Author: Sharon Yeo

Sharon is an Edmonton-based blogger who has been writing about food since 2006.

The No Line Brunch: Big Fish

In perusing Chowhound threads to determine a brunch spot while in Calgary last month, I came across the suggestion of Big Fish, a restaurant run by the same folks behind the ever-popular Diner Deluxe. Posters commented about the restaurant’s under-the-radar quality, meaning that one could snag a seat without a gratuitous wait. We were sold.

Arriving at Big Fish on a Saturday morning, we got exactly what we expected – a table upon arrival. (other pluses – the restaurant has a decent-sized parking lot, and even takes reservations). There were two other parties when we sat down, but the restaurant was no more than half-full during our stay.

Big Fish

Interior

The dining room was flush with natural light, and cozy, with well-worn wooden furniture. I could easily see why the family seated behind us had chosen this as the venue for a birthday celebration – in many ways, it felt like eating in a friend’s kitchen, laid-back and comfortable. The service mirrored the room, friendly but relaxed (and our coffee mugs were never empty!).

In spite of the restaurant’s name, Big Fish does have a few brunch options devoid of seafood. I chose two of them. First, the wild mushroom, truffle, basil and white cheddar scramble on duck confit hash ($15). It was a rich, filling dish (my first time enjoying duck for breakfast), with a generous cap of melted cheese on top. The pea shoots were a nice touch, but I was hoping for something more than smashed, boiled potatoes for the hash.

Big Fish

Wild mushroom, truffle, basil and white cheddar scramble on duck confit hash

The second was due to my indecisiveness, and a bit of a Gilmore Girls moment – the Urban Baker raisin brioche French toast with orange curd and maple syrup sounded too good to pass up, and the server said it was all right to order just a slice. And yes, it was worth the indulgence, the citrus providing just the right burst of freshness to balance out the butter and syrup.

Big Fish

French toast with orange curd and maple syrup

Mack ordered the eggs benedict with dungeness crab ($14). Like me, he would have preferred crispy potatoes, but he did say that the smashed potatoes willingly soaked up the runny yolks. And the most telling picture of all: he finished his plate.

Big Fish

Eggs benedict with dungeness crab

It’s odd, the line that separates brunch from lunch. While that line is formed to some degree by the time of day, day of the week, and menu items, atmosphere also plays a big factor, at least for us.  Though the food was solid at Big Fish, the space just didn’t have that buzz, that intangible weekend zest for life that our favourite restaurants do. Half the fun of brunch is the people-watching, after all! For that reason, though it’s probably not rational to choose line-ups over reservations, unless we needed to secure a table in advance, you’ll likely find us back at Dairy Lane or Over Easy instead.

Big Fish
1112 Edmonton Trail Northeast
(403) 277-3403

The Quest for Okonomiyaki: Ichiban

The original reason Ellen and I had decided to dine at Mikado late last year was two-fold: she had wanted me to try sushi (the raw kind), but we had also heard that they apparently offered okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake) off-menu.

Though Mikado ended up not serving okonomiyaki, Ellen did finally track down a restaurant that does serve it – Ichiban on the west end, located in the same strip mall as Bon Ton Bakery. We made a date with Jill for dinner there two weeks back, mostly so we could finally share that elusive okonomiyaki.

It was surprisingly busy for a Monday night, but Ichiban had the vibe of being a go-to neighbourhood restaurant – nothing fancy decor-wise, but clean and comfortable, with a mix of booths and tables to choose from. We opted to share a number of small dishes, which, short of going the bento box/udon route, seems to be the ideal way to dine at Japanese establishments.

We started with a dish probably the furthest from my comfort zone – an order of sunrise maki ($9.95), rolls comprised of shrimp tempura, tobiko and fresh salmon and tuna. The battered shrimp was an interesting addition, and enveloped by a ring of rice, could have been the sort of one-bite appetizer served at an upscale cocktail function, but for me, the raw element was again a stumbling block. Here, the difference in temperatures between the tempura and the salmon just highlighted my aversion further. I hated disappointing Jill and Ellen though, especially knowing how much they love sushi, and want for me to love it too.

Ichiban

Sunrise maki

The rest of the meal was rounded out by other small plates that would definitely have a wider appeal. Kara-age tofu ($4.50) remains one of my new favourite Japanese discoveries – a lightly fried shell giving way to silky tofu within. The oyster ponzu ($6.50) was a little less successful, with a bit too much breading impeding on the taste of the oyster itself. And how can anyone not love tempura ($10.95)? Ichiban seemed to do a particularly good job – light and crisp, it didn’t feel like as much of a guilty pleasure as it should have been. We also thought the restaurant was quite generous in its serving, with a number of shrimp to go around.

Ichiban

Kara-age tofu

Ichiban

Oyster ponzu

Ichiban

Tempura

But of course, the main event was the okonomiyaki ($7.95), a savoury pancake of sorts which could include a variety of fillings. In Ichiban’s case, it was dried shrimp, cabbage and bacon, worked into the batter, then fried. Given this was my first encounter with this dish, I chose to defer my judgement to Jill and Ellen. They said that they were used to puffier versions, and said the kitchen should have included more cabbage. They were also hoping for a drizzle of Japanese mayonnaise on top. In all, we enjoyed it, but we agreed that it wasn’t worth going out of your way to seek.

Ichiban

Okonomiyaki

Service was good but nothing exceptional – food arrived at a fair clip, and our server checked in on us every so often. But while we enjoyed our meal at Ichiban, the experience left us with the same feeling that the okonomiyaki did – we’d likely only visit again if we were already in the neighbourhood.

Of course, I’m thankful to have friends that are willing to push me to try new things, friends that ultimately put up with my stubborn palate. We even have our next Japanese adventure already planned: shabu-shabu!

Ichiban
8750 149 Street
(780) 481-5252

Food Notes for March 21, 2011

I hope everyone isn’t having too much trouble avoiding those puddles! Most of the lake-sized ones seem to have disappeared over the weekend, which I for one am thankful for – I’m pretty sure those two trucks aimed to splash me on my way home last week…on to this week’s food notes:

  • Looking for something to do this Saturday? How about helping out a good cause at Twestival? Join other Tweeps at Red Star Pub on March 24 as they raise funds for the Edmonton Public School Foundation.
  • Somerville Wine & Cheese is celebrating their grand opening March 24-26, 2011. They will be offering free prosecco until 8pm and live music on each night, and a percentage of the sales will be donated to support arts programs at Westmount and Oliver Schools.
  • Sorrentino’s is celebrating two decades of their annual Garlic Festival this year, just around the corner in April. As a thank-you, they are offering $20 gift cards to be used during the Festival.
  • The big news this week was about the expansion of Duchess, who will be tripling in size. Not only are they expanding the size of their kitchen space, but they will also be adding a dessert bar!
  • A new, authentic Mexcian restaurant on Rice Howard Way called Tres Carnale is taking shape! Great to see they are documenting the work for the public to see in a blog format.
  • Brooke wrote about a new Japanese restaurant called Nomiya (3803 Calgary Trail) on the south side.
  • Both Karlynn and Leslie had the chance to sample some of the savoury fare at Queen of Tarts last week.
  • Kathryn offers us a peek inside the Jacek Chocolate Couture studio.
  • Is it still hyper-local if the street chosen is an artery that cuts across the city? Liane posted about a new food blog that chronicles vegetarian eats along 99 Street.
  • It was great to read about Barr Estate Winery in Taste Alberta last week.
  • I noticed recently that the Good Food Box added a “how local is it” rating (out of 5) under each product. Points are awarded for local ownership, production, and source of ingredients. For example, Clover Valley Honey rate 5/5, beech mushrooms from MoNa rate 3/5, while Two Leaves and a Bud Peppermint Tea rates 0/5 (at that point, one has to wonder why it is in the Good Food Box at all…).
  • Canadian Beef is awarding several Canadian food bloggers the opportunity to attend a food blogging conference in DC for free.
  • The City Market held its second farmers’ market at City Hall this past Saturday, albeit in the parkade. I’m glad the rest of the markets will be returning to the bright City Room – hope to see you there!

Parkade

In the grey zone

The Cooking Chronicles: More Comfort Food

I always have great timing: just as the weather starts to get warm, I am still writing about comfort food! Here are a few recipes we tried over the past few weeks:

Lamb Stew with Sundried Tomatoes

We pulled out the slow cooker for a Company’s Coming lamb stew recipe. Intrigued by the inclusion of sundried tomatoes and honey, we thought it’d be a great way to use some of the Four Whistle Farm lamb obtained through the Good Food Box.

In addition to the tomatoes were the usual suspects (onions, carrots, potatoes, beef stock), but unfortunately, they couldn’t save the dish. The honey and tomatoes made the dish much too sweet, and worse, the time in the slow cooker stripped the latter of flavour, leaving behind unpleasant wisps of rehydrated tomatoes.

Lamb Stew

Lamb stew with sundried tomatoes

We still have another pound of lamb stew in the freezer, and funnily enough, the Good Food Box delivery actually came with a free lamb cookbook. We’ll likely turn to it the next time around.

Chicken and Leek Pot Pie

This recipe for chicken and leek pot pie looked too good to pass up. We cheated by starting with a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of cooking our own, and didn’t bother straining out the gravy, but the results were fantastic! The biscuit topping was particularly delectable, and is worth the minor effort (we’re used to slapping on a puff pastry crust, but this was so much better).

Instead of cooking for one, we quadrupled the recipe, and ended up with two 8-inch pies. And though Mack usually gets bored with eating the same dishes for lunch and dinner, but it wasn’t so with this pie – he happily cleaned out all of the leftovers!

Chicken and Leek Pot Pie

Chicken and leek pot pie

Hearty Tomato, Sausage and Bean Stew

While in line at the grocery store, the February 2011 Canadian Living magazine cover caught my eye with a picture of a hearty tomato, sausage and bean stew. We had some Italian sausages in the freezer and the rest of the necessary ingredients in the pantry, so it was a great go-to meal.

Hearty Tomato, Sausage and Bean Stew

Hearty tomato, sausage and bean stew

Flavour-wise though, the pasta e fagioli we made earlier in the year was much more memorable (likely because it included bacon instead of sausage), so I’m not sure this stew will get a regular rotation.

Though I’ve enjoyed the soups and stews of winter, I am looking forward to the transition towards some seasonal dishes of spring soon!

2011 California Wine Fair

What event combines three hundred wines, tasty appetizers, one of the most stunning spaces in Edmonton and the ability to support fine theatre? If you answered the California Wine Fair, you’d be correct! A fundraiser thirteen years running, the proceeds from the event go towards the artistic endeavours of the Citadel Theatre.

I was lucky enough to be given two tickets to this year’s fair, which ended up being a blessing of sorts. Due to a prior volunteer commitment, I wasn’t able to meet up with May until the last hour of the event, which, though unfortunate, still meant we could get a taste of what the California Wine Fair was all about.

Walking into Hall D at the Shaw Conference Centre was a bit overwhelming. Sure, there weren’t three hundred vendors (most booths were pouring several different bottles), but the fair still presented a veritable sea of wines to try. The crowd was diverse, but was definitely younger than I expected – a majority consisted of that “next gen” set.

Given our time limitations, May and I opted to be selective with our sampling choices, opting for varieties that we knew we would enjoy – namely, rosés and dessert wines.

California Wine Fair

We love rosés!

We ended up only trying about ten different wines. Our top three: the Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Moscato (no surprise, given the Moscato was our favourite from a wine tasting at Vinomania); the sweet nectar also known as Deviation by Quady; and the Classic Brut from Domaine Chandon. I was particularly tickled to see Domaine Chandon represented – Mack and I had the pleasure of touring their winery in Napa when we were down in San Francisco last fall.

California Wine Fair

Domaine Chandon

We observed that there weren’t as many rosés as we would have expected, though we acknowledged the season and the fact that they are meant for more uncomplicated palates. Also, it was somewhat surprising that some wines being sampled weren’t (yet) available in Edmonton liquor stores. Of course, a room full of wine enthusiasts provides a great opportunity to introduce new patrons to a brand in the hopes they may look for it in the future.

After attending the appetizer tasting and wine preview, it was neat to be able to see which the planning committee ended up choosing. Like me, May enjoyed the goat cheese sphere with caramelized onions marmalade most of all. The cheese plate and the chocolate truffles were much appreciated (in pairing with our wines and preventing the alcohol from going straight to our heads), but a hearty meal would have been the ideal proactive move.

California Wine Fair

The jerk chicken and mango chutney in a tortilla cup and roasted shallot, spinach and feta cheese tartlet were good too!

At the end of the night, May and I agreed that we would attend the California Wine Fair next year. For the food, atmosphere and of course, the wine, it would be well worth the $65 ticket. Especially if one were to be on time.

Thanks again to the Citadel for the chance to check it out! See you in 2012!

The “Element of Taste” with Chef Susur Lee

For three years now, the NAIT Hokanson Chef in Residence program has brought world-renowned chefs to Edmonton, for the purposes of mentoring students who are training in the Culinary Arts program. This year’s Chef in Residence, Susur Lee, not only brings extensive restaurant experience – with establishments in Toronto, DC, New York and Singapore to his credit – but also the most diverse cooking influence thus far. Chef Lee is known for his fusion cuisine; he first rose to fame with his Chinese fare blended with French techniques and ingredients. In recent years, he has dabbled in other styles – inspiration that some lucky diners were able to experience firsthand this afternoon.

NAIT hosted a special luncheon dubbed the Element of Taste at Ernest’s today, with Culinary Arts students tasked with preparing a three-course meal under the tutelage of Chef Lee (recipes for all of the dishes served today can be found in Chef Lee’s book, Susur: A Culinary Life). I was fortunate enough to be invited to an event mostly filled by Edmonton’s hospitality community, alongside a few other local food writers and bloggers including Valerie, Kevin, Evonne, Maki, Mary and Liane.

Element of Taste with Chef Susur Lee

Chef Susur Lee

The meal began with a spicy lobster tart with bonito. It was no doubt a bold introduction to Chef Lee’s cuisine: puff pastry adorned with tomatoes, lobster, olives, bonito flakes, goat cheese and a spicy tomatillo sauce. The presentation was gorgeous, a decorative arch of red draped artistically over the tart. There were mixed reviews around the table, and I had to agree with some of the opinions that there were too many elements at play – the briny olives overpowered much of the other flavours for me.

Element of Taste with Chef Susur Lee

Spicy lobster tart with bonito

Our entrees were much better received: rack of lamb with chickpea puree in a sweet olive and spicy cumin tomato sauce. The dish had a vibrant quality about it, and perfumed the air with a cumin-scented fragrance as soon as the plates were delivered. The lamb, cooked medium rare, had been treated with an intense curry and coriander spice infusion that paired perfectly with the mint chutney. There were raves about the hummus, heady and rich. We later discovered (with Allan’s help) that the chickpeas had been individually shucked before preparing the puree – talk about attention to detail.

Element of Taste with Chef Susur Lee

Rack of lamb with chickpea puree

Dessert arrived like spring, a taste of warmer climes. A bright, fresh passionfruit sauce enlivened a vanilla-speckled panna cotta. I particularly loved the adornment of thinly sliced pineapple and the tang of the raspberry paste. It was a beautiful end to a lovely meal.

Element of Taste with Chef Susur Lee

Vanilla panna cotta

At the end of the meal, the students, deservedly so, received a standing ovation from the dining room. The service staff were also fantastic today – each course was delivered with a flourish fit for royalty.

Element of Taste with Chef Susur Lee

Allan (who helped prepare the entrees), chats with Valerie and Kevin

Thanks again to NAIT for the invitation. It was a wonderful afternoon to be a part of.

Food Notes for March 14, 2011

Anyone else watch The Bachelor finale today? I know I’m probably not supposed to admit it, but the show always sucks me in! On to this week’s food notes:

For the Love of Food: Eat Alberta 2011

Eat Alberta Logo Last summer, Valerie approached me with the idea of organizing an Alberta-wide food conference. Given the rising interest in buying local and the burgeoning online food community, she thought it was the perfect time to arrange a more formal opportunity for people to connect with one another, and learn more about the bounty we have in Alberta.

For many reasons, the province-wide aspect was dropped in favour of focusing on what we knew – Edmonton and its surrounding areas. We also downsized our original attendee target, realizing that the quality of the conference would be most important, especially because our hope was for this event to continue on an annual basis.

In the fall, we asked several other members of the local food community to join us in this endeavour – Sherene, a food blogger, Allan, a chef and blogger, and Mack, a social media guru. We also realized that the goals of this conference very much aligned with those of Slow Food Edmonton (of which Valerie, Allan, Mack and I belonged to already), and that it made sense for the event to come under their banner of promoting good, clean and fair food.

As a result, with Valerie’s leadership and through our discussions, Eat Alberta was born.

On April 30, 2011, the inaugural Eat Alberta conference will take place in downtown Edmonton. Through a mix of hands-on and demonstration workshops, tasting sessions, and presentations from some of the leaders of our food community – farmers, chefs and local food advocates – we hope that participants will learn how to use and source local food as well as develop nurturing and ongoing relationships with one another and with those that produce our food.

Here are a sampling of the sessions participants can look forward to:

  • Wine pairing workshop with The Tomato’s Mary Bailey
  • Hands-on artisan sausage making with chef Allan Suddaby
  • Goat cheese making demonstration with Holly Gale of Smoky Valley Goat Cheese
  • Honey tasting with Patty Milligan, aka Lola Canola
  • Slow-rise pizza dough lesson with Yvan Chartrand of Tree Stone Bakery
  • Home coffee brewing tips from Josh Hockin of Transcend Coffee
  • Keynote presentations from Jennifer Berkenbosch and James Vriend of Sundog Organics and Kevin Kossowan, who will share learnings from his “From Local Farms” project

Registration for the conference opens March 14, with early bird registration closing on March 31. Conference fees will include a small continental breakfast, lunch, and a glass of wine. Be sure to register early for the best selection of sessions!

I hope to see you there!

City Market: City Hall Edition

The City Market is back, ten weeks early! Last week, it was announced that the downtown farmers’ market would be operating in City Hall from March 12 until May 14, after which the market would return to 104 Street. Mack and I were happy to have a farmers’ market within walking distance again, and were excited to check it out this afternoon.

City Market

City Market @ City Hall

Flush with natural light, the City Room was as close as we could get to having an outdoor market indoors. Many of the vendors remarked at how bright and open it felt, and of course, how warm it was – the heated tents were definitely not ideal for our climate. The only thing that seemed to be missing, atmosphere-wise, was music.

There were over two dozen vendors present, a good mix of City Market regulars and new vendors. It was good to see Medicine Man Bison, Nature’s Green Acres, Prairie Mill, Barr Estate Winery, Mighty Trio Organics, Kuhlmann’s and Steve and Dan’s out.

City Market

Steve & Dan’s Fresh BC Fruit

Doef’s and MoNa, stalwart vendors during the May to October market season, will also be at City Hall (MoNa will be back April 2, after a short break).

City Market

Doef’s

Several vendors who have weekly booths at other markets have also joined the City Market, including Shooting Star Ranch and Gold Forest Grains (regulars at the Alberta Avenue Market) and Bella Dolce Bakery (who also sells at Salisbury).

City Market

Bella Dolce Bakery (their biscotti are perfect for dipping, made without shortening or fat, which means they won’t fall apart)

The last winter City Market we attended in the parkade was a bit disappointing – we found a trip to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market was still necessary to get the rest of our groceries for the week. Now, with the variety of fruit, vegetables, proteins and other products, the winter City Market is now more of a one-stop shop! Kudos to the organizers – we’ll be back next week!

Something to Celebrate: ZINC

My parents were married thirty years ago Monday. As a child, I’m pretty sure I took for granted the fact that Mom and Dad were always there, in solidarity. Now, in an adult relationship of my own, I can truly appreciate and admire their milestone.

To celebrate, my family assembled at ZINC last Saturday. ZINC is one of those restaurants that seems tailor made for occasions. High ceilings, ample natural light, posh azure accents – it’s a room that invites glasses to be clinked and raised.

The restaurant was busy that night – perhaps a confluence of Downtown Dining Week and that evening’s Refinery party – so in some ways, it was fortunate that our reservation was slated just before the rush, as all of our dishes were well-paced.

The amuse bouche was a darling profiterole featuring chicken riette and cumberland sauce. Here, I particularly liked the microgreen garnish, a burst of freshness to balance the salt-forward bite.

ZINC

Chicken riette

Mack and my sisters ordered starters. Last November, Mack and I had attended a preview dinner at ZINC, where we were invited to try dishes from Chef David Omar’s new menu (a concept that allows diners to choose small or large plates of the same dishes). Mack’s favourite “bite” from that night was the seared scallop ($6), which of course he wanted to have again. It was perfectly cooked, and just the right size to relieve his craving.

ZINC

Scallop (Mack wishes this was actual size)

My sisters shared the panzanella ($10) with bread, tomatoes, asparagus, prosciutto, lemon garlic preserve and a balsamic reduction. They fought over the last piece of prosciutto.

ZINC

Panzanella

For entrees, our party size allowed us to try nearly every main on the menu, and just about all of them were well-received.

My Dad cleaned off his herb panko dusted rack of lamb ($41) – literally – there wasn’t a shred of meat to be found on his plate. Served with a couscous and anchovie tapenade, baked apple and pear chutney and eggplant ratatouille involtini – nothing else was left either (it’s of the highest praise, really. It’s tough to impress my Dad).

ZINC

Lamb

Amanda liked her plate of alpaca and house-made pasta noodles ($26), ZINC’s version of spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were moist (thankfully, as we had found them to be rather dry in my previous encounter).

ZINC

Alpaca

Mack’s Spring Creek Ranch beef tenderloin ($42) was cooked to a tasty medium rare, though he remarked that he wasn’t asked about specifications upon ordering. It was served with a potato and watercress mash, caramelized onions and baby carrots.

ZINC

Beef

My pan-seared line caught pickerel ($34) was delicious, coated with a light, dreamy potato foam. The bed of vegetables was as colourful as it was a textural contrast to the flaky fish, consisting of beets, edemame beans and pickled mushrooms.

ZINC

Fish

The only dish that didn’t enthral was the duck ($32). While well-cooked, with crispy layers of skin atop the tender meat, it was much too salty. My Mom and Felicia did enjoy the accompanying pumpkin and potato purée though.

ZINC

Duck

Sometimes, the small, seemingly insignificant things about a restaurant help to elevate a meal. One example at ZINC was the brioche bread. It was warmed through, sweet and slightly toasted, and easily lapped up the tomato compote butter it was served with. We asked for seconds!

ZINC

No pictures of the bread, unfortunately

That said, personal gestures are also a welcome addition to the dining experience. When I made the reservation, I was asked if it was a special occasion. At the end of our meal, Chef Omar came to greet our table, and brought with him two miniature ice cream trees and a great story about how this became the signature special dessert.

ZINC

Chef Omar and my parents

The trees each held five different house-made ice creams and sorbets – the favourites around the table were the avocado ice cream and the lemon sorbet.

ZINC

The ice cream tree!

The service was attentive throughout our stay (nary a wine or water glass was left unfilled), and we felt very well taken care of. And between the good food and personal gestures, ZINC really was a great place to celebrate. Congratulations, Mom and Dad: here’s to thirty more years!

ZINC (inside the Art Gallery of Alberta)
2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Wednesday 5-9pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-10pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm; closed Mondays