What I Thought of It

The Dessert House
101-111 2 Ave SE
Calgary AB  T2G 0B3
Phone: 403 263 7789

The Dessert House is easy to spot in Chinatown. If you go south on Centre Street, cross the bridge, and take the first left, then Dessert House is on your right. (It’s a new location; they used to be across the street.)

The ambiance suffered when Dessert House moved premises. The new location is just one large room with plain-looking tables and chairs and bare white walls. A couple of wall decorations would certainly make it a more pleasant hangout.

The staff were civil and showed us to our seats, then appeared to want us to order right away. This was unsettling, since the menu was extensive and I wanted time to mull over my options.

Most of the menu listed Asian sweet treats, such as bubble tea and shakes. A couple of pages were dedicated to savory snacks like wings. There was also a mini-menu showcasing Italian ice cream.

It was ironic that they were rushing us to order, because once we ordered it was a long wait for our treats. A fellow online reviewer said it best: this is a nice place to meet friends you haven’t seen in a while, because the waiting will give you plenty of time to catch up on each other’s lives.

My shake did taste pretty good.

Last thoughts: The Dessert House serves good desserts in a bland setting. As such, I would think twice before going back.

Food ++++
Service ++
Ambiance ++
Washrooms +++

Thai Tai Vietnamese Sub
303 Centre St SW (see map)
Calgary AB  T2E 1Y2
Phone: 403 269 9380
www.thaitaisub.com

Thai Tai is a chain of Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary. The one I visited is on Centre Street, in the heart of Calgary’s Chinatown.

Thai Tai has the ambiance of a modern eatery, with fresh decor and lots of natural light.

In food terms, Thai Tai offers a wide range of subs, soups, spring rolls, and more. I frequent this location of Thai Tai Sub for the Chicken Wings deal. After 5 pm, wings are 25 cents each Sunday to Thursday and 35 cents each Friday and Saturday, with the purchase of at least one bubble tea drink per party. It makes for a quick, tasty, and filling meal that’s light on the wallet.

The wings are in the top 3 of my favorite cheap wings in Calgary. They are served piping hot, crisp, and most times pretty big. There have been a couple of times when the wings were small-ish and the sauce not so great, but the track record at Thai Tai is good enough to make me a regular. Lately the wings are even served on a bed of shredded lettuce.

Thai Tai is also a pro at bubble tea. On my last visit I had the Raspberry Mango bubble tea, which was blended to perfection and tasted super.

The staff at Thai Tai are not warm and fuzzy, but they are polite and not averse to chatting briefly about the weather.

I do have some bones to pick with this Thai Tai restaurant. First, the food is always served in Styrofoam boxes, even when you’re eating in. If it’s not takeout, there’s no need to add another piece of nasty material to the landfills. How about a reusable plate or basket? Now, due to this choice of serving container, the garbage bins (small to begin with) are always overflowing with trash. The tables could use a good wipe-down, too. They’re often sticky from previous usage and cleaning neglect.

Finally - and admittedly this will be hard to change - Thai Tai does not have its own washrooms. The closest washrooms are in the little mall behind the restaurant. After getting the key, you need to walk all the way to the back of the mall.

Last thoughts: Thai Tai Vietnamese Sub on Centre Street is like a fast-food restaurant. I will keep going back because I’m a big fan of their wings and bubble tea, but the place really should be a lot cleaner.

Food ++++
Service +++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms ++
Cleanliness ++

Find Thai Tai Vietnamese Sub on the map.