Model Milk

What can I say about Model Milk? It is hands down my favourite restaurant in Calgary. Since opening in 2011 I have been there a number of times and the menu is different every single time. Sometimes I see an item that I want to try the next time I go there but it's already disappeared from the menu. I swear that's how they keep you coming back!!

Tonight's date night features:

WEATHERVANE SCALLOPS  XO Broth, Brassica Cracker, Prawn Salt

WILD PACIFIC SABLEFISH  Potato Crust, Clam and Pea Broth, Tokyo Turnips

WILD PACIFIC HALIBUT  Poached, Sesame and Soy Broth, Sidestripe Prawns

Just like before my taste buds were blown away!!!! I guess the trend for this evening was seafood in soup broths. First we started with Scallops in a XO broth and it was DELICIOUS, possibly the only way I ever want to eat scallops again. Then the mister had Sablefish while I dined on the Halibut. I'm a bit picky with fish cause I never know if it will be too fishy but halibut is usually a safe bet. Both fishes were perfectly cooked and moist. The pea broth that came with the sablefish was light and fresh tasting while the soy broth that accompanied my halibut was a bit heavier because of the butter base. The first couple bites were great but near the end the butter flavour was overpowering, not to fret the shitake mushrooms and raddish were a great change of flavour.

The only thing I don't like about this place is how dang popular it is. It is nearly impossible to get a decent reservation time at this place unless you are calling a week in advance and that's IF they even take your reservation. They usually don't take them at peak dinner hours (6pm-9pm) so you might have to try your luck with a walk in. If you are lucky you'll walk in just when another table is clearing up. And don't decline a seat at the kitchen bar. It's quite entertaining watching the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen. Plus you get to see all the food as it comes out allowing you to make mental notes of the items to try next time. :)

La Viena

The first time I tried La Viena was probably almost 10 years ago before I lived in Calgary. It completely blows my mind that not only has this restaurant lasted that long (there's a lot of turn around in Calgary) but also the food has been consistently the same after all these years.

I know I say it a lot but Italian "is one of my favourite cuisines" and the reason I love La Viena is because their dishes are a bit different from your average spaghetti and meatballs.  The owner and head chef at La Viena is Vietnamese and she brings a certain unico taste to her Italian dishes. La Vienna offers 35 different pastas, 35!!!! At least that's how many I counted  - there could be more. In addition to these 35 pasta dishes, there is pizza, seafood, specialty dishes, appetizers and so much more!! I've yet to try all the dishes but I'm determined!

The most well known dish at La Viena is actually not a pasta but the Lobster Bisque, a perfect blend of cream lobster goodness -- definitely the best I've tried in the city. Other notable appys are the Snails in Garlic Butter, Congac and Wine Sauce -- I drool just thinking of them. Unfortunately there is no picture as I hoovered them down as soon as they were set on the table. So take it from me you must order them, they are so tasty you don't even remember you are eating snails!! And don't forget to save some of your bread so you can dip it into the yummy wine sauce.

Onto the mains!! After our bellies were warmed with snails and lobster bisque, we moved on to our pasta dishes. I ordered the Penne Hawaii -- spicy Italian sausage, pineapples and chicken in a tomato sauce, while my other half ordered the Shrimp Gnocchi -- baby shrimp, baby scallops and peas in a cream sauce.

The servings are huge! We always forget how big they are and end up ordering our own dishes. My man is a trooper and finishes his plate every time but I always end up packing a large portion away for next day's lunch -- where it is equally as delicious.

Penne Hawaii

Seafood Gnocchi

Needless to say, we are always too full to try any desserts but we can't help but hop over to Amato Gelato. I know, I know. How?! How can I even think to eat gelato when I am stuff to the brim with all that carby goodness? Honestly, I don't know. But I'm sure glad I can :)

Today we had Black Forest and Pistachio / Hazelnut -- that's right, he got two scoups. O.O

Koreana BBQ Restaurant

One of my favourite Korean BBQ places is Koreana located in the South of Calgary.  Why do I like this place so much? The layout of the restaurant!! It's wide open with lots of ventilation and has private dinning areas seperated by screen doors. The first time I ate here was for my niece's bday and they were able to accomodate our family of 50 but also keep the party private with these versitle screen doors. So this place is great for large parties.

So now the the ambiant is taken care of, how is the food??? Superb! Tonight was a day of celebration since mama Pineapple has decided to move to Calgary. We decided to take her out for one of her favourite cuisines. We ordered the following.....

Budae Jiigae (Army Soup)

Yummy Side Dishes

Stone Rice Bowl (Bibimbap)

Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)

Beef Bulgogi

Stir Fried Potatoe Noodles (Japchae)

The food was excellent!!! The only thing I did not like was the cheese in the Budae Jiigae, but that was my own fault. If you are like me and are not a fan then remember to ask your server for no cheese. I mean I like cheese just as much as the next person but not in my soup.

The only down side is I would say Koreana is one of the pricer Korean BBQs since they do not offer all you can eat. We have tried a number of dishes on their menu and have been satisfied everytime. The only questionable items would be the Chinese and Japanese sections on their menu. Yes, this Korean restaurant serves Chinese and Japanese food, I would not call it authentic so I would not suggest ordering those items. If Chinese and Japanese is what you crave then stay tuned.... The Pineapple Princess is on it!!!!

Shibuya Izakaya

One of my fondest memories of Shibuya was when I came here on a Wednesday afternoon with a bunch of girl friends and by the end of the night we somehow ended up with 15 empty sake bottles on the table. How did they get there? I dunno. Hehe... :)

I love the food at Shibuya and the staff is very attentive, sometimes a little too attentive but it comes from a good place. I usually order the same dishes whenever I eat here: a miso soup, seaweed salad, a dozen oysters, beef tataki (THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD), salmon sashimi and 1 special roll. Dinner for 2 :)

Salmon Sashimi

Miso Soup

Seaweed Salad

I LOOOOOVE the oysters and beef tataki here. They serve their oysters with a ponzu sauce which is actually the same sauce they put on their tataki -- maybe I just love ponzu sauce. Hehe... The oysters are always fresh and the beef tataki is paper thin so you don't get too much of the raw beef flavour. The key is thin slices, I hate when I order beef tataki and it ends up being too thick.

$1.25 Oysters Mon-Thurs

Beef Tataki

Other notable dishes are the miso black cod, grilled squid, and these delicious curry potato croquette which I'm sure have a proper name that I can't remember at the moment.

On most occasions, when there's only the two of us, we don't order any sushi because I'm always too full from all the other dishes (there's just to many tasty ones to try!) but always try to get at least 1 roll. Recently, they have started doing specialty rolls which have changed every time I go there and they are definitely worth trying -- today, I tried the crispy cajun roll which actually turned out to be really good!

Special Roll

Crispy Cajun Roll

All in all, Shibuya is one of my favourite izakaya restaurants the food is tasty, the service is great, and they always play good music. Throwing a bottle of sake and you have yourself the perfect date night. :)

Sukiyaki at Misai

When I first stumbled upon Misai years ago, it was right after I came back from a trip to Japan where I discovered Japanese hot pot aka Sukiyaki!!  I got back to Calgary and couldn't stop thinking about this delicious dish and wondered if I would ever be able to have it again. I searched high and low, east and west and finally found Misai -- all-you-can-eat Sukiyaki! Disclaimer: Since then they no longer offer the all-you-can-eat option but the serving they have is more than enough for a 2 person date.

So years passed by and very recently I decided to stop by Misai once again for that delicious Japanese hot pot. Just like the first time, the server cooked the meal at our table: first he melted some butter in the pan then sautéed some onions and veggies and poured the soy sauce broth into the pan. We waited for the soup to boil and then we added some thinly sliced beef and, voila! yummy in my tummy!

Soup base cooked at the table

Check out the marble on this beef

More goodies for the pot

The sukiyaki experience this time was not as good as before. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious but it was different. As I had mentioned, it was no longer all-you-can-eat beef but instead they offer you other things to put into the pot. I like the traditional beef and cabbage combo but now you can add tofu, radish, squash and spinach -- more of the Chinese hot pot style. This is probably because the management has shifted since I first discovered this place.

We've tried some other items on the menu but I'm not a fan of their other dishes, I only go here for the hot pot dish. So if you are looking for good sushi I would recommend another place. 

Dim Sum @ Casa Imperial

Did you know that the Pineapple Princess is originally from Toronto? *boom* mind. blown. Yes, I am a Toronto ex-pat! I grew up there and indulged myself in many of the delicious eateries but didn't really appreciate them until I left Toronto. Now every time I come back for a visit I try to eat at as many places as I can hitting both my old favourites and trying out new places. On my last visit, I took a trip down memory lane to Casa Imperial. I discovered this place last summer and I keep going back for more. This trip was a family affair with my mom and brothers so we splurged a bit.

 

I remember driving by the building many times over the years but I didn't realize it was a restaurant until a friend took me there. I've noticed a couple of the dim sum restaurants have become more "high end" and British influenced, it's like having high tea with a side of pork dumplings!! Casa Imperial is one of these places and Crown Prince/Princess are a couple others -- also pretty good dim sum. The common decor in all these restaurants is extravagant chandeliers, marble wall coverings, finer dishes and flatware and the waiters are dressed in old school server uniforms. Ruffles and all!

But let's get down to the food, with all the showiness how does the food stack up??? On today's menu.....

Siu Mai

Har Gow

Egg Tarts

Abalone & Chicken Tarts

Chinese Donut wrapped with Rice Crepe

Rice Crepe with Shrimp and Scallions

BBQ Pork Bun

Deep Fried Taro Dumpling with Meat Filling

Xiao Long Bao aka Soup Dumplings

Beef Tripe with XO Sauce

The food was pretty good with the exception of the beef tripe. I usually LOVE tripe but I just wasn't feeling this dish. Maybe it was the XO flavour but the tripe was also way to chewy. One of my favourite dishes that is unique to this restaurant is the Abalone and Chicken Pie, these little tarts are sweet on the outside with a salty meat filling. This is actually the one dish that keeps me coming back!!

Shark Fin Soup Dumpling

Roasted Squab

Today we decided to splurge a little bit on our lunch and try out the roasted squab -- their "most well known dish" is what the server told us -- and shark fin soup dumpling -- one of my favourite dim sum dishes. The squab was tasty and moist and the soup was amazing!!! The dumpling was filled with shrimp, mushroom, scallop, shark fin and other goodies and there was even a big piece of shark fin in the soup. Add a little red vinegar and bam! -- soooooooooo delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not all restaurants have this dish so when I see it I always order it.

What a lovely lunch with the family -- until next time Toronto!!! xoxo

Salt and Pepper Mexican Restaurante (Bowness)

Authentic international cuisine of any kind is hard to find in Calgary. That’s why I get really excited when I stumble upon authentic places. They are usually smaller and don’t have the glitz and glam of the trendy fusion places which is fine because I’m there for the food anyways.  Not to say there is anything wrong with the trendy hotspots because I do enjoy those places as well.   

My favourite place for Mexican food? Salt and Pepper in Bowness. I’ve been to this location twice and once at the Macleod location but there’s just something about the Bowness location that made my dining experience more enjoyable. Was it soft mood lighting? Was it the smell of fresh spices? Or was it the wall of tequila? I’m not sure but it definitely leaves me wanting more.

Their menu consists of the regular flat bread staples: tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadilla, as well as a selection of seafood prepared and served with delicious Mexican spices and sauces.  It was date night and me and my S.O. started the evening off with fresh guacamole. The guacamole was delicious with the chips and the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top adds just a little bit of saltyness. We weren't able to finish the whole basket of chips and by the time our meals came we were already quite full.  Maybe we just aren’t big eaters.

Guacamole del Rey

Then came the main dishes. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with tomato and basil sauce -- the chicken is a bit spicy for me so I like the sauce to cool off my tongue -- you can also choose a bean sauce or mole sauce.  This dish also comes with rice and beans on the side. The first time we ate here I remember the servings being larger but this meal was still a relatively generous serving.  The stuffed peppers are also quite good.  I usually choose not to order them because it’s too much food for me but my other half loves them so I definitely recommend trying them.

Chicken Enchilada
(see the left over guac at the top of the photo? hehe...)

The food and atmosphere is not for everyone but if you love Mexican cuisine I definitely recommend this place. It's very family friendly so don't be shy to bring the whole family down, I believe there is also a modified children's menu if you ask the server. I have yet to try out their patio so that’s a must this summer!!

Song Huong Vietnamese Restaurant

Hey Everyone!! My name is Pineapple Princess! *Why Pineapple Princess?* I dunno, I don't particularly love pineapples but the name just came to me years ago and it just stuck. So I guess I’m here to tell you about all the fabulous places to eat in Calgary. So let's get started with one of my favourites: Song Huong Vietnamese Restaurant.

This hidden gem is located on 17 Avenue and 61 Street SE.  Though the trek may be long from any given place – it’s kinda on the edge of the city -- it is totally worth it!!! Amongst all their delicious goodies you'll find their most popular dish: Bun Bo Hue, a famous vermicelli soup dish from central Vietnam.  The taste is very different from the regular pho that you find at Vietnamese restaurants, it's a little bit sour, a little bit salty and a little bit spicy. The level of spiciness varies sometimes, I've gone on occasions where the soup is very spicy and some days it's not spicy at all. My kind of soup! Note, if you are not a fan of coagulated pork blood, simply tell your waitress "no pork blood".  I myself love the stuff :)

Bun Bo Hue (#1)

My regular order consists of the aforementioned Bun Bo Hue, Raw Beef Salad, and Spring Rolls. You might be turned off from the idea of eating raw beef but trust me it's a must!!! The dish consists of raw beef topped off with peanuts, thai basil, chilli peppers, fried shallots, fresh onions and lime juice with just a bit of fish sauce. The spring rolls are also something to try because they use rice paper which makes them extra crispy!

Raw Beef Salad (#60)

I try to hit this place at least once at month, it's usually packed on the weekends so expect a little bit of a wait or try to go before 11 am to avoid the "just rolled out of bed and I'm really hung over" crowd.