Holy Crap Cereal (Product Review)

Holy Crap mixed into yogurt (pre-soak)

Holy Crap is an organic cereal that is a mixture of just a few simple ingredients (all organic):

• chia seeds
• hulled hemp hearts
• buckwheat
• dehydrated fruits (cranberries, raisins, apple)
• cinnamon

The product was first made popular by the television show Dragons' Den. In fact, I heard about it for the first time on the show. The Dragons had fairly positive feedback about the taste of the cereal, so I was really interested in trying it out -- especially because it's supposed to be pretty healthy.

Holy Crap Cereal - "Dragon's Blend" made popular on the TV show Dragon's Den

The cereal is made in British Columbia, but is now available in stores throughout Canada (shipping available to the US). The local grocery store sells it for $10.99 per 225g bag, which is pretty darn expensive considering you get about 8 servings out of the entire bag if you follow their suggested serving size (28g). Then again, this is in comparison to regular grocery cereal --- if you're comparing it to organic cereals, you fall in a similar price range.

That being said (and for full disclosure), I had actually been fortunate enough to pick up some samples from the company when they were giving them away at a 5K/10K race(!) I was super excited and couldn't wait to try it. :)

This is what it looks like in the bag, before hydration. Hmm.

In the mix: Chia seeds, hemp hearts, buckwheat, dehydrated fruit (apple, cranberries, raisins), cinnamon

They have two suggestions for preparation: soak with a bit of milk, or stir into yogurt.
I added it to my favorite yogurt mix (non-fat Liberte plain Greek yogurt and Source lemon-meringue-parfait yogurt...yum!). I actually am not a fan of raisins or cranberries so I picked around those when I was scooping from the bag. Hee. (Side note: the company also sells a product called 'Skinny-B' which is basically the same thing as Holy Crap, but minus the dried fruit.)

My favorite yogurt mix: Liberte 0% Greek with Source Lemon Meringue Parfait

Let soak for 15 minutes until everything got hydrated.

Time to eat. It was a really interesting texture in the yogurt. The chia seeds have a bit of a slimy/slippery quality to them (but not in a bad way), while there was a bit of a bite from the hemp hearts and buckwheat. There was only a small amount of apple and cinnamon, which didn't really add or detract much from the texture of flavor profile.

Hydrated Holy Crap in yogurt

This cereal doesn't really have a strong flavor --- I thought at first maybe it was the flavor of my yogurt overpowering the flavor of the cereal, but then I tried it again just soaked in a bit of 2% milk, and again there wasn't a distinctive flavor. I definitely preferred it in yogurt rather than in milk though.

The main highlight of this cereal, for me, is the nutritional value rather than the flavor. High in fiber, a source of omega fatty acids, a source of iron, and low in sugar... this cereal definitely beats out most other cereals from a nutritional standpoint.

Holy Crap - ingredients and nutritional info

Final verdict?

This cereal is definitely a super healthy food choice and a quality product, but is not remarkable for its flavor. I would buy it mainly for the nutritional benefit, and that it adds a neat texture to my yogurt. Their website also features some recipes that suggest using it in baked goods, salads, and beverages -- definitely looks to be worth a try too.

Because a lot of it is just chia seed, you could probably make a comparable replica of the cereal using chia seed and your favorite dried fruits (... hmmm!). It is on the pricier side when compared to regular grocery cereals, but is reasonably priced as an all-organic product. I definitely liked this product and would eat it from time to time. I'm not a big fan of dried fruits, so I am glad they thought of making 'Skinny-B', which I will definitely check out soon.


TL;DR

Pros

• Healthy: high in fiber, source of omega fatty acids, source of iron, etc.
• Good quality ingredients (all organic)
• All "real" ingredients -- no additives or preservatives, no flavorings (but requires refrigeration after opening
• Friendly to various diets: no sodium, low sugar, gluten-free, kosher

Cons

• Pricier than most regular cereals (~$11 per 225g bag; yields about 8-9 servings)
• Taste is OK, but not remarkable
• Requires a small amount of wait-time for cereal to soak (10-15 minutes) - not ideal if you're the type that rolls out of bed and out the door

Saigon Sandwich (San Francisco)

I was staying at the moderately-seedy but conveniently-located Hotel Whitcomb in downtown San Franciso when I decided to stop by Saigon Sandwich for a quick banh mi breakfast. After finally managing to do a search using the hotel's extremely spotty Wi-Fi, I came across rave reviews on Yelp for this small sandwich shop located just blocks from where I was staying. Open from 7am-5pm daily, I was glad we would be able to get in for breakfast --- there are a bunch of other sandwich shops in the area, but they either didn't look as tasty or they didn't open till lunch-ish hours.

Special Combination Banh Mi ($4.00)

This place really shouldn't have been hard to find... but it was hard to find. We were at the correct intersection but couldn't find a restaurant sign for it anywhere. After pacing around for a few minutes, I realized that their canopy (with their restaurant name) had been taken down. The only way that I was able to recognize it was by leering into the small shop and recognizing the menu board that I'd seen photos of, on Yelp.

Storefront. Could not find this place for a while. They were missing their restaurant sign...?

The shop itself is teeny-tiny. There is just enough room for the ladies to work in the back (where you can see them make your sandwich), a counter positioned about a meter from the entrance which is where you place your order and can purchase miscellaneous snacks, and finally a small area in the front with their drink cooler and a few chairs where you can smush up against the window while you chow down.

Front counter - place your order here

Ladies working on sandwiches in the back

Menu Board

We stopped by around 10:30am that day and there was no lineup at all. I ordered the Special Combination banh mi ($4.00), while my boyfriend opted for the Roast Pork ($3.50) to eat right away and the Roast Chicken ($3.50) to eat on the road **.

We were planning on slowly making our way down Market Street towards the Ferry Building Marketplace that day, so we decided to sit at the few chairs at the front of the shop to eat our breakfast.

My Special Combination sandwich (pictured at top) was incredible. You bite into that freshly toasted crusty bun, and you're hit with the flavors of the meats & tofu. The pate was really what made this sandwich for me though -- their generous smear of pate on the inside of the bun just imparted so much flavor and worked well with fillings. Each bite is a little different, depending on which meat you happen to be biting into. Rounded off with the crispy crunch of the fresh vegetables, this sandwich is hard to beat at $4.00.

Banh Mi all wrapped up - We ate our sandwiches crammed up against the window (and enjoyed it)

I sampled a few bites from both of my boyfriend's sandwiches (Roast Pork and Roast Chicken). It was a pretty close call, but I liked the chicken just a bit more because the meat was more tender and less greasy (though neither sandwich was particularly heavy). Seasoning was great for both meats. The boyfriend liked the chicken slightly more as well, but they were both damn delicious and inhaled within minutes.

This place is awesome and didn't disappoint one bit; I'm usually not much of a big-breakfast person, but on this day I was literally giddy with delight after eating that sandwich at 10am. Highly recommended. The Combination Sandwich was definitely my favorite -- that pate (which you don't get in the roast meat sandwiches) is to die for when paired with the rest of the ingredients. While the place isn't really meant for you to hang out and enjoy your meal, you can't really ask for much more in a banh mi joint -- service was fast, food was delicious -- you cannot miss out on this place if you're in the area!

** The Roast Chicken sandwich was eaten within 3 blocks of leaving the store... not sure if this counts as "saved to eat on-the-road"

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TL;DR
Food 5/5 - Banh mi done right -- one of the best that I've had. Fresh toasted bun, well-seasoned meats, crunchy veggies. My pick: Special Combination Banh Mi ($4.00)
Value/Price 5/5 ($3.50-$4.00 per sandwich)
Ambiance N/A - To-Go type restaurant
Service/Wait 4/5 - Fast service. No wait when we visited before lunch rush, but looks like a line would form during peak hours -- fortunately, the line seems to move quickly.
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Overall 4.5/5

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Saigon Sandwich
560 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
(475) 474-5698

Vietnam Palace (Calgary)

Great pho is one of the things that I really don't take advantage enough of as a Calgarian. If Calgary can get one thing right, it's definitely a good bowl of pho. Sure, we have some good Korean and Japanese restaurants here, but the sheer abundance of authentic Viet restos in our city is what allows for some competition between restaurants, which yields some really delicious and cheap options to be found in our city.

Seafood Noodle Soup ($12.50) with sprouts and basil mixed in

To start off, I have to say that Vietnam Palace was not a place that I'd had on my short list of restaurants to try. I've driven past by it a number of times while driving to Sura (Korean food) and had made a mental note of its existence, but after checking out some reviews on Urbanspoon, I wasn't racing to go try it out (especially since there are so many great Viet places right in Chinatown, much closer to where I live).

But so it happened that my mum had scored a pair of vouchers for Vietnam Palace. And since my dad doesn't like Vietnamese food (huh?!), my parents weren't planning to go, so my mom asked me if I'd like to go with the boyfriend instead. --- Umm, hells yah!

$10-Off Vouchers my mom gave me

We went on a Friday night around 7pm. There is a moderate-sized parking lot outside, so parking wasn't an issue at all. No wait time either once we got inside -- we went in and were immediately seated at a booth by a friendly waitress who brought us our tea and our menus right away.

Restaurant Entrance. Plenty of parking in their parking lot out front.

I'll just be upfront here: I was a little surprised at the outstandingly tacky decor. Now, don't get me wrong.... I'm here to eat pho, not the wallpaper, and I'm certainly not expecting any fancy ambiance, but this place is really hit-you-over-the-head with its tackiness. It's actually kind of charming and quirky in its own way: back-lit menus near by the kitchens, mismatched couch upholstery, some funky Asian-inspired transparent booth dividers, and pink-painted walls. I think the redeeming factor here was that it was brightly lit unlike many hole-in-the-wall Viet places, so it looks more clean(??) and spacious(???)... .... ... Not sure, also it doesn't matter.

Restaurant Interior: what's with the booth dividers?

Now the waitresses there were quite nice. They don't speak a lot of English but just enough that you can easily order, and they were pleasant, cheerful, and efficient even though there were just the two of them and they each had their hands pretty full.. Overall, it was very standard no-fuss Asian-restaurant type service -- they take your order, give you your food, and leave you alone. Works for me.

Anyways. Menu menu menu. Lots of options at this place (there were more pages to the menu than pictured below), so it was kind of hard to decide. We decided to split an appetizer and each order an entree.

Menu: Appetizers

Menu: Noodle Soups

Menu: Satay Noodle Soups & Vermicelli Entrees

Menu: Vermicelli Entrees

With appetizers, we decided to go with two salad rolls ($4.50) to keep things light. These arrived right away, presumably made ahead of time. Unfortunately, these were kind of a dud. They were room temperature, filled with mostly vermicelli, a bit of lettuce and carrot, and had just two pieces of halved shrimp plus a tiny tiny shred of sliced chicken per salad roll. I was pretty disappointed -- especially at $2.50 per roll, this was a pretty big flop. Will not order again.

Salad Rolls (two for $4.50)

Moving on. For an entree, I decided to go for pho of some sort. My usual pho go-to is some variation of rare beef noodle soup, but today their #27 Seafood Noodle Soup ($10.50) and its picture in the menu was really calling out to me. Okay, sure. I kind of wanted a cold vermicelli entree too, but figured that that's what stealing-off-the-boyfriend's-plate is good for.

Seafood Noodle Soup ($10.50)

The seafood noodle soup was pretty tasty. Their broth was very flavorful without being too salty or too greasy, and made for a nice light dinner. The seafood assortment included imitation crab meat, shrimp, and squid in a reasonable portion, topped with thinly sliced white onions and scallions. Served up with your standard bean sprouts, fresh basil, and chili pepper to be mixed into the soup (pictured at top). Plenty and plenty of noodles.

The boyfriend ordered #56 Grilled Combo Vermicelli ($12.99), which had a portion of each of the meats (pork, chicken, beef, shrimp), a spring roll, and assorted veggies (lettuce, carrots, sprouts). Topped with thinly sliced green onions and crushed peanuts.

Grilled Combo Vermicelli ($12.99)

The grilled combo vermicelli was pretty good too; each of the meats were nicely charred, well-seasoned, and not too greasy. The spring roll was better than the salad rolls we'd had as our appetizer (this was at least clearly freshly fried and the correct temperature), but was at the same time pretty standard fare and nothing to write home about. The balance of meat-to-veggies-to-noodles was fine, although my boyfriend did comment on the huge portion of noodles. For 13 bucks, this entree was a little on the pricey side if compared to other Viet places in the city with comparable/better quality, so I guess that was the only downside.

Lots of carb-inhaling later, I managed to finish all of the seafood, all of the broth (I love pho broth), but struggled in the final leg of the race with the hefty portion of noodles, as I always do when I go on my pho-eating adventures. Sometimes I get my unfinished-food receptacle boyfriend to eat the noodles for me (before I've stripped them of soup), but on that day he was so full himself that he didn't want to bother.

Failure at finishing all the noodles. :(

Overall, I'd say that this place is just OK. The salad rolls were a disappointing way to start off the meal, but the entrees were both reasonably well-made. I liked that the noodle entrees weren't greasy, and that there were plenty of options and variations to choose from. It would have been nice to see some portion size options, as some other noodle houses offer; both our entrees were definitely too big, and had I been given the option, I definitely would've selected a smaller size. A final note is that the pricing at Vietnamese Palace is somewhat higher than other Vietnamese restaurants in the city, while not really offering any more in quality (or quantity, not that anyone should ever need that much food). I guess I'd stop by again if I were in the neighborhood or if a friend wanted to go, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit here again.

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TL;DR
Food 3/5 - Pretty standard pho and cold vermicelli; nothing to write home about. Good soup base. Enjoyed that none of it was greasy (probably had to do with our menu choices too). Salad rolls were too warm and lacked non-filler ingredients. - My pick: #56 Grilled Combo Vermicelli
Value/Price 3/5 ($8-15)
Ambiance 3/5 - Quirky, weird renovation: makes the place less dingy than some other hole-in-the-wall pho places, but just looks kinda odd. Spacious and comfortable.
Service/Wait 4/5 - No wait on a Friday night. Parking was fine. Exactly what you expect in a pho restaurant: take your order, give you food, leave you alone.
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Overall 3/5

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Vietnam Palace Grill & Noodle House
308 16 Ave NW
Calgary, AB
(403) 276-9990