It's been a busy couple weeks with school, work and the holiday season, but I had a chance to sneak out for lunch last week and catch up with an old friend. I had been anticipating the opening of Woodwork for the longest time, so when they announced their first lunch service I had to get myself there.

Woodwork - 10132 100 Street - Edmonton AB

Woodwork is the joint venture between the people behind Nomad and The Volstead Act. As a team the restaurant is working towards sustainability and is commmitted to making as much as possible in house. Their cuisine is described as Southern BBQ with French influences, which is pretty unique in itself.

Natural light peeks into the dimly lit restaurant furnished with modern decor. At one end of the restaurant an array of bottles lines the shelves at the bar and is completed with a ladder to reach the higher shelves. At the other end, diners can catch a glimpse of the kitchen and the endless supply of wood blocks for wood-fired cooking. I'm not going to lie, it's got a bit of a hipster vibe going on.

The Volstead Act specialized in cocktails, so I'm sure there's plenty of offerings on the menu that can pique your interest. But for lunch we chose to order some of the house-made sodas. I ordered myself the Black Walnut Lemonade ($4) made with orgeat, lemon & black walnut bitters, while my friend went for the Celery Soda ($4), both of which were light and refreshing.

First up to our table was the Pork Pie with Gull Valley Tomato Chow Chow and a side of Clam Chowder with house made bacon & cheddar biscuit croutons ($15). The pork was nicely seasoned and wrapped up in flaky layers of pie crust. The chow chow (a form of relish) also added some crunch and refreshing flavour. Out of all the items on the plate though, the soup is what I enjoyed the most. The chowder was chunky, packed full of vegetables and wasn't too thick in consistency. The smoky notes from the bacon gave it some extra flavour, making it comfort food at its finest on a cold day. I would happily sit and have bowl after bowl of this chowder.

For myself, I ordered the Hangar Steak Sandwich with Confit Tomato & Red Wine Reduction with side of Hickory Frites ($15). Presentation of the dish was beautiful and it tasted just as good (if not better) as it looked! Tender, juicy steak cooked medium rare, sliced and presented as an open faced sandwich with a slightly tangy reduction was the perfect lunch for me. The bread was incredibly soft with a crunchy crust, and the tomatoes sliced open were sweet and juicy. The light tarragon aoili served with the fries on the side was delicious as well.

To finish our lunch, we were served with their complimentary dessert for the day: Pistachio Shortbread & a Smoked Chocolate Truffle. The shortbread was crumbly, soft and studded with pistachios. It wasn't too sweet and had a slight saltiness which I really enjoyed. The smoked truffle on the other hand was decadent. Smooth and rich with an ever so slight smoky flavour, it was a decadent way to end the meal.

With a commitment to local, sustainable ingredients, the menu changes every few days. I am loving the fact that Woodwork is posting their updated menu on their website (here), so that diners are able to peruse the daily offerings before heading into the restaurant. For lunch, all the selections are $15 and include a small complimentary dessert at the end. Great deal if you ask me! The service is friendly and the food is delicious - what are you waiting for? Check them out when you have the chance.

Six months ago, if you asked me whether I would ever eat pig head, I would tell you that you were out of your mind. Of course not. Then came Tres Carnales.

Tres Carnales Taqueria - 10119 100A Street - Edmonton AB

Where do I even begin? Tres Carnales is one of the most popular restaurants in Edmonton - the food is good, authentic, and affordable. It was named the best new restaurant in Edmonton for 2011 by Avenue Magazine, and they're scheduled to be featured on the Food Network show You Gotta Eat Here. What's not to love?


A couple months back, before the taping of You Gotta Heat Here (this review is so overdue!! My apologies.), my pal Andrew and I headed to Tres Carnales for a quick lunch. We arrived around 1:30, which is past the lunch rush, but the restaurant was still busy and full of people. When you enter the restaurant, you get a sense of an upbeat vibe, and can't help but be excited about where you are, and what you're about to eat.


After taking in the environment, you find yourself standing before a board decorated with menu options and a feature for the day. All offerings can be served in the form of tacos, quesadillas, or tortas depending on your appetite. There is quite a range of options available, so there's definitely something for everyone. Order away, then find a seat at an empty table and wait for your food to be delivered!


To start, we went with the Guacamole Y Totopos which I had heard so many good things about! The creamy mixture was well seasoned, and really hit the spot. The chips were quite crisp, and perfect eaten with the guacamole.


Andrew loves fish. When we go out, ahi tuna is his fish of choice. Naturally, he had to go with the Pescado: lightly battered and fried fresh Pacific Red Snapper. The portion size of the tacos was huge! Beyond what we both had imagined, and very tasty. The battered fish had a crisp exterior, while the inside was perfectly cooked, and without that seafood flavour - we knew the fish was fresh. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of fish, I enjoyed the fish tacos.


Now, let's talk about that pig head again. Arriving at the restaurant, the feature, Cabeza de cerdo, caught my curiousity, but my stomach wanted to run in the opposite direction. Slow cooked pig head served with pickled veg and salsa mexicana. The words echoed through my mind repeatedly, when suddenly Chris (one of the owners) pointed me out! Uh oh, now I HAD to eat something crazy to meet expectations. Just kidding. I had faith and ordered my dish, hoping for the best!

My dish arrived at the table a couple minutes after Andrew's and Daniel (another one of the owners) brought it to the table. It took a little while longer, because he did not like the plating of the first dish that was meant to be mine - this is what I like. Care and attention put not only into the taste, but into the presentation of food. As I closed my eyes and took my first bite, my mouth exploded because the flavour and texture of the dish was amazing. The pig head had a nice crisp skin, while the meat was juicy and tender. The pickled veg and a bit of squeezed lime juice added a nice tangy kick, hitting the dish out of the ballpark for me.

The three carnales here put so much thought and passion into what they love - and you really can tell. With trying to keep ingredients as local as possible, and producing all their salsas, guacs, and marinades daily, it's no surprise that they've found their place in the hearts (err.. stomachs?) of many Edmontonians.

Never would I have thought I would eat pig head. Well played, Tres Carnales, can't wait for what you serve up to me next!

The forecast said that it was supposed to rain today, but that didn't end up happening. Instead, the sun was out, but the wind was viscious, making it pretty cold outside.. good thing we had shopping planned!

Top - Zara, Scarf - Alexander McQueen, Tights - F21, Bag - Coach

But not the normal type of shopping, I wanted to visit and check out the local scene. Of course, not before having some lunch.

Thai Grill - 10666 NE 8th Street - Bellevue WA 98004



I was searching around on Yelp again, and came across this little restaurant. I originally chose it because it was close to a mall I wanted to check out - Bellevue Square. I didn't end up there today cause it was crazy busy and parking was a pain to find.. I'm going to try my luck again tomorrow.



Anyways, this little restaurant in downtown Bellevue is family owned and quite cozy inside.

They offered a full a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, as well as a set lunch combination with a couple items to choose from. Each lunch combo included soup, a side of Pad Thai, and rice, whereas lunch entrees were a little cheaper than those offered at dinner time.



When we were seated, the waitress brought over a spring roll appetizer for each of us to try while we perused the menu. The spring roll itself was vegetarian, filled with glass noodles & vegetables, served in a sweet & sour sauce. Fresh, crisp, and a nice start to lunch.


Red Chicken Curry


Showering Rama Chicken

Vince and I chose to share the Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao ($7.95 each), while my parents tried out the lunch combinations with Red Curry Chicken and Showering Rama Chicken ($8.50 each).


Pad Kee Mao


Pad Thai

I thought the food was very delicious, and a very good price for the size we got. It really reminded me of the Pad Thai restaurant that used to be along Whyte Ave.. too bad that place is gone now!

Costco - 400 Costco Drive - Tukwila WA 98188

Did you know Costco was founded in Kirkland, Washington? You learn something new everyday. That's why their own brand is 'Kirkland Signature'! The things they sell at Costco down here share similarities, but also many differences.. so I wanted to check it out and see what they had to offer.


The bear was as big as me.. and only $30! Wish I could bring it home hahah


Sweet Potato Chips, surprisingly tastes like the fries


$10 Red Velvet Cake with Cream cheese icing *drool*


...choose your own casket, what? =/

I must say that this is the biggest Costco I have ever been to in my life. I am certain about that.. It was so large that it was hard to navigate! It was fun to spend time in there, and see all they had to offer. The ladies offering samples were actually really enthusiastic and promoted the product to everyone that passed by.. they were nothing like the boring ones we have up in Edmonton!

Great Wall Shopping Mall - 18230 East Valley Highway - Kent WA 98032



My aunt sent us to this mall to check out 'Ranch 99 Market' which is supposed to be similar to our T&T up in Canada. The mall wasn't very large, but did have an assortment of restaurants and stores for trinkets.



The mall had their own Daiso Japan - it was really small! Their items were packaged on shelves very close to one another, so you had to navigate through carefully in order not to knock everything over. Of course, they couldn't have the selection that can be found over in Richmond, BC, but the prices for their items were all $1.50! I was eager to pick out as much as I could, since Daiso in BC has everything priced at $2.


Erasers, soap dish, eyelashes


Picked these up for my students @ home.. they're soo cute!

Walmart - 743 Rainier Avenue South - Renton WA 98057

CRAZY Walmart! I think this is probably the largest regular Walmart I've ever been to as well. This wasn't even a supercenter, but it was as large (if not bigger) than the Supercenters we have in Edmonton. Bustling full of people, with kids running around, I tried to grab my must have items as quickly as possible and book it outta there.


5 Vortex gum *green apple*, Halls Vit C, Sally Hansen Crackle Polish, Tresemme Heat Spray


Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili, Cheetos Flamin' Hot

I love trying out all the different chip flavours they have here in the States! The selection here is not as great as that in LA, but we decided to try out these two. The Spicy Sweet Chili is the same as the Sweet Chili flavour we have up in Edmonton.. we got tricked by the packaging! But the Cheetos are another story. SO GOOD! They're super spicy and packed full of flavour - I think I want to bring some home!

I am having too much fun to leave this place.

Everytime I have a meal with Indian cuisine, I must endulge in large portions, and eat until my stomach feels like it will explode. You got me. Everytime I have Indian food, it's gotta be buffet style, or no Indian food at all.

Luckily, I don't eat it often. Or I'd be in big trouble, and gain lots of weight after engaging in a seriously rich meal. I usually find myself at New Asian Village about once a year, but today I branched out and tried a new place: Karma The Indian Bistro. Like the name implies, Karma will get back at me by making me gain weight if I force too much food into my stomach! Vince & I planned to eat here before heading out for some shopping.

Located in the heart of downtown, I thought this place looked like a former little house transformed into a restaurant. Cute, with lots of windows, I was glad it was a nice sunny day today :)

When we walked in, we were guided by signs to head upstairs for the lunch buffet. They have the lunch buffet Monday to Friday from 11-2, which is quite a big time gap, allowing them to accomodate the varying lunch hours that people working downtown may have. We asked to be seated by the large windows, so that we could enjoy the gorgeous weather and people watch while we ate.



Their serving area is decently sized, although smaller than the one at New Asian Village. They still have a wide variety of dishes to choose from, and had some that I've never seen before. Their proteins consist mostly of beans, chicken and beef, so no lamb for those of you that love it!



One thing really surprised me. I liked every single dish they had to offer. Um, what? I'm such a picky eater that such an occurence NEVER happens! I know that the food is laden with cilantro, but I don't care! Everything tasted amazing. At New Asian Village, I'll stick to eating maybe half of the offerings they have in the food trays. But at this restaurant, I loved the flavours of each and every dish, and made sure not to leave one drop of sauce behind, thanks to the delicious naan bread they provided at our table!



The naan was fluffy and crisp. None of that silly naan softened by steam and kept warm in a tray, but the naan was brought to us in a basket, straight from the kitchen. Delicious. Do yourself a favour and please check this place out! The buffet is $13.95 per person, you won't regret it!

Karma - The Indian Bistro
10523 99 Avenue
Edmonton AB

Today on Campus, a group called the Heart of the City Piano Program (HCPP) was having a BBQ in main quad selling revolutionary "azn epic hotdogs" in order to raise money to fund their student group, which provides piano lessons for inner city children.

How exactly were the hot dogs revolutionary? You had the choice of purchasing a kimchi hot dog or a wasabi hot dog. Kind of reminds me of japadogs, but I wanted to see how exactly they were going to make them, plus the proceeds were going towards a good cause.

Lisa and I arrived to their little booth shortly after they opened. They had a decently long line going already, which is always nice to see when money made is for a good cause!


wasabi dog on the left, kimchi on right

I really am not a fan of wasabi, and you all know I love my kimchi, so I was definitely getting the kimchi hot dog :) The kimchi dog was composed of a beef weiner, kimchi, green onions, japanese mayo, and sriracha chili sauce.



The hot dog itself was tasty, and the kimchi gave it a kick with the spiciness. However, my hot dog was cold in the middle & there wasn't much kimchi hugging my hot dog. I definitely know what to change up when I make this at home!

Lisa and I decided to go out for my birthday lunch today, and since it was warm outside, we trekked over to Kyoto on 109th!

Inside the restaurant

It was the first time I had ever been to this location, and upon walking in, it felt a little smaller than I had imagined it to be. The hostess quickly greeted us and brought us to our table.


Guess what I ordered!

For lunch I picked out the beef tataki and tempura udon. Lisa ordered the udon as well, and avocado sushi. We were SO excited to eat! The restaurant had just opened for the day and was quite quiet, so I expected to get very good service from our waitress.


Bean sprouts & miso soup

Shortly after ordering, we were given complimentary miso soup and bean sprout salad. I was surprised to get the salad, as most Japanese restaurants only give the miso soup. The soup was nicely flavoured, and not too salty. The bean sprouts were drenched with a ginger-soy (my guess!) dressing, which was refreshing, and the plump sprouts were a great way to cleanse the palate after sipping the soup!


Beef Tataki

The tataki here at kyoto is sliced very thinly, almost to the point where it is see through. Seriously! I was so shocked. The ponzu sauce was rather salty, but there was plenty of seaweed and onion on the plate that toned down the saltiness of the dish.


Delicious lunch

My tempura udon arrived nice and hot, and the broth was clear & tasty. The udon spice was served in a little pot though, so I felt it was a tiny bit unsanitary, and wished it was in the regular bottle :( Lisa and I traded tempura pieces - best deal in the world! 2 of her prawns for all my vegetables, haha!


Avocado Sushi - so fresh! :)

The food was fresh and delicious, but I would have to complain about the service. There weren't too many people eating in the restaurant, yet our server hardly came to check in on us, and it was too difficult to get a hold of her in order to pay our bill! If you visit this location, be wary of the service and have patience!

Kyoto Japanese Cuisine Ltd.
8701 109 Street
Edmonton AB

October 30th marked the 20th birthday of my girl Lisa! Smartest girl I know and one of my best friends ever :) Since she simply loves Korean food, we went to Ga Ya today for lunch, and we both ordered Bibim Bab - hence the title, Birthday Bibim Bab!

Stone Bowl (Dol sot) Bibim Bab

I got the stone bowl bibim bab, hoping to get the crunchy grains of rice stuck to the bottom of my bowl. To my dismay, my bowl probably wasn't heated enough because my rice did not become crunchy *sad* Lisa's did though! That's all that matters cause it was her day!


Lisa's present!

This is what I got her for her birthday present! A box full of little magnets that she can use on her fridge to build sentences about one of her favourite things, cats!

Happy Birthday Lisa!! LOVE YOU LONG TIME xoxox