When Edmonton's food trucks started to appear in and around the city in 2011 everyone was pretty excited to see that the trend had finally reached our city. If you were anything like me, you were determined to try every single food truck. That quickly became a difficult task when more and more trucks emerged onto the scene.

Little Village - 14816 Stony Plain Road - Edmonton AB

Fast forward a few years and there are still many food trucks parked curbside in the warmer months, but some of Edmonton's favourites have shifted toward opening up brick and mortar spaces. Filistix and The Local Omnivore are a couple examples, and the latest food truck to join them is Little Village.

If you've ever had the food from Little Village food truck you've met owner/operator Theo Psalios - the guy inside the truck that always greets you with a smile on his face. Theo brought Little Village to life in 2012 and has been serving up his take on Greek dishes ever since. Operating out of a food truck means food service is dictated by the weather, but now that Theo has a storefront where you can get a taste of Little Village any time of the year.

Located along the hustle and bustle of Stony Plain Road, Little Village occupies a small, brightly lit space in a strip mall. A few seats are available for those who wish to dine-in, but Little Village primarily offers ready-made meals for take out.

As you walk in you're greeted by large chalkboards and two glass displays with food ready for consumption. While the offerings have some overlap with the food truck (like the lamb sandwich and lemon potatoes), there are also a variety of classic Greek offerings like moussaka, pasticchio, and dolmades.

The chalkboards outline the grilled/rotisserie meat, sandwich, and salad options, while the glass display cases are stocked full of cold side dishes and hot Greek classics. Prices are very reasonable given the quality of ingredients and convenience, so I may just find myself here quite often given the close proximity to my home.

I stopped by with a friend on opening day and I knew I couldn't leave without my favourites - the roasted lamb and lemon roasted potatoes - so we picked up a 1/3 Lamb Shoulder ($14.75). All the rotisserie meats are served with a side of potatoes and tzatziki, rounding out the meal. The lamb had a beautiful crust, was well seasoned, and was fall-off-the-bone tender. The potatoes were soft and packed full of flavour, and everything together was a killer combination.

The Lamb Gyro ($10.50) was also on my radar, stuffed with roasted lamb, vegetables, and herbs. The pita held up well to the combination of ingredients and was fairly filling, but I found myself wanting a side with it.

Last but not least we picked up a portion of Moussaka ($6.50/slice), which I lovingly refer to as lasagna's eggplant cousin. The Little Village Moussaka is loaded with eggplant, tomato, ground beef, and creamy bechamel sauce. The mild flavours blend well together, and makes for pretty good comfort food.

The food truck will still be found at the 124 Street Grand Market and various events around the city in the summer months, but now that Little Village is open, lemon roasted potato lovers can get their fix year round. Trust me, they're that good. Stop by and grab a bite Tuesday through Saturday, 11am - 6pm (530pm on Saturdays!).

Over the last few months one thing about Edmonton has become clear: the people in this city are hungry for a good bowl of ramen. While the opening of Prairie Noodle Shop's highly anticipated storefront is still months away, there's a new contender offering up steaming bowls of this Japanese comfort food in the west end of Edmonton.

Kazoku Ramen - 16518 100 Avenue - Edmonton AB

I had the opportunity to attend Kazoku's soft opening last week to get a sneak preview of the new restaurant space. Kazoku is the Japanese word for 'family,' and the team behind this new restaurant strives to serve only food that they would be proud to serve to their own families. When you step into the restaurant you're greeted by Kazoku's very own Godzilla munching on a monster sized narutomaki. This Godzilla isn't just a cute face, he's the mascot behind the giant Godzilla ramen bowl!

The menu at Kazoku is fairly focused, offering a couple appetizer plates and a variety of ramen bowls and rice bowls. The menu at Kazoku also features a variety of housemade sodas to enjoy with your meal. The Japanese Cream Soda ($5) caught my eye, and I was surprised to see that the soda itself was bright green in colour. You could definitely tell that the honeydew flavour was artificial, but it mimicked the true flavour fairly well. The ice cream gave the drink a nice hint of vanilla flavour and creaminess, so if you're a honeydew lover, this one is for you!

Our table decided to start out with a couple appetizers, trying three of the six available plates. The BBQ duck ($10) is roasted Chinese style in house daily and served with a side of plum sauce. The marinade for the duck was fairly typical of the ones you can pick up from any Chinese BBQ shop, but I found the meat to be quite moist and flavourful.

Next we had the pork Gyoza ($7) served as a set of 6. The dumplings were pan fried to a lightly golden crisp, keeping the meat inside juicy and flavourful. While these gyoza were pretty standard, I quite enjoyed the ponzu style dipping sauce as it was both sweet and savoury with a kick of heat.

Last but not least we had to try the Beef Tataki ($11). Kazoku's version had beautifully marbled striploin that was tender and sweet, dressed with onions, scallions, and a light but flavourful ponzu sauce. The slices were a fair thickness, and the portion size quite reasonable for the price.

Next came the part we had all been waiting for: hot, steaming bowls of ramen. The menu offers five different options, which include the Kazoku ramen, tonkotsu ramen, miso ramen, shoyu ramen, and shio ramen. The toppings in each bowl are quite similar, so the bowls mostly differ in their soup bases.The first bowl to arrive was the Tonkotsu ramen ($14) topped with slices of char siu, a half soft-boiled egg, nori, bamboo shoots, corn, bean sprouts, toasted sesame, green onion, and narutomaki. The soup was slightly thick and creamy, the way most tonkotsu broths should be. I felt the broth could have used a tiny bit more seasoning, but otherwise it was tasty.

While the broth is made in-house, the wavy noodles are flown in from a manufacturer in Vancouver. The noodles aren't too thick or thin, and once cooked have a dense, slightly chewy texture. While they hold their shape well while you enjoy the bowl, they don't quite have the elastic bite that I prefer.

We also got an order of the Miso ramen ($13), which featured the same toppings as the tonkotsu, except with shredded nori. The miso ramen featured the most flavourful broth of all the bowls at our table that evening, and you could taste the subtle nutty flavours in the broth. The char siu in these ramen bowls is equal parts lean and fatty, lending extra flavour to the noodles. The soft boiled eggs are cooked to the perfect consistency with a slight oozing yolk, but they would be made even better with a marinade.

For myself I had to order the Kazoku ramen ($15), which features char siu, a full soft-boiled egg, nori, bamboo shoots, corn, wood-ear fungus, bean sprouts, toasted sesame, green onion, and narutomaki. Basically, all the toppings that Kazoku uses in their ramen bowls. This ramen sets itself apart from the rest by its clear pork and chicken based broth. It's the lightest broth the restaurant makes, and it has very subtle flavour to it. I wasn't expecting this upon ordering, and initially found the broth to be quite bland and underseasoned. If you're looking for a broth that isn't too heavy, this may be for you, but I like my noodle soups to be packed with umami, and this bowl unfortunately didn't do it for me.

Since Kazoku also offers rice bowls, we needed to try one out for ourselves. Bowls can be topped with BBQ pork, BBQ duck, imperial chicken, or soya chicken, but we chose to get a combination of the BBQ pork and imperial chicken with the 'pick two' option ($14). The large bowl of rice came to the table with a generous portion of pork and chicken, and sides of a soft omelette, broccoli, and bok choy. The rice bowl came as described, but it was quite boring compared to a big bowl of ramen with a variety of toppings. As rice bowls are fairly easy to put together, I would recommend skipping them all together and ordering a bowl of ramen instead.

To finish off the meal that evening I chose to try the Purin ($4.50), which is the Japanese version of a creme caramel or flan. I'm a sucker for custards, and this one didn't disappoint with it's smooth, creamy texture. The purin wasn't overly heavy or sweet, making it a perfect end to the meal for me.

The ramen scene in Edmonton is continuing to grow and it's great to finally have an option in the west side of the city for a bowl of this Japanese comfort food. While the noodles at Kazoku aren't what I prefer, the tonkotsu and miso ramen broths lack some depth but have good flavour, making them on par with other bowls in the city. As mentioned above, Kazoku will be featuring a Godzilla ramen bowl, where you can have it for free if you finish it! And to show off your amazing eating capabilities, you get a t-shirt featuring Kazoku's Godzilla on it too. The prices are affordable and on par with other Japanese restaurants, so stop by if you're nearby. Kazoku Ramen was receptive to feedback, and the bowls may change a bit. The restaurant officially opens today (October 15th) to the public, so grab a bowl and let me know what you think!

*Disclosure: Kazoku Ramen invited me as a guest to attend their soft opening. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. I was not expected to feature this restaurant on my blog, nor obligated to do so. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: good Malaysian food is hard to find in Edmonton. Just recently a new Malaysian spot opened up, and I just had to stop by.

Island Cafe & Bistro - 9923 170 Street - Edmonton AB

Island Cafe & Bistro opened up just over two months ago in the west end of Edmonton on the ever-busy 170th Street. It's easy to drive by without noticing it, but it seems like that isn't an issue for this restaurant, as the space was just about full at 5:30PM on a weeknight. This cafe declares itself to be a place "where the taste of the east meets west," having a menu featuring traditional Malaysian dishes and other plates to suit the Western palate.

The menu offers a decent number of Malaysian dishes, and we chose to go with our favourites. Roti Canai with Curry Sauce ($3.95/2) is something I cannot go without when it comes to Malaysian food. A crisp exterior and fluffy, pliable layers is what this roti is known for, and the version here does not disappoint. Crunchy and chewy textures contrasted one another, and the wonderful buttery flavour definitely came through. The side of curry sauce was unfortunately coated in a heavy layer of oil, and needed a quick stir in order for the flavour to come through with each dip.

Our next dish was the Malaysian Style Nasi Lemak ($12), which featured steamed coconut rice, spicy sambal sauce, 3 chicken wings, a hard boiled egg, peanuts, pickled cucumbers and pineapples, and papadum-style prawn crackers. Everything mixed together resulted in a dish with a pleasant heat, slight sweetness, tang from the pickles and a wide range of textures from all the components. However, given the price tag and the ingredients on the plate, we felt the dish would benefit from having a bit more chicken as the wings were quite small.

Bak Kut Teh, which literally translates to meat bone tea, is a dish consisting of pork ribs braised for hours in a broth of Asian herbs and spices. Ironically enough, the dish itself doesn't contain any tea at all, but rather tea is typically served alongside this stew with the belief that it aids in digesting the fat in this dish. The version here at this restaurant ($15) features pork ribs, pork belly, mushrooms and vegetables in the herbal soup, served with a side of rice and Chinese long donuts. The pork in this is stewed until fall-apart tender, and the herbs used in the broth were fragrant, but the soup was watered down and lacking seasoning. Had the flavours been more prominent it would have been great.

The last dish to our table was the one I was most looking forward to having - Laksa Curry Noodles ($12). This dish is pretty iconic when it comes to Malaysian cuisine, featuring vermicelli in a curry-based soup. The Laksa at Island Cafe features thin vermicelli with fried tofu, fish cake, shrimp, fishballs, a hard boiled egg, and bean sprouts in a spicy coconut soup. The toppings were abundant and the vermicelli al dente, but like the bak kut teh, the broth was lacking a depth of flavour and felt watered down. The broth was missing the creamy consistency and thickness to coat the noodles that I expected. With some improvements in the broth, this could also be a well done bowl of laksa.


Mango Creme Mille Crepe Cake
When I walked into the cafe that evening my eyes immediately drifted to the dessert case, which contained a couple of classic French mille crepe cakes. Mille, translated to 'thousand' in the French language, implies that this cake is made with multiple layers of crepes separated by light pastry cream. To my knowledge, Island Cafe is the only spot in Edmonton to serve this dessert, so I was absolutely excited to try their housemade version. At $7 per slice, the cake is available in a multitude of flavours, including classics like vanilla and maple walnut, and exciting flavours like pandan kaya coconut, dark chocolate banana cream, and creme brulee cheesecake. Flavours can change daily, and you can even order a whole cake to wow guests at your next dinner party (7" for $60 / 10" for $80).

Considering that it takes 2 days to make one full cake, the $7 per piece price point is very reasonable for this labour-intensive dessert. We ordered one slice of the mango creme flavour and one of the creme brulee cheesecake flavour, with a white coffee ($3) on the side. It was hard to detect the delicate creme brulee with the cream cheese being the predominant flavour in the creme brulee cheesecake mille crepe cake, but the fragrant mango really came through in our other slice. The layers are soft and you can really appreciate the effort that go into producing the cake. I'd definitely give the pandan kaya coconut a try on my next visit!

I love when small, family-run restaurants pop up in the Edmonton food scene, and it's even better when they serve food that isn't commonly found in our city. I can appreciate that everything in the restaurant is made from scratch, and the restaurant is open until 11PM for late night eats Tuesday through Sunday. While some dishes require some adjustments, the food is decent and I'm hoping the Malaysian classics will improve by the time I make my next visit. That roti canai is already calling my name, and I can't wait to get my hands on another slice of mille crepe cake!

The new year started with a bang for me in terms of food! After a late night of ringing in the new year with friends, my boyfriend and I did not want to have to make our own food the morning after. There aren't too many brunch spots in Edmonton, and most of the ones in Edmonton weren't open on New Years Day. Luckily one of the newest cafes came to our rescue.

Cafe Blackbird - 9640 142 Street - Edmonton AB

Cafe Blackbird opened its doors at the beginning of October and is located conveniently along 142 Street in the heart of Crestwood right by Delux Burger Bar, Cobs Bread and Careit Urban Deli. I stopped by once before for drink to go, and knew I had to return to try out their brunch and lunch options. Their New Years 'All Day Hangover Brunch' fit the bill, so off we were on Thursday morning to meet a friend for brunch.

My morning started off with a Vanilla Latte ($4.50) made with beans roasted by Edmonton's own Iconoclast Coffee. The latte had great flavour and definitely woke me up. It was nice to know that high quality, locally roasted coffee is the choice at Cafe Blackbird, since it's so important to support local producers! (On a side note - YEG Coffee Week is coming March 7th-15th, and Cafe Blackbird is participating! Details to come.)

The main feature on the Hangover Brunch menu was a Loaded Waffle Panini ($17) which featured two waffles with eggs, bacon and cheese, served with maple syrup, brunch potatoes and fruit. My boyfriend and I are known to visit District Coffee Co. on the weekends for their breakfast waffle sandwiches, so this waffle panini was calling our names. When the dish arrived at the table we couldn't wait to dig in. The waffle panini tasted just like we would have imagined, savoury from the gooey cheese and bacon, and slightly sweet with the addition of maple syrup. The portion size was very generous (read: TWO whole giant waffles!) and I feel two people could have shared this one.

For myself I wanted to try the Eggs Benedict ($16) which is my typical go-to on brunch menus. The version at Blackbird is two poached eggs on ham, with hollandaise and served on top of Cobs Bread sourdough with a side of brunch potatoes. The eggs were poached beautifully with soft whites and an oozing yolk, and I liked the kick of heat to the hollandaise. The use of sourdough as the base for the dish was novel choice, but I found it was very difficult to cut through. With a bit of effort I was able to cut through and the payoff was some fresh, chewy sourdough, but I would prefer the traditional English muffin. The brunch potatoes served with our dishes were fluffy and flavourful, making them a filling side for both plates.

Cafe Blackbird is a great spot in the Crestwood community and I'm sure the local residents are loving it! They offer comforting cafe fare, and support local producers at the same time. Brunch is available on weekends, and tapas are available in the evenings from 5pm til close. They even have some wines for you to indulge in! I'd love to have a locally owned cafe like this near my home - those of you in the west end are lucky.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a media dinner at Sage, the fine dining restaurant inside of the River Cree Resort & Casino. Guests were being treated to a preview of the Taste of Europe tasting menu created by Executive Chef Shane Chartrand which is being featured at Sage from August 26-30.

Sage - 300 East Lapotac Boulevard - Edmonton AB

At the start of the meal Chef Chartrand explained that this European menu was created in homage to some of his favourite European chefs. Each course was a traditional dish inspired by a different chef, and Chef Chartrand put his own personal spin on it.

The first course was inspired by Jose Andres of Spain: clams and chorizo sausage al ajillo with crispy ensalada. The clams were delicate and fresh, and the greens provided a crunchy texture to contrast the other elements on the plate. Al ajillo translates to "with garlic,"and in combination with the herbs and spicy chorizo the flavours in this dish made it a great starter. But my favourite thing on the plate? That egg yolk! Cooked to just the perfect consistency the yolk bound everything together.

Next up was a beef goulash with braised cabbage, potato gherkin cream and spelt bread, inspired by Sven Elverfeld of Germany. Can I just say how beautiful the plate looks? The striking magenta colour immediately caught my eye! This beef goulash probably looks nothing like what you have had in the past, but I will say that Chef Chartrand's take on this classic dish was fantastic. The beef was tender while the bed of braised cabbage provided a different textural element. The potato gherkin cream on top gave it a light dill flavour and the potato crisps, balls, and bread on the side added more contrasting textures.

With the following course we took a trip to Italy for tagliatelle with veal osso bucco, roasted romaine and balsamic foie inspired by Massimo Buttra. This delicate serving of handmade pasta was nothing short of amazing. The contrasting flavours of balsamic, smoke and parmesan all paired so well together that I wish there had been more on the plate. Texture and flavour was spot on with this dish, and the light sprinkling of panko crumbs gave the dish a wonderful crunch. My boyfriend has officially named this the best pasta he's ever had.

The fourth course was inspired by Pierre Marco White of England, and Chef Chartrand gave us his take on cottage pie. We were presented with a truly deconstructed pie made with tender, flavourful lamb with carrots, crispy kale, and pecorino on a bed of mashed potatoes. There was a good portion of meat on the dish, and I loved the crunchy bits of toast that were sprinkled over top. This plate was scraped clean and spotless when I was done with it!

Alain Ducasse of France was the inspiration for our fifth course, which was coq au vin with a burgundy red wine emulsion and gruyere gougeres. The sampling of moist chicken was another winner, but my favourite thing on the plate was the gougere. Light, puffy, cheesy and so easy to eat. I could eat a bucket of them!

Swiss chocolate souffle inspired by Peter Goossens of Switzerland rounded off the meal, and it was amazing to see 50 perfect souffles emerge from the kitchen to the dining table. It's no easy feat, but the culinary team pulled it off! The souffle was decadent, but to make things even better, pots of light creme anglaise were available at the table to pour over dessert. Between you and I, I probably had about half a pot of it. So delicious! Don't tell.

Chef Chartrand is an absolutely talented chef and continues to experiment and express his love for cooking. I would highly recommend visiting Sage to see what Chef Chartrand has up his sleeve, and if you have the chance, definitely check out the Taste of Europe tasting menu available this week from August 26-30! At $49 per person, the six course menu (without beverage pairings) is a steal. Portions are perfect and each course is timed perfectly. Now go make dinner plans, eat & enjoy!


Disclaimer: as this was a media event, views expressed in this post are solely mine. I was not expected to feature this restaurant on my blog, nor obligated to do so. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

Every once in a while I crave a good sandwich. Everyone has their personal preferences for meats, veggies, and condiments. For myself, I love a sandwich with cured meats. It has to be moist (either from vegetables or sauces) and the bun has to be soft with a slight chew.

Swiss 2 Go - 17104 90 Avenue - Edmonton AB

I first encountered Swiss 2 Go at the Avenue Edmonton Party for the 25 Best Things to Eat for 2013. They won an award for their Italian Bride sandwich, and I was able to sample a mini version of it. Being nothing short of delicious, I knew I needed to visit their location for the real deal. Flash forward several months, and I finally stopped by last week!

Swiss 2 Go is a little cafe best suited for takeout orders. However, with little tables scattered around the space you're open to taking a seat and enjoying your meal. Chalkboards overhead at the counter highlight the menu, while a display case on the left houses single-sized desserts and snacks to take on the go.

Swiss 2 Go offers a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches as part of their regular menu. All the sandwiches are served on a housemade pretzel bun and are available in two sizes, so you can order according to your appetite.

For lunch, my boyfriend ordered the Thanksgiving ($7.99 - regular): smoked turkey, French Brie, romaine hearts, red pepper, mayo & mustard on pretzel baguette. All the ingredients were fresh and there was a kick of heat from the mustard. The vegetables gave the sandwich a nice crunch and also helped to balance the flavour.

For myself, I had to get the Italian Bride ($7.99 - regular): Italian prosciutto, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, sliced Bocconcini, fresh basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette on pretzel baguette. Does that not sound amazing? The flavours work together so well - saltiness from the prosciutto, tangy notes from the sundried tomatoes, and freshness from the red peppers and bocconcini. The pretzel bun itself had a nice hard crust while the interior was soft like a pillow. My only gripe with the bun was how hard the points on the bun were - it hurt when pushed against the roof of my mouth. I do have to mention that you have to be prepared to get a little messy, as the moisture from the red peppers and oil from the sundried tomatoes makes the sandwich slippery and a little difficult to eat. It's totally worth it though!

At $7.99 per sandwich you might feel that it's a bit expensive. However, Swiss 2 Go offers a great deal with their "Sandwich Team Box" that allows you to make a combo of a sandwich, soup or salad, a bottle of water & a bite size swiss chocolate for $12.99 (regular) or $14.99 (large). That's definitely comparable to having lunch at a restaurant. With so many different sandwich combinations I'm sure there is something that will satisfy your tastes. Swiss 2 Go is located in a small strip mall across from West Edmonton Mall and is a great alternative to eating in the food court or a restaurant in the mall. If you drive by too quickly it's easy to miss, but trust me, you don't want to drive past this place.

I always like watching people make the food I eat, and the new Freshii located at West Edmonton Mall lets you see it all! They prepare the food right when you order before your eyes, and you can see the unique way that they put it all together.

I believe they opened early September, because I remember my coworkers and I gushing over the new place and their interesting concept. Their little space in the food court is brightly lit, with green and white decor, bringing lots of life to the dull, old food court.

Freshii

At this place, they have a preset menu to choose from, or you can grab a little clip board, take a seat, and plan out exactly what you want them to make for you, using their fresh ingredients. Basically what they do is take the ingredients you want, toss them together with the sauces you choose, and turn it into a wrap, burrito, rice/noodle bowl, soup or salad. It's pretty interesting and I really like watching them do their job.


Short & Simple Menu

Once they receive your order, they scoop up all the ingredients into a bag, add sauce, tie a knot, and SHAKE! They shake it all up for a good while, to coat the ingredients and make them taste delicious. Afterwards, they pour it into a box for you to take & enjoy.


Warrior Chicken!

This would be the second time I've been here, and I ordered the Warrior Chicken to try out. This is it's description: brown rice, cajun chicken, sweet corn, red onions, diced tomatoes, carrots, and ranch dressing. Think it sounds gross? So did I, until I took a bite of it! The ranch dressing they use is very mild, and the brown rice is cooked perfectly - not soggy, not hard, but just in the middle where the rice almost has a bit of elasticity to it. I don't know how to describe it, but I think of it like al dente pasta. Al dente brown rice! Yum! The cajun chicken is seasoned well, and when combined with the corn and other vegetables, its a slightly sweet and salty mixture that tastes oh so good in your tummy.

Big change compared to the first time I went - they had just opened and the place was hectic! The workers were frantic and seemed like they had no idea what was going on - they were getting orders wrong, food wasn't cooked properly, and it just wasn't a good time. But after being open for over a month, they now have things under control and I can almost disregard my first visit. My first time I had chosen to go with a noodle bowl, but my rice noodles were so undercooked. They were hard and so gross, I could taste the starch! They also ran out of their lemongrass sauce so mine barely had any flavour. I'm not so sure I want to try the noodles again though, just in case.

I would definitely recommend trying out anything other than their noodle bowls, or even customizing something! It's cool to see how they make their foods, and they really do stick to their motto - "FRESH FOOD. CUSTOM BUILT. FAST."

Freshii
1586 West Edmonton Mall
Edmonton AB