REVIEW | GONG CHA | EDMONTON

Fill in the blank. Honey is to bees as ____________ is to Asians.

If you guessed bubble tea, you're 100% correct.

Bubble tea has been a trending topic in 2016, thanks to the opening of several major bubble tea chains across Edmonton. Coco, Quickly, Chatime, and now Gong Cha. Most are concentrated along Whyte Ave and/or in the downtown area. A couple of them have also laid claim to southside locations, which begs the question, will northside ever feel the love? (╥_╥)

I'm a bit indifferent when it comes to bubble tea (I don't hate it but I don't loooove it) so it hasn't been a priority of mine to hit up these spots. Regardless, I found myself at Gong Cha during an afternoon of exploring downtown with KN.

Founded in Taiwan in 2006, Gong Cha is an international bubble tea franchise that has proliferated into 1200 stores across 18 different countries. With three locations in Toronto and two locations in Vancouver already, Gong Cha is quickly taking over the Canadian market as well.

Just over a month old, their Edmonton shop is located downtown in the newly designated Ice District, sharing space with XO Bistro + Bar in the Ultima tower. When you walk into the shared entrance, immediately turn right and go up the flight of stairs to find Gong Cha.  

It's extremely small quarters with only one bar table for four and a counter that fits up to seven stools. It's not ideal for hanging out or staying too long, so if that's what you're looking for, you're probably better off finding another bubble tea joint with a comfier set up.

The menu seems smaller in comparison to its competitors, but they still boast an impressive variety of drinks. Categories include their signature milk foam drinks, milk teas, creative mixes, smoothies, brewed teas, fresh milk, and coffee. Additional toppings can be added for a small fee, while customization options for sugar level (0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%) and ice (regular, half, no ice) are available, and encouraged, to make a drink suited to your own taste. Drinks come in a standard medium size, but could be upsized to a large for $0.50 more.

I went for a medium QQ passion fruit green tea ($5.00) which included tapioca pearls and coconut jelly. When ordering, I didn't think to customize anything so the first sip was almost shocking. It was wayyyy too sweet and tasted like straight up sugar syrup. It fared a bit better after I mixed the drink around, but learn from my mistake and always request at least 50% sugar. 30% might even be enough.

KN went for my second choice, which was the matcha milk tea with red bean ($5.50), half ice. I had a sip and it tasted quite watery and diluted. The matcha flavour was really subtle and you had to be searching for it to know it was there.

Cheers to a new year!

I wasn't exactly impressed by what we sampled at Gong Cha but it's not so much their fault as it is with my inexperience with their menu. Thanks to its prime location, Gong Cha will no doubt be a popular grab and go spot for bubble tea. They even have a second location in the works (again on Whyte Ave...) which is slated to be open for spring of next year.

(And if you were wondering, yes, all of the customers were Asian.)

Gong Cha (Ultima)

gongchacanada.ca 

 10236 103 St NW

Edmonton, AB

(780) 244-2288

 


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REVIEW | TASTY TOMATO | EDMONTON

Tasty Tomato is a small, nondescript Italian restaurant located on Stony Plain Rd. An early birthday celebration was in order for AL, and having been a few times before, this was her restaurant of choice.

For a restaurant that's been open for more than 22 years, it's surprising that I've never heard of it. In fact, it's almost as old as I am.

We made plans to come on a Tuesday night around 6:45 and the restaurant was packed. Surprising, but Christmas is always a busy time of year. We were quoted a 30-45 minute wait for a table of four which was pretty accurate. We didn't have a plan B so we decided to stick it out. We thought we should've planned ahead to make a reservation but apparently they don't take them for parties less than six.

When we were finally seated, service was prompt and very friendly. Aside from daily specials listed out by our server, the menu is divided into salads, appetizers, pastas, and entrees. Simple, no-fuss Italian fare. 
 

Before our meal, we were given a complimentary basket of soft and fluffy foccacia, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip. After waiting 40 minutes for a table, most of us were starving so we polished off the basket pretty quickly. A second basket was offered and we polished that off in record time as well.

What can I say? We like our free carbs.

AL, the birthday girl, went for her usual: pappardelle alfredo ($17.95), wide homemade noodles with alfredo cream sauce. It looked decadent and creamy. It's one of her favourite dishes for a reason.

SC went for the linguine Monte Carlo ($18.95), linguine pasta with chicken breast, fresh mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes in a white wine rosé sauce. SC chose this one because it had more going on with it than just pasta and sauce. She's normally a hard person to please when it comes to food but she really enjoyed her dish. 

KN's pick was the linguine alle vongole ($17.95), linguine sautéed with baby clams. You also have a choice between their original tomato sauce or a garlic white wine sauce which is what she chose. KN thought the dish was very flavourful, not overly heavy or oily. For the portion size, she thought it was good value for money as you get more than enough for leftovers the next day. If you're not a big eater, I did notice at the bottom of the menu that half portions are available; just subtract $2.00 from the original menu price.

Continuing with the linguine theme, my choice for the evening was linguine portafino ($18.95). Linguine and tiger shrimps sautéed with fresh garlic, hot peppers, and extra virgin olive oil. The pasta came out nice and hot and was cooked perfectly al dente. You'll have to mix this one around a bit since the sauce tends to collect at the bottom of the plate. I'm not usually a big pasta fan but I would gladly order this again. You really can't go wrong with copious amounts of garlic.



Tasty Tomato is a good example of not judging a book by its cover. If you're looking for a cozy restaurant serving up homemade, simple Italian, Tasty Tomato is a solid family spot that's indeed tasty.

Tasty Tomato

tastytomato.ca 

14233 Stony Plain Rd

Edmonton, AB

(780) 452-3594 

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REVIEW | SIXNSEVEN | ST. ALBERT

 

** This restaurant is now closed. **

Milkshake in hand, the owner comes by to drop it off at our table. Within seconds, I hear a "what is that?" from the table behind us. It's the literal embodiment of "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard," and SixnSeven are the ones serving them.

SixnSeven is a relatively new mom and pop shop located on St. Anne's Street in St. Albert's downtown. It's a bright and welcoming diner serving up breakfast, burgers, pizza, and you guessed it, milkshakes.

After four months apart, MH is back in town for the holidays so we decided to meet up at SixnSeven for some quality catch-up time. Reunited and it feels so good.

I'm a firm believer that breakfast can be enjoyed at any time, and SixnSeven has you covered by offering it all-day. There's plenty of options to choose from, including your standard eggs + meat + toast combos, omelettes, homemade cereals, pancakes, waffles, and French toast.

MH went for their most interesting omelette option which was the Indian aamlet ($12.25): three eggs mixed with onions, green peppers, diced tomatoes, coriander, cheddar, and a touch of exotic spices. Omelettes are served with your chose of toast or hash browns, and MH chose the latter. The hashbrowns are of the shredded variety and griddled with a nice crust. MH noted that it was your standard omelette, not too "exotic" as far as the menu description goes.

  
I went for a simple cheeseburger ($10.50), with a beef patty, mayo, onions, lettuce, and tomato. SixnSeven steams their burgers, which is an interesting preparation popular in states like Connecticut. Steaming is meant to seal everything inside, leaving you with a tender and juicy patty.

The burger patty is 6oz, small in circumference but quite thick. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of steaming burgers, as the result was juicy but almost in a watery way. Not a big fan of the Krafts singles slice either, but the meat is indeed tender. I did find it to be a bit crumbly, so I knifed and forked it after a couple of bites. Better to choose one of their burgers that have a bit more going on.

As for the main event (why we came to SixnSeven in the first place), their milkshakes! You can choose standard flavours made with different chocolate bars, or you can go all the way with one of their freakshakes.

Freakshakes, for those who aren't on top of Instagram trends, are milkshakes on steroids. Mason jar glasses filled to the brim, and then overloaded with toppings galore -- whipped cream, icing, cookies, candies, sometimes even whole slices of cake. SixnSeven offers five types of these freakshakes ($8.50 each), including nutella & pretzel, chocolate fudge brownie, banana caramel, Reese's PB&J, and the strawberry fun fair which is what we chose.

The strawberry milkshake comes decorated with copious amounts of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, cotton candy, cream cheese icing, a mini donut, and a light dusting of rainbow sprinkles. We saved the milkshake for last so it might have suffered a bit from melting (it was a little watery) but the presentation is probably worth the price tag alone.




The food at SixnSeven isn't necessarily going to win awards but it's a charming joint that's perfect for families. And those freakshakes? Perfect for Instagrammers. 

SixnSeven

sixnseven.ca 

20 St Anne St

St. Albert, AB

(780) 458-1888 

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REVIEW | TOFU HOUSE | EDMONTON

** This restaurant is now closed. **

 

Like many fellow Edmontonians, I've been living in a state of denial for the past few weeks. Unfortunately, it's come to a point where I can't deny the truth any longer. 

Winter is coming.

On second thought, scratch that. Winter is here. And here to stay.

A snowy cold Sunday brought us to Tofu House, a huge, but humble Korean restaurant, for a bit of warmth and comfort. The restaurant is a former Swiss Chalet, located southside in a mainly industrial area. 

Like mentioned earlier, the restaurant space is unnecessarily big, with plenty of booth and table seating available. Based on the outdated and eccentric decor, it's safe to say there wasn't much done in terms of renovations. I'm not sure why, but they also had some nifty disco lighting going on.

The obligatory banchan that comes complimentary with your meal -- kimchi and pickled radish. The standard stuff.
 

Black beans and beansprouts. The black beans were a bit of a surprise because they still retained a toothsome quality to them.
 

We started things off with the haemul pajeon ($19.00), a seafood and green onion pancake. A duo of sauces was provided on the side -- the standard sesame-soy-vinegar concoction and a slightly spicier version. This was probably the highlight of our meal. The pancake was crispy but super light. Almost airy when compared to denser and doughier versions I've had in the past.

My sister recommended that we get the spicy chicken ($23.00), a stir-fried medley of chicken, onions, carrots, cabbage, and green onions, all served on a sizzling hot plate. If you know me, I'm a bit of a wimp with spicy foods but I actually enjoyed this. I've come to realize that I'm not a big fan of "Tabasco" spice, but I'll take gochujang any day. Also, my nose may or may not have been running while eating this, but it's a sacrifice I'll live with for flavour.

Next up, we have one of Tofu House's signature dishes, soondubu jjigae or soft tofu stew. There are eight different types on the menu, including beef, kimchi, and a dumpling version. We went for seafood ($16.00), which had shrimp, clam, and squid. Not too much seafood going on, but there was plenty of soft tofu, zucchini, and a raw egg bubbling away. The soup is only mildly spicy and it's the perfect comfort food to warm up with for the winter.

The soondubu also comes with a hot stone bowl filled with purple rice and peas.

Last dish of the night. Fried chicken is all the rage in Edmonton right now so we gave their version of KFC a try. Four pieces will set you back about $17.00, and we requested it to be prepared half and half. Half deep fried and half spicy. The chicken has a crackly, crispy skin but the meat is slightly dry. The deep fried version comes sans any sauce or seasoning, so it's a bit plain in that respect. The spicy rendition is the one you should be getting out of the two, but it's barely spicy; more of a sweet glaze if anything. It's not the best KFC in town but it's a respectable contender.



A few notes to mention before closing -- pricing is slightly on the expensive side but portion size seems to make up for it. Service was nice, but it can be a bit slow, especially at the start. Overall, we enjoyed Tofu House. It's a good place for when the Korean food craving hits (... and for escaping the winter cold).

Tofu House

 5070 97 St NW

Edmonton, AB

(780) 989-0804

 

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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