Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines. There are plenty of Japanese restaurants around that serve sushi, but the one thing Alberta needs more of is Japanese izakayas. Edmonton is lucky to have Izakaya Tomo, but I wish there were more casual options for post-work drinks and tapas. This is why I was really excited when I heard Hapa Izakaya was opening its first Alberta location in Calgary.

Hapa Izakaya - 816 11th Avenue SW - Calgary AB

On one of my recent trips to Calgary I finally had the chance to visit Hapa. I had my first taste on a visit to Vancouver years back and couldn't wait to see what menu items they brought over to Alberta. Hapa Izakaya is located downtown on busy 11th Avenue, where parking can be a challenge to find depending on the time of your visit. The space is large with an open concept design and the large windows in the front of the restaurant allow plenty of natural light into the restaurant. Come sundown, the dark decor and dimmed lighting give a more intimate feel.

As with many izakayas, there is a regular menu and a fresh sheet outlining daily features. I noticed that the menu seemed to be smaller than that in Vancouver (the menu has expanded since my visit!), but there was still a fair amount of options to choose from. In addition to ordering a la carte off the menu, Hapa offers a 12 course prix fixe menu at $35 per person and has a 'Hapa Hour' menu from 5:30-6:30 pm with certain plates offered at 50% off.

Our meal started off with the Bintoro ($12), which is a seared Albacore tuna sashimi in ponzu sauce. The thick cut slices of the lightly seared tuna were so fresh, and I loved the slightly tangy ponzu sauce. The greens, seaweed, and garlic chips were a great accompaniment to the fish. I could eat this tuna all the time.

Hapa Izakaya also has a decent selection of sushi rolls, so we went with the Kin Roll ($15) and Umi Roll ($15). The Kin Roll is made with asparagus tempura, onion, miso mayo, yuzu rind, and topped with yellowtail that is torched tableside. The fish is fresh, asparagus still slightly crunchy, and the sweet miso brings all the flavours together. The Umi Roll on the other hand is made with chopped scallops and avocado then topped with Ahi tuna and pickled onion vinaigrette. The Ahi tuna carries flavours similar to that of their ponzu sauce. The rest of the roll is less flavourful, but that allows you to taste just how fresh and sweet the raw scallops are.

When I visit izakayas, Takoyaki is always at the top of my list of things to order. The Takoyaki ($7.50) at Hapa Izakaya is on the fresh sheet, so unfortunately it isn't always available. However, if you get the chance definitely order it! These crispy balls of octopus in smooth batter are something you don't want to miss.

Finishing off our orders was the Spicy Pork Ishi-yaki ($12). Served in a hot stone bowl, rice is topped with minced pork, garlic sprouts, tomato, lettuce, spicy miso, and a raw egg. Similar to Korean bibimbap, this rice bowl is mixed up table side and allowed to sizzle in the pot. There was plenty of sauce to coat all the ingredients and the crispy rice. I loved the punch of spicy miso and garlic flavours, and it's a bowl of rice that will definitely warm you up on a cold night.

Offering something different compared to the traditional Spanish tapas, I'm sure Hapa Izakaya has been happily embraced by those who enjoy going for post-work drinks and small plates. Our server was knowledgeable and attentive, and it was a great upbeat environment to dine in. I'm a little sad that Hapa Izakaya hasn't expanded up to Edmonton, but there's always hope!

When I was young I loved to host tea parties with my stuffed animals, mimicking my parents version of Hong Kong afternoon tea. Now that I'm grown up my tea parties have transformed into high tea, catching up with girlfriends over sandwiches and decadent desserts.

The Harvest Room - 10065 100 Street - Edmonton AB

Edmonton doesn't have many options for high tea, but if there's one tea service I'll recommend it's the Royal Tea hosted at The Harvest Room inside the historic Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. High ceilings and the traditional architecture in the dining room add to the experience of having traditional afternoon tea.

Hosted every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM, high tea comes with impeccable service and a gorgeous view overlooking Edmonton's river valley. Each guest gets their own teapot to steep one of the tea blends exclusive to the Fairmont hotels, and there is a lovely variety to choose from.


Amuse bouche: sweet tomato sorbet with basil sea salt

Classic & chocolate orange scones with devonshire cream & mixed berry compote

Assortment of finger sandwiches
After an hour of sipping tea and sharing bites, a tour of the historic hotel is offered to all guests at high tea. It's a great way to learn about this landmark in the city, and you can even visit the grand Queen Elizabeth II Suite (subject to availability). At At $39 (+ tax&tip) per person you can expect to have great food (the scones are my absolute favourite!) and even better service. It can be fun to indulge in a fancy tea service from time to time, especially when they have special themed menus. Reservations are required so make sure to book ahead of time!

Happy Monday! It's a long weekend here in Alberta and I'm enjoying the extra day off to just relax and do absolutely nothing. How many of you went out to see Fifty Shades of Grey this past weekend? Was it any good? I've definitely heard lots of mixed reviews!

Movie aside, Make Up For Ever is the official makeup sponsor for the film. In collaboration with the movie release, Make Up For Ever put together four different make up kits to achieve Ana's different looks in the movie. The sets include two lip trios, one blush trio and a kit for eyes and lips.

Victoria Down, Makeup Department Head for the film, actually said that Ana's lips were the makeup focus for the movie. It only makes sense that Make Up For Ever released two lip sets for this film! The Tease Me Lip Trios come packaged with a smudge-proof lip liner, long wearing lip gloss and a textured gloss. I tried out the trio in Nude, and Make Up For Ever utilized this nude shade to create an innocent, kissable lip.

The kit included Aqua Lip in 3C, Aqua Rouge in 3 and Lab Shine Lip Gloss in D16. As you can see from the swatches above, I would only classify the Lab Shine gloss as a nude shade. When applied, the lip liner and lip gloss apply beautifully and give off a light berry shade. It's almost one of those "my lips but better" shades, which is probably why this set has been labelled as 'nude'. Applied in combination, the products do not budge and give the lips long lasting colour.

Although the lip trio isn't truly comprised of nude shades, I like that you can mix the products to build the desired nude berry shade you may be looking for. The products are long-wearing and quite moisturizing too. If you're a fan of the book/movie, and love the Make Up For Ever range of products, you'll definitely want to add this lip trio to your collection.

Available for $38 via Sephora.

*Disclosure: This product was sent for consideration of a review