Tag: restaurants

Culinary Q & A with Liane Faulder

Occupation:  Journalist

What did you eat today?

I had granola with strawberries and raspberries for breakfast and a cheese sandwich with a side of organic carrots from Sparrow’s Nest for lunch, plus an apple and a glass of milk.

What do you never eat?

Liver, unless it’s in pate.

What is your personal specialty?

I make a buttermilk chocolate cake with a gooey fudge icing for all family birthdays and it is, if I do say so myself, quite a hit.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find: 

organic eggs, because they taste better.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Because I eat out a lot for work, I often like a simple bowl of home-made soup for supper. I always have a couple of different kinds in the freezer. Right now there is a Portuguese Green Soup. Chef Lino from Sabor Davino gave me the recipe and I just love it. I’ve also got a Fennel and Potato Soup in the freezer, made with a recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

This changes regularly. I just bought a beautiful larchwood cheese board from Janice Beaton‘s cheese shop in Calgary, so that’s sitting proudly on my counter top and I’m planning a nice charcuterie for the next time I have people over. I also love my Braun food processor and my waffle iron.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

One of my mother’s Sundays suppers with a standing rib roast of beef and Yorkshire pudding,  draped in  hot gravy, and her fresh apple pie for dessert.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

One of my regular spots is Culina in Mill Creek, partly because it’s in my neighbourhood and partly because I love the combination of good food, a cozy atmosphere, reasonable prices and friendly service. And I love the wine bar down the street, Passa Tempo, which is also owned by Culina chef Brad Lazarenko and his partner Ed Donszelmann. The bartender at Passa Tempo, Diana, sets the tone. She manages to be both sophisticated, and down-to-earth, in her approach.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

This changes from time to time, depending on my most recent experiences. I’ve eaten a couple of pretty so-so meals at very expensive restaurants in Edmonton, so I don’t think that eating at one of the better restaurants in the city necessarily guarantees a top meal every time. Right now my favourite restaurant, however, is The Blue Pear. I think Chef Darcy Radies does a dynamite job of coming up with creative combinations and flat-out surprising flavours, and I really like the prix-fixe concept. I think Viphalay is the best place in town for Thai food.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I’d eat some fresh bread, along with some cheese and pate from one of the small shops along the Rue Montorgueil in Paris.

Liane’s weekly food column can be found in the Bistro section of the Edmonton Journal every Wednesday. She also blogs at Eat My Words.

Eat Until You Burst: T. Pot China Bistro

Craving dim sum in Calgary, my family (and Mack) hit up T. Pot China Bistro on Felicia’s recommendation. I was a bit leery if not only because of the name (any Chinese restaurant that attaches “bistro” at the end of it wouldn’t appear to be the most economical).

Though we had an idea that the restaurant was in northwest Calgary, we didn’t realize just how far north until the drive. We were nearly into Airdrie when we hit the small retail area that contained, among other shops, a T & T.

T. Pot is not much to look at from the outside, being a generic big box. But it was quite lovely on the inside, with beaded curtains, crystal chandeliers and cushy high-backed chairs. And while their dim sum wasn’t the fun push cart kind, a few staff members wielded plastic trays as their push cart-equivalent, and offered us plates of food from their arms.

Interior

The area to the back of the restaurant where we were placed steadily filled up during our visit, but was never completely packed, unlike the other dining area separated from us by a median. Items were priced from $3.99 to $5.99, which are above the norm, but once the dishes started to arrive, we understood why: we were either given double the quantity normally provided, or items were twice the size of those commonly seen. Case in point, the steamed shrimp dumplings ($4.99):

Shrimp Dumplings

Standout dishes for me included Chinese doughnut wrapped with rice crepe and the pan-fried pork dumplings. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the quality of the dishes. Here are just a few of the plates we ordered:

Chinese Doughnut Wrapped with Rice Crepe (served on one side with some oddly paired peanut sauce)

Rice Crepe with BBQ Pork

Bean Curd

Coconut Buns

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Pan-fried Dumplings (beautifully arranged to boot!)

Deep Fried Pork Dumplings

Needless to say, we all ate until we nearly burst, and still ended up with leftovers. Ordering by paper always seems to have that effect – T. Pot China Bistro: 1, Yeo Family and Mack: 0

I’m glad we had the opportunity to try out the restaurant – I’d recommend it for dim sum off the beaten path in Calgary!

T. Pot China Bistro
100, 9650 Harvest Hills Blvd. NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 532-3982

For More Than Just Sushi: Globefish

For our dinner selection in Calgary, I was pushing for Pulcinella, a Neopolitan pizzeria (similar to Famoso), but resolved that the decision would be a democratic one. I lost.

We ended up at Globefish, as my sisters and parents all put in their vote for sushi. As I rarely eat Japanese cuisine (and never sushi), I am not well-schooled in this category of restaurants, but by way of blogs and Fast Forward surveys, I had heard Globefish was popular. Using the powers of Google, we found the closest location to our hotel, and on our way, called to make sure they were open. While they didn’t accept reservations, their table availability looked good.

Oh how fast things change on a Saturday night – half an hour later, we arrived at the restaurant and faced a forty minute wait. Hungry, we considered bolting for the nearest recognizable chain, but figuring that most restaurants would be similarly flushed with the weekend rush, we stayed.

While in the waiting area, we perused the menu, and held ourselves back from defacing the autographed photos of Calgary Flames players on the wall. Among the sushi options were a Flames roll and yes, even an Iginla roll (a little counterintuitive though, no? As “flames” conjures images of cooked food).

The interior of the restaurant was simple but classy. Leather booths helped create a sense of privacy for dining parties (to the detriment of maximizing seating availability), and crystal chandeliers provided a chic accent normally not seen in Japanese restaurants.

My family at an opposite table (we opted to decrease our wait by sitting apart)

Time to linger with the menu prior to being seated meant we were ready to order straightaway. A perky waitress provided attentive service throughout the night, and the kitchen definitely helped speed things along – Globefish was darn efficient.

Mack and I both prefer things cooked, so skipped right over the sushi platters and onto the hot entrees. We eventually settled on an udon noodle bowl ($9.95) each – beef for me, and tempura for him. Mack, ever the calamari lover, couldn’t resist ordering a plate of their mentai version to start ($8.95).

Sushi platters were arriving haphazardly at my family’s table (as they were made), while our calamari zipped out to us in no time at all. Mack really enjoyed it, as the dish employed a seasoning zing not usually found in calamari.

Mentai Calamari

My beef udon bowl was good – the noodles had retained their requisite chew, while the broth was clear and not over-seasoned – but nothing special. Mack’s on the other hand – I had a serious case of dish envy after sampling some of his tempura. The batter was light, crispy, and enhanced whatever it enrobed – from the shrimp to zucchini, I was amazed that they were able to preserve the crispness and succulence of the vegetables, so didn’t blink before I regarded it as the best tempura I’ve ever had.

Beef Udon Noodle

Tempura

My sisters and Mum enjoyed their sushi plates, and though I wanted more detail about why they liked their food so much, all I got was a response of “It was good.” Sigh.

 

Crunch & Munch Roll (prawn tempura, cucumber & tobiko roll wrapped with unagi & avocado)

Roll Combo (California roll, dynamite roll, spicy tuna roll)

Favourite Sushi Combo (tuna sushi, salmon sushi, California roll)

For a fast and satisfying meal, I’d heartily recommend Globefish – even if you aren’t into sushi.

Globefish
326 14 Street NW (1 other location)
Calgary, AB
(403) 283-6555

Food Notes for September 7, 2009

  • The Old Strathcona Foundation is hosting a Taste of Old Strathcona fundraiser this Friday, September 11. Along with samples from Hudson’s, Flirt Cupcakes and New Asian Village, expect entertainment and a silent auction.
  • The Marketplace at Callingwood is hosting its 11th annual CornFest on Saturday, September 12, in support of the Firefighters Burn Treatment Society.
  • Liane posted about two upcoming points of interest for the city’s culinary scene – starting September 25, the Hardware Grill is joining the fray of competitively-priced dishes with a $35 “grazing menu” featuring appetizers and desserts. Offered only from 5-6:30pm, its intention to appeal to those spending less freely and for those requiring a pre-show meal is very similar to the Blue Pear’s “Baby Blue Pear” menu.
  • Secondly, Liane notes that David Cruz (formerly of Sage) will be opening up a restaurant on Jasper Avenue, hopefully by December. I love when new establishments decide to open up in the core.
  • While I would have loved to be present at the filming of the Edmonton episode of The Endless Feast, I was happy to see a photo-filled account of the dinner on Colleen Ingoldsby’s blog.
  • The Journal filed the second mainstream media review about Indian Fusion, also with a passable verdict.
  • I had the opportunity to interview Sabor Divino’s Lino Oliveira for a piece in Vue Weekly this week. I find it interesting when chefs aren’t formally schooled in the culinary arts.
  • Also in Vue – an article worth reading about the new Alberta Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeship Program (ASAAP) that seeks to connect young people with apprenticeship opportunities on local farms.
  • I appreciated Cheryl’s candid post about her first year with a CSA – her point about having to love salads would make or break my own experience, if I were to ever join one.
  • See Magazine had an article this week about the “cupcake war” on Whyte.
  • On a related cupcake note – Slate had a well-written piece about the potential crash of the cupcake market.
  • Mack and I have been spending most of our Saturday mornings this summer at the City Centre Farmers’ Market, and absolutely loving it. And more than other years, we’ve been making it a point to try out different vendors. This week, we were early enough to have the chance to pick up a bag of Montreal-style bagels. At 6 for $6, they’re not for the cash-strapped shopper, but for handmade bagels, they have a great texture, with the right amount of chew and varnish. The sourdough taste of the bread was something I wasn’t expecting, but it wasn’t overly strong. Starting October 22, the vendor will be at the Salisbury Greenhouse market.

A plain Montreal-style bagel

Weekend Road Trip 2009: Family Edition

During the long weekend in August my family (plus Mack) did something we haven’t done in a long time – take a road trip together. The destination wasn’t far – just Drumheller and Calgary – but while neither the time spent or the drive down was particularly long, it was such a throwback to summer vacations in the past that it didn’t matter.

Drumheller’s a sightseeing haven

Our first stop in Drumheller was lunch. I looked in vain prior to the trip for some independent dining recommendations in a chain-saturated town, but couldn’t find much. I decided upon The Whistling Kettle, mostly due to its quaint exterior, but when we arrived, we found it closed due to a death in the family. We walked back towards main street and after surveying very limited options (for whatever reason most of the restaurants were closed on Saturdays), decided upon Gus’ Corner Restaurant. The food really isn’t worth mentioning; everything was coaxed back from frozen hibernation.

After lunch, we walked over to the tacky-but-clever World’s Largest Dinosaur attraction. Tacky because really, it’s just a large covered metal staircase, but clever because tourists seem to flock to it (it has even won a national award). Priced at $3 per person or $11 for a family of five, it’s a “why not?” type of expense, and yes, our family succumbed to it too.

World’s Largest Dinosaur

Felicia at the foot of the World’s Largest Dinosaur

Mack and I in the mouth of the dinosaur

By this time, we were crying for air conditioning (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it cloudy or rainy in Drumheller – in my mind, it’s a toasty 35 degrees year round). The Royal Tyrrell Museum was thus the next logical step, and would hopefully bridge us through the warmest part of the afternoon.

Cute prairie dog outside the Museum

The parking lot was absolutely packed, with overflow parking similarly jammed. We had passed by several RV lots full of vehicles, and it seemed that the staycation mentality was in full effect.

I haven’t been to the Tyrrell since high school (hurrah for school field trips!), but short of the small exhibits about Darwin and some of the pioneer archaeologists who helped develop the museum into what it is today, the Tyrrell seemed largely unchanged. I suppose it was a bit disappointing, largely because we had visited the incomparable Smithsonian earlier this year. I know funding must be difficult to come by, but I do hope the Tyrrell is able to build additional galleries that would provide the option of rotating exhibitions – having reached a milestone in visitors this year, I do hope they can continue to attract a record number of tourists.

My parents at the Tyrrell Museum

T-Rex

Stegosaurus was my favourite dinosaur as a kid

Eerie Woolly Mammoth display

The freakiest looking salamanders (called axolotl)

It was still blazingly hot outside after our museum visit, but we had no choice and headed to the next attraction – hoodoos!

My sisters at the hoodoos

There were two tourism employees placed around the hoodoos to prevent visitors from breaching out-of-bounds areas – on smouldering days like that, I can’t imagine being in the sun for eight hours straight.

Mack on top of the world!

Hoodoos of a different sort (such a cheesy picture, but I love it)

We had some more time to kill before needing to head to Calgary, so decided to stop at the nearby Rosedale Suspension Bridge. Nothing particularly special, the swaying structure was enough to keep my mum on the side of the parking lot while the rest of us crossed to see what was across the river. It turns out, nothing much.

Rosedale Suspension Bridge

Amanda and Felicia on the bridge

The next day in Calgary, we didn’t do much except eat and shop. And, well, visit the Calgary Farmers’ Market.

Too cute watering cans

Mack knows well enough by now that I can’t leave a farmers’ market empty-handed, so goaded me into buying a few things lest he have to hear about the missed opportunity to try a different local vendor. As we were away for the weekend, it also meant we had missed our usual Saturday trip to the City Centre Farmers’ Market, so we needed some produce to tide us over anyway. We didn’t have much cooler space left, so opted for heartier broccoli and cauliflower from Beck Farms that would easily last the ride home, and a 950g(!) loaf of multigrain bread from Rustic Sourdough Bakery.

Weighing out our bread options

I’m not sure when our whole family will be able to take another road trip again, but it was fun to get away together this year!

You can see Mack’s photoset of our trip here.

It’s All About the Whimsy: Delux Burger Bar

Delux Burger Bar is a prime example of the type of restaurant doing gangbusters right now – a perfectly executed “upscale casual” eatery that pairs a chic interior with a laid-back atmosphere. Why Delux wins my vote as one of the best in that ubiquitous class, however, has to do with their whimsical extras that go beyond smartly-attired wait staff, unidentifiable pulsating music and accessible dishes. Is Delux manufactured exactly to push the buttons of diners who have a secret penchant for kitsch? Of course, but the bottom line is, it works, or at least it does for me.

Mack and I had dinner there recently before a function at Jeffrey’s Cafe & Wine Bar (a nice place off the beaten path with an interesting selection of wine). We opted for an air-conditioned seat inside, sharing the space with those unwinding with a drink after work, a few families, and several groups of friends gathered for supper.

The menu, the requisite mix of share plates, burgers and other proteins encased in buns, offers nothing extraordinary, but enough variety to please all eaters. I went with the day’s special, called Out of the Wild, a bison burger topped with bacon, mushroom, lettuce and tomato basil havarti ($12). Mack decided to satisfy his hot dog craving with the Delux Dog ($8) with caramelized onions, double-smoked bacon and cheddar. We topped off our order with a Delux Duo of French and sweet potato fries ($6).

Our food arrived surprisingly quickly, though for a place that serves a fairly straightforward menu that was expected. What I didn’t expect was a truly messy burger to eat – it probably should have come with a bib of some sort. The Portobello mushrooms caused most of the grievance, unleashing their moisture content with no mercy. And while they lent some interesting texture to an otherwise standard burger, I found them a bit too meaty as a topping. Thankfully the rest of the burger – including a notably moist patty and a fresh bun – made the mess worthwhile. 

Out of the Wild Burger

Mack enjoyed his hot dog (perhaps more so, because it was the more dainty of the two entrees), though he did relay that the idea of a bacon-topped hot dog wasn’t quite as well realized as he had hoped for. 

Delux Dog

The fries were really what we had been looking forward to, served a la “carts”. I had seen the mini shopping carts in a gift store in Germany years ago, and have been kicking myself for not picking up a few then – the serving vehicle gets me every time. As for the fries themselves, I loved the sweet potato crisps, especially paired with the tangy dipping mayo.

Delux Duo (a la cart!)

The complimentary meal-ending cotton candy is another fanciful touch that scores points with me, even if we never manage to finish the dome. A sticky throwback to childhood beats peppermint sweets every time.

Cotton Candy finish

Century Hospitality’s Chris Lachance indicated in May that a second Delux is in the works for November. I haven’t heard anything about it since then, but don’t be surprised if another Burger Bar pops up in the city. With their formulaic flair for whimsy, I have no doubt a second Delux would be also be a smashing success.

Delux Burger Bar
9682 142 Street
(780) 420-0101

DC Brunch: Tabard Inn

Planning for vacations, brunch is always the meal that we look forward to most. As a result, brunch requires additional legwork to locate a restaurant that offers a variation of the type of brunch we enjoy. I was lucky in my DC reading, as one of our short listed accommodations also hosted a reputable restaurant within.

Hotel Tabard Inn

Tabard Inn is nested inside the Hotel Tabard Inn, a historic building in the Dupont Circle neighbourhood. Their accommodations were cheaper than George Washington University Inn, but by the time we had called to book, they were full. When we reached the hotel, we were glad with our ultimate choice because the walk to the Metro was at least double the distance.

The building was quaint – situated on a fairly quiet residential street, with flower pots and other greenery making it the most attractive residence on the block. We wandered inside, through a too-dim sitting room with creaky wooden floors and portraits of revolutionaries gone-by and into the restaurant. I had made a reservation several weeks before, and thank goodness we did – the room was packed.

To be honest, I picked Tabard Inn solely on the website photo, which showed a sunny room lined with a friendly checkered floor. In reality, the room was not as bright, likely because of the potted plants that lined the windows outside. Tabard also has an enclosed patio outside, but with the humidity out in full force that day, I was glad our hostess directed us to a table housed in the air-conditioned dining room, just below a window. Mack did notice that for whatever reason, Tabard doesn’t use cloth napkins – the paper napkins didn’t quite mesh with the décor in our opinion.

In Tabard Inn

I had given the menu a quick scan online, but unlike most times, hadn’t already picked out what I wanted. I decided upon the blueberry pancakes, while Mack stayed true to his usual egg-and-potato dish. Also being a sucker to try the resident special, we also ordered two doughnuts, which we were told were usually served before our meal. Who were we to thwart tradition?

When our bread basket was delivered prior to the doughnuts, we wondered who had come up with a tradition that stacked carb upon carb to start a meal. At any rate, the freshly-baked basket filled with a variety of savoury goodies soothed any questions we had, with our favourite being the corn bread.

Bread Basket

We hadn’t quite finished with our basket when a doily-lined plate with two petite doughnuts were delivered. They were as advertised – freshly fried, warm and with the taste of grease still lingering. They reminded Mack of mini doughnuts, and he said they were good, but nothing special.

Doughnuts

The main event was the highlight – the pancakes were just perfect – slightly crisp on the outside, but still soft and airy in the middle. I could have done with a few more blueberries (a la Clinton Street), but it was a pretty good dish the way it was.

Blueberry Pancakes

Mack’s eggs and homefries were tasty, but the standout for him was the flaky biscuit – Tabard Inn certainly knew how to do pastries right.

Scrambled Eggs, House-made Toulouse Sausage and Homefries

If you’re not in the neighbourhood already, I’m not sure Tabard Inn is worth an exclusive trip. That said, I was happy for the opportunity to explore a neighbourhood we wouldn’t otherwise have seen.

Tabard Inn (in Hotel Tabard Inn)
1739 N Street NW
Washington D.C.
(202) 331-8528

Al Fresco on the Boardwalk: Sabor Divino

Sabor Divino is the latest restaurant to join the downtown fray, with a prime location on the Boardwalk along 103 Street – close enough for mall shoppers, theatre goers and festival revellers on the Square to access on foot, but far enough from main traffic thoroughfares to allow for a patio experience shielded somewhat from noise.

Although many (myself included) have labelled Sabor Divno a Portuguese restaurant, co-owner Christian Mena refuses to pigeonhole his eatery, and instead prefers to say their cuisine is inspired by a multitude of flavours, including those from Portugal, Spain, and the Mediterranean.

My first meal at Sabor Divino was a part of Fork Fest, an eight day celebration of Original Fare independent restaurants in Edmonton, offering pre-fixe meal deals for $20 or $35 (Mack had dined there once before, with his colleagues for lunch). The Fork Fest menu that Mack and I enjoyed at Sabor definitely seemed to sample a bit from each of the above regions, with the overall consensus being the kitchen was heavy on both balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

We opted to take advantage of a warm Edmonton day (which seems to be rare this summer), and chose a seat on Sabor’s small patio made up of three two-person tables complete with parasols. I loved that the ground level of the restaurant opened up onto the street, inviting a feeling of al fresco dining even for the tables technically tucked inside. And though the seats on the main level looked sumptuous, befitting the presence of a grand piano in the centre amongst a dark wood and dimly lit setting, I didn’t regret our choice of table.

I spy Mack’s BlackBerry…

The tapas menu was tempting, and one I’d likely consider more closely on a non-Fork Fest occasion. As it were, Mack and I built our individual meals from a $35 fixed menu comprised of two appetizers, two entrees, and four dessert options. I chose the pasta fagioli soup, black cod Mediterraneo, and Leite Crème “Dona Irene”. Mack, in an effort to supply me with more blog fodder (even at my explicit objection), ordered the mista salad, chicken in red wine, and cheesecake with black cherries.

While enjoying our bread, the pair seated behind us were accosted by a passerby looking for a smoke. They began talking, and we couldn’t help but listen (yes, we’re eavesdropping diners – but in our defense, their raised voices made it difficult not to do so). It turned out the wayward pedestrian was a bartender at the nearby L’Azia, and invited the pair to the restaurant. She described it with the following gem: “It’s an infusion restaurant. Like Taste of Edmonton, only year round.”

Bread with olive oil, butter and balsamic vinegar

I thought our appetizers came much too soon after our bread basket had been delivered (I barely made it through two slices), but Mack didn’t mind getting right to the meal. The pasta and bean soup was a hearty way to start off, though the beans were on the too-soft side, permeating the broth with a chalky texture. Mack’s salad was beautiful as it was a towering achievement, with the even larger achievement being that he managed to finish all of the greens. His only comment was that it was overdressed.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Mista Salad

I expected the entrees to interrupt our first course, but I was pleasantly surprised – the rest of the meal was timed quite nicely. My black cod was a visually stunning dish that screamed freshness – a bed of bright green kale accentuated with bursts of rouge tomato and ink-black olives. The fish had perfectly crossed char marks, and, though I’d been warned that the kitchen often undercooked their seafood, found no unwelcome rawness inside. The pops of sprinkled salt pockets were a welcome touch, and my only flavouring complaint was the heavy balsamic pour.

Black Cod Mediterraneo

Like mine, Mack’s chicken in red wine was also generously portioned, with a theme of red throughout – red onions, red grapes and red pesto sauce. Though enjoyable, it was the less unique of our two entrees.

Chicken in Red Wine

Dessert was presented as a “taster”, which, after the preceding plate, was just the right size. My Portuguese version of a crème brulee was fired fresh to order, with a richer, more flavourful custard than usually encountered. Mack enjoyed the cheesecake portion of his dessert, but could have done without the cherries, which tasted to him like the canned variety.

Leite Crème “Dona Irene”

Cheesecake with Black Cherries

At the end of our meal, I asked our waiter if the restaurant was considering any sustainable seafood choices (guided by, for example, Blue Ocean or Monterey Bay). He said that he himself used to cook, and that sustainability was very important to him personally. As a result, he would be bringing in samples from Ocean Odyssey Inland for the chef to try very soon.

With solid service and a seafood focus that differentiates it from other mid-range establishments, Sabor Divino is a welcome addition to the family of Original Fare restaurants as well as Edmonton’s food scene.

Sabor Divino
10220 103 Street
(780) 757-1114
Main dining room: Monday-Friday 11:30am-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 5-10pm; Cafe lounge: Monday-Friday 2:30-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 5-10pm

A Labour of Love: Soul Soup

There are a handful of eateries I wish I could patronize more often, but due to short operating hours or hard-to-reach locations, I am unable to. Soul Soup falls into the first category, only open from 11-6pm from Monday-Friday, which is convenient to those in close proximity to the core, but becomes a destination spot otherwise.

As a result, I’ve only been to Soul Soup a few times, even though I have enjoyed my past experiences there. As the name suggests, the restaurant primarily serves soup (although they were also offering one rice bowl alternative during my last visit). With numerous varieties on endless rotation, the magnetic menu board above the order counter changes daily, displaying one type each of vegetarian, fish and meat soups. A small 8 oz. serving is $4.75, a medium 16 oz. is $7 and a 32 oz. sells for $11. Each bowl comes with a fresh roll. For those looking for a post-work meal, Soul Soup also sells containers of frozen soup, as well as Culina’s TV dinners.

The interior is chic, brown neutrals accented by pops of pink. I particularly love the light fixtures fashioned out of ladles.

Interior

Between the day’s mulligatawny with apple and pistachios, tomato and shrimp with tarragon and Asian ginger braised pork with rice noodles, the latter won my vote. And though I did feel somewhat hungry that day, I decided to order the small, thinking that the bread would help fill me up. I asked for my order to stay, and settled in on one of the high tables to the side of the counter (the table was even equipped with a built-in purse hook!). Three other stools along the narrow divider that doubled as a table were still up for grabs, but nearly all customers who walked in took their meals to go.

My soup was delivered to me almost instantly, on a retro-themed tray accompanied by the aforementioned roll. The plastic cutlery had been neatly tied up, with a small fruit candy tucked inside – a nice touch. The soup itself was lovely – creative to start with (not your usual beef-and-pasta variety), it was clearly a labour of love. The carrots were tender and soft, and the broth had a full flavour to it, something only attained from lengthy low and slow simmering. Later in the afternoon, I did regret ordering the small, however – I should have upgraded.

Soup

I did have a chance to ask the owner whether or not Soul Soup plans to join Twitter (I’ve mentioned in the past that they are the ideal restaurant to do so – a tweet before lunch about their 3 soups du jour). She said I was the “eighth person” to ask them that question recently, but because they are only a two-person operation, she doesn’t have the time to update their status. She said their phone line recording system was working just fine as a way to provide information to customers. I don’t think the “time” excuse is valid, but with Mack’s help, was able to locate an unofficial Soul Soup account which seems to do a pretty good job of listing the day’s soups.

If you’re looking for a fast but homemade lunch downtown outside of the food court recesses, I’d highly recommend giving Soul Soup a try.

Soul Soup
140-10020 101A Avenue
(780) 409-8272
Monday-Friday 11am-6pm

Food Notes for July 20, 2009

The City Centre Market has invited me to kick off market day this Saturday, July 25 by ringing a bell up and down the lines of stalls. Past “bellringers” this year have included Mayor Mandel and Geoff Linden of Credo Coffee. I’m so honoured to have been asked, and excited for the opportunity! Now on to this week’s food notes:

  • Liane Faulder broke stories about two new restaurants in the works. First, Nate Box, formerly of the Sugar Bowl, will be launching a new eatery in October in the space currently occupied by Hulbert’s, which is closing in July. Look for a menu featuring local food.
  • Liane also posted today about Health Fare’s second location in the Adecco Building downtown. It will be a fantastic location for them, and the best thing? They will support ordering via text messaging.
  • Scott McKeen wrote a story about Credo Coffee and Axis Cafe – will 104th and Jasper become a great coffee juncture in Edmonton?
  • This New York writer is so over cupcakes. Though Edmonton is far from cupcakery-saturation, I know some in the city are feeling like their patience for cupcakes is waning.
  • Tim Horton’s has moved into the U.S. How will Americans warm to the Canadian institution?
  • At Superstore last week I spied a new culinary-focused publication called The Food Magazine. With Bon Appetit and Gourmet struggling to stay afloat, it’s rather gutsy for the magazine to launch at this time. That said, it’s focus on well-known stars of the food world does match with the public’s increasing thirst for cooking stories and techniques from chef-turned-celebrities.
  • Bazaar asked an interesting question – are there certain products you feel you cannot buy generic? Heinz ketchup and Kraft peanut butter are two for me.
  • Mack and I had a quick dinner at Elephant & Castle before Food, Inc. last week. I haven’t been there in a while, but boy, was the food disappointing. Mack’s plate of fish and chips was lined with an admittedly novel E & C “newspaper”, but that was nearly all that was good with his dish. The gravy atop my chicken pot pie was a mistake – it made the potentially crispy crust soggy all the way through.

 

Fish and Chips

 

Chicken Pot Pie

  • My coworker offered to split an order of food from the African Somali Restaurant (101, 10610 105 Street, 780-423-6614) about a block away from our office on Friday. I have never been there (my usual haunts are in Chinatown), but I have to say it was quite good. This was my first experience with goat – stewed, it had a mild flavour but a texture similar more to beef than anything else. The “Somali rice” was really the star of the show though – my coworker said it had been soaked, cooked with a number of spices, then finished in the oven. Whatever the technique, it was delicious.

 

Goat, Somali rice and salad ($12)