EVENT | WHAT THE TRUCK?! | EDMONTON

The sun is shining. Birds are chirping. It could only mean one thing. Summer is coming? No silly, it's the start of food truck season!

This past weekend kicked off the 2016 What The Truck (WTT) season, with the first inaugural event held at Northlands Park. Edmonton's food truck scene has grown quite a bit over the last little while, and the aim of WTT is to celebrate that growing culture. At a WTT event, a number of food trucks are gathered in one central location, allowing guests to try a handful of them all at once.

The season started off with a bang, with 40 trucks taking part in the weekend-long festivities. Though the location of WTT varies, I thought that Northlands was a great location. Easily accessible by transit, ample parking, and lots of room to spread out.

There was a decent crowd when the event started at 3:00, but the line-ups were pretty manageable and food was quick to come out. It helps to come out to a WTT event with a game plan. Check the menus beforehand (they're usually posted a few days before) and have an idea of which food trucks you want to hit up. If you're going with friends, divide and conquer! Going early helps too!

The first truck that we hit up was Casa12Doce, a beautiful and vibrant food truck based out of Sherwood Park. If there was an award for the most eye-catching truck design, Casa12Doce would definitely win.

Owner and executive chef Carlos O'Farrill originally hails from Mexico City. When he wasn't able to find a worthy Mexican eatery in Edmonton, he decided to make one himself, only, this time on wheels. With a diverse menu that includes everything from tacos to flautas, Casa12Doce's specialty is delivering fresh, authentic Mexican food to the streets.

We ordered their gringa ($10.00): two 10" flour tortillas grilled with cheese, topped off with al Pastor pork, onions, cilantro, pineapple, and a lime wedge. Basically the love child between a quesadilla and a taco. Portions were generous with a healthy serving of well-seasoned pork. The meat was erring slightly on the dry side, but the pineapple made up for it with its sweetness. The quesadilla taco shell was toasty and melty, the perfect vehicle and a delicious combination when rolled up and eaten together!

For some reason or another, green onion cakes have become Edmonton's unofficial "official" dish.  Jumping on this trend is Rapscallions, a new addition to the food struck scene, having made their debut at WTT. I have to say, their take on the classic green onion cake is pretty ingenious: using it as a taco shell and stuffing it full with a variety of Asian-inspired fillings.

Rapscallions had probably one of the longest lines, but they were quick to churn out their product. Despite being rookies, their assembly line operated like a well-oiled machine. Food trucks, take note: novelty sells. 
 

Out of four varieties offered, we settled on the Korean shredded beef green onion cake taco ($7.00). Korean-style beef short rib, cooked bone-in, shredded, and then soaked in its own braising liquid. Finished with kimchi and roasted sesame seeds, and then rolled up in a green onion cake. While the idea was creative, I felt the execution was so-so. The green onion cake was dense and a little burnt. I was expecting more flakiness and definitely more green onion flavour. The shredded beef was moist, but coupled with the kimchi, the flavour was pretty mild. I see great potential in their product though, and could only hope for improvement here on out.

Moving along to their neighbouring truck, Drift is what you would consider a veteran. I'm sad I wasn't able to try out their brick and mortar store (Dovetail Deli) earlier, since it was announced a month ago that they were closing up shop. Not to worry though, they still plan to go strong with their food trucking business.

For the WTT event, Drift were serving slider sizes of their usual sandwiches alongside your choice of fries or crisps. LT ordered the pork belly slider with fries ($8.00). Even with the side, I thought it was pretty expensive for such a small portion. Their regular sandwiches go for $8.50 anyways, so why the inflated price?

The sandwich is somewhat banh mi-inspired, since the pork belly is paired with pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and chili mayo. I had a bite and thought they were quite liberal with the chili mayo. The hand-cut fries were good, though LT said they were a bit inconsistent with some pieces being crispy and others soggy. She did like the fries and thought it paired well with their homemade ketchup.

The Good Stuff truck was new to me, but apparently they originate from Red Deer. Loved their tagline -- field, farm, fork, face. Emphasis on locally sourced ingredients is always nice to see.

We got the fried chicken bao to share (2 for $9.50, 1 for $5.00). In between the soft and fluffy bao was a kimchi brined and fried chicken thigh, "good" sauce, cilantro, and green onion. I had a bite and thought the chicken was cooked well with a satisfying crunch. Pretty safe flavours overall.

Our last savoury item of the day came courtesy of Meat Street Pies. They're run by a husband and wife team, and offer a variety of freshly baked, handheld meat pies. Think chicken pot pie, Cornish pasties, tourtière, Jamaican patties, and much more.

The lady taking orders was so fun and sweet. I think having a person on the ground feels so much more personable than having to shout your order up to a window (or maybe that's just me and my lack of height talking). 

LT decided on the tourtière ($6.50), a traditional French-Canadian pie. Meat Street prepares theirs with a mix of ground beef and pork, onions, celery, and a not-so-secret blend of herbs and spices. The puff pastry was impossibly flaky, making it a mess to eat but totally worth it. Filled to the brim with meat, no fillers here. LT thought it was delicious, and when prompted more, said "Delicious. it was just delicious." Make of that what you will.

Onto dessert! There were quite a few gelato and ice cream trucks to choose from, but in the end, I decided on Cafe Bel-Air, a humble little cart serving up gourmet popsicles. Cafe Bel-Air can also be found at various farmer's markets around the city. Their flavours are inventive, emphasizing local and all-natural ingredients. Vegan? Lactose-intolerant? They have you covered!

The mango lassi popsicle ($3.00) was right up my alley. It was a bit subtle on the mango, but huge on the spice. (Cardamom maybe?) Definitely a refreshing treat, and nice, light way to end off the festivities. 

Knowing LT and KN, simple ice cream wasn't going to cut it. They made a beeline for Molly's Eats, a food truck known for its international take on comfort food. They've been around for quite a while, but for WTT, they brought forward a dessert-centric menu.

For LT, was there anything more fitting than the French chocolate cake ($5.00)? Topped off with a caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt, the cake was super rich and chocolately. It was more like a piece of fudge than cake really. My bite was incredibly dense, with a strong coffee note. LT is a big chocolate fan, but even for her, it was a bit too much.

KN got the flødeboller, pronounced flew-de-bowl-ler ($5.00). A Danish dessert, a flødeboller is basically a chocolate covered marshmallow sitting on top of a cookie. Molly's made theirs gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free so anyone could partake. It was almost like the real-life embodiment of the poop emoji. Hmm, appetizing. KN thought the cookie bottom was a bit dry, and that it wasn't anything too special.



Overall, the first WTT events were a huge success. Despite inclement weather reports, the rain held off on both Saturday and Sunday and only started pouring once it wrapped up. The event was well-organized, and the food trucks were better prepared to handle the crowd. Through volunteer efforts, WTT has managed to overcome the growing pains that made last year's Churchill event a bit of a gong show. With more dates planned throughout the summer, make sure to go out, support your local food trucks, and celebrate the little sun we get with some tasty food!


       

- CT

REVIEW | JUMBO DIM SUM & DINING | EDMONTON

Whether you're in the mood for dim sum or traditional Chinese fare, Jumbo is probably the most popular option for it in the west end. Located just off of 170th street, it's a fairly large restaurant, occupying the lower floor of an office building.

It's not fancy by any means, and the decor is slightly outdated, but the food is generally consistent. If we're not at Wok N Roll (our go-to for dim sum and banquet dinners), we typically find ourselves here.   

For a Monday, it was surprisingly busy. I'd expect a wait if you were to go on the weekend or a holiday.

Jumbo operates on a push-cart system for dim sum, and they were pretty frequent with coming around. Waiters were also on standby to refill teapots and clear away finished dishes. With any Chinese restaurant though, just don't come to expect impeccable service.

Along with the usual fare, Jumbo also caters to a more Western clientele by adding "safe" and recognizable items such as chicken wings and BBQ skewers to their rotation. Whatever gets them business I guess. 

Har gow ($5.25), or steamed shrimp dumplings, is a dim sum staple. A ball of shrimp mousse is wrapped in a tender, translucent skin. It came lukewarm, but otherwise no complaints here.

Pictures can be deceiving since the sui mai ($4.75) look quite big. The steamer is actually smaller than usual so I'd say they're pretty average in size. The sui mai could have used more shrimp in the mix but they were nice and meaty.

The deep fried shrimp dumplings ($5.25) have small flecks of carrot interspersed with the shrimp filling. Served with a side of sweet mayo, the wrapper is thick and crunchy, crackling with every bite. A touch oily but that's to be expected.

The steamed rice roll with shrimp ($5.75) was okay. The rice roll is smooth and firm, but a touch doughy which makes for a gummy bite. 

The wor tip ($4.75) is my sister's favourite item at Jumbo. The meat is plump and the dumpling skin develops a nice crust from being pan-fried. I'm not as partial to it since I find the pork and cabbage mixture to be overly gingery.


Overall, I find the dim sum at Jumbo to be so-so. Some items are good, but their food does seem to be more oily and sit a little heavier than most. If you do come to Jumbo, go for dinner since they offer a free dessert buffet at the end of the meal. Unlimited almond cookies? Yes please.

Jumbo Dim Sum & Dining

jumbodimsum.ca 

10451 170 St NW

Edmonton, AB

(780) 481-3838

- CT

REVIEW | XIX NINETEEN | ST. ALBERT

XIX Nineteen has received a lot of acclaim over the years, and despite it being on my bucket list for some time, I've never had the opportunity to go. (Living in the complete opposite end of the city definitely has its challenges.) When news broke out that they were opening a second location north of the river, I was beyond happy. It still took me six months to try it out, but better late than never.

XIX's second shop is located in a new retail development in St. Albert, neighbouring a number of other cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Headed by chef Rino Lam, XIX's cuisine is advertised as elevated Canadian but with a definite Asian influence.  

To celebrate MH's birthday, we made plans to have brunch at XIX, which is served Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. Until recently, brunch was only served at their St. Albert location, but now it's also available at their Terwillegar flagship, although on Sundays only.

Not knowing how busy it would be, we made a reservation for 11:00 and quickly saw that it probably wasn't necessary. There were maybe two other tables seated when we arrived, so it was nice and quiet throughout the entire duration of our meal. Perhaps not many people are aware that XIX serves brunch on the weekends, but I also hope that their reputation of being a higher-end, fine-dining type of establishment hasn't relegated them to be a restaurant considered only for special occasions.

The restaurant is seperated into a dining room and a lounge. We didn't see the lounge but the dining room can only be described as classy and elegant. MH summed it up best -- it's a bit "bougie." White table cloths, wood and leather accents, and a clear view of the open kitchen, kept in pristine and immaculate condition.

The brunch menu is small and concise, and it seems like they've slimmed down the number of options that were initially offered at their conception. It was slightly disappointing since the options that survived weren't entirely too exciting. The front page of the menu consisted of more brunch-related items: a pancake breakfast, an egg scramble dish, a big breakfast plate, eggs Benedict, and two different salads. There's even a couple of kid's options in the line-up. On the flip side of the menu, more lunch-inspired items are presented: salmon, flatbreads, and a soup/sandwich combo. 

It's not on the menu, but freshly baked cinnamon buns ($5.00) are also on offer every weekend. We ordered one to share, based on the enthusiastic recommendations from both of our servers. The cinnamon buns are made with a whole wheat dough, which does nothing to lessen the guilt since you'd be hard-pressed to know it. Soft and fluffy, the bun is served warm and sticky with a butterscotch glaze. Although there was ample sweetness, it wasn't sickeningly so. I do think the cinnamon bun would be miles better with a classic cream cheese icing, since I was missing that tang to cut through the richness.

MH went healthy on me and ordered the California San Mateo salad as her main dish (half $13.00 / full $18.00). She opted for the full portion, and got a healthy mountain of organic greens, fresh BC berries, toasted cashews, and feta, all tossed in a honey mustard dressing. Between the choice of an herb aioli-crusted chicken breast or pepper-crusted ahi tuna, she chose the latter, which came with two portions layered around the perimeter. She finished every last bite, so it must have been good.

I wasn't quite sure on what to order, but in the end, opted for the XIX Big Breakfast ($16.00), with two Irving farm maple sausages, two strips of house cured bacon, two farm eggs, pan roasted potatoes, and grilled brioche bread. I asked for the eggs to be scrambled but they came out over-easy. I didn't really mind the mix-up since the eggs were perfectly cooked with runny yolks. The sausages and bacon were pretty standard, and the potatoes were nice and tender, with slightly crispy edges. I also liked the inclusion of the grilled brioche, which seemed like a classy upgrade from regular toast.

I didn't mention the mix-up with the egg preparation since I wasn't all that fussed, but our server came by to apologize and dropped off another plate of scrambled eggs. I didn't know how I'd be able to eat four eggs, so I just had a bite and gave the rest to MH. The eggs again were nicely cooked, silky and peppery.


I don't want to fall under the assumption that because it's expensive, it has to be good. You can tell that XIX pays attention to the details, and though their brunch was solid and good, I wasn't exactly blown away. In fact, it was a tad underwhelming. I'm sure their dinner offerings are a different matter, so I'll hold my judgement until I can get back again! Only a matter of when...

XIX Nineteen 

 dinenineteen.com

 150 Bellerose Dr #104

St. Albert, AB

(780) 569-1819 

- CT

REVIEW | NOMIYA (ELLERSLIE) | EDMONTON

We rarely find ourselves in the deep south of the city, but on Mother's Day, we planned a quick outing to the Callingwood Farmer's Market before having lunch at Nomiya Ellerslie. We only managed to get lost once on the way back, so I consider it quite an accomplishment.

Nomiya is a Japanese restaurant with two locations in Edmonton, one on Calgary Trail, and the other on Ellerslie Road. We went to their second location, which is nestled in a strip mall anchored by Save on Foods. It's quite a small restaurant, and by virtue, it was packed when we walked in. Though we were quoted a 15-20 minute wait, it only took five minutes before a table cleared up.

Known for being one of the first restaurants to bring ramen to Edmonton, Nomiya's menu also features sushi and classic Japanese dishes. A unique aspect to their Ellerslie location is that they also serve various types of udon.

The sushi bar is definitely a focal point of the restaurant, and they have quite a few diners clustered around it. We found ourselves sitting in the lone booth on the left.

The lunch menu is pretty diverse, and has quite a few combination-style meals. Though ramen would be an obvious choice, I'm not much of a ramen junkie, and the weather was way too nice for hot soup, so we ended up ordering appetizers and sushi.

The first item to come out was the ika geso karaage ($7.95), or fried squid legs. A touch chewy, but they were fresh out of the fryer and served simply with a touch of lemon. 

The sashimi mori was next, and came artfully presented ($24.50). The 15-piece selection was chef's choice, and featured salmon, tuna, octopus, surf clam, scallop, and salmon roe. The sashimi definitely looked like they were cut with a deft hand, and most importantly, they were all pretty fresh. Despite testing my patience and my chopstick skills, the salmon roe was probably my favourite out of the bunch. Similar to the popping boba found at fro-yo establishments, they were plump and bursted with a briny sweetness. 

One of the rolls we picked out was the natsu maki (14.95). Shrimp, salmon, jellyfish, and lettuce, topped with lightly torched salmon belly, green onions, shaved red onion, and natsu sauce (which tasted like Japanese mayo and tobiko mixed together). The roll, I felt, was constructed a bit clumsily. It fell apart easily and had too much rice. The ingredient combination tasted okay, but there was nothing mind-blowing about it.

For our last roll, I went against my better judgement and ordered the ring of fire ($14.50) after reading aburi salmon belly in the menu description. The inside was almost like your standard California roll with imitation crab meat and avocado. It came topped with lightly torched salmon belly, spicy sauce (basically Sriracha), and sliced jalapenos. As you can see, they were quite heavy-handed with the sauce, which dominated the whole taste of the roll.

Some closing notes: service was nice and attentive without being too overbearing. Since it was Mother's Day, they also dropped off a carnation for my mom at the end of the meal - a cute touch.

I echo the sentiments of many when I say that Nomiya was pretty average. The sashimi was good but the rolls were a bit of a let-down. It could be argued that we ordered the wrong things, but that's a weak excuse since restaurants should stand behind their entire menu. I'd say it's a decent option if you're already in the neighbourhood (being the only option really), but I'd probably suggest skipping their sushi rolls and sticking to their cooked items next time.

Nomiya

 nomiyarestaurant.com/ellerslie

11160 Ellerslie Rd SW

Edmonton, AB

(780) 988-0989 

- CT

REVIEW | BLAZE PIZZA | EDMONTON

Quick, name a city known for its pizza!

Chicago! New York! Naples! Rome! ... Edmonton? Surely not!

Apparently, yes. Edmonton made a recent splash in the headlines when it was named one of the top cities in the world for pizza. It's reader-voted so it's definitely a subjective list. Far from scientifically accurate I'm afraid. I'm almost 99.9% certain that the author of the article wanted to establish some hipster street cred by adding a token, unheard of city from Canada. And Edmonton seems to fit that bill perfectly. 

Despite all the flack our city receives, one thing is true: Edmontonians are picky about their pizza. There's definitely a lot of choice. You got your take-out joints, old-school pizzerias, local chains (ie. Famoso), and even some newer, hipper contenders (ie. LOVEPIZZA). Joining their ranks is Blaze Pizza, an American pizza chain based out of Pasadena, California. With over 100 locations across the US, Blaze Pizza is starting to infiltrate the Canadian market with locations already open in Toronto, Calgary, and now Edmonton.  

Blaze Pizza is considered a fast-casual restaurant and interestingly shares the same founders as Wetzel's Pretzel's. Their concept is modeled after Chipotle (another American chain making its way to Edmonton!), as a customizable, made-to-order, assembly line type of place.

You'll find Blaze Pizza nestled in the same parking lot as Lowe's in Manning Town Centre, a growing retail development in the city's northeast. They held their grand opening on Thursday, but celebrated by giving out free pizza the following day. The word on social media was that their pizza party was a success, as it was super busy with line-ups out the door. I suppose nothing gets folks out of their houses quite like the words "free" and "pizza" in the same sentence.

We actually visited them today (a Sunday), after shopping at the nearby stores. It was an odd hour, so the place was pretty quiet for the amount of staff they had on hand. Despite that, the nature of the ordering process is super fast in its own right, so I foresee it being a popular dinner option for those wanting something quick before catching a movie at the Cineplex.

Walking in, you're greeted with a large black and white mural of Edmonton's downtown scape. The rest of the decor is contemporary and modern, with plenty of low and high seating situated around the ordering counter.

All of the staff we talked to were smiley and friendly. They made a point of grabbing your name and having everyone greeting you. It's definitely personable service, but also a tiny bit awkward and forced. A quick run-down from one of the girls is that there's nine signature pizzas to choose from, or if you're up to it, a build-your-own option with unlimited toppings. Pizzas are personal-sized, around 11 inches or so, but I found it could easily feed two. With more than 40 toppings, including 6 different sauces and 7 different cheeses, you can build yourself a pretty hefty pie. The best part? All of the pizzas are $10.45 no matter what you choose! If you have kids, or maybe your tastes are a little bit more basic, the simple pie ($7.25) and any one-topping pizza ($7.95) is cheaper by a few bucks. Gluten-free crust and vegan cheese is also available, though I'm not sure if there's an upcharge for that.

You can tell Blaze Pizza is an American chain, because they also list calorie information beside each menu item. It's welcome information, but also a bit scary. And definitely guilt-inducing.

After the pizzas are prepped, they make their way into a 800° open-flame oven for just three minutes. Payment is done at this point, and you can even add on salads, drinks, and/or dessert. Once the pizza is ready, your name is called out across the room for pick-up. (They will literally shout your name. Quite loudly.)

We took our pizzas to-go, so they came in nifty boxes, but truth be told, they'd be much better if you eat them hot and fresh in the restaurant.

LT went with the build-your-own option and chose classic red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, green peppers, red onions, and mushrooms ($10.45). They weren't too stingy with the toppings which was nice, and LT really liked the Italian sausage which came in quite big chunks.

I decided to go for one of their signature pizzas, which was the White Top ($10.45) with white cream sauce, mozzarella, applewood bacon, chopped garlic, oregano, and fresh arugula (which appear wilted because of the heat). I thought the topping combination tasted kind of plain, so I'd probably add something to it in the future or go with another pizza altogether. Despite that, I thought the crust was great. It was thin and crisp, with a tiny bit of chew.

Obligatory shot of the upskirt for the pizza aficionados out there.

Ignoring the growing calorie count as this point, I also got Blaze's only dessert option, the s'more pie ($3.00). The s'more pies are pre-made, but they're warmed up quickly in the hot oven. Basically two graham cracker cookies sandwiched with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate.

Um, yes please.


Throughout the process, I couldn't help but feel reminded of LOVEPIZZA. From the ordering concept to parts of the decor, their similarities lead me to believe that LOVEPIZZA was perhaps inspired by Blaze, and in more ways than one. Though I think I prefer the toppings over at LOVEPIZZA, the winner of the crust category is definitely Blaze. Plus, I'm swayed by the fact that it's cheaper and much more closer to home (for me, at least).

Since the build-your-own pizza concept has already proved successful in this city, Blaze Pizza will definitely do well. There's already talks of more franchises opening up across Edmonton, so keep an eye out for those opening up near you!

 Blaze Pizza (Manning) 

www.blazepizza.com

15709 37 St NW

Edmonton, AB

(780) 371-8456

- CT