Low Carb Restaurant Review: Sunny's Vietnamese Restaurant

Those who know me well know how much I adore Vietnamese food, it's something about the fresh ingredients and aromatic flavours that just keep me coming back for more.  Now when most people picture Vietnamese food it's all about the noodles, but I decided to try a low carb experiment for lunch one day.

I love going to Chinatown for lunch, the food is great and it's reasonably priced.  Sunny's is a hidden gem that's located above a bubble tea house, it's not normal that you find a restaurant on the upstairs level of a building.  They are known for the Pho Satay, but since I was trying to low carb the meal, I had to order bun instead because Pho without noodles is a pointless.

Here's how I low carb'd the meal:

I ordered the barbecue pork with spring roll bun, but I had them hold the noodles and add more vegetables instead.  The vegetables normally consist of bean sprouts, lettuce and carrots, with some Thai basil and green onions mixed in. 

The waitress gave me the strangest look, but obliged with my request.  The dish actually tasted great and I didn't miss the noodles at all.  So if an Asian person can withhold the noodles from their Bun, then so can you!

107 2 AVE SE, CALGARY, AB T2G 0B2
Phone: 403-265-2210

Healthy Tips: Mad Greens Restaurant Review

I'm in Denver this week and I happened to stroll past an appealing restaurant called Mad Greens.  They had a display in their window that said "Fresh Gourmet Salads", so I thought I would give it a try.  It's a neat concept, essentially they sell salads, soups and sandwiches and promote a healthy "tree hugger" type atmosphere.

I opted for the Crazy Ivan salad and it was delicious.  The only thing I would recommend is getting the regular size because I could barely finish the larger one, even though it was "just a salad".  I think it was the fact that I added chicken breast, along with the cheese and pumpkin seeds, that made this meal so filling.  I could barely shovel the last forkful into my mouth.

As usual, salads are definitely a healthy alternative when eating out, but always watch your portion size, as this is how those calories can sneak up on you.

Here's a breakdown of the nutritional info for the Crazy Ivan salad

Baby Greens, Roasted Beets, Pumpkin Seeds, House Croutons & Goat Cheese
572 Cal, 33g Fat, 776 mg Sodium, 42g Carbs, 28g Protein

Eat Healthy: Low Carb Restaurant Review - Wa's Japanese Restaurant

We decided to head out for dinner and treat ourselves for a long week of work at Wa's Sushi.  It's a quaint little sushi restaurant located on Centre Street, just outside of the downtown core.  I love coming here because I know it's Japanese owned and operated, the Chinese owned restaurants just can't compete when it comes to sushi.  Plus, they offer a bunch of authentic dishes, some of which I'm reluctant to try, like squid guts. 

The prices are reasonable as we spent just over $50 on a authentic Japanese meal for two and the food is absolutely delicious.  The fat Colin in me always escapes when I enter a restaurant, but healthy Colin prevailed and I tried my best to make this a healthy meal even though we were dining out.

Here’s how I Low-Carb'd the meal:

• Edamame beans as an appetizer
• Agadashi Tofu for a starter that is covered in veggies
• Sashimi for the main course
• Tea to drink 

The Good:

• I had quite a high protein meal here loaded with healthy protein from soy and fish and surprisingly I was quite full from only a few dishes
• The agadashi tofu is delightful!

The Bad:

• The tofu is lightly deep-fried and the sauce is slightly sweetened

The Ugly:

• This restaurant is tiny and gets extremely packed during the dinner rush, so make reservations or get there early to ensure a spot

Wa's Japanese Restaurant

1721 Centre Street NW

403-277-2077

Healthy Tips: Low Carbohydrate Restaurant Review - Seoul Korean Restaurant

We went out to celebrate a buddies’ birthday at the Seoul Korean BBQ restaurant on Macleod Trail, so I thought I’d do a review on the restaurant and how I tried to make this a healthier low carb meal.  I always try to eat healthy while dining out, as there are usually options available.

The restaurant is huge and it felt like two restaurants in one.  They’ve got one side reserved for all you can eat customers and one side for regular patrons.  We opted for the all you can eat Korean barbeque for $24.99 per person. This special is available Monday to Thursdays.  It’s exactly as advertised, all the barbecued meat you could eat with unlimited side items. 

Here’s how I Low-Carb'd the meal:

• I had beef short ribs and regular beef for the barbecued meats
• Bean sprouts, radish and siu-choy kimchi as my side dishes
• The beef also comes with mushrooms and onions for sautéing and I ate all my beef in lettuce wraps instead of having the white rice
• Had tea and water to drink.

The Good:

• The food tasted great and you get to cook your beef to your own liking
• Their side dishes tasted very authentic and all the servers spoke Korean
• The servers were very attentive, coming by to change our cooking plate and refilling the portions regularly.

The Bad:

• I have no idea what’s in the sauce for marinating the beef and I’m assuming there would be some sugar and MSG in it, so I didn’t completely avoid processed carbs this meal.

The Ugly:

• I like being able to cook my own food, but I reeked of barbecue smoke afterwards as the smell gets into your clothing and hair.

Seoul Korean BBQ

4336 Macleod Trail SW

Calgary, Alberta

403-243-7970