Tag: Edmonton

No Complaints: The Lingnan

It’s funny (and tragic) how it sometimes takes national bodies to draw attention to local institutions, but I found that this was the case with The Lingnan (10582 104 Street).

Food Network Canada chose the family behind The Lingnan to feature on their upcoming season of Family Restaurant, to begin airing January 2009. I saw the article in the Journal earlier this year, and noting the connection between the restaurant and Chicken for Lunch (Amy’s sons run the joint), convinced Mack to join me there for dinner on a random weekday.

Exterior

I had no complaints over the aesthetics of The Lingnan. The upstanding sign atop the building, eye-catching even two streets away, draws one’s attention to an area where a Chinese restaurant is a little unexpected, situated across from a dated business facility and behind an emergency response team office. Once through the (slightly shady looking) door, we were greeted by a cool, lush interior that we could not have predicted from the outside. Everything from the mirrored walls to the paneled ceiling was beautiful, even if slightly over-the-top. The high ceiling and open dining room made the space seem larger than it actually was, and afforded diners (amounting to about ten tables by the end of the evening) a sense of privacy. Although the restaurant is very obviously geared towards Western sensibilities (much like Blue Willow), I didn’t mind it because of their earnest, well-intentioned approach.

Dining room

The waiters, dressed in a “traditional” jacket (definitely over-the-top) were polite and surprisingly personable. After perusing the menu, Mack’s pick was his usual benchmark ginger beef ($12.50), while I was craving fried noodles. Though my original selection was a dish called “Crispy Noodles Chow Mein”, our adept waiter steered us toward the “Chinese Style Aristocratic Chow Mein” ($13.75, with shrimp). I guess I needed some instruction on reading the menu as it was exactly what I had in mind.

Menu

Drink menu in place of the more common Chinese zodiac (guess they’re really pushing the cocktails)

Mack’s Lingnan Pi Jiu with a hint of ginseng (brewed by local microbrewery, Alley Kat)

Before our dishes were brought to us, our waiter set up two metal plate warmers. Though a nice touch, we found them to be quite ineffective. At any rate, our food was out in no time.

Mack was quite happy with the ginger beef, noting that it was a “close second” behind Pagolac’s version. I found it pleasing enough – a decent beef-to-batter ratio and a tangy sauce that was slightly spicy. The chow mein was fine as well, with a reasonable quantity of shrimp included, and enough fried, crispy noodles to quash my craving. Mack didn’t like the soggy noodles in the centre of the dish, but I love the textural contrast and their sauce-laden goodness.

Ginger Beef

Chinese Style Aristocratic Chow Mein

The Lingnan, while offering nothing out of the ordinary in terms of solid Western Chinese dishes, does so in a clean environment and efficient manner.

Mack should pose like this in every picture

The Lingnan
10582 104 Street
(780) 426-3975
Monday-Thursday 5-11pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm-12am, Sundays & Holidays 4-8:30pm

Team NAIT Goes for the Gold!

Though it seems the world has just recovered from the massive spectacle that was in Beijing, over fifty countries are gearing up for an Olympic competition of a different nature.

Occurring once every four years, the Culinary Olympics take centre stage in Erfurt, Germany from October 19 to 22. NAIT is once again fielding a Canadian contingent, consisting of four individual competitors and a team of managers and coaches. The institution has represented Canada quite well in the past, winning two gold and two silver medals in 2004 and three gold medals in 2000.

Wanting to allow local purveyors of social media to comment directly on events at NAIT, Mack and I were invited to observe the team’s marathon 24 hour practice session over the weekend.

A competitor rests after lunch

Our arrival on Saturday afternoon was timed perfectly – we were able to join the group for lunch. Over a plate of chicken and mixed vegetables, we learned more about the gruelling preparation and the competition itself.

Coaches and competitors chatting in the kitchen

Though I was disappointed to find out that there wouldn’t be a tasting component to the session, we soon found out why. Being a “cold competition”, the food (while edible) would be judged on appearance alone, with criteria including food preparation, plate composition and presentation. Each item on the plate (including sauces) also require three layers of glaze, a time-consuming process as individual layers take time to set. As competitors only have twenty-four hours to ready their entries, much of the food will actually be prepared in NAIT’s kitchens to be transported overseas.

Glazing

All four competitors are recent graduates, but the Culinary Olympics are open to even those with many years of professional experience, making the task even more daunting for these young men. It was amazing to see the exquisite attention to detail. For example, an assembly glazing line ended with one chef poised with a heated needle, examining freshly glazed food for air bubbles to pop. Though all competitors start with a theoretical 100 points, deductions are made by judges for even the slightest mistakes and imperfections.

Looking for air pockets

Plates plastic-wrapped to prevent soiling (brought to you by Saran!)

After a quick tour of the massive kitchen (a baker’s dream!), we went home with intentions of returning at 8am the following morning to see the fruit of a hard night’s labour.

We were astonished with the transformation of the dining area. White plates of gleaming food greeted us, poised under spotlights on elegantly-decorated tables.

Desserts (those “bills” are made entirely of chocolate)

Absolutely stunning platter

Having been told each dish should mimic the portion size to be expected in a restaurant, I think I was expecting more food to be present on each plate – I probably could have gobbled up the intended three-course meal in an instant. And though the glaze was meant to preserve the vitality of each exhibition, it seemed to sap the “life” out of some dishes. At the end of the day, however, there was no question the amount of planning and work that had gone into every creation.

Lamb

Lobster (the frisse looks great glazed)

Salmon

Quiche (I just had to take a picture of it)

 

Beautiful tart (and no, that’s not ice cream you’re looking at – it’s lard made to look like ice cream)

As we snapped photos, coaches and past Olympic participants were offering their feedback on how to improve their dishes – sauce too dull-colored, an additional protein needed, an extra garnish. All competitors took the criticisms in stride, jotting down notes to learn what else they could do to earn a medal score.

 

Jack receives some suggestions

Thanks to NAIT for the invitation – it was a great experience to see these young chefs in action. Best of luck to Team NAIT in Germany!

My (small) photo set is here, Mack’s here, and NAIT’s here.

Mom is Always Right: Nhon Hoa

My officemate was recently asking me about cheap eats in our area. I immediately directed him to the Italian Bakery and Nhon Hoa.

Nhon Hoa (10622 97 Street), with two locations within a stone’s throw of each other, was a frequent stop in my childhood. Not for me (I didn’t learn to appreciate food until I was well into adulthood), but for my Mum, who knew that Vietnamese subs were not only dirt cheap, but darn tasty.

All sandwiches have the same base – toasted French-style baguette, and layers of homemade mayo, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and (optional) hot peppers. Her favourite variety was (and still is) the combination sub, while I gravitate toward the safer option of shredded, fried pork ($3.25). Freshly put together and wrapped securely in saran wrap, the subs are take-away ready. In my opinion, the fresh cilantro and the homemade sauce are what make the sandwich.

My Banh Mi (menu here)

My only complaint about the Nhon Hoa I patronize is the lack of seating. The counter shares a space with a BBQ meat seller, and every visit, I marvel at the familiarity of the patrons with the shopkeepers – they’re “coffee shop regulars”, but for smoked pork and duck. I would love to hang out and observe the interactions further. And though I’m content to take my food to a nearby park to eat while it’s still warm, this option won’t exist in the winter months.

If you’re looking for a nice lunch that won’t break the bank (and will actually save you enough money so you can pop into the nearby Italian Bakery to pick up something sweet for dessert), head to Nhon Hoa. You won’t be disappointed.

Nhon Hoa 2
10622 97 Street
(780) 425-3257
Daily 10am-7pm, closed Tuesdays

Food Notes

  • Via Chowhound: Bacon, the eatery known for locally-sourcing ingredients and serving up comfort food favourites, closed as of September 9. Their message indicates that the proprietors may move into a different space in the future, but provide no details.
  • Xtreme Asian Fusion (with a name like that, how can they go wrong?) is hosting their grand opening on September 15. Located at 10508 101 Street, phone (780) 413-3338.
  • Whimsical Cupcakes (14910 45 Avenue) will be offering their first-ever Happy Hour on September 27. Samples of “Ruby”, along with “shots” of milk will be free, and cupcakes will be priced at a discounted $1.75 each.
  • Today was the last day to get discounted early bird tickets to the upcoming Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival, running October 22-25 at the Shaw Conference Centre. I think I’ll only end up going if they have coupons for free food and drink tickets in the paper, as per last year.
  • Liane Faulder published her first in a series of many to come about home entertaining. I like the angle (everyday cooks with good ideas), but I hope for two things: that the cooking starts to reflect the change in season around us (this week’s was decidedly summery), and that she features at least one party based in an apartment/condo/similarly small space.
  • Mack told me about two episodes on SmibsTV featuring Poul Mark of Transcend Coffee – worth a look if you want to learn more about the local roaster.
  • For those early risers – McDonald’s is giving away free small cups of coffee for the month of September…between 5 and 7am.
  • Joining Daniel Boulud in Vancouver, Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be opening Market in the new Shangri-La Hotel in January 2009.
  • A related article, about Daniel Boulud’s New York invitation to three of Vancouver’s top chefs – apparently there is more camaraderie between chefs in Vancouver than in Toronto.
  • My friend Caezer introduced Annie and I to the Old Szechuan Restaurant (10703 103 Street) recently. I would never, ever, have wandered into the converted house on my own, and was really surprised to find that it was actually quite busy. We ordered a good cross-section of dishes, all exceptionally spicy, but all prepared quite well. Though I can’t say I’ll be back (even tea couldn’t help alleviate the spice), it was a good reminder to be careful to not always judge a restaurant by its cover.

 

Ma Po Tofu (Echo would be proud that I ordered this)

 

Boiled Lamb (tasted better than it sounds)

 

Diced chicken and peppers (as spicy as it looks)

An Ode to Hanson

Hanson, those three blonde brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, immortalized with their almost annoyingly-upbeat 90s hit, “MMMBop”, were my junior high crush. I can still remember the days – dreaming about Taylor’s blue, blue eyes, listening to Middle of Nowhere so much that the CD was literally scratched from overuse, and buying up all of the Hanson merchandise I could find.

At some point however, I stopped paying attention to the band. Sure, news filtered through (they broke away from their record label and formed their own, each of the brothers got married, and in turn, started having children), but I didn’t hear much of their last two albums, Underneath and The Walk.

When I found out that they were coming to the Edmonton Event Centre in September, I didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to see them because of the gap of familiarity with their music. Mack finally convinced me to seize this chance, and generously agreeing to accompany me, sealed the deal.

We arrived at the venue at 7:30pm, expecting the doors to open at 8pm, as indicated on the tickets. As Murphy Law goes (exacerbated by incompetent event staff), the doors finally opened at 8:45 to a trickle of impatient patrons. It was nearly half an hour later when we finally made it inside the venue.

I’ve never been to the EEC before, but after this experience, I may not be back. Besides seating in the enclosed bar, two rows of stools and tables along one side provided the extent of possible seats. While standing room only provided space to dance and sway, Mack and I ended up on our feet for nearly five hours – my ankles just ached by night’s end.

At any rate, onto the concert. The opening act, Everybody Else, was decent, besides the fact that they patronized the audience by labelling us “Canada” (I still think they had no idea, geographically, where they were).

Forty-five minutes after Everybody Else departed the stage, Hanson finally made their appearance. As I had seen in recent photos, the boys have matured, but still retain the charm that I remember: Taylor, still as boyishly cute as ever (with a reduced number of chokers around his neck); Ike, with his gangly frame was the calming force on stage; and Zac, his drummer-necessitated hair toss perfected, couldn’t stop smiling, in that “I can’t believe girls still scream for us ten years later” way.

The Middle of Nowhere reprieves were my favourite moments of the night (“MMMBop”, “A Minute Without You”, and a disappointing acoustic version of “Where’s the Love”), if not only because they were the only songs I could sing along to. Unfortunately for me, the majority of the playlist had been chosen from Underneath and The Walk, so I heard many of the night’s songs for the first time. “Ain’t No Sunshine”, their only cover, was great – Taylor’s solo wonderfully showcased his talent on the keyboard. Their two new songs (yet to be released), were unimpressive though, as the chorus only consisted of a three or four word repetition.

The concert experience as a whole was interesting – I have never been in a room where such unabashed Hanson-love was in the air. Screaming, dancing, glo-stick waving – it was an all out party to the Hanson beat.

While it was nice to see them live (and to see that they can sing just as well as their recordings), I think my past need to be with them in the same room has been fulfilled. Thanks for a great show, boys!

Here are the least-blurry of the photos I attempted to take.

Not Like I Remembered: Badass Jack’s

Call it the “coupon scramble”. A month and a half left before my Entertainment Book coupons expire, I am trying to plan as many meals as I can around potential discounts. One such saving opportunity was at Badass Jack’s (8621 109 Street), on our way to Pecha Kucha 2 at the TransAlta Arts Barns on Thursday.

One summer a few years ago, I worked just a few blocks from Kingsway Mall, and would make a weekly sojourn to the Badass Jack’s in the shopping centre’s food court. They had a Tuesday deal that couldn’t be beat – one of their small Asian rice bowls (steamed rice  or egg noodles topped with vegetables stir-fried in a sauce of your choice) priced at just $2.50. Since that summer, I haven’t been back to Badass Jack’s, but coupon in hand, it seemed like a good time to see if their past standards held up.

The university-area location was fairly busy when we walked in, seemingly fueled by a combination of customers picking up dinner for the evening or mom and tots heading to dance practice at the studio across the way.

I gravitated straight for the Asian rice bowls, a small priced at $6.99 and a large priced at $7.99 regularly. While on par with places like Wok Box, it seemed a lot steeper than I remembered (caused by inflation and a general rise in food prices, no doubt). Mack and I both requested the same thing – roasted chicken and teriyaki sauce on rice.

Our orders took a few minutes, but after they were ready, we took them to the high counter and sat down. Instead of piling the stir-fried vegetables on top of the rice, which would allow additional sauce to steep down and flavour the rice immediately, white rice greeted us at the top of the box. The chicken, shredded to a point where it almost resembled shards of pulled pork, was good, but I was hard pressed to find pieces large enough to require chewing – Mack was luckier on this front. My order was also a little shy of vegetables, and I ended up with quite a bit of plain rice at the bottom.

Mack with chopsticks

Mack’s Asian rice bowl, mixed

Call it “post-coupon syndrome”, but Badass Jack’s not only didn’t fulfill my memory’s expectations of good food and value for my money, but also now seems all too expensive to try again without a discount.

Badass Jack’s
8621 109 Street (4 other locations in Edmonton)
(780) 438-4083

It’s All About the Fries: Costco

Costco, besides being a mecca for those embroiled in the “SUV culture” (a term Mack taught me just recently), is also a source of irresistibly cheap and delicious carnival food. While their selection isn’t deep (though as of late, they have added both Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and BBQ ribs onto their menu), what they do sell is of colon-sticking good quality.

My default treat is the quarter-pound all-beef hot dog and pop (just $1.99). Even though that amount could buy four hot dogs at Ikea, there is something about a Costco dog (more grease = heartier?) that hits the spot in a way that only inexpensive junk can.

Mack’s pick (and mine, if there are more forks to feast than mine alone) are the fries ($2.15). Deep fried to crispy perfection, they win, hands-down, my award for best fries in the city. While I choose to dunk them in ketchup, Mack claims they are good enough to be eaten unadorned.

Fries and a hot dog from Costco

Though the poutine looks tempting, I would advise avoiding it. The gravy is never hot enough to fully melt the cheese, so one ends up with a styrofoam box filled with fries, gravy and large chunks of cold mozzarella.

The only downside of Costco is the unfortunate need for a membership. But if you enjoy cheap food as much as we do, it’s almost worth the annual fee.

Costco
2616 91st Street (2 others in Edmonton)
(780) 577-1200

Steakhouse Monotony: Chop

May chose Chop (17635 Stony Plain Road NW), the high-end steakhouse belonging to the Moxie’s Group of restaurants, for the site of her birthday dinner on Saturday. She had called in to make a reservation a few days prior, and thankfully so, as it was fairly busy that evening.

I had to wonder why Chop chose the location it did – opting for a building shared alongside the economy Sandman Hotel and a Denny’s. Not the best first impression for a place looking to carve out an identity in the rapidly expanding upscale steakhouse market in Edmonton. I hope their two new branches (one that just opened in Winnipeg and another coming up in Richmond) have more inspiring locales.

Mack and I were the first to arrive, and were promptly shown to a plush leather eight to ten-seater booth. The walls were lined with brown felt, accented by a gorgeous cream orb lamp suspended above our table. The rest of the dining room was dressed in predominantly grey and brown tones in swathes of rectangular divides and columns. Very dim (to the point where the bathrooms were a nice bright refuge), it exuded a much different atmosphere than the more friendly Moxie’s.

As others started to arrive, we shifted around and ended up sitting at a part of the booth that curved. Mack found that it wasn’t designed that evenly – the table could have used a few extra inches on his side. We also found it difficult to have a conversation at ease across the wide table – the sound tended to rise up into the ceiling, and speaking with an indoor voice to be heard was challenging.

Interior aside, I was interested to see how the food at Chop would stack up to the city’s other fashionable steakhouses, including Ruth’s Chris, Ric’s Grill, Lux and Von’s. I was happy to read that sides were included with steak entrees, which was an immediate plus for me (interesting side note – the beef is “Canadian” and not specifically listed to come from Alberta). I ended up ordering the 6oz. Petite Filet Mignon ($29) with wasabi-infused mash potatoes, while Mack decided on the Top Sirloin Oscar ($29) and a starter Caesar ($6).

Our appetizers arrived fairly promptly. I’m not sure why I thought the “puff pastry twist” on Mack’s salad would involve croutons made from the savoury treat, but we were given a literal bread twist, sprinkled with cheese and of course, made from puff pastry. It was great, as was the salad itself (despite being a tad overdressed), flaked with generous shavings of parmesan.

Caesar Salad

When our mains arrived, the buspeople were able to automatically dole out dishes by seat numbers, resulting in a smooth, efficient distribution. As for the plate presentation, I was underwhelmed (especially with Mack’s dish), but that may be my own jaded response to the rather bland visual combination of mashed potatoes, steak, and steamed vegetables. My filet mignon was cooked to my requested medium rare, as was Mack’s sirloin, so no complaints on that side. May and Andres both ordered fish, and they found their entrees to be fairly tasty as well.

Petite Filet Mignon

Top Sirloin Oscar

Macadamia-Crusted Mahi Mahi

Our waitress was great throughout the evening – patient (a necessary virtue when dealing with large groups) and appearing just enough often enough to convey attentiveness without being overbearing, she was even able to secure a complimentary slice of cake for the birthday girl on a dime.

24 Layer Chocolate Cake (looked like a showstopper, but was really just a cake with many layers)

While our entire experience at Chop was reasonably enjoyable, I don’t think there was anything that distinguished Chop from its counterparts, or at least, made it notable. To be fair, this could also be due to the fact that I feel a waning need to dine on expensive steak. So try Chop, but don’t expect anything more than a pricey piece of meat served in dim surroundings.

Chop
17635 Stony Plain Road NW
(780) 487-2467
Monday 11am-11pm, Tuesday-Thursday 11am-12am, Friday 11am-1am, Saturday 4pm-1am, Sunday 4-11pm

Forgettable and Generic: That’s Aroma

Neither Mack or myself had any particular craving in need of relief on Wednesday evening, so we resorted to ruffling through my mess of coupons to determine our dinner destination that night. We ended up at the nearby That’s Aroma (11010 101 Street) located in the Hys Centre building just north of the core. A member of the Sorrentino’s Group , That’s Aroma is known for their pervasive use of garlic in their dishes. I had heard mixed reviews from friends who had been here in the past, with comments mainly emphasizing the poor value of the food served. As this was our first time to the restaurant, I was open to seeing what they had to offer.

It was still relatively early, so it was no surprise that the restaurant was empty save for two tables. The décor reminded me of the Little Italy location of Sorrentino’s – warm cream walls, wood accents, and homey touches here and there – a garlic wreath, and several garlic clove-themed paintings. The one-page paper menu was nicely presented and easy to read, but I found that their descriptions could have used better language.

Interior

After some discussion, we decided to order the shrimp-stuffed mushrooms ($9.50), and one pasta entree each. Being on a shrimp kick, he chose the Capellini Oriental ($17), while I opted for the Garlic Pasta ($16), in the hopes of tasting a dish that would utilize their ingredient claim to fame. Also, the “Asian touch” was of interest to me – what did it mean? A dash of soy sauce? Having been cooked by an Asian chef?

I would have appreciated the bread course prior to receiving our appetizer, but in any case, they arrived at the same time. Focaccia triangles were served with an entire bulb of roasted garlic, while our stuffed mushrooms were served on an escargot plate, covered with a layer of baked mozzarella. I eagerly spread several cloves of the garlic onto my slightly stale piece of bread, but I found the resulting flavour to be less than pleasant – the musky, guttural nature of the roasted cloves didn’t appeal to me. Mack liked the shrimp-stuffed mushrooms (which weren’t actually “stuffed” as much as placed on top), but I wasn’t feeling the combination.

Focaccia with Roasted Garlic

Stuffed Mushrooms

Service was consistent throughout, but by the end of the night, our waitress’s peppy-fake “Absolutely!” response to everything crossed the border of tolerable to cloying. And though we likely shouldn’t have high expectations for proper tabletop arrangements from a chain, she should have removed our wine glasses and side plates without request.

Our entrees were delivered not too long after we completed our starter, presented on whimsically-bordered plates I have seen used at other Sorrentino’s restaurants. Both of us thought the portion sizes were good (and resulted in enough left over for a small lunch the next day). The quality, on the other hand, was variable. Mack was happy with his dish as a whole – the creamy rich sauce with garlic essence was quite nice, and he liked the presence of both large and small shrimp. My pasta itself was tasty – the sauce agreeably married heat from chili flakes with the husky undertones of garlic, but the chicken was another story – dry to the point where I needed more water to wash it down. Besides the chili, I also couldn’t figure out the supposed “Asian” twist to my dish.

Capellini

Garlic Pasta

We were tempted to try the garlic ice cream (served with lady finger biscotti), but ended up skipping dessert to be sure we wouldn’t miss Sarah Palin’s primetime debut. Sadly for That’s Aroma, halfway through the RNC coverage that night, we had already forgotten what we had for dinner.

That’s Aroma
11010 101 Street
(780) 425-7335
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11am-2pm; Dinner daily 5-10pm

Korean on Campus: Gaya Korean Restaurant

Tucked away on the east side of Campus Towers, Gaya (11147 87 Avenue) is dwarfed by both the sheer size of the sign and instant recognition of the Earls chain. The small Korean eatery had always caught my eye in passing, but I never did set foot through their doors in my university years. Now, having the time and income to reclaim lost eats, I found some spare time between meetings on campus and headed there for an early lunch.

It was barely past 11, so I was understandably the only customer at that point. With eight tables arranged in the small space, minimal décor, and a radio soundtrack, ambiance clearly wasn’t the reason for dining here. I was quickly given a one-page laminated menu, a glass of water, and ample time to peruse the selection if dishes. Prices of the one-bowl meals ranged from $7.95 to $10.95 and though I was feeling not all that hungry, I decided to order the Stone Bowl bee bim bob ($10.95), as it is something of my benchmark dish for Korean joints.

Interior

Three more parties trickled in during my stay, the majority of them seeming to be regulars, or at least familiar with Gaya and their offerings. I settled in with my book, content as I heard stirrings in the kitchen.

A short while later, a large warmed bowl filled with a base of rice and topped with pickled bean sprouts, cucumber and carrots, ground beef, and a fried egg appeared before me, along with two small bowls containing kimchi and more bean sprouts. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised with the fully-cooked egg, as that was what was plainly stated on the menu, but I had hoped for a bee bim bob similar to the one I had at the restaurant named for the dish, where a raw egg cooked in the piping hot stone bowl as the rice and vegetables were mixed together, lovingly coating the bowl’s contents in a creamy makeshift sauce. The rice-to-topping ratio at Gaya also meant that I had more rice than accompaniments, even with the inclusion of the additional bean sprouts.

Stone Bowl Bee Bim Bob

At $10.95, my meal was a bit pricier than I would hoist on the income of a starving student, and also not as enjoyable as other Korean meals I’ve had in the city. That said, their service was prompt and friendly, so I wouldn’t mind returning to Gaya in the future – but for a different dish.