Hotel Selkirk - Afternoon Tea

Recently I've discovered yet another place that serves afternoon tea, but it's only available at 3 pm every Wednesday from May to August. Since there is only one seating per week, it's a good idea to make reservations early. Reservations can be booked online or by calling Hotel Selkirk at 780-496-7227.

Hotel Selkirk is a reconstruction of a historical hotel that used to be on Jasper Avenue. It is currently an operating hotel in Fort Edmonton Park on 1920 Street. Admission to the park is not required for afternoon tea at Hotel Selkirk's Johnson's Cafe. Just buzz the hotel at the gate and ask them to open it, then drive along the narrow scenic road lined with trees. Guest parking is available right behind the hotel. I think being immersed in a street straight from the 1920's with quaint little stores and vintage ads is already well worth the visit.

Johnson's Cafe is attached to the hotel lobby with plenty of spacious seating. The room is not luxurious by any means, but it is clean and bright with a cozy feeling.

As the waitresses in old style dresses and aprons began serving tea, a couple of costumed musicians outside the entrance broke into song. They sang some country style tunes, but quickly left after a few short pieces.

The table was already set with an antiquated jewelry chest filled with teabags and a plate of 3 condiments including berry compote, Devonshire cream, and strawberry butter.


Shortly after we were seated, a waitress brought each of us a pot of boiling water for the tea. I thought the round sugar bowl and cow-shaped cream pitcher were rather cute.


Warm and fluffy scones made their appearance soon thereafter. Thanks to them, I didn't have to leave hungry. The scones weren't very buttery or savoury, but they went well with the condiments.

Then the food towers came out of the kitchen one by one. The 2-tiered tower in the picture shows the portions for 3 people. It's much smaller than the ones at other afternoon tea places, but it's more than enough for a light afternoon snack. And a price of $16.67/person is excellent value for the scones, the food tower, the tea and the ambiance. With tax and a mandatory gratuity of 15%, it comes to about $20/person.

Note: Every table gets a different assortment of food items.

The first thing I noticed was that there were only 2 cucumber slices but 3 of everything else. I asked the waitress if it was an oversight on their part, but she said the food was mix and match and they just randomly select items to put in the tower. At that point I started paying attention to other people's towers and was disappointed with what I saw. I can understand replacing a shortbread cookie with a ginger cookie so that every table gets something different, but I don't agree with some tables getting more food and others getting less. Even though the meal is very good value in any case, it is unfair that some tables got up to 3 more items than others. In particular, I noticed that the table next to mine didn't get the smoked salmon sandwich which many would consider a highlight.

bottom tier: cucumber slices with cream cheese, egg salad open-faced sandwich, smoked salmon open-faced sandwich, ham and cream cheese wrap, brownie, jam shortbread cookie

Almost everything on this tier was good. I especially enjoyed the egg salad sandwich with paprika. The only thing I disliked was the shortbread cookie which was unbelievably bland and tasted like crumbly raw dough.

top tier: assorted fruits, creampuff

This tier consisted of just one strawberry, a thin slice of orange, a few grapes, and mini creampuffs. No comment on the fruits, but the creampuff was by far the worst creampuff I've ever had. The choux pastry was slightly chewy and tasted like cardboard that had been soaked in water, then stored in the freezer. It had a very strong freezer smell and taste.

Despite the disappointing cookie and creampuff, I wouldn't hesitate to come back because of the price and ambiance. Afternoon tea at Hotel Selkirk is a nice and relaxing afternoon activity for the family.

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Eva Sweet Waffles

One thing I crave from time to time is the Belgian liege waffle with its buttery aroma and crispy pearl sugar. When I googled liege waffles in Edmonton, the name Eva Sweet came up. It's a fleet of mobile food trucks/trailers that can be found at various locations, events and farmer's markets in the city. Since mobile stores are weather-dependent, Eva Sweet is only open during the warmer months. So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, after attending Menchie's grand opening event, I visited the City Market Downtown on 104 St.

I passed by the small yellow trailer without realizing it was the store I was searching for. There was no signage on the trailer itself, though there was a sign stand some ways away. The menu was a piece of paper with tiny font taped to the window of the trailer. A plain vanilla waffle costs $4 and each topping is an additional $0.50. Toppings include strawberries, peaches, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, condensed milk, etc. According to their website, some locations also sell cinnamon and Canadian maple waffles, but this particular location only had the original vanilla available.


The waffles are made fresh to order; I could see them cooking in waffle irons inside the trailer. Mine was nice and hot when it was handed to me. I decided to get it plain because that seemed to be the most popular choice. I thought adding fruits and condiments would just make it soggy and completely mask the flavour of the waffle itself. Compared to Damien's in Richmond, this was a lot more buttery and the texture was softer and fluffier. I can't say which one I prefer, but both are delicious in their own way.

I'm very happy with this discovery and plan on coming back for more waffles. I'd be interested in trying some other flavours though. I hope they open an actual store soon, so we can enjoy this tasty treat year-round!

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Menchie's (Garneau) - Grand Opening

I was invited to the grand opening of Menchie's first location in Edmonton. It's right across from Garneau Theatre on 109 St, just a little bit south of Saskatchewan Drive. The place has actually been in business for 6 weeks, but the grand opening was on June 1, preceded by a blogurt fest for local food bloggers. We were given a brief history of how the company started, which I thought was quite interesting. It all began when the founders, Danna and Adam, went on a date to a frozen yogurt shop. They didn't like the experience and thought they could do better, so they started their own frozen yogurt chain which eventually developed into a franchise. We found out that "mench" refers to "a good person with desirable qualities" in Yiddish. Adam used to call Danna his menchie, so that was the name they used for their stores.

Menchie's has several locations in Vancouver, but I've never been to one since I'm not crazy about frozen treats like ice cream or yogurt. I enjoy eating frozen yogurt on occasion, but I rarely crave it. As such, I wasn't sure whether I should attend, but something on the invitation caught my eye. It read: "I know, I know, we're another frozen yogurt shop, shops of this variety are popping up everywhere, we're copycats and we're nothing new. Well, before you write us off and decide that you've wasted enough dollars on the frozen yogurt craze, we'd like you to try our frozen yogurt. On us." So I figured why not? I was curious about what makes them so special.

The first thing that hit me as I stepped into the store was the upbeat atmosphere. The colours were vibrant, cheerful and simply demanded attention.

On a wall near the entrance were pictures of Hollywood stars enjoying their Menchie's yogurt. And I was surprised to see that Menchie's even has their own branded merchandise.


The first step to create your own yogurt is to pick up an empty cup or a waffle cup. The pricing is simple: $0.55 per ounce (28.35 grams) and $1 for the waffle cup. Then it's time to choose the yogurt or yogurts! There are 16 flavours available at a time with over 100 rotating flavours. Each of the 8 yogurt machines has 3 nozzles: 2 nozzles with different flavours and the middle nozzle is a mix of the two. I sampled all 16 flavours and thought most of them were decent. I enjoyed both the rich and intense flavours such as the chocolate and peanut butter and the milder flavours like the tart and fruity ones. The only ones I did not appreciate were the cake batter and red velvet. We were told that the cake batter is a bestseller, but personally I found the taste very strange. I almost didn't want to try it, but I did for the sake of this post. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined, but I still can't wrap my head (and tongue) around a cake in frozen semi-liquid form. I know that a lot of people enjoy eating real cake batter; those must be the same people that enjoy cake batter yogurt. I've always thought that eating raw flour, raw eggs and milk is pretty gross.

I think this store has the most toppings I've ever seen offered at a frozen yogurt shop. There are 40 dry toppings including all sorts of chocolate and candy bits, as well as nuts, granola, graham crumbs, and even yogurt-covered pretzels.

Then there are the chilled toppings such as fresh fruit, cheesecake, cookie dough, blueberry mochi, and lychee popping boba. I can't really comment on most of the toppings because I tend to stick with fruit. I liked how the fruit was cold but not frozen, and there were no ice chunks. I don't like the artificial and processed stuff, but I did try the cookie dough and it wasn't stale and it didn't have that freezer/fridge taste. All of the toppings seemed fresh.

My finished product was chocolate banana, classic vanilla, and strawberry sorbet topped with fresh fruits (strawberries, banana, and pineapple). This picture is kind of ugly because I was too busy eating and forgot to take a picture until I was halfway through. I thought the waffle cup would be crispy, but actually it was a bit chewy throughout. It did taste like there was a bit of moisture in it, but it wasn't soggy at all. Even though it was still enjoyable, I would've preferred a crispy texture.

Near the end of the event, Menchie's mascot came out to greet us. I'd like to get my hands on this costume for Halloween. It's so cute!


So what differentiates Menchie's from other frozen yogurt brands? Well unlike other brands that get their yogurt from a supplier (the same supplier in many cases), Menchie's has their own private label yogurt. In my opinion, it does taste a bit better than the other yogurt places I've been to: Qoola, Tutti Frutti and Pinkberry. The flavour is richer, deeper, and closer to the real thing. Menchie's also has an atmosphere that I haven't experienced with other chains. From the colourful decor to the friendly staff, this is a place that exudes cheeriness and comfort.

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EAT! Vancouver 2013: Food + Cooking Festival

Vancouver guest blogger Py takes us to EAT! Vancouver 2013.

EAT! Vancouver is a festival of all things food: whether your fascination is with the making, eating or watching (aka drooling over celebrity chefs) of food, there is something for you. It is that huge.

Children 12 and under enter the festival for free; youths (defined as those aged 13-16) are charged an admission fee of $9; adults pay $14 online or $16 at the gate and seniors pay $14. Included in the price of admission is a nice, reusable bag and a small assortment of vendor samples. That, however, is just the beginning.

There are two main ways to navigate EAT! Vancouver. You can choose to focus on the exhibitors and the food samples they have – of which there are many – or you can scout out the guide beforehand and plan your rounds. The former is recommended for those new to EAT! Vancouver and it was what I did the first time I visited the expo several years ago. The latter, however, is for those who know what they like, want or are after, and have the discipline to resist the temptation to wander.

There are four main parts to EAT! Vancouver: the exhibitors, the seminars, the chef/cooking talks/demonstrations and the culinary classes.

The exhibitions make up the bulk of the expo in terms of space, and it is where any comer to EAT! Vancouver should spend the majority of their time. The variety of exhibitions with samples range from the known, tried and true (Urban Fare, Danone’s Oikos Greek Yogurt, Green & Black’s) to the gems of Vancouver (La Chocolaterie from Izumi-Ya in Richmond, Canadian Maple Delights located in Gastown) to products you might one day see on the Canadian venture capitalist show Dragon’s Den (Trugs Gourmet, Better Beans).


One of the more delicious snacks I tried was the Red Velvet Bites from Trugs Gourmet. The cookies were crunchy, light but satisfying, with just the right amount of sweetness. They’re also gluten-free, made with vegetables and other ingredients you will recognize and can pronounce, and derive their red color from powdered beets instead of dyes synthesized in a test tube, extracted from petroleum, seeds or insects.


On the topic of gluten-free and vegan, Better Beans also gets a mention for their assortment of bean sides and dips re-imagined. One of their best sellers and the spiciest of their products, Wholly Chipotle Bean Dip, was my favorite of the offerings available. Rich, with the grainy texture of beans, thick and satisfying, this dip is mildly spicy and would pair wonderfully well with a thin bread.

There were a number of salsa and hummus vendors (including an offering from Vancouver’s very own Las Magaritas on 4th Avenue), but there was nothing outstanding about any of them. I was, however, impressed with the baked pita chips the hummus samples were served on. They were savory, but not salty, solid, but not thick, and snapped apart with a satisfying crunch. I could’ve munched on those for hours.


Something else that was really good were the seed-studded crisp samples from Saman Bakery, a “Persian Artisan Bakery” company. I didn’t get a chance to look at the prices, but if they’re not expensive, go grab a box to snack on!


Speaking of snacks, Green & Black’s also had a stand with a large offering of chocolate samples. I tried their 85% chocolate, their orange spice chocolate and their milk chocolate, and all were good. Most 85% chocolates give you a gummy taste in your mouth simply because they don’t melt, and while Green & Black’s 85% chocolate had a bit of that gumminess and a background bitterness, it was palatable. The orange spice chocolate was delicious, but then that’s a tried and true pairing. The quality of the ingredients, evident in the clarity and sharpness of taste, were what shone through for me here. I was hesitant to try the milk chocolate because I thought it would be either too sweet or too plasticky. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it was neither. Unlike most milk chocolates, it slowly melted in my mouth without a plasticky texture, but it wasn’t sickeningly sweet, either.

I also tried the maple syrup and maple butter from Canadian Maple Delights, which has a location in Gastown. I’ve passed by it several times before and always thought it was a tourist trap, so I was curious to taste their products. The maple syrup was ridiculously sweet, and should definitely be taken in tiny doses, but the strong, rich flavor of maple makes this a viable decision. The maple butter was also delicious. I am sold. The next time I come bearing gifts to non-Canadian friends, I am visiting Canadian Maple Delights.


The last food exhibit I am going to mention is Three Farmers camelina oil. In addition to being a Canadian prairie product, it was a delicious oil. I like my olive oil, extra virgin and regular, but sometimes, I just don’t want that olive flavor because it doesn’t pair well with the food, or because I can’t cook with it at high temperatures (olive oil has a very low smoke point – I learned this the hard way when I set off my fire alarm making kale chips at 400F). Canola oil is a cheap, fishy smelling alternative, and I’ve just never been that fond of the flavor or texture of peanut oil and grapeseed oil. I couldn’t imagine dipping bread into those oils – the end result would not be tasty. Camelina oil was tasty. And it’s Canadian. And it claims to be natural, sustainable and traceable, so you know exactly where it came from. Perfect for the hyper-environmentally/socially/humanistically conscious Vancouverite.

The last food product I am going to mention is from Epicure. Epicure is a Canadian company run by women in a slightly Tupperware party-esque fashion. It’s a little pricey, but when I tried their Roasted Garlic Aioli, I understood why. I’ve had aioli in many permutations many times since it first appeared on the food scene in Vancouver about five years or so ago. I’ve never had one that was as perfectly rich and scented with roasted garlic as the one from Epicure. This is the aioli that made me want to make my own aioli, not because it was bad, but because I’ve finally tasted the aioli that inspired me and made me think learning to make this is a worthwhile challenge.

There were also exhibitions on food prep products, from basic, if high-end, kitchenware to informercial items to those marketed at the aspiring molecular gastronomist, exhibitions on food clubs and, of course, exhibitions from restaurants around Vancouver with small samplers on sale for tickets.

There were also two non-traditional food/drink exhibits of interest. Tea Sparrow is a tea tasting club. For the price of $20 a month, they will ship 4 different teas to you a month (free shipping) to try. If you like the tea, the manufacturer’s information is included on the tea so that you can contact them or purchase from them directly. I am not a tea person, otherwise I would sign up for this. I can’t go through 35 cups of tea a month. I am, however, waiting for the coffee equivalent of Tea Sparrow.


The Foodie Card is, of course, an orphan child of Groupon and its ilk. For the price of $29.99 a year, you get a Foodie Card, which gets you 50% off or a 2 for 1 special at select restaurants throughout Vancouver. Unfortunately, the number of participating restaurants is still quite small; however, if you dine out a fair bit, the Foodie Card would be easily worth the initial investment.


For those who aren’t merely there to eat, but to learn, EAT! Vancouver also presents half-hour seminars on Canadian cheeses throughout the day. The cheese seminars are presented by a host from The Dairy Farmers of Canada who will walk you through the tasting of seven different cheeses. To my delight, the seminar was free, and in addition to the seven cheese samples, we also got a smorgasbord of verbal advice about serving cheese at home – all the way from sanitation and storage conditions to hosting parties with cheese, pairings and labelling the cheese offerings so your guests know what they’re eating! – as well as lots of paper materials on Canadian cheeses and recipes. One magazine The Dairy Farmers of Canada were pushing was the All You Need is Cheese magazine, which is free and can be picked up at your neighborhood specialty cheese retailer. Alternatively, you can subscribe online and they will mail it to you.

The seven cheeses we got to try were: the Tre Stelle Boccocini (on a skewer with a grape tomato), Tre Stelle Feta (the white crumbly square), Canadian Gouda from Fromagerie Bergeron (the rectangular piece with two shades of golden cheesiness), Harvest Moon Camembert from Poplar Grove (the wedge), Mild Cheddar from L’Ancetre (the pale triangle), Bouchée Saveur Italienne, a cream cheese, from Damafro Inc (the round with sprinkled herbs), and Smoked Cheddar with Salmon from Village Cheese (the triangle studded with orange specks).
I loved the feta and the boccocini paired with the grape tomato, but these are tried and true classics for me. (The boccocini could’ve used some olive oil…) I also liked the Bouchée Saveur Italienne (cream cheese), and learned that I preferred the rind part of the gouda (more orangey side) to the centre, simply because it had a more solid texture that, I felt, contrasted better with the flavor than the softer centre.


In addition to the cheese seminar, I also attended the Making the Perfect Caesar and Summer Sippers seminars over at the Grapes and Hops Stage inside the Wine, Beer & Spirits Tasting Pavilion. Seminars inside the Wine, Beer & Spirits Tasting Pavilion cost 4 tickets ($2), but like the cheese seminar, attendance includes a small sampler of whatever the seminar is on.

The Caesars seminar was presented by Clint Pattemore, who is a very amusing presenter. He regaled us with jokes and little tidbits of information about the origin of the caesar – Calgary, Alberta – and walked us through the making of the classic caesar. He next showed us how to make a lighter Caesar, a more summery patio one, with a pineapple and basil base. We got samplers of the two different kinds of caesars.


The Summer Sippers seminar was presented by Wine Diva Daenna Van Mulligen. In this seminar, we got to try four different wines: two rosé, one white and one red. The first wine, a rosé from Bella, smelled and tasted of strawberries, with a slight tartness and bubbles. The flavor was fresh and distinct, but not too sharp. The second wine, a white one from Back Yard, was reminiscent of gewürztraminer wines. Of the four wines we tried, this was the sweetest and driest. The third wine, another rosé from Mission Hill this time, was my favorite of the four. Daenna pointed out the flavor of rhubarb, but I am not familiar enough with rhubarb to be able to recognize it from the bouquet. This rosé had a fresh, but smoother smell compared to Bella. It also smelled less sweet and tasted fresher. The flavors were more subtle and less in-your-face bold. The last wine, a pinot noir from Thornhaven, had a light cherry and cedar smell. Of the four wines, this was my least favorite, as it had the slight bitterness and astringency I usually associate with white wines.


For those interested in culinary entertainment, there were a number of celebrity chefs from the Food Network giving cooking demonstrations at EAT! Vancouver, as well as a celebrity chef cook down competition. For the tactile learners amongst us, there were also culinary classes ($28) offered by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. I watched Cake Building 101, and was in equal parts entertained (by the students’ crumbling cakes) and fascinated (by the techniques the teaching chef used to salvage everyone’s cakes). While I only watched part of one class, they do seem to be geared towards the beginner, if not complete novice, cook/baker.

And last, but never least, was my brief foray into the Wine, Beer & Tasting Pavilion to try the alcohol exhibits. Everything in this pavilion requires tickets (50 cents each), starting with the “loan security” of two tickets for a beer or wine glass at the entrance. I first tried a wine (Amphorae) from a fancy looking exhibit that was unimpressive. Next, I decided to try the peach beer from Pyramid after the vendor claimed it was their most popular item and that they were nearly out. Worst. Decision. Ever. In all the beers I have tried and drunk in my time, I have never come as close to throwing out beer as I did in this case. I don’t even want to think about this beer. This was a sickly sweet beer that fizzles in your mouth, and after you swallow, leaves you with a strong, bitter aftertaste. I like Heineken and I like IPAs (including Alexander Keith’s, even though it’s not bitter at all), but this was a disgusting beer.

The next thing I tried was the lychee sake, recently made available in BC Liquor Store. It smelled and tasted of lychee, and with an 8% alcohol content, could be chilled and served as a cocktail on its own. It was a sweet sake, but not overwhelmingly so.

After this, I decided to try the hard liquor – gin. As I approached the stand, a lady walked away commenting on how prevalent the taste of olives was in the gin. First off, I confess that I do not know much about gin. I am not fond of gin and tonic, but I am fond of an amazing gin martini a Calgary friend once made for me. Victoria gin was a little strong for me, even after the lady diluted it down with tonic water, but the clean aftertaste of olives was definitely present. The Oaken Gin, which is Victoria Gin aged for a few months in oak barrels, tasted and went down a lot smoother. If I were to make a gin martini, I would use the Victoria gin, but as a drink on its own to enjoy, I would choose the Oaken Gin.

The last thing I tried was a beer from China – Zhu Jiang beer – which, true to most Chinese beers I have tried, was a pleasantly sparkling drink that went down easy. No bite, but not bland, either. I would drink this beer. Pyramid Brewery, no. Zhu Jiang, yes.

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