Korean Cuisine in Chinatown: Won Jung Gak

When Won Jung Gak took over the storefront vacated by Basil Leaf in August at 10023 107 Avenue, it finally added a Korean option to the panoply of Asian restaurants in Chinatown. Up until then, to satisfy Korean cravings, diners had to head to the south side, where the vast majority of Korean establishments are located in the city. In addition, given Won Jung Gak has quite a popular following already from their industrial site at 9655 62 Avenue (they can count my Mum as a fan), it was great that they chose the area of central Edmonton for expansion. I met Jill there for lunch last week, ready to see if Won Jung Gak lived up to such expectations.

The restaurant was empty when I entered, though a handful of parties joined us by the end of our stay. I had to wonder if their location, just off of the beaten path of 101 Street, had anything to do with that. That said, it is a very pleasant place for lunch – with a large bank of windows, the flood of natural light made it a relaxing midday retreat. The new owners retained the periphery of wooden booths inherited from Basil Leaf, but they replaced the loose furniture with elaborately carved tables and chairs, adding some interesting visuals and intricacies to the space. Jill and I also noticed that each table had access to electronic service buzzers – instead of flagging down a server visually or verbally, diners could simply push a button to notify staff that their attention was needed at the table. This was the first time I had ever encountered such a system, though given the few tables occupied at the restaurant that afternoon, we didn’t need to use it.

Interior

The menu was huge, and on top of familiar (and unfamiliar) Korean dishes, also featured some Chinese items. Jill and I both ordered the dolsot bibimbap ($13.50), which we agreed was our “benchmark” dish – the one that could make or break our opinion of a Korean restaurant. To start, we also ordered steamed kimchi dumplings ($8.99), which intrigued us.

The spread

All of our food arrived simultaneously in a timely fashion, steaming hot. Unfortunately, the dishes were surprisingly bland. For advertising a kimchi filling, we couldn’t detect much heat, and instead, tasted more of the pork inside the dumplings.

Steamed kimchi dumplings

As for the dolsot bibimbap, the stone bowl did help the rice form the crunchy layer of rice the dish is known for, but in terms of flavour, it lacked any discernable pizzazz. Neither the pickled vegetables or seasoned meat stood out from the bed of rice – both Jill and I had to add flavour to our bowls with the supplied chili and vinegar condiments, something I’ve never had to do with bibimbap in my previous experiences.

Dolsot bibimbap

We didn’t have any complaints about service, but based on our benchmark dish, we both could think of several other Korean restaurants that we would likely return to over Won Jung Gak. That said, given the raves I have heard about its other location, I have to wonder if the kitchen was simply having an off day. With the lack of Korean options in this part of the city, I would like to give them another chance, and hope Korean cuisine is here to stay in Chinatown.

Won Jung Gak
10023 107 Avenue
(780) 705-9953
Lunch daily: 11am-3pm; Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Sugar Cookies

I remember baking sugar cookies with my Mum when I was younger, my sisters and I delighted by the wide collection of cookie cutters she had assembled (as children, we gravitated towards animal shapes and spelling out our names using alphabet cut-outs). We’d lovingly sprinkle our cookies with coloured sugar, sometimes adding a dollop of icing, and that was that (well, besides consuming the saccharine treats).

Maybe it was my naiveté around how difficult it really was to pull the dough together, or perhaps techniques to ensure the “perfect” sugar cookie have been refined and are now better articulated, but a simple Google search resulted in a barrage of tips of what to do, what not to do, and a list of baking supplies that I would need for this procedure that I did not have. When did a simple sugar cookie become so complicated?

All of this came about in that scramble that always happens the last week before Christmas when I probably took on a little too much. On top of baking for family and a work function, I also wanted to show my appreciation to some of my colleagues with a homemade treat from the kitchen.

Sugar cookies

Mack wryly joked that these cookies were a multi-day project, and in fact, they were, but only because I realized in the end that I didn’t have the chops to follow through with my original plan (and didn’t have enough time to experiment and learn). I made this recipe for sugar cookies, and with a vision of icing and decorating them on the days following. What I didn’t know was that this would require three different types of icing – two consistencies of royal icing for the base (for piping and filling), and another for decorating. I tried my hand with this recipe for piping, but just couldn’t get the consistency right. And with time ticking down, I ended up with a simple frosting recipe not unlike the one I grew up with, and sprinkled the final product with what else? Coloured sugar.

Individually packaged

I know part of the lesson here is that I shouldn’t have assumed I could carry out an ambitious recipe on the eve of Christmas, without attempting anything similar in the months prior. But I think the even bigger lesson is not to mess with tradition, and as long as things are done from the heart, we are being true to the things that are really important this season.

Date Night: The Common and Holiday Lights and the Legislature

When The Common relocated to the larger storefront on 109 Street in the spring, they took advantage of the space by enhancing their food menu. Although it’s unlikely I would frequent The Common in its nightclub incarnation, as a restaurant, I had been wanting to check out the creative dishes put together by Chef Jesse Morrison-Gauthier for some time. Mack and I had dinner there last weekend on a chilly Saturday night.

It wasn’t terribly busy when we arrived, but it did fill up over the course of our meal. The Common is separated into three loosely divided rooms – one anchored with a bar, another with a DJ booth, and the dining space where we were seated. I loved the dining space – well lit, it felt like The Common didn’t have anything to hide. And on the contrary, it illuminated the feminine touches in the crispy black and white room: the wall of gilded frames and leaf-tipped gold light fixtures. It felt intimate, relaxed and sophisticated.

Interior

Similar to Mercer Tavern, we encountered a drinks menu that was split between vintage and modern cocktails. I tried the Negroni, which probably was better suited for Mack, but fared better with the sweeter blackberry cinnamon mojito.

Our happy hour

Looking at the menu rife with comforting dishes, it really was difficult to decide – no doubt, we will have to return at least a few times to try all of the items that caught our eye! We ended up sharing the mac & cheese ($8.50). The panko crust was crispy and well seasoned, and I liked the florets of cauliflower buried between noodles.

Mac & cheese

My chicken & waffles ($17) was a pretty satisfying dish. The chicken was excellent, fried hot, moist, and I loved the sweetness from the blackberry sauce. The waffles could have been a little warmer though, and I thought the goat cheese was unnecessary, and overpowered everything else.

Chicken & waffles

Mack’s lobster pot pie ($17) was deceiving in size, as by the end, he was struggling to finish the serving. There was a fair amount of lobster, and Mack commented on the depth of seafood flavour in the filling. Mack also loved the side of tomato turkey soup, too cute presented in a mason jar.

Lobster pot pie

Service was excellent (with a surprisingly good ratio of servers to tables for a restaurant/nightclub), and we felt well taken care of the entire night. With an interesting menu, good execution, and a laid back atmosphere, The Common is another one of downtown’s dining destinations. We will be back!

Afterwards, we grabbed a hot drink from the nearby Starbucks and wandered over to the Legislature grounds. It’s been a holiday tradition for Mack and I over the past few years to take in the beautifully decorated grounds.

It was a chilly night, so we were grateful that the indoor visitor areas were still open so we could warm up. Mack was a good sport and posted in the Speaker’s chair in the mock government set-up next to the gift shop.

Playing the Speaker

On our way home, we made our way through the bedazzled trees once again, losing ourselves in the Christmas music piped through the outdoor speakers. Although the nightly holiday musical performances wrap up on December 23, the lights will be up until early January. Make sure to check them out if you can!

The Common
9910 109 Street
(780) 452-7333

Food Notes for December 17, 2012

Although there are still some things on the to do list in preparation for the holidays (baking, a bit more shopping), I feel worlds ahead compared with a week ago. And not a moment too soon, given we’re just over a week away to Christmas! Hope you’re getting into the Christmas spirit too! On to this week’s food notes:

I know we’re not yet at Christmas, but for those already looking ahead to New Year’s, Chef Andrew Parker is offering a $65 four-course dinner at a New Year’s Eve Gala at his new venue.
Want a peek inside Kitchen by Brad? It’s rarely open to the public, but will be December 19-21, 2012 for last minute stocking stuffers.
Central Social Hall (10909 Jasper Avenue) opened up on December 14, 2012. Walking past it this weekend, it looks like the secret’s already out!
Canteen (10522 124 Street), the little sister restaurant to the Red Ox Inn, opened up on December 15, 2012. The menu looks great, though if I’m honest, it’s their brunch that I’m really after (which doesn’t start until January 2013). Looking forward to my first visit already.
I was excited to read that an izakaya has come to town! Cindy posted about her pre-opening experience at Izakaya Tomo (3739 99 Street), which opened on December 15, 2012. Will it be Edmonton’s Guu?
Need a winter warm-up? Check out Vue’s profile of unique hot chocolates from T.H.I.S. Place and Block 1912. We bought some of the hot chocolate pops from T.H.I.S. Place and tried them at home last week – we enjoyed the process of making the drink almost as much as the chocolate itself!
Vue also published an article about Evoolution, one of our own go-to gift shops this Christmas.
There was a great profile of Get Cooking proprietor Kathryn Joel (and an amazing Christmas dinner she prepared), last week in the Journal.
Also in the Journal, a piece about some of the wonderful work Slow Food Edmonton has been doing with a second stage women’s shelter, empowering the clients with not only cooking skills, but the tools they can use once they find a permanent home.
At Evoolution on Saturday, we stumbled upon a display for locally-made Violet Chocolate Company bars. We picked up a banana chip one to try; Mack liked the pairing of milk chocolate, while I appreciated that the banana flavour wasn’t overwhelming.

Violet Chocolate Company

Target was celebrating their forthcoming store openings in Churchill Square of all places on Saturday. We didn’t stay for their big art reveal, but I really loved the mobile hot chocolate dispensers their staff had, complete with cup receptacles and a fill gun. How about we incorporate these into our Winter Strategy?

Mobile hot chocolate – what’s next?

At West Edmonton Mall on Sunday (it really wasn’t a smart decision to tackle the mall, but it had to be done), we stumbled upon a Fat Franks kiosk in the Phase 2 food court (open since November). It’s always great to see local representation amongst the chains! Cindy reviewed it here.

Fat Franks

We also stopped in at Duchess this weekend, and marvelled at their gingerbread Notre Dame d’Epices cathedral. CBC wrote a story about Garner’s labour of love.

Gorgeous gingerbread cathedral

My work team had our holiday lunch at Sorrentino’s in Little Italy today. It seemed like the place to be this afternoon, with the Mayor dining at one table, and the Oilers brass (MacT, Tambellini and Kevin Lowe, among others) at another. The food was all right – I did enjoy the mushroom cream sauce on my cannellini – but I was more impressed with how the restaurant handled a full house seamlessly during the lunch rush. Bravo.

Cannellini with mushroom cream sauce

Weekend Kick-off: Mercer Tavern

I’m a little embarrassed that it took me so long to step foot inside Mercer Tavern, given I walk past it every day on my way home from work, but better late than never, right? Mack and I met up for dinner there on Friday night, and I was finally able to satisfy my curiosity.

Mercer Tavern opened up in July this year, anchoring the north side of a 104 Street strip that now includes two wine bars, three pubs and two restaurants. It’s become a popular watering hole in a short period of time, but the opinion on their food has been mixed. I wanted to judge this for myself, though I will say that Mack has lowered my expectations after telling me about two of his own mediocre experiences with products from the kitchen.

After work on Friday, Mercer was hopping, with quite a number of large parties (likely colleagues celebrating the holiday season). With tons of seating nooks and the rather dim lighting, the Tavern felt like the kind of place where you could be anonymous. The space, not surprisingly, celebrates the heritage brick and hardwood of the warehouse, and as is fashionable at present, features fixtures of Edison bulbs. My favourite element of the room involves the bank of garage door windows, which in warmer seasons are raised. My only quibble was with the television screens, which I felt weren’t necessary, and cheapened the place somewhat (Mercer doesn’t have the feel or desire to be a sports bar).

I liked the dual nature of the cocktail list, highlighting both vintage and modern drinks (like Edison bulbs, seems to be de rigeur in Edmonton right now). The Uptown Fizz ($10) was delicious, a heightened take on a gin and tonic with the addition of rosemary cinnamon simple syrup and lemon juice. Mack also appreciated that local beers were on special on the prominent Friday menu, with Alley Kat and Yellowhead draft pints on for $4.25.

Let the weekend begin!

The food menu, on the other hand, wasn’t as creative or unique enough for me to consider Mercer Tavern a gastropub, but I was impressed to see a section of the menu dedicated to vegan entrees. I ordered the fish sandwich ($15.50), which arrived with a heaping serving of crispy hot French fries. The fish itself was tasty enough, breaded with panko, and the brioche bun was nicely toasted, but the base of plain iceberg lettuce did remind me of a certain fast food chain’s Filet O’ Fish. Condiment wise, the sandwich was dressed with a tomato relish and a lemon remoulade – the heat level in one or the other overpowered the fish.

Fish sandwich

Mack’s halibut and chips ($20) turned out to be the best meal he’d had at Mercer – perhaps the kitchen’s consistency is dependent upon the menu item chosen? The fish was light and crispy, and the fries hot and fresh. He did wonder a bit as to why the dish was served on a board – it made the coleslaw especially a bit awkward to eat.

Halibut and chips

Service, especially given how busy it was that night, was prompt. Our food was delivered in a very timely fashion, and we were never left waiting for our order to be taken, or our bill to be served. Overall, I thought it was a great place to kick off the weekend, and I would definitely consider coming back for drinks or a bite to eat.

Mercer Tavern
10363 104 Street
(587) 521-1911
Daily 11am-close

The Anti-Cora’s: De Dutch

As much as I slag Edmonton’s lack of a brunch culture, in many ways, all it takes is a visit to Cora’s on a weekend to realize that actually, it is alive and well. Cora’s, the popular Quebec-based chain arrived in Edmonton back in 2009 with much fanfare. Those who had been to Cora’s were thrilled to have a familiar comfort in the city, while others were quick converts to the restaurant’s fresh fruit servings. Now with six locations in Edmonton, Cora’s has had pretty measured growth, though I’m certain the market could bear even more branches.

Preceding a matinee screening, Mack and I took Grandma Male for brunch late on a Sunday morning in November. We had chosen Cora’s for its proximity to the theatres in Sherwood Park, but in hindsight, it probably wasn’t the ideal option for us. The de facto waiting area was sardine packed and standing room only – a few chairs would have been nice for Grandma Male and others who weren’t comfortable on their feet.

Thankfully, we only had to wait about twenty minutes for a table – if Cora’s is anything, it’s efficient, with a constant stream of patrons heading in and out. That said, our meal on this occasion did feel a bit perfunctory, that we were a part of this great revolving door of weekend tables. While our server was nice enough (and did swing by to make sure our coffee was topped up), we weren’t wholly impressed with the food. Our toast was burnt and the fruit did not appear to be washed, and while my ham and swiss crepomelette ($13.55) was all right, it on the dry side. Mack’s Bobby Button crepe sandwich ($14.45) could have easily fed two people, but was nothing special.

Ham and swiss crepomelette

Bobby Button crepe sandwich

After that meal at Cora’s, I was even more looking forward to breakfast at De Dutch. Perhaps this Vancouver-based chain could offer a viable alternative to the stress and inconsistency of Cora’s?

While the owners of the local franchise may not want any comparisons drawn to Cora’s, their similarities make it difficult not to do so. Both are open only for breakfast and lunch, with expansive, family-friendly menus at a reasonable price point. And while De Dutch may appear more attractive at first because of its novelty, after my recent meal there, I think it is more than that – polished, professional and relaxed, De Dutch is the mature sibling to the juvenile Cora’s.

The décor of De Dutch is bright without being glaring, with a pleasant pastel colour scheme and a fireplace separating the two dining spaces. I particularly liked the cartoon maps of the Netherlands in the rear dining area. That Friday afternoon, the restaurant was a little more than half full.

Interior

There was one minor blip in service – some confusion upon arrival as to seating, as no one was at the hostess station and I had to flag down a server in the back room to request a table. The server did offer me a table at that time, but left me without a menu for a few minutes. It was fine, as I was waiting for my sister to join me anyway, but perhaps some better coordination is needed at the front of house.

The rest of our visit was smooth sailing though (and perhaps because of the initial glitch, we were treated to even more attentive service, with plenty of coffee refills and check ins). The menu at De Dutch is overwhelming, with scrambles, eggs benedicts, French toast, omelettes, burgers, and sandwiches in addition to their pannekoeken. I had my mind made up to try one of their signature pancakes, so it was easier to whittle down my choice. I decided on the hash pannekoeken ($13.25), in the mood for potatoes and hollandaise. Felicia opted for a smoked salmon, red onion and brie Dutch tostie ($12.50).

Our food arrived in good time. When my plate was set down in front of me I knew I had no hope, but I managed to get through half of the serving. The pancake in particular was notable for how light and neutral it was (making it perfect for either savoury or sweet flavours), and complemented the hash well. At first, I wondered why the hash was served in a separate dish atop the pancake, instead of being distributed on top of the pannekoeken, but as my leftovers were packed up, it made much more sense to keep the two separate (reheated two days later, the dish held up incredibly well – no soggy pancakes here!).

Hash pannekoeken

Felicia’s tostie looked almost dainty by comparison, but she enjoyed the toasted sandwich very much (and still had leftovers!).

Smoked salmon tostie

In contrast to Cora’s, we never felt rushed – on the contrary, we were invited to linger, with multiple coffee and water refills even after our plates had been packed up. While I recognize that part of this may relate to the fact that De Dutch is still relatively unknown in the city and hence not as busy yet (not helped by its lack of visibility from Jasper Avenue due to construction), I am optimistic they will be able to maintain their level of service even as their profile rises. So if you’re looking for a brunch option this holiday season – give De Dutch a try – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

De Dutch
10030 Jasper Avenue
(587) 520-8841
Monday-Friday 7am-3pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-3pm

Holiday Entertaining with Seasoned Solutions

Those of us who have committed to shifting our grocery spending to support local producers can probably attribute this shift to a number of reasons. It could be reading Michael Pollan’s seminal book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, learning about factory food practices in the wake of the innumerable food safety scares (listeria, salmonella, E.coli, the list goes on), or watching the consequences of industrial farming unfold in Food Inc. For me, one of the memorable moments I can point to is attending Gail Hall’s inaugural Seasoned Solutions market cooking classes back in 2007.

While I wasn’t cooking on a day to day basis at that time, Gail introduced me to many of the producers that I now patronize on a weekly basis at the City Market. With her knowledge and passion, it is no surprise that Gail’s market cooking classes have become a staple in the local food scene. That said, her philosophy of supporting local producers also perforates her other cooking classes, which include lessons centred around her culinary tours, and those that lend themselves to a particular time of year.

Two weeks ago, Mack and I had the good fortune to be invited to participate in one of Gail’s holiday entertaining classes free of charge. Inspired by some of the prominent food trends in Edmonton this year – namely, ethnic restaurants and food trucks – we would be cooking up a diverse menu of small bites and appetizers that anyone would be proud to serve guests.

The Seasoned Solutions classes take place in Gail and her husband Jon’s loft on 104 Street. Their home in the Cobogo Lofts is gorgeous – I am a sucker for exposed brick, but I also love their open concept plan. Their custom kitchen features a large butcher block island, and with the group of seven gathered around, it felt intimate and just right the right size for an evening of hands-on learning.

Inside Gail and Jon’s loft

Because it would be several hours before we would be sitting down for dinner, Gail started us off with an artisanal cheese plate, featuring Sylvan Star gouda and cheese curds, The Cheesiry’s queso and Fairwinds Farm chevre.

Cheese plate

Gail also whipped up a quick holiday apple juice spritzer, spiked with whiskey. Needless to say, I helped myself to a second glass.

Cheers!

In preparing the recipes for the class, Gail met with the chefs and proprietors of all of the restaurants that inspired the menu, but of course, no one was forthcoming with their full recipes. But Gail, being the professional that she is, was able to piece things together based on some of the information they provided, and, well, numerous taste tests.

Mack and I were convinced that Gail’s recipe for chicken pesto calzones, if not a duplicate of Battista’s, are pretty darn close. Starting with a soft, supple dough that proofed for about an hour, each participant was able to assemble their own calzone, layering homemade marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and chicken tossed in an incredibly fragrant basil pesto. It was easily our favourite dish that night.

Gail works the dough

Assembling my calzone

Calzones!

Given all of the components in some of the recipes, it wasn’t a surprise that Gail had to have some elements prepared already to expedite things. One example was cooled risotto, needed for the Corso 32-inspired arancini. As with the calzones, all participants had the opportunity to roll their own arancini, stuffing a cube of fontina within, and then dipping the balls in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. To cook the arancini, Gail shallow fried them – good news for us, as it means we are more likely to recreate them at home!

Frying the arancini

Arancini

The most complicated dish was without a doubt the fish tacos, a take on Tres Carnales’ popular item. While the batter was easy enough to whip together (the secret ingredient being Mexican beer), the tacos also required coleslaw, pico de gallo, an avocado tomatillo lime sauce and warmed corn tortillas. It was great to “deconstruct” the tacos and understand how each of the components are made, but to be honest, I would probably opt to head over to the restaurant for my fill of fish tacos instead of attempting this labour-intensive dish. As expected, the final product was delicious, however, and I could imagine the tacos being the centre of a more casual gathering at a taco bar assembly station.

Assembling the tacos

Fish tacos

In contrast, the Sofra-inspired goat cheese stuffed apricots were a cinch to put together, with Fairwinds Farm goat cheese piped into apricots. They could be served cold, or sautéed.

Mack practices his piping skills

Goat cheese stuffed apricots

Similarly, the pimento cheese spread was complete in five minutes. Gail, fresh from a tour of Charleston, South Carolina, said the dip was all the rage in the city. After one taste, we could tell why – the combination of goat cheese, pimento, mayo, cheese, Worcestershire, onion powder and paprika was deadly. This is definitely something we will be adding to our entertaining repertoire.

Assembling the pimento cheese spread

After four hours of prep and cooking, we were ready to eat! The spread was pretty amazing, and I think I can say with confidence that everyone felt like they contributed to the dinner.

The spread

At the dinner table

I would definitely recommend Gail’s class – her enthusiasm for food and local producers is unbridled, as is her knowledge. With the small group, it was interactive, and Gail was great at multitasking in answering our questions, providing helpful tips, all while proceeding with the recipes. Mack felt it was the perfect balance between demonstration and hands-on opportunities, and with the detailed recipes we took home, even novel cooks would be able to recreate the dishes.

Although her Holiday Entertaining series has finished for the year, Gail has several classes scheduled for the new year (including market cooking classes starting in May 2013). Check her website for more information. Thanks again to Gail for the opportunity to participate!

Food Notes for December 10, 2012

After being sick on and off for the better part of a month, I think I’m finally back to being myself! I feel like I need to get back into routine, but more importantly, get into the holiday spirit. I hope you’re enjoying your December so far! On to this week’s food notes:

Marianne wrote about some great new lines of small batch chocolate available in Edmonton, including The Jones Chocolate Company and The Violet Chocolate Company.
Lillian posted about a value-laden fine dining buffet available at Ernest’s for just $25.
First there was Burger King’s meat-scented cologne. Now, Pizza Hut has released a pizza-scented perfume.
Safeway announced their support of a “Buy Alberta” campaign last week, launched by the Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA). The campaign aims to help consumers more easily identify food processed at home (not unlike the Eat Local First campaign that started in 2009). Led by the AFPA, it is no surprise that a recent walk through a Safeway store emphasized products in the belly of the store (not a single item in the produce section was flagged with the “Buy Alberta” label), though to be fair, some of the items weren’t as glaringly away from point of origin as the juice below – Sunny Boy for example, is a great line of local flour that Safeway carries. At the very least, the “Buy Alberta” campaign does help to raise awareness, but only time will tell if it does help influence consumer habits.

Buy Alberta markers

We finally had the chance to check out Knifewear’s pop-up shop on the weekend! We weren’t ready to commit to buying a knife that day, but we think we will be back before they pack up for the year on December 31.

Knifewear

After a nearby meeting on Sunday, Mack and I had brunch at Urban Diner off Whyte Avenue. There was a bit of a wait to get in (they were serving some huge parties), but after that, service was pretty smooth sailing. The poffertjes were delicious!

Poffertjes

Traditional eggs benedict

Two eggs any style

Earls (formerly Tin Palace) reopened on Saturday to much fanfare, revealing their $5 million renovation. Mack and I missed the weekend opening, but were invited for a complimentary dinner tonight. The interior feels much more open now, with low banquet seating in the dining room. As a whole, the leather, dark metal finishings and Edison bulbs reminded me very much of Charcut. The food, as per the Earls standard, was approachable and consistent, though we were particularly happy to try some items such as the soft baked pretzels that can only be found at that location. For a Monday night, the restaurant was bustling – I’m sure the secret’s already out that this Earls is back.

Soft baked pretzels with a three cheese dip

Albacore tuna poke nachos

My buttermilk fried chicken sandwich

Mack’s Bronx Burger with onion rings

Food Notes for December 3, 2012

The biggest food news this week was undoubtedly the announcement that The Blue Pear is closing on December 23, 2012 after 12 years of operation. In an interview with the Journal, co-owner Jessie Radies said, “I think restaurants have a lifespan, and we’ve hit the end of Blue Pear.” On the bright side, it will be replaced by RGE RD, another locally-inspired restaurant by former Madison’s Grill Executive Chef Blair Lebsack in mid-2013.
Also in the news – Smokehouse BBQ, which just launched their Edmonton location in October, was badly damaged by a fire on Wednesday. This coincidentally on the heels of a very positive review in the Journal. To get your Smokehouse fill, you can still head out to their Leduc location!
Nomad teased the twittersphere with the following tweet: “we’ve teamed up w/ @theVolsteadAct and have some big news about our brick and mortar space TBA shortly! we are so excited!!”. Great to hear another food truck is heading indoors – looking forward to finding out more.
I know your December calendar is probably chock full, but if you have time, stop by NextGen’s outdoor patio party at Public House on December 8, 2012. Don’t you think we could use more outdoor opportunities in the winter to sit back and soak up our city? (and yes, there will be heaters).
Earls Tin Palace reopens to the public on December 9, 2012 after a $5 million dollar renovation.
Liane wrote about T.H.I.S. Place’s new hot chocolate pops – real chocolate on a stick meant to dissolved into milk or water for hot chocolate. I’ve been meaning to try them myself, and they look like they would make great gifts!
Maki took some beautiful pictures of her meal at The Makk.
Vue Weekly published a good profile on Shovel and Fork last week.

Weekend in Calgary: Sushi Club, Zoolights, Vendome Cafe and Devonian Gardens

I had the pleasure of catching up with my friends Annie and Andres in Calgary over the weekend. It was nice getting to spend some time with them and getting to know their new neighbourhood a bit better!

The view from their apartment

Sushi Club

Living in the walkable Kensington, Annie and Andres have the advantage being surrounded by a wealth of amenities, including restaurants serving easily a dozen different ethnic cuisines. They took me to one of their favourites on Saturday night – Sushi Club.

Interior (with incredible chalk art!)

Non-descript, but extremely popular (given their reservation roster was completely full for the night), the small restaurant seems to pride itself on fresh product and creative rolls. Knowing my aversion to raw seafood, Annie and Andres were gracious enough to set aside their usual order in favour of several platters of cooked rolls. The server was extremely helpful, pointing out their most popular dishes, as well as her personal favourites. She was also great in explaining exactly how many pieces came with each order.

The odd cod roll was my favourite – a take on fish and chips with battered and fried cod and a pickle encased in seaweed and sushi rice and drizzled with tartar sauce. The cod was hot and freshly fried, and paired with the tart pickle and salty seaweed really did work as a two-bite taste.

Odd cod

The crunchy calamari jalapeno roll was similar, though also featured the additional kick of heat from the peppers.

Calamari jalapeño roll

Annie’s favourite of Hawaiian shrimp katsu rolls were served last, likely because they could almost be mistaken as dessert sushi. Topped with crushed pineapple and a coconut cream, they were the sweetest and lightest roll I had ever tried, and were definitely unique.

Hawaiian shrimp katsu rolls

Obviously, I didn’t try their sashimi, but Annie and Andres can vouch for the quality of the seafood. And based on our overall experience, I wouldn’t hesitate in returning again if I’m back in the neighbourhood.

Zoolights @ the Calgary Zoo

Annie thought it might be fun to be tourists after dinner and visit Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo. Every holiday season, the Zoo transforms into a winter wonderland after dark, lit up with over 1.5 million lights. Adult admission was $10, though because none of us had ever been, we didn’t really know what to expect.

It turned out to remind me very much of a cross between the Alberta Legislature at Christmastime (with holiday music being piped through the grounds), and a walkable Bright Nights, the festival that used to take place at Hawrelak Park in years past.

Although the temperature during the day was above zero, when night fell, the temperatures quickly did as well. Combined with high humidity, it ended up being a rather chilly night. Thankfully, organizers prepared for this, with various fire pits located throughout the walking trails, and some indoor reprieves from the cold. The cafe was also open, so we took advantage of that and picked up some warm drinks to accompany our walk.

Pit stop

One of the indoor greenhouses (aka warming places)

Most of the displays were grouped by theme. Although I didn’t have my sweetheart with me, “lovers lane” was a favourite, complete with Cinderella and her Prince Charming.

Annie and Andres in lovers lane

Candyland was also a whimsical attraction, lined with coloured lollipops and candy canes.

Of course, there were a number of animal-themed displays as well. Some of them were animated, but all of them made great photo opportunities.

Swinging monkeys

Pet giraffes

In addition to the light displays were other activities for kids as well – a carnival area, and even Santa’s Village, where children were able to video conference with Santa.

Top of the evening to you

In all, we were impressed by how expansive the sights were – it was a great way to spend an evening outdoors. It’s really a win-win – patrons get into the holiday spirit, and the Zoo is able to generate more income in the off season. Check it out if you’re in Calgary over the next few months – Zoolights runs until January 5, 2013.

Vendome Cafe

Hoping to find a brunch spot within walking distance of their Kensington home, Annie did some researching and came up with Vendome Cafe, about five minutes away from their place in the neighbourhood of Sunnyside. I’m always up for trying new brunch spots in Calgary, so Andres, Annie and I walked over on Sunday morning.

Upon entry, we found a well-worn, charming cafe, anchored by a wooden counter and towering chalkboard menus. But the quaint surroundings couldn’t make up for the experience as a whole.

We joined the queue (a typical sight for Calgary brunch spots), but were confused by the fact that half the patrons did not have coats on – was this line for ordering or for tables? We had to ask the counter attendant (there was no staff responsible for managing the line), who explained that guests were expected to snag their own table, then line up to order at the counter. When asked why not all people in the line seemed to follow this system, she responded that “They must not have been here before.” A posted sign reading “Please seat yourselves and order at the counter” would have alleviated all of the confusion. It was almost as if they convinced themselves that they were a cafe, when in fact, they were a full-service restaurant. The endemic theme of Vendome expecting patrons to learn the system without guidance continued with the restrooms – they were simply a cluster of unmarked doors.

We put in our order at the counter at 10:30, and no joke, our food did not arrive until 11:30. Most of the parties around us didn’t seem to mind the similar wait, chatting over their morning coffee, but had we known such a delay would be imminent, we would have chosen a different establishment. We did spy a couple who had clearly been here before – as they wisely ordered from the pastry case for a pre-brunch appetizer probably knowing their main meal would take some time.

The food was actually quite well prepared, though nothing would have made up for the lack of service and wait at that point. My open faced sausage and egg sandwich ($9.95) was tasty – the perfectly fried sunny side up eggs dressing up the focaccia, lettuce, tomato and breakfast sausage nicely. Annie and Andres both ordered the blue crab eggs benedict ($14.95), which had quite a kick for a breakfast dish, and again, featured perfectly poached eggs.

Open faced sandwich

Blue crab eggs benedict

The complete indifference to service was something I’ve never before experienced in a city ripe with some great brunch establishments. Given this wealth of fabulous brunch restaurants in Calgary (with Blue Star Diner being at the top of my current list of favourites), I’d be hard pressed to ever return to Vendome without good reason.

Devonian Gardens

Anytime I’ve been in Calgary over the past six months, I’ve tried to keep on top of when the Devonian Gardens was to re-open. It’s been under renovation for the last two years, and given it is such a green oasis in an urban setting, I was keen to see what the refurbished gardens would look like.

I was finally able to check it out this weekend. The koi were still around, delighting children and adults alike.

Koi

But the big change was how open it now was – instead of doors closing off the gardens from the connected mall, the food court just flows right into the gardens. Given the number of visitors that Sunday afternoon, perhaps this integration is helping to remind people that it does exist.

Water feature

The garden is lined with seating, and we were sure on most weekdays would be packed with lunchgoers seeking to enjoy a bit of green on their break.

Love the living wall

Thanks again to Annie and Andres for having me – I’m looking forward to my next visit already!

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