** This restaurant is now closed. **
I must be getting old because I was getting sleepy even before dinner on New Year's Eve. Nonetheless, to end 2017 off with a bang, we headed to Red Ox Inn, one of the city's most beloved restaurant gems nestled in the neighbourhood of Strathearn. Although it was my first time at the restaurant, I was excited to try the food after hearing so many good things.
Red Ox Inn is considered to be in the fine dining realm but I wouldn't go in expecting white tablecloths or stuffy waitstaff. The restaurant is tiny, but a comfortable, cozy room awaits. It almost feels like stepping into someone's private dining room. It's perfect for an intimate dinner, and the small menu, although nuanced, still seems approachable.
On NYE, they offered a special four-course menu ($85.00), complete with optional wine pairings ($45.00).
To start, we were given a gougère each, a delicate cheese puff with a hint of truffle aroma. Still warm to the touch, I could probably be satisfied with a dinner of just these.
The first course was a beautiful plate of roasted carrots, served with burrata, basil pesto, and pistachio. Burrata is a special type of cheese, made up of a solid outer ring of fresh mozzarella and a soft, creamy centre of fresh curd and cream. I bet you anything would taste good with burrata but the roasted carrots were something else. They were amazingly sweet, and still retained a bit of bite to them.
The second course was smoked char with kohlrabi, apple, and horseradish. The fish was pan-seared, creating a wonderfully crispy skin that broke apart easily with the tender and slightly fatty flakes of meat. Understandably, it was a bit fishy tasting (which I personally don't mind) but I know others who aren't fond of seafood that would probably not enjoy this dish for that reason. On the side, the kohlrabi salad was a surprisingly delicious pairing. Crisp, refreshing, and creamy with subtle hints of dill.
For the third dish, we were presented with beef striploin, pomme purée, wild mushrooms, and green peppercorn. As you can tell, the beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare. It had good flavour but was slightly chewy in some parts. The pomme purée, essentially a fancy mashed potato, was creamy and smooth. I'm usually not a fan of mushrooms but they were certainly the star of this dish. I might just become a mushroom convert.
Last but certainly not least, we were served a wedge of lemon curd tart with pine nut and creme fraiche. The lemon curd was super tart, so it helped to distribute the creme fraiche with each bite. I especially liked the tart shell which was tender and crumbled easily. We also noticed a hint of something savoury in the crust as well, perhaps an herb of some sort.
Most people reserve Red Ox Inn for a special occasion, but if you've never been, I wouldn't wait long for a birthday or holiday to come up. Honest good food is always something worth celebrating!
Red Ox Inn
9420 91 ST
Edmonton, AB
Edmonton, AB
(780) 465-5727
- CT
P.S. Happy to end 2017 off on a good note! As we head into 2018, it's unbelievable to me that this will be my fourth year blogging. I usually abandon creative projects and hobbies pretty quickly but I guess my love for food will always be eternal. Thanks for sticking around -- here's to 2018, hopefully a year of more great food!
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