Time is Ticking......Corso 32 Worth the Wait?

I am sure a lot of people have heard amazing things about Corso 32. They were everywhere in the media and being the restaurant it is, word does get around. I love how the name is seriously specific to the number of people they can fit in the place. With a seating of 32, I can now see why reservations must be placed at least a couple months in advance.

On the day we made reservations, the weather was not co-operating with us... It was pouring. And with my luck, there were no nearby parking available. So my friend and I had to run a couple blocks before arriving at the restaurant looking like wet soggy dogs.. It was awful. Did I mention we were given a couple of strange glances? But who cares! We made reservations far in advance, nothing would turn us away at this rate.

We were seated almost immediately, and after about 20 minutes of getting settled we were ready to order. I noticed on the bottom of the menu it says something about how Corso encourages sharing! Which is pretty neat. Up until this point I had no idea what that meant. Anyways, we started with the grilled cheese and ordered Garganelli pasta and the 40 day aged rib eye steak.

The grill cheese was sooooo goood. I love the idea of the sunny side up egg being presented on top of the thinly cut bruschetta. The boschetto al tartufo cheese was a perfect blend of sweet and this rustic garlic hint.

Garganelli pasta! Okay, so when you ask for the dishes to be split between however many people, they really do prepare it as if there were two separate orders. The pasta was pleasant, cooked to perfection (al dente) with a lovely meaty bolognese sauce. No complaints here, just a traditional take on the good ol' bolognese sauce pasta.

On to my favorite dish of the night. Aged rib eye steak! I loveeeee my meat and this dish made my palate dance. The rib eye steak was extremely tender and soft. Cooked to the perfect temperature and rareness that would make any steak lover proud. It was just so juicy and the natural flavours of the steak is all you really need to make this dish outstanding.

After the meal, my stomach wasn't quite complete without desserts! (The portions were indeed small but the quality of the food really made up for everything.) I was so excited for the desserts anyways they sound amazing! I ordered the chocolate torta (of course I would order something with chocolate in it haha..), and my friend went with the vanilla panna cotta. The chocolate was so rich, dense and thick. It was like the ultimate brownie and thoroughly satisfied my sweet tooth for the night.


All in all, what a wonderful place this is! It really lives up the expectations and the hype buzzing about Corso. The quality in food preparation is superb and the presentation really sets the bar in terms of fine eateries. Service was friendly and attentive to our needs, price was reasonable and extremely fair. I would love to come back for another dining out experience at Corso. I'm even willing to dash through the rain or snow haha. 

What's Up With Red Ox Inn?

I have heard so many excellent reviews about this restaurant, but had no real interest in purposely seeking this place out. I mean the location of this place is a little random, as it is located among the residential area of Strathearn. But it wasn't hard to find at all, and am I ever glad I paid a visit here..Where do I even begin...

Red Ox Inn is one of the finest restaurants in Edmonton. I mean it. The restaurant interior is very simple (small - did I mention there were only about 10 tables or so?), in no way is it as fancy as a place like Wildflower or the Harvest room but that rustic aura really makes you feel at home. From the moment you walk in the door, to the moment you walk out, the service is wonderful and go beyond to make your dining experience memorable. The server was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and attentive to our needs.

Starting of the meal with drinks and an appetizer, I wanted something warm so I went with the cappuccino. That strong, rich espresso coffee with steamed milk was lovely, but was a better accompaniment with the desserts at the end.

Lucky for my friend and I (or maybe not), they ran out of the pork belly so they had a substitute appetizer for the day: Lamb ravioli. It sounded amazing, and it wasn't on their main menu so we had to order it. If the portion seems small to you, it really was. But, the ravioli was none like any other....Slices of asparagus on top of a tomato jam, on top of the lamb ravioli which was again on top of a creamy pea sauce. The lamb was braised to perfection (melt in your mouth), and the pasta was al dente. When everything was brought together, you have this amazing combination of nutty (from the pea sauce) and sweet tomato. The flavours are insane!

For my entree, I decided to go with the classic strip loin. I was expecting the typical 7 o.z steak on the side, with steamed vegetables as the side arrangement but was pleasantly surprised! The strip loin was cooked to perfection and exactly what I wanted it medium rare. Super soft tender meat served with kale, cornbread puree, a dark rich bordelaise sauce (made of red wine, bone marrow, demi-glace and shallots) and a creamy, thick gruyere cheese sauce. Again with the flavours!! How does one come up with such original and fantastic combinations??? It is unbelievable. Everything on the plate had its own distinctive taste, but when combined my palate was brought to life with the creaminess of the cheese, the tangy bordelaise and the natural flavours from the steak.

Desserts, desserts, desserts! After the nice meal, my friend and I both wanted more! So after browsing the dessert menu for a minute, I knew right away the chocolate mousse was for me. I absolutely love anything chocolate! The mousse was rich and creamy, yet not overly sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the brownie bits For the tart, the waiter said the rhubarb came from the owners backyard? Something like that..but the fresh BC cherries, strawberries and rhubarb came together so well. I love the tart shell too, flaky, light, crispy...yum yum yum...

So back to my question..What's up with Red Ox Inn? The menu selection and quality of each dish will blow your mind away. This is the place to go for an amazing dining experience. Although the interior is a little shabby and simple, the food will surpass all expectations! The service is excellent, and the waiter really went out of his way to purposely find us the information for the local supplier of where they buy their tea from. I adore this restaurant and is definitely in my top 3 list for favorite restaurants in Edmonton. I am looking forward to my next dining experience here at Red Ox Inn.

Quick Burger Meal at the Next Act

Ugh. I am a sucker for fast food...The fries, the burgers...the fattiness..something about it all just lures me each and every single time. My brother is on this giant health kick, comes home from work, spends 4 hours at the gym, downs protein shakes and is cutting back on the carbs. Then you have me! Someone who finds great enjoyment eating burgers and fries. Haha. But! I have a taste for good quality burgers, not any burger can satisfy this palate! Plus, it's not like I spend every weekend dining on burgers. So this message is directed to Winston (my brother), stop scolding me on being unhealthy and chubby!

Anyways, after a hard day of work, my friend picked me up and we went to the next act on whyte ave. A couple of co-workers were there the week before and I missed out on that, so I wanted to make up for it! I love love love this place. Everything about this place is so original starting with the interior. I absolutely adore the wall of facial expressions pictures of the employees hanging up on the side. It really does bring out the chill/laid back environment.

I started off with the usual choice of beer: Crabbies ginger beer. Such a refreshing light drink that really hits the spot after a long tiring day of work.

For the burger, I went with the classic pulled pork. The pork was soft, tender and flaky. Not sure if enjoyed the coleslaw on top though. It was watery and had no taste! I felt like it should be on the side and not part of the actual burger. In my opinion the watered down mayo does not mix well with the barbecue sauce of the pulled pork. But nonetheless, this is a killer sandwich.

I will definitely be back with a couple of friends! This is the ideal place to hang out, grab a drink and catch up. The delicious burgers (food) is a nice bonus. :) I cannot wait to be back to try the other things on the menu.

Trip to Thailand through Thai Flavours

I have a confession to make, I am an urbanspoon addict. I downloaded the app on my iphone and when I have nothing else better to do with my life, I search for restaurants that I have yet to try. My friend and I were searching for a thai restaurant, and we stumbled across Thai Flavours. Located in Lewis Estates (near River Cree Casino Resort), we decided to hit up this location and give it a try. The restaurant is quite small and cozy, upon walking in you know you are in a Thai restaurant by the decorations they have up on the wall. Also, I love the tropical theme this restaurant has! Those colourful table cloths are really something else haha! Thai Flavours also has daily specials which is a nice bonus and it can be found on their website. We went on a Tuesday, and the spring rolls were their special of the day (4 for $6).

We decided to try 1 order of spring rolls, 2 beef and 2 pork. I have never tried beef filling before so it was something I was looking forward to tasting. We ordered tom yum soup (at my request because I absolutely love that stuff), a curry dish (Gang Leang) and one classic noodle dish (Pad Thai).

Family fine dining at the Wildflower

It has been a while since we celebrated mother's day at a nicer, upscale restaurant (I know this post is way outdated..haha). Since my brother and I love our momma to bits...(with the bonus of us working full time), we decided to take her to the Wildflower at the matrix hotel. At first, we wanted to go to hardware grill but the timing of the reservations did not work out to plan. The wildflower grill is located at the matrix hotel near jasper ave. Semi-formal attire, dim lighting, relatively quiet environment emits the mature atmosphere.

 For drinks, I ordered the blueberry, pomegranate iced tea. It tasted exactly as it sounds with a nice herbal aroma to compliment the fruity flavors.

The meal came with a complimentary French brioche, it was so good! Light, fluffy and flaky pastry that melted in your mouth immediately. It is seriously to die for. My only complaint is that they did not bring out more!!!
For our appetizers, I recommended the gnocchi and beef carpaccio. My parents have never tried gnocchi before so I figured it should be something we order. The gnocchi was chewy in the center yet crispy on the outside and it was served with a sweet pea puree which made a nice compliment.

The beef carpaccio was the favorite of the night! Thin slices of extremely tender beef, served with a sweet chipotle jam and a hint of spiciness from the aioli. Unfortunately, our palates were highly stimulated from the brioche and we ravaged the appetizers in no time before realizing I forgot to take a picture.

Another freebie for the night: a spoonful of Thai salad for each!  

So I'm a very conservative person when it comes to food, I don't venture far from the 3 main meats(chicken, beef and pork) but that night I was feeling adventurous! So I went with the venison. I had no idea what to expect and the thought of eating deer meat seemed odd to me. But nonetheless I am always open to try new things! How do you even describe this type of meat.... It does not taste anything like beef, a little like mutton...  It was okay, I'm not sure if I have a liking for it haha But it was extremely tender and flaky. I did a quick search on the taste of deer, and people describe it as being "gamey". Not sure what that means...But it seems quite fitting. The dish came with deep fried polenta (cornmeal), the texture was crispy on the outside with a soft warm middle. One of the polenta was way too fried as you can tell by the picture. Notice the colour contrast? I kept that on the side of my plate.

At the end of the night, they also brought out a complimentary plate of petite four! Such a delight surprise, especially after a filling meal. It really was a nice addition and completed the entire dining experience. The white and dark chocolate truffles were my favorites!
Service is excellent, the waitress was attentive to our needs and gave us enough time to carry out our conversations. In addition, she answered all our questions and gave honest recommendations about several dishes. Food was delectable but nothing amazing in terms of flavour or presentation. The little "extras" were a pleasant addition to our full course meal. Overall, the experience was great and my parents thoroughly enjoyed the fine dining experience! I highly recommend dining here at the wildflower - service, ambiance and food is excellent!

Carnivore Delight at Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus!

My family loves to eat meat. Sorry vegetarians...but we love our beef, chicken, pork, you name it! It is a must have ingredient in our household or else complaints will arise like no tomorrow. So for fathers day, I decided to take my family out for some delectable smokehouse meat! I heard many many good things about this small restaurant place..and the insane portions! Earlier, a few guy friends went here and posted pictures of the humongous sized burgers.. It seriously seemed like some jaw dislocation was needed to take a bite out of the burger.

Anyways, for the family of 4, we went with the game day platter. This included beef brisket, ribs, chicken, pulled pork, corn bread, loads of fries and baked beans. Basically, it was a good sample of all they have to offer! And for $75...and the amount o food they give, it was definitely worth it. 

When it came out, we were all shocked because we were not use to seeing all the food piled together onto one giant plate. It was impressive and the smoked meat smelled amazing..

The beef brisket was the first thing I dived into and unfortunately it wasn't as tender as it looked. Quite dry and flavorless..which was a little disappointing. But on the bright side the pulled pork was fabulous! Whoo! I wish they gave more, I felt like the skimped out on the pulled pork.. but I'm sure it was because my brother was gobbling it down the quickest and left none for the rest of us. Jerk! The ribs were also excellent. Super tender, well seasoned and barbecued to perfection. The chicken was also a little disappointing.. Not much flavor and it was quite burnt. 

Here's a picture of the aftermath... we fought a hard battle but lost. But it was a good fight! We were completely stuffed, and the funny thing was after the meal we all said the same thing: Phew no meat in this quantity for a longgggg time please... Haha.

This place is a must try! Grab a couple of buddies and head down to sloppy hoggs and I guarantee it will be a great night. Depending on what type of meat you order some are tender and if you love barbecues this place will not let you down. Bring YO APPETITE. 

Quick Sugarbowl Catch Up with a Girlfriend

I am a University of Alberta student and this is so sad...but I have never been to the Sugarbowl before. Ugh! I know, I should be kicking myself for putting it off for so long. EVERYONE at the university is talking about the sugarbowl as the place for drinks and food etc. It is an amazing joint and the food is so delicious. Anyways, I absolutely love hummus...so I had to order the flatbread and hummus to start.

The hummus was so creamy and smooth. It is SOOOO GOOD. I love hummus so much haha. With a hint of paprika and a splash of olive oil this hummus is a done deal.

The thing I love about the sugarbowl is the amazing contrast of green with the main. Look at the amount of salad! All that folic acid makes me feel less guilty about the jerk chicken and avocado burger. The burger itself was fantastic. The chicken was tender and the addition of avocado completed the burger.

This place is definitely one of my favorites near campus, and I am for certain to hit up this place again when the school semester starts again! A great place to grab a quick bite, enjoy light conversations and rewind before or after classes.

Kobe Japanese Restaurant! Callingwood Area!

My friend and I were looking for a different Japanese restaurant to try and we stumbled across Kobe in urbanspoon! The ratings were pretty good too which made us more interested!

We were quick to order upon looking at the menu for about 5 minutes. The thing about sushi in Edmonton is that you have to be cautious about ordering sashimi.. For some reason, fresh tuna sashimi does not exist! I have been to many many Japanese restaurants such as: Sushi garden, Mikado, Zen, Sumo Sumo, Japonais Bistro, Kyoto...etc. And at all those restaurants, I haven't been able to say "wow this is really fresh Tuna" as I can with the salmon. Anyways, I decided to ask the waitress about the freshness, and she proclaimed that this restaurant has by far the freshest fish from Japan. So I wouldn't need to worry about soft, warm Tuna. So we took her advice and ordered a half order of salmon and tuna sashimi. In addition, we went with the dragon eye, spicy tuna, and rainbow roll.

Everything came out at once! The spicy tuna and rainbow roll was very good and the dragon eye was different compared to other places. The dragon eye was a big roll, filled with cooked salmon and thoroughly deep fried. I don't think the cheese sauce is as good as mikado, but the roll was delicious as well.

Aha...now for the sashimi... The salmon was fresh, firm and no fishy taste. But again the tuna is a big disappointment!!!! It was warm, extremely soft and had a fish after taste. It did not seem so bad at first..but after the second piece, the texture of the tuna was a big deterrence.

On a side note: My friend had the most Tuna slices and after he had really bad food poisoning!! A couple hours later, he had extreme stomach pains, chills, fevers and was vomiting up a storm of what was left of our dinner. Which proves our point...to STAY AWAY FROM TUNA SASHIMI. Unless it is firm, cold and served in Vancouver hahaha or somewhere else. Bad bad bad experience here with the Tuna.

If it weren't for the food poisoning, this restaurant would be a new favorite. But I don't think I will be rushing back anytime soon for sushi at Kobe.

Location location....Shanghai 456

Wow this place is sketchy! The location is horrible and there is no real sign with the restaurant's name outside. But don't let the looks fool you! My family and I had to drive around a couple of times before spotting a small sign peaking out the window. This is restaurant was the old cafeteria of the Edmonton City Airport. Everything in the restaurant is outdated, and nothing was changed. Open kitchen with a few old tables and chairs to go with it. Upon walking in, it is easy to make quick judgments. But surprisingly the food was good. With 2 waitresses and 1 chef, service is super slow and you can tell by the number of tables that have yet to be dealt with and taken care of.. We decided to order small eats such as, hot and sour soup, xiao long bao (dragon buns), dumplings, bbq duck and a sticky rice roll.

The hot and sour soup was really good. Filled with ingredients and flavor, this is definitely one of the better hot and sour soup I have tasted. The soup was thick, spicy and everything came together nicely.

Dumplings were next, and the beef filling is amazing. My only complaint is the dough being a little too thick but other than that it was really tasty. The dumplings were crispy on the outside, yet tender when you bite through the center. The beef filling was well marinated and had a "soupy" filling as well to go along with it, similar to what you get in the xiao long bao.

The bbq duck was surprisingly good as well! Wow, the perfect crispiness on the outside skin, yet tender, flavorful meat underneath. It wasn't extremely salty either unlike other bbq meat places in Edmonton. It came with some random plain buns, but none of us had much interest in it. Even to this day, I am amazed and how well the duck came out... And I am not a big duck person.

The sticky rice roll followed quickly, and there isn't much to say about it. It wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular either. Filled with meat, mushrooms, dried pork. The rice was also a tad dry and hard, making it difficult to chew.

Last but not least, the xiao long bao! When you go to a shanghai restaurant, it is so common for people to order these. It is a must have appetizer! We wanted to try something different since we always go for the pork filled ones. This time we ordered the crab filled dumplings instead. And bad choice...something about crab meat and dumplings does not mix very well. The fishy/seafood taste ruined the soup broth within and the combination was not a hit among us all. Stick with the regular ones! But the dumpling was very well made, thin skin and loaded with filling!

Even though the location & appearance of the restaurant is a little bit daunting, it does not do the food justice! The food is really well made and is the best Shanghainese restaurant there is in Edmonton.

 

Stumbling Across a "Local" Restaurant!

Entry by Raymond. (Amateur Amateur Blogger) :)

Nicole and myself were shopping around the South Common area until we got hungry. We didn't have a restaurant in mind, so we were driving around trying to spot what was around the area. We passed by the Local Public Eatery and I had no idea what this place was, so we both decided to give it a try. As we walked in the restaurant, we quickly found out that this place was a pub with an open bar, but also with a family seating area hidden in the back. This made us rethink of our decision, but we still decided to sit down and took a look at the menu. Important note: Don't expect good service at this place. The waitresses pay no attention to you unless your ordering a lot of alcohol. It took us forever to wave her down for the menus and for the bill as well.

We ordered the half nachos to start. And surprisingly, this was one of the best nachos I had for the price. As the picture shows, the nachos was fully loaded with fresh ingredients: tomatoes, olives, fresh avocado chunks , green onion, chicken, cheddar cheese and drizzled in sour cream. It was so good! And it was plenty for the two of us. 

Nicole got a Steak Sandwich with yam fries She said it was not amazing but not terrible either. The yam fries were soggy and not crisp as she would have liked. In addition, the mayo was bland and she said she could do without. 

I decided to get The Deluxe burger with fries. The burger was big compared to a regular one! I had a little difficulty eating the burger... but the small bites tasted very good! The burger was juicy, and tomatoes and lettuce was fresh. The beef patty was not completely well done, the center of the patty was pink throughout even though the waitress said it would be. This made me a little disappointed and also made me question whether it was safe to eat or not... However, I am writing this post now which means I am fine haha! On the other hand, the fries were amazing and I could definitely say that they are one of the best fries I have ever eaten! They were salted perfectly and were extra crispy but not overcooked!

Overall, if you are looking for a noisy place to go have a couple of drinks with friends this would be it. Service is only there if you are ordering drinks and the waitresses are definitely willing to put in a lot of "effort" to make extra tips if you do (hit or miss). Other than that, the food was surprisingly decent for a pub environment (way better than hudsons). Will definitely be back for a guys night out filled with beer and food!

Cafe Amore with the girlfriends!

It has been so long since I have been able to catch up with my girlfriends. Since we are all busy with our own studies or with work, finding time and being able to reconnect with close friends is so very dear to me! We decided to settle for something central and for a restaurant none of us have been to. A friend suggested Cafe Amore for good quality Italian food. Yum! I am always up for pasta - with this event occurring right after finals, pasta is my number one go to comfort food. As we walked in, the restaurant was small but super cozy expected since it is more of a cafe style. With nice atmosphere, I can only imagine what this place would be like buzzing with conversations and excitement. Our waitress was super kind and helpful, recommending us different dishes as well as reminding us of the special pasta of the day.

I thought the centerpiece was a really cool design! Even though it looks messy, the wax flowing from the candle makes a nice touch.

The special of the day was a clam type pasta for $14, unfortunately for me I dislike seafood. But for those who like seafood this place offers a wide variety of seafood infused pasta! I settled for the specialty chicken, cream, marsala. mushroom and habenero pasta. When our pastas came out, I was shocked and knew immediately I would need a take out box at the end because the portions were huge! There was quite a bit of penne pasta though, and the other ingredients such as the chicken and mushrooms were hidden. The pasta was cooked al dente! The cream sauce was amazing with the mushrooms and habenero adding a hint of spice to it.

Overall, this is a great Italian food spot to satisfy all your pasta needs. The pasta is well done, portions are great, quality of the food is amazing and the atmosphere of the place is very relaxed yet welcoming. This place is a little hidden, near grant mac university and the parking is limited on a busy night. But it is well worth the drive here!

Best Pho in Edmonton?

I have been craving some pho for a long time! I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants and have tried a variety of phos' from them all. There are a couple of really good pho restaurants in Edmonton (Tau Bay, Xu Hue...etc), and I got an opportunity to try yet another Vietnamese restaurant! The restaurant is called Pho Hoan Pasteur, and I can definitely add this place to the short list of good pho restaurants in Edmonton! I've heard many good things, and could not wait to set my foot in the door! A friend and I arrived at the restaurant pretty late, around an hour before closing and we could tell the servers were not too pleased about that. The expression on their faces were less than welcoming...but I wanted my Pho. We were seated quickly and the server was quick to ask us what we wanted. Luckily, we both knew already and ordered right away.

I ordered my usual, a pho dac biet, and I was excited to see how the pho tasted! One of the many reasons why I love Vietnamese food is because the food is quick to make/deliver! When the waitress brought our food out, I was surprised to see the portions. There was so much meat compared to other Vietnamese restaurants! The soup base had a very distinctive and strong pho smell and tasted delicious. The noodles were cooked well (al dente to be exact). Not overcooked and under cooked, perfect consistency of chewiness.

If you live far from downtown, like myself, it is definitely worth the drive to this restaurant and give it a try!

Bi-Bim-Baab (Yet another odd location)

I am a huge fan of Korean cuisine, so far I have tried places such as: Bulgolgi house, wing chicx, ga-ya, and lee house. Here is another restaurant to add on the list! I have been hearing good things about this restaurant but never had the opportunity to try it out until recently! Another strange location, hidden away among the industrial businesses between 91 street and 99 street. For some reason, quite a few Korean restaurants have settled into odd locations where you wouldn't expect to find a place to eat.

Anyways, straight in to the food! After 15 mins of pondering about what to eat we settled for the dol-sot bi bim baap, goon mandus (dumplings), galbee (beef short ribs), dak galbee (marinated chicken) and the seafood pancake! 

The bibimbaap was delicious- lots of fresh ingredients cucumber, carrot, bean sprout, spinach, beef, egg etc! And the waitress mixed everything together for us. After a while, if you leave the rice long enough inside the stone bowl it becomes crispy giving a nice crunch.

Mandus! I love dumplings! I'm sure the majority of the Asian population love dumplings as well. They are just so delicious, with a yummy meat and vegetable filling. The mandus were shaped differently compared to Chinese dumplings and were steamed. Unfortunately, the dumpling skins were under cook/raw and it was hard to chew. Especially the parts of the dumplings where the skin was thicker? But the inside filling was satisfying. Juicy, tender and flavorful blend of minced pork and vegetables.

Next up is the galbee (beef short ribs)! Short ribs are generally expensive, but if cooked right it is super juicy and tender. The galbee at this restaurant was dry and overcooked...making the meat quite difficult to chew through. What a waste!

Dak galbee was the marinated chicken dish. It contained a lot of vegetables and chicken in a sweet but spicy sauce. It was delicious, flavorful and went well with rice. I would recommend this dish to those wanting to try something other than beef.

Lastly, was the seafood pancake. I have tried Korean seafood pancake at Wing Chicx before and this pancake was a lot bigger!! It contained squid, lots of green onion and peppers. It was delicious, I think this place also mixed in egg with the rice flour which was great for texture!

Overall, this place is moderately priced and serves quality traditional Korean food. Service was good, waitress was attentive and suggested several dishes for us to try! I would definitely come back to this place with friends whenever I have a craving for Korean food! Also, I saw they have a lunch buffet from Mondays to Fridays...interesting. Not sure what a Korean buffet would offer but I would love to try it out!