Sun Chiu Kee in Calgary

We recently went back to Sun Chiu Kee or Sun’s BBQ Restaurant after awhile now as there has been so many new places to try. Sun Chiu Kee is a place I’ve always enjoyed going to and it’s great to return for dinner, instead of lunch.

We ordered a Lamb Hot Pot which was on their winter special menu, deep fried tofu with salted egg yolk, abalone mushroom veggie.

The order of the Lamb Shank Hot Pot came in a large wok of bubbling broth with some lettuce on the side. The broth was quite delicious, and the vegetables in the soup included carrots, leeks, dried bean curd – which is the “skin” of tofu when they make the tofu, and used in a lot of Chinese cooking. There was a dipping sauce that came with this dish, which was fermented bean curd, and they added honey into it. I thought that was really nice, as I normally add sugar when I make it at home. This was a great dish that they have on their winter menu as it was really hot (in temperature), and the meat was cooked to perfection. It just warms you right up – especially when you put the soup in your bowl with your rice.

Sun Chiu Kee - Lamb Hot Pot

The next dish that we ordered was Deep Fried Tofu with Salted Egg Yolks, and it wasn’t as flavourful as it can be, as this recipe is one where you can add a lot of flavour. When they made it here, it only had subtle salted egg yolk flavours. Salted Egg Yolks is actually from what we called Salted Duck Egg and it’s a ducks egg that is preserved in brine (salt water) and when you see it in the store, it is normally covered with a dark black layer of what looks like dirt. To use this egg, simply scrape off the layer and then rinse it under water – and then you’d use the egg in your cooking. This preserved egg has a denser and firmer consistency, and it holds its shape. So, to make this dish, they basically take that egg yolk and mash it up – cook it down with butter until it’s a thick sauce like consistency…. and of course, you deep fry your tofu and toss it in the sauce. It’s a great dish, but this time had a serious lack of flavour.

Sun Chiu Kee - Deep Fried Tofu

The last dish we had was a veggie dish, we ordered Abalone Mushroom with Gai Lan, and we ordered this because we needed vegetables! Gai Lan is also called Chinese Broccoli but I think it has more “bitter” taste, but cooked properly, it’s quite good!

Sun Chiu Kee - Abalone Mushroom with Gai Lan

I’ve been to Sun’s BBQ Restaurant for a late night dinner, and my experience was pretty good with the food. Be sure to read about me going to Sun Chiu Kee for late dinner!

Fries & Dolls Food Truck in Calgary

I finally got to try Fries & Dolls as they came to Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary. I’ve always wanted to try them and I finally had the opportunity to. It’s wonderful and worth the wait! The wait was around 20-25 minutes from line up to satisfying my belly.

Because of their creativity, they have names for each of the types of fries and sweet potato fries they carry on their truck. The names of the sizes ranged from B Cup to D Cup which I think is a brilliant idea! On top of that, the fries are named after the dolls.

We ordered Marianne and Ginger which was Sweet Potato Fries – with Cajan spice. It was sweet and spicy which was a great combination! We had it with their chipotle sauce which was really a nice sauce for dipping.

A great added bonus with Fries & Dolls, they are environmentally conscience as well, as they use biodegradable cups for their fries and forks. It’s great seeing the movement slowly kicking in gear!

I enjoyed the experience, and best of all, I enjoyed the fries! I would definitely be returning when they’re in my area when I have time! 🙂

South St. Burger Co. – Calgary, Alberta

I’ve been to Cross Iron Mills a few times now, and I’ve always noticed a long line any time of day at South St. Burger Co so on this particular occasion during my visit, I craved and sat down for a burger.

We ordered a Hamburger Combo to share as it was kind of a snack. Our combo, we ordered it with a poutine instead of regular fries or onion rings. South St. Burger’s uses New York Fries for their sides, and says they are the best sides. I must say, I’ve never been a huge fan of New York fries for some reason, and this time didn’t make me change my mind either. The gravy was really salty, and it didn’t taste like any other brown gravy I’ve had… and even though the fries weren’t soggy and offered a nice crisp and soft on the inside – the poutine just didn’t satisfy me.

The hamburger I must say, I’m sure the beef patty was really delicious, but it was overwhelmed with all the toppings that they put on. They must’ve over-dressed it, as I tasted mostly the garlic mayo and mango chutney we added to our burger.

The toppings that the customer is able to choose from is extensive, with a huge array of everything! You’re able to pick your cheese, type of mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish and a sauce, plus the veggies you’d like on your burger. It is really nice you can personalize a burger, but as mentioned, I think they went a little over-board with loading on the toppings.

With it all said and done, it was a decent burger – not cheap, but it was good. It certainly didn’t seem like a beef burger though. So, in search of the perfect burger status – I’m still searching!

South St. Burger Co.

261055 CrossIron Blvd
(403) 274-3955

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I’ve been in search of the “best burger ever” status for my records and was introduced to Five Guys Burgers and Fries and with my hopes nice and high, knowing that all their ingredients were fresh, it couldn’t go wrong!

We sent in to Five Guys Burgers and quickly saw a long line up. It was on the weekends, but quite late in the afternoon. So, to my delight, I waited in line to order my burger.

I ordered a Regular Hamburger thinking it was the size of a normal hamburger. When I got my burger, it was 2 patties high, and I loaded it up with their condiments. I must say, it was a delicious burger, but some how, I’ve made burgers that was even tastier. So, I was unable to crown them “best burger ever” in my books. I’m almost looking for a place that can make a burger better than mine, and till this day, I haven’t found it.

I’m not saying their burgers are bad by any means. I sat there, and within 5 minutes, I gobbled down the entire burger.

We also had the Regular Bacon Cheeseburger thinking more “fat” would equal “more deliciousness”. It was true, this burger truly was more delicious, but not as good as my burgers.

Five Guys Burgers is a location I will be back – but after I’ve tried all other burger places, in search of the best burger ever! 🙂

  • Five Guys Burgers and Fries
  • Five Guys - Regular Bacon Cheeseburger
  • Five Guys - Regular Hamburger
  • Five Guys - Regular Hamburger
  • Five Guys - Fountain Drink Machine
  • Five Guys - Regular Drink

Five Guys Burgers and Fries on Urbanspoon

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

#222 33 Heritage Meadows Way SE
Calgary, Alberta
(403) 252-3373

Muku Japanese Ramen – Calgary Alberta

I’ve always loved Japanese noodles and ramen, and when I heard about Muku Japanese Ramen, it bumped a lot of places down on my “to-go” list. I was sick and exhausted and I just wanted a fantastic bowl of noodles. I think I got my hopes way up as we entered the parking lot, I couldn’t stop smiling. Well, unfortunately, that smile quickly turned flat for confusion, and then upside down.

The menu was great, it offered a lot of options and different types of ramen from different regions of Japan. Seeing the menu so specialized, I figured it didn’t matter what I ordered, it’s gotta be good. So, we got a little appetizer and we ordered the Shrimp Dumpling, which really was as it stated on the menu “steamed shrimp dumpling” which is what the Chinese has for dim sum… but here at Muku, they lacked flavour. It was really bland, and I had to add hot sauce to the dipping sauce it came with.

I tried the Shoyu Ramen and from the menu, it says it’s from the Tokyo region, with ramen cooked in chicken broth soup with a soybase sauce. The Shoyu ramen was topped with sliced chicken breast, green onions, bamboo shoots (menma), a tiny slice of Japanese fish cake (naruto) and a sheet of dried seaweed (nori). I must say, it was definitely prettier to the eye than to the taste buds. The noodles were under cooked, and there was a taste of

We also ordered the Koku-Miso Ninja Ramen mainly because it sounded cool! Who doesn’t want a bowl of ninja ramen? Well, this bowl had bbq pork, green onion, bean sprout, and corn, and the miso soup was quite different. It was yellow and much greasier.

Overall, I think someone would really have to drag me here for me to go again. I’ve heard of a few other Japanese noodles places in town that I’d love to try before returning. The prices weren’t terrible, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of flavour, and the texture of the noodles with a weird taste of the noodles, and the amount of grease in the soup just doesn’t attract me.

Muku Japanese Ramen

326 14 St NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 283-6555