Thwarted by the long line at Tim Hortons, Dickson and I had to find an alternative breakfast/brunch place this morning. Wanting very much to satisfy my craving for eggs, I suggested we give White Spot (3921 Calgary Trail) a try.

The only thing I had heard about White Spot was that a friend who dined here once saw Steve Staios and his family at the restaurant. Other than that, my impressions were assumptions – that the White Spot was another generic establishment billing itself as family-friendly but also sophisticated enough for adult-only dining (cf. Boston Pizza, Ricky’s All Day Grill, Applebee’s, etc.). I wasn’t wrong.

It was nearly noon by the time we pulled up to the restaurant, and we found that the wait was between fifteen to twenty minutes. That was enough time to visually explore the decor – including a prominently placed fake fireplace out front and “welcome” in a variety of languages imprinted above the waiting area. White Spot really did remind me of Kelsey’s – a sports bar just off the main thoroughfare, cozy booths, friendly, girl-next-door waitresses, and a nearly identical menu.

We were seated in the back near the kitchen, in an area adjacent to a skylight, an unexpected but much appreciated design feature. It didn’t take us long to decide on our meals, as there were only five brunch options available at this location (a far cry from the twelve listed on the website – there was not a pancake, waffle, or omelet in sight). We both chose Nat’s Country Style Breakfast ($8.95) – toast, hash browns and 2 each of eggs, bacon and sausage.

Our orders arrived in record time – after about five minutes – though as Dickson commented, it wasn’t a difficult plate to put together, nor was the serving size particularly impressive. While it was a filling first meal of the day for me, it still wasn’t wholly satisfying. Perhaps it was my mistake in ordering something that I could have made myself without too much effort.

For brunch at least, there are a lot more interesting options than White Spot to choose from.

My family and I had dinner at Blue Willow (11107 103 Avenue) tonight. It’s a restaurant whose reputation precedes it – known to me (and many others) as a favorite of Wayne Gretzky, I wanted to see if the food would live up to the hype.

Entering a non-descript brown building that looked more like it belonged in a business park, we were immediately greeted by a narrow entrance way lined with photo memorabilia. If anything, Blue Willow is worth a visit just to take a gander at the pictures. Most of the photographs were shots of the owner, Vic Mah, with well-known hockey players, including the Great One, Vladislav Tretiak, Grant Fuhr, and even a dreadlocked Jerome Iginla!

Most of the seated patrons were of the older set, and appeared very much to be regulars. We were the only non-Caucasian customers at that time, leading us to believe the Blue Willow was very much a westernized Chinese eatery. When we noticed the lack of chopsticks at the place settings, the distribution of plates versus bowls to use, and the offering of plain steamed rice by the bowl (at $3 a pop) as opposed to by the container, our suspicions were substantiated. The Chinese tea we ordered was also not of the loose leaf variety – instead, they used two very weak tea bags. When we received the bill, we found out they charged us $9 for the tea – $2.25 each for the four of us. Had we known that in advance, I would have seriously considered bringing in a thermos.

As for the menu itself – it was very well put together – hard plastic pages bound nicely. The fare was, no surprise, quite westernized – in both selection and price point. After some perusal, we settled on the Mixed Chinese Vegetables ($9.25), Mongolian Beef ($12.25), Tofu Hot Pot ($11.75) and the Blue Willow Special Fried Rice ($10.50). It was unfortunate that it took over five minutes for our table to be acknowledged by anyone (our water glasses were eventually filled…by a boy that looked about ten years old. It is indeed a “family-run” establishment).

The dining room seemed to be quieting down, so our dishes didn’t take long to arrive. I must admit I was quite impressed by their innovative plating idea: fondue-style, candlelit stainless steel contraptions complete with lids to keep the food within warm. The candle was so effective that the sauce in the vegetable and beef dishes were literally bubbling! This aside, the verdict on the food itself was mixed. The portions were very small (likely about half the size of a plate at a typical Chinese restaurant), and besides the fried rice, which was quite aromatic and flavourful, the rest of the dishes were forgettable.

After our meal, and just before receiving the bill, we were treated to a bit of a Singapore Airlines service – hot towels. Our waitress even did a spin move (similar to how one would balance a basketball on one finger) to unravel the towel. It was something you’d have to see to believe.

While I can appreciate the history behind a place like the Blue Willow, the food just isn’t as good – or authentic – as I would prefer in a Chinese restaurant.

For the site of her birthday celebration, Janice chose Japanese Village (10126 100 Street). Like many other eateries I’ve mentioned on this blog, this one also falls into the category of “often passed, never been.” I had heard that it was quite pricey, but other than that, it was a blank slate.

Mack and I were a fashionable ten minutes tardy, but instead of finding an empty table, we were greeted by nearly the entire party. The group was seated in a fairly large private room that required the discarding of shoes.

Being one not inclined to order sushi, I was relieved to see some non-seafood items on the menu, including udon soup and cooked meats. The bento box was rather expensive in my opinion ($23.95), so I opted for Teriyaki chicken ($8.95), Edamame beans ($4.95), and a side of rice ($1.75) instead. The waitress did her best to keep the orders of over ten people straight, and I must say, did a decent job. Working with the constraint of only being able to speak comfortably to those seated at the ends of the table must be frustrating.

My Mum has since boycotted Edamame beans (whole soy beans steamed and then served with sea salt), as she hasn’t been able to locate any that are cultivated outside of China. While I was certain these were also a product of China, I wanted to give them a shot. While I preferred to use my hands to pluck out the individual beans (as opposed to sliding them out in my mouth), I found them quite enjoyable. The beans was unfortunately cold when they reached me (likely a consequence of the large party), but I would still order them again. The Teriyaki chicken was all right, though I was expecting the slices to be crisper than they turned out to be (Kyoto wins this battle).

Mack’s pictures from the party (and subsequent drinks session at Joey’s) are here. Happy birthday Janice!

After a day of intense shopping at West Edmonton Mall, May and I were itching to escape the masses for dinner. In the car, we shuffled through my stash of coupons, and selected Maurya Palace (9266 34 Avenue) from the pile.

We drove out to “Little India”, and found the restaurant, located in a strip mall amongst fabric shops, insurance brokers, and other ethnic eateries. Upon entry, we were told by the one waitress on duty to select any table. There were only four other tables occupied, and it seemed the buffet was the draw on that night, though we requested menus just in case.

The dining room was quite dim, but other than that, nothing much of note stood out. The beaded table runners were a nice touch, but besides a few gold-toned mirrors on the walls and a welcoming statue of a deity by the door, the decor was very much muted when compared with places like New Asian Village.

Before deciding on our entrees, we took a quick look at the buffet. But as it was already past 8pm, and the food very much appeared to be past its prime, we decided to order two dishes to share instead. Butter Chicken ($11.95) was selected without hesitation, and the Lamb Bahaar (tender lamb cubes cooked with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs & spices in a thick sauce; $13.95), advertised as a Chef’s Special, was our second pick. An order of nan bread ($1.50) and basmati rice ($2.25) completed our meal.

The food arrived promptly, and we dug in right away. The butter chicken was great – rich and creamy, the heat level was mild, as we had asked for. The lamb on the other hand, was a bit too spicy for our taste, and the “sauce” seemed to be mainly composed of oil; though to be fair, our palettes may not have been accustomed to the flavours of this dish. The nan bread was good, but I was hoping for more than the two pieces in our basket.

With my coupon, we ended up splitting a cheque amounting to less than $20 before tip. Great deal, decent food, but given the choice, I’d be inclined to head over to the buffet at New Asian Village instead, if not only for the access to unlimited nan.

On day two of our hour-long lunch extravaganza, I convinced my coworker to join me at the famed Chicken for Lunch in the Scotia Place food court (10060 Jasper Avenue).

This was my second visit (but the first time ordering what the regulars ask for), and the crowd never ceases to amaze me. The patron hostess Amy greets nearly every customer by name, and they are equally friendly in return. Given that by a quarter to noon, the line is already twenty people deep, it’s a testament to their hard work, good customer service, and consistent food preparation.

My coworker and I joined the line, and were happy that it moved rather swiftly. She was particularly vocal about how bad she felt for the nearby vendors as they watched the line at their competition grow. But we figured – they would probably reap some overflow business from people originally wishing to try their luck at Chicken for Lunch, but ultimately not having the time to wait.

When it was my turn to order, I asked for the small combo, slecting the hot and dry chicken (as recommended by Mack, also known as “Boy”). The styrofoam clamshell filled to the brim with rice, stir-fried rice noodles, vegetables, a spring roll, and of course, the chicken came up to just $6, amazing value for a downtown fast-food eatery.

In terms of the meal itself – I really appreciated the supplementary vegetables and rice (add-ons providing an illusion of healthy eating), but the fried bits of spicy chicken weren’t all that great (sacrilege to the aforementioned regulars). True, I’d never before had chicken battered like that with a heat quotient that had me wishing for water, but I wasn’t convinced that this was food worth coming back to; at least not for me.

If I happen to be in the neighbourhood again around lunch time, I may stop by, but I think I’d be more likely to pop over to Shine Bistro for their daily special.

After reading a very positive review of Shine Bistro (9828 101A Avenue) in Vue Weekly several months ago, I was looking forward to sampling their fare. Upon discovery that they were only open for lunch on weekdays, I was dismayed, as having only a half hour for lunch prevents a sojourn of any kind beyond the humble square footage of my office.

That said, when booked for off-site training in November at a nearby college, I was hoping I could rope my colleague into trying out the cafe with me. She heartily agreed, and we set off for an early lunch after being released from the lab.

It wasn’t an easy place to find, tucked away on the eastern side of the Citadel Theatre complex. We were lucky to find that a crowd had yet to gather, so were able to order right away. Their menu was displayed above the counter on a colorful blackboard, reminding me very much of the now-defunct Whole in the Wall cafe (the space now occupied by Tzin). Though they had many tempting options (including pizza, salads, and cold “shinewiches”), we both decided to try the special of the day – a Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich, served with either a soup or one of three made-from-scratch soups ($6.99).

We found a choice table situated by the window, and waited patiently for our food as the place filled up. It was barely five to twelve and all the tables had already been spoken for. We didn’t wait long, but quite frankly I wouldn’t have minded. It was a lovely day, and with the sun streaming in from the window next to us, illuminating displayed artwork for sale and the charming red of the dining tables, I could have remained there all afternoon.

The food was great – they certainly didn’t skimp on the chicken breast, and the melted swiss and crispy ham, sandwiched between the toasted kaiser sides was bliss. The soup definitely tasted homemade, with a generous serving of vegetables, chickpeas, and lima beans in every spoon full. My only nitpick was that the potatoes and carrots weren’t as soft as they could have been, and should have been allowed to stew for a while longer.

Shine Bistro does feel like a gem of a find – its location, minimal hours, and limited number of in-house seating lend itself to the cultivation of an exclusive crowd. So if you’re in the area, buck the food courts and fast food giants and give Shine a try! You won’t regret it.

Open!

Order counter (I love the colorful blackboard)

Table for two

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich with Minestrone