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I just got back from lunch there today and was overall very impressed. They don’t have a huge variety of food with today’s offerings limited to a number of sandwiches and stuffed croissants, ranging between £3.5-£5. A toasted vegetarian sandwich with some brie/pumpkin and sweet chilli sauce went down a treat with a creamy flat white coffee.

Like their sister restaurant, Milk Bar has a couple of benches outside and with their wide awning makes it easy to sit outside, regardless of the rain beating down (though the wind might get you). Inside they have about ten or twelve tables in a dark, modern and sparse interior only decorated with a handful of small hangings.

The attendants were warm and courteous, telling us what they served and patient as we made up our minds. Most importantly, the coffee was extremely well made with the decorative leaf pattern drawn into the top with the rest of the creamy foam. A flat white sitting down costs £2.50 and they have different sizes with difference prices if you decide to have it to go.

I wonder how busy this places gets in the morning as I’m not confident they’d be much standing space for ordering and picking up coffees. Highly recommended for a great place and a decent coffee.

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This location of a chain of Thai restaurants welcomes people into its bright and airy surrounds. Although not being as busy as I would’ve expected a place so central for a Saturday night, small parties of people continued to constantly arrive throughout our stay.

The menu offers a very standard selection of Thai dishes, everything from the classic fried starters, soups, salads to the noodle, rice and curry dishes. We tried the mixed starters and for £9.95 it offers very good value with enough to actually be probably satisfy a light meal. The other dishes aren’t too expensive with most of the curries between £6-£8. Where they do get you though is the small bowl of rice at £1.80 per person.

Personally I was disappointed with the Pad Kee Mao (Thai drunken noodle) that, while typically spicy, seemed to have a bit of an off flavour from other places I’ve had it. Fortunately we had the Penang curry to offset it.

Most of the attendants gave us reasonable service - nothing too in your face, although we did have to ask for more water and the bill.

Thai Square is a reasonable place to go out and dine with a large group of people, though it’s probably not the best Thai I’ve had around town.

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One of the rituals I’ve developed since living in the UK is a Sunday bout of dim sum to catch up with my sister. I have my list of favourites, yet there is always room to try something new, and something new we did today. Hidden around a back, quiet side street of Baker Street tube station is Phoenix Palace, one of the more upmarket Chinese restaurants I compare to places like Royal China, or Princess Gardens. Upon entry, I was a little suspect of the place with the entire reception filled with anyone but Chinese people (not a great sign), and was relieved walking into the larger dining area in the back that it wasn’t just the latest in westernised dim sum restaurants.

Both standard and dim sum menus appear diverse, and even though wasn’t particularly thrilled by some of the prices on the dim sum menu, the interesting combinations of unique dishes definitely mean a repeat visit for dinner another time. Other than a listing of very standard dishes catering for both Chinese and non-Chinese tastes, they had a whole other section devoted to game meats with everything from ostrich, wild boar, kangaroo, springbok, hare and more. Some of those dishes with very exotic sauces, others just combining with a classic Chinese sauce. With our dim sum, we tried the pan fried kangaroo in black pepper and honey sauce (£14.80).

For dim sum, we indulged in our favourites as well as a few new twists including prawn dumpling with wasabi paste, garlic spare ribs with cheung fun and liquid gold custard buns. Overall prices in this place are much higher than other Chinese restaurants, and the serving size on the less generous scale. As you can see, the highly sought after BBQ pork buns are on the extremely small size. As you can see from the picture above, the wasabi-infused prawn dumplings really stick out with their iridescent green skins. Unfortunately they lacked the kick that I’ve had before with this variation (I think it has to do with the wasabi being over-steamed at some point)

Admittedly, my favourite dish of the day ended up being the kangaroo. It’s sauce was light enough not to be soaking into everything yet not thick that it coated everything too thickly. Its honey flavour did not have an overpowering sweetness you might expect typical of a Chinese restaurant with the tiny bits of pepper creating a good contrast with the kangaroo meat, and its very distinctive flavour. It also impressed me that a Chinese restaurant on the other side of the world can cook kangaroo in such a light delicate manner than biting off small mouthfuls was an easy affair - not an easy task with a meat that is easily overcooked to a leathery texture. Although I still question it’s value at that price, I would definitely recommend it again.

In contrast, the garlic spare ribs cheung fun was a staggering £5 for what ended up being a combination of two dim sum dishes without any extra effort. The garlic spare ribs seemingly poured over four small doughy cheung fun, that whilst fresh, easily could have been so much better and definitely not worth the hefty price.

We ended our meal with their special liquid gold custard buns, one that I had guessed would be steamed rather than baked. We ordered these at the end, unsure whether or not we could depend on the restaurant to keep it hot and served only at the end. Unfortunately that seemed to backfire a little and they took their sweet time getting it to the table (but at least it was fresh). At £1.80 per dumpling (that’s right, the two-bun dish costing £3.60), we treated each as its own little pot of gold. Unlike other custard buns, the insides were slightly runny though calling it liquid is a little bit extreme. Each bit also seemed to have a slightly scratchy texture as if the sugar in the custard had not completely melted. Not bad overall though.

The total damage came to a startling £42.20 (when we normally spend about £25), something that we guessed by ordering so many unique dishes. Service remained decent throughout the meal, although I definitely wouldn’t say that it exceptional service. I wouldn’t recommend this place for a regular dim sum, although I would return here to try a more unique Chinese dining experience.

Details: Phoenix Palace
Found at: 3-5 Glentworth St, London, NW1 5PG
Contactable on: +44 (0) 20 74863515
Highlights: Unique dishes in a fairly busy yet comfortable dining scene with bright lighting and modern décor.
Room for improvement: Even standard dishes seemed more expensive than other Chinese restaurants.
The Kua Rating: 6.5 out of 10

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Looking at their website, here’s “new and unique food for 2008″ at the Calgary Stampede:

• Deep-fried OREO
• Deep-fried Twinkie
• Pizza on a stick
• Bacon on a bun
• Beignets
• Deep fried Coke
• Taco in a bag
• Hot beef sundae
• Fried dough
• Frozen chocolate bananas

Heart attack waiting to happen. Lucky it only comes once a year. I’ll have to see if I can get some pictures of them just to see what they’re all about.

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A couple of weekends ago, Eileen and KP graciously took Reshmi and myself up to Banff for afternoon tea at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Looking very much like a castle nestled amongst the pine trees, the hotel has a weird mix of old and new to please everyone. Much like the Fairmont Lake Louise, shopping is very much upmarket (who buys artwork in the $1000s when they’re on holidays in the mountains?) with a number of restaurants and bars to suit all tastes.

Although they stuffed up our booking, with the result being the four of us crammed on a small table perched a little bit away from the amazing views provided through the window, the company and food helped make it an enjoyable experience.

On their website, their menu lists afternoon tea as:

Our waiter, much like many of the staff around town, was an Australian guy (from Melbourne) and served plenty of tea to make up for the tiny little table. Considering how busy the rest of the dining area was, he did a pretty good job of keeping up glasses of water full, our cups of tea hot and made it a pretty pleasing experience.

Although afternoon tea is relatively expensive at $32 and unlikely to be up to par to many of the London based ones, the dining atmosphere and (potential) views are worth going at least once. Book ahead, and given our experience, it’s definitely worth confirming the details of your booking closer to your visit.

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Crave really seems to have captured the appetites for Calgarian cupcakes. Being located near one of their main locations in Kensignton, what time I have spent around the area on the weekend, I’ve seen plenty of people walking about their trademark bags. Clearly labeled yet see perfectly see through plastic gives everyone else the opportunity to ogle at their brightly coloured buttercream creations adorning an almost invisible golden base.

I sampled one of their lime flavoured ones. Intensively tart and sweet at the same time and just as intensively coloured, I couldn’t keep thinking that the cupcake was simply a vehicle for bringing the buttercream home to roost. Even with a cup of tea, I still found the icing to cake ratio simply too much. With that in mind, although I found their larger cupcakes to be overwhelming, I think the smaller, bite sized ones might offer a better balance.

Expect to line up in this place, unless it’s at the end of the day when they’re almost out of stock. Great for a sugar rush, Crave offers tantalizing flavours although, in my humble opinion, could do more to balance the cake to icing ratio.

If you expect an overwhelming amount of buttercream, add two more points to this rating.

Details: Crave Cookies and Cupcakes
Found at: Several locations - see their website
Highlights: Strong flavours, with eye catching coloured cream
Room for improvement: An improved cake to buttercream icing (I would like to have some cake with that icing thanks!)
TheKua.com Rating: 4 out of 10

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Nellie’s on 17th
Nellie’s appears to be one of those Calgarian institutes for that time between breakfast and lunch. We ate at one of the two found on 17th and felt instantly transported into a very bohemian feeling atmosphere – old rickety floorboards under our feet, a painting of a cow standing in a field split across three separate canvasses and a framed picture of Kramer (from Seinfeld) staring down at us from above our table.

Paying $9 gives you a large plate filled with a 3 egg omelet choc-a-block with a couple of ingredients and accompanied by a generous serving of hash browns and a couple of pieces of toast. Their hash browns are those made out of chunks of potato, heavily spiced and seemingly baked although more likely and perhaps less surprisingly fried. Delicious nevertheless.

I’ve read that Nellie’s gets very busy from seeing the lines firsthand, it’s definitely a popular joint. With other brunch items like pancakes, heuvos rancheros, and a huge breakfast platter with all options, this café offers the diner a pretty unique dining experience.

Don’t expect modern stylish food – this café doesn’t mess about, instead offering down to earth, no fuss homestyle cuisine.

Found at: 801 17th Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Contactable on: +1 (403) 244-4616

Thai Sa-On
Is a Hong Kong movie star like Jackie Chan anyone to judge how good a Thai restaurant is? I don’t know and I can’t really say I care considering how good the food is at Thai Sa-On. If it helps, apparently the Thai government approves this restaurant’s food.

Located on 10th Street, right next to the club Tantra, Thai Sa-On is a popular place, as indicated by the large queues that form on Friday and Saturday evenings. Its interior is decorated with many Thai-looking artifacts although I can’t really say how authentic they are. Regardless there is enough of an atmosphere to feel like you’re not just smack bang in the middle of Calgary.

Their wine list is impressive as the owner is an avid wine collector and all of them reasonably priced. Like most Thai restaurants, this one offers the wide range from salads, soups, curries, noodle and rice dishes in addition to a handful of appetisers admittedly nothing super special. Regardless, the main dishes all over reasonable value and great taste bursting in fresh flavours in complex layers.

Don’t be mislead by their dated website with several of the prices way out of date – one appetiser I ordered being almost $4 over its, now out of date, advertised price.

Found at: 351-10th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2R 0A5
Contactable on: +1 (403) 264-3526

Pho Viet
Calgary has a surprisingly large number of Vietnamese restaurants to support its growing population of around one million people. I’ve been to some really great ones, and this was unfortunately my first disappointing one. Pho Viet was open in a place downtown when everything else around it was shut. I should have taken the hint and gone somewhere else.

Only one or two other patrons sat inside when I entered, and the quiet was almost unnerving. Feeling particularly hungry, I ordered an appetiser of grilled pork skewers and a bun (rice noodle) dish that came with a couple of spring rolls and other grilled meat. My main dish fortunately arrived before I had time to finish my appetiser. I say fortunate in this case because the bun had a disproportionately large amount of noodle and only fractional portions of pickled carrots, cucumber and the meat. The two tiny spring rolls that came with it, though winning on the crispiness factor, totally lost out on the flavour part.

Disappointingly, even the bowl of flavoured sauce you traditionally pour all over the dish couldn’t lift the blandness that permeated all parts of the dish and I only ate what I could with what leftover skewer meat I had from the appetiser.

Admittedly service was prompt and friendly though and even though I’ll admit prices are low, this time the dish was certainly less than the price I paid for it.

Found at: 834 5th Ave SW, Calgary
Contactable on: +1 (403) 263 1984

The Heartland Cafe
What’s better than a heritage house converted into a warm café just outside the centre of Kensington? With large shop front windows filtering the warmth of the Calgary sun, the Heartland Café welcomes a constant stream of locals into its abode.

I found the coffee a bit average – I’ve definitely had better elsewhere although they make up for it with a broader selection of pastries, cakes and muffins. At least on this Sunday past, they had a small selection of other meals like a quiche and panini. Other cafes offer a much more extensive menu. I decided to indulge in a hearty Ham and Egg Breakfast panini, made up of thick whole grain bread and even as tasty as it was, deceptively is not really a true panini.

Offering magazines and papers for sale, the Heartland offers a nice spot to catch up with a small number of friends – their tables not quite comfortable for groups above five. On great weather days it’s even worthwhile sitting on their benches outside indulging in what sun you can catch.

Found at: 940 2nd Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2N0E6
Contactable on: +1 (403) 270-4541

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Offering a warm wooden retreat from all the drizzle outside, only to be disappointed by untimely service and mediocre food, Sandbar missed its mark with me on my trip to Vancouver. Looking back, I should have stuck to pillaging the wealth of smaller, and more likely, tastier options in the public market nearby.

Don’t get me wrong. At first thought, Sandbar looked to promise a lot. I could hear the orders resonate through the kitchen from where I was, indicating a relatively efficient one at least. Unfortunately it just took a long time for the waitress to take my order and bring the bill.

On the upside, they did serve complementary bread. Better yet, they had warmed it through and, surprisingly, accompanied by softened butter, made the normal ordeal of combining the two a breeze.

My only dish, the plank salmon arrived and true to form looked good, yet it still disappointed as the fish was slightly overcooked, lacking in the luscious moistness I’d expected out of a place like this. At least, the skin, none too fatty indicating it wasn’t a farmed fish, was crisp and the fresh … taste of the caramalesied sugar/maple left permeated through its flesh.

I’ll also admit, even though I waited for some time, their comfy brown leather seaters I sat in made it pretty worthwhile.

TheKua.com Rating: 6 out of 10

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