calgary – Page 20

August 11, 2014

Pho Anh Huyen Noodle House – Calgary, AB

We were off to another road trip when we figured we’d stop into Pho Anh Huyen for something to eat before we took off. The location isn’t hard to find, but it definitely has limited parking spots. Once you enter the door, it has a scent of “washrooms” which seems to have disappeared quickly.

We started off with Pork and Shrimp Salad Rolls and it’s not as good as my favourite place, but it was decent. The sauce they gave was primarily diluted peanut butter so I added some hot sauce into it to make it tastier for myself as I like the kick to it.

Then, I ordered a bowl of Beef Stew Noodle Soup as I had no idea what I wanted, and this was one of my husbands favourite… so if I didn’t like it, I can always trade with him! It turns out that this was really good, both the beef stew and the soup broth had tons of flavour and the noodles were really well cooked! It didn’t stick together yet it wasn’t soggy and breaking apart!

My husband ordered himself a bowl of Rare Beef with Brisket Noodle Soup and it was quite a different soup. As clear as the broth looked, it also had a really good flavour it the soup. The portions were large and they were really generous with the amount of meat given (in both bowls actually!)

Overall, the prices were average as other Vietnamese noodle houses. The food was decent although not the best we have had. Generous portions of both soup and meat which makes it a good deal!

Pho Anh Huyen Noodle House

1403 Centre St NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 276-3636

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014

Via Cibo – Calgary, Alberta

I was having one of those crazy days at work that left me feeling really tired and exhausted. Luckily on this day, we got to meet up some friends at Via Cibo which is located at Deerfoot Meadows in the Southeast.

Because of such a tiring day, I decided to order myself a nice cup of Latte which was not only presented beautifully, but it tasted really rich and creamy. It was quite perfect actually! Anything would have been perfect on a day like this, but this was beyond perfect!

We started with a bowl of Chef’s Soup which was a chicken egg drop soup. It looked really greasy but it didn’t taste like it – even though it was! This soup was made with chicken, chicken broth, carrots and celery – of course with the egg drop. It was quite flavourful and quite different from any other kind of soup I’ve had before.

As there was a bunch of us, we had 2 pizza’s ordered. The first pizza was their Margherita Pizza which was a vegetarian pizza with mozzarella, tomato and basil. It was a fine pizza with a fantastic crust! As simple as it looks it was jammed pack with flavours!

The other pizza that we devoured was their Via Caslinga Pizza with tomato, sausage, salami and cheese. It had a nice kick to it and it was delicious! The crust again was quite tasty with a nice texture and thickness to it.

As we’re in an Italian place, we couldn’t skip trying their pastas. I must say – they have excellent pasta and it exceeded my expectation! We ordered the Pomodoro with Meatballs and it was really something special. The texture of the pasta was fantastic, the meatballs were large, juicy and tasty. The overall dish was delicious and something I would order again!

Then, we actually made it to dessert round during the same visit! You would think we have been starving for weeks – but the food was too good, we couldn’t stop eating. One of the workers suggested we try their Zeppole which was Italian donuts with sugar coating and a chocolate filling. I do not need to say anything else. These were little bites of heaven!

And then, just in case you thought we had enough – we ordered some Fiasco Gelato also to share! We’ve had them in the past and they were awesome, and this day – same thing!! Nothing beats Italian ice cream!

Overall experience was beyond expectations. We ended up eating the entire restaurant before we left and loved it! I’m sure we’ll be back soon!

Via Cibo Deerfoot Meadows

7929 11th Street Unit# 2
AB T2H 0A7
403 253 9273

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

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 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