Pho Van – Vietnamese Pho Done Well

Vietnamese Noodle House in the northwest

Saturday night was the best night of the week. After a full week eating leftovers from the fridge, dining out became a necessity. A change of taste and cuisine was highly anticipated.

Since my wife was visiting her sister, we decided to treat them out to dinner. Pho Van was selected since my dad said that the pho was made well. 

Before we went in the restaurant, we expected the pho to be hot and salty. Typically, Vietnamese restaurants serve pho in this manner. This is to ensure that the flavors in the soup are retained, cold and prepared noodles can cook quickly once an order is placed, germs are barely existent, and the lifespan of the soup lengthened.  for a period of time. Little did we know, this gem that is situated across from the northwest T & T Supermarket surpassed these ordinary expectations.

I must declare to you that Pho Van is the first Vietnamese restaurant that we went to in Calgary that we did not go home thirsty and with the urgency to down four liters of water in one sitting. The absence of thirst is a good indicator that the soup the chefs produced did not contain high amounts of sodium. The lack of sodium hinted that the soup was not kept for a long period of time; it was made fresh.

OEB Incident #1: Ritz Cheese Bits Sandwiches

My wife sometimes gets too enthused when she opens something she craves for.

Ritz bits on the loose

Kept in the Dark by Penny Hancock – A satisfactory read

Synopsis: Sonia, a middle-aged woman, is attached to the home she grew up in situated beside the Thames River in London. As this narrative novel plays out her days in the house, her thoughts and her feelings reveal many unresolved and conflicting issues she has with her own family, her mother and with the memories of her childhood.  Little do her friends and family know, Sonia has kidnapped Jez, a youth who is brilliantly gifted in the musical linguistics of the guitar. Why is she greatly obsessed with keeping Jez with her at all times? Who is the mysterious and alluring figure in her memory who she refers to as “Seb?” Most importantly, how does Sonia reconcile with the disorder she has created for her own gratification?

My Blurb:

When I first started to read this novel, I was greatly surprised that it was written by a British author. Typically, British novels are filled with British wordings. I found that this novel was generally written in a demotic American tone. Of course, there were inserts of British expressions.  Most interesting is Hancock’s descriptions of Sonia and Helen’s attire. Both characters are costumed in European fashion. I think the author’s choice to tone down the British euphemisms was a good move.  It helped readers like myself understand and follow the characters’ internal and physical struggles.

Seafood Dinner at my Parents' Abode

My wife and I went to dinner at my parents' place yesterday.

Preparation is key...and the fee of a good meal.

We had a seafood dinner. The seafood theme was made possible by a lobster sale ($8.88 /lb) at T & T Supermarket this weekend. I think they had the deal because Chinese people are well-known to be superstitious about numbers. The number '8' represents richness and the ability to become rich. The sale was perfect timing given that 2013 is just around the corner.What better way to welcome the youth of the new year (2013) and to celebrate the retirement of the old year (2012) than by purchasing a lobster that grants richness to both?

A Beautiful and Majestic Path to Canmore

Canmore...an hour's drive away from Calgary.......

Was it worth it?

The road stretches on...and on...and on...

The land is barren of shops, but wealthy in trees. The only signs of human life are road signs, the smooth pavement my car traveled on, sparse telephone poles, and the light grit of past car fuel on the path.

A wavy and soft aria of clouds

Eastgate Restaurant (Dim Sum)

We went to Eastgate for dim sum today.

When we arrived at around 1 p.m., there were only a few tables occupied. It seems like that throughout the years, the clientele has declined. Perhaps we were late for dim sum too...

We ordered the following dishes:
1. Steamed shrimp dumplings (ha gow): $4.50
2. Steamed pork dumplings (sui mai): $3.95
4. Beef tripe with ginger and green onion: $3.75
5. Steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce: $3.95
21. Chinese donut rice crepe: $4.50
34. Pan fried shrimp and scallop rolls: $4.50
i. Stir-fried noodles with beef: $6.00
ii. Sing chow mai fun (Singapore-style vermicelli dish): $6.00

Dim Sum dishes of the day