What I Thought of It

Banzai Sushi & Teriyaki House
526A 4 Ave SW
Calgary AB  T2P 0J6
Phone: 403 262 9060

We had just seen a Sunday matinee movie and were famished. On our way home we walked by Banzai Restaurant on 4th Avenue in downtown Calgary.

We decided to stop for a bite to eat.

On entering Banzai Sushi & Teriyaki House you find a fresh environment with great ambiance and decor. On this Sunday afternoon it was not particularly busy, but I think weekdays at lunch time would be a much different story.

Banzai is best described as a Japanese fast-food restaurant. We each ordered a Bento Box (described as a “lunch box” but apparently available all day). The counter lady bade us to take a table then later brought our order.

Each Bento Box ($8.25) came with miso soup, two spring rolls, rice, salad, and two “entrees”. Mine were beef and chicken. Both types of meat were cooked to perfection and topped with teriyaki sauce; the chicken was accompanied by shredded cabbage. The folks at Banzai know their marinades, because the beef and chicken had great flavor. The spring rolls were small and skimpy on filling, but they were crispy and tastily greasy.

My friend’s entrees were California rolls (3 pieces) and tempura (2 shrimp, 1 yam, 1 cucumber, 2 mushrooms). The tempura was good and crisp, and the rolls were adequate.

Last thoughts: Going to Banzai Sushi & Teriyaki House is a quick way to quench your craving for Japanese. For a fast-food establishment, it really delivered on taste, service, and atmosphere. I wouldn’t mind going back.

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

Sport Chek, Stephen Avenue
120 8 Ave SW
Calgary AB  T2P 1B3
Phone: 403 476 8740

Sport Chek opened a brand-new store on Stephen Avenue, in the heart of downtown Calgary, where McNally-Robinson Bookstore used to be.

My first impression of the store was how spacious and clean it looked. It was not dark and crowded, as sports stores tend to be in Canada.

This Sport Chek has three levels. The main floor has women’s apparel, the top floor has men’s apparel, and the basement has assorted merchandise like skates and golf equipment.

I was looking for two things: a frisbee and hiking sandals. Sport Chek didn’t carry frisbees (a.k.a. throwing/flying discs).

I noticed some nice sandals from Keen and asked the sales associate to get me a size 7.5 and a size 8. After a long wait (I thought she got them downstairs), she came back with an 8 but no 7.5. It turns out that Sport Chek does not stock half sizes in sandals. Too bad for me, size 8 was too big, and size 7 was too small.

Last thoughts: This Sport Chek is definitely the nicest looking one I’ve ever seen. I might walk in again the next time I’m in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, as I learned firsthand, their stocking could be better. Sport Chek shoud consider stocking half sizes in sandals (like MEC does); if stockroom space is a problem, they could just offer fewer colors to choose from.

Product Range +++
Service +++
Ambiance +++++

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.