restaurant

in and around calgary

June 1, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!

PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.

I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!

From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!

Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.

They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.

Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!

Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

A Wireless Charging Station

Community Wall Mural

The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.

Veg-In YYC

Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!

Good Earth Coffee House

Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide. Congrats on your anniversary!

moderne sushi and bbq

February 19, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

Since moving to Chestermere over nine years ago, we have seen the city grow. We saw the food scene grow with the addition of a few pizza places, family restaurants, fast food joints and coffee shops. One thing that was missing though was sushi. Until now.

Moderne Sushi and BBQ opened last month, making all the sushi lovers ecstatic. I checked out the new restaurant a couple weeks ago with the kids and was so happy that I did.

Moderne is quite large taking up the whole space left behind by the Bargain Shop. It has been renovated into a very beautiful restaurant with great light fixtures and lots of seating.

For me, two things make a restaurant worth going back to – the service and the food. The service was incredible! The staff were super friendly and very accommodating, making sure that both kids were happy and comfortable.

The food was great! We tried the salmon and the scallops, both of which were fresh and delicious.

We tried a number of rolls and they were all good! The ingredients were fresh and the cooked items were perfect. Both kids ate very well.

Overall, I was very impressed with the restaurant. We didn’t try the Korean bbq that they offered but it gives us a good excuse to go back. This place is definitely worth checking out.

copycat p.f. chang’s mongolian beef

January 4, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

I love love love P. F. Chang’s. If there’s a city that I visit that has the restaurant, you can be sure that I will visit it at least once (maybe twice) while I’m there. I love the Asian dishes that they have and there really is something for everyone.

When I found this copycat recipe of P. F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef, I could not wait to try it! I am so thankful that Tiffany had it on her blog. It was easy to make and the sauce was soooo good. It was pretty close to the real thing. As mentioned on her blog, the recipe makes way more sauce than you need but it’s perfect for anything really. I still have some left over which I might use with some chicken.

Until I can get to P. F. Chang’s, this dish is delicious and satisfying!

Copycat P. F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef
From Creme de la Crumb

1 pound stir fry beef strips

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 TB corn starch
1 TB soya sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 TB oil

4 tsp oil
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 TB minced garlic
1 cup soya sauce
1 cup water
1 2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 TB corn starch
3 TB water

green onions
sesame seeds

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into a zip-lock back with beef strips, seal and chill 1 hour or overnight.

Drain marinade from zip-lock and set beef aside.

In a medium sauce pan combine sauce ingredients. Stir and heat over medium high heat until brown sugar has dissolved. While sauce is cooking, whisk together corn starch and water in a small bowl until corn starch is dissolved. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and stir in corn starch-water mixture. Allow sauce to thicken slightly, then remove from heat.

In a large pan or skillet, cook beef strips over medium high heat until cooked through (5-8 mins) turning strips over throughout to ensure even cooking, reduce heat to medium. add ½-1 cup of sauce. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

corbeaux bakehouse

January 17, 2015 By Fareen Leave a Comment

After seeing all the delicious pictures being posted on Instagram about Corbeaux Bakehouse, I couldn’t wait to check it out for myself. Located in the former Melrose, the space had been transformed and it looked like a little bit of Europe in Calgary.

We arrived early on Friday and were happy to be seated right away. I had a cup of hot chocolate while I decided on breakfast. There were a lot of choices!

We knew we had to try the bread so we shared the bread basket which contained a few varieties along with butter and jam. The bread was so good and comforting and way more than two people needed to eat.

I was happy to see the buratta on the menu and we definitely wanted to try that. The cheese was soft and paired well with the tomato jam that it was served with. The jam was our favourite, sweet with a kick of spice.

I opted for the duo of poached eggs with salt, pepper and gremolata. We also ordered some bakehouse potatoes to go with our eggs. The potatoes were cooked up in duck fat with some caramelized onions and green onions. They made the perfect accompaniment to the eggs.

We also indulged and ordered some hollandaise sauce for the eggs. Definitely worth the splurge!

Our very delicious and filling breakfast was finished off with brioche donuts with lemon curd which were served nice and warm.

Along with their sit down menu, Corbeaux offers a huge variety of pastries and cakes that you can enjoy. With his sweet tooth, I knew Q would love the almond croissant which he devoured after dinner.

It was a great morning and I can’t wait to go back to try out all their lunch and dinner offerings. Definitely a place worth checking out!