Duchess Bake Shop is arguably one of the best patisseries in Canada. On any given day there is guaranteed to be a line up for their beautiful baked goods, which are always worth the wait. Last year at Christmas in November I learned that there were plans to open up a breakfast spot 5 blocks east of their current location, so I've been waiting eagerly ever since.

Cafe Linnea - 10932 119 Street - Edmonton AB

Following the opening of the new Duchess Provisions at Holland Plaza comes the opening of Cafe Linnea, co-owned by Chef Kelsey Johnson and Garner Beggs (part owner of Duchess Bake Shop). This breakfast and lunch spot takes its inspiration from traditional Scandinavian and French cuisine, both of which share a part of Chef Kelsey's heritage.

I stopped by for lunch with a friend on a Thursday to find a busy restaurant with a small wait list. Although Cafe Linnea is tucked away from the busy 111 Avenue traffic, its hidden location has not stopped patrons from finding the space. The open concept restaurant features clean lines and minimalist Scandinavian-style decor, with copper accents giving the space a bit of warmth. Concrete boxes filled with plants and mossy vegetation bring some life to room, and in some ways it feels like you're dining in a greenhouse with the sunlight coming in through the windows along the roof.

We opted to sit at the bar by the espresso machine, where the barista worked non-stop throughout our entire meal. What's interesting about Cafe Linnea is that it is a no-tipping establishment. Prices on the menu are reflective of using high-quality locally-sourced ingredients and are inclusive of GST, so what you see is what you pay. The reasoning is that by paying their staff high wages (full time staff are salaried and get benefits) the staff are motivated to come to work, and tips are not expected.

The menu is split between small bites and main dishes, both of which have a fair number of options to choose from. As we debated between a few different dishes we had our drinks to start. The cappuccino came along with a baby meringue - a sweet little touch! The bar also features a juicer for daily made-to-order juice. During our visit it was a mix of peaches and other seasonal fruit.


Daily Juice
For lunch my girlfriend went with the Seared Carrot Galette ($16). Caramelized carrots, raclette cheese, crunchy cabbage, kobocha squash puree, and a perfectly soft poached egg sat beautifully on a folded buckwheat crepe. The sweetness of the carrots and squash paired well with the savoury cheese, and the cabbage added a different textural element. The runny egg yolk tied it all together.

While I get tempted by sweet brunch dishes I almost always end up going in the savoury direction, and the Oeufs-en-Cocotte ($21) caught my eye. The dish came with two soft-baked eggs on a caramelized onion and mushroom ragu with potatoes, topped with baby kale and served with a side of whipped butter and housemade sourdough. After one bite into the eggs and ragu I was done for. The creamy ragu was packed full of umami from the different mushrooms used in the sauce, and each variety gave the dish a different texture. With creamy egg yolks added to the mix, it was a perfect pairing with the lightly toasted sourdough and butter. You bet I wiped the dish clean with my bread!

A meal isn't complete without dessert, even when you're full, so we opted to share the Roasted Nectarine Crepe ($11) with bourbon vanilla semifreddo and caramel. The roasted nectarines had a slightly nutty flavour and paired well with the silky custard of the semifreddo. Even with the caramel sauce the dessert wasn't overly sweet and rounded off the meal just right.

Edmonton's brunch scene is growing and it's great to have another option available in the city. Prices range from $6-$21 per plate, putting this cafe on par with other establishments in the city. The use of local ingredients and house-made condiments brings to the table high quality dishes that customers of Duchess Bake Shop have come to expect. Stop by for breakfast or brunch, but be prepared to wait - there are no reservations unless you have a party of 6 or more. Reservations can also be made for high tea service on Sundays ($55/person), which I hope to check out soon!

The moment I woke up today, I had the biggest urge to eat cereal! I'm not a big breakfast person (when it's in my own house), so it's rare for me to actually want to eat in the mornings. When I opened the fridge, there was no milk, so I was at a crossroads, and had to figure out how to satisfy my cravings. Here's my delicious solution:

I ended up cutting some strawberries, mixing it with granola, and adding a light drizzle of condensed milk overtop (okay maybe I don't have the lightest hand..). Best thing I've eaten for breakfast at home. Ever. I am so serious about this, I'm obsessed! I think I'll be eating this for as long as I can get my hands on strawberries!

Happy Birthday to .... ME!!
Wow, I'm so self centered on my birthday.. but who wouldn't be?
Today also marks the official day that Vince & I have been dating for 2 years. So why wouldn't this be one of the best days of the year?

This morning, my momma took me to Cora's for brunch before heading to class. I got my usual eggs benedict, and paired it with the mango banana smoothie. Delish! Love you mom :)

Birthday Smoothie

Tonight, Vince took me out to Sabor Divino, a fine dining restaurant downtown to celebrate my birthday & our anniversary.


Very romantic :)

The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit, providing a romantic setting in the dining room. The furnishing is somewhat rustic, and with a majority of the room made with burnished wood, it gave me a very homey feel as we sat down at the table. The cuisine here at the restaurant is described to be rich in European influence, with a contemporary flair, so I was excited to see what the menu was all about.


Bread to start

To start, we were presented with a basket of bread served with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, butter, and a side of olives. To my surprise, the bread was served cold, rather than warm like other restaurants. I found it a little odd, but I was hungry and ate anyways!

We decided to skip the appetizers, thinking we would order dessert to finish the meal instead. For the entree, I ordered the 'Magret de Canard', which is a pan-seared duck breast cooked with black trumpet mushrooms, shallots and licor Beirao, and served with risotto. When it was presented to me by our attentive waiter, I didn't really know what to expect out of the dish because it didn't seem too fancy. But what is the one word I can use to desribe this dish? Fantastic. The skin of the duck was seared to a nice crisp, while the meat beneath was tender and juicy. The sauce on the duck was a little sweet, which paired very nicely with the saltiness of the skin, albeit some parts were a little saltier than desirable.


Magret de Canard

Now for the risotto, I think it's the best I've ever had! No joke. The risotto was cooked al dente in a creamy broth with peas and a vegetable I cannot identify, and mixed with a nice blend of cheese. The best part was that the cheese didn't solidify upon cooling, which allowed the risotto to maintain its creamy consistency. Simply delicious.


Calamari & Prawns

Vince ordered the Grilled Calamari and Prawns, which I thought was weird since he wasn't being his adventurous self. But once the plate arrived, I was pleased with his decision because I wasn't afraid to eat it! The plate was cooked with Portuguese chorizo (pork sausage), bell peppers and white bean puree. The Calamari was cooked very well, having a chewy texture, but not so chewy that it required copious amounts of chewing. The prawns were large and also cooked perfectly, so we were both very happy with our meals!

After dinner, we were stumped between two of the items on the dessert menu. We wanted something different, and specific to the restaurant, so we ignored the desserts that regularly appear on menus elsewhere, like the tiramisu and cheesecake. The things that intrigued us were the 'Leite Creme Dona Irene' and the 'Chocolate Cayenne Mousse'. Dona Irene is similar to a creme brulee, and is described as a light Portuguese cream custard topped with caramelized sugar and cinnamon. I think it's the cinnamon that made us really want to try it out. On the other hand, the mousse was described as a semi-sweet chocolate mousse with a little heat. Interesting, right?

After asking for the opinion of our waiter, he suggested we try the Dona Irene, because he's a little averse to the heat from the cayenne pepper in the chocolate mousse. He said it gives his throat a bit of an uncomfortable burning sensation, haha! But that many people order it and enjoy it, making it a very popular dessert in the restaurant. Vince & I chose to go the less adventurous route, and ordered the custard.


Dona Irene & Cayenne Mousse

To our surprise, our waiter brought the custard, and included a little sample of the mousse so we could get a feel for what it's like. And trust me, it's interesting. When you first put it in your mouth, it tastes just like any other chocolate mousse. But the moment after you swallow it, you start to feel a tingly sensation in your throat! It's definitely interesting, but not something I would want to experience in large amounts. Dona Irene was definitely a better choice, and tasted like a creme brulee with a sprinkle of cinnamon.


All in all, this was a great choice for dining on this very special day. I would definitely return in the future to try out some of their other offerings, as they are quite unique, and I feel that this city doesn't really have many European restaurants aside from Italian ones. Not something I think I could go for often though, it would really burn a hole in my wallet! (We paid roughly $77 for the two of us including tax & tip)


Sabor Divino Restaurant
10220 103 Street
Edmonton AB

Being Asian, the radar goes off when you see a good deal, or even better, FREE THINGS! That's exactly what went off in my dad's mind when he saw an ad in the paper yesterday..

To celebrate the opening of the new Denny's in Sherwood Park, the restaurant was offering free original grand slams from 7am - 2pm at just that location. Okay, so let's do some math. I live in the South end of the city, and driving all the way to Sherwood Park takes about 20-25 minutes. If my dad brought my mom, my aunt, me, and himself all the way to the restaurant, was the trip worth it? HAHA, just kidding. I would say I guess it was worth it, since we had some valuable family time! That time included me glaring at him for being so cheap ass and trying to get him to drive me quickly all the way to campus to make it in time for lecture.

Anyway, we headed out around 9:30, because my dad thought that it wouldn't be too busy. According to him, everyone will be at their jobs by 10 and the restaurant should be pretty dead, and I should be able to get to class on time by 11. Okay, so I trusted him, and when we got there, the parking lot was FULL. Heading into the restaurant, there was a long, long line up to get to the front where the hostess was! So much for being a quiet restaurant around 10, he forgot to account for all the elderly Edmontonians that love breakfast and taking their time!

We were seated by 10:05, and knew we needed to order fast! Our waitress was so sweet and friendly, she was perfect for the job! Each of us ordered our grand slams, and they arrived so fast, likely because they were being mass produced! Drinks had to be purchased on the side, so it was a pretty good deal to be getting a breakfast worth $9 for your $2 coffee.

Breakfast for the day!

The grand slam was surprisingly delicious! I've never had one.. Pancakes were soft and warm, the eggs scrambled to a perfect consistency, bacon was crisp and sausages lean! Good breakfast to get my day started and keep me awake during lectures!

I've been to Denny's before, but the service at this location was exceptional. Maybe because it was opening day.. but I hope for the sake of this location that the service remains the same! People are very friendly, and prompt to fulfill your requests. This particular location is what I would call a truck stop - there's lots of gas stations and industrial companies in this area, and it's equipped with a Tim Hortons! When people are too tired to drive in the night, it will be nice to make this a stop and be greeted by the workers here, willing to help you out with anything!

Denny's
975 Broadmoor Blvd.
Sherwood Park, AB

School is starting tomorrow, and the thought of it is slightly depressing. I can honestly say that I really didn't have a summer this year. Most of it was spent studying for MCAT, and even though I wasn't taking a Spring/Summer course or even a prep course on campus, it was like I was in school all summer prepping for the MCAT! I really only had 4 days of summer including today, so I'm feeling kinda gypped! But I guess this will be good in the long run.. I'm used to studying all the time so it might boost my marks this year! :)

This morning, Vince and I headed over to Cora's for breakfast to celebrate our last day of summer. I got my usual eggs benedict, while he just HAD to try something weird and random! It was his first time at Cora's too, so I really didn't think it was a good idea. He has a part time job serving brunch at one of the hotels here in Edmonton, so he complains that he's super sick of breakfast foods! But he came with me for breakfast anyway :) Such a good boyfriend.

Spinach & cheddar crepe with fresh fruit

He ended up picking the Spinach & Cheddar crepe and the presentation just made me LAUGH. It was so bare looking, I didn't know what to make of it! While the crepe was still warm it wasn't bad, but rather dry. Combining the crepe with the little cheese slice on top made it a little better in terms of taste, but did not do a thing to solve the dryness. When the crepe turned cold, he ended up combining it with ketchup - solving the dryness and flavour issues. BUT this totally compromised the intended taste of the crepe, so we really wouldn't recommend ordering this one!


Eggs Benedict with fresh fruit

My eggs benedict was fantastic as usual, and is probably what I'll always order from this restaurant. I got the eggs with asparagus & swiss, so delish. Once I find something good, it's hard for me to break the habit and try something new - but maybe I'll venture the next time I'm here, who knows!

Also, Cora will be opening a couple different locations in the city within the next two months or so. One will be in the North side of Edmonton (12520 137 Avenue) and another in the West end (9977 178 Street). Check out the locations when you're nearby, whether for breakfast or lunch!

Cora Breakfast & Lunch
2920 Calgary Trail NW
Edmonton AB