Bear Hungry

Essence of Saigon Garden

I haven’t been to Essence of Saigon Garden for a really long time because my sister is a huge fan of Vietnamese Beef Stew Noodle House in the same strip mall area. The place was full today (not hard at all considering there are only 4 tables!) so my family decided to give Essence of Saigon Garden a try. We had gone walking/running at Edworthy Park and were famished!

I remember eating here a lot in high school and always ordering the XL-sized pho because each size was only 50 cents more than the previous one!  I’m not sure if the management has changed but the menu has for sure. The pho noodle soups only come in regular and large now. Well, enough reminiscing and onto the food!

Guava Juice $2.50
Refreshing and slightly pulpy! This was so welcoming after running for an hour in the sun. 

Saigon Spring Rolls (4 rolls total, my mom ate one super quickly!)These came out piping hot! The outside was crispy and not greasy at all. Good amount of filling too.

Essence of Saigon Garden Special Pho (large size)
My dad got this one. Toward the end of this meal he commented on how much meat was still remaining, which is always a good thing!  (This shows that Essence of Saigon Garden doesn’t just increase the amount of noodles for the large size like some restaurants do.)

Sliced Rare Beef and Tendon Pho (regular size)

I didn’t really like the soup base in the beginning but it slowly grew on me. It tasted different from the clearer pho broths and reminded me a bit of Chinese beef noodle soups. There were many slices of beef and tendon which were delicious. I used to be really scared of beef fat and tendon as a kid but I guess their chewy texture is an acquired taste.

Does anybody else find that their taste buds are changing with age? Other items that I wouldn’t even touch before include bitter melon, eggplant, and brussel sprouts. I love them all now! Even my sense of smell seems to be changing, I could NOT stand the smell of lavender and rose water up into my late teens. Just goes to show, you should never say never to anything. So… where’s the best beef tendon dish in Calgary? :D

Essence of Saigon Garden
3604 52 Ave NW
(403) 210-4909

Koiji Restolounge

Wow, where do I begin. I finished writing this post at 2am only to have ALL the text suddenly disappear. Even the title was cleared but all the pictures remained! How does that even happen? If it was my own mistake then everything should have been deleted. I tried miserably to use the undo key but the disappearance was permanent. I felt so defeated that I didn’t even feel like rewriting the review another day. But then I got MAD. Who was Tumblr to come along and swiftly delete my writing like it didn’t even matter? I would rewrite the post in Google Drive. (Thank you for saving every little change!) Random deletions or not, there was a food review to be written and I was not going to bed until the task was done!

So here it is:

I’ve always trusted Urbanspoon to bring me to good eats and protect me from stomachaches. If you search “sushi”, Koiji Restolounge comes up as #95 out of the 96 results. It is currently sitting at a rating of 54%. That makes Koiji quite possibly one of the lowest rated restaurants I’ve dined at in Calgary. Not very reassuring, is it? Well, lucky ignorant me because I never looked it up.

A friend and I had originally planned on going to Pho Van for lunch. When we drove up and realized it was closed, he cheerfully piped up with “I think I saw a Japanese restaurant. Sushi okay?” Of course, sushi is always okay.

We walked in to an empty restaurant for Tuesday’s lunch hour. The lunch menu looked standard except for the burgers, Japanese burgers that is. They had a BBQ eel burger, a shrimp burger, and even a crispy fried oyster burger among others.

But alas, sushi always wins. Sorry, burgers.

Salad and Miso Soup
All the sushi lunch combos come with salad and miso soup. These were a great way to start the meal and open those tastebuds. The organic miso soup was slightly sweet with a good helping of kelp and a nice cube of tofu. The salad had a tangy vinaigrette dressing that was refreshing.

Sushi Combo (5pc deluxe nigiri and 2pc maki roll)
As soon as this plate was placed in front of me, I knew everything would be good. Just look at the beautiful lines on the seared albacore tuna belly! (Third from the left.)

from left to right: prawn, yellowtail, seared albacore tuna belly, seared Atlantic salmon, seared scallop, maki rolls

You could tell the sushi chef put careful thought into each nigiri with the toppings chosen. From the flying fish roe on top of the prawn to the crispy garlic flakes on the scallop, all the toppings added dimension and depth. The seared Atlantic salmon had mayo, salmon roe, and holy crap, is that shiso?! Shiso, or perilla, is a plant that is in the mint family. I first tried it when I moved to Japan and hated it so much that I meticulously picked it out every time. Needless to say, I grew to embrace it just as I let go of my inhibitions and developed a love of naked baths with strangers. (See: onsen) I loved the mixed flavour of shiso and salmon.

All the fish were extremely fresh and cut well. The star was hands down the seared albacore tuna. Seared to perfection, it had a warm exterior with a creamy and cool interior. It melted like butter in my mouth. The topping of daikon oroshi (grated radish) mixed with ponzu sauce and yuzu gosho was fresh and citrusy. (Go Kyushu! Yuzu gosho originated from Kyushu and consists of Chinese lemon, green chilli peppers, and salt.) Perfection.

The maki rolls were decent. Each roll had a smooth slice of mango that added a twist of flavour. Compared to the nigiri though, they never stood a chance. Deluxe nigiri indeed. I only wish there was less rice so I could taste the flavours of the fish more.

Sashimi Combo main
My friend ordered this and I didn’t get to try anything but I loved the presentation. From back to front and left to right: maki rolls, Atlantic salmon, flying fish roe, shrimp, mackerel, albacore tuna, and yellowtail. He devoured everything eagerly so it must have been good.

Dessert (part of the lunch combo)

I’m normally not a fan of strawberries unless it’s strawberry ice cream. I just find them too tart most of the time! The strawberry and orange here were sweet with just the right touch of tang so I was pleasantly surprised. The gooseberry on the other hand…

I took a closer look at the Urbanspoon reviews before I wrote this post. Most of the complaints stemmed from poor service. Our waiter was prompt and efficient. Other complaints were about the price. I’ve definitely been to other restaurants with similar pricing and lower quality food though. I have to say I’m quite puzzled as to why my experience was so different from most of the other users.

Perhaps Koiji Restolounge was overwhelmed with the Groupon deal? Maybe they just needed to hire new servers? Regardless, I can only write based on my own experience which was positive. I hope people will give them another chance because that tuna belly sure was delicious.

I can’t wait to go back and try one of their burgers! Is it wrong for me to immediately think of Mos Burger when I think of “Japanese burgers”?

Nah, I love Mos Burger.

Koiji Restolounge
40 Country Hills Landing NW
(403) 457-3738

Calgary Street Food Festival

It’s finally the day! I’ve been looking forward to the Calgary Street Food Festival for what seems like weeks. I’m originally from Taiwan and if you’ve been to Taiwan, you’ll know that it is street food heaven! Foodstyleaholic and I met after work and rushed to the Kingsland Farmer’s Market as fast as we could. 

Our first stop: Subs ‘n’ Bubbles

We arrived about half an hour after the festival started and there was already a long line for Subs ‘n’ Bubbles. I love the bright and cheerful monsters on their truck!

Blueberry and Coconut Bubble Tea $5 each
I honestly think I could drink bubble tea every day. With the huge varieties of flavors out there, you would never get bored. I liked the coconut bubble tea! It had a sweet but not overpowering coconut flavor with nice and chewy tapioca pearls! The blueberry flavor was a little weird, tasted a little watery - like pomegranate/blueberry juice? The pearls in the blueberry bubble tea were also softer but they did harden up a little after a while, maybe they were a new batch? 

Satay Beef and Mango Salad Rolls $5 for 2

These sounded so good that I had to try them but unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The salad rolls were a bit small and I couldn’t taste any Satay flavor. I tried using more of the dipping sauce but even that tasted a bit watered down. I really wanted to like this but just did not. 

Korean Beef Bulgogi Sub $5

I was really excited to try this! They also have a Butter Chicken Sub that sounds delicious as well. The beef was juicy and tender. As you can see, the sub was brimming with marinated carrots, radish, jalepeños, cilantro, and cucumber slices. The bread had a crunchy exterior and a soft interior- perfect! This sub was delicious and I can’t wait when I can try the Butter Chicken Sub! 

The wait time for our food was so long (I think about 25 to 30 minutes?) that we were worried if we lined up for another food truck, that we would miss all the other vendors. We made the decision to venture into the market for their specials. 

Our second stop: Primal Soup Company

Mac n Cheese slider with Creamy Tomato Basil Soup $5

Mac and cheese with smoked applewood cheddar and bacon marmalade panini grilled between a bun. This slider had a sweet flavor which was in contrast to the sharp and crisp tomato flavor in the soup. The Primal Soup Company makes all their soups from scratch and you can really taste the difference!

Our third stop: A Touch of India

Beef and Vegetable Samosa $1.75 each

The beef samosa seemed a bit dry with ground beef that fell apart in your mouth. (I’m not sure if this is how they are supposed to be though!) The vegetable samosa had mashed potato, peas, onion, and chilli. The filling was moist and hearty. 

Our fourth stop: photo bombing the mayor! 

Here is Mayor Nenshi talking to the owners of Primal Soup Company. 

And yours truly! 
Our fifth stop: Big Catch
Big Catch’s special for the festival was California Hand Cones. Love how the fake sushi display uses real seaweed, haha! I thought it was cute. 

California Hand Rolls $5 each and Salmon Sashimi $7.50 for 5 piecesWhat can I say? Great food as usual. The crab meat in the hand rolls was fluffy and slightly sweet. Loved the salmon. Thanks again, guys! 

I really enjoyed all the food trucks and vendor specials available at the Calgary Street Food Festival. Even though we only ended up going to one food truck, haha. I thought we didn’t eat that much but I guess we did. Writing this post is making me hungry all over again!

On Splitting the Bill and Tipping

This is a topic I never thought I would write about but after two incorrect bills/tip amounts, it’s time for a little Math review! 

Say you go out and have lunch with a friend. After the bill comes, you look at what you ordered and add on the tax and tip 15%. You then put your cash on the tray. Your friend does not have cash and must pay by debit. Your friend takes the tray to the cashier and the cashier enters the remaining amount into the debit machine. Your friend pays the amount and tips 15% as well. 

You both leave the restaurant happily. But, the server only receives an 8% tip. WHAT? How did this happen?!

Let’s use some real numbers to see what happened here.

You order a grilled chicken sandwich for $7.99 and your friend orders an orange juice for $2.99 and a pasta salad for $8.99 -> The bill is for $19.97 before taxes and $20.97 after taxes. (using Alberta’s 5% G.S.T rate)

You put $7.99 into your smartphone’s calculator and calculate that it is $8.39 after tax. You then multiply that by 1.15 to calculate the total amount with a 15% tip. The total is $9.65! You decide to round up and put $9.70 on the tray. 

Your friend takes the tray to the cashier. The cashier sees that there is cash and subtracts $9.70 from the bill. $20.97 minus $9.70 gives us $11.27, so that is what is entered into the debit machine. Your friend presses OK to continue and is prompted to enter a tip. She decides to use the % amount to make things easier. She enters 15% for the tip amount and the total now becomes $12.96 ($11.27 multiplied by 1.15). She pays $12.96 and you both happily leave the restaurant. 

You both paid your bill and tipped 15%. Right? 

Except… you didn’t. 

The amount you paid, $9.70, plus what she paid, $12.96, is $22.66 total.

But if we take a look at the bill again, it was $20.97 total after tax. So how much did you really tip? 

$22.66 - $20.97 = $1.69 After subtracting the total, the two of you tipped $1.69… what percentage is this? 

$1.69 divided by $20.97 is a sad 0.08059… you only tipped 8%. 

What went wrong and where?

Let’s look at each person’s bill separately. 

Your total amount should be $7.99 + Tax + Tip. Assuming you tip on top of the tax, you can multiply 7.99 by 1.05 and then by 1.15, this gives you a total of $9.64. You paid $9.70 so you have paid the correct amount. 

Your friend’s total amount should be $2.99 + $8.99 + Tax + Tip. If you multiply (2.99 + 8.99) by 1.05 and then by 1.15, you get $14.47. This is what your friend should have paid. 

But she only paid $12.96! Your friend underpaid.

What happened was that by subtracting your total amount (including tip) from the combined bill total, your cashier used your tip to pay for part of your friend’s meal. 

So when your friend tips 15% on the debit machine, she is only tipping for the remaining amount (which is less than what your friend should pay already). 

The way around this problem?
1) Both people are paying by credit/debit
Ask your cashier to enter the items you ordered. You can then tip according to the % option. 

2) One is paying by cash and one is paying by credit/debit. 
The person paying by cash calculates their total amount including tax and tip.

a. The person paying by debit asks for the remaining amount on the bill, but tips by AMOUNT - a % of the WHOLE bill. 

or

b. The person paying by debit calculates his/her total amount including tax and tip and asks the cashier to enter that total amount into the machine. They then select $0 when prompted for a tip. 

Let’s rewind and try this again. 

Using method a. 
You pay $9.70 by cash. The remaining amount on the bill is $20.97 - $9.70 = 11.27

Your friend pays $11.27 plus the tip for the WHOLE bill ($20.97 x 0.15 = 3.15), her total is $14.42 through the debit machine.

$9.70 (your amount) + $14.42 (her amount) = $24.12

$24.12 (total paid) - $20.97 (bill total) = $3.15 tip which is exactly 15% ! 

Using method b. 
You pay $9.70 by cash. Your friend looks at her items to calculate her total amount. 

($2.99 + $8.99) * 1.05 = 12.58 after tax. Adding a 15% tip brings it to ($12.58) * 1.15 = $14.47 She asks the cashier to enter $14.50 into the machine and pays it without adding any tip in the machine. 

$9.70 (your amount) + $14.47 (her amount) = $24.17 total

$24.17 (total paid) - $20.97 (bill total) = $3.20 which is a 15.3% tip

The right total and tipping percentage = happy customers and servers. 

I personally think the easiest way is to never use the “remaining amount on bill” method and just figure out your own total including tax and tip. Everybody could use a little more math, right? And with even the oldest cell phones having calculators, there’s really no excuse!

And now you know why they glare at you after you have both “generously” tipped 15%. ;) 

Hope that explains things! Please feel free to comment below if I’ve made any incorrect calculations or if you have any further questions. 

I’m so glad I’ve put my Math major to a good use. 

What would you do?

What would you do for some food? 
Apparently, I would walk.

So it was a nice Sunday afternoon and the sun was starting to go down. It was about an hour and a half before Vietnamese Beef Stew Noodle House was going to close. Everybody in my house was out and the only way for me to get there would have been to take the bus. I looked up the bus schedules on Google Maps and realized it would be faster to walk. 

So I did. 

Google Maps led me down a ravine and then through a neighbourhood I had never been to. I thought I had reached the end of the line when I saw a long fence before me but this little exit led me to the intersection of John Laurie and Shaganappi. 

Here’s the ravine. And my thumb.
This is the exit.

Yes, I made it! With 20 minutes to spare I quickly ordered and paused Runkeeper. Sitting down at a restaurant never felt like such a relief. 

Charboiled Pork Banh Mi
Salad Rolls
 
The charboiled pork was quite flavorful and juicy but I found the baguette to be a little dry. It was crispy on the outside but not nice and soft on the inside like the ones you can get in Chinatown. I gobbled half of it up quickly anyways. 

The salad rolls were a bit boring. They only had shrim, pork, lettuce and noodles. Bean sprouts, basil leaves, and even ground up peanuts would have spiced these up! I ate all 6 pieces.

I didn’t have much time to rest after eating because the restaurant was already closing! I hurried to pay and got the remaining half of the banh mi to go.

Now it was time for the dreaded uphill return journey… but first, bubble tea!
Coconut Milk Tea with Pearls from Lazy Monkey!

This was pretty good: light but with a distinct coconut flavor. I do find that I am unable to finish milk teas this size now. Maybe because I’m becoming slightly lactose intolerant? The flavored green/black teas are no problem though!

With a milk tea in hand, I began my ascent home. Here is healthy me. Although I’m not sure how healthy I can be drinking a bubble tea full of sugar and carbs.

I met a cute dinosaur on the way.
The return journey was a lot slower not only because it was uphill but also because I was full. And trying to take artistic photos at intersections.
This is from the top of the hill. I really love the sky in Calgary, it’s so easy to take great photos at dusk and dawn!
I made it home just as it was really starting to get dark. Total exercise time and distance? 7.87 km in 1 hour and 40 minutes. (Not counting the time I sat down and ate.) 

7.87 km of walking for a Vietnamese sub, salad rolls, and bubble tea? A STEAL.

I easily convinced my sister to do the same a few days later. I’m just that persuasive. Or maybe the foodie gene runs in the family.

Muku Japanese Ramen

The porridge is: simmering. Not the best ramen I’ve had but not a bad place to satisfy your ramen cravings in Calgary. Muku has the potential to be a great ramen house if they improved their ramen toppings!

Oh hey look, I still exist. I spent half of February and a good part of March eating in San Francisco! The sad thing was as soon as I stepped on the plane, I realized I had forgotten my camera battery charger. So it was two months with my sad iPhone camera but a lot of good eats! 

I came back to Calgary in late March and immediately got sick. Fever and chills and nonstop coughing sick. It took almost three weeks for me to fully recover! But now I’m back and ready to eat! I managed to meet up with a friend before his souvenir expired (a box of Sakura flavoured mochi) and he decided on ramen for lunch.

I think I read a really bad review on Muku when it first opened and just never got around to checking it out for myself… well, years later, here I am! 

Tonkotsu Ramen $8.95 

I just couldn’t resist getting tonkotsu ramen when I saw it on the menu. Different regions in Japan have their own specialty ramen flavours and Kyushu’s specialty is tonkotsu, pork bone broth. I lived in Kagoshima (the most southern prefecture in Kyushu) for 3 years so I was really spoiled with the creamy tonkotsu ramen topped with Berkshire pork slices (a specialty of Kagoshima!). The broth at Muku was nice and fatty with a distinct pork flavour. The noodles were cooked to the perfect chewy consistency. The thin and lean pork slices were very disappointing though, they just felt dry and dense. The pork slices would have been a lot better if they were thicker with more fat!

Shoyu Ramen $8.95

This was my friends order so I only tasted the broth but it was nice and rich in miso flavour. The toppings looked a lot better than mine though! I love corn, bean sprouts and bamboo shoots so I wish those were included with the tonkotsu ramen as well. This had the same pork slices as my ramen so I’m thinking they were thin and dry as well. It’s such a shame because one of my favorite parts of eating ramen is the melt-in-your-mouth pork slices! 

Hmm.. maybe it’s time for a trip back to Kagoshima?

Muku Japanese Ramen
326 14th Street NW
(403) 283 - 6555

Lazy Monkey

The porridge is: sizzling hot! Authentic and delightful Taiwanese cafe. Highlights include Braised Pork with Pulled Chicken on Rice, Taiwanese fried chicken and Fried Corn! 

Finally, a proper post for Lazy Monkey! On a side note, I always call the place Funky Monkey by accident. R has even called it Lazy Banana before. I had always gone to Lazy Monkey for bubble tea or snacks only so I decided to try their meals. If you look at the menu, there are some new items that do not have English translations! I guess you’re out of luck if you can’t read Chinese… but I’ll tell you what they are. 

On the left: Black pepper beef strips on rice/noodles baked with cheese

On the right: Cream sauce shrimp/chicken on rice/noodles baked with cheese

You can also order fried chicken hearts and intestines if you’re feeling adventurous. It’s on the menu but only in Chinese! Hey, don’t knock them until you’ve tried them! 

Fried corn

These are always so addicting! The corn is deep fried with no batter and then seasoned with a mix of Taiwanese salt and pepper (And no, it doesn’t taste the same as regular salt and pepper), “five spice” powder, and white pepper. Yum!

Mango Slush and Passion Fruit Green Tea both with pearls

Sorry for the blurry picture. R had the mango slush and I got the passionfruit green tea. Lazy Monkey gives less tapioca pearls than other places but their prices are also slightly lower. You can get “double pearls” by adding 50 cents. Both of these drinks were pretty standard and refreshing. 

Crispy Chicken Leg Biantang(Bento in Chinese) 

Look at that chicken leg! I was really excited about the chicken as I’ve had the Taiwanese fried chicken at Lazy Monkey before it was so mouthwatering. Braised pork sauce is drizzled over the rice. Surprisingly, I didn’t like the chicken leg as much as I thought I would. It was very crispy but the skin was also slightly dry. Everything else was delicious with the braised pork on rice, the egg and the seaweed (the little “bow” you see above) being the highlight. Not surprising since they are all probably cooked in the same sauce! 

Lazy Monkey
3616 52 Ave NW
(403) 338-2123 

Vero Bistro

The porridge is: hot! Delicious fusion Italian cusine with great mains and specials. Can’t wait to try their tasting menu! 

This is a post from roughly a month ago but I never got around to posting it. C, S, foodstyleaholic and I decided to visit Vero on a Tuesday for their 5 for $5 appetizers and wine specials. However, it was freezing outside so I started with a pot of chamomile tea instead. This small pot was around $5. Just tasted like your regular chamomile tea. I would probably skip the tea list next time and go for the wine! 

A special appetizer of the day: Tomato bruschetta. $5 The kitchen added a 4th piece for us. Refreshing and slightly crunchy! 

Parmesan Frites with Housemade saffron lemon aioli $5 (right)
Organic Root Chips: Beet, Taro Root, Sweet Potato, Lotus Root $5 (left)

These were part of the 5 for $5 appetizer specials. The parmesan frites were fried to a perfect consistency, crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. They were good even without the aioli. 

The root chips were thin and crispy, with really strong flavours. I’m a big fan of vegetable chips so I really enjoyed these. I liked the beet chips the most. 

Vero’s Signature Steamed Wild Caught Sea Bass $33

This was C’s order. I tried a bit and quite liked it. The sea bas was tender and succulent. The lemon risotto underneath was rich and creamy. 

Pan Seared B.C Salmon $27

This was my order. The salmon was pan-seared to a crispy texture without losing the softness of the fish. There was a tang to this and I found it a bit spicy after a while. The tomato risotto also had a very strong flavour. Compared to the sea bass, I would have preferred the lighter flavours of the sea bass dish.

White Truffle Ravioli (Special Request)

Foodstyleaholic really wanted white truffle ravioli, but it was listed as an appetizer. We asked if they could make it a full size for us, and they did! I had a few pieces and thought they were really good albeit being a little hard at the edges for my taste. This may look like a small plate but those little ravioli bites are really filling!

Vero’s Signature Bouillabaisse $29

This was S’s order and when it came out I think we were all wondering why we didn’t order it. Look at that fat scallop! And the big mussels! This dish included scallops, mussels, clams, prawns, fish and calamari in a pernod tomato broth. I had a scallop and it was so soft! I’m definitely ordering this for myself next time!

After we paid, Chef Jenny came out to ask us what we thought of the meal. I really admire people who are passionate about their craft that way! Thanks for a great dinner, Vero Bistro!

Vero Bistro Moderne 
209 10 St SW (Kensington)
403-283-8988 

Snack post: Lazy Monkey

The porridge/bubble tea: is hot! I love this place! The most authentic Taiwanese fried chicken in town and great selection of drinks and snacks.

This is just a quick post! I have been to Lazy Monkey a few times and enjoyed almost all the items I’ve tried. Their Taiwanese fried chicken is the best I’ve had in Calgary and the braised pork rice is full of fatty goodness. 

This is original milk tea with grass jelly. It is a part of a series of 3 new drinks on their menu. The others are original milk tea with pudding and original milk tea with coffee jelly. I tried the pudding milk tea and didn’t like it unfortunately because the pudding tasted like it had been made from powder. This however, was delicious! The grass jelly flavour really balanced the sweetness of the milk tea. The only bad thing, as you can see, is that the jelly floats to the top and you won’t get any if you don’t aim your straw!

Next time, I’ll get a proper post going!