REVIEW | NORTHERN CHICKEN | EDMONTON

 

** This restaurant is now closed. **

 

Northern Chicken has been open for less than a week and it's already generating quite the buzz among Edmontonians. I guess fried chicken has that kind of effect.

The restaurant may be brand-spankin' new, but chef/owners Andrew Cowan and Matt Phillips are hardly rookies in the game. After holding a number of fried chicken pop-ups at various restaurants across the city, they've found a forever home in the space once occupied by reLiSH Gourmet Burgers (right beside Washoku Bistro) on 124th street.

Closed Wednesdays, they're open the rest of the week starting at 11:00 a.m. to about 10:00 or 11:00 at night. We arrived around 6:00 on Thursday evening and were able to snag one of the last free tables. There was still plenty of bar and counter seating available, and the crowd seemed to die down around 7:30, so plan your trip accordingly.

The restaurant is casual, with wood paneling and funky artwork decorating the walls. With hip-hop being the music of choice, it almost feels like entering someone's super chill basement hang-out (minus the dingy old sofa).

Northern Chicken operates somewhat like Famoso's old concept of counter-ordering and full service. You pick and choose any table when you walk in, and when you've decided on what to eat, you place your order at the counter. Once that's done, you're given a little table number/marker so staff can easily find and hand-deliver the food to you. We found service to be nice and quite helpful, as staff were always on hand to explain or check in with us.

The menu is all comfort food classics inspired by the South. There's emphasis on fried chicken (obviously), but those who are gluten-free can also indulge with beer can chicken. Chowder, wings, and sandwiches (spicy fried chicken, roasted BLT, and peameal bacon) make up the rest of the main menu. To round out your meal (ie. to get your daily dose of vegetables), a variety of sides are also offered. To name a few: coleslaw, creamed corn, potato salad, cornbread, etc etc. And yes, cornbread is a vegetable. It has the word corn in it, does it not? 

We started off with drinks -- one lemonade ($3.00) and three iced teas ($3.00/cup). Both made in-house and both remarkably un-sweet. I found it to be a good balance against the rich and fried foods we were consuming.

If you're feeling more adult, they also have beer and bourbon on hand.

The fried chicken is available in original or hot, in quantities of two, three, five, or ten pieces.

We got 5pc of the original ($20.00) to share, which arrived on a metal pie plate with a side of baked beans. I know you're all interested in hearing about the fried chicken, but the baked beans were a surprising highlight. They were sweet and had an almost creamy quality to them. You can upgrade the beans to another side (for a small charge), but they're definitely worth trying even if you're not a big bean fan.

As for the chicken, there was a drumstick, a thigh, and a few other miscellaneous pieces. The meat was relatively moist with a nice even crispy skin. I think the seasoning is kept quite simple because I didn't taste too much going on, but SC, the KFC lover that she is, thought it was good. 

We also got 5pc of the hot ($20.00), which along with the cup of baked beans, came with a slice of white bread and some pickle rounds. I believe the only difference between the hot and the original is some hot sauce basted on after the chicken had been fried.

I'm a self-admitted weakling when it comes to spicy foods, so I did find the hot to be a bit too spicy for me (as in cough-inducing spicy). But I can see the appeal it has for others. Maybe I just have to toughen up my taste buds.   

As for sides, we got an order of their honey thyme cornbread ($5.00) which was basically the size of a brick. The cornbread was a touch dry but the honey soak that they ladle over certainly helped in that respect. AL wasn't much of a fan, but the rest of us thought it was okay.  

Last but not least, we ordered a small serving of their Dorito Mac "N" Cheese ($6.00). It's quite rich so the small was a good size for us. I found the noodles to be on the softer side but I actually prefer them this way, especially in mac & cheese which is supposed to be stick to your ribs comfort food. I was also surprised at how they've managed to encapsulate the dorito flavour so well throughout. It garnered a thumbs up around the table. Definitely worth trying.   

If you're seeking comfort food (as in the kind that makes you want to take a nap directly after), Northern Chicken is your kind of place. 



- CT

REVIEW | KOBE SUSHI RAMEN | EDMONTON

** This restaurant is now closed. **

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants (or restaurants period) in the city is Kobe. They've been open since 1995 in the Callingwood neighbourhood, and since December 2015, they've opened a second location in the southside called Kobe Sushi Ramen.

Kobe Sushi Ramen took over the building of the now-defunct Sushi Sugoi. The inside is huge with two dining spaces separated by partitions. The restaurant is very clean and polished with modern furnishings. We arrived pretty early for Sunday dinner and had to wait awkwardly at the front for a while before a waitress came out from the back.

Besides serving ramen during lunch time, Kobe and Kobe Sushi Ramen basically have the same menu. With ramen in their name, I thought ramen would play a bigger role in their concept but I guess not.

Miso soup was the first item to hit the table, and it came complimentary with the dinner set we ordered. A warming bowl filled with green onion, seaweed, and tofu.

Next up, we got a half order of salmon sashimi (6 pieces for $13.50). Presented on a mini toboggan, the slices of salmon were firm, fresh, and naturally sweet.

At the west end Kobe, the grilled squid with geso is a must. Since we already ordered quite a lot of food, we decided to just get the geso ($7.50) which are deep fried seasoned squid legs served with a side of spicy mayo. These were okay, but they didn't quite live up to our expectations. The squid legs were quite skinny and didn't have that same meaty quality that you would get at the original Kobe.

Another Kobe favourite of ours is the sweet passion roll ($15.00), with tempura shrimp and grilled eel on the inside, and seared salmon belly on top. Garnishes include a drizzle of sweet passion sauce, chopped green onion, and a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi (7-spice blend). 

Seared sushi (or aburi) is becoming quite popular in Edmonton nowadays, but it's been a staple in Vancouver for many many years. A quick kiss with the blowtorch adds a smoky quality to the roll and elevates the flavour that much more. There was a bit too much rice on this particular one, but it's my favourite item to get at Kobe. So much so that a waitress at the west end location recognized me during one of our visits and knew I wanted the sweet passion roll before I even ordered it. Either she has a scary good memory or I've been there too many times.  

Our last dish of the evening was the tonkatsu dinner ($21.50): breaded deep fried pork cutlet with tonkatsu sauce. All dinner combinations are served with a bowl of rice, the aforementioned miso soup, and salad.

The tonkatsu pieces were meaty, but a tiny bit dry. The shredded cabbage, which was light and tangy, was a big help in cutting the grease. It's a decent offering but for the price, you're better off getting their dinner special which comes with more food and a greater variety of dishes.



Since I'm already a big fan of Kobe in the west end, there wasn't any real surprises at Kobe Sushi Ramen. Some of our favourite dishes weren't maybe as good as the original, but I'm not that mad about it considering how farther of a drive Kobe Sushi Ramen would be.

Kobe Sushi Ramen

 kobeedmonton.com

2874 Calgary Trail NW

Edmonton, AB

(587) 524-4335 

- CT

REVIEW | MEAT | EDMONTON

Brunch has become somewhat of a birthday tradition for me, and this year's festivities were no different. Nothing says getting older than choosing brunch over going out at night.

Choosing a place was a struggle, but we narrowed down a list of brunch restaurants and decided on meeting at MEAT. How appropriate. Like its name suggests, MEAT is a carnivore's dream, serving up Texas-style BBQ, southern-inspired sides, and plenty of bourbon and whiskey to wash it all down. And if you're vegetarian, don't worry. They don't judge (too hard) or discriminate (that much).

As sister and neighbour to Next Act Pub, MEAT has a casual and laidback vibe to it. Unlike most BBQ restaurants in the south, MEAT is also very polished and clean. The room is big and open, with communal tables taking up most of the space. It's not a bad thing, but it definitely screams 'when hipster meets BBQ.'

They don't take reservations, so a wait time is to be expected. We were quoted a 20-30 minute wait during peak brunch time, and we were fortunate in getting our own private table by the window. 

MEAT is open for dinner seven days a week, and serves brunch on the weekend from 11:00 to 2:00. Whereas dinner is served family style, brunch has its own specific menu, comprised of nine brunch-friendly dishes and a handful of their BBQ sandwiches.

SC and AL both ordered a glass of classic lemonade ($3.50) to start, made with locally brewed and bottled Upson's cordial. It looks like they diluted the cordial with a bit of sparkling water. SC and AL both noticed that there wasn't much sugar in the mix, which made the lemonade more sour than sweet.

For some reason, most of us weren't feeling the brunch menu and went with their sandwiches instead. KN got the beef brisket sandwich ($16.00) with sautéed onions, horseradish mayo, and pickles. Sandwiches are served with a heaping side of garlic fries, but our server also said we could sub for hashbrowns or a salad. KN's had the beef brisket sandwich in the past, so it's safe to say she enjoyed it enough to order it again.

SC was the only one to order a brunch item, and she went for the fried chicken and waffles ($16.00). Belgian waffles, rosemary maple syrup, and butter. Salty and sweet is always a good thing, but SC thought the fried chicken was maybe a bit too salty and the waffles too sweet. Two extremes that didn't match up as well as they should. I tried a bit of the waffle and didn't particularly enjoy the strong rosemary flavour coming from the syrup. It was a bit too smoky and woody for my taste; I think I'd prefer the waffle more if the maple syrup was left unadulterated.

AL went for the BBQ pulled chicken sandwich ($15.00) with smoked cheddar and cherry BBQ sauce. It looked pretty good and I think AL enjoyed it. I might just have to try the BBQ chicken next time around.

For myself, I went with the pulled pork sandwich ($15.00) with house slaw and bourbon BBQ sauce. Overall, I thought the sandwich was okay. The pork was tender and relatively moist. There was a bit too much BBQ sauce mixed in for my liking, but I appreciated the slaw for that reason, as it helped break up the strong sauce flavour. As for the fries, they were really good for the first few bites. A few soggy pieces here and there but hardly nothing to complain about. After a while, the copious amount of garlic just becomes too salty and overpowering. Sharing the fries (or plenty of water refills) is definitely a must.

Because Edmonton is a bit lacking in the BBQ department, I can see why this restaurant is so popular. Albertans love their meat and MEAT delivers just that. 

Meat

 meatfordinner.com

8216 104 St

Edmonton, AB

(587) 520-6338 

- CT