Annie and I had originally intended on meeting at The Silk Hat on Friday, but thankfully, I caught a bit piece in the Edmonton Journal about the diner’s temporary closure due to staff shortages.

Having to come up with an alternative venue, I chose hulbert’s (7601 115 Street). I first read about the neighbourhood eatery in Where Magazine, and then a positive review in See Magazine at the end of last year.

I didn’t really know what to expect, besides remembering that green was in the exterior color scheme somehow, but walking in, I appreciated how cozy the dining area was. All of the prime tables by the window were either taken or reserved, and we could see that an empty space near the front of the cafe was left open for a musician to set up shop later on that evening. What struck me, besides the beautiful custom-made mosaic tabletops, was how the space was able to transition between daytime and evening, simply by lowering the blinds, lighting a few candles, and putting on some smoky jazz.

We sat down around 5:30, and were surprised by the lunch menus we were handed by the waitress. When asked when dinner would be served, she indicated 6pm, so Annie and I decided to start with dessert and wait out the half hour to have heartier options beyond wraps and sandwiches.

hulbert’s offered pretty standard refrigerated dessert case choices: a few cheesecakes, an apple tart, a mousse. Annie decided upon the mango-berry cheesecake, while I simply couldn’t turn down the chocolate torte ($6). A few minutes later, our individual slices were presented to us, garnished with dollops of whipped cream and drizzles of colored syrup. Annie was glad her cake wasn’t as sweet as she was expecting, while I could have done with a tad more sugar in mine.

With our dessert plates cleared, and dinner menus in hand, we surveyed our options. As indicated on their website, hulbert’s doesn’t claim to offer an extensive food menu. Still, I didn’t expect just three entrees! On this day, their ever-changing selections included pork chops, baked salmon, and a pasta option, in addition to a number of appetizers. Based upon the food being delivered around us, it seemed most of the patrons that evening opted for the shared dips. Perhaps we should have deferred to the majority, but Annie and I were both in the mood for pasta (three color rotini in a homemade pesto with sauteed vegetables, $12), served with our choice of soup or salad.

Our vegetable soups were delivered in coffee cups, making for easy drinking. Except the chunks of too-hard vegetables (carrots in particular that probably could have used another hour on the stove) made the use of a spoon necessary. It did tide us over until our pastas were ready a short while later, served to us in lovely square bowls. Unfortunately, the pasta itself didn’t match the presentation – between the thin pesto and a paucity of vegetables, Annie was spot on in her description of our main being a “warm pasta salad”.

I would still give hulbert’s another opportunity to wow me in the future, mainly because the venue itself fosters an ambiance perfect for catching up with friends, or being treated to an evening of cool music.

“This is it?”
“I’ve driven down this street hundreds of times and have never noticed it before!”

The Golden Bird (10544 97 Street) features a storefront so aged that it literally blends with its surroundings, resembling one of those sad ghosts of a business that reflects only a past of prosperity. Of course, even if the exterior didn’t suffer from neglect, the surrounding block of merchants would make it difficult to maintain the sheen expected of a restaurant with a name that conjures up images of phoenixes in flight. Still, the reputation of The Golden Bird precedes itself; coworkers of both Dickson and I have personally recommended their brand of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine to us.

On Thursday, we made our way to Chinatown, found some parking at the rear of the building, and walked inside. As my colleague had warned me, the interior was in serious need of a Restaurant Makeover. I didn’t mind their penchant for outdated and cheap art (Kim Andersen prints), but I do think that their furniture could use a major overhaul. Dirty from years of use, the chairs were coated with grime. The tables were topped with glass, and underneath, as custom with many ethnic eateries, were copies of outdated reviews from local news media. The articles indicated The Golden Bird does most of its business at lunch (both takeout and dining in), which seemed to be true, as the restaurant had just two patrons as we sat down. But through the course of our meal, other tables filled up with families, groups of friends, and couples, most of them appearing to be regulars.

The menu featured standard Vietnamese and Chinese fare (and interestingly named dishes, such as the 5 Colour on Rice or Vermicelli), but as Dickson and I are both pho enthusiasts, we jumped straight to the noodle soup section. My decision was an easy one – I always opt for the bowl featuring medium rare sliced beef ($7.50), while Dickson typically selects whatever the house special is. In this case, it was the Golden Bird Beef Noodle Soup ($8.50), with all kinds of meat but no egg. For comparison purposes, we also added an order of green onion cakes ($3.95).

Asian restaurants are known for two things: cheap eats and quick kitchen-to-table service. The Golden Bird was no different. Our green onion cakes arrived promptly, still glistening from their deep-fried treatment. I found the cake itself to be quite doughy, and needing just a tad more salt, but they were still a satisfying and promising start to our meal.

Our noodle soup bowls arrived even before we had a chance to finish our appetizer, steaming hot and inviting on a winter’s night. Shredded cilantro, green onion slices and slivers of red onions floated on top in a lovely medley of fragrance and flavour. I was a tad disappointed in the small quantity and toughness of the meat, but the broth, savoury and coming perilously close to matching Pagolac’s perfection, made up for it somewhat.

Neither Dickson nor I were willing to concede the southside Pagolac’s pho crown, but we do believe that The Golden Bird will provide a tasty and pleasing alternative to pho lovers in the downtown core.