Funghi Pizza at Famoso

Fun funghi at Famoso. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 10, 2016 at 12:40pm PST

An organizational meeting over lunch led me to Famoso on Whyte Avenue on a recent weekend. I ordered the "pizzetta" (7 inch) size of the Funghi, which may not sound like an appetizing name, but to a mushroom lover like me, it sounded delicious. The creamy mozzarella was topped with a generous portion of caramelized onions, oyster mushrooms, roasted white mushrooms, and the decadent finishing of truffle oil. I held the parmesan crema, as I am not fan of parmesan. It was rich and delicious, with a great texture.

Sizzling Paneer Wraps at Naanolicious

These sizzling paneer wraps at Naanolicious were listed under the Lighter Fare section of the menu, but it was a hearty serving of paneer which sizzled, as promised. It was amongst some cabbage and other veggies like a paneer stir fry, topped with some crunchy noodles. I ordered some naan bread and declined the lettuce wrappers. If you like paneer, this is enough to satisfy and also enough to share.

Kadhai Paneer at Guru

I visited Guru for the first time in ages, to join a friend for lunch. The lunch menu has a number of pre-plated vegetarian and non-vegetarian options that are served with rice, fruit salad, and naan. I opted for the Kadhai Paneer, which is fresh cubes of cheese in a tomato-based sauce. The paneer was firm and absorbed the flavour of the sauce nicely, which was spicy without being overly hot. The finely diced melons mixed well with the rice and the sauce, adding an element of sweet coolness. And the naan was perfect: hot, buttered, and full of bubbles. At $17 this was not an inexpensive lunch, but it was not overpriced either. To drink we had the masala chai ($5), made to order and very aromatic.

Mushroom Pie at Cafe Blackbird

Cafe Blackbird is located in the Crestwood neighbourhood where Jeffrey's Cafe was located for many years. Cafe Blackbird has kept the wine bar, redone the interior slightly, and totally revamped the menu. The small menu of sandwiches and salads are featured on a blackboard, along with the soup of the day, the savoury pie of the day, and a few other items. A variety of baked goods are in a display case. The menu was developed with help from Culina and the coffee from Iconoclast Coffee, as well as other local businesses. There is still live music, and the place has a neighbourhood charm to it. A sandwich will run you about $9 while a soup and sandwich combo is $14.

I had the featured pie, which was creamy mushroom. It was small and rich, with lots of mushrooms in a flaky pastry. I did not realize from the description on the blackboard that there would be cheese in it - this was a problem for me. It was also served with sweet chutney, which I did not understand flavour-wise in context with the pie. I also found the price to be a little high given the small size of the pie. The best part of the meal, for me, was actually the coffee. It was fresh and aromatic. I would definitely head back here for a coffee in a heartbeat. As for the food, I hope in the future there is more of a selection and that the descriptions are better presented.

Palak Paneer at Naanolicious

I had lunch at Naanolicious with a co-worker last week, and was thrilled to discover Palak Paneer on the menu of specials. The spinach curry with pressed cheese is one of my favourite East Indian dishes, and I had yet to find it on their menu. The curry was creamy, smooth, and not overpowering, while the cheese was delicate in flavour and had a good, firm texture. One of the best I have had in a long time.

Dyna Bites and Paneer Naan

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

Another Saturday, another visit to Blues On Whyte, and another supper at Naanolicious.

On this evening I had the opportunity to try an appetizer dish that had not yet crossed my lips: Dyna Bites. Each "bite" was a double decker paneer (pressed cheese) sandwich with mint chutney in the middle, breaded and deep fried.

"Bites" is really a misnomer. Each piece was a good two or three mouthfuls. The pieces got most of their flavour from the chutney and accompanying dipping sauce, while the cheese itself was chewy and rather dry.

I also tried a wedge of the paneer stuffed naan, which had a bit of a creamy texture and did not taste much different than the basic butter naan.

Chicken Avocado Pizza at Leva

Chicken avocado pizza at Leva #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I know that Leva Cafe has great coffee and other drinks, but until today I did not know how wonderful the food is also. At least what I had - a pizza with chicken, avocado, and tomatoes.

A huge slice of fresh chicken breast, half moon of avocado, and slice of ripe tomato adorned each slice of the thin-crust pizza, as well as beautiful, fresh basil. The mozzarella was generous and mild, while a drizzle of olive oil added a final touch of decadence.

My only criticism was the nearly invisible sprinkle of black pepper - all it did was set my mouth on fire. I will definitely ask for it to be held next time.

Speaking of next time, I am going to have to bring someone. The pizza was a good 12 or 13 inches and could easily have been shared. I finished almost all of it only due to the fact I was famished.

Remedy for Hunger - Palak Paneer

Oh Remedy. It has been far too long. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I haven't been to any location of Remedy in ages, so when I was craving Indian food for lunch earlier this week I headed over to the downtown location.

The meal was huge! Thick, pureed spinach curry with firm paneer cheese and lots of chickpeas - just to make the meal even heavier. I paired my meal with rice, which was incredibly aromatic. For only $10, this seemed like about twice the portion I would get at other places, for half the price!

Combined with the iced Kashmiri chai as my beverage, there was no way I was going to finish. The next time I eat at Remedy, I will bring a friend!

Breakfast for Lunch: "Ham" Omelette at Padmanadi

"Ham" omelette at Padmanadi #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been a fan of the Indonesian vegan fare at Padmanadi for years, ever since the restaurant was still located in Chinatown. However, I never had the opportunity to have brunch until this past weekend.

Only available on Saturdays and Sundays until 2 p.m., the brunch menu concists of a variety of pancake, French toast, scramble, and omelette dishes - all made without actual eggs, meat, and dairy. Substitutes mostly made from different formulations of bean curd are presented.

I had a "ham and cheese" omelette, sans cheese. I have realized that even in vegan form, I cannot handle the taste and texture of it. The "butter" on the organic multigrain toast tasted so much like the real thing, I was almost afraid I would actually have a lactose reaction. A side of fresh fruit added colour to the dish, while the root vegetable hash was ample and had a nice seasoning to it, some of the pieces were undercooked.

Now, for the omelette itself. The "egg" part was bean curd spread thin. It had the look and texture of egg with a very pleasant crispy outside, but did not much of a flavour in and of itself. It absorbed flavour from the filling, which was spinach, mushrooms, and large slabs of "ham", also a soy or tofu substitute I have had many times at the restaurant. I was amazed at how much of the meat was in there. I opted out of the "cheese" but I am sure it would have been generous.

I added a side of "sausage" to my meal but really did not have to. This was as filling as a supper entree. Bean curd is much denser than eggs and I was full for the rest of the day.

At around $15 per meal, plus drinks and additional optional sides, brunch at Padmanadi is a bit pricey but very unique and with huge portions.