Why spicy food is good for you | Healthy Eating | Eat Well | Best Health

Why spicy food is good for you | Healthy Eating | Eat Well | Best Health:

'via Blog this'

Calgary Court Restaurant

This is a great Hong Kong style café that offers a quick meal at a reasonable price.  If you have no idea how a Hong Kong style café  might be like, picture an Asian Denny's.  It's a loud and bustling venue with a lot of in and out traffic.  If you like variety, here is where you will find an extensive menu of over 300 menu items.  They have specials on a daily basis which consists of an entree, soup, rice or spaghetti, garlic toast and a drink. All this for no more than $15, tax and tip included.  The service is fast and the food is worth every penny.  When people ask for a good Chinese restaurant recommendation, I often reply with four questions "How traditional?", "How adventurous?" , "Who are you going with?" and "How much are you looking to spend?"  This isn't the place to take your first date, but it offers good food that comes out quick and it is easy on the wallet.  It's not hard to find a dish that is captivating for each person in the party.  There is a wide range of selection from Sweet & Sour Pork with Rice to Deep Fried Pig's Intestine, if neither sounds appealing maybe just settle for a Ham & Egg Sandwich.  Give this place a try, you wont regret it!

Five Thousand Dollar Bowl of Pho?

Rumour has it that there is a $5000 bowl of Pho comprised of the finest ingredients and served somewhere in North America.  Since Pho has become one of my comfort foods over the last decade, I had to find out if such a thing existed.  With a little research I found that this was no hoax, this delicacy can be found in Beverly Hills at a high end Vietnamese restaurant named Crustacean.  Ingredients include foie gras broth, white alba truffles, Wagyu Beef (similar to Kobe Beef), blue lobster noodles, and hand raised bean spruts.   Originally this dish was auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

Although my love of food and desire to try new dishes has put me one step closer to adding this onto my bucket list, I'm finding it extremely difficult to justify five thousand dollars for one taste of this divine recipe.  It's about the same price for a month long rental of a 4 bedroom villa with a private swimming pool in Vietnam; round trip plane ticket included.  Maybe I'll plan for that much needed vacation and enjoy a traditional beef noodle soup priced at about 30000 dong, which equates to under $1.50 a bowl.  Now that's worth adding to the list!

Share your comments, what do you think?

Note - the picture above is not the actual $5000 bowl of Pho.  This picture was taken at Pho Garden in San Francisco.  

Phở (Vietnamese pronunciation: [fə̬˧˩˧]) is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà).^[1] The soup includes noodles made from rice and is often served with Vietnamese basil, lime, and bean sprouts that are added to the soup by the person who is dining.


"phở " Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 10 Aug. 2004. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho#References>

Travel Bucket List: 25 things to do before you die

Travel Bucket List: 25 things to do before you die

Editorial: Lucky to call Calgary home

Editorial: Lucky to call Calgary home

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

If you want a good quality burger without firing up the grill, drop by the Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  The first thing you will notice when you enter the doors are bags of peanuts piled knee high and are a added bonus for those hungrily waiting for their orders.  Already you can tell that this was a casual and relaxed environment. Judging from the traffic that was going in and out of this restaurant, it could have only meant one thing… great food.  This isn't your regular fast food burger joint.  The patties are not frozen and only put on the grill after each order, ensuring that each burger was served fresh and not sitting on the grill to dry out for the next order.  I had the bacon cheese burger and you have your choice of about a dozen or so free toppings. The burger was juicy and had great flavour, the fresh grilled mushrooms and onions were a great complement. We added Cajun fries and they were spicy, tasty and plentiful. They really don't skimp out on anything around here, it was as if they were trying to get rid of all their toppings in our two burgers. All in all, this is a great place for lunch or dinner and a much more satisfying alternative to your average fast food burger. 

  

http://www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx

CHARCUT Roast House

 After watching Connie DeSousa, one of the Co-Executive chefs and Co-Owners of CHARCUT Roast House compete in "Top Chef Canada" I was determined to try some of her rustic culinary creations.

I must admit I had high expectations heading into the restaurant.  When we walked in we saw that it was a full house, having made reservations we were greeted at the door and seated right away.  The restaurant was well staffed and the timing of each dish that came out was perfect. Our waitress checked on us regularly and I never felt there was any impact on the service regardless of how busy it was.  The venue had a very modern and relaxed atmosphere that catered to a wide range of clientele.  We were seated next to a family with kids and across from us looked to be a girl’s night out dinner.

There was good selection on the menu but I knew I had to experience some of the dishes that were prepared for the judges in the Top Chef competition.  I knew if it was good enough to impress the judges it’s definitely going to impress me…and I was right about that one!  I would highly recommend trying the share burger, it’s tender with lots of flavor, and the saltiness of the meat accentuated the fried egg and the bun perfectly. I rarely order burgers at restaurants but once you take your first bite you’ll know what I’m raving about.

Summery

The food was delicious and the service was excellent.  I would recommend CHARCUT in a heartbeat; just make sure to make reservations so you are not left waiting.  The chefs embrace a passion for the food they serve and for their fans.  We ended the night with a picture and a signed menu from Connie herself.  This turned out to be a terrific dining experience.  I think this might have just made my top 10 favorites.

http://www.charcut.com/
Street View

The Big Cheese Poutinerie

Take a stroll down 17th Avenue, if you are looking for a quick bite and happen to pass by the The Big Cheese Poutinerie it would be worth your while to check in .  Just located a few doors down from the Melrose Cafe, it's hard to pass by without noticing the mouth watering aroma and the big plaid awning flaring off the building.

It was slightly crowded with a small line up which is a good indication that I had arrived at the right place.  I had been hearing mixed reviews and had to try it for myself.  We ordered two small sized poutine's, the portions were perfect for the two of us to share.  There was good flavor in both, I enjoyed the "Notorious P.I.G." over the "Veggie Nacho".  I found the two to be a great combination, we decided it was best to go with one that was heavy and the other... slightly heavier.  Nice setting, good flavors, but eat it fast or be prepared to grab a spoon for some potato soup in a box.

Summary
It's a nice venue to check out and open late on weekends.  I would recommend trying it out, but I wouldn't say it fully satisfies my craving for a good traditional Montreal poutine.  It's definitely great to see a new fast food restaurant that is unique and non franchised.  Not that I have anything against franchises, it's just nice to have some variety and competition.  It keeps vendors on their toes, which means higher food quality at reasonable prices.

http://www.mybigcheese.com/
Street View - The google street view was taken prior to the opening of The Big Cheese Poutinerie