Zaika Indian Bistro Bar

Zaika is a modern Indian bistro that's very close to my office, so I've been there a couple times for lunch with coworkers. The place is probably the cleanest Indian restaurant I've been to, and to my delight there was no intense odour of Indian spices that clung to my hair and clothes after my visit. The owners are a young Indian couple, and they did a good job of creating a trendy atmosphere.

The most popular lunch option is the all-you-can-eat buffet for $14. But on my first visit I opted for an a la carte entree — the mango chicken ($17), served with plain naan and basmati rice. The downside was that I had to wait for my dish while watching the buffet-eaters at the same table wolf down their food, but my naan looked a lot fresher and fluffier than theirs (or at least I convinced myself that was the case). The mango chicken sauce was a very mild curry. So mild, in fact, that it almost didn't seem like Indian cooking. I enjoyed it, but I did expect it to be a bit more aromatic.

On my second visit I tried the buffet, and I have to say that this is the better option. Good value, good selection, and tasty food. Thanks to the lunch crowd, the food cleared out quickly and fresh plates were constantly brought out from the kitchen. None of the food was dry and stale like it had been sitting on a hot plate all day; everything was hot and fresh.

Apart from hot foods, there was a salad bar with a selection of salads and veggies.

Desserts included fresh fruit, rice pudding, and a sweet and chewy pastry called jalebi.

I tried a little bit of everything and that was already enough for me. I could have gone for a second plate, but I've learned not to stuff myself to the point of explosion at all-you-can-eat events.

The mango lassi ($4.50) was also really good. This tropical yogurt-based beverage was creamy and fragrant, garnished with a dot of red rose syrup that added a special twist of flavour.

I've heard that the dinner buffet is not as good since customer turnover is lower, but I personally haven't tried it. The lunch buffet was excellent though, and I would definitely come back again.

Continue reading...

Upper Crust Cafe - Fork Fest

Edmonton has a dining event called the Fork Fest that runs twice a year — once in January and once in July — featuring $25, $35, and $45 set dinner menus at several popular restaurants in the city. My first Fork Fest encounter was at Upper Crust, a casual neighbourhood cafe with a small bakery section near the entrance.

Since I thought of Fork Fest as the Edmonton version of Dine Out Vancouver, I had expected most of the participating restaurants to be of the fine dining category. Contrary to my expectations, this place was as unpretentious as any place could be. It was more of an old-fashioned diner than a chic restaurant. But the price for a 3-course dinner was a reasonable $25 and there was even an option to have only 2 courses for $20.

The complimentary bread was awfully unimpressive for a bakery cafe. The buns were pale, bland, dry and cold.

I thought the meal was off to a bad start, but the appetizer got me hopeful again. I opted for the prosciutto rolls instead of the spinach salad, and that was a very good decision. The moist and slightly smoky meat was complemented with a filling of juicy julienne apples and creamy garlic herb cheese.

For my entree, I had the AAA beef tenderloin which I had assumed to be a regular grilled steak but turned out to be more like braised meat. Also the waitress never asked how I wanted it cooked when I ordered. Maybe I should've taken that as a hint that this was not a normal grilled steak. I didn't like it much and I found the caramelized onion asiago red wine jus a bit salty.

The dessert was similarly lacking in appearance and flavour. A perfect vanilla bean panna cotta to me should be silky smooth with a delicate hint of vanilla. This pudding had a rather coarse texture, made even worse by the gritty Saskatoon sauce. The whole thing was just really grainy as if there were bits of sand mixed in. And honestly the sloppy presentation did not help.

After dinner, I picked up a strawberry rhubarb pie ($6) from the bakery to take home. It looked deliciously tempting in a crude homemade way. Obviously it didn't come from a fancy patisserie, but it looked like a tasty treat that grannies would bake at home for the kids. I enjoyed the buttery and flaky crust, as well as the crunchy granola on top.

Although I didn't enjoy the entree and dessert, I still thought the meal was a good experience due to the price and value. I can see myself coming here again for some pie and comfort food, but I'll pass on the fancy dishes since the place seems more like a bakery and deli than a restaurant.

Continue reading...

Izakaya Tomo

A few months ago, Elly told me about a new Japanese restaurant that had just opened on the southside — Izakaya Tomo. We met up one day after work with Mousie to try the place out. The decor had a rustic feel to it with wooden furnishing and dim lighting.

Although the restaurant wasn't very big, it was quite spacious due to the empty space near the entrance. I'm surprised they didn't cram a few more tables in, but I appreciated the serene and calming environment.

The table was set with a disposable wet towel and chopsticks in an origami holder.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my favourite Asahi Black was available, albeit for the absurd price of approximately $8.

Our starter dish was a refreshing dish of kinpira ($3.95) — stir-fried burdock roots and carrots with sesame seeds. This stir-fry was nothing like the Chinese kind; it was served cold like a salad and was not oily at all.

When I saw crispy takoyaki ($6.95) on the menu, I thought the outer layer of the balls would be burned to a crisp. Luckily the batter wasn't over-fried and the flavour was quite good, though obviously not comparable to the ones at Richmond Night Market.

When I was looking at the menu, I wondered why the aburi saba ($4.45) was so cheap. Then I understood when I saw the size of the dish. The saba slices were small and thin, but since there were 8 pieces, the price was actually quite reasonable . The fish wasn't as fresh as I had hoped, and because of that the searing didn't bring out a lot of flavour. I'll probably pass on this next time.

Elly ordered the carbonara udon, and I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first. Seriously... pseudo-pasta at a Japanese restaurant? But the creamy udon turned out to be super delicious with a definite Japanese flavour that distinguished it from its Italian counterpart. Although the sauce was very rich and creamy, it wasn't in the least bit heavy, oily or salty.

The tuna yamakake ($7.95) was a mix of regular and red tuna cubes on a bed of grated mountain potato. We found the white mountain potato very... interesting. It looked like it would have the same texture as mashed potato, but in fact it was very slimy with a shredded texture. The shreds were just extremely fine. It tasted a bit like radish, but personally I couldn't stand the sliminess.

The simmered pork belly ($6.95) was quite small for the price. There were about 3 pieces of meat and 1 piece of daikon. The daikon was really good since it had absorbed all the flavour in the sauce, but the meat wasn't tender enough. The fatty parts were ok, but the lean parts were a bit coarse.

Izakaya Tomo has a nice selection of tapas, beers, and Japanese wines. I didn't drink much this time, but I'd be interested in trying the different sake and shochu on the menu. Most of the food items are really interesting and innovative as well. And it's nice to have another Japanese tapas place on the southside.

Continue reading...

Rice Paper

When Mousie suggested lunch at Rice Paper, I almost wanted to say no because I was so tired of Vietnamese food. I probably had more pho in the last 6 months than I've had in my entire life due to the large number of Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton. I find that there is a lack of ethnic foods apart from Vietnamese and Indian cuisine. But in any case I'm glad I agreed to try Rice Paper because it showcases a popular dish that's NOT pho — rice paper wraps!

One order of rice paper wrap is more than enough for one person. I decided to get the grilled ground shrimp on sugar canes ($16.99) because I was curious as to what it looked like. The ground shrimp was grilled around a strip of sugar cane, so it absorbed some of the sweetness. The dish also included vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

I wasn't very successful in creating my first wrap. I found out that the rice paper would curl up if only one side is wet. And if it's left in the water for too long, it becomes mushy and breaks. Generally a few seconds is good enough.

A little bit of ground shrimp and vermicelli and veggies go into each wrap. The sugar cane has too many fibres to be eaten, but the sweet nectar can be enjoyed by chewing on it. Unfortunately there is no elegant way of eating this, so it ends up looking like something spit back out onto the plate.

My sloppy first attempt:

By the end of the meal, I still wasn't very good at it.

Making nice looking wraps takes practice. Even though the ones I made didn't look very pretty, I think the hands-on eating style is part of the cultural experience and it's a lot of fun. I enjoy the food here, so despite the mediocre service, I'll be back next time I have a craving for some rice paper wraps.

Continue reading...

Wing Chicx

Wing Chicx is a family style Korean restaurant on the southside. It's a small place and the menu is fairly limited, but the food is authentic and reasonably priced. Since there isn't a lot of seating available, it's best to come early to beat the dinner crowd. I was there at 5:30 pm on a Sunday night and the place was packed full.

The decor inside was bright and cheerful and full of Korean flavour. As soon as we were seated, we were given menus and complimentary tea. In my experience, the staff have limited English capabilities, so it can be a bit of a challenge to ask questions regarding menu items. But service was excellent and tea was refilled promptly throughout the meal even if the cup was not empty. The waitress said she wanted to make sure our drinks were kept warm.

Our dinner started off with complimentary congee and side dishes. My favourite part of the entire meal was the congee because it was so fluffy and tasty and served as a light Asian style amuse-bouche that was both warm and comforting.

The rice stick mandoo dumpling soup ($10.99) was very savoury and peppery. The rice cake and dumplings were a bit mushy and bland, but the soup was just bursting with flavour. I was really thirsty after drinking it though, so the sodium content was probably quite high.

The original kimchi stew ($10.99) came with a bowl of rice. Along with the side dishes, this made for a satisfying meal complete with pork, assorted veggies and tofu.

The fried chicken (half: $15) is supposed to be the specialty here, but I didn't like the overly dry and crispy batter. The hot sauce was really good though; it was a nice blend of piquant spiciness and sweetness.

What I really like about this place is all the free stuff: tea, congee, and side dishes. Service is consistent and the food is generally quite good. The only issue is that the menu is limited, but that's to be expected at a family style restaurant. I would go to B-Bim-Baab if I wanted more variety, but this place is good enough for a casual lunch or dinner.

Continue reading...

Emperor's Palace 皇城

I asked a Chinese coworker for dim sum recommendations and he said although none of the restaurants here could compare with the ones in Vancouver, he thinks Emperor's Palace comes closest in terms of ambiance and quality. Indeed the place is quite large with nice decor and is probably a good choice for banquets.

Each table is given a small box of tissue instead of napkins. I wasn't too happy about that though, since I prefer big thick napkins over super thin one-ply tissues.

The first item to come around in the carts was durian pastry. The strangely bright yellow puffs didn't look nearly as good as the ones from Rainflower, but I decided to give them a try anyway. The pastry was very oily, but the filling was quite good despite being a bit weak in flavour.

The steamed chicken feet and shrimp dumplings were standard with decent portions.

The lobster congee special ($10.88) was a really good deal. I thought they would skimp on the meat, but there were several large chunks of lobster in the fluffy congee.

I was so surprised to see tofu pudding come around in a wooden barrel. I haven't seen this served at a dim sum restaurant for the longest time. This dish is a childhood memory for me, so I enjoyed it even with the weak syrup that was hardly sweet. I wish they had ginger syrup instead.

The texture of the tofu was the strangest I've come across. When I tried to scoop it up with my spoon, the tofu didn't break! It just wrapped around my spoon like a stretchy piece of dough.

Since I was still craving something sweet after the bland tofu pudding, I ordered cocktail buns for dessert. I still find it strange that this type of bun is found in almost every dim sum restaurant in Edmonton. Usually it's just sold in Chinese bakeries, but it seems like a popular dish here.

I should've expected a dim sum restaurant to fall short in the bun-making category. The bread was dry and coarse, while the filling was chunky and grainy.

One good thing about Emperor's Palace is the variety of food that comes around regularly. This place offers the most comprehensive roundup of dim sum that I've seen and there's plenty of seating. Prices are also very competitive at $3.25/dish (applies to small, medium, large dim sum).

Continue reading...