REVIEW | GLASSHOUSE BISTRO & CAFE | ST. ALBERT

Millenials! If you want to buy a house, apparently you have to stop buying avocado toast. Yes, this generation is spending way too much on bread and avocados. ಠ_ಠ You can definitely debate the logic of the argument both ways, but honestly, the only thing I got from this whole controversy is that brunch gets a bad rap for being unnecessarily expensive. It can be, but if you think about it, you're ticking off two meals for the price of one. So really, you're the one saving money here.

MH has finished school for the summer so we reunited over everyone's favourite bougie meal: brunch! Like most times we meet up, we set our sights on her hood (AKA St. Albert, the least hood place there is). We decided to try out the Glasshouse Bistro, a cafe-restaurant hybrid located on the second floor of the Enjoy Centre, a beautiful multi-use facility that is home to a greenhouse, marketplace, deli, spa, and much more.

The Glasshouse Bistro is a full sit-down restaurant but also a quick-service counter where you can pick up coffee, paninis, and dessert. Accentuated by pops of lime green and fuschia, the space is fresh and modern with an airy and bright atmosphere. Depending on the day, the restaurant is open for lunch and/or dinner, as well as brunch on Sundays.

At around 11:00, there was a short wait for tables so I'd consider making brunch reservations in advance. We left our number and was able to explore the greenhouse before receiving a text that our table was ready.

We were given a choice of eating indoors or outside on their patio. We didn't mind either way so the host led us outside. There was only one waiter responsible for the patio so we found service to be rather slow with long breaks in between. It wasn't quite the deal breaker for us since we were busy catching up anyways.

As for food, the brunch menu is small and concise. It could be considered pretty limited but at least it makes choosing a dish easy and simple for those indecisive like me. Also, nothing really outside the box on the menu. It's pretty standard fare. Family-friendly too, as it has a small children's section.

MH went for the vegetarian eggs Benedict ($16.00), which featured fresh tomatoes and spinach underneath two poached eggs and hollandaise. Instead of your typical English muffin, Glasshouse uses a piece of toasted bread. MH didn't have much to say about her plate but she polished it off clean.

I went for the meatier eggs Benedict that featured bacon ($18.00) as protein. Smoked salmon is also another option. The bacon comes courtesy of SandyView Farms which operates the deli in the Enjoy Centre. It's thick-cut and not overly salty, but bacon-lovers might miss the satisfying crisp that you come to expect from bacon. Also, between the yolk and the hollandaise, it ate a wee bit too rich for me. The plate needed something fresh or acidic to balance it out.

Both of our dishes also came with a side of roasted potatoes and housemade ketchup. Some pieces were crispy while others were a bit soft. Not too much going in the way of seasoning but the ketchup helped freshen things up.

Glasshouse Bistro will certainly impress with their views and atmosphere, but unfortunately, the food and service seems to pale in comparison. You can make a fun day out of visiting the Enjoy Centre, but the food isn't exciting enough to be the main draw for me.

Glasshouse Bistro & Cafe

www.glasshousebistro.ca

101 Riel Dr.

St. Albert, AB
(780) 651-7361 
 

- CT

SNAPSHOTS | JAPAN + KOREA 2017 | TOKYO | DAY 1

If I could only visit one country on my bucket list, Japan would be it. For as long as I can remember, it's been a childhood dream of mine to travel to Japan, and thankfully that dream came to fruition this past May. In a span of two weeks, we would travel through Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and a final leg in Seoul, South Korea. 

To say I was excited for this trip would be an understatement. In anticipation, I spent months doing research and crafting an itinerary. By the end, I think I had an almost 30-page catalogue of maps, sights, shops, and restaurants. Our schedule was packed, but I saw this trip as a learning experience and an opportunity to get all the touristy things out of the way. It was a whirlwind adventure but hopefully, there will be many more trips in the (near!) future.  

Joining me on this journey was my mom and my sister LT, as well as KN and her mom. GIRLS TRIP!

We started Sunday morning with a quick hour flight to Calgary, and from there, a 10-hour flight to Tokyo/Narita Airport.

I thought most overseas trips would require a stopover in Vancouver but I was quite surprised to find out that Calgary had the capacity to fly directly to Tokyo. The more you know...

Of course with my luck, our flight was delayed as they ended up changing our departure gate. A good half hour to an hour behind schedule, we finally boarded the plane. 

Food was served two hours into the flight and also two hours before landing. Our first meal included a choice of beef on rice or chicken and potatoes. Coleslaw, a brownie, and a bun rounded it out. Airplane meals get a bad rap, but when you're hungry, anything becomes edible.

Because of the 15 hour time difference, we would be arriving in Tokyo in the afternoon the next day. After the first meal, they dimmed the lights so that most people could sleep and compensate for the time change. I didn't sleep a wink...

When we finally arrived at Narita, the airport was PACKED. Maybe it was because we came right at the end of "Golden Week" in Japan, the lines for customs and immigration seemed never-ending. Thankfully the staff were quick and efficient at getting everyone through.  

We picked up our pocket wifi and JR passes while at the airport, and embarked on a train to get into the city. There's multiple ways to get to Tokyo from Narita, including busses and various rail lines. The Narita Express, although more expensive, was the most foolproof and comfortable way for us to go directly to our Airbnb in Shinjuku.

The carriage was clean and had ample room for luggages. It took maybe an hour and a half before we arrived at Shinjuku station, as the train makes multiple stops along the way. Also, free wifi was available the whole way! (I'm loving this country already.)

Pro tip, if it's your first time visiting Tokyo, I would consider staying somewhere quieter than Shinjuku. We picked the area because there was so much to see and do, but the station is literally a maze and constantly packed no matter the time of day. We were so overwhelmed that we didn't pay any attention to our host's instructions on how to get to the Airbnb. We just went out the first random exit that we found in order to escape the madness. (Thankfully we would learn the ins and outs of Shinjuku pretty quickly after that.) 

Google Maps was also not my friend that night, and it took us a good long time trying to navigate and orient ourselves. The apartment was only supposed to be a 10 minute walk from the station but I'm guessing it took us closer to 30. Not so much fun when you're lugging large suitcases around as well.

Eventually we made it! The apartment we stayed at seemed like it was rented out exclusively for Airbnb as a lot of the people we bumped into in the lobby and elevator were tourists like ourselves. This was our view from the 10th floor corridor.

The apartment was cozy to say the least but it wasn't so much a culture shock knowing that space is a premium in Tokyo. We figured that we wouldn't be staying at the apartment much besides sleeping anyways. After taking a break to refresh, we headed out to explore!

Super convenient that there was a Lawson right across the street from us! Japanese convenience stores are amazing treasure troves. All, if not most, operate 24/7, making it handy to grab a quick breakfast or a late night snack.

RUUN!! IT'S GODZILLA!!!

We spent the rest of the night wandering around Kabukicho, the so-called "red-light district." Despite its reputation for being a dodgier side of town, there wasn't a moment walking around where we felt unsafe.

At this point, it was already close to 10:00PM, but a lot of restaurants and establishments in Kabukicho operate around the clock. We decided to stop in CoCo Curry, a well-known chain serving Japanese curry that you can customize yourself. I wasn't too hungry so I opted for a half order of tonkatsu curry. Less than ¥600 and it also included a drink! Who says Japan is expensive?

 

Sensory overload. Lights and people everywhereeee!

After our late dinner and a little more exploring, we headed back to the apartment. Having stayed up for more than 24 hours, we crashed pretty quickly, finishing off day one!

- CT

REVIEW | HANJAN | EDMONTON

 

If my recent trip to Seoul has taught me anything, it's that Koreans like to drink. Coffee culture and drinking culture are both very prominent and ingrained fixtures in society. You'll find a cafe (chain or independent) on every street corner, and if you're looking for something stronger, soju is sold in convenience stores and supermarkets for only a couple bucks a pop. So it comes to no surprise that there's a new Korean restaurant in Edmonton with this dual identity.

Hanjan, which translates to a drink, acts as a cafe in the morning (10:00 to 4:00) and transforms into a watering hole in the evening (5:00PM to midnight, 3:00AM on Fridays and Saturdays). The food is also different between morning and night, with a more playful Korean fusion menu (think bulgogi fries, galbi sliders) during lunch and more traditional fare being served up for dinner. 

Located southside (surprise, surprise) on 99th street, you'll find Hanjan just right of Izakaya Tomo. I met up with SC and KN on a Wednesday after work, and though we made a reservation, it probably wasn't necessary on a weekday. We were lead to a table but given the option to choose anywhere in the restaurant to sit. 

What sets Hanjan apart from other Korean restaurants around town is definitely the decor. It's a beautiful multi-floor space with patio umbrellas, hanging lights, and a touch of greenery to brighten up the dimly lit restaurant. Seating is plenty, with booth seats around the perimeter, tables, and private rooms available. Whoever designed the place deserves a well-deserved shout out -- it's the perfect cozy backdrop to linger and chat with friends.

As mentioned earlier, the dinner menu is pretty traditional Korean fare with a more modern presentation. The menu is split into starters, wokked dishes, deep-fried foods, grilled meats, stir-fried dishes, stews/soups, and other special menu items. To give some insight, they serve everything from ddukbokki to samgyeopsal to bibimbap and budaejjigae. Prices are a bit on the higher end but I'd say it's on par with other Korean restaurants.

The first item to arrive to our table was the galbi ($24.00), grilled marinated beef short ribs with shredded vegetables, served on a hot plate. The flavour was good but we found the meat to be a little chewy. A surprising highlight were the veggies, which were still crunchy and packing a bit of heat. 

SC really wanted their naengmyun ($16.00) which was a special menu feature for the summer. Naengmyun are cold noodles, served in a sweet, tangy, almost vinegary broth with meat, cucumbers, sliced radish, and a boiled egg. Slurping the thin, chewy noodles with the icy cold broth was really quite refreshing and perfect for the hot day. (It was especially fitting considering that their AC was also not working that night.)

The soondae ($22.00) came next and was served on a wooden board. For those who don't know what soondae is, it's the Korean equivalent of blood sausage. It's funny how they've omitted pork blood from the menu description, as it's described as a "Korean sausage made in house with pork, glass noodles, vegetables, and sesame oil; served with a side of seasoning salt." The mention of blood can make people squeamish I guess.

I've only tried soondae once at a street food cart in Seoul, so I only have that to compare to. The texture of this one was certainly more bouncier and loose which did make it seem more fresh. Soondae isn't my first choice on a menu but this one wasn't a bad pick.

Lastly from the savoury side of things, we got an order of the sweet + spicy fried chicken ($19.00). I'm a big fan of KFC (Korean fried chicken, that is) and found this to be a respectable rendition. The sticky sauce was hot enough to give my lips a bit of a tingle but it was certainly bearable in terms of heat. There was a mix of chicken cuts, as some pieces were boneless and others were not. We thought the chicken could've been crispier but it was probably due to the weight of the sauce (and our picture taking... oops).
 

Onto dessert! Hanjan's dessert menu offers up a total of seven options, including two waffles, honey butter bread, bungeoppang, and three different types of bingsu.

Bingsu, or Korean shaved ice, has been taking Edmonton by storm these days. In anticipation of two new bingsu dessert cafes opening up (Snowy Village and Snowy Dessert), bingsu reiterations are popping up everywhere, including at Dream Tea, Seorak, and even Tutti Frutti. At Hanjan, bingsu options ($12.00) include injeolmi (rice cake), strawberry, and mango, which is what we chose.

For $12.00, I was expecting somewhat of a bigger portion but it was still a good size for sharing since we were already quite full. The mango shaved ice was topped with a generous amount of fresh mangoes, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some condensed milk. The shaved ice was fine in texture and not very sweet on its own. You would have get a bit of everything to build the perfect bite.



From what I've read online, reviews on Hanjan have been mixed. To be fair, it's still early days for them (and you can't possibly expect a perfect experience on a slammed grand opening). I know service has been one of the main complaints but the service we received was courteous and attentive (thanks to handy service buttons located at every table). It may have also helped that we went on a slower weekday, but all in all, I do think Hanjan has a lot of potential to grow into a popular hangout spot just like their next door neighbour.

Hanjan

www.hanjan.ca

3735 99 St NW

Edmonton, AB
(587) 454-3333

- CT