Sukiyaki

I found myself inside Bankers Hall in Calgary one really sunny afternoon. I found myself in the food court looking for food as I was hungry. I ended up at the Sukiyaki looking for a nice bowl of noodle soup. They had the Beef Noodle Soup on special, so I grabbed that! I had the choice if I wanted it spicy or not, and I opted for spicy as I was looking for bold flavours.

The noodles were really good actually, and the beef stew was quite tasty. But, it was a really greasy bowl of noodles, as there was a thick layer of oil on top. It was really interesting as it was a lot like the traditional Chinese Beef Stew Noodle soup, but theirs had a lemon in it. It did help kill the grease though. I remember coming here at least 2 years ago and it was really tasty! Maybe they were just having an off day? I’m not sure…

Overall, it wasn’t bad, as the flavours were there! I’m sure it’s a popular choice for a nice cold, snowy, winter day!

  • Sukiyaki - Bankers Hall Calgary
  • Sukiyaki - Bankers Hall Calgary
  • Sukiyaki - Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

Sukiyaki on Urbanspoon

Sukiyaki

Stephen Avenue
Bankers Hall
Calgary, AB
(403) 262-8164

Haru Sushi & Grill – Calgary, Alberta

Recently opened in McKenzie Towne is Haru Sushi & Grill and after I realized it was opened, I knew I had to try it sooner than later! So, soon it was!

The decoration was really modern, the chairs were big and comfortable, it was well light, and overall great ambiance! It is very clean, and no harsh edges anywhere, everything just flowed, which was a really nice design concept they had!

We ate lots at Haru Sushi – just to get a good sample. We’ll have to go back for other things such as teriyaki, or udon or things like that! I love soup noodles such as udon, so I’ll be there to at least try it out some other time!

We ordered gyoza’s to start with, and when they came, the skin was really thin and the meat filling was really well seasoned. These delicate gyozas was cooked/pan-fried to perfection! If I was to make it myself with skin so thin I’m sure I wont have much of the skin left as it would have been stuck to the bottom of my pan!

Afterwards, we had our Haru Platter which consisted of 4 salmon sushi, 4 tuna sushi, 4 shrimp (ebi) sushi, dynamite roll, and spicy crunchy tuna roll.

It also came with an assorted tempura which was a nice surprise! I didn’t read the menu, so I was shocked when we got tempura! The salmon, tuna and shrimp was really quite nice quality, and large portions as well! Both the salmon and tuna was a thick piece and quite large as it draped over a ball of rice really nicely!

To top it all off, just in case we weren’t full, we also had a order of Spicy Prawn Roll which was a huge plate of their special rolls. It was really good, and quite spicy from the Sriracha sauce. It was really nice and crispy and just a good choice for a special roll! It’s got prawn tempura and yam tempura wrapped with steamed prawn, avocado and tobico! It’s also got this crispy layer in it, which I think is backed wonton wrappers or something of that nature! It added a lovely crunch to the sushi roll.

This is a great place, and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for some good sushi in the South. It feels like there are still a few wrinkles they need to iron out as it’s still very new, but I’m sure it’ll become a great place! The service was pretty good, considering they were packed – even before 7pm, keeping in mind there weren’t THAT many tables inside. They were still able to accommodate everyone in a timely manner which was really good! At least the seafood was fresh, which is extremely important in a sushi restaurant!

HARU Sushi & Grill

150, 35 McKenzie Towne Ave. SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 457-5881

Cinnzeo – Bacon Roll

I was first introduced to even the concept of Bacon Cinnamon Buns from Cinnzeo from Twitter. I thought it was only available at the Calgary Stampede Grounds and to my excitement when I saw it at Southcentre‘s Cinnzeo, I knew I had to try this roll of goodness!

At a first glance, it looks just like a normal cinnamon bun but as you cut into it, you’ll notice large chunks of bacon scattered throughout the bun! It’s a wonderful idea that Cinnzeo came up with! You get the saltiness from the bacon, and the sweetness from the icing – it’s nicely balance!

I like anything bacon, and I especially like cinnamon buns from Cinnzeo, so this is a great marriage of 2 things I love most! I would recommend this to anyone who likes both bacon and cinnamon buns! 🙂

  • Cinnzeo - Bacon Roll
  • Cinnzeo - Bacon Roll
  • Cinnzeo - Bacon Roll
  • Cinnzeo - Bacon Roll
  • Cinnzeo - Bacon Roll

Cinnzeo Bakery and Cafe on Urbanspoon

Cinnzeo Bakery and Cafe

Southcentre Mall
Calgary, AB

deVille Luxury Coffee & Pastries – Calgary, Alberta

I was wanting a nice cup of coffee, and I’ve always recalled seeing a sign for Krups Cup of Excellence, and when I looked it up, deVille Luxury Coffee & Pastries was the 2010 recipient of this award! Knowing just that information alone, I knew I would have to go and try their coffees, and enjoy my favourite – foam art!

Located right at the intersection of 7th Ave, SW and Centre Street on the second floor gave this location really quite spectacular of a view! Depending where you sit, you can get a great view of the new Bow Building and the Calgary Tower! The hours for deVille claims they open from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. We went there after work one evening, and got there around 6:15pm. It was all fine and dandy, until I looked over at around 6:30pm, and the gates were already pulled. The barista actually closed the door on over 8 guests early!! Some potential customers even tried to ask her where would be the next closest coffee shop – and she actually sent them away! I was really disappointed in that type of customer service. For poor customer service, it made me not enjoy myself, so I do not think I will be back – as I don’t know if I travel all the way there to see the “CLOSED” sign up early.

Regardless, we did order our lattes before this early closing. I enjoyed a cup of Nutella Latte, which actually was quite delicious! The coffee wasn’t burnt or anything, and it did have a subtle taste of nutella. I did put in a pack of sugar into my coffee, and to my excitement, they use Cane Sugar instead of the usual. I really enjoyed my cup of nutella latte!

We also had a cup of Chocolate Latte and my better half really enjoyed it! He loves his coffee dark, and his chocolate dark, and this was a perfect marriage of the 2 for him! It was thick, yet creamy – so the coffees from deVille did satisfy us!

The prices of the coffee from deVille was very reasonable as well. For a downtown location, I would expect it to be much higher, and it’s setting is such an ideal location, it’s very modern and comfortable. It is quite a spectacular location for sure! I do recommend trying, but go early!

deVille Luxury Coffee & Pastries

807 1 St SW
Calgary, AB T2P1N3
(403) 263-0884

Thi Thi Vietnamese Submarine

I’ve been going to Thi Thi Vietnamese Submarine for about 11 years now, of course with about 7 years in between when we stopped going – as we weren’t going to Chinatown as much. We went back, and there’s still a line up outside — just as we remembered the good old days! It’s the same owner and his wife, and now with someone else as well. The line does seem to move faster, no matter how big of an order ahead of us placed. It is often that a representative from a company or something would put in a huge order of 10+ subs right in front of you! Everyone knows this is a great place to go if you’re willing to wait outside.

The prices are still very reasonable and competitive to other submarine locations, Vietnamese subs or not. I got my peppered chicken for $6.50, which seems less than I recalled, which is a good thing!

I had the Peppered Chicken which has always been my all time favourite from Thi Thi. Yes, the amount of chicken has seemed to reduce, and it’s not nearly as peppery as it use to be. But it still tastes wonderful!! The pickled carrots are really tasty unlike some other Vietnamese locations that seem to just use normal matchstick carrots. The sauce was really tasty, the meat was tender and juicy!

The subs from Thi Thi quite big and full of flavor!! The bun is toasted nicely, crispy on the outside, but still soft in the inside. The cheese is melted perfectly! I don’t know how they do it, but they sure mastered the art of Vietnamese submarines.

I think over so many years, this place hasn’t changed, and it’s a great thing! I will be back, and hopefully it won’t take me another 5 years to return! 🙂 This location is a take-out only location, and cash only! Such a small & great place!

Thi Thi Vietnamese Submarine

209 1st St SE
Calgary, AB T2G2G3
(403) 265-5452