Just Not Memorable: Pho Anh Dao

At the rate we’re going, Dickson and I will be sampling pho restaurants into the next decade. With new establishments popping up all the time (such as Pho King on Alberta Avenue and Phonatics in the north end), old favourites yet to sample (like Pho & Bun), and restaurants changing hands, it’s guaranteed pho lovers will always have another place to compare to their stalwart choice.

We ended up at Pho Anh Dao two weeks ago, which was previously Le Family Vietnamese. As with many restaurants in Chinatown, a coherent “décor” was non existent, though there was a sizable television screen set up at the rear of the restaurant.

Interior

As soon as we walked inside, eager staff greeted us and set us up with menus and tea (we were only one of two tables during our visit). We ordered our usual bowls (special for Dickson, $7.95/large and medium beef and flank, $6.95/small, for me), as well as spring roll appetizers.

Dickson was quite impressed with the spring rolls (he can be considered a connoisseur of the deep-fried starters), and while they were crispy and well-prepared, I am biased to thinking that my Mum’s spring rolls are the best in town.

Spring rolls

As for the pho itself, while the broth was well-seasoned, it lacked depth. The flank was luxuriously fatty (which some may find disconcerting, but I just lap it up), while the medium beef was anything but – tough and chewy, it was difficult to finish the serving.

Medium rare beef and beef flank noodle soup

Special noodle soup

In the end, Pho Anh Dao didn’t provide us with a terrible experience, but it wasn’t a particularly memorable one either. While I’d be willing to give them another shot, Pho Tau Bay will continue to be my go-to pho destination.

Pho Anh Dao
10548 97 Street
(780) 426-7774
Open 10am-9pm everyday except Wednesday (open 10am-4pm)

Food Notes for June 30, 2010

I really thought I could do it all – the sorting, the packing, the moving, the cleaning – all while keeping up with my blogging. But nope, I was defeated by the moving process. We were up until the wee hours of the morning readying the apartment for our move-out inspection – I don’t think I’ve been that exhausted in a long time. On to the belated post:

The Green & Gold Garden at the University of Alberta South Campus (I wrote about it last year), is now open for the season!
Vinomania is offering free wine tastings every Saturday in July from 11am-5pm. Best of all, in honour of Canada’s birthday, all of the wines are Canadian.
Liane posted last week that the former manager of Il Portico is set to open a new French bistro downtown, in the space that was formerly occupied by Krua Wilai (9940-106 Street).
Cafe Haven was featured in several print publications last week – from a profile in Vue Weekly to a lukewarm review of their brunch in the Journal. I think they deserved better, as I found from our recent visit.
Relatively new to Twitter, Bon Ton Bakery announced that they are now serving Transcend Coffee! I have yet to check out their revamped digs.
Apparently Albertans are dining out less, though “they still spend a much larger proportion of their income out than the national average.”
The Journal featured comments about Indulgence from Chris, Valerie and myself last week – it made for an interesting snapshot of the event.
Speaking of Valerie – check out the breadth of her experiments with a sous vide machine on her blog (here’s just one example). Her energy and willingness to learn is amazing.
CBC Radio just launched a weekly food show called The Main Ingredient with Khalil Akhtar. It’s “an inside look at the food we buy, grow and eat. The show will explore modern food marketing, the fast food industry and even the urban farm.”
Gourmet Magazine is re-launching this fall as an online app.
Though I wish Edmonton had a food scene more reminiscent of New York’s, I hope this Manhattan trend of haute salads doesn’t hit Edmonton, ever.
Also from the NYT, a piece on the rising trend of bachelors and bachelorettes opting for tasting menus instead of clubs for their pre-wedding parties.
I am so guilty of not washing my reusable grocery bags, but after reading this, I think I will start now…
On our way to the Safe Streets Community Fair in Queen Mary Park last weekend, we stumbled upon Bohemia Cafe (10575 114 Street), a variety space that hosts concerts, displays art installations and also features coffee and sandwiches.

Bohemia Cafe & Variety Venue

We also peeked inside mrkt on Saturday (the name makes me think of Jean-Georges every time, but then again, I almost always have NY on the brain), a new restaurant above Red Star (10542 Jasper Avenue, 780-757-6758). The space, with its communal table and blackboard menu reminded Mack and I of Farm in Calgary. Carla Alexander of Soul Soup is in the kitchen – so hearty, solid fare is likely in order. It’s only currently open for lunch – I hope to check it out soon!

mrkt

For my birthday last week, Mack took me to Chuck E. Cheese (it’s nearly become an annual tradition). We played our usual games, but this visit was notable because Mack won the skee ball jackpot (by breaking 450,000 points). Hurrah!

Winnings

We stopped by Elm Cafe for a coffee and a freshly-baked muffin this morning – fuel for the move. I loved the paper wrapping on the muffin (it was a delicious triple chocolate, by the way) – an artful alternative to the usual liner.

No chairs? No problem.

Happy Canada Day!

The Cooking Chronicles: Two Pot Meals

Donna Hay’s a bit misleading in her section on “one pot meals” in No Time To Cook. In actuality, some of the dishes require two pots – the first for the main and the second for the accompanying starch – whether it be a rice cooker or a pot to boil pasta. I know it’s not a big stretch – it’s just one more dish to wash, after all – but for whatever reason, it’s a bit of a disappointment to me when I realize that the recipe isn’t a true one pot meal.

Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry

This was one such dish that required two pots. While I’ve poached chicken in coconut milk before, this was the first time I threw in potatoes and snap peas for a whole meal. It was also the first time I used kaffir lime leaves (the recipe I linked to leaves them out). I picked up a whole bag at Lucky 97 for just 99 cents – and given how they come back to life simmered in hot liquid, and actually do lend a tangible citrus tang to the curry, they are worth seeking out.

Chicken poached in coconut curry

Sausage and Arugula Penne

A pasta recipe from Ricardo Larrivée also caught my eye (and yes, required two pots) – I loved that there were less than ten ingredients called for. And we’ve cooked often with white wine, but not red, so this was a good opportunity to experiment with a red-wine based sauce.

Sausage and arugula penne

We had ended up using the remainder of a bottle of red we had sitting around, which Mack thought probably wasn’t the best choice of wine variety – he thought it overtook everything else in the dish. I didn’t mind it so much – between the tomatoes and wine, the thin but flavourful sauce was a nice change of pace from the hearty, chunky tomato sauce we make more often.

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before another two pot meal sneaks into our rotation!

City Market Report: Week 7

Though we didn’t plan on loading up on produce this week (we’re in the process of moving), we knew our Saturday wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the City Market.

Busy, as usual

It wasn’t as hot as the previous weekend, which was a nice change. And even better – BC fruit was out in full force this weekend! Steve & Dan had cherries, raspberries and even strawberries! I really would have loaded up, but the thought of having to eat the contents of our still-bursting fridge in the next two days was enough of a deterrent.

Cherries!

Lovely raspberries

Jennifer at Sundog Organics was disappointed that we missed out on their first batch of carrots (their produce goes fast!), but we were able to report back that their pea tendrils were a hit as a pizza topping at the Slow Food Edmonton Solstice Supper last week (something I have yet to write about…).

Lettuce from Sundog Organics

Walking by, we noticed that a sign that read “Innisfail Growers” had replaced the usual “Edgar Farms” banner. We chatted with Keri who said that while Edgar Farms normally stops selling at the market after asparagus season ends, because of how fantastic the City Market is, they decided this year to bring products from the five producers that collectively make up Innisfail Growers. They include Beck Farms (produce such as carrots, broccoli, kohlrabi), Upper Green Farms (potatoes), Jungle Farm (fruit, spinach, artichokes, and other vegetables), Hillside Greenhouses (tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers) and of course, Edgar Farms. Look for a customer appreciation day/farm gate on August 15, 2010. I’m really glad to see more produce available at the market!

Innisfail Growers booth

Kuhlmann’s still had quite a bit of vegetables available still, including some monstrous spinach.

That would make quite the salad

The piece de resistance of our visit was an Eva Sweet waffle – it would be Mack’s first. While it looks like Eva Sweet will no longer be on the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market circuit (due to low traffic), I think they are a welcome addition to the food carts at the City Market. Anticipating their line-up, they were placed at the north edge of the market.

Wafflemania

Sarah, Sable, Raffaella and friends were out enjoying the market as well, and happened to be awaiting some waffle goodness too. Even Dexter was excited!

Raffaella and Dexter

I decided to try the vanilla flavour this time, while Mack opted for the classic cinnamon variety. I liked the cinnamon better, but loved the caramalization on my waffle. Mack thought it was a bit sweet for his palate, but did enjoy it.

With my waffle

As we strolled down the street, it was funny to watch as people turned to look back, curious as to what we were eating. That’s the best thing about food carts – it becomes a conversation starter! Eva Sweet will be back next week – look for them!

A vanilla waffle from Eva Sweet

There was so much to do this Saturday in Edmonton (The Works, Edmonton International Jazz Festival, among others), but we chose to check out the Safe Streets Community Fair on the way home, taking place this afternoon in Queen Mary Park/Central McDougall.

Safe Streets Community Fair

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a tour of two areas targeted for revitalization – Alberta Avenue (apparently now known as “The Avenue”) and McCauley – the first obviously further along than the second community. Queen Mary Park/Central McDougall is still in the early stages of revitalization efforts (the plans were just released), but I’m excited that things are finally starting to happen.

Neighbourhood revitalization booth

I’d love to get my agency more involved (participating in Fifteen to Clean was just the start to me), but we’ll see. In the meantime, I wanted to make an effort to check out the event.

Edmonton Police Service booth

Though the fair was supposed to start at 11:30, many activities, such as basketball hoops, were still being set-up. Mack had a question of why the booths (less than a dozen) were so spread out – sometimes less space between is better, to lend some vibrancy to the event.

Cool inflatable WallE tent

I hope more people stoppbed by after we left – besides a few signs on 107 Avenue, there wasn’t much in the way of advertisement for this event. Regardless, I hope this is the first of many such gatherings!

Cozy Birthday Brunch: Cafe Haven

In thinking about brunch places where we could take Grandma Male to celebrate her birthday, my mind drifted to Café Haven. I first noticed Café Haven on Twitter, active in announcing their daily specials and musical acts. However, we didn’t often visit Sherwood Park, and as with most restaurants outside of the core, usually need a geographic excuse to stop by. Mack’s Grandma, always game to try new establishments herself, happens to live on the southeast edge of Edmonton.

Mack and Grandma Male

We had tweeted Café Haven the night before, asking them if we could make reservations for Sunday brunch. The response we received indicated no, reservations weren’t taken, but that we wouldn’t need them either. Imagine our surprise when we were greeted by a standing room-only crowd at the restaurant! That May morning was a chilly one – we suspected patrons had substituted any planned outdoor activities for relaxing with comfort food. And wouldn’t you know it – Café Haven announced later that it was a record-breaking day for them.

Open kitchen

Anyway, we opted to hover for a while, and thankfully, didn’t have to wait ten minutes before a table opened up on the sunny side of the restaurant. What was immediately apparent from the interior was that diners (at least when Café Haven isn’t entirely full) have a choice of seating areas that would befit any number of moods. In our section, lined with windows and with a full view of the open kitchen, painted a vibrant blue, felt bright and cheery. The rear of the restaurant, with sconce lighting and no natural light, felt intimate and cozy. Finally, an entirely separate room that went almost unseen, decorated with rich, sequined fabrics and painted in bold hues was exotic and private.

Interior

The one-page brunch menu (which changes every weekend) focused on fresh, local ingredients. They do subscribe to Eat Local First, and as indicated on their website, try to source from area farmers as much as possible. I was also happy to see that Café Haven serves Transcend coffee!

Cool, framed menus

I was very happy with my selection – a breakfast crepe with Westphalian ham, spinach and mushroom with a parmesan cream sauce ($10). The sauce was rich and undoubtedly imbued with calories – just the way I like it! And while I usually shy away from salads to start off my day, the balsamic dressing on the greens ensured I did not regret my choice.

Breakfast crepe with ham, spinach and mushroom

Mack and Grandma Male both ordered the free-range ham, scrambled eggs and toast ($10). Mack said the potatoes in particular were his favourite.

Free-range ham, scrambled eggs and toast

With a bustling atmosphere and lovely interior, I can see why Café Haven’s business is picking up. Hopefully I’ll have to pass through Sherwood Park again soon!

Cafe Haven
9 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park
(780) 417-5523

The Cooking Chronicles: Asparagus and Morel Soup

While morels don’t quite have the rock star reputation of truffles, wild origins lend morels a mysterious, elusive quality. After learning about how fickle they are in terms of where they grow, and the related excitement that ripples through the mycological community at the start of spring (aka morel season), I had to wonder if they could possibly live up to the hype. We finally picked up a basket from Mo Na one weekend and set to find out.

Morels

The paper bag the morels came in expressed explicit instructions to wash the product, being that the mushrooms are wild, and could be harbouring any number of organisms. So – like most other vegetables that require a thorough bath, I decided to soak the morels.

Of course, after leaving them in the water for a few minutes, I realized this was the wrong move. The morels took in water like sponges! I literally had to wring them out before cooking. As Mack always says, I should have consulted the Google.

Anyway, I decided to prepare them two ways – the first was to simply sauté them in butter (as Martin, President of the Alberta Mycological Society had recommended), and the second was in an asparagus and morel soup.

I roughly chopped a handful of morels (and some that still retained water – mini mushroom bombs, they were – nothing says learning like the hard way, right?), and threw them in a pan of melted butter. A few minutes later, our small bowls of cooked gems in front of us, we expected to be blown away. Not surprisingly, as with other instances where the bar is set too high, we weren’t. The waterlogged morels had lost some of their inherent spring, but save for tasting like other members of the fungi family, neither Mack or I could discern any real distinct flavour worthy of fervour.

We did better with the asparagus and morel soup, though. An Eric Akis recipe (I am partial to his seasonal focus), the dish called for pureed asparagus (we used the last of our Edgar Farms bunch), and chopped morels that were simmered in chicken stock for additional flavour. Though the potato used to thicken the soup was a little too prominent for my taste, I loved the green colouring of the broth, and the added texture and slightly woody essence of the morels.

Asparagus and morel soup

Will we buy morels again? Perhaps, but I’m starting to think that morels are more about the thrill of the hunt – I’m sure they taste better if you foraged them for yourself.

Edmonton’s Newest Microbrewery: Yellowhead Brewery

Brewmaster Scott Harris has an excellent memory. On my way to a meeting downtown Thursday afternoon, I stopped inside the new Yellowhead Brewery for a look, mainly because the door was open and beckoning. I had wanted to explore the interior of the building for some time, and this seemed like a timely opportunity to do so. Inside, Scott was being interviewed by someone, but stopped to ask if I needed anything. As I was en route elsewhere, I told him I couldn’t stay, but would be back on the weekend.

Yellowhead Brewery

At the City Market on Saturday, we ran into Scott in line for Fat Franks. He remembered me from the other day, and asked if we intended to stop by later. We made good on our promise, and made a proper visit before heading home.

Inside the brewery

Yellowhead Brewery is located in the historic 1913 H. V. Shaw building at 10229 105 Street, which was originally a cigar factory. The structure was renovated by Gene Dub in 2005, and housed Maverick Brewery from 2005-07, before it went out of business. With a central location and a beautiful facade, it was a shame the building sat empty for several years – so it is great to see it being used again as a craft brewing facility.

Bottling area

Yellowhead has a tasting room open most days from noon to six. While they currently only make one lager, Scott told us he has plans to make a lighter and darker brew, as well as a seasonal variety. He also said he is working on supplying kegs to several local restaurants and bars, including Skinny Legs and Cowgirls and Level 2 Lounge.

Tasting Room

We both tried a small glass of the Yellowhead Beer. I don’t trust my palate, as I am not a beer drinker (Alley Kat’s Aprikat cooler is about as close as I get to beer), but Mack enjoyed it. He compared it to Alley Kat’s Charlie Flint Lager. We picked up two 500mL bottles (a steal at just $3 each).

Yellowhead Beer

What was apparent to me during our visit was the brewery’s decision to honour the history of the city and the space. From the name (Yellowhead Beer was the first brewing company established in Edmonton, back in 1894) to coasters that tell the history of the word “Yellowhead”, to the archive photo proudly displayed on the wall, I love that Yellowhead decided to consciously shine a light on the city’s roots.

Edmonton Cigar Factory in 1913

We also took the time to take in the Yellowhead Room, a beautiful space with capacity for 150. Between the exposed brick, lively art on the walls, and a built-in bar and corner stage, both Mack and I thought it would be a great space for events. And at just $350 for the night, it’s a pretty good deal, too.

Yellowhead Room

As we were leaving, Scott was serving up fresh glasses to patrons who had just walked in. I hope many more people stop by to try out the beer – best of luck to Edmonton’s newest brewery!

Yellowhead Brewery
10229 105 Street
(780) 423-3333

Food Notes for June 21, 2010

It may be the longest day of the year today, but it could be longer – sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a day! We’re gearing up for a busy week, but it should be a good one as well. On an unrelated note – I’m really happy with who ultimately won season 2 of Top Chef Masters! Here are this week’s food notes:

A reminder about River City Shakespeare’s Picnic Contest, which I wrote about in late May. Blog about or send them a write-up of your dream picnic basket from Sunterra to be considered for a $100 Sunterra gift certificate and festival passes! The deadline to enter is June 28, 2010.
We finally bought tickets to our first ArtsScene event, a Behind the Scenes party at Hotel Macdonald, taking place on August 19. Not only will we get an architectural tour of the building, but attendees will be treated to drinks on their spectacular patio. Looking forward to it!
News from Kerstin’s Chocolates: “For the summer months of July and August, we are serving our hot chocolate frozen. We are also partnering with Cafe Leva to make an incredibly intense dark chocolate gelato using pure Valrhona dark chocolate. You will be able to buy it at our shop in the form of an chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich starting June 29.” Sounds delicious!
New bakery and cupcakery alert: Sweet Krumblz (6861 170 Street) just had an open house on the weekend, and from the gallery on their website, their products looks fabulous.
Liane reports that Century Hospitality Corporate Chef Paul Schufelt has applied to be on Top Chef’s inaugural Canadian season. Best of luck to him – it’d be amazing to get some local representation on the show!
Also from Liane – an article in Saturday’s Journal on a meal prepared for six Journal staff by Chef Sebastian Lysz. Apparently hiring personal chefs are a rising trend. See the gallery here.
Local blogger Alison Mazoff of Well-Blended Vegan gives the new Cafe Beirut on Whyte Avenue a spin.
Chris of Eating is the Hard Part got a peek inside Shaw Conference Centre’s massive kitchen facilities as staff rushed to prepare a meal for 3000 guests. Worth a look!
Need a primer on Community Supported Agriculture? See wrote a good introductory piece this week.
I think it’s awesome that the Calgary food blogging community came together this past weekend for a bake sale in support of Calgary Meals on Wheels. Perhaps #yegfood bloggers could do some similar too?
Co Co Di’s new location at 11454 Jasper Avenue (780-425-1717) is finally open! Anyone checked out the restaurant yet?

Co Co Di

Helped along by the fact that Epcor shut down the water for the entire morning at the office one day last week (you realize how reliant you are on running water at that point), I headed to Fo Guang Tea House for lunch. I haven’t been back since my first visit, so it was a nice opportunity to return and sample something different from the menu. The laksa noodles were great – the vegetarian fish balls could have fooled me, as they tasted like the real thing, and the broth with a hint of coconut milk was soothing. As I said in my previous post – the Tea House is a sanctuary in the bustle in the core, and I wondered why it wasn’t full. I guess it might still be a well-kept secret?

Laksa from Fo Guang Tea House

Mack and I attended Don Iveson’s campaign launch party yesterday. In addition to local beer from Alley Kat and coffee from Transcend, food at the event was catered by Elm Cafe! Mack couldn’t get enough of the warm-from-the-oven bread pudding bites, while I thought the beautiful marriage of strawberries and Kerstin’s Chocolates couldn’t be beat.

Nachos with fresh tomato salsa

Delectably simple strawberry and chocolate bites

We ended the weekend with a Father’s Day barbecue at Rundle Park. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the green space. We certainly did too.

So many geese!

Smile!

The Cooking Chronicles: Desserts are for Sharing

Though I enjoy baking, it’s not something I do very often. My baking accoutrements are limited to a cookie sheet and a muffin pan, and I don’t even own an electric mixer. Moreover, knowing that the two of us will be on the hook to finish the entire dessert ourselves is often a deterrent enough. So more often than not, I end up saving dessert recipes for special occasions or instances where I know others will be able to help us enjoy the sweets.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Yogurt Loaf Cake

I remember seeing pictures of Rhianna’s extra virgin olive oil and yogurt loaf cake on her blog, and thinking what a brilliantly vibrant cake it was. I wanted to make something for Mack’s Grandma to help celebrate her birthday, and being a tea drinker, I thought the loaf would be a perfect afternoon accompaniment.

I’ve never made a cake using olive oil before, but I’ve read about the fruity flavour it can lend baked goods. However, I wasn’t able to discern a distinct flavour in my final product that I could attribute to the olive oil – nor was it wasn’t as bright as Rhianna’s cake. I also probably would have added some actual lime juice to the batter – the zest just didn’t lend enough citrus taste to the cake.

Extra virgin olive oil and yogurt loaf cake

Still, much like other yogurt loaves, I found that it helped keep the cake fairly moist. Most importantly though – Mack’s Grandma liked it!

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

I didn’t grow up eating rhubarb. It just wasn’t a part of my Mom’s repertoire, so my first encounter with rhubarb was fairly recent, incorporated into a dessert of some kind. I liked it well enough, but didn’t think much about it until our weekly visits to the City Market opened my eyes to how ubiquitous rhubarb is here. Several of the produce vendors offer it (Sundog Organics, Edgar Farms, and Riverbend Gardens, among others), and I knew I couldn’t just keep passing it by.

We picked up several of the pink-green stalks from Sundog Organics a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t yet have a recipe in hand, but I knew my family would be willing to sample whatever I made. Searching online, the vast majority of recipes I stumbled across featured rhubarb paired with strawberries, but I really wanted to find something that would allow the rhubarb to sing on its own. This rhubarb upside-down cake was it.

It was super-easy to make (as I am sure most upside-down cakes are), and though the recipe author claims it isn’t the most attractive dessert, I thought otherwise, between the pink hues and the flecks of orange scattered throughout (I will say that the photo below is terrible though…most things that I photograph in my parents’ yellow kitchen appear jaundiced).

Rhubarb upside-down cake

Although the rhubarb was a bit tart, the edge was taken off by a scoop of cold, sweet ice cream. Amanda also suggested that cinnamon would be a worthy addition to the cake batter. I do think I will make this again though – it’s hard to resist using seasonal ingredients when they’re so readily available!

City Market Report: Week 6

It was one of those Saturdays. Even with the incessant noise of the construction crews working across the street, we did not want to get out of bed this morning. So by the time we got ourselves down to the City Market today, it was already noon.

Still busy

As expected, many vendors were already sold out of their precious seasonal produce – it was the last week for asparagus from Edgar Farms, and they were down to asparagus seconds when we arrived. Sundog Organics were also down to a handful of items – though they were out of arugula, we picked up some spinach, pea tendrils and oregano from them.

Out of asparagus bunches!

The early birds get the best selection at Sundog Organics

We were not only shopping for our week’s groceries today, but also for a Slow Food Edmonton solstice supper. Everyone attending was tasked with bringing something to be cooked in Colleen and Vince’s fabulous wood-burning oven, and our assignment was toppings for three nine-inch pizzas. In the basket went tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses, Portobello mushrooms from Mo Na, and goat feta from Smoky Valley Goat Cheese.

Intriguing sea asparagus from Mo Na (apparently, like a saltier version of asparagus, can be cooked the same way)

Smoky Valley Goat Cheese

The line-up at Ocean Odyssey Inland was long, but that gave us some time to explore some of their countertop goods, such as their salmon dog biscuits. Can you say gourmet?

Dog treats from Ocean Odyssey

Once we crossed everything off my shopping list (including fielding a call from my Mum who asked me to pick up a pound of shitakes from Mo Na), we wandered through the Park(ed) festival along 102 Avenue, which had been closed specifically for the event.

Park(ed)

Park(ed), in its first incarnation this year, promotes car-free transportation, and featured different booths and activities highlighting active lifestyles and alternative modes of transport. I loved the little tracks of grass (though I hope they end up planting them somewhere), and the area where visitors could try out bicycles, including tandem bikes!