Anappetite

Notes on food, life, and travel

  • Post-Final Year Updates

    The last month has felt like a long series of endings. If you read pre-final year feels, then you’ll know that I went into this year buried in applications, wanting to make the most of things, and hoping to meet some great people before it all wrapped up. Some things went according to plan. I started a cheese club (important) and finally studied in TFDL. But also, a lot of it came down to “random” moments. One day, I made an on-the-spot decision to apply to a student writer position on the UCalgary job board, which turned into a super fun…

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    Post-Final Year Updates

  • Trying Beeswax Dry-Aged Lamb at Park by Sidewalk Citizen

    It’s not often that someone like Guy Fieri comes to Calgary to sing the praises of our restaurants, and it’s certainly unexpected that one such restaurant would be a spin-off of a bakery. Located in a small building at the corner of Central Memorial Park, Park by Sidewalk Citizen is known for their dry-aging and fermentation techniques. It has a beautiful solarium as well as the kitchen area that you can be seated in. An expansion of the popular Sidewalk Citizen bakery, it also serves as a year-round event space in Calgary’s oldest park. We chose to sit in the fireplace-heated solarium with…

    Read more: Trying Beeswax Dry-Aged Lamb at Park by Sidewalk Citizen
    Trying Beeswax Dry-Aged Lamb at Park by Sidewalk Citizen

  • Boston Food Reviews: Pizza, Seafood, and More

    Local cuisine is one of the best things about travelling, and my recent trip to the Boston/Cambridge area was certainly no different, so here were some of the interesting things I had in the even windier city! Pinocchio’s Pizza at Harvard Square Most Canadians associate Boston with Pizza, despite Boston Pizza being totally Canadian, and Boston’s lack of an iconic pizza style like New York’s or Chicago’s. Regardless, the city has a strong Italian community and some renowned pizza spots such as Pinocchio’s Pizza & Subs. Located in Harvard Square, it’s famously referenced in Suits when Mike Ross fails to…

    Read more: Boston Food Reviews: Pizza, Seafood, and More
    Boston Food Reviews: Pizza, Seafood, and More

  • What I Learned From My High School Software Internships

    After finishing my last internship over the summer, I’ve reflected back on how much I’ve grown since my first internships, largely thanks to the great mentorship and trust afforded to me by others. I feel incredibly lucky to have had these experiences (though I did work hard at getting them!) and wanted to share them for others in case they provide any insights :). UCalgary XR Lab Researchship This one was a semi-internship I did during the summer of tenth grade; it was unpaid, part-time, and did not have many expectations attached to it. I found out about this opportunity…

    Read more: What I Learned From My High School Software Internships
    What I Learned From My High School Software Internships

  • Rating Each of my Final Year Fall Courses (CS/CPSC @ UCalgary)

    The last year of uni is definitely the “oh shit!” time when you look at your academic requirements and realize you need to take five 500-level CPSC courses, three 300+ level options (the only one that fits your schedule is Analysis of Slavic Music), and two of the most grueling courses you’ve ever taken because they’re prerequisites for CPSC 5XX: Course you wanted to take since first year. OK, maybe it’s not that bad. CPSC 441 – Computer Networks This course had a great balance between theory and practicality, because while we were given (and tested on) many equations and…

    Read more: Rating Each of my Final Year Fall Courses (CS/CPSC @ UCalgary)
    Rating Each of my Final Year Fall Courses (CS/CPSC @ UCalgary)

  • The Reality of Starting a Club at UCalgary

    Do you want to start a club at UCalgary? That’s great! With over 200 clubs already on campus, you’d think it’s a pretty straightforward process. Well, yes and no. The process is theoretically easy and straightforward, but there are a bunch of little things the official guides don’t quite tell you that might trip you up. So, here’s what I learned from starting the UCalgary Cheese Club! Start the Application Process Early… Very Early First things first: all new club requests are due once per year on May 15th. If you miss that deadline, then you’re waiting until next year. The actual…

    Read more: The Reality of Starting a Club at UCalgary
    The Reality of Starting a Club at UCalgary

  • Trying Four Mooncake Flavours🥮

    In Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn festival (falling somewhere in September/October) is a time to gather with loved ones, give thanks, and pray for good fortune and health. Of course, food is of paramount importance to these celebrations – mooncakes especially. They come in many different styles, but they are almost always round to symbolize reunion and have the bakery’s name with an elaborate design printed on them. They’re served in wedges and paired with tea. This year, I tried the 4 different flavours of mooncake from the T&T Bakery Assorted Mooncake Pack, which comes in a lovely box depicting the…

    Read more: Trying Four Mooncake Flavours🥮
    Trying Four Mooncake Flavours🥮

  • Are Subway Power Bowls Better Than Footlongs?

    Subway has remained a consistently affordable and healthy option for food on (or off) campus. They recently launched “power bowls”, advertised as being an even healthier and protein-packed option compared to their sandwiches. How do they really stack up in comparison? To find out, I tried their two flagship chef-crafted flavours: Piri Piri Chicken ($11) and Southwest Steak and Avocado ($13)… of course I used a 2 for $20 coupon in the app 😆. The Piri Piri Chicken Bowl has 29g of protein, comprising of rotisserie chicken, brown/red/wild rice, cheese, veggies, and topped with Piri Piri sauce and garlic aioli. It…

    Read more: Are Subway Power Bowls Better Than Footlongs?
    Are Subway Power Bowls Better Than Footlongs?

  • Getting Back Into Reading (The Fun Way)

    To be clear, I’m all for educational books and they’ve definitely impacted my life (technical guides, personal development, popular science…). What I don’t think we give enough credit to, though, is how much learning and satisfaction we can get when we start to read fiction for the thrill of it. I’ve recently noticed how different I feel after reading a book I genuinely enjoyed versus one I felt I “should” read: the characters and themes stick with me, for months or even years afterwards.  Of course, I also read much faster and am more likely to pick up another book. Light…

    Read more: Getting Back Into Reading (The Fun Way)
    Getting Back Into Reading (The Fun Way)

  • 3 Unique (and Affordable) Eats in Vancouver

    Let’s be honest – when someone says they LOVE Vancouver food, it’s usually followed by a sushi, hot pot, dim sum, or ramen recommendation. Of course they are delicious; but what really sets the city apart are the unique and mouthwatering eats from all sorts of cultures. I’ve been on a (very difficult, I know…) mission to eat my way through foods that I haven’t had before while I’m in Vancouver, so here are three such dishes that made an impression on me! Kywteiw Moo Toon I entered Thai Basil restaurant after seeing that they served $12 Pad Thai, but…

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    3 Unique (and Affordable) Eats in Vancouver