle, they claimed it would be there about 15-20 minutes. We’d get down closer to half an hour and we’d still have to wait. So, make sure you leave yourself with enough time to retrieve your vehicle.

The hotel is located right by the river in downtown and it’s really convenient by foot and transit if you need to commute that way! It’s a great location and it’s safe both day and night.

The pool although we didn’t get to use, it was pretty large and looks like fun!

The video clip below is a room walk through of the room we stayed in:

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Edmonton

10065 100th Street
Edmonton, Alberta
780-424-5181