Tag: food

Setting the Decor Standard: Basil Leaf

I met up with Dickson, my stalwart pho companion, earlier this week to give the newest addition to Chinatown’s ever-revolving dining scene a spin. Basil Leaf, dubbed a Vietnamese restaurant and sports bar, opened about two weeks ago in an unfortunate location. Not unfortunate so much for the ghosts of the failed restaurants past, but for its sight-unseen building, tucked just far enough down 107 Avenue to be missed by most passing by.

Interior

Though this was my introduction to any incarnation of the space,  it looks like the new operators gutted the place, with stunning results. The dark wood floor, intimate leather banquets, and Cactus Club-esque artichoke lights elevate interior design expectations of Asian restaurants. Moreover, the dish and flatware were surprisingly modern, with beautifully curved tea cups and soup spoons in place of more traditional pieces. Between Basil Leaf and Urban China, the bar for the design of Edmonton’s Asian restaurants has been set. Though Basil Leaf does support a “sports bar” in theory – a high, granite bar encircles a mounted television screen, an area separated from the main dining space by a partition – it seems to be a footnote, and shouldn’t detract would-be diners from visiting.

Table setting

The menu was fairly standard for a Vietnamese restaurant, stretching several pages with numerous stir-fries, vermicelli bowls and soups. Prices also seemed match those found at similar establishments, though I can only really speak to pho, which is always my dish of choice.

My predictable pho with medium rare beef was $7.75, while Dickson’s usual deluxe pho with all of the fixings rang in at $8.25. The green onion cake starter was $4.50.

As in Paula’s review, the service was borderline too attentive, with the servers at numerous points hovering over our table, and constantly checking to see if we needed a hot water refill for our tea. For some reason, it wasn’t off-putting – perhaps because they appeared to be genuinely interested in our dining experience.

Of course, with food being the focal point of our visit: I liked the green onion cakes well enough, though the batter had not been evenly seasoned. The pho also could have been better – the curved bowl my dish was served in was another plus, but the flavour of the broth was one-note, and could have been enhanced with more aromatics and spices. Dickson and I also agreed that the beef was overdone, becoming tough and unpleasantly chewy too quickly.

Green Onion Cakes

Beef Noodle Soup with Medium Rare Beef

Deluxe Noodle Soup

While Basil Leaf may not become my destination for pho, I would gladly visit them again. Perhaps for dinner when I might be able to take advantage of a booth , and when the lighting will better highlight the space.

Basil Leaf
10023 107 Avenue
(780) 756-8880

“You win some, you dim sum”: Urban China

You can thank Mack for the eye-rolling title quote.

It’s always nice to have more options within walking distance of the office, so when signs of a new restaurant where Rosie’s used to be on 106 Avenue and 100 Street appeared, I was excited. Urban China opened up in the fall, and I was eager to give them a try.

Dickson and I met up for a dim sum lunch one afternoon. A handful of tables were occupied, with one or two non-Asian groups seated when I entered. The host immediately greeted me in Chinese, to which I ungracefully replied in English, and was led to a table.

The interior had been completely redone, with fabulous results. Unlike most Chinese restaurants that utilize too many gold accents and fake fauna, Urban China chose the sophisticated route of dark wood, leather chairs, bright aquariums and a single red accent wall. It is a sleek space that seems destined to become popular for special occasions and banquets.

Interior

Of course, that previous statement would only be true if the food matched the expectations set by the décor. At Urban China, dim sum is both a cart and paper affair. For the limited number of tables, it seemed rather silly for the restaurant to offer carts at all, even though I prefer the jostling atmosphere incurred by drive-by hawkers. Because of their limited pre-cooked selection, we ultimately ended up ordering a few dishes directly from the kitchen anyway.

The dim sum litmus test of ha gao and siu mai ($4.25 each) wasn’t overly positive for Urban China – the shrimp dumplings were the better of the two, but for the price and wavering quality, we were better off at a cheaper establishment.

Shrimp Dumplings

Pork Dumplings

The rice crepes with shrimp ($4.75) were probably the best of our dishes that day, which contained a fair amount of shrimp encased in a silky wrap. My BBQ pork buns ($3.75) on the other hand were poor, a congealed meat filling with an almost pasty quality in every bite. Dickson was similarly unimpressed with his steamed egg yolk sauce buns ($3.75), commenting that the frozen versions at T & T were better.

Rice Crepe with Shrimp

BBQ Pork Buns

Egg Buns

Sharing small plates for lunch is always a nice way to go, particularly in a clean and chic environment. But at least for dim sum, Urban China doesn’t provide the best value or quality. I’ll have to come back to try their dinner menu to see if it holds up.

Urban China
10604 101 Street
(780) 758-1888

Food Notes for February 1, 2010

Anyone know what the “WHEN?” billboards all around the city are about? Though the campaign seems to be working because I’m asking the question, doesn’t it seem passé to use a similar technique so close to Southgate’s “August 5” campaign? At any rate, here are this week’s food notes:

  • ZINC, the restaurant inside the sparkly new Art Gallery of Alberta, opened for full service today. Menus aren’t up on the website yet, but Liane wrote two articles about the establishment that provide an idea of what to expect. Also worth a read – a NYT article published this weekend about the trend of solid eateries in museums (partly as an effort to help make the museum some money).
  • Though I liked Liane’s article about the current “rock star” quality of local butchers– I couldn’t help but think of this similar article in the NYT, published last summer.
  • I forgot to link to this article last week, but I think it’s a clever idea – kitchen demos are the new showhome hook. Homes By Avi hired a chef to create appetizers for four different showhomes as a means of encouraging visits, and for potential buyers to see the kitchen “in use”.
  • The second annual Winefest returns to the Shaw Conference Centre on February 27. Looks like tickets are available for the afternoon session at this point.
  • Century Room, the revamped Century Grill lounge, is set to open this week.
  • Unfortunate news – Sysco takes over Fin’s.
  • To celebrate their one year anniversary, Flirt Cupcakes is giving away cupcakes to the first 100 visitors on Valentine’s Day!
  • The Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on February 11.
  • Speaking of farmers’ markets, this is pretty cool – the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto will be hosting a farmers’ market every week until April. How great would it be to have access to local food year-round in the core?
  • Valerie (aka A Canadian Foodie) is inviting prosciutto lovers to take her taste challenge – she picked up prosciutto de parma, Serrano ham and Iberico ham for a savoury taste-off.
  • Second Cup is really pushing their coffee – we found a card in our mailbox that entitles one to a free medium coffee after each similar purchase…11 times. Too bad I didn’t have one close to my office, or I’d be heading for numerous coffee breaks during the day.

 

Second Cup’s new loyalty program card

  • Sweet Lollapalooza announced that they will be hosting chocolate making workshops in the coming weeks (February 20 and March 9) – contact them to sign up. I swung by there this evening and picked up some of their chocolate chip cookies I’d been wanting to try. Though the chocolate coating wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected, I think the cookie would have been better if it had been soft and chewy.

 

Sweet Lollapalooza cookies

  • Before the wine tasting last week, I stopped by Blue Plate Diner for a comforting bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese. It was a cheesy bowl of warmth, but surprisingly, the soup of the day (Southwestern potato and sausage), stole the show.

 

My blue plate special

Consistent Quality: Origin India

Given the news that another Indian restaurant is joining the Old Strathcona fray (where New Asian Village, Daawat and Origin India have already staked their claims), it looks like Whyte Avenue is becoming quite the hotbed of Indian cuisine.

Origin India is my favourite in the area, owing to their elegance and attention to detail. Their dining room, accented with spot lighting and dark furniture, is intimate and polished. The naan, prepared fresh to order every time, is excellent, and their service is gracious and timely.

Mack and I dined there again in the late fall, but this time opted to order from the a la carte menu, a departure from our usual buffet harvest. We were told by our server that two dishes would suffice to share, though we ended up having to supplement our basmati rice accompaniment with an additional side ($3.00).

Mack, ever the butter chicken faithful, made that dish a necessity ($16.00), while my personal favourite, mutter paneer ($15.00), rounded out our meal. It was a quiet night at the restaurant (we were the only party early on), but it did allow for quick kitchen-to-table service.

Naan

The plates were beautifully arranged – tiny pomme frites in a rainbow of colours and an artful mound of rice bookended each entrée serving, and made it seem like we had ordered a buffet for two. Their butter chicken is one of the best in the city – moist and tender, I find the heat just perfect for my palate. The mutter paneer was equally good, the velvety cubes of cheese and pop of peas enrobed in a thick and creamy sauce.

Butter Chicken

Mutter Paneer

Even with the competition, I think Origin India will remain my favourite – its consistency and food quality will keep me coming back, regardless of its neighbours.

Origin India
10511 82 Avenue
(780) 436-0558

A Love Letter to Local Food: Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill

When I saw the menu for the third Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill, I couldn’t look away. Sylvan Star Cheese fondue? Nature’s Green Acres short ribs? Greens, Eggs and Ham duck confit? Not only did every dish sound delicious, but the ingredients for nearly the entire dinner had been sourced locally. Moreover, several producers would be joining us for the meal. We were in.

The fact that the dinner cost $70 per person (plus $30 for wine pairings) was a moot point when I made our reservations two weeks prior. But after the fact, I can wholeheartedly say that the experience was worth every dollar.

It was a little comical that we made our way to the Union Bank Inn on Friday via public transportation, but then again, it didn’t make sense to drive, particularly in the dinner’s context of sustainability. After our coats were taken, we joined a couple seated at one of the two tables in the Vintage Room, right by the fireplace. Meals at a communal table have to do with the luck of the draw sometimes, but fortunately for us that night, Monique and Patrick and Slow Foodies Nicole and Steve provided us with good company, and enhanced our evening with lovely conversation.

My only criticism was the packed quarters – I felt bad for the servers who had to work between a too-narrow space between the two tables (resulting in a few dropped dishes). I had to wonder if the decision to include an additional eight seats beyond their original limit of twenty was the right call.

The cocktail hour was accented by dainty hors d’oeuvres – including smoked salmon, beef tartar, and Fairwinds Farm goat cheese tartlets. The beef tartar was particularly excellent.

Smoked salmon tartlets

Before the meal began, Chef Blair Lebsack invited the two producers up to provide some background on their farms. Andres Gruenberg (of Greens, Eggs and Ham) and Eric and Ruby Chen (of Peas on Earth), gave us snapshots of their production, and were ever gracious about the work that they do. Blair then proceeded to introduce the appetizer course – descriptions also accompanied every subsequent dish, and was much appreciated. It was obvious that Blair has a lot of respect for local producers (having visited their farms and all), so it was great to hear about some of the cooking processes he used to create the dishes.

The Sylvan Star Cheese fondue came in individual servings, much to my delight (not that I wouldn’t have shared, heh). The grilled apple, Saskatoon berry compote and spicy pine nuts were fancy accompaniments, but I probably would have been happy just with baguette slices and cheese. Yum.

Sylvan Star Cheese Fondue

The Northern Alberta Pike fillet (from Lesser Slave Lake) was a favourite of some around our table. Wrapped in Pembina Pork bacon and topped with candied bacon(!), it was a surprisingly subtle course, with each element holding its own. The fish had been cooked perfectly, and the underlying shellfish and golden beet broth lent an earthy note to the dish. Not surprisingly, Mack loved the candied bacon.

Northern Alberta Pike Fillet

The cleverly named Duck, Duck, Goose was my personal favourite. Andres had asked Blair why he hadn’t been ordering goose, which spurned experimentation in his kitchen. Both birds were served two ways – in-house smoked duck breast atop potato-onion hash, an absolutely sublime pulled duck confit with braised leeks and parsnip puree, slow roasted goose breast with sour cherry pan jus and goose rillette on toast points. The servings may look deceivingly small, but it packed a hefty punch – and had Mack been momentarily distracted, I would have swiped some of his duck confit.

Duck, Duck, Goose

As I had the chance to visit Nature’s Green Acres last summer, I was looking forward to trying their Nouveau Beef again (butchering at seven months lends the beef its name). The braised short ribs did not disappoint – meltingly tender, the flavour in the meat was inherent. The mushroom confit and mushroom-marrow farce were great accompaniments, and mirrored the beef’s richness.

Braised Nouveau Beef Short Ribs

By that point in the meal, I’m sure I would have been satisfied with flavoured whipped cream for dessert, but of course, Blair did not disappoint, and ended the dinner with a bang. The white chocolate pecan brownie had been doused in a duck egg-EnSante wine sabayon and macerated berries – every bite was a textural firework of nutty, tart sweetness.

White Chocolate Brownie

The dinner was a love letter to local food, no question, and I was especially thankful for the opportunity to share a meal with some of the city’s wonderful producers. Shopping at a farmers’ market or even visiting a farm is one thing, but breaking bread is something else altogether. Blair said that another Farmers’ Market Dinner is in the works for March, though patrons would probably get something similar by ordering the chef’s 6-course “Menu Surprise” – a tasting menu that allows the chef to utilize producers that cannot offer great quantities of ingredients.

Thanks to Blair and the staff at Madison’s Grill for a wonderful evening!

Madison’s Grill (in the Union Bank Inn)
10053 Jasper Avenue
(780) 401-2222

Food Notes for January 25, 2010

I know I am probably going to be saying this a lot this year, but I can’t believe it is already the last week of January! Help make it count by voting for Edmonton so we can be a part of the latest edition of Monopoly Canada. On to this week’s food notes:

  • This is your last week to participate in Original Fare’s Fork Fest, with pre-fixe deals at some of Edmonton’s best restaurants going for $25 and $45. Marianne filed a review about The Blue Pear last week.
  • Looking for something different to do with your loved one on Valentine’s Day? Check out Love is Freedom – for $195 per couple, you will get a 4-course cooking lesson, wine pairing, chocolate tasting, live band, and limo service home. Talk about decadence!
  • Looks like L1, the lounge accompaniment to the Fantasyland Hotel’s L2 Grill, is set to open in March.
  • Vue Weekly published an interview with Paulina Meza Romo of The Old Bread Factory last week.
  • Bruce posted some shots of a delectable creation by Delux’s latest celebrity chef: Warren Smith of Wild Game Consultants. I have to say Bruce has the best job – he gets to sample each burger!
  • Slow Food Edmonton has some great events planned for 2010 – I have to say I am particularly looking forward to the grilled cheese smackdown in February, and of course, Indulgence.
  • The Journal published a story this weekend about why it’s tough to get reservations in some of your favourite restaurants. They also had a story about three lovely cafes to visit – The Wired Cup, Mandolin Books and Coffee Co. and Zocalo.
  • I spotted a new-ish Vietnamese restaurant called the Basil Leaf (10023 107 Avenue) on a walk back from Chinatown today. It looked open, with cars outside and people inside. Around the corner from Basil Leaf was another new-to-me restaurant – Samurai Bistro (10003 107 Avenue). No activity around it though, so not sure if it is yet open.

Basil Leaf Kitchen & Sports Bar

  • Hurrah – Edmonton finally has its own Starbucks mug! I have mentioned before that Mack and I collect these mugs on our travels, but of course, wanted to have one that celebrates our own city. I’m not sure I would have chosen the Edmonton Queen as our “defining image”, but then again, apart from the River Valley, I can’t think of anything else that would be suitable. I found the mug at the Starbucks on Jasper and 109 Street (thanks Maria for the tip!).

Starbucks’ Edmonton mug

The Cooking Chronicles: Gnocchi in Sage and Garlic Butter

In search of a rich but fast dinner idea, I remembered the package of gnocchi I had picked up from the Italian Centre a few weeks back (like Foodie Suz, I’m not yet at the stage of attempting my own gnocchi), and an Eric Akis recipe I had bookmarked some time ago.

Even though the directions were straightforward (and were written so the transfer and combination of ingredients could be timed perfectly), I still managed to cook the gnocchi too quickly and burn my garlic slightly. I also expected the gnocchi to plump up somewhat – but alas, the dumplings pretty much remained the same pre-bath size. It would have been fine, except I was expecting a larger output in the end – I think Akis’s “3-4 servings” was a bit exaggerated unless he meant for the gnocchi to act as a side dish.

Gnocchi in Sage and Garlic Butter

The sage and garlic flavours were quite prominent in the thin butter sauce, but I didn’t end up taking to the sage as much as I thought I would, and as a result, I’d be more likely to use thyme or oregano next time. Or, even better, make Gordon Ramsay’s gnocchi recipe that incorporates peas and a white wine cream sauce instead – yum. Regardless, I’m happy to have finally tried gnocchi at home – the pre-packaged variety makes it easy to satisfy any cravings for the pillowy potato dumplings.

Salad Nights: The Greenhouse

Mack and I were attending a seminar over the supper hour on Wednesday, so needed a place near the University to grab some take-out. I remembered Chris’s post on The Greenhouse, a salad bar that shares a space with the Good Earth Cafe on campus, and after consulting their website, decided to give them a try.

Salad bars are all the rage in larger metropolises, and fall into the trend towards healthy, fresh fare. Though The Greenhouse does have an option for the “undecided”, I was impressed by their very creative menu. For example, the “Sleepless in Seattle” features a Bailey’s and espresso dressing and  white chocolate garnish. The Caribbean-inspired “You Jerk”, includes (of course) jerk chicken, mangoes and a coconut lime vinaigrette – these are definitely not your average salads! I also like their “80% healthy, 20% naughty” philosophy – in moderation, particularly when the base greens are nutritious anyway, it’s only right to include some *other* embellishments!

I called in my order about a half hour before, and when we arrived, we found our meal nearly ready, and took some time to chat with the friendly owner while waiting. They’ve been open for about four months, and though many of their customers have been calling for their expansion, he said they are still coming to terms with this location. We commented on the lovely decor – bright green walls with red accents and a cozy fireplace – he responded that they had to do quite a bit of work to liven up the space. The only change we would have recommended would have been an easier-to-read menu. Posted high above the order counter, the font size could have been increased somewhat.

Interior

Once settled into our seminar room, we opened up our boxes. Unfortunately, for the price we paid, we were expecting a larger serving. Mack had ordered a large Sol Caesar ($12), which had a blackened chicken breast, sundried tomatoes, turkey bacon, whole-wheat croutons, Pecorino cheese and a golden Caesar dressing. While he loved the croutons and the cheese, he would have preferred a more traditional creamy Caesar dressing, or to have had no dressing at all, particularly as his salad had been quite overdressed.

Sol Caesar

I had ordered a soup and salad combo ($11.50). The tomato chickpea soup (one of their two soups of the day) was disappointing – there were no chickpeas! The Greens and Protein salad was great though – the lemon and roast garlic steak (albeit a small portion) was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and I loved the inclusion of eggs (a play on steak and eggs, perhaps?), edamame beans, chickpeas, peanuts, apricots and camembert. The slightly thicker consistency of the balsamic dressing was also appreciated, even though my salad was also overdressed. The proetin variety in my salad left me completely satisfied, though it is worth noting once we returned home after the seminar, we were both hungry again.

Greens and Protein

I would consider going to The Greenhouse in the future, if not only to see what other innovative salads they have introduced to their menu (on special that day was Tandoori chicken), but I would look to supplementing the meal with something else.

The Greenhouse
8623 112 Street
(780) 757-1731
Open daily 11am-7pm

Korean Delight: Lee House

On a fine fall day (you read that right), I met up with Annie at Lee House, a Korean restaurant tucked away almost unseen in an Old Strathcona strip mall. I hadn’t been there before, though Annie had, but the ultimate reason we chose Lee House was because of its proximity to Annie’s school and my ability to get there on one direct bus after work.

About half of the tables were full upon our arrival, but continued to pick-up throughout our stay. And though we were seated at the odd table out (most of the furniture was wood; our table and chairs were seemingly spared from an 80s furniture cull), we still benefited from the warm surroundings – wood floor, wood paneling, simple grey wallpaper and incandescent lighting. Service was conversely pleasant, as our waitress respected our desire to linger.

Neither Annie or myself deviated far from our Korean favourites – I ordered my usual stone bowl bibim bab ($12.95), while she opted for the spicy noodle soup with seafood ($12.95). I did succumb to the intriguing vegetable pancakes ($10.95), however, and selected them to start our meal.

The vegetable pancakes were the weakest part of our experience, and weren’t worth it. The plate contained what was essentially battered zucchini – the dish could have been good, but had a texture that neither of us enjoyed – not quite crispy, yet not quite tender.

Vegetable Pancakes

On the other hand, my dolsot bibim bab was fantastic. I’ve never had a stone bowl version stay hot for the entire duration of my feast (being a slow eater and all), but this bowl was absolutely sizzling. I love the combination of pickled carrots, bean sprouts, and a creamy fried egg to bind the mixture together. Of course, the bits of crunchy rice are the best – a reward for reaching the bowl’s bottom.

Dolsot Bibim Bab

Annie liked her entrée as well, and in particular, the flavour and heat of the soup. She commented that the seafood was a bit lacking though, and would have traded the large mound of rice noodles for more mussels, prawns and squid.

Spicy Korean Red Chili Noodle Soup

It was a solid meal overall with few blemishes. Lee House’s relative accessibility on public transit is also a bonus (compared with, say, B-Bim-Baab), so I know I will be back in the future.

Lee House
7904 104 Street
(780) 438-0790

Food Notes for January 18, 2010

I am loving this warmer weather, and though the slush is hard to wade through at some junctures, I’d much prefer this to colder climes. Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

  • Original Fare’s Fork Fest is on! Running January 17-21 and24-28, pre-fixe meals are on for $25 and $45, and is a great way to try out a new restaurant (or return to an old favourite). Remember to sign up for a VIP card if you haven’t already.
  • The NAIT Culinary Arts program’s next Chef in Residence is Restaurant Makeover’s David Adjey (you may remember the school brought Rob Feenie in 2009). Adjey was in town recently for Capital Ex, where he conducted some cooking demos at the Sip stage.
  • Liane posted that Century Hospitality is on track to finally open its second Delux Burger Bar in May 2010 in West Edmonton Mall (Chris Lachance had originally pegged the expansion to take place by November 2009) – curious that they would choose a location so close to Crestwood, where their first branch is, but then again, they are probably actively seeking the same clientele that would patronize Cactus Club.
  • Also from Liane – a feature on The Bothy and three pubs with good grub (Red Star, Bibo and Filty McNasty’s).
  • Twisted Yogurt, the frozen yogurt outlet in Sherwood Park, has a website up with its forthcoming locations listed. I’m looking forward to their growth!
  • Also growing is Avocado (how could you not love the name?!), a Mexican restaurant. A St. Albert location opened up in the fall of 2009, but it looks like several more franchises are coming to Edmonton, including one in Ellerslie, coming soon.
  • Shark Club in the west end of the city has shuttered after 18 months of business.
  • Julie van Rosendaal wrote about her experience introducing Anthony Bourdain to a crowd of ravenous foodies in Calgary last week. While I wasn’t there, I’m sure she did a fabulous job – it’s too bad some people chose to rain on her parade.
  • Chris posted about the first Five Guys location in Canada, to be in Medicine Hat of all places. Mack and I had the chance to visit Five Guys while in DC – I hope they expand to Edmonton soon.
  • I guess it was just a matter of time: Guy Fieri will be hosting a game show on NBC, debuting in March.
  • Mack snapped a photo of the new lower-calorie snacks now available at Starbucks. While I don’t often buy food at Starbucks, it’s always nice to have more options, just in case.

Starbucks’ snack display (at the store on Jasper Avenue and 109 Street)

  • I heard about the Le Gnome closing early this week – they were unable to come to “reasonable terms” with their landlord, and will cease operations as of January 31, 2010. With a gift certificate I got for Christmas I needed to spend, Mack and I headed to WEM on Sunday. It was pretty busy (as you can see from the photos), but our wait in line wasn’t long. Everything was 30% off, but even with the discount, many things were still out of our price range, and like Brulee Blog, we kept our spending to a minimum. We ended up picking up a quartet of Emile Henry ramekins, a vegetable scrubber, and a soap dispenser – things we wanted anyway.

At Le Gnome

Inside the store