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CALGARY: AKA Bistro

Today marks my debut as Metro Calgary’s restaurant reviewer! I’m really excited about this paid assignment and am looking forward to the new challenge.

My food column, Urban Foodie, will run every Thursday in Metro, so pick up your free copy in Calgary, or check out the digital edition via the main page.

What does this [...]

EDMONTON: Red Ox Inn & the girls

A few of my girlfriends really wanted to host a stagette for me. But the whole notion brings to mind tacky tiaras, penis-shaped cups, and ‘Suck for a Buck’ T-shirts.

I am not a woo girl.

But after they assured me the night would involve none of the above, I consented to a small dinner with [...]

CALGARY: Anju

This is how I always start off describing Anju: “You know those two round condo towers downtown near the Bow? The ones that look like Miami Vice?

“OK, and you know how there’s a big liquor store on the corner? Go down that dead-end street, and Anju is in the little house.”

Now that you [...]

CALGARY: The Brangelina treatment at Bonterra

The affable manager of Bonterra Trattoria, John, delights in telling the story of how Brad Pitt dined at his Italian restaurant, then returned a few days later with Angelina Jolie — “Ang” as she introduced herself — and their entourage in the summer of 2005.

(Pitt was in the area filming the Assassination of [...]

CALGARY: Milk Tiger Lounge

I began taking photos of Milk Tiger Lounge as the sun was setting outside, but then the dapper bartender/owners started serving me their delicious cocktails and the rest is history.

The lounge is as polar opposite as you can get from the space formerly occupied by A Bar Named Sue, as well as from the [...]

Foodosphere round-up

CBC-TV explores the Great Food Revolution this month. The four-part series is shot in HD and looks at our evolving food preferences in the last 30 years, how food manufacturers try to win us over, the food chain in New York City in 24 hours (that one sounds super cool), and future food trends.

It airs [...]

HONG KONG: Pop bites and Post-it notes

There are lots of notable things about pop bites, a combination wine bar, bakery, deli and dessert cafe. (It’s owned by the same company that runs Shui Hu Ju, several blocks away.)

I felt my cool quotient rise just by stepping inside. A DJ was spinning tunes (isn’t that what the kids call it?) in [...]

MACAU: The madhouse at Fernando’s

Fernando’s is an institution in Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now special administrative region of China. Online searches reveal excellent Portuguese food, and sometimes arrogant and inattentive staff proportionate to increasing clientele.

Our visit certainly confirmed the former. And as for the latter, I’d say we got overly attentive service especially from the restaurant’s namesake [...]