Fried Cauliflower at Brick and Whiskey

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Elevated bar food - these fried cauliflower pieces were crunchy, tender, and not bitter at all. Plus the portion was huge. #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats #latergram

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Mar 23, 2019 at 2:29pm PDT

Fried Cauliflower at Rebel (9112 142 Street)

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Fried cauliflower - small pieces with big flavour. The sea salt mostly fell to the bottom, but the garlic aioli dip was perfect. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegfood #yegeats

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 9, 2018 at 10:51am PDT

Fried cauliflower - small pieces with big flavour. The sea salt mostly fell to the bottom, but the garlic aioli dip was perfect.

Appetizers: Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls and Zucchini Corn Fritters at Blue Plate Diner

Smoked salmon spring rolls #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jun 2, 2016 at 3:45pm PDT

Prior to an evening function I was filming a few weeks ago, I headed to Blue Plate Diner. Instead of having main course, I opted for two appetizers. My smoked salmon spring rolls were excellent in concept - crispy and packed with smoked salmon made in-house - but the salmon was so overpoweringly salty that I simply could not finish.

Zucchini and corn fritters #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jun 2, 2016 at 3:45pm PDT

The zucchini and corm fritters were much more mild in flavour, with the corn dominating and the zucchini adding a moist texture. Unfortunately, I also found the fritters to be rather greasy, an oily aftertaste lingering. They were so heavy that I also could not finish. I was overall quite disappointed in my choices.

Deep-Fried Pickles at Sherlock's

The Sherlock Holmes Pub on Rice Howard Way is a frequent stop for me after events on Churchill Square. The deep-fries pickle spears are half off after 2 p.m. on Saturdays, so it seemed like a good idea to share some before the meal. Six (two were already consumed by the time the photo was taken) huge spears with ranch dressing and vegetable sticks were presented. The pickles were hot and totally coated in a very thick batter that absorbed the dressing well. The pickles inside were still moist, salty, and briny. This is a great plate to share that won't break the bank.

Fried Zucchini at Chiantis

While I was meeting with a business associate at the Whyte Avenue location of Chiantis last week, we discovered that the appetizers were on special for half price. So, I decided to try an order of Zucchini Fritti: thick zucchini sticks lightly breaded and fried, with a serving of ranch dip. The portion was huge, just like the zucchini. I will definitely be back for this!

Deep Fried Mushrooms

Deep fried mushrooms #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

When lunching at Pho Binh in the west end last week (150 Street and Stony Plain Road in the Jasper Gates shopping area), we decided to forgo the traditional green onion cakes and have fried mushrooms as an appetizer.

They were not what we expected. Instead of button mushrooms battered and fried, they were large slices of cap, battered and fried and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The coating was rich and flavourful, but the mushroom part had little to offer other than texture. I was thankful for the hot and sweet dip to add flavour.

Green Onion Cake at P&L Chinese Restaurant

Green Onion Cake, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

My appetizer actually came after my main course at P&L (9441 Jasper Avenue) yesterday. The onion cake in and of itself was not remarkable, except for the sauce. It was a sesame oil and soy delight. Very unique, and I kept dipping my chopsticks in it just to get more of its flavour.

Korean Appetizers at Won Jung Gak

Korean Appetizers, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I lament the closure of Basil Leaf, a really great Vietnamese restaurant. Today, I visited the restaurant that has taken its place, the second location of Korean eatery Won Jung Gak (10023 107 Avenue).

Our meal began with a surprise. A short while after we placed our order, our server brought numerous small dishes to our table filled with a number of small appetizers: pickled daikon (like a yellow radish) with soy dipping sauce; a potato salad with peas and carrots; marinated broccoli; some kind of sauteed seaweed; kimchi (a Korean spicy delight of picked vegetables); a mixed green salad with a thick dressing that tasted like strawberry yoghurt; and plain, white rice. The potato salad was quite unique with a sweet taste to it. I loved the dressing on the salad a lot and was thankful my dining partner is not big on greens so I could enjoy it alone. The kimchi was not too spicy and went well with the rice. We were both amazed the the variety of food brought to us, and even though there were only a few bites' worth of each, it was fun trying all of the different flavours.

Vegetarian Salad Rolls at Ninh Kieu

Vegetarian Salad Rolls, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Ninh Kieu (107 Avenue and 98 Street), one of my favourite Vietnamese restaurants. I love how their menu has expanded inr ecent years to include a variety of vegetarian fare. I also love how some appetizers are available as a half portion. Perfect for when I am dining alone!

The vegetarian salad rolls were packed with lettuce, noddles, and tofu. I would have liked a bit more cilantro - the rolls were a bit bland, making the accompanying peanut sauce all the more important.

Tenderloin Bites at The Pourhouse

Tenderloin Bites, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I did not want to miss too much of the Blues on Whyte 100th birthday party, so I decided to keep my culinary adventures within the closed off blocks of 103 and 104 Street.

My second trip to The Pourhouse, the place was packed and the busy server was trying to stay on top of the flowing drink and food orders. My Rock Creek Cider was served right away, but waiting for my Tenderloin Bites took almost a half an hour.

No complaints about the food though - the bites were cooked to perfection, tender, and the cooked onions and mustard aioli really elevated the dish from simple steak bites to something far more delicious.

Crispy Fried Mushrooms

Crispy Fried Mushrooms, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A post-work supper at Outback Steakhouse took place this evening during Happy Hour. In addition to drink specials, some of the appetizers were on sale.

We opted for the fried mushrooms which were crispy, as promised in the menu, piping hot, and juicy. The ranch dressing enhanced the flavour. Who knew fungus could taste so good?

Onion Cake at Ninh Kieu

Onion Cake, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I love the selection of appetizers at Ninh Kieu (10708 98 Street) if for no other reason than they offer half-sizes. When I dine alone, one onion cake is all I need. Hot and crispy, and moist on the inside, I always enjoy this treat here.

Onion Cakes at Pho King

Onion Cakes, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I love green onion cakes as an appetizer in Vietnamese restaurants, so I ordered them on my trip to Pho King (92 Street and 118 Avenue) for supper yesterday evening.

The cakes were not as crispy as I like, but were quite chewy on the inside. At only $3 for a cake, it was a steal, even if it was not perfect.

Cilantro Cakes

Cilantro Cakes, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Veggie Garden Restaurant is a new Vietnamese/Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Chinatown (10582 100 Street).

We had an appetizer of cilantro cakes. They were like green onion cakes, but with cilantro instead of the onion. The flavour of the cilantro was not as bold as green onion, but the cakes were delightfully crispy and served with a rather interesting pink sweet sauce. It almost looked radioactive.

Chicken Spring Rolls at Swiss Chalet

Chicken Spring Rolls, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I tried the chicken spring rolls at Swiss Chalet for the first time when I dined there earlier this week. I was mostly curious, but was surprised at how different these were from other spring rolls. They are literally packed with chicken. It's a great starter or light lunch.

Onion Cakes at Pho Huong

Onion Cakes, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

When I got these onion cakes as an appetizer at the newly-renovated Pho Huong (10531-107 Avenue), I knew that the rest of the meal would likely be excellent. The cakes were light, fluffy, and full of flavour without being overly greasy. They also came before the rest of our food hit the table, which doesn't always happen in Vietnamese restaurants.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Beer Battered Onion Rings, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I went to ABC Country Restaurant (108 Avenue and 170 Street) over the weekend for supper. Before readers cry "Oh no - another chain restaurant" - take a few deep breaths. This one is Canadian, at least, based in B.C. and Alberta.

As my appetizer, I opted for the beer battered onion rings. Our server mentioned he had tried them, and did not like them. I had onion rings as a side order with a recent burger, and remembered them as thick and flavourful, the batter bursting with beer flavour. He insisted these were different.

He was right. The coating was crunchy and grainy, and tasted mostly from the oil in which it was cooked. The onion part was nice and sweet, but I would definitely not order these again. Fortunately, the onion rings served as a side dish are still the previous kind.