Food Notes for November 22, 2010

On cold nights like this, walking home, it’s hard not to think about those who don’t have a place of their own. Even though this year’s homeless count estimates that the numbers have decreased since 2008, there is still a long way to go. As we approach Christmas – remember your local charities this holiday season! On to this week’s food notes:

Billingsgate (7331 104 Street) is hosting an open house on Saturday, November 27 @ 10am-2pm, celebrating their 103 year in business. Lobster bisque will be sampled.
Need some help deciding on a gift? Sherbrooke Liquor Store will be holding a Christmas Spirit”s” show at the Capilano Community League (10819 54 Street) on November 27 from 5-9pm, with sampling tickets available at the door.
Transcend’s upcoming Barista Jam on December 4 at the Argyll location sounds like a lot of fun. Look forward to an espresso throwdown, taste Alberta-roasted espressos, and test your ability to identify the odd-espresso out.
To celebrate Terra Madre Day on December 10, Slow Food Edmonton is screening the episode of The Endless Feast that was shot in Edmonton last year, as well as a documentary about a Prairie farming family. To sweeten the deal, there will be local meat and cheese to snack on, and Amber’s beer and EnSante wine to drink!
For more food and drink events, check out City and Dale’s Holiday Eats & Drinks Guide.
I had heard rumblings about this, but it’s nice to finally have it confirmed – Culina will be moving into the cafe space in the Muttart Conservatory! I have no doubt the recognizable name will help draw many more people into our beautiful river valley, and I am glad to hear they will be taking advantage of the greenhouses to grow their own food. They hope to be open by Christmas.
New bakery alert: La Manarca, at 4119 106 Street, will be hosting its grand opening on December 1.
On the topic of bakeries – Duchess has a brand-spankin’ new website. It looks great!
Passing by what used to be Kai on 109 Street and Jasper Avenue, it looks like it is Kai no longer – a sign posted said they are hiring for Ruby Dragon. Though this ad says they will be opening on November 18, it still looked like it was under construction. Any updates?
Chris reviewed Bubba’s BBQ & Smoke House last week. Sounds delish!
Mack pointed me to a great little blog by Lightside Photo – they are currently doing a feature called “30 Days of Edmonton”, and alongside beautiful photos, they posted an interview with the owner of Cha Island Tea today.
More on GMO salmon – and it isn’t good.
Mack and I were in the area of Everything Cheese on the weekend, so decided to stop by. While the selection may not be as deep as Paddy’s (though they will be getting in shipments from Neal’s Yard Dairy soon), there is no doubt it is a stunning space. I also much appreciated the labels – both next to the cheeses inside the case, and printed onto labels for customers to easily reference. While it’s a little out of the way for us, I can imagine those in the area are floored with this new neighbourhood addition!

Everything Cheese

Hurrah for labels!

A fun stocking stuffer – bags that allow one to make a grilled cheese right inside the toaster

Next door to Everything Cheese is Secret Sweets (14910 45 Avenue, 780-479-3387), whose tagline is “because you don’t always have time to bake!” The baked good sold leaned more towards nostalgic than gourmet (snickerdoodles, Rice Krispie balls, cupcakes and shortbread), but from what we sampled, it’s a solid local option to satisfy the sweet tooth. They’re also looking into offering bread some time in the future as well.

Secret Sweets

We finally got our lights up outside (of course we waited until it was –30 to do so). Only 33 days until Christmas!

Love that LED glow

The Cooking Chronicles: Marvellous Marinades

Until recently, I hadn’t experimented much with marinades. No reason for it, save perhaps that no recipes had really caught my eye. While I know marinades can help with breaking down tougher cuts of meat, the two dishes I made in the last two weeks helped demonstrate two other fantastic uses for marinades – for adding flavour and boosting moisture.

Soy Baked Fish

One of the objectives of Donna Hay’s recipes in No Time To Cook is to offer flavourful dishes that can be made in a relatively short amount of time. The soy baked fish is a great example – a meal in half an hour, with less than ten ingredients.

Ocean Odyssey was unfortunately closed that Sunday, so we used whitefish from the Sobeys down the street. The fish was marinated in soy, sesame oil, brown sugar, leeks, and garlic for five minutes on each side, then placed on top of Peas on Earth gai lan, marinade and all, and baked for about twenty minutes. Served with rice, it made a quick but tasty supper, and given the results with such minimal effort, it is something I’d definitely make again.

Soy baked fish

Balsamic Pesto Chicken

Dish Entertains is one of those cookbooks I return to again and again – for dinner parties, for desserts, for weeknight meals. The balsamic pesto chicken was a recipe that I passed over the first time, but came back to this week, knowing that I had a fresh batch of pesto in the fridge to use, made with leftover basil from Morinville Greenhouses.

The marinade is a combination of a 1/4 cup pesto, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper. 3 boneless chicken breasts are then marinated anywhere from 2 hours to overnight (I left it for about 5 hours), then baked off with the marinade in a 400F oven for 25 minutes.

The marinade helped the chicken retain its moisture, though I would have wished for more basil flavour – the balsamic was undoubtedly dominant. We served the chicken with some roasted root vegetables and leftover rice.

Balsamic Pesto Chicken

Balsamic pesto chicken (not the most visually appealing dish, but tasty!)

Thanks to Trish Magwood for another solid recipe!

One-Note Wonder: Battista’s Calzones

About two years ago, I wrote that more one-note restaurants in Edmonton would be a welcome sight – Battista’s Calzones is one such place, and is a wonderful addition to the local food scene.

Battista’s Calzones

Situated in a small building on 118 Avenue, Battista’s unavoidable purple hue is both eye-catching and a pleasing pop of colour on the sometimes dreary stretch of road. Stepping inside, it’s almost hard to believe it used to house an autobody shop – though nothing fancy, between the smell of baking bread and the friendly purveyor, the space felt warm and inviting.

Interior

Owner Battista Vecchio is clearly passionate about his new endeavour. When asked why he chose to focus on calzones, he said it was something he grew up with – his mother would make the portable pizzas for him so he would have something to eat after soccer games. Even now, his family is involved in the business – his mother makes the meatballs for one of the calzones, and his father was there assisting with a large catering order.

Battista Vecchio presents one of his calzone creations

Battista makes the dough from scratch, and sources the rest of his ingredients through The Italian Centre, including spicy Italian sausage made by Edmonton-based company Little Italy Foods. Though at the moment he offers only four varieties, Battista knows that the possibilities are endless – chili calzones, BBQ chicken calzones, Nutella dessert calzones, or turkey calzones for Christmas. I remarked that because of its compact nature, it is the ideal street food – calzone food truck, anyone?

Based on the meatball calzone I had (already baked earlier, and kept warm, meaning it was served to me almost immediately), I am glad Battista has chosen to keep his focus, in spite of many people prodding him towards pizza or other menu additions. The meatball was perfectly seasoned, and had just the right texture to be eaten between the folds of the soft and chewy dough. It was the most satisfying lunch I’ve had in a long time.

Meatball calzone

Battista said he’s slowly building up the business – from word of mouth, and those that live in the neighbourhood. But perhaps after the release of Avenue Edmonton’s next food issue – where his calzones will are in the running to be included as one of Gail Hall’s 25 Best Things to Eat, this gem of a restaurant will be a secret no longer. Try one before the crowds gather!

Battista’s Calzones (Twitter: @BattistaCalzone)
118 Avenue & 84 Street
(780) 758-1808
Monday-Saturday 11am-3pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Welcome to Our Home!

I learned a lot from helping organize Mack and Kimmi’s housewarming two years ago. Though we had incorporated a few make-ahead dishes, I remember spending more time in the kitchen than was ideal at a party where socializing should have been the main focus. So for our first *official* housewarming for friends, I planned to build a menu based upon recipes that could be prepped in advance.

The spread

Giada de Laurentiis’ white bean dip, served with Sunbake Pita chips, was one of the first dishes that came to mind, primarily because both components could be made the night prior. That said, it’s tasty too, and is a solid alternative to hummus (we suspect that Mack is allergic to tahini).

White bean dip and pita chips

At our friend Devin’s housewarming party over the summer, we sampled Gordon Ramsay’s simple but colourful cherry tomato & feta kebabs. We decided to replicate it, but with a local twist – Doef’s cherry tomatoes, basil from Morinville Greenhouses, and Smoky Valley St. Maure goat cheese. We put these together early in the afternoon, and pulled them out of the fridge just before guests arrived.

Cherry tomato & goat cheese kebabs

My favourite appetizer that night was Donna Hay’s Thai wonton cups. We took a few shortcuts with this one, including using a store-bought rotisserie chicken, but it made our lives much easier. While oiled won-ton cups pressed into mini-muffin tins were baking in the oven, I cooked down 4 tablespoons each of fish sauce and water, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 100g brown sugar, then combined it with 2 cups of shredded chicken and a bunch of cilantro leaves. The result was fabulous, though as Mack indicated more than once, it’s a dish meant for lovers of fish sauce – I couldn’t get enough of the sweet and fragrant tang adopted by the chicken. We topped a few of them with sliced red chillies – definitely not for the faint of heart, but made for an eye-catching garnish. Though they were best served warm, they were enjoyable at room temperature as well.

Thai wonton cups

I’d been looking for a reason to make Trish Magwood’s cremini mushrooms stuffed with chevre and leeks for some time, especially knowing I could source everything locally – cremini mushrooms from MoNa (ordered through the Good Food Box), chevre from Smoky Valley, and leeks from the farmers’ market. I assembled them that afternoon, but didn’t bake them until just before guests arrived. These were definitely tastier warm, but Mack loved them regardless – the creamy chevre made them the perfect little one-bite treat.

Cremini mushrooms stuffed with chevre and leeks

Also from Magwood’s Dish, I made her parsnip, celery root, and apple soup, knowing that I wanted something to serve hot, kept warm using the slow cooker. It was also fantastic to have a soup made with all seasonal ingredients – parsnips from the Green & Gold Farm, celeriac from Greens, Eggs and Ham, and apple-pears from the OSFM. All the peeling and chopping required made this the most time-consuming dish, but it was worth it. I had made the vegetable stock the night prior, which made it somewhat easier, and after the vegetables were tender, pureed the soup and transferred the batch to our slow cooker. The texture was a bit unusual, grainy from the apple pears, but for the most part, it was light but warming.

Parsnip, celery root and apple-pear soup

To accompany the food, we had local beer and wine: Mack’s favourite Alley Kat brew, Charlie Flint’s – and wine from Barr Estate Winery. Most of our friends hadn’t heard of Barr, and they particularly enjoyed The Other Red, made from raspberries.

We also decided to have more casual snack food, in the form of unusual chip flavours – PC brand hot dog-flavoured potato chips and Doritos Late Night Cheeseburger flavoured chips. The label-less bowls ended up serving as a blind flavour tasting station of sorts – though our friends picked up on the hints of mustard, relish and hamburger seasoning, no one could identify the flavours outright. On a larger scale, it’d make a fun game (of note, PC recently released a pizza flavour too!).

Thanks again to everyone who helped us celebrate!

For Dancing Not Dinner: The Treasury

Though there were some nibbles provided at Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 shindig at the Art Gallery of Alberta, they definitely weren’t enough to make a meal. So Dave, Kyla, Mack and I decided to get something more substantial to eat as a group, and surveying the immediate area, ended up wandering over to The Treasury Vodka Bar & Eatery.

The Treasury has such a great location – both in terms of visibility on Jasper Avenue, but also with easy access to public transportation. And really, it’s hard not to cheer when an otherwise vacant space downtown is reclaimed by an establishment that would ideally bring further foot traffic to the core. In that context, our lacklustre experience was even more disappointing.

Save one pair of diners, we were the only customers in the entire restaurant. Granted, it was about 8 p.m. that Thursday when we walked in, but we were assured that the kitchen was still open.

Interior

The interior is excessive, bordering on gaudy, with its gold chandeliers and plush red velvet, but I can appreciate that such features would likely complement The Treasury’s other identity as a nightclub much better (up until 9 p.m., minors as permitted in the restaurant). I should note, however, that the volume of the music was surprisingly low, meaning a conversation could be had at a regular volume.

Dance floor

The menu is massive – three pages, with nearly three dozen dishes to choose from (as we were able to order from the lunch menu as well). Still, with no other tables to serve, we weren’t sure why our food took twenty-five minutes to arrive.

Mack enjoyed his Guinness “fish & chips” of the sea, featuring black cod, calamari, shrimp and Cajun-spiced fries, though it was nothing special.

Guinness “fish & chips”

The roast beef in my sandwich ($15) was all right, and was definitely a generous serving. The multigrain bread, however, needed to be sliced thicker, or have been substituted with ciabatta or a similar loaf that could stand up to the moisture from the meat. Also, it was my mistake to order the soup at the end of the day, especially when what was presented was, instead, a puree. Topping it with moisture-drawing puff pastry croutons didn’t help matters either.

Roast beef classic with squash soup

Dave found his steak sandwich okay, while Kyla simply shrugged when I asked about her frittata ($16) – that shrug sort of summed up our meal. Twyla’s review back in September, albeit for their soft opening, wasn’t much better.

Frittata a la carte

Service was perhaps the only redeeming quality – our server hovered a bit, but she was there whenever we needed her, and in particular, was lighting quick with replacing empty glasses of water.

I can’t say I’d be anxious to return to The Treasury – with neither food or atmosphere that would draw me back, I do hope their nightclub scene is more happening. It’d be a shame for the renovated space to return to an empty state.

The Treasury Vodka Bar & Eatery
10004 Jasper Avenue
(780) 990-1255

Winter Market on the Square and Holiday Light Up 2010

The first of the winter markets launched this past Saturday, in both heated tents right on Churchill Square and in the grand City Room in City Hall.

Tents on the Square

Just under fifty vendors participated, ranging from stalwart City Market merchants like Kuhlmann’s, to newcomers like Jacek Chocolate Couture. Smoky Valley Goat Cheese was a particularly welcome sight, as we had hinged some of our housewarming dishes on our ability to purchase their chevre and St. Maure cheese (they had a beautiful sampling platter out to entice the palate).

Inside City Hall

The outdoor food trucks were out as well. We made sure to stop by Eva Sweet for a waffle. Bamir is looking forward to the Hot to Huddle Grey Cup Festival November 25-28 – his truck will be parked at Churchill as a part of the festivities.

Nothing makes a better lunch (of course, I didn’t remember to snap a picture until halfway through)

After a walkthrough of both vendor areas, I thought those placed inside were at an advantage, with ample space to set up, and abundant natural light. When we returned to Churchill later that evening for the Holiday Light-Up however, it was clear that the vendors in the three tents had much better visibility, located right in the thick of things outside.

The crowds have descended

Though I’m a fan of outdoor markets, it really is a challenge to make it work over the winter months – the individual, cloistered tents removes that larger sense of community somehow. At the same time – our climate makes it impossible for uncovered markets – one of tents was without heat for a while, and it was noticeably chilly – I couldn’t imagine remaining stationary as a vendor. I suppose we’ll just have to hope for a larger year-round space to open up soon!

Inside one of the tents

The weather was definitely milder than last year, and we very much liked the change in stage placement, so photos taken of the action would have the brilliant City Hall pyramid as a backdrop.

Can you spot Santa?

To recognize the fact that the city is hosting the Grey Cup this year, the 700 foot white spruce is decked out in green and gold colours, and two Eskimos were on hand with the Mayor as he flipped the lighting switch.

Beautiful tree

The fireworks show following the lighting was entertaining, set to music as always. I ask again – why can’t all fireworks displays make the best of the music played alongside?

Fireworks!

The tree will be lit every night until mid-January. There are three more winter markets planned – December 4, 11 and 18, scheduled tentatively for 11am-3pm. Check out the City Market page on Facebook to keep up-to-date. Looking forward to it!

Food Notes for November 15, 2010

Last night, Mack and I attended the closing film of the Global Visions Film Festival. A Small Act tells the story of a Kenyan boy who was given the opportunity to continue onto secondary school because of a monthly donation made by a woman in Sweden. He now works at the United Nations. It was a reminder that our public education system should never be taken for granted, and to never doubt the possibilities created by any kind gestures, no matter the size. Onto this week’s food notes:

University of Alberta’s Environmental Research & Studies Centre is currently putting on a monthly lecture series titled “Welcome to the Food Futures”. Next up on November 18, 2010 is Robert Paarlberg, who will be speaking about “Alternative Paths to Global Food Security in 2050: Making the Right Choice.”
It’s that time of year to mark your calendar for holiday shopping options outside of malls: check out the Handmade Mafia at Orange Hall November 27, December 4 and 11; Just Christmas takes place on November 26-27 at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall; Make It takes over the Alberta Aviation Museum November 26-28; Royal Bison heads into its 9th edition November 27-28 at the Cosmopolitan Music Society; and a Winter World Market on December 11 from 10am-4pm at McCauley School (9538 107 Ave). And of course – don’t forget the farmers’ markets too!
Thanks for the heads up about the IHOP coming to town – from the looks of it, they will likely be open late this year or early next year.
Chris checked out Edmonton Cheese, the newest cheese monger in Edmonton.
Marianne and Charles stopped by the new south side location of Urban Diner last week.
Liane wrote about Press’d, a new-ish sandwich shop in City Centre.
Thanks to Vue Weekly, I now know that Edmonton has a popular South African deli in Betsy’s South African Deli.
I’ve always wondered what Christmas in November at the Jasper Park Lodge was like from a guests’s perspective – Valerie has helped me answer that question. It looks like a fabulous time!
Thought-provoking article BruleeBlog linked to about the financial impacts of Open Table’s monopoly on online reservations, from the mouth of Mark Pastore, owner of SF’s Incanto.
Though I mentioned it before, I actually passed by Pampa (9929 109 Street) over the weekend and snapped a photo. Look for the Brazilian churrascaria in 2011.

Pampa

One of my coworkers hosted a fundraising dinner to help send her two children on school trips this year. She did all of the cooking, alongside two of my other colleagues – the food, which included Indian, African and Caribbean dishes was fantastic. And what can we say about the African doughnuts? Mack and I had four each.

My plate (we went back for seconds)

The Good Food Box

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Eat Local First – both of their message to support local producers and businesses and of their initiatives, such as making it easier for consumers to identify locally-grown and -made products at some grocery stores. As such, I was interested to learn more about their most recent enterprise – The Good Food Box – a project that seeks to widen access to local products.

A sample Good Food Box

Targeting those who would like to support area farmers and businesses, but are perhaps short on time, the Good Food Box offers a variety of produce, dairy, meat, seafood, grains, prepared foods, baked goods, beverages and sweets for biweekly home delivery or pick-up (the online/phone order desk is open from Monday-Saturday, with products to be delivered the following Thursday/Friday). As Liane Faulder noted earlier this year, products are marked up to ensure the program’s sustainability, but the business is set up as a social enterprise, which means some profit works its way back into the community (at the moment, clients of the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers are the beneficiaries of 1% of the revenue, in the form of food baskets).

I think the Good Food Box is a great idea, and though they don’t deliver to our neighbourhood yet (a little curious since our street is home to the City Market during the warmer months, where one would assume interest would be ripe), my preference is still to buy directly from producers when possible so I am able to connect with them in person. Moreover, though I do plan meals in advance, ordering from the Box would mean having to think two weeks ahead – too far for what I am used to.

That said – it is a great option for those who aren’t able to get one of the few year-round markets open during the winter, or, in some cases, access products that aren’t available anywhere else.

The latter was the case for us this past week, wanting to incorporate, among other things, MoNa mushrooms into our housewarming party menu. And since we were able to travel to the Live Local warehouse on Thursday, we thought we’d give ordering a Good Food Box a shot.

The online order desk isn’t the most seamless website, but I found it easiest to click on the “all product list” to scan and select from. Though we ended up with a loaf of honey whole wheat from Prairie Mill, a bunch of gai lan and garlic from Peas on Earth, and cremini and shiitake mushrooms from MoNa, somehow, I expected a greater product variety from some vendors (such as more yogurt flavours from Bles-Wold). It’s also worth noting that none of the products were priced any higher than what I was used to paying at the farmers’ market – the bread was $5.75; the gai lan were $4; the pound of shiitakes were $10 – it made Mack and I both wonder how the Good Food Box was making money at all.

On Thursday evening, we had a heck of a time finding the Live Local warehouse at 5032 129 Avenue (for the record, it’s located at the end of the road in-between Queen Donair and the Salvation Army), but did reach it before it closed. It’s a non-descript storefront, but thankfully, had a Live Local-decaled vehicle parked out front.

Live Local!

Josh, the Project Manager of the Good Food Box, was kind enough to give us a tour while we were there. The highlight was definitely the walk-in cold storage, stacked with coolers ready to be delivered the next day (he said that right now, 150-200 orders are placed on average per week).

Full of good food

Along the perimeter of the cooler were bags of orders yet to be picked up that day, as well as some loose produce that didn’t make it into the week’s orders.

Fruit from Steve & Dan’s

Between the baskets and the storage space, it seemed that the warehouse could almost function as a retail shop (which would, of course, require some much more complicated logistics). Josh replied that this wasn’t the model they were operating in, though they realize the fact that because of the one week delay, they aren’t able to offer the “instant gratification” that a store would. Josh also said that they are working on developing a next-day delivery system to help encourage even more business.

Live Local First administrative area

Thanks again to Josh for the tour, and best of luck to the Good Food Box in the future!

Good Food Box
Order desk open from Monday at noon to midnight on Saturday
Delivery to select postal codes for a fee, or pick up at 5032 129 Avenue

Revisiting the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

After October, farmers’ markets are harder to come by in Edmonton. Thankfully, in the past few years, Salisbury and the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Markets have joined the year-round fray. And while Old Strathcona has been our go-to source for local food in the winter months, Mack and I had wanted to revisit Alberta Avenue for some time (I stopped by back in June). We finally had the chance to do so this past Thursday.

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

While fairly centrally located at 93 Street and 118 Avenue (and just one bus from downtown), the market’s hours of 2-7 p.m. make it a little challenging for those who don’t live or work in the area to patronize it before closing. That might be changing in the future, however – Mary Ellen Gruneberg of Greens, Eggs and Ham (who joined the market after the conclusion of the City Market this year) is on the steering committee, and said they are strongly considering shifting the hours to 4-8 p.m.

Mary Ellen behind the always welcoming GEH table

That said, it may not be the hours alone that are keeping shoppers away. While nearly half of the thirty vendors last Thursday were food vendors, the majority of those were selling prepared food.

Inside Alberta Avenue Community Hall (love the festive balloons!)

Of course there is a place for crafts and ready-to-eat food, and there should be a balance between fresh goods and other merchandise. But with no produce besides what Greens, Eggs and Ham was offering that day, I can see that as a deterrent for some would-be shoppers (you can check out the list of weekly vendors here – it is updated late Wednesday/early Thursday).

That said, as Mary Ellen pointed out, it’s a bit of a chicken-egg argument – without a strong customer base, farmers will not consider Alberta Avenue as a viable option – making the trip has to be worthwhile for them. At the same time, without interesting products, customers will choose to take their business elsewhere – to Salisbury, or Old Strathcona, for example.

Some producers are optimistic that the tide will be turning soon, however. Rosemarie Jordan of Rainbow Covenant Ranch also moved to the Alberta Avenue market at the close of the City Market (she sells wagyu beef, prized for its marbled nature). She said some weeks are slow, but as customers become more familiar with her beef, she is confident that sales will improve. I bought some of her breakfast sausages to try – they’re her top selling product!

Rosemarie from Rainbow Covenant Ranch

Other vendors were brand new – Amanda and Jessica (aka The Chocolate Doctors – their business cards are too cute) were selling vegan-friendly, raw chocolate. After switching to a raw diet (one where foods are not heated beyond 46 °C), they weren’t able to find any chocolate to suit their specifications, so decided to make their own. In my opinion, niche-products like theirs are perfect for farmers’ markets – at least until they are able to find other outlets to sell their chocolate.

The Chocolate Doctors!

We also chatted with Katarina of Red Barn Pekin Duck (it’s a wonder that such a small market has not one, but two duck purveyors). Katarina had a small slow cooker with samples of roasted duck ready to offer customers – she said most people were not very accustomed to eating farm-raised duck, so it was helpful to be able to introduce people to the taste.

Katarina of Red Barn Pekin Duck

Mack and I will be making more of an effort to incorporate a visit to Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market during our work week – and we hope you will consider doing so as well – there’s definitely a need to have more year-round markets in our city!

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market
118 Avenue & 93 Street
Open Thursdays, 2-7 p.m.

Baby (Sushi) Steps: Mikado

Ellen was shocked when she found out I had an aversion to Japanese food. Well, at least to “authentic” Japanese food (on the off-chance colleagues or friends choose to dine in a Japanese restaurant, I’m probably happier than I should be with an order of chicken teriyaki and tempura). Ellen had lived in Japan teaching English for a few years, and understandably, grew to love the cuisine. She wanted to share that appreciation with me, and with an able guide, I was willing to experiment.

We agreed to meet at the downtown location of Mikado – one of Ellen’s favourite Japanese restaurants in the city – and fortuitously, within walking distance of where I live. On a Saturday afternoon, it was also much busier than I had expected, but then again, with three successful branches in Edmonton (the newest and most modern in the west end), that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

We were seated in a cozy booth that conveyed a sense of privacy, perfect for catching up, as well as completing the trials at hand that day. Service was pleasant throughout our stay – and though the colourful garments that enrobed some of the servers were visually appealing, I’m not sure they were necessary.

I was most excited about what was essentially Japanese pub food. We asked about okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake of sorts), but unfortunately, rumours about this location serving it off-menu were unfounded. Still, an order of deep-fried tofu and chicken kara-age was a good introduction to dishes in this category, and we supplemented our meal with several other plates, including (drumroll please) raw fish.

The fried tofu ($5.95) turned out to be my favourite dish, likely because it was the least foreign, and is something I really enjoy regardless of its preparation. The salty, almost umami tempura broth gave it a nice depth, and I loved the shredded seaweed garnish – so pretty.

Deep-fried Tofu

Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for the chicken kara-age ($8.95) – they were comparable to dry ribs, but too dry and without much flavour.

Chicken kara-age

Ellen made fun of how I squealed when certain dishes came out – the plating was certainly a marvel to me. The spinach goma-ae ($5.95) was a good example, particularly as quantity seemed to go by the wayside in favour of presentation. The black sesame dressing underneath each spinach bundle was tasty, but I’m not sure I would order it again; I was just left wanting more.

Spinach goma-ae

Ellen chose an order of “dragon eyes” ($11.95) to ease me into sushi, knowing my squeamishness for raw seafood. Though Mack probably still wouldn’t try it (he despises seaweed), the combination of the cooked salmon, the light coating of batter, and slightly sour sushi rice was enjoyable. But then again – a bath in hot oil will improve the appeal of almost anything.

Dragon eyes (the spicy, rich dressing underneath was delicious)

But the moment of truth – my encounter with the raw. I saved my pieces of sake (salmon) and toro (tuna belly) for last – partly to psych myself up, but partly because of dread. My first bite of sake was comical – without warning Ellen, I sank into half of the roll, without first dipping it into the soy sauce/wasabi mixture (I had no idea eating sushi was so complicated). Granted, it did allow me to experience the marked improvement the condiments had on bringing out the flavour of the fish.

Serious chopstick/sushi fail! (Ellen warned me not to let the rice touch the sauce, which is of course what I promptly did)

Between the two types – toro was definitely my favourite, but only marginally so. Although Ellen tried to convince me of the creaminess of the belly, it was still difficult to overcome my psychological aversion to raw fish. As I chewed, the dialogue between my brain and my taste receptors was more of a one-sided taunt than a conversation: “What are you eating? Why are you eating that? Keep chewing…it’s not like the texture is getting any better…Can you smell it? It tastes like the ocean. You hate the ocean! Say it with me, ‘fish is meant to be cooked’…” and so on.

Sake and toro

Overall, it was a fun afternoon, even if it wasn’t wholly successful – of course it wasn’t realistic to think I would be converted in one instance. The big victory to me, however, is the fact that should I find myself in a Japanese restaurant in the future, I would actually feel comfortable ordering something beyond a bento box – thanks, Ellen!

Mikado
10350 109 Street (2 other locations)
(780)425-8096

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