Samba Brazilian Steakhouse – Mirage Las Vegas

I have never tried a Brazilian Grill before, but I’ve always wanted to. Where else better to try my first experience than in Las Vegas? We went to Samba Brazilian Steakhouse inside the Mirage Hotel and Casino. We were staying at the Mirage this evening, and we were extremely tired as this day was the day we arrived off the plane, and was up for many hours.

We wanted to try the “All You Can Eat”, but we just didn’t have that large of an appetite so we decided that we were going to get individual dishes. Inside that Samba was very fun, and right in the front was an open bbq, which was really exciting. The other tables around were filled with happiness and enthusiast as large skewers of food was arriving to their tables. We weren’t sad we weren’t apart of that, but it sure added to our experience!

Right after we ordered, a salad came to our table, which they called “Samba Salad“, which was as huge plate of lettuce – which they said was bottomless (even though one plate was plenty). The salad was a little over dressed, but was decent. There was quite a few brine olives which added texture and saltiness to the salad. Besides the olives, there was some chick peas in there too, which is really neat starter.

Instead of the typical bread basket that you normally get at the table, we got a basket of crackers, and it was really different. The warm buttery crackers was delicious on it’s own, but there was 2 dips that it came with. One was extremely garlicky, but a yummy roasted garlic sauce and the other was just olive oil sauce. There was a few pieces of bread, but I did enjoy the crackers the most with the garlic dip.

We started off with appetizers, and we decided to order their Beef Empanadas but Brazilian style. I’ve never tried empanadas Brazilian style as normally they’re more Mexican or Latin style. It was really good and looked really nice with a crispy pastry stuffed with tons of beef.

Right before the actual meal came, there was a bunch of sides that came alongside the table as well. We had delicious selection, but the thing that really stuck in my mind was the Fried Sweet Plantains as in the past when I tried plantains, it was actually disgusting and I didn’t finish them. Here, it was still really sweet, but the savoury side of the plantains really balanced out the side. I enjoyed it as it was a nice surprise.

Another side dish it came with was the Farofa Carrots which to be honest, I’m not too sure what it is. It’s kind of glazed carrots, and it’s not roasted. It was kind of sweet, and it was a simple side! Nothing good or bad about it.

Then, a green side dish would be the Creamed Spinach which was pretty good! It was creamy and you definitely got the spinach taste. It wasn’t too heavy so it was one of my favourite side dishes of the bunch.

The last side dish was simple, but needed. It was a bowl of Rice and Black Beans, and the rice helped soaked up some sauces from both the main dishes and it was delicious!

I ordered seafood, as I love seafood – I opted for Grouper which was a delicious fish, perfectly cooked, tender and juicy fish with tomatoes and ancho chili sauce. The portions was large enough, especially with all the sides. The sauce was overly salty, so I added my rice to it. It helped a bit, but it was still too salty. This dish was seriously good, and I would not have gotten this if I did All You Can Eat.

The last item we ordered was the Double Pork Chop with Spiced Apple Chutney and this was delectable! The apple chutney was delicious and beside it, there was some fresh apples. The pork chop was a little bit thin, but cooked really well. The apple chutney that topped the pork chop was the perfect combination for the pork! We really enjoyed this dish!

After this meal, we’re already thinking about other Brazilian places we could go to when we get home! It was such a fantastic experience and the food was so delicious. We would definitely be back if we were looking for lots of food and bbq’d!

Samba on Urbanspoon

Samba Brazilian Steakhouse

3400 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 791-7111

BLT Burger – Mirage Las Vegas

We arrived into Las Vegas early for one of our trips and we tried to check-in, however, the room they wanted to give to us wasn’t ready, so we decided to grab a quick bite in the hotel. We wandered for a short time before we found BLT Burger where we sat down for lunch.

It’s a cozy and intimate environment, yet casual. It’s a nice place, and the prices are quite reasonable considering we were eating at a famous resort on the Las Vegas strip. However, a cup of coffee seems way to marked up as there was a Starbucks across the way. A cup of coffee was $4, so I would suggest you leave your coffee craving until after you eat! I ordered the BLT Burger as it’s the name of the place – so my expectations was huge!

My burger was huge and delicious, it was a 7oz. Grilled CAB*, Double Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and BLT Burger Sauce. I have never tasted a piece of bacon the way the BLT Burger bacon was! It was like a smoked jerky, but it was tender and still juicy! I’m not sure how to explain it, but it was very memorable. I added a piece of cheese onto my BLT, which was the Pepper Jack cheese, and it really elevated the burger to a new level!

The other burger we ordered was the Lamb Tandoori burger and I have no words to describe this delicious contraction! It definitely tasted like lamb, and it was juicy and delicious, with a nice kick. It’s a messy burger, but the best burgers are messy!

Overall, it was a great dining experience, and there were no regrets walking into this restaurant! The service was good, the food was good, and the prices are still considered reasonable, even though a tad on the high side for what it is.

BLT Burger on Urbanspoon

BLT Burger – Mirage

3400 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 792-7888

Bellagio Tower Resort King

I’ve waited for a lot of years to stay at the luxiourious Bellagio Las Vegas, and we finally decided to stay there – just for 1 night (which I thought was a million times better than none!) We were greeted by friendly staff at the front desk to check us in, and as always, Bellagio was beautifully decorated and this time, it was for the festive holiday season!

When I first got to the room, I was greeted by the grand, and rather spacious foyer area that linked the door, to the room, to the bathroom. Tiled and light, it felt like I was transported to somewhere special – and expensive!

Bellagio Room Foyer

Just off the foyer was the grand bathroom, and I say grand because it’s huge! There’s only 1 bathroom in this suite, but definitely enough counter space and just space in general to spare! Once you turn to the bathroom, you’re greeted by 2 sinks with beautifully tiled marble floors. You can definitely take a while to absorb the beauty of this bathroom!

On the bathroom counter tops are lots of amenities and the scent of the products used are quite fragrant, yet light! It’s the perfect blend that they use, and their products actually feel really nice as well!

Bellagio Las Vegas Bathroom Amenities

My favourite part of this room is the large soaker tub, which is off to one side. It’s large, spacious and just a great way to wind down, or sooth tired achy feet from all the walking!

Last but not least in the bathroom would be the spacious stand up shower with glass walls, making it quite the experience for a shower! The seals were actually really good as no water was let out during the usage. There’s even a little ledge for you to use, but I must say – it’s pretty cold if you want to sit on it!

Now, moving on to the actual room, once you’re in the area, there’s a beautiful counter with a mini bar/fridge, completely stocked up for your convenience! I must say, the products are extremely expensive, as conveniences comes with a heavy price tag! Regardless, I didn’t indulge in anything like that as I didn’t spend too much time in the room.

The king bed was really plush and luxurious. It was very comfortable, and it was firm enough! A fabulous room and stay overall! The room was comfortable for bed, but be warn, crazy alarms do go off in the middle of the night and it’s loud! We timed the alarm, and it went off for 2 minutes before telling us “the cause of the alarm has been identified, and not an emergency” In the event it was, we lost at least 2 minuted to evacuate the building.

As we only stayed here for one night, the next morning, we packed up and made our way to Vdara, where there was a nice walkway to that resort, and I didn’t know it was there! Be aware there are 2 towers at the Bellagio, and they are not connected, but they can tell where you need to be by looking at the design of your key! Watch the walk-through of the room, and be prepared to be blown away!

I booked my Bellagio experience from Las Vegas Hotel Casino deals – be sure to check the site for deals!

Viet Thai Bistro – Calgary, Alberta

I love looking for little places to eat, especially ethnic food cuisine that I can go to on random lazy days! I’ve found Viet Thai Bistro just off 52nd Ave SE, and I must say, I really like eating here and I look forward to the next time I return.

We’ve dined here twice already, so I’ll put the 2 dining experiences together. The restaurant is a small and intimate place that offers a few tables and mostly caters to the take-out crowd. The prices here are amazing, and I loved their appetizers! I’ve tried their Coconut Shrimp which comes in a plate of 4 shrimps for $3.00, and the shrimps were quite fresh and fried to perfection!

Another appetizer that we tried is their Chicken Wings which comes in a plate of 10 wings, and the wings are perfectly fried. The actual wings doesn’t have much flavour, but they put sweet chili sauce on top which is delicious! They don’t put so much on such that the wings are soggy, and they don’t skimp out by keeping the wings lacking in flavour – so it’s a great balance they do for the wings!

Then, during our first visit, we had more Thai style food, and we loved it! We tried Kaprow Beef which is the Spicy Basil Beef with rice. This was delicious and spicier than I first anticipated! But, as I continued eating, it made me want to order more!

The other dish we tired was the Pad Siew which is made with wide rice noodles, and fried with beef and vegetables. Again, the plate of pad siew was really generous, and the noodles were delicious! Nothing was over cooked and everything was seasoned perfectly!

The last time we went, we tried their Vietnamese cuisine, and we ordered one of their popular dishes, the Beef Pho. The bowl of noodles was quite large, however, I did find the soup noodles was rather bland.

One of my favourite foods in the entire world is Vietnamese Submarines, and I ordered the grilled Lemongrass chicken submarine which unfortunately wasn’t to my expectation. There wasn’t a lot of chicken at all, and the bun was kind of burnt, but cold. It wasn’t bad, however, I’ve had better ones in the area. I’m sure I’ll still order one if I had the craving for a Vietnamese submarine though – they’re very convenient and at this price, it’s almost worth it!

Overall, we loved this place, and the prices are extremely fair – and in fact on the cheaper side, especially with the portion sizes! The flavours are amazing, and I think I like the Thai cuisine more than the Vietnamese cuisine from Viet Thai Bistro! Regardless, I know I will be back, and probably become one of their regulars!

Viet Thai Bistro

Suite 511-15566 McIvor Blvd SE
Calgary, AB T2Z
(403) 453-2222

Aroma Restaurant – Authentic Mexican Cuisine – Canmore

Breakfast time can be tricky in Canmore to find a place to eat – and this time, we found ourselves in a Mexican restaurant called Aroma Restaurant which is just at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 8th Street (Main Street) in Canmore. With extensive hours, Aroma makes it easy for you to casually pop in for any meal of the day!

We went in and I quickly ordered a Mexican Hot Chocolate which has now become one of my favourite drinks for hot chocolate! I already attempted to make one at home, and it’s not as good!

For breakfast, I ordered the Ham and Cheese Burrito which was fantastic! The ingredients used in this burrito was so fresh and the salsa was amazing!

We also ordered the Rancheros which is a breakfast with 2 fired eggs on a tortilla and black beans, then topped with ranchero tomato sauce!

We enjoyed our breakfast so much we actually asked for dessert! What a neat treat – but we ordered a Mango Mousse which was a light cake with tons of mango flavour!

Overall, we really enjoyed our dining experience here, and it was a treat as I don’t usually go into a Mexican restaurant – as I thought it was a cuisine I don’t really enjoy… however, I think this maybe a new category I should start to explore as I loved my meal here!

Aroma on Urbanspoon

Aroma Restaurant – Authentic Mexican Cuisine

837 8 Street
Canmore, AB T1W 2B3
(403) 675-9913

Monday thru Friday
Breakfast & Lunch
10:30 a.m. to 3:30 PM

Saturday & Sunday
Breakfast – 8:00 a.m to 3:30 PM
Lunch – 13:30 a.m. to 3:30 PM

Daily
Dinner – 5:00 p.m to 10:00 PM