Category: food

Ramen In No Man’s Land: Nomiya

After picking up some gardening supplies at Canadian Tire two weekends ago, we thought it might be a good opportunity to finally try Nomiya, which has made mostly positive impressions in the blogosphere.

We headed inside to take a closer look at the menu. Though Mack wasn’t initially in the mood for Japanese, I won him over by pointing out that Nomiya had a teriyaki rice bowl on the menu (ever-present on local Japanese restaurant menus, but for good reason).

Just after we were seated, we found out that we were nearing the last call for lunch, so we quickly scanned the menu and ordered. Nomiya’s focus seemed to be on ramen, but they also had a healthy selection of appetizers, sushi, and a few rice-based bowls. Featuring colour photos, it was also easy for those new to this type of cuisine to choose based on pictures alone. Mack decided on the aforementioned teriyaki chicken donburi ($10.95), which came with either miso soup or salad, while I chose the buta kakuni ($11), a miso-based ramen with marinated Japanese pork belly.

While we waited for our food, we admired the modest but charming interior. I liked the dark wood framing around several of the booths, while the small sushi prep station was aglow in a burst of light, a visual reminder to diners that sushi is also available to them.

Nomiya

Mack at Nomiya

Mack enjoyed his lunch well enough. The chicken, lightly breaded, was tender and tasty, while the vegetables were mostly cooked well. Sweet potato was the one exception, hard and inedible as it was.

Nomiya

Teriyaki chicken bowl

My friend Annie had mentioned that she preferred Nomiya’s ramen to Meguro’s, and for the most part, I agree with her. The soup base was nicely balanced and well-seasoned, while the noodles held their own with a chewy perfection. What I could have done without was the pork belly – with a ratio of fat to meat close to 3:1, I couldn’t bring myself to eat more than one piece. Perhaps this is just personal preference, but the fat layers were an unappetizing shade of grey.

Nomiya

Buta kakuni ramen

On the bright side, the service was polite and attentive, and in spite of the fact that we were the last party in the restaurant before their dinner break, we never felt rushed. And if we were in this no-man’s land of good food options again, we would certainly not hesitate to stop in. I would just know to select a different protein on the next occasion.

Nomiya
646, 3803 Calgary Trail
(780) 462-1300

Food Notes for June 11, 2012

Thanks to everyone who braved the overcast conditions on Saturday and came out to What the Truck?! We were thankful that the rain held out for a solid three hours. If you didn’t make it out, consider coming to Truck Stop this Wednesday at McIntyre Park. On to this week’s food notes:

  • Help Cally’s Teas (10151 Whyte Avenue) celebrate their grand reopening on June 16 from 10am-6pm. There will be tea samples, specials and treats.
  • Press’d is holding a Customer Appreciation Day on June 16 from 11am-3pm at its Courtyard location (11214 Jasper Ave). All sandwiches are just $1! Also announced last week – Press’d is expanding with a location at 34 Avenue and Gateway Boulevard and another in Sherwood Park.
  • Amber’s Brewery is looking for a new home – they will need to relocate as of July 1, 2012, because their rent in their current location will be increasing threefold.
  • Good luck to Chris Delaney (of the forthcoming food truck Big City Sandwich), in being shortlisted to compete in Ace Bakery’s Canada-wide sandwich competition with his tequila lime chicken sandwich.
  • Transcend’s Josh Hockin is in Vienna this week to compete in the World Barista Championships. Bring home the gold, Josh!
  • There was a great piece in the Journal about Chef Nate Box – can you imagine if every neighbourhood in the city had their version of Elm Cafe?
  • Make sure you check out Liane’s story about some of the up-and-coming eateries on Alberta Avenue.
  • You still have some time to contribute your ideas to the City of Edmonton’s Food and Agriculture policy by filling out their online survey. The deadline is June 23, 2012.
  • If St. Albert-based designer’s cutting boards getting picked up by Williams Sonoma isn’t a great local success, I don’t know what is.
  • It looks like Toronto favourite Smoke’s Poutinerie will be setting up shop in downtown Edmonton some time soon!
  • I still haven’t made it out to a Calgary food trucks event yet, but until then, I love being able to read about them! Eat Your City wrote about the city’s recent Eat Real YYC event.
  • In case you missed it: Tourism Richmond announced the winner of their food blogger competition last week. Congratulations to Lindsay Anderson!
  • In Montreal? Why not try Daniel Boulud’s new Maison Boulud? It’ll be interesting to see if DB will succeed in this market, given the failures in Vancouver.
  • I know I’m a little behind, because I haven’t walked that way down Jasper in a while, but I noticed that De Dutch put up their signage.

De Dutch

De Dutch

  • On Wednesday, the first ever outdoor Pecha Kucha in Edmonton was held at the Hawrelak Amphitheatre. It was the perfect opportunity to marry food trucks with the event, and I think it was a great success! It looked like others enjoyed the chance to have dinner outdoors as well.

Pecha Kucha Night Edmonton #13

The Act serves up a hungry crowd (Molly’s Eats was there too)

Pecha Kucha Night Edmonton #13

My pulled pork sandwich from The Act

  • A great bonus from Pecha Kucha was a coupon good for a free pizza at any Famoso location in the city. On the tail end of some errands on Friday, we decided to have dinner at the South Edmonton Common branch. It was our first time there (we usually stick to the Oliver location), and I have to say, it wasn’t that impressive. The room seemed poorly laid out, and though we only had to wait about twenty minutes, had we known there were bar seats available, we would have snagged them. Their wine glass lampshades were in need of an obvious dusting as well. In the end, the pizza was okay, although it did have a little too much burnt residue on the crust for my liking. I guess we’ll be sticking with our neighbourhood location in the future.

Famoso

Margherita

Famoso

Sweet BBQ chicken

Grand Opening: Highlands Farmers’ Market

Though the City Market is our neighbourhood farmers’ market, Mack and I love exploring other markets. Edmonton’s newest market in Highlands debuted tonight, and we wanted to see what it was all about.

Highlands Farmers' Market

Highlands Farmers’ Market

Located in a small parking lot on 112 Avenue and 65 Street, the Highlands Market is a modest, community-based gathering of vendors. It seems to be less ambitious than the 124 Street Grand Market, but is a good size for the neighbourhood. We asked about the time of the market (short in duration, only 7-9pm, and the only market to start at so late an hour), and it turns out the business next door that lends the use of the parking lot agreed to those terms. Though we initially weren’t sure about such a brief time frame, it might work well for customers who desire being the early bird without skipping dinner first, and for vendors who need to get back to the farm.

Highlands Farmers' Market

Small but lots of heart

With just over a dozen vendors, the selection of products isn’t extensive, but there are a number of solid vendors. Sundog Organics and Tree Stone in particular are draws, each cultivating devotees from other parts of the city.

Highlands Farmers' Market

Sundog Organics

Highlands Farmers' Market

Tree Stone (without signage, curiously)

Creole Envie, a new catering business and restaurant (which opens its physical location tomorrow at 15120 Stony Plain Road) offering up Creole and Cajun flavours, will also be a consistent presence, as will Sugared & Spiced a new home-based bakery that specializes in cookies. We tried the blueberry oatmeal cookie (soft with just the right amount of sweetness) and the cinnamon bun (good texture and loved the icing!). I can imagine they will do business like gangbusters for the after-dinner crowd!

Highlands Farmers' Market

Danielle from Creole Envie

Highlands Farmers' Market

Jeff from Sugared & Spiced

The weekly vendor lists (with all dates until the end of September) are online, a great tool for shoppers deciding which of the four Thursday night markets to visit (124 Street, Alberta Avenue and Salisbury are the other three). I imagine with this competition, it will be even more imperative for markets to keep this information up to date. Highlands also steps it up a notch with a “Lovin’ the Market” button, which patrons can purchase for $10. The proceeds support the market, but the button provides shoppers with discounts on specific items from five vendors each week (for example, Tree Stone’s baguette was on special for button holders). It’s an interesting way to reward loyal visitors.

We also took the opportunity to peruse some of the area’s shops (open late as a part of Late Night on the Ave), as I think many market patrons did as well. All in all, it was a great way to spend a beautiful summer evening –I encourage you to check it out in the weeks to come!

Highlands Farmers’ Market, open from June 7 – September 27, 7-9pm, 112 Avenue & 65 Street

The Cooking Chronicles: Classics, Old and New

In recent weeks I made two dishes, both classics in my mind, though one perhaps more recognizably so.

Classic Italian Lasagna

I went back to Giada’s very first cookbook to finally try my hand at lasagna. We’ve made stuffed pastas before, but we’ve never thought to make the layered version.

Giada’s recipe required two separate sauces – a marinara and a béchamel – so I planned ahead and made the marinara the night prior to cut down on the day-of cooking time. We also used fresh pasta (from local company Pasta Time), which meant one less pot as well.

Assembly was straightforward, and in many ways, less labour-intensive than stuffed pastas. After forty-five minutes in the oven, we were greeted with a cheesy, bubbly dish.

Lasagna

Classic Italian Lasagna

Mack’s first critique was that each slice should have been served with an additional ladle of marinara sauce, to which I concurred (sadly, we’re probably much too used to the Americanized version of lasagna). I probably also would have cut down on the amount of spinach (to half) and ricotta (to two-thirds), and used more fresh pasta, given the sheets were actually quite thin. Other than that, it was an indulgent, but comforting dish that yielded a huge amount of leftovers. It’s not something we will make all that often, but I’m happy to have finally tackled!

The New “New Joe’s Special”

In his Food Matters Cookbook, Mark Bittman indicates that every San Francisco restaurant with “Joe” in its name features a dish with the name “Joe’s Special” or “New Joe’s Special” on its menu. As I can’t recall visiting any such restaurant, this hash-type dish was new to me, but it seemed very straightforward in terms of preparation and ingredients, so I marked the recipe for future reference. We tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and loved it!

Starting with good ground beef (we used Nature’s Green Acres), this hash layers in onions, spinach, mushrooms and some herbs, then incorporates egg and parmesan. And that’s it!

The New "New Joe's Special"

The New “New Joe’s Special”

Served over toast (for us, nothing beats Honey White from Prairie Mill), it was one of the most satisfying recipes we’ve made in recent memory. The key for me was taking the time to cook the mushrooms down – they really are the star of the dish.

Looking forward to trying other classics soon – and with the farmers’ market adding to its fresh inventory every week, there will be inspiration around every corner!

Food Notes for June 4, 2012

I haven’t been following the second season of Top Chef Canada as closely as I did the first, but I did have a favourite going into the finale, and yes, I am happy with the outcome! I loved the wildcard twist, which added some great suspense into the finale. Onto this week’s food notes!

Truck Stop in Old Strathcona

Cajun fish sandwich from The Act

Truck Stop in Old Strathcona

Jalapeno mac ‘n’ cheese from The Act

  • This morning, Mack and I were happy that both Filistix and The Act could join us at Churchill Square for some Al Fresco coverage on Breakfast Television. Filistix cooked up a few batches of sisig (roasted pork belly marinated in soy, garlic, ginger, chili and lemon), which I think people could smell for miles. I have no doubt this will be one of the most popular dishes on Saturday. Hope to see you at What the Truck?! on June 9!

Filistix

Ariel talks to Bridget about Filistix

Filistix

Sisig

2012 City Market Report: Week 3

The skies started out as overcast this morning, but weather decided to cooperate at the City Market in the end, with the sun revealing itself for the last half of the day.

City Market 2012

Overhead

Today marked the end of the official three week trial period for the back-to-back stalls on the south end of the market. We didn’t hear if moving forward this will be the continued set-up, but it seems like everyone – shoppers and vendors alike – have adjusted well to the change. I for one hope they adopt this orientation for the remainder of the season!

City Market 2012

South end

Mack and I aren’t typically early birds on the weekends, but forced ourselves into an early start to make sure we could have the pick of the crop today. We were having my family over for dinner later to celebrate my Mum’s birthday, so I wanted to make sure we could get everything we needed. Also on our list: sweet baby girl tomato plants from Sundog Organic. They thrived on our balcony last year (in spite of the fact that I tend to kill most plants), so we didn’t want to miss out!

City Market 2012

Success!

We were also early enough to have our pick of greens from a multitude of vendors!

City Market 2012

Radishes from Sundog Organic

City Market 2012

Baby lettuce from Green Valley Farm

City Market 2012

Bedding plants from Kuhlmann’s

City Market 2012

Fiddleheads from Mo-Na

Serben Free Range had their grill cart up and running today (menu here). Given there are now several non-truck vendors, perhaps the market should consider publishing a list of food options available, since the carts are easily missed in and amongst the tents.

City Market 2012

Serbens’ Local Eatery

We didn’t stay at the market too long this morning, as we had a few other errands to run before dinner. Still, I’m glad we were able to make it early to fill our fridge! Among the dishes we made – roasted Edgar Farms asparagus, and a caprese  salad with a rainbow of Gull Valley Tomatoes.

City Market 2012

Roasted asparagus and caprese salad

See you at the market next week!

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco: June 9, 2012

It’s that time of year in Edmonton – because our summer is so short and precious, every weekend is an opportunity to take in something outdoors. Next weekend, the place to do this will be downtown, with numerous events and three festivals colliding on the same day.

Downtown Edmonton Community League is kicking things off at 8:30-11am, with its annual Pancake Breakfast (all proceeds benefit charity). The 4th Street Promenade summer mainstay, the City Market, will be running from 9am-3pm. Midway through at noon, the Pride Parade will wind down 102 Avenue from 108 Street all the way to Churchill Square. And to round off the night from 5-11pm, the 4th Annual Al Fresco Block Party will take over the Promenade from Jasper to 103 Avenue. Expect a wine and spirits tasting tent, extended patios, a great musical line-up, fashion show, and a kids zone.

Al Fresco Block Party

One of the extended patios in 2011

Mack and I are two of the members of this year’s Al Fresco organizing committee. After attending the festival in 2009, 2010 and 2011, we thought it was time to give back, especially because we now live on the street and love events where neighbours can get to know one another. On the committee, Mack represents our condo (The Century), while I represent the Downtown Edmonton Community League (of which I volunteer as a Board member).

IMG_3382

Volunteering for the 2011 DECL Pancake Breakfast

That said, we’re also involved in another capacity – Al Fresco was looking for a different way to feed hungry festival goers. Last year, the food component was expanded by hosting several downtown restaurants on the street – you may remember Tres Carnales in particular, because their Rice Howard Way digs weren’t yet complete at the time.

Al Fresco Block Party

Tacos to the people!

Given the rise of food trucks in Edmonton over the last year, the committee thought they would be a wonderful addition to the festival. Mack and I might be a bit biased, but we agreed with them.

As a result, our first What the Truck?! extravaganza this year will be taking place in conjunction with the Al Fresco Block Party.

What: What the Truck?! Edmonton’s Food Truck Extravaganza
Where: 104 Street, north of 102 Avenue
When: June 9, 2012
Time: 5-11 p.m.

This will be the largest What the Truck?! we’ve ever organized, with ten of Edmonton’s premier food trucks ready to show the city why street cuisine is here to stay:

Best of all – the trucks will all be donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to Zebra Child Protection Centre, Al Fresco’s charity of choice this year. A non-profit, community-based organization that improves the lives of children who have suffered abuse, the Zebra Centre is able to provide children and their families with essential social, medical and mental health services and supports.

We will be updating the website with menus on Tuesday – so check back then to whet your appetite. Hope to see you there!

Check out the Facebook event here, and follow us on Twitter! Read more about last year’s What the Truck?! events here and here.

A Reason to Cross the River: Three Boars

Three Boars hasn’t been open for very long, but they’ve already gained quite a loyal following. With a restaurant the size equivalent of a postage stamp, this usually means a lengthy delay for hungry patrons. But after two visits, it’s clear the food is worth the wait and many repeat meals.

Photo bomb!

Three Boars took over what was formerly a small pizza parlour, transforming the tiny main floor into a bar with a stand-up counter, and the equally cozy second floor into seating for thirty (no question, this trend of elbow-to-elbow dining seems to picking up in Edmonton, but at Three Boars, it does complement their philosophy of sharing). We were told the spaces had been designed by the same people behind Tres Carnales, which seemed to hold true – the wood finishing promoted the same kind of comfortable, laid-back vibe. I liked the Edison bulbs as well, though on the two occasions we dined, they weren’t necessary, given the amount of natural light in the room.

The menu at Three Boars changes almost daily – on our first visit, just over two weeks after their opening day, they were already on menu #8. One week later, it was menu #12. Between the two, there were a few items with similar in nature but featuring different proteins, such as meat-topped poutine and banh mi. The constant change reflects the commitment of Three Boars to seasonal ingredients, but also speaks to the flexibility and creativity of the chefs. It’s an approach I like, as there are a few restaurants whose menus I’d be eager to see change more often – as much as I enjoy having a “go-to” dish, it’s exciting to encounter different plates, and thus encourages visits in short succession.

Three Boars

Loved the chalkboard wall

I have also mentioned before that small plates are our favourite way of eating, and in groups, it meant that Mack and I were able to try numerous different dishes on two separate occasions. Here are some of the standouts:

The poutines ($12) were an easy favourite. One, topped with beef brisket and a luscious gravy, didn’t last long at our table. The second, with lamb neck, was similarly in shards, each bite a triumph with accompanying squeaky cheese.

Three Boars

Beef brisket poutine

Three Boars

Lamb neck poutine

Similarly, their take on banh mi ($10), which we tried with chicken fried steak and beef cheek, were excellent. Crusty bread, tender meat, and just the right amount of pickled vegetables, it was another dish that was hard to share.

Three Boars

Chicken fried steak banh mi

Three Boars

Beef cheek banh mi

The mushrooms and egg yolk on toast ($12) was perfection – a runny yolk over crispy toast and earthy wild mushrooms. My recommendation is to order at least two per table, but I’d probably snag one for myself next time.

Three Boars

Mushrooms and egg yolk on toast

The pork neck terrine ($14) was a surprise. I am not usually a fan (especially when the texture veers into pate consistency), but here, there were visible flakes of meat that maintained themselves even after spread on oil rubbed crostini.

One night, the dessert was lemon curd, blueberry compote and granola served in too-cute mason jars. It was so simple, but was one of the best desserts I’ve had in recent memory. Each separate layer was great on its own, but it was even better together.

Three Boars

Lemon curd, blueberry compote, granola

There were a few dishes that I didn’t enjoy as much, but only relative to the raves. The Spring Creek Ranch flat iron steak ($16) was cooked a little too raw for my liking, but the rest of the table disagreed with me. The patatas bravas ($8) with sriracha mayo was well-cooked, but I couldn’t help but compare it to Ox & Angela’s version, which I liked better.

Three Boars

Flat iron steak

Three Boars

Patatas bravas

Service was familiar and low-key, and for me, as a water-guzzler, my glass was always promptly topped up. Dishes also arrived at a comfortable pace.

We elected to walk home after our second visit, just to give us a chance to walk off all of what we’d consumed. Timed at half an hour, I’d wager we’ll be crossing the river again soon for Three Boars.

Three Boars
8424 109 Street
780-757-2600
Monday-Sunday 4pm-late

Food Notes for May 28, 2012

It finally feels like summer’s here! Crazy how in just a week, the trees just burst into full bloom. I hope you’re able to get outside and enjoy it! On to this week’s food notes:

  • The next Live Local dinner is taking place at The Dish on June 3. If it’s anything like the meal Blue Plate Diner hosted in March, I think it will be a great success!
  • Greens, Eggs and Ham is hosting a farm tour and a reading by Foodshed author Dee Hobsbawn-Smith on June 11 at 6pm. RSVP to Mary Ellen if you’re interested – and yes, there will be food samples!
  • I had no idea until Jeff’s comment that Highlands would be hosting a farmers’ market on Thursdays from 5-9pm starting on June 7. That makes four markets on Thursday nights – Salisbury, Alberta Avenue, and the 124 Street Grand Market, which just debuted last week. How many is too many? Do we have enough demand, customers, and producers to shop and staff four markets?
  • Century Hospitality has kicked up a bit of controversy with the naming of their latest restaurant. MKT (short for “beer market”), may be carving out its own identity, featuring a gastropub menu and a wide selection of beer, but its name being just one letter shy of MRKT is much too similar for some. MKT is set to open in mid-June.
  • The chefs who will be competing in this year’s Gold Medal Plates has been announced!
  • Liane will be leading a tour of food truck central – Portland – in August. It sounds like it will be a delicious outing!
  • Mack wrote a great post about the bylaws pertaining to food trucks in Edmonton – worth a read if you want to know more about what’s behind the Drift and Grandma Lee’s dispute.
  • In case you missed the recipes that have been published in Taste Alberta in the last year, not to worry, Company’s Coming has collated them into a cookbook.
  • We had the best weather yet at Truck Stop last week. Calm, sunny skies were a welcome change from the overcast, windy conditions we’ve received over the past month. I also finally got to try The Act’s PB & J burger for the first time. The beef was particularly tasty, and the peanut butter actually didn’t overwhelm the burger itself. Check the website for the menus for the final Truck Stop in May.

Truck Stop in Old Strathcona

PB & J Burger

Truck Stop in Old Strathcona

Mack’s halibut burger

  • Although I love asparagus (and picked up a bunch from Edgar Farms this weekend), my favourite of the spring vegetables has to be pea shoots. I love how fresh and light they taste, and how versatile they are. Yesterday, we had Greens, Eggs and Ham shoots on homemade pizza, topped with prosciutto, mushrooms, and Gull Valley Tomatoes.

Pizza

I heart pea shoots

A Taste of Oils and Vinegars: Evoolution

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – it’s such an exciting time for 104 Street! Cask & Barrel opened earlier this year, Pangea continues to improve its inventory, and Roast Coffeehouse is well on its way – the Promenade is really becoming the place to be for Edmontonians who appreciate good food and drink. The newest shop on the street, Evoolution, is another great addition home cooks will want to visit. It opened on May 18, but Mack and I finally had some time to explore the shop last week.

Evoolution

Evoolution

Evoolution took over a storefront previously occupied by a tanning salon, and replaced it with an oasis of fine oils and vinegars. Their renovations have transformed the space into an inviting room where tasting products is not only welcome, but encouraged.

Evoolution

Tasting vocabulary!

Gorgeous tins from Italy line the shelves, housing a dozen different single-origin varietals of extra virgin olive oil and vinegars, as well as flavoured oils and vinegars. Tasting notes, pairings, and the crush dates are written clearly above each vessel, but patrons are encouraged to give them a try themselves. We were advised not to test more than four varietals, lest we overwhelm our palate.

Evoolution

Olive oil varietals

Mack and I tried a few, and had to admit that we never really noticed the grassy and peppery notes in olive oil before. We settled on a small bottle of the organic Chemlali from Tunisia, which seemed milder than some of the others we had sampled.

Evoolution

Bottles

We liked the pricing scheme, which was uniform regardless of the evoo or vinegar chosen – $12 for 200mL, $18 for 375mL and $29 for 750mL. Evoolution offers a 10% discount if patrons bring a bottle back for a refill (though I can imagine getting those narrow bottles clean would be no easy task).

Evoolution

Pricing

Evoolution also sells other specialty oils (such as walnut and truffle), salts, and very soon, will start to carry spices from Calgary-based Silk Road.

Evoolution

Salts

Always interested in programming, I asked if Evoolution would be organizing more formal tasting classes soon. It sounds like small private tastings are available to be booked, but nothing yet for the public. I also hope they consider collaborating with other businesses in the area – I think a natural pairing would be a tasting of their oils with breads from Dauphine across the street.

I also asked if Evoolution would consider carrying locally-sourced, cold-pressed canola oils (or even Mighty Trio, which makes some fine hemp and flaxseed oils). It sounds like they want to maintain their focus on extra virgin olive oils, but perhaps they might reconsider this in the future!

Given Evoolution is just down the street from where we live, we will be back to give some of their vinegars a taste on another day. If you’re in the neighbourhood, definitely consider paying them a visit.

Evoolution
10130 104 Street
(587) 521-3445
Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 12-5pm