Nhon Hoa
10622 97 Street Northwest (location visited)
10154 82 Ave Northwest
Edmonton, AB

Van Loc
10648 98 Street Northwest
Edmonton, AB

Paris Bakery
1403 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

This is my third post on Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton. As mentioned in my previous posts on Tau Bay and Pagolac, there is a large Vietnamese community, to the point that, Chinatown might look more on the line of Viet Nam Town! This time, I am falling back into yet another of their stereotypical dishes (from our perspective, that is): banh mi. See, when Stimulant Junkie was in Vancouver, “for fun”, we did an impromptu taste test from several banh mi shops in town – which I will briefly go through further down in this post. During my trip to Edmonton, it was really difficult to notice how many places they had, so it was almost natural I should try banh mi here as well to see how it compares to the ones in Vancouver. And, after checking around, it narrowed down to two places: Nhon Hoa and Van Loc.

First, the contenders in Vancouver: Ba Le, Tung Hing, Chong Lee Market and, a place I had not visited previously, Paris Bakery. Now, because I was a bit too entertained with the tasting, I didn’t take picture of any of the banh mi this time and, to be fair, we did a blind tasting (read: I might not have necessarily “known” which one was which). Conclusion? With the caveat that there might have been some degradation due to the transit time from all these places before the actual tasting (which would have affected all of them the same way), here is what we thought (for easier comparison sake, we ordered their “special”, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink versions):

- Chong Lee underperformed compared to last time.
- The major disappointment was Ba Le. It was gone downhill since my last post. Flavours weren’t there and the only consistent part was the size: It was still loaded but the components were not flavourful.
- Paris Bakery, which looks really ghetto (or, a place where I could feel at home) was actually quite decent. For reference purposes, I will suggest you check Sherman’s post of this place.
- Tung Hing was consistent.

Now, moving to Edmonton. The days I was there were unseasonally warm. Of course, for Edmonton, “warm” in January means something on the lines of -5C (not counting wind chill or other factors). And while the mercury dipped below zero, one thing it did have: Sunlight. Yes, while we can brag about a lot of things here, during winter, it is mostly gray here. So, when I arrived, the sun was out and good time for some good pictures! (Hopefully, that is…).

First order of business is usually what to order and, following an approach similar to the comparison above, I was going to order their “special” just to find out there wasn’t such item in the menu. In fact, all the menu was, for the most part, in plain English! Of course, after ordering is when I realized I overlooked the obvious: the menu which includes the names in Vietnamese was behind the counter, not in the sheet in front of me. Doh? Anyway, by almost peer sheer luck I got it right: I ordered their combo which includes “bacon roll, head cheese, Vietnamese sausage, served with liver pate”.

Before going on, I ordered it in a combo (a possible “WTF?” moment if you are used to the Vancouver shops) and, in this case, spring rolls and a pop. The spring rolls were almost a mini version of the spring rolls found in most Vietnamese shops here in Vancouver, i.e., a meaty filling inside. The “issue” with this one was the fact they weren’t fried to order; rather, these were under a heating lamp. I won’t necessarily be harsh on them for this fact, as I was going for the banh mi instead.

Back to the banh mi, here is yet another “WTF?!” moment. Yup, these were wrapped in a plastic film. I was a bit perplexed at this for several reasons, with the obvious one being that I don’t recall ever seeing it in that form (probably with the exception of the ones found in supermarkets like T&T). OK, that is not much of an issue per-se, instead, is the issue of condensation. Since the bread is toasted prior to the sandwich being prepared (there is a toaster right there), it would create some heat. If it is wrapped in the plastic film, it would certain create some condensation. That was proved later to be true, as I took the leftover pieces with me to test that hypothesis and, indeed, the consistency was starting to get a bit mushy. Of course, -5C would certainly be a factor…

Enough digressing and back to the sandwich. Out of the gate, these sandwiches were obviously larger than the ones found in Vancouver. As for the taste, one bite and… I have to hands it down to them… These are indeed better than the ones we have! It was quite well balanced in terms of vegetables and meat plus there is a good spread of the pate (though it didn’t have a strong taste). Furthermore, the bread… Ah, the bread. At first, based on visuals, I thought it would be quite heavy, but, nope, it was crispy and light. Enough to hold the meats; not too much to make it dense.

Now, I did something stupid here: I had the recommendation for a “siu mai” banh mi for somewhere else but, by mistake, I ordered it here. Oh, well… That “siu mai” was spelled as “xiu mai” which was actually meatballs. In this case, it was more on the lines of ground meat and, while it could hold itself, I preferred the cold cut taste from the combo sub.

Of course, a “battle” post means I had to visit at least one other place and that place ended up being Van Loc, a block and a half away from Nhon Hoa. “Fortunately”, they do have a “special” and that is what I ended up ordering. After paying and getting the goodies, I sat on one of the tables inside which, in its own way look really strange. How so? The glass “windows” were mostly covered, giving a sense of… Enclosed space? As if they had something to hide. Too bad because that meant not enough sunlight and had to rely on the fluorescent light as source. But, back to the food: The bread was more on the lines of a “regular” baguette, which, depending on your preference, it might work for you. However, here is where things started to go a bit in odd ways. The meat was actually even more savoury than the ones from Nhon Hoa. Could it be I am confusing it with a sauce they add? However, what stole the show was the pate: it had a strong taste. In other words, if you don’t like that meaty, almost metallic taste, this might not be for you. Alas (or fortunately?), it wasn’t spread evenly, so not all bites had some of that said pate.

So, which one was better? Pricewise, they are the same ($3.50, which, looking into perspective, it is not that different compared to Vancouver prices). Nhon Hoa’s bread and other non-meat components were better; while the pate stole the show for Van Loc. So, it might be difficult to say which one I prefer, as both had its strengths and not much of a weakness. But, I will repeat it: These were *WAY* better than the ones we have in Vancouver. So, while I can’t say which one was better, and to badly paraphrase Adam Richman (of Man vs. Food fame), “In the battle of Vancouver vs. Edmonton, this one goes to Edmonton…” (But, until restaurants on the lines of Sanpachi, we still have some other better restaurants. However, they are starting to catch up with offerings like Corso 32!)

(Sidenote: After the fact, I was told there might have been one ingredient that, while eating, I didn’t notice but could have made a lot of difference: a mayo prepared for the banh mi. Woops!)

Chicken for Lunch
Scotia Place
10060 Jasper Ave NW
Edmonton, AB

At first, this was sort of a tongue-in-cheek visit. C’mon, should I go to Chicken for Lunch? OK, one step back. What is Chicken for Lunch first? It happens to be a restaurant in Scotia Place food court in Downtown Edmonton. The food they serve is the typical Canadian Chinese food; however, as the name suggest, they emphasize more on chicken than other proteins. OK… So, what is the big deal then? It just happens it is the “extension” of sorts of The Lingnan, a “Chinese” restaurant in Edmonton… Which happens to be the “featured” one in a TV show called The Family Restaurant: The Quons. Yes, that was part of the reason for the tongue-in-cheek…

But, you know what? Let’s give them a break. Edmonton is not Vancouver and, similar to other places in the world, cuisine is adjusted based on ingredients availability and adapted to local tastebuds. It does not matter at times how authentic or traditional it is: If your patrons do not accept it, chances are business will go down. If they are happy with the food served, should we judge them? Having said that and putting it aside…

Part of the call to fame of Chicken for Lunch, aside from the fact it is featured in TV, is that the portion seems to be ridiculous. And there is Amy Quon, who runs the place. In a way, she seems to be a character of her own. If you are a frequent customer, she will remember you and, chances are, you will be given some “extras”. And, you know what? It works for her. In that food court, there are a handful of restaurants and, aside from Chicken for Lunch, the only one that I saw some business was Subway. Wow, talk about rough! Of course, this is Scotia Place’s food court. If you want to, you can easily go to the food courts of the neighbouring towers/centres via pedway so it is not as if they are the only option. But, let me assure you they do have their clientele.

But back to Chicken for Lunch. Knowing they close by 2:00 p.m. (more or less, don’t know about the exact time) and knowing that there might be long queues during peak lunch hour, I chose to arrive really early, as in around 11:00 a.m. local time. Set up was pretty forward: with rice, rice noddle, some vegetables, spring rolls and, well, chicken in different forms and iterations. But, wait! They also have an a la carte menu with other more Chinese Canadian diner staples, like sandwiches and what not. I skipped those, of course. But, here is the kicker of the “popular” dishes: Because of the line, they have the “base” prepacked (as in rice, rice noodle and vegetables) and you would then choose the proteins. It seems to work for them so I will leave it like that. Do they allow customization (for example, no rice noodles)? Not sure…

On the day I went, the two chicken options I chose were the kung pao chicken and the dry spicy chicken. Both were supposed to be spicy but I didn’t break a sweat with either one. Could it be my heat tolerance has increased lately or it was because it was cold outside (as in -30C cold before wind chill)? Anyway, the kung pao had a gravy/sauce of sorts which “moistened” the otherwise plain white rice. That sauce felt slightly starchy, but it is a case of it is what it is. The meat itself was OK. As for the dry spicy chicken, it felt that batter was a bit thick but, otherwise, tolerable – not too moist and borderline dry. Now, one thing I noticed about the chicken is that it is deboned dark meat. From that perspective, no complains!

As for the rest, the brocoli was quite al dente so I will leave it as person preference. The rice noodle… Well, it was a bit odd. It was plain and didn’t seem to contribute too much compared to the rice. OK, the gravy/sauce helped the white rice. But, in the end, I would have prefered more vegetables. And, finally, the spring roll. It was OK, slightly oily but, otherwise, nothing to write home about. Still, I would call it a bonus rather than being judgemental.

If I were to try to compare it to Vancouver offerings, Chicken for Lunch would face an extremely steep battle. Take, Kent’s Kitchen for comparison purposes. They have more variety and they are cheaper… WAY cheaper. (In Chicken for Lunch’s case, that meal was almost $8; compare it to just over $5 at Kent’s Kitchen or maybe $6 in some other similar spots in food courts). As for the food itself, if I don’t consider it “Chinese” but Canadian Chinese, it is edible but not something I am in a hurry to go back. But, again, this is Edmonton and not Vancouver so I would be really biased here. From an Edmontonian perspective? Sorry, didn’t ask but I am sure they have their fans.

Culina
6509 112 Avenue (Culina Highlands)
9914 89 Avenue (Culina Mill Creek)
9626 96A Street Northwest (Culina at the Muttart – Muttart conservatory, location visited)
Edmonton, AB

Before my trip to Edmonton, I checked with several people who lived there as well as natives for points of interests. Me being “me”, there were some usual “caveats”, one of them, for god’s sake, please, do NOT tell me West Edmonton Mall (WEM)! (And, yes, I indeed went there and, due to bad timing, I could skate in the rink at the Ice Palace). But, once they knew what I was looking for, i.e., walkable areas (with the warning Edmonton is not as walkable as Vancouver), something outdoors (yes, again, call me crazy…) and things that, because you are “local”, you tend to overlook it. One of such places ended up being the Muttart Conservatory. But, in addition to the flowers and plants, I knew there was a new location of Culina, a restaurant that seems to be well regarded. So, that’s how Dumbfries and I ended up having a brunch there.

Unlike the other days in my visit, this one was more on the lines of a typical winter day in Edmonton. Snow… Snow… Did I say snow? How so? Driving there was a bit of an adventure for Dumbfries (whom I will have to, once again, say thanks for driving me there on a day that would have otherwise stayed at home!) but we eventually made it. When we arrived, I will have to admit: I was quite underwhelmed by how the restaurant is set up. Hmmmmm… Let me take that back: It does NOT look like a restaurant in the straight sense of the word: it appeared more like a cafeteria. Of course, this might be due to the setting, after all, it is located in a conservatory, not Metrotown or WEM!

We were originally seated in a corner but, after some tables near the glass window cleared, we requested to be moved there. Hey, natural light! One thing I did observe during our meal: The other customers were families with toddlers in hand. Whether they were going to the conservatory later (don’t think they did, don’t recall them inside) or they are from the neighbourhood, it means the restaurant can cater to all type of customers.

Now, to the food! Because we were there for brunch (which, actually ended being more on the lines of lunch), I do not expect the food to be representative of a meal at Culina in their other locations. However, it would be the question of execution: If they are able to produce good eats in a more constrained environment, what would it be in their regular one? But, let’s not jump ahead and first the dishes we ordered:

Dumbfries went for something “light” in the form of smoked salmon and egg salad on croissant with fruit salad. The dish is as described. Nothing more, nothing less, almost down to a T. OK, probably aside from the greens in the croissant. First, the bad: the croissant. Now, it wasn’t “bad”, except it could have been better had it, as Dumbfries pointed out, been warm. It wasn’t crispy (compared to Panda Bakery) but that soft airy texture worked fine. The salmon wasn’t really strong but you could tell it was salmon. And the temperature of the egg salad (room temperature) didn’t take away from the rest. So, in a way, it felt Zen-like, i.e., a bit sweet (from the croissant), a bit savoury (from the salmon), extremely light acidity (from the mayo) and a bit bitter from the greens (but, similar to the acidic tones, it was really light). Not difficult to make but it was well done. As for the fruit salad, it was a mix of fruits and a dollop of mascarpone cream (which I might have it confused as vanilla yogurt, as it tasted as such!) on top. Won’t say more about it as it would be what you can expect from such combo.

To share, we had the soup of the day: split pea soup. I have a bias for this type of soup, as I am a sucker for legumes. And I will hand it to them: aside from temperature (I would have prefer a more pipping hot version), it was a smooth and savoury soup. And they didn’t hold back in terms of smoked ham, as you could have easily have had a bit in every spoonful. The sweet peas on top was a nice touch to finish it. I had a discussion with Dumbfries about this, specifically how difficult it is to make. While it is relatively easy (mirepoix, split pea and hock of ham, top with water and cook until soft), at times, the legume does not break up as intended or some other things happen. And, if it breaks correctly, you might not need a stick blender; however, now that I am writing this, it is possible Dumbfries might be correct that it might have been used to achieve the smooth(er) texture… But, in the end, a good soup.

However, the one part of the soup order that didn’t work that much was the sweet potato bread on the side. In a way, I felt it was your regular plain bread, colour aside, that is. Did I miss something? :/

Now, my dish. In my case, I went for something heavier: bacon and eggs – scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, rosemary-cheddar potato hash, sweet potato toast. Let’s start everybody’s favourite… Bacon!!!! In this case, I don’t know, it was OK but nothing extraordinary. It was a bit salty, a bit smokey but that’s about it. While it wasn’t extremely greasy (ha!), that aside, there wasn’t anything else. However, while that and the sweet potato toast as mentioned above, didn’t work that well, the scrambled eggs and the potato hash stole the show. In the case of the eggs, it was still slightly runny and it had a quite light, almost custardy feeling to it. However, the interesting note is that it didn’t feel as if it was over cooked nor too airy. In a way, I would love to be able to get the recipe for this! As for the potato, I am not sure if a “hash” would be the best description. From a recipe perspective, it looks like as if some new potatoes were boiled/cooked and then mashed in a heavy cast iron skillet over some heat. Add some light seasoning and serve! And, in this case, it retained some crispiness as well as some of that starchy feeling as well. In other words, a combination of textures.

Again, as mentioned above, while they do have stoves tops and what not, I don’t think I should compare the food represented here to their other Culina restaurants. Having said that, what they served here was quite well executed. And, for that reason, I would certainly want to come back. Or better yet, their other locations!

Now, to finish this post, a picture (yes, one and only one!) that I took of the conservatory itself… And, I did enjoy my trip there!

Swiss Donair
8308 144 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB

I have mentioned a couple of times that, in some parts of Vancouver, you can see a lot of shawarma/donair/falafel shops popping up every couple of blocks. Is this madness? Well, if there is demand, places like these will keep on popping out. So, when I was in Edmonton, my reaction was a bit of mixed when I kept seeing them as well! However, a bit of digging, I noticed something different so that gave me enough reason to try one of them as well. After shuffling between a couple of places (hey, after all, I only have that much stomach space!), the list of places narrowed down to two: High Voltage Food Coffee & Bar and Swiss Donair. Yes, you can guess which one I ended up.

I will put this one out before anybody jumps in. Notice that I mentioned shawarma/donair (I will leave falafel out for other reasons), as if they were the same entity. In fact, I should have also added gyro, as well; not to mention tacos al pastor! Truth is that they could be used interchangeably depending on the context so I will leave it in the sense of meat in a vertical rotating spit, sliced when ordered, then placed in bread (in the form of pita bread) and topped with some condiments. With the caveat that, depending on the combination of meats, it could deviate into specific ones. For example, in Vancouver, more often than not, you will see shawarma made out of chicken. In Panama, gyro made out of “mystery meat” was the norm. (Yes, gyro is Greek; however, I ate my big share of gyro back in my younger years!). In the case of Swiss Donair, it was made of some ground meat (in their menu, beef). Because of this, a direct 1:1 comparison to Vancouver can’t be made… Or can it? Keep on reading!

Due to some mix up in transit schedule and delays, I cancelled one of the places I was supposed to go. Oddly, that resulted in me arriving quite early. As in 11:00 a.m., around the time they were opening. Of course, that creates an odd situation: would the meat be piping hot? I saw the meat rotating weren’t extremely big so, needless to say, they weren’t fresh – chances are carry over from the previous day. But, provided it is carefully packaged/prepared, it might not be necessarily an issue. Now, one thing I did notice: While they cut the meat from the spit, they reheat them on a griddle. Of course, this could be a one time instance due to timing rather than the norm, again, considering the time of the day.

Now, here is the one detail: What to order? I would have wanted to do a head to head comparison by ordering the chicken version but that was not to be, as I didn’t see it in the spit. However, given that I have had the beef version at Donair Dude in Vancouver, a comparison of sorts could be made. Of course, it might still not be a 1:1 comparison. Instead, it would be something on its own. And this is the one I ended up ordering.

I know, in the picture above I am sure you would have asked yourself: Are those fries? You never see them here in Vancouver! Well, just because you see them or not see them here, does not mean it can be served differently somewhere else! In this case, they would serve it as a combo with fries. One thing I noticed right away is that it had some light seasoning. From that perspective, it was a nice touch to the otherwise regular fries. Now, as for the fries itself, could it be a frozen one? Not sure but, given that I am used to eating it without them, chances are this is a one of. Not bad but not something I would order again. (If going in a group, may be one person order it but that’s about it!)

As for the donair itself, I ordered the beef “super”. While there was no description as to what makes it “super”, I would assume it is the amount of meat in it. Truth is, this one was big! (Aside from this and the regular, other options include cheese, mushroom and jumbo). When ordered, I was asked if I wanted the sweet, dill or garlic sauce. I went for the sweet sauce. Now, here is the odd note: If you have ever heard of Halifax style donair, that sweet sauce is what makes it “Halifax style”. Alas, that might not have been the best of the options. I mean, it wasn’t bad, just that it ended up being a mix of savoury and sweet, something that does not always work for me. I guess I should have gone for either the dill or garlic one… But, hey, if you like this combination, by all means!

As for the meat (OK, beef, as per their menu), you don’t necessarily taste it as beef. Instead, you taste the spices added. And, you know what? I didn’t really mind it wasn’t necessarily beef tasting, as it served as a part of a whole. In perspective, I don’t think I should have ordered the Super as it was a bit too much beef, borderline to the point of meat overload (I can’t believe I am saying this!). If this was so much, I don’t want to know how much meat would be in the Jumbo version! The vegetables did what it was supposed to do but they limited themselves to the basic lettuce, tomato and onion. Would I have preferred some other extras? For example, tabouleh or pickles or what not? While it would have been nice additions, actually, as is it was good enough.

In the end, would I go for this, a gyro (in Panama) or a shawarma (in Vancouver)? Truth is, each one is a beast of its own with endless combinations and permutations. And, in regards to Donair Dude, due to local preferences, such a long distance comparison might be unfair to either one of them. I would have liked to try some of the other similar places on this trip but, alas, only that many eating chances. But, would I come back? At this point, difficult to assess; until then, I will just leave it as a question mark.

Famoso
4 Locations in Edmonton
1 Location in Calgary
11750 Jasper Ave NW (Location visited)
Edmonton, AB

OK, I made a big blunder for this post. In a way, I got carried away with some details that I completely overlook the bigger picture. One night, for dinner, I was planning to go for Italian with Dumbfries (*), which sort of ended up in a coin toss between Famoso and Violino Gastronomia Italiana. Yes, as you can see for the title of this post, Famoso was the “winner” that night. But, of course, there is one other question: why Famoso was one of the options? (Violino was based on a suggestion). As mentioned, it was a case where I got carried away…

(*) Technically Dumfries but Dumbfries stuck!

See, there is a soon-to-be-open restaurant in Vancouver called Nicli Antica Pizza. The interesting selling point of this restaurant is that it would be the second pizzeria in Canada that will be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the first one being Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto. So what that has to do with Famoso? Well, it has happens that, according to their site, the ingredients and methodology they use to make their pizza are pretty much the same established by the AVPN, except for one major detail – something I had to double check and found out after the visit: while they seem to do everything by the book (?), they are not certified. But, as o-toro of the Foodosophy team wrote: “For Famoso, this could possibly be difficult due to the franchise structure of this organization“, I think this would make sense. The question is whether, without this certification, how good would their final product be? (Of course, with the caveat that I haven’t had the “real thing” and will have to compare it to what I like… Until Nicli open, that is). Or even a simpler question: is their pizza good regardless of that certification?

Anyway, Dumbfries and I went, it was middle of the week; however, despite that, the restaurant was packed. If fact, I think we got the last table! Now, the restaurant itself isn’t that big but, at least, it seemed to be a well oiled running machine – though I wish our waitress wasn’t as stiff/unemotional. I know, I seldom make mention of things like this but, at the same time, I couldn’t help notice that. Fortunately (?), the order is done at the cashier, not at the table… And we started with:

Hummus plus flat bread wedges. OK, I will have to openly say this is one of the strangest pricing I have seen plus I will admit I should have asked for more details before ordering this. What is the pricing issue? Well, we were not given complimentary bread (not an issue per se) and the small dish of hummus was $1, while the wedges were $3. Normally, I would expect it to be the other way around or would have expected something larger, specially considering that they use a lot of flour. Anyway, had I known more about our second dish, we might have skipped the wedges. But, back to this, the hummus was a bit on the dry, chunkier side and I wished it had a bit more garlic in it. Otherwise, it wasn’t that bad but, otherwise, something I can do at home. As for the flat bread, it had an oily feeling and I wish there was something else. That is, it felt a bit… Simple?

Given we will be ordering pizza later, we ordered a salad to have our share of vegetables for the day. As for which salad, I left that to Dumbfries; the salad ended up being the Gorgonzola Walnut Salad – Crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in our Gorgonzola walnut dressing topped with crushed walnuts, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and semi-dried cranberries.. Dumbfries asked for the dressing to be on the side, something I consider to be a smart move considering a lot of restaurants overdress their salads. Now, notice there are two wedges in the salad? Yes, had I known they included wedges in the salad as well… No, it is not a case of me being cheap, just that it won’t have been necessary for $3. :/

But back to the salad. I am not sure but, for $12, I was expecting something else. In this case, it is just that it was too simple; in fact, this is something I would have done myself – dressing aside. Heck, you can get a chicken, pecan, apple, chicken salad at Costco “cafeteria” for $6! And, on the topic of the dressing, we were trying to guess what was in the dressing and it somehow felt like a pesto at first but, after tasting some Gorgonzola, I wasn’t sure. So, with this, we had our share of vegetables but the salad as such wasn’t too exciting. But now, moving to the pizzas…

We ordered two pizzas: Margherita and prosciutto arugula, the later from their white pizzas (aka, pizza bianca). As you can see from the pictures, it indeed has that leoparding. Past that… Well, disappointment for the most part. Let me break it down:

In the case of the Margherita, while the tomato “sauce” had some tomato characteristics, it felt, well, too basic. How so? It lacked some sweetness or some acidic notes. Then there was the basil. I was disappointed it was added before it was baked rather than after. Of course, some recipes will tell you it is added before, just that, in this case, I couldn’t really “taste” the basil so I would have preferred it after. Details, details.

In the case of the arugula… I don’t know… It felt it was just a piece of dough baked with some bocconcini (which I couldn’t really feel/taste in this case) and olive oil, then topped with the arugula and the prosciutto. If that was the general intent, it didn’t work for me as there was no “integration” of the ingredients. Granted, baking the greens and the prosciutto would have been heresy for some but, still, the end result didn’t work. But, as is, I thought there were a bit too much bitterness in this dough. Before you say “hey, it is the arugula!”, no, that was when I didn’t have some of it on top but eating the baked dough by itself.

One issue that was shared by both pizzas was the texture of the dough. I don’t know about you but it was really chewy, to the point Dumbfries was thinking it was an exercise itself eating this. And I will have to agree. Unless, that is, that’s how it is supposed to be. If so, I prefer more the bread-y texture from other places, or even the almost cracker texture from places like Ah-Beetz. But, of course, to “solve” this debate, will have to wait for Nicli…

With all the disappointments, Dumbfries thought we should give a try to their dessert which ended up being their “Authentic Tiramisu”, which, according to their menu, it is imported from Milan. If your expressing is one of “WTF”, yes, we were having some serious doubts as well. Now, as for this one, it was actually good: moist and loaded with coffee taste. Now, whether it is actually imported from Milan, I won’t argue to much; however, I have had similar tiramisu in other places which does not make such claim…

In the end, I will have to say I wasn’t particularly impressed by Famoso. The concept of the ingredients source might be good; however, it is the final result that didn’t work for me. As a result, I will have to give it a pass. Now, does that mean Edmonton pizza picture is behind Vancouver? Well, not exactly. Unlike in Vancouver, I don’t think I saw that many (if any) pizza by the slice places; in fact, after leaving Famoso, I learned of pizza places that were at par or “better” than Famoso. But, until I try those other places, that point is still up in the air. I just won’t use Famoso as reference.

B’s Diner
10015 82 Ave
Edmonton, AB

“You have to go to B’s Diner!”

Those were the words from Elaine and Chris of Parker Pages when I asked for restaurants suggestions in Edmonton. Of course, she knowing I have no issues going to dives, B’s Diner seemed to be “suitable” for me. But, I also found about something else about it…

One thing you will find out is that it is possible for you to be rubbing elbows with the less fortunate. And, in a way, that is part of the background story behind B’s Diner. But, for me (a non-local) to say it does not really convey the real meaning. So, instead, I will refer to this article in the Edmonton Journal. But, back to my visit…

When I walked in, there was Bob (owner of B’s Diner) greeting me and gave me the option to sit anywhere. Having said that, there is a communal like table in the middle and some booths on the sides. I choose to sit in the communal table. After given the menu and perusing through it, I couldn’t help look at the other customers. While in the article makes mention of the less fortunate, some of the other customers would be the same customers you would see in other regular establishments. Basically, from almost all ways of life. But, back to the menu. It was mostly composed of regular diner in the form of the burgers, breakfast dishes, sandwiches, but there were also interesting ones like liver and plus some Asian vegetarian dishes (probably due to Brenda’s Chinese heritage). However, while all those options would have been “good”, I decided to go for some more unique (if it can called that way), in the form of an Eastern European based special…

I ordered Beef Stroganoff with Polish potato dumplings and sauerkraut. One thing I will have to mention, it took forever for the food to come out. In fact, it easily took ~20 minutes! However, as they say, good food takes time and, in this case, I won’t complain as it give me a bit more time to look around and read photocopies of articles telling B’s Diner side story.

As for the food itself, when the plate arrived, I couldn’t believe the amount served. If it wasn’t because I was *really* hungry after that wait, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it. In fact, I was trying *NOT* to finish it but couldn’t help myself doing exactly that. In a way, everything had a rustic, home-y feeling to it. The beef was, for the most part, ground meat with a creamy mushroom sauce. Granted, purist of this dish would cry foul for the mushroom, but you know what? In this case, I didn’t care for that small detail as it was mostly a detail of the name, not the fact the food tasted good. As for the potato dumpling, I wish it was a bit warmer; otherwise, it was nice pieces of potato + flour. Actually, if it was shaped differently and had some ridges, you could have called them gnocchi and it won’t be that far from the truth. The sauerkraut… Well, it was sauerkraut. Should I say more?

The total bill was ~$12; however, I had no issues leaving behind a $5 tip (I needed change to take transit back. Sorry!). Was it as dive-y as I thought it was initially? Aside from the fact you could easily overlook it, not really. Granted, it might be other stigmas behind it and its back story; but that is about it. However, given the name of this blog, the only thing I can say is that the special was good and it is a place I don’t mind coming back.

Pagolac
9642 54 Avenue NW
10566 97 Street NW (Location visited)
Edmonton, AB

Another Vietnamese restaurant post of Edmonton? Well, in a way I couldn’t help it. Their Chinatown seems to be more on the lines of Viet Nam Town! So, why not try another restaurant? In this case, I went for dinner for a Vietnamese style set menu: Bo 7 Mon or “beef seven styles”. This isn’t the first time I have encountered this set menu: Previously, I had it in Thai Hang along with fellow bloggers Karl and Sherman. However, with so many Vietnamese restaurants here, I couldn’t help myself try this one as well.

Before you continue, and probably to the consternation of my Vancouver readers, let me assure you one thing: while it is possible you might be borderline saying “another Vietnamese restaurant???” or “another Edmonton restaurant???”, there is yet one more post of Vietnamese cuisine but, on the plus side, that one does “touch” Vancouver in a way. So, to my readers, I appreciate your patience…

For the Bo 7 Mon, these are the “sides” which we would use to prepare the beef. Yes, this is a hands-on meal. So, if you don’t like to get yourself a bit dirty, this might not be necessarily for you. But, then again, considering how “popular” are taco kits, I doubt this will be a problem.

Now, back to the Bo 7 Mon. Here, it consists:

1. Beef Fondu (sic) – Bo nhung dam
2. Cubes of Beef Tenderloin – Bo Luc Lac
3. Beef Congee – Chao bo
4. Grilled Beef (wrapped in “La Lop” Leaf, 2 pieces) – Bo cuon la lop
5. Grilled Beef Sausage (2 pieces) – Bo cuon mo chai
6. Grilled Beef Shish-Ka-Bob in Satay (2 pieces) – Bo Lui Sate
7. Steamed Beef Loaf – Cha Dum

Now, technically, it was listed in this order; I re-arranged them in this order for simplicity. Unlike my previous experience at Thai Hang, this time, I had the whole nine yards… Errrr… Seven dishes, I mean. See, last time we were short one dish. So, the fact we had everything was important for me from a perspective: I was able to finally put everything together! So, moving to the food…

Beef style #1 is the raw beef which would be dipped in broth to cook it – either lightly or well done, and then prepare a wrap. You could eat it directly; however, it might be a bit too acidic due to the broth. So, while it can be done, eating it by itself might not be the best of ideas. Once it has been cooked, you then create your own rice wrap. Alas, my skills were lacking and the results are what you see above. Fortunately, I was taught the “secret” as to how they are prepared correctly, so next time it will be! (Hopefully?)

Style #2 somehow looked more on the lines of a stir fry. I wasn’t particularly excited about it; but, it wasn’t bad. Of course, I might be mistaken here as I was drawing some comparisons with the Chinese versions and not as a dish of its own.

Style #3. In a way, this reminds me of the congee we had at Thai Hang. Rather than the thicker Chinese version, this one was quite “liquid”. However, there was the beef taste so not necessarily a complain but preference. As a role of filler, it indeed did what it is supposed to do.

Style #4, #5 and #6. These were served at the same time. Basically, “grilled” meats in different forms. The “sausage” had the texture of meatball, while the kabob was “stuffed” with onions and cooked until soft. Finally, the leaf version had a really light smoke flavour. Given they were all cooked through with some outside “crust”, their flavours were quite similar. Instead, it was the “extra” which each one has that contributed to the overall flavour and differentiated one from the other. Is there a “better” one? Well, I could choose but, given the similarities, I would rather say the three of them were good.

Style #7 actually made honour of its name: it was literally a steamed-type, meatloaf texture-like dish. If there was one that ended up being the oddball, it would have been this one. Compared to the the previous style(s), where the well done parts represented flavour, in this case, that “element” was absent. As a result, there wasn’t anything really enticing about it.

Overall, despite some minor sidetracking, it was a fine meal. Using Thai Hang as a yardstick, I would have to say it is in-line on what I had (keep in mind, this set meal was for two, the pictures from the Thai Hang post was for several of us plus not exactly the same dishes were said), this one had some good ones but some could have been better. One thing that can be sort of a negative might be the price. It is quite more expensive than Thai Hang’s. However, I had to put something in perspective: this is not Vancouver so such direct comparison can’t be made and the only valid one is what is served on the table. In the end, it was a good experience that I won’t mind repeating.

For my most wordless post…

As you have realized already, I was in Edmonton, Alberta, in part, to experience a *real* Canadian winter. Making good to their title of “The Festival City”, I went to one that happened during my visit: The Deep Freeze Festival – a Byzantine Winter Festival. Enjoy this photo essay!

Corso 32
10345 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB

In a way, food bloggers are seldom restricted by boundaries. For those of us who are lucky enough to travel, chances are we will contact local ones for suggestions and what not. For example, last year, Phyllis of me Hungry! visited us in Vancouver and we were happy to be her host for some local eats (despite she is originally from Vancouver). And while none of us where local, something similar happened when Sherman, Mijune and I visited San Francisco for FoodBuzz Food Blogger’s festival (here and here), where we ended up meeting with Naomi who writes The Gastrognome at Incanto. And, of course, Chris in Edmonton who writes Eating is the Hard Part, whom, along with Sarah, I met personally when I visited Edmonton last year (restaurant visit here). Since I was back in town, I though I should check with him again for dinner! Of course, me being the one visiting, I thought I should let the locals decide. And Chris’ suggestion? Corso 32 in Downtown Edmonton.

I usually try to be punctual; however, due to a small snafu in the address, I arrived a couple of minutes late. OK, that shouldn’t be a big deal but I don’t want to make people wait! However, finding it was a bit problematic in its own ways as well. See, there is no actual sign outside other than on the window. Given it wasn’t really lighted, I could have walked by a couple of times without realizing! But, I eventually found it and there were Chris and Sarah waiting for me.

After pleasantries, we started with the usual food bloggers chit-chat; however, that’s when the waitress drop by our table. Woopppssss! Sorry, not decided on which dishes to order yet! As a result, we switched topics and to the one of deciding what to order went on full gear. You know, this is one of those things about food bloggers: since we want to try as many dishes as possible, there is a lot of going back and forth. In the end, we went for…

Smoked arancini, mushrooms, mozzarella, which was one of the specials for the day. When it was served, I had to smirk and tell Chris and Sarah it reminded me of The Cheesecake Factory. OK, I might be insulting somebody here, but, once you have had Cheesecake Factory’s fried mac and cheese, you won’t deny this statement! As for the arancini, it had a nice crispiness at first and a somewhat starchy and creamy inside, due to the almost risotto like rice. It could have been better had it been served with a ragu/tomato sauce as a dip but, by itself, is still good.

While the arancini was good, it was this that knocked it out of the park: whipped goat ricotta, maldon sea salt, crostini. I didn’t care much about the sea salt part (if there was any, didn’t really taste it) but, otherwise, this was one of the best ricotta I ever had. It was creamy, it was almost a spread. Topped into the crostini, it had a nice contrast of soft and crunchy, dry and creamy. And, oh, a really light hint of garlic to complement the overall dish. I would have easily eaten the whole plate by myself…

The third appetizer we had to share was the crispy short rib terrine, barlett pear salad. Out of the three, this was the one that disappointed me a little bit. Oh, sorry about the picture, where it does not really show the short rib. That was because the setup of the restaurant didn’t provide much in terms of privacy and I was a bit worried the Speedlight would have either (a) catch too much attention from other customers or (b) blind other people. Interestingly, the table behind us were even more camera happy than us (though they were using an iPhone 4 rather than a Speedlight). Anyway, back to the dish, the reason why I was disappointed was that the rib itself was not that much of a terrine (more on the lines of a braised ribs dish) and, as a rib dish, it was a bit disappointing, as it was somewhat dry. So much potential, yet, execution was subpar… As for the salad, it had some bitterness and crunchiness due to the ingredients. However, that salad is not something I would have liked to eat by itself. There are a lot of ways the overall dish can be improved, but, as is, there might still be some people would like it. As for me… Nah, the others were better.

Moving to entrees, once again, we were juggling with the options and the first one ended up being their 48 hours chuck flat steak, shaved celery root and black garlic vinaigrette. At first, we were wondering what 48 hours meant. Cut 48 hours ago? Cooked for 48 hours? I don’t think we got an answer for that one but we sort of assumed it was cooked for that period of time. Having said that… Before I continue, I will put a statement out: prepared correctly, a cooked through piece of meat could be a thing of beauty. If you are used to North American style of cooking it, namely usually suggested to be served as rare, medium rare or medium, it is because you don’t want the steak to be dry. However, Argentinians have master the art of cooking it through and, served with some chimichurri, it can be good as well. As for this one, cooking it for a long period of time allows the meat to be cooked through. If that was the concept/intent, it worked; however, the end result was a bit of a let down. It wasn’t bad, just that in this case, having it cooked inside didn’t contribute much. Now, it is not that the steak was chewy (it wasn’t), rather there wasn’t much taste inside. That contrasted with the outside, as it had some crust/charred which contributed to the flavour. As for the salad, oh, well, it was a salad. Sorry, not much to say here!

Next entree was braised meatballs, crispy bread crumbs, wild arugula. Now, it is a case of a simple dish where, even a small deviation, can make a dish subpar. In this case, the meat was good but one thing was missing: I wish the meatballs were seared before tossed into the sauce/ragu. I know some people might disagree here but, for meatballs, I prefer it that way. Don’t get me wrong, it was good; just that I believe I could have been better. The arugula, unlike the pear salad, provided a good, bitter contrast. And going back to the ragu/tomato sauce, it had a spicy tone which contrasted the rest. So, despite I would have preferred it to be prepared differently, still, it is a dish I would eat no problem.

Finally, a pasta dish in the form of pulled pork ravioli with fried sage. As a pasta dish it was good but, somehow, after Incanto, I thought they could have been more “creative”. For example, rather than just fat with the sage as “sauce”, add some other layers of flavour – for example, some sweetness from, say, raisins. But, then again, that could have worked against the pulled pork which, while with a light smokey taste, it also had some inherited sweetness into it. Again, it was good but I believe it could have been better!

Finally, to close, we ordered their only available dessert that night: chocolate torte with hazelnuts. While I wish there is an option B in the form of something acidic, say, a lemon tart, after a piece of this, I had to change my mind. Sure, it wasn’t acidic but creamy and nutty. It wasn’t too “dark” (as in dark chocolate like taste) but that might have been a detracting factor had they made it that way. In their as is form, I would have considered order a second serving.

After the meal, I had to wonder myself: How does it compare to offerings in Vancouver? Actually, it would be difficult for me to actually answer that question, not necessarily because I am not certain how Corso 32 represents Edmonton’s dining scene (for that purpose, I will defer responsibility to Chris!). Rather it is because we might be comparing apples to oranges. How so? I have the odd feeling that, probably due to the amount of restaurants available here, we might be a bit more demanding. It is not that I am saying what Corso 32 produced was bad; in fact, I thought it was good for that type of restaurant. There are things here and there that I didn’t particularly like but it was because of my particular preference. So, how to solve this epiphany? I guess the best way would to visit a somewhat similar/related restaurant here and compare! And, for that purpose, I hope Chris will be joining me, hehehe.

So, Chris, Sarah, thanks for joining me for dinner and hope to see you sometime soon in Vancouver!

Delux Burger Bar
9682 142 Street NW
West Edmonton Mall (Location visited)
Edmonton, AB

I have an issue with restaurants which takes something “simple” and, for the heck of it, they complicate it by changing its name. Such is the case of gastropub. What is wrong with pub fare? OK, if you want a fancier environment, fine, just call it a “restaurant” instead of a pub. Of course, that’s my line of thought and it hasn’t stopped anybody from opening fancier versions of regular fare. In this case a “burger bar”. So, while in Alberta, which produces tons of beef, well, why not give this a try? And that’s how I ended up going to Delux Burger Bar.

I have the fame of doing crazy things and I will admit, for this trip, it was no exception. Delux has two locations and the one I ended up going was the one in West Edmonton Mall (WEM). Nothing crazy about it. Except I walked 11Km from Downtown Edmonton (where I stayed). Did I mention winter conditions? Heck, even local Edmontonians thought I was crazy! I guess I wanted a reason to go all out eating and that 11Km walk should have given me that “buffer”, hehehehe.

Located in the Bourbon Street of WEM, other restaurants include Hooters, Old Spaghetti Factory and Earl’s. I guess some restaurants can be found pretty much anywhere… Since it was a weekday, it was quite slow and was given the choice to sit anywhere. This place is not necessarily for me but, oh, well, since when these types of restaurants are??? However, I am always good to try new places so that was good enough excuse.

From the menu, I ordered their namesake burger, their Delux burger. It was pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. And, I will have to say, it has the largest pieces of sauteed mushroom I have seen in a while! How big? About the size of a toonie (about 2″/5cm for my non-Canadian readers)! The bacon was there but… Nah, it lacked crispiness. As for the lettuce and tomato… Well, it is lettuce and tomato. The bread was actually good, in the sense it hold the burger in place plus it didn’t get into the way of dampening the rest of the components. However, after that, it is where the epic fail kicked in. If you look closely, that ain’t a burger in the same sense a “burger” would be defined to me and most of you: This was a meatloaf. See, if it is a burger, I would expect meat that could crumble, i.e., the “grounding” part of the meat – in this case, beef. However, here, it was almost a solid pieces bound by an agent. Stale bread? Bread crumbs? Egg? Whatever it is, the end result is completely different, to the point I could say a McD’s one would better qualify it as a burger than this.

The sweet potato fries didn’t help much either. In this case, they were not large pieces; rather these were small chunks which, in the end, I had to end up eating with the fork. The chipotle mayo-like sauce was actually decent, as it was creamy and a bit tangy. However, saying a dipping sauce was the best part of a meal might not be a good thing to say in the grand scheme of things.

So, how bad it was? It was bad. And the $11 price tag was just insult to injury. Could it be a case of high expectations? It could be but, given that Chris’ (Eating is the Hard Part) thoughts sounded as if he was holding something back didn’t help (not to mention another source warned me about it yet I partially “forgot”). In the end, it is a real shame…

(On a side note, before somebody says Romer’s Burger Bar in Vancouver, yes, I have been there but, due to a technical “glitch”, I need to return. Based on the original visit, it is slightly better than Delux; however, that might not mean much, as it had it’s bad moments as well).