Monday, August 25, 2014

T.H.I.S. Place

I would like to start off my post by thanking Instagram and other social media for helping me discover food places I've never heard about before! Most of the cafes, restaurants, or food events I choose to go to have in some way been influenced by what I see popping up on my Instagram or Twitter feeds. It's because of this social networking that I was able to learn about T.H.I.S. Place (www.facebook.com/thisplacecafe), an Asian fusion cafe-bistro located in Downtown on 105 Street. 

CJ and I had some errands to do in Downtown, so I told him I wanted to check out T.H.I.S. Place when we were done. T.H.I.S. Place is within walking distance from MacEwan University's Downtown Campus, so it isn't too difficult to find if you're familiar with the area. 

T.H.I.S. Place.

I absolutely loved the urban look of the building where T.H.I.S. Place is located. There is some seating outside if you want to enjoy your food and drink in the sunshine as well. 

The interior.

Walking inside, I was immediately impressed by what I saw. A high ceiling, quirky light fixtures, and concrete walls all gave off a modern, industrial vibe. Although there is only a few seating, I already knew this would make an awesome hangout place with some friends. 

Artwork.

The best part about the interior space is the local artwork displayed on all the walls throughout T.H.I.S. Place! My favourite paintings were the ones on the wall closest to the front entrance - the abstract, surrealist feel of the paintings are definitely my style of art! Very beautiful and inspiring. 

Alright, let's talk about the menu! T.H.I.S. Place offers a variety of specialty coffees, hot or iced chocolates, and other cold drinks. In terms of food, they have a few appetizers, savoury dishes, and desserts. Lastly, they even have all natural popsicles made in house! Everything sounded so delicious, especially all the different flavours for the popsicles. However, CJ and I were quite hungry so we decided to share a savoury dish with some drinks and a dessert.

Nutella Banana Spring Rolls.

When we went to place our order at the front counter, we were asked if we wanted the dessert to come after eating our savoury dish. CJ and I replied at the same time: "All at once please". Lol. CJ and I have always liked having our food arrive at one time. With that being said, the dessert we chose were the Nutella Banana Spring Rolls ($6.75) - which happened to have a scoop of ice cream with it! It had to be eaten first, of course (don't want yummy ice cream to melt!). The spring rolls were hot and fresh with a very crunchy outer layer. Maybe a little too hard and crunchy for my liking. The filling inside was sweet and went well with the cold vanilla ice cream. I really like the combination of nutella and banana, so I thought putting it all together in a spring roll was very fun and unique. 

Red Curry.

For lunch, CJ and I ordered the Red Curry ($11) over rice. You could also choose to get it served with vermicelli instead of rice. I loved the vibrant red-orange colour of the dish, and the aroma was just as enticing. The main components in the curry are chicken, potatoes, and carrots. After eating my first spoonful of the curry with the rice, I was in love. So delicious! The heat had me reaching for my drink, and the spiciness was just the perfect amount. The chicken was nice and tender, while the vegetables added greater depth to the flavours. I'm already craving this Red Curry just writing about it! 

Almond Iced Chocolate (left) and Milk Chocolate Iced Chocolate (right).

CJ and I wanted something cold to drink, so we took a close look at the flavours for their Iced Chocolates. I decided to get the Almond Iced Chocolate ($4) and CJ got the Milk Chocolate Iced Chocolate ($3.50) for himself. I really enjoyed the mild, nutty flavour of the almond in my drink - perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day. I don't think CJ liked his drink too much though, because he said it tasted just like water. "I'm not really tasting chocolate", he said. Although I thought my drink was perhaps too watery as well, at least I could taste the almond. Overall, these Iced Chocolate drinks were just okay.

Normally, I would end my post here by writing a quick summary of my thoughts about this cafe. However, CJ and I decided to visit T.H.I.S. Place again the following day! We wanted to try a different savoury dish because we were both obsessed with how good the Red Curry tasted, along with some new cold drinks. 

Green Curry.

Unsurprisingly, CJ wanted to try the Green Curry ($12) this time. "The Red Curry was so good, but let's see how the Green Curry is!" The Green Curry consists of chicken, zucchini, red peppers, and bamboo shoots. Instead of being served over rice like the Red Curry, the rice was served in a separate bowl. Since it was our first time having these Thai dishes, we didn't really know the difference between the red and green curries. We were told that the green curry is usually spicier than the red curry. Well, let's give it a try! The Green Curry was also deliciously spicy, yet had noticeable sweeter undertones which made it more well rounded. The zucchini and bamboo shoots added a tasty crunch to the curry as well. The citrus notes of the curry made it taste fresh and healthy, making it even more addictive when paired with the warm rice. I cannot get over how good this dish is! This has become mine and CJ's new favourite eat for sure. 

Raspberry Lemonade (left) and Strawberry Lemonade (right).

For drinks, CJ and I went for the Raspberry Lemonade ($3.75) for him and Strawberry Lemonade ($3.75) for myself. Packed with ice and topped with lemon slices, raspberries or strawberries, I knew this would be the perfect summer beverage to quench your thirst. And I was right! My Strawberry Lemonade was so good! I loved the light pink colour and the refreshing strawberry taste. I tried some of CJ's Raspberry Lemonade and it was just as amazing (maybe even a little better than mine actually!). The raspberry flavour definitely packed a punch with each sip. 

After taking just two trips to T.H.I.S. Place, I am happy to say that it has become mine and CJ's new favourite place. We both loved the cozy atmosphere and the interior decor was very eye catching and appealing to both of us. And most importantly... the food here is so good!!! I mean really, really good. If only I had known about this cafe sooner (it's actually been around for awhile now too). Since our trip here, CJ has always been asking to come back. I respond by telling him we'll have lots of opportunities to come here once school starts in a week (boo!). I've mentioned a few times that CJ doesn't like cafes at all... but this place is the only exception! Wow, isn't that a miracle? The people working at T.H.I.S. Place are also super friendly - they even recognized us the second day we visited. I'm looking forward to dropping by again to try their Fall/Winter Menu starting in September. To be Happy Is Simple... words to live by! 

Check out T.H.I.S. Place on Instagram @t.h.i.s.place and on Twitter @THISplaceYEG. 

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