Travel – Page 39 – Elsie Hui

October 30, 2014

Saltlik – Calgary, Alberta

We were in downtown one evening looking for something when we decided we’ll have dinner there as well. We found ourselves walking straight into Saltlik Steakhouse where we have been here about 10 years ago and figured we would try it again.

We ordered some starters, what they called Almost Famous Dry Ribs which were ribs with a spicy honey glaze. The sauce was absolutely delicious and although it wasn’t “dry”, it was still excellent ribs.

Since we knew we walked into a steakhouse, it would be foolish of us to not order steak. I had their Prime Sirloin with their soup of the day which was Beef Barley soup. The steak was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy with awesome char marks and great smoke flavour.

My husband ordered their Ribeye Steak with Rosemary butter on top. It was a great cut of steak and also cooked really well. Absolutely tender and juicy and seasoned to perfection. The butter was almost unnecessary! He ordered his meal with their fully stuffed baked potato which had perfectly crisp bacon on top which was the highlight of the potato!

Overall, a fantastic experience, a wonderful evening with great food, great atmosphere and great company! It was almost the perfect night! The prices was very reasonable and the top notch quality made it a great re-visit! It’s nice to know they are doing things right and still doing so great after 10 years (our first visit)

Saltlik Calgary

101 8 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 537-1160

October 30, 2014

Golden National Family Restaurant – Calgary, Alberta

I was really excited to see a new Chinese Restaurant pop up and it’s called Golden National which is a restaurant family owned and operated that began in High River. As we all know, I love small town Chinese/Western restaurants so I was really excited to come here and try it out – in the city!

We started with some Fried Chicken Wings which was really awesome! Although it seemed a little strange that both the middle piece and the drum was still attached together, it was really tasty! It was battered the perfect amount, fried nicely in clean oil to a perfect crisp, yet still juicy inside and then seasoned just enough for it to taste great but still have chicken flavour! My husband loved this and pretty much ate the entire dish.

We then ordered some Wor Wontons as it’s been a new trend that I do… I order it and see how much I like it. This one, I really loved. The soup was flavourful, the wontons was large and full of flavour. It was a generous portion and nothing to complain about.

Then, we ordered their Shanghai Noodle with Chicken, B.B.Q Pork, Shrimp and Szechuan Sauce which was a unique type of Shanghai noodles as those don’t normally have shrimp and it’s not normally spicy. This plate was delicious and no matter how spicy it got, we just kept eating it. It was addicting so we left absolutely stuffed and really satisfied.

Overall, the prices are really fair here with nice portion sizes and great food quality. Cleanliness and quality is important to them and I see great success if they keep it up! A special note, we ordered tea and they actually use really nice tea leaves – so fragrant and wonderful. The tea does cost $2/person which seems high, but it’s really nice tea. We’ll be returning and recommending this place to family and friends!

Golden National Family Restaurant

3 High Street SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 257-9777

October 26, 2014October 29, 2014

The Summit Cafe – Banff, Alberta

This is the cafe located on the top of Sulphur Mountain where you can either take their Gondola up to the top or you can hike the trail. This cafe is called The Summit Cafe and it’s pretty spacious in size with spectacular views. We’ve been here twice now and we love having their specialty coffee’s and just relaxing by the window, soaking in the views. The coffee is just from a hot chocolate machine but it’s really delicious.

We did order an order of Onion Rings which was fried when you order them. They smelled amazing and they tasted really good as well. Fresh, crispy and tasty! Not much more you need!

Overall, we’ve enjoyed our experience here and we’re thinking about coming up here more often. Our first hike up the mountain to the cafe was almost 4 hours as we took lots of breaks. This time, we took just under 2.5 hours which is amazing! Soon, we can get up the mountain, have some treat and make it back down in a nick of time!

The Summit Cafe – Sulphur Mountain

Mountain Avenue
Banff, AB
403-762-7486

October 26, 2014

Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House – Banff, Alberta

We’ve been wanting to try Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House for quite some time now as they’ve been here for over 30 years – it shows us they’re doing something right. Located right by the Clock Tower Mall, on the 2nd floor, they’ve got a good sized space for pizza!

One of my favourite pizza’s is the Hawaiian Pizza so I ordered myself a small pizza. It’s actually pretty big for it’s size, but probably right for it’s price. At $15.50, this pizza has lots of Canadian bacon and pineapple on it. It’s got a nice crust that is sturdy enough to hold the toppings without being thick or greasy. It’s a good pizza!

The last thing we enjoyed was their Oven Baked Lasagne which had thin lasagna pieces with a rich meaty homemade sauce, topped with cheese – and then baked in the oven. The garlic toast that it came with was absolutely delicious and I would probably order another slice of it if I didn’t have an entire pizza!

Overall, it was a great place to eat! The food was good, the pizza was decent and the pasta was terrific. The prices were a little high for what it was, but the quality of food made up for it. The service was quick and friendly.

Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House

112 Banff Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4022

October 25, 2014October 25, 2014

Evelyn’s Coffee Bar – Banff, Alberta

We were walking around along Banff Avenue when I decided I wanted to stop into a coffee shop and wanderied into Evelyn’s Coffee Bar right on Banff Avenue, north of Caribou Street. The location is really easy to find and the tables outside will help you find it!

This is a coffee company that seems to have re-branded itself or renamed it for whatever reason. But, on their own website, it’s now called Evelyn’s Coffee Bar. I went in and ordered their Pumpkin Spice Latte which is one of my favourite fall drinks. This one not only had a latte art but it smelled wonderful! I think I will order it extra hot next time, or I took too long before I started drinking it – it wasn’t too hot. It tasted great and it made me really happy.

We also ordered a Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Frappe which I thought my husband was silly – it was a relatively cool afternoon, but whatever he wanted. It tasted really chocolatey and delicious. The nice thing about this frappe was it wasn’t filled with ice so you’re able to enjoy a lot more of this drink.

I really enjoy this location as it’s busy, yet you’re able to find a table to sit and enjoy the drink. You never feel rushed or anything. It’s a great place to sit down and watch the world pass you as you’re right on the busy street of Banff.

Evelyn’s Coffee Bar

215 Banff Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-0352