A rainy Friday includes the Duchess, Culina Millcreek and La Ronde

Early one Friday morning, Dan and I headed out to the Duchess right when it opened and were treated to a fully stocked Duchess. Check it out! Look at all the beautiful macarons all lined up and ready to be bought! One child who came into the store said it looked like mini hamburgers - they sort of do! Just much tastier. 

macarons L to R - creme brulee, coconut, salted caramel, matcha, strawberry, pistachio, lemon, dark chocolate, rose, lavender and orange blossom.  

fresh goods!

From behind the display case.

We were also treated to a small French style breakfast. With fresh almond croissants right out of the oven, macarons of my choice (lemon, orange blossom, coconut, salted caramel) accompanied with coffee and tea, who could say no?

Then, after a long day at work, we headed out to Culina Millcreek for some dinner. This was a perfect option since this particular Friday - the start of the May long weekend, was a rainy, cold, snow flurry and windy one; which called for a cozy and appetizing dinner. Culina fit the bill perfectly. 

PEI mussels in a white wine, tomato and leek sauce. 

comments: too delicious to write notes on! But, we do remember the sauce being more like a thin soup, and the bread triangles came in handy as they helped sop up the remaining broth.

home made ravioli filled with cashews, feta, sage; originally on a bed of warm white bean and vegetable salad. However, as I was aching for their quinoa salad they gladly substituted it for me. The quionoa, which is very nutritious, was accompanied with dried cherries, feta, almonds, chickpeas, millet and an apple cider vinaigrette. 

Brome Lake Duck Breast - on a bed of roasted potatoes in a white balsamic and cherry reduction.

This entree, was not only aesthetically pleasing but a winner on the taste front. Dan enjoyed it thoroughly! I'm not a huge fan of dried cherries in my food, but with the cherry reduction it went very well with the duck. The cherry reduction added a hint of sweetness to the duck meat, and the cherries gave the dish more body. Without a doubt, we  recommend these dishes and will return again! 

After a fulfilling meal at Culinas, night's end found us at La Ronde - Edmonton's revolving restaurant. Given all the food we had eaten and the night's events, it was crucial find a seat facing forward. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a great way to enjoy the night sky, try pairing it with this dessert. Light and not too filling, the sorbet helped balanced the rather heavy meal we had eaten. It was also a great way to end a day of culinary adventures.   

 Hazelnut Praline topped with strawberry white chocolate cream and strawberry sorbet accompanied with strawberries macerated in Amaretto.

The Duchess
10720-124 St.
(780) 488-4999
Closed Monday & Tuesday & holidays

Wed: 9am-6pm

Thurs & Fri: 9am-8pm

Sat & Sun: 10am-5pmhttp://duchessbakeshop.com/

Culina Millcreek

9914 89 Avenue Northwest
Edmonton, AB T6E 2S5
(780) 437-5588

Mon-Wed: 9am-3pm, 5-10pm

Sat: 10am-2pm, 5-10pm

Sun: 10am-2pm

http://culinafamily.ca/mill-creek/

La Ronde

located in Chateau Lacombe

10111 Bellamy Hill Road Northwest
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4B5
(780) 420-8366 or 1-800-661-8801

reservations recommended

Sunday brunch: 10:30am-2pm

Dinner (daily): 5:30pm-10:30pm

laronde@chateaulacombe.com

http://www.chateaulacombe.com/laronde.php

A taste of the Caribbean in Edmonton from Irie Foods

Ever since Irie Foods opened on Whyte Ave, I kept saying to myself that I should try their food - a recurring thought I have every day as I drive by. I even came very close to it, one Saturday afternoon back in March. I even went as far as taking a look at the menu options, take-out menu and the layout of the restaurant. Perhaps, it was my nervousness at trying out a restaurant by myself, or the fact that it was rather late in the afternoon for lunch, but either way I made up enough excuses that I did not order that day. Finally the first week of May; time, adventure and hunger was on us, so we headed over to Irie Foods for dinner.

The layout of the restaurant is nice and open. The restaurant seats approximately 20-25 people with about 10 tables and a 4-5 bar seats The service was friendly, knowledgeable, the atmosphere was calm, and there were a fair number of patrons this particular evening. As for the food, we were certainly impressed! Not just for the amount of food that arrived, and the variety, but the taste! Each entree came with your choice of vegetables, rice and peas or plain rice AND an additional soup or salad. Here are our starters:

the soup - chunks of potato, carrots & home-made goodness

the salad (a bit on the plain side)

Now for the entrees. A decent amount of food presented in open square dishes. We both thought that each dish tasted great, and we were completely full by the end of the meal. However, in retrospect I wonder if the description that was in the menu matched the food we were served.

Stewed beef: tender cuts of stewed beef browned, then slowly cooked, accompanied by coleslaw and a rice pilaf ($16)

Curry Chicken: chicken marinated with a blend of jamaican curry, spices, garlic accompanied with potatoes and scalions served with coleslaw and rice ($16)

Dan had the curry chicken and reported that the meat was tender and the curry sauce was spicy, but not overly spicy. I found the beef to be tender as expected and the sauce went very well with the rice. Overall, we found the dishes satisfactory in terms of their portion sizes, however, Dan wanted to try the snapper fish dish the next time we go since it looked absolutely huge.

Irie Foods - Caribbean Cuisine

10152A-82 Ave. NW. Edmonton, AB

(780) 757-2022

Mon-Wed: 11am~ 9pm

Thurs - Sat: 11am ~11pm

Sunday: 12pm~ 5pm

They also have another location in Millwoods 

Street food in Van - Japa dogs!

If you're ever in Vancouver, the one thing that every good food connoisseur should advise you to try is the acclaimed Japa Dog. Now, this is not just any hot dog, but a beef, bratwurst, pork, turkey or vegetable hotdog filled with a variety of toppings - such as bonito flakes (very good!), delicate pieces of seasoned, dried seaweed (also very appetizing), fried cabbage, Japanese mayo, teriyaki sauce etc... To make it easier for Japa Dog visitors, there is a series of menu options in visual form to make your decision a smooth one. Here's a sample of what you can expect if you're ordering a Japa Dog.

Part of the Terimayo Series - my choice: the Beef Terimayo, an all beef hot dog topped with tasty Japanese mayo, teriyaki sauce, fried onions and shredded seaweed for $4.75. 

Dan's pick, the Okonomi with Kurobuta (pork) sausage, topped in layers with Japanese mayo, fried cabbage, okonomi sauce, shredded seaweed and dried bonito flakes for $6.75.

The price of Dan's Okonomi seems a bit on the pricier end, which I'm thinking is attributed to the Kurobuta sausage. Nevertheless, the combination of the all the toppings is truly delicious! I've also wondered, due to the price of the Kurobuta, if you could substitute for a cheaper hotdog such as the bratwurst or beef and still get the same toppings(?). Since, the toppings themselves add to a large portion of the taste factor. 



Of course, you can get the 'regular hotdog' at any of their carts, but what's the fun in that? Next time you're in Vancouver, be sure to try a Japa Dog. Certainly a taste towards umami. Be warned, though, that the line can get quite long nearing lunch or dinner hour. As well, according to their website since May 28, Japa Dog has now opened a physical location at 530 Robson St. Vancouver! From what Japa Dog lovers have said, the line is still long. For those wanting the cart version, visit them at the following address:


Downtown Vancouver, BC
corner of Burrard & Smithe
near the Sutton Place Hotel
Monday to Thursday: 12:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m
Friday and Saturday: 12:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m
Sunday: 12:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m
www.japadog.com   


Ordering notes: When you arrive at the cart, you will see two lines. This sound self-explanatory, but one line is for ordering and one line is for picking up your order. The line directly in front of the cart is where you order your food. After you've ordered, they will give you a plastic card with your order number and you will be asked to wait in the line beside the cart. 

Beijing Beijing -Dim Sum

2013 UPDATE: Since this review, I've visited Beijing Beijing for Dim Sum many times. Over the past three years, the quality of the Dim Sum dishes have improved to the point where we bring friends to have Dim Sum. In fact, one of my friends even had a wedding banquet at Beijing Beijing. This is a sign that over time, the Dim Sum scene in Edmonton is constantly changing and improving.

Ever since Beijing Beijing opened in the south side of Edmonton, I've only been there for dinner. Both times our experiences were mediocre at best. Which is surprising since their modern dining room setup with nice round tables, comfy chairs and a variety of differently shaped serving dishes suggest otherwise. 


So after the Good Friday service back in April, a few people suggested going to Beijing Beijing for Dim Sum. Not having gone before I hoped the experience would be comparable to our experience at Urban China. Here are a few selections of what we had- again very similar fare to what we had at Urban China.  

At Beijing Beijing there is also the cart system and you choose food you want as they go by. Because it was a very similar group of us that had gone to Urban China, we couldn't help but compare. Within the first few dishes, we all immediately agreed that everything was unnecessarily salty!  What the siumai (a signature dimsum dish) lacked in flavour it bore it's weight in salt content. The chicken feet was certainly hot (temperature) enough, but was chewy instead of soft - where at Urban China the meat seemed to fall off the bone. There was also the pervasive use of salt which took away from its true flavour. Another dish we had enjoyed was the Loa Wong Bao (Special Egg yolk bun), where a bun filled with egg custard is steamed and upon opening the egg custard flows out like lava. This also needs to be eaten hot. The one at Beijing Beijing seemed to carry more flour and was more dense. No custard flowed out either.  All the other dishes seemed pretty typical, and unfortunately more salty then needed.

Price wise - there were the same number of ppl (8) at both dimsum places, but we felt that we were able to order twice the number of dishes for the same price ($15/ person)! This is rather significant considering that all dishes were overly salty! Beijing Beijing may have the decent service and modern atmosphere, but the price you pay, the potential wait time ( especially during peak hours), extra salt and quality may have you wanting to try something else .

Beijing Beijing

700, 3803 Calgary Trail, 
Edmonton, AB, Canada
(780) 430-7720

Vancouver Marathon of food!

First weekend of May was definitely a marathon eating of food in Vancouver! Dan ran the BMO marathon that weekend, but together we ate our way through a lot of great food places in Van! Pictures and reviews to come shortly. Meanwhile, here is what we brought back as our snack! 

 These huge cream puffs are from Beard Papa's located in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, British Columbia. We bought one of their regular flavours - vanilla, and their special of the day - mango. 

Upon ordering the different flavours, each pastry shell was injected with the filling. The "cream" inside the puffs were more of a custard consistency. The mango puff leaned more towards 'mango pudding' in custard form, while there wasn't anything too special about the vanilla one. I believe the one in Aberdeen features different flavours for each day (e.g. strawberry, chocolate, coffee, green tea) - there is even a handy calendar to help customers remember.

Given their size, it would be safe to say that it's probably not recommended to eat an entire one by yourself. Two cream puffs were split three ways, and that was more than enough for the three of us! Plus, the alarming fact is that there are approximately 220 calories in one cream puff! There's even a sign at the cash register reminding patrons of this - as if this is a healthy fact.

Either way, despite the alarming calories, it's definitely worth a try. So, if you're ever near a Beard Papa's try one out. In Japan it's all the rage, as well as all over the globe. Remember, it's best to eat them fresh. Each cream puff at Beard Papa's costs $1.75. But if you get more than 6 then it's slightly cheaper, but one wonders about the calories. 

Beard Papa's

4151 Hazelbridge Way
Aberdeen Centre
Richmond, BC V6X3R8

Tel: (604) 270-1234

http://beardpapascanada.com/ 

Crème brûlée - with less the fat

Crème brûlée - by far my favourite dessert (next to macarons)! Although, the one difference it has over macarons is that thus far, I'm actually successful at making crème brûlée. This particular crème brûlée I made though has much less cream then the ones you usually order - as I used 1% milk. Yup, that's right 1% milk. It still has the same smooth texture, but less creamy and heavy in comparison to the restaurant variety. It definitely encourages/allows you to have more than one.

Crème brûlée (makes 4 full ramekins) 

2 cups of cream or milk - I used 1% in this case

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

8 large egg yolks

1/2 cup of sugar

1. Separate egg yolks from egg whites 
2. Beat yolks until smooth 
3. Heat cream/milk until almost simmering 
4. Slowly add cream to eggs 1 tsp at a time - watch that you don't cook eggs 
5. When 3/4 of the cream remain, pour the rest of the cream into the mix 
6. Use a sieve to strain custard mixture to remove small clumps 
7. Blend in vanilla extract 
8. Pour into ramekins 
9. Place into a water bath and cook at 250F for 1 hour  
10. Check for done-ness by shaking and seeing if center jiggles (like jello) 
11. Place in fridge for several hours to set if desired 
12. Sprinkle sugar on top and carmelize with blowtorch

baking notes: If using 1% milk instead of cream, turn the oven up to 300F or 350F (depending on your oven) so that the mixture will set within the hour. To prevent cooking of the eggs, start with room-temperature eggs. For a less sweet dessert, cut down the sugar to 1/4 cup or less. 

  

More Cupcakes from Whimsical Cupcake....

Having tried two butter cream cupcakes from Whimsical Cupcake Studios a few week ago, I wanted to try their cupcake with the cream-cheese frosting. Pictured below is the Ruby.

The Ruby is a red velvet cupcake topped with cream-cheese frosting. True to my previous impressions, the cake's insides were pleasantly moist. Unfortunately, I found the cream cheese frosting overtly sweet and thick (almost chewy) compared to their cupcakes with butter cream.

Since Dan's first cupcake from Whimsical was the Ruby, I wanted him to try one with a buttercream topping. So, when I was there last week I purchased Envied.

This vanilla cupcake was topped with an almond pistachio butter cream. The pistachio buttercream was nice and light and not too heavy making it a pleasant combination with the moist part of the cake. Upon biting in, there was also a strong taste of pistachio. As well, Dan commented that, "anyone eating Envied is definitely to be envied". I take it that he liked it.

The contrast between the two types of frosting can be differentiated by their level of sweetness and texture. I prefer the light butter cream frosting to the cream cheese frosting which occasionally is overkill in terms of sweetness. As you might tell, I find that the cakes from Whimsical Cake Studio are definitely moist which I think is a crucial factor for a good cupcake. The crust is not consistently present, but the moistness factor and their truly fluffy buttercream topping continues to keep me going to Whimsical Cupcake Studio.  

Whimsical Cake Studio
8716 109 St.
(780) 988-CAKE (2253)
call for hours
www.whimsicalcupcakes.com