Froyo @ Tutti Frutti

So Froyo (frozen yogurt) has been a bit of a craze as of late. I guess it is the "healthier" alternative when it comes to snacking. It is even found in movie theatre concession stands. I have tried a few frozen yogurt places such as twisted yogurt and stores that carry frozen yogurt like marble slab. To be honest I didn't get the fuss. Twisted yogurt wasn't very good and I would only ever get the plain flavour.

Now, a whiles back Tutti Frutti opened a store in Southgate Mall. I was there for the opening and got free FROYO ! (free for the win ~ must be the asian in me)

Here is a shot of the opening that I snapped with my cell phone. The line was ridiculous but I managed to be near the front of the line. The first time I tasted Tuttii Frutti I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe because it is owned by an Asian but there were actually asian flavours and toppings I enjoyed. It tasted refreshing and a great way for a snack. 

They have three cup sizes but I only captured two of the sizes (there is a blue one thats SUPER BIG) I always go for the smallest one (once again portion control) 

the sitting area kinda looks like this with  cute orange chairs and nice wall advertisements. I think I could even study here. (my elephant wallet fits right in) 

one of my favourite flavours is the salted caramel. I really like how they tell you exactly what is in the froyo flavour. 

off course I cannot go without Taro and usually there is a green tea option too. (those three are my favourite flavours) 

There is also always some sort of lighter option ~ sorbet flavours. I am not a super big fan of the sorbet but this time the pink lemonade flavour was actually surprisingly delicious. 

like most froyo places they weight it and usually if you don't add too much fruit and toppings it is around 4 to 8 dollars. NOT BAD for a quick date night or a pick me up! 

here is a few more creation where there are sprinkles and pomegranate seeds other fruits and boba bubbles that explode in your mouth. YUM 

to SHAW or not to SHAW that is the question

does anyone use shaw?

I mean you pretty much have 2 choices.

1. Shaw
2. Telus

I use to have Telus internet and it really blew. It inched along like a snail. The only reason why I had Telus was because of the bundle with my TV. Now that I don't have time to watch TV and I also moved, I cancelled my Telus. I decided give Shaw a try. We have been together for the past 1.5 years. Now we have had our ups and downs. BUT recently its been more downs.

For instance this past several days my internet keeps crapping out and cutting out and I have to pull all the plugs and restart it. Then it bounces right back for a bit and dies again. A little background info: I have broadband 50 and I pay $75 a month plus taxes etc and subject to prices changes. When I first signed up it was a special and I paid I think $30 a month for 6 months. Then it was $70 a month and now its $75.

This is what you get:
50 mbps download speed
3 mbps upload speed
400 gb monthly transfer limit
10 email address
2 dynamic IP addresses

Its catch phrases and key highlights off its website:
GO faster
Download in a snap
Keep everyone satisfied

NOW I kind of regretting getting broadband 50. To get the broadband 100 it is $95 a month so about 25 dollars more (though I swear every bill I get from shaw is 80 some dollars)

With Broadband 100 you get:
100 mbps download speed
5 mbps upload speed
750 gb monthly transfer
REST IS SAME

Catch phrases and key highlights off its website:
go faster
do it all simultaneously
never slow down

SEE these key words off of the Broadband 100 is what I am looking for. After I start DWL stuff or streaming too much stuff things slow down esp when Dustin is using the iPad etc.

So I did a few speed tests :

 So this was at its worse I had 0.63 mbps . and my upload was barely 0.52. and this is what I get for paying an arm and a leg just for internet. I called Shaw and after many please hold and nasty music and transferring from one department to the next they told me to unplug my unit and plug it back in. I told them I did that already. So then I was put on hold again... (in total this call lapsed close to 2 hours). When this happened again I called again and this time they told me it is slow because other people in your area who have shaw are also using it. more people in your neighbourhood that has shaw the slower your internet is. I GO WELL why did I pay so much for this. they go well its probably not that slow it can be a bit slower. I sent them this screen shot.

THEY WERE CONFUSED TOO.

Shaw can be great but I have never hit 50 mbps ever the closest I got was this:

and usually this is the rate I get

so why am I paying so much to get MEH average speeds????

I really have no choice do I?
Maybe I should opt for broadband 100 and at its worst I would be getting 40 maybe 50 mbps which is what I wanted in the first place. (perhaps after this asia trip I will splurge)

or I might as well go H CORE and go for Broadband 250
costing me $115 a month

but hey I get to go:

TURBO
OPERATE AT TOP SPEEDS
LEAD THE WAY
(from their website)

Going to Old Spaghetti Factory

Today after a tedious day at work and then working out, Liana and I decided to hit up West Edmonton Mall for some shopping. We both hadn't been there for a while and was actually looking for DELUX BURGER. We walked down Bourbon Street and Delux was gone! I hadn't been to WEM for awhile but not for that long... Where did it go?

Oh well, our dreams of eating  delicious burgers were dashed. So we looked around Bourbon Street. There was the usual places but I really wanted a cheap and quick meal. I always see a line at Old Spaghetti Factory but never understood why. So we were down to two option: Hooters or Old Spaghetti Factory. There really wasn't anyone super attractive working at Hooters (so it would devoid the point of going) so we went to Old Spaghetti Factory.

Going on a Wednesday after 12:30 pm was a perfect choice. There was no line at all and we were seated immediately in a booth. Everything was dimly lit but in an old fashion kind of way. I instantly judged the place and would never come here on a romantic date. EVER. Our server was a busy and ragged looking blonde who left after seating us down. There was one laminated menu and the other was made out of newspaper material. (EW how do they wipe those down, thats so germy) I looked at the Lunch Specials since I was trying to control the portion sizes. 

After not being able to find the nutrition guide online for the specific lunch menu item I gave up and went for the Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich with Fries but sub the fries for yam  fires. (yes I am sure I will end up gaseous and regretting it) (8.95 + 1.50) super cheap. The lunch came with a milestone soup and it was eeh , really small bowl and not really flavourful just a bit salty. (keep in mind I don't use salt in my cooking at all) 

 here is a quick snapshot of the layout of the restaurant. everything as you can tell looks "old ish"

 here is Liana pulling a face as we try and decide what to eat. Since we are  both kind of indecisive it was a long process.

 This is the laminated menu, yet the food on it still doesn't look too appealing.

 here is the paper copy of the menu I was talking about. To me this just screams cheap. I know Delux Burger did the same thing but at least their menu was in colour.

 Liana ordered a Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwhich with Fires and topped it off with a Baked French Onion Soup. I didn't have a bite of this but to me it didn't look well plated and the plates were really old looking and cheese was everywhere. However, Liana looked super happy as she ate is so it must not have been all bad.

Oh yes I almost forgot, they give you a complimentary SLAB of bread with whipped butter and whipped garlic butter. The knife is just stuck in the bread which I think can be dangerous and it really looks unappealing. The bread it self seemed fresh and warm and the butter was good. (how  could you messed up whipped butter right...) There was no plates on our table at this time so crumbs were EVERYWHERE. 

 Here is my soup in that nasty patterned bowl. The soup was actually really small and I would say equivalent to 12 normal people spoon bites.( if that makes any sense)

 So finally after seeing others get there food (about 15 min later) our food arrived. This is a picture of her sandwich. Once again their plates are nasty and it just throws me off and doesn't make me want to enjoy their food. I had a few of her fires they were ok nothing to special.

This was mine. I asked for the butter and mayo to be removed from the sandwich. Alas, the butter was still smeared onto the ciabatta bun. I was displeased but didn't say anything since I didn't want to wait for another one to be made. The yam fries were surpassingly fresh and the chipotle mayo dip was actually quite good. As you can see its quantity here not quality. The sandwich was ok nothing too special I ended up not even eating the bun itself. (note: they do not have any other alternative for the bun so if you don't like that kind of bun don't order it.) 

Overall, I see why people go. Its fast, its cheap and its food. I didn't try their signature pasta dishes so I guess I can't fully judge it yet. But yes their sandwich are nothing special and though the whole meal was under 13 dollars it wasn't really worth it. 

Fondue Nights: Visiting the Melting Pot

What is the "white" version of hot pot?

The answer is : FONDUE

However, fondue is much more expensive and it is at times way harder to get full.

Whenever I go to The Melting Pot, I still go eat at McDonalds after since I am still not full.

I have gone just for the dessert and I have also gone for a full 4 course meal set (Big Night Out)

So Lets look at the Big Night OUT (American Style)
(note: must make reservations and do not be sleepy since the lights are dim)


It's menu boasts a four course meal to delight your senses.
The First course : Boston Lagger Cheddar Cheese Fondue
I found the cheese to be quite sharp and the bacon and onion accent were a nice touch alongside with a hint of Tabasco sauce. We got to dip vegetables, bread and granny smith apples. Unfortunately, our waitress was quite slow and we ran out of dippers long before she came back. Good think I had a drink to ensure I didn't get cranky.

Second course: Wiscon Wedge Salad
I thought this salad was gross. It really was just a huge hedge of Iceberg lettuce and I really hate ranch dressing but it came with the meal what can you do. The presentation was horrible too.

Third course: We went for the Fondue Fusion 
This choice meant it cost $ 102 dollars per couple not including drinks.
The lobster tail had EH amounts of meat. Maybe that really is the size of lobster tail meat, nevertheless I thought it wasn't enough.  There wasn't much meat for each variety of : shrimp, chicken, pork and sirloin. The sauce on each meat was good though, well seasoned. The difference between the set and the $112 was that the latter had two lobster tails.

Fourth and Final course: Chocolate Wildberry Crunch Fondue 
You could technically choose any of the other chocolate and dessert fondues but I really like PB&J so this was perfect. There was a large variety of dippers including cheese cake and coated marshmallows. NOM NOM NOM The flavours all mingled together and its as close as it will be to a PB&J

*NOTE the second time we came it was not as good the service was horrible and we had to stir our own chocolate wild berry crunch fondue and we didn't get our dippers till much later*

 here is a picture of the  dippers . My favourite is the graham and chocolate coated marshmallows. I really enjoyed the texture and when you dipped it in the fondue it made it EVEN better* VERY SWEET * technically you can get as many dippers as you want minus the cheese cake

 this darker picture was taken without a flash . the cheese cake got a candle because it was for a birthday.

 here is the famed lobster tail. seriously there was about 4 bites or 5. still succulent I guess.

 He got a beer and I got some fruity drink I thought didn't have alcohol but IT DID.

 this is when we had to stir our own FONDUE!! good god! the waitress just left it there like that.

 here is some of our dipping later with stuff on it already. I got inspired by these plate and bought similar ones for FONDUE AT HOME (an upcoming blog entry)

display of our raw meet as you can see there was not much! hence why I headed to MCDICKS after.

Overall, it was a interesting place to go especially if you haven't gone before. If you have it isn't too special, in fact you can make this at home and in larger quantities. The food was good, I mean technically you are cooking half of it yourself so really you can't give the chefs all the credit. The seasoning on all the food was great and I really enjoyed the dessert. If you go just for the dessert it is about $23 dollars so not too bad.

My biggest advice is not to go there with a super empty stomach or when you are tired. The dim dim dim ness of the light will make you drift into LALA land.

Authentic Korean Taste: Won Jung Gak

This little gem is hidden away in a south side argyll industrial park: 9655 62 Avenue NW

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 I first frequented this place when a co-worker who happens to be Korean mentioned it. My friend Liana used to date a Korean and was in love with Korean food just like I was. So we decided to visit it during one of our lunch times. When we got there we really hoped that we weren't going to get stabbed or find some sort of rodent in our food. The outside is really shady and since its in an industrial park you don't have high expectations.  Going inside the little restaurant we were not immediately greeted but soon a small korean lady came and sat us down. There was only one other table occupied by business attired men ( one Caucasian and one korean) 

The menu is mostly in Korean but tells you in English what is in each dish. ( kind of) 

Thank god Liana was familiar with some key terms and we were able to point and order. 

Even the Edmonton Post has commented on this "hole in the wall".

 Yah no makeup is really the new look i swear or the look for lazy people. But this is when both Liana and I were sporting the red head look. please don't judge my messy hair, this is what happens when you don't shower often.

we ordered some sake.

this is their BIBIMBAP in a stone bowl. its was delicious and the bottom was all crispy, which is actually the best sensation to have when eating a BIBIMBAP.

We ordered jajangmeyon too but go the sauce separated because Liana wanted it over her rice. She is more Asian then me! According to WIKI jajangmeyon is:

consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced pork and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. Jajang (alternately spelled jjajang), the name of the sauce, is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means "fried sauce." Myeon (also spelled myun) means "noodle."

 Delicious is what it means to me.

They don't have kimchi jjigae but they do have bulgolgi. their version includes a broth that is salty enough that it tastes awesome on rice but not so much that its just loaded with salt. The meat is delicious and they even have some clear glass noodles in the broth.

Here is a snap shot the boys (shaun and dustin) and test a book shelve full of books... behind them. We even used (garden scissors... hefty duty) to cute our noodles. This is all very korean style. We even got water in a KOREAN STYLE pitcher/bottle which had a k-pop star's face on it . I couldn't find my pic so I took one off of  google. it is similar but MINUS the K-POP star.

This last dish is quite similar to a Chinese dish called ma poa dou fu/ tofu. It can be vegetarian and is spicy. This is the korean version called ma pu do pu? It was pretty spicy for "white people" but fairly normal for me. (note i do use rooster brand hot sauce on everything ... )

The food was delicious and splitting the bill per person was around 20 dollars with tip that is including the alcohol (i think our total bill was 80 dollars )

Definitely visiting this place again many many many more times. It is my go to place for Korean food in Edmonton. 

Revisiting Milestones ~ a FLASHBACK

Milestones is my go to CLASSY dinner and a night out. I mean they have great deals ... Monday is girls night and four girls means four drinks and four appies. Perfect if you can find 4 people that actually enjoy time with each other lol. sometimes that is difficult esp during exam week(s).

ANYWAYS.....

Milestones. I really enjoy eating their for birthdays, special occasions and I love their Wednesday date night theme. Its affordable and the choices aren't too shabby either.

And here is a rather large picture of their date night menu. The food they serve is actually really similar to what they have on their pictures. (RARE in some cases)
I think we can all afford a $50 dollar meal plus tip once a month ... or once every few months. In fact after my deal (I made a deal with Dustin that we wouldn't eat out for a month, the loser would have to do something incredibly stupid) I probably will head there either for a PRIME RIB or go for date night. For more on their many menus for many occasions please click here 

Now Im doing a bit of a flash back review of this place when I hosted a surprise birthday party for my mother. Milestones is great for keeping on time with reservations and they don't hurry you to finish your meal even if they are packed.

 I love their apple cobbler, every time I go I have to get one. They call it the :caramel gingered apple crisp. I love how the mint leaf is added I actually eat it too though most people just leave it as an ornament. I enjoy how the hotness of the apple is smoothed by he cold ice-cream and I love the caramel drizzling they got going on. And who doesn't like powdered sugar?  This one goes for C$7.99  or is part of your couple date night choice for wednesday.

 This is an appi we got the Mediterranean Bruchetta Flatbread . Though it is not as epic as the one we tasted in BANFF it was still pretty darn good. They could have used a sweeter balsamic vinegar though in my opinion.

 It was Dustin's birthday one time so we got this lovely thing I don't know if it was part of the menu or not I just reserved it as is birthday and we got this for free. I really like the sparkler it really adds to your night.

 These were yummy meatballs we ordered though there are only 3 they were quite large in size and surprisingly juicy and full of flavour. I guess their placing could be a bit neater .

And this is the famed SLOW ROASTED TRIPLE A PRIME RIB that just melts into your mouth along with the worcestershire sauce. perfection in my mouth. I personally love the fat! the more fat the better. This is the regular size and goes for $26.99 but I usually go for the chef's cut 28.99 its that much more fulfilling.

 This here is the Shanghai noodle stir fry that goes for $16.99. It is pretty good but made "white style" so its not super asian in taste. I really like the sesame seeds even if they do get stuck to my teeth.

 This dish is the pan seared scallops and the scallops are decent size and fresh. (well as fresh as they can be) it wasn't too salty and the scallops were delicate. Though this was my mother's dish she gave me several scallops and I would order this dish again. This  dish is also on the date night menu.

 This is one of the appi we got, the PHYLLO SHRIMP though cute it isn't really worth it. The shrimp is ok the presentation is cute but really you don't' get much out of it and it is deep fried.

This was their soup of the day, pea soup or something I didn't get a taste of it but it looked ok despite its oily appearance. It was quite a large bowl and I think a girl on a diet would be satisfied.

 Here was a spring salad that I tried, though you can add chicken on it I chose not to. IT was light but the onions were too thickly sliced so it had a really sharp TANG? to it. Its called the Milestone's California Spring Salad. It really reminded me of a home made salad from this little deli by Lyndale Accents in the West side. What I enjoy is the spice that accompanies each glazed pecan though I would have like to see not only pecans but walnuts as well.

This is the steak you get from the date night menu, small but good enough if you are not a BIG eater. I personally like my steaks fat tie so this was not really great for me. The carrot were cute though and I enjoy how tender they were and how they had no skin.

I have also tried from their appi menu the Baked goat cheese and slow roasted garlic flatbread. I really enjoy the poppy reads on their goat cheese and their different dips. I personally like the fig jam( yah i like old people food =)