Then I Ate - A Food Photoblog: chinese

Showing posts with label chinese. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Exploring Shan Shan Bakery

Shan Shan Bakery

10552 97 Street

780-974-7788

Chinatown's Shan Shan Bakery offers a wide variety of both Chinese and western baked goods, including cakes, cookies, tarts, and buns.

I ordered a variety of treats, including a bag of egg cookies, a butter cream chocolate cake roll, two kinds of mini mooncakes (red bean and lotus paste), a fresh fruit tart, a custard egg tart, and one slice of Black Forest cake. The latter is my favourite dessert and I was incredibly curious about how Shan Shan's version would compare.

It was surprising, to say the least. A light, fluffy chocolate cake with a mound of sweet cherry cream on top, garnished with a chocolate wafer and fruit. If you like your cake to cream/icing ratio weighted heavily in favour of the cream/icing, you will love this. It was definitely not a traditional Black Forest cake, but it was memorable (and delicious).

On the other hand, the slice of butter cream chocolate cake roll was exactly what I expected: chocolate cake rolled with a sweet and salty buttercream. The fresh fruit tart was small but delightful, with three pieces of fruit nestled in whipped cream and a dense shell. The custard egg tart was a bit bigger, with a filling that was firm and not too sweet, and a flaky crust.

I haven't had mooncakes in ages. These were small, but densely packed with their respective fillings. The red bean paste had a satisfying, subtle sweetness, while the lotus had a nutty flavour almost reminiscent of marzipan.

The egg cookies - originally ordered as an afterthought - were amazing. The dollar-sized cookies were crispy, buttery, and a perfect accompaniment to my afternoon coffee.

You can go to Shan Shan directly, or order via Uber Eats for delivery like I did.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Cui Hua Gui Lin Noodle House: Brisket and Chicken Lo Noodles

Cui Hua Gui Lin Noodle House (10626 97 Street) is a Chinatown restaurant specializing in - as its name suggests - noodle dishes. The menu consists of a variety of soups (which include noodles), vermicelli dishes, and house specialty noodles. The proteins in most of the dishes include beef, pork, and chicken, as well as lamb in a few of them.

Since noodles is the Gui Lin speciality, house noodle dishes are what I ordered: a Chicken Lo Noodle and a Brisket Lo Noodle, to be precise. The noodles were flat and almost clear, with a slightly chewy texture. They mixed in well with the protein, peanuts, and bamboo shoots, and parsley that adorned. Each mouthful resonated with notes of sweet, spicy and sour in different levels of intensity. The flavours were balanced, and as someone who has a low spice tolerance threshold, I was not overwhelmed with heat, but felt my taste buds tingling just enough. While the chicken mostly tasted from the hot and sour flavour soundtrack, the brisket was tender and maintained some of its meaty notes, although it also had the same flavour combination underscoring it. The person who ate the rest of the Brisket Lo Noodle raved about the dish's flavour.

I also ordered one of the restaurant's appetizers, the lemongrass chicken. What looked like the equivalent of two thighs were cut up in bite-sized pieces and cooked in the tangy and mildly spicy lemongrass, served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Definitely flavourful and satisfying.

Overall, after finishing my lunch I felt like I had taken a culinary journey, which I hope to explore again.

Brisket Lo Noodle

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Chopstick Diner

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A mighty dinner for two at a fixed price. The lemon chicken was perfect: just enough sauce, and not drowning in batter. #yeg #yegfoodie #edmonton #edmontonfood #yegeats #yegwestend #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@apaulagetics) on Jun 25, 2019 at 8:29pm PDT

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Kaiming's Kitchen

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It’s Christmas, so what’s a Jew to do but go for Chinese food. Lovely little place in the west end for lemon chicken, Szechuan beef, and chicken with vegetables and cashews. #yeg #yegfood #chinesefood #christmas #yegeats #yegfoodie

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 25, 2018 at 4:00pm PST

Friday, November 9, 2018

Fried Noodles with Beef at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles (10824 97 Street)

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Hand-pulled, fried noodles with beef for lunch. Chewy goodness with cucumber on top (not too sure what was up with that, but it worked). #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #yegfood #noodles #chinatownyeg #yegdt

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 4, 2018 at 12:17pm PST

Hand-pulled, fried noodles with beef for lunch. Chewy goodness with cucumber on top (not too sure what was up with that, but it worked).

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Beef Noodle Soup at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles

Really good Fuqing noodles in this soup! (I could not resist!) my first time trying hand-pulled noodles. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 25, 2017 at 4:39pm PDT

I have never had hand-pulled noodles before and finally had the opportunity to try them here at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles(10824 97 Street). I was the only customer in the restaurant, as I went at an off-hour. The very friendly woman serving made sure I understood that I was in a noodle house, and kept checking to see if I was okay using chopsticks (I indeed am). I ordered a bowl of beef soup, and loved the rich bone broth and tender chunks of beef, but the noodles were definitely the star of the bowl. They are much thicker and chewier than other noodles I have had. The beef literally melted in my mouth. It was filling, reasonably-priced, and I would definitely come back.

Brisket and Vegetable Chow Mein at Garden Bakery

Brisket and vegetable chow mein. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 18, 2017 at 2:46pm PDT

A business lunch last week brought me to the Chinatown location of Garden Bakery. The noodles were crispy, but gave way to softness under the tender brisket and bok choy - which was the only vegetable. The amount of food was enormous and my server was amazed at how much I actually ate. Well, I *was* hungry!

Monday, July 3, 2017

Eggplant Curry at Panda Hut Express

Tried a few summer menu items at @pandahutexpressedmonton today - fried pineapple rice and coconut curry eggplant. #yegfood #eatalberta150

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jun 16, 2017 at 2:41pm PDT

While in the west end needing lunch and craving Chinese food, my friend and I went to

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Beef Stew Noodle Soup at Old Szechuan Restaurant

Beef stew noodle soup. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Mar 27, 2017 at 4:41pm PDT

I was hanging out on Whyte Avenue and wanted soup, but something different than pho for a change. So, I headed into the new location for Old Szechuan Restaurant, formerly of the north side. I had an onion cake, and it was excellent: chewy and salty. My beef stew noodle soup had a delicate broth, lots of meat (which was quite flavourful), and loads of noodles in a mild beef broth. A perfect portion for one person, and at a reasonable price.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Chicken Three Ways at Panda Express

I was in the very far north of Edmonton this week en route to St. Albert and stopped in to Panda Express (16704 127 Street). Not to be confused with Panda Hut Express, which I visit frequently in south Edmonton, this is an American chain that presents a variety of Chinese-inspired fast food. I had orange chicken (supposedly their specialty), sweet and sour chicken, and chicken with mushrooms. I liked the orange chicken the least - it was over-fried and did not really taste much from orange. The mushroom chicken was spicy but had a good, deep flavour, while the sweet and sour was exactly as described. Combined with a huge helping of fried rice, my playte was just over ten dollars - good value for sure.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Taste of Edmonton 2014

Taste of Edmonton is a local food lover's paradise. There are a number of new restaurants and dishes in the festival this year. One of the tried and true is the Beijing Style Kung Pow Chicken from The Lingnan. I only had a spoonful of this as it was for someone else, but it was full of spicy flavour and chicken, on top of a bed of rice. Really intense.

For me, the only menu item I chose to get again from previous years was the dry spicy chicken from The Lingnan. I can only eat a few pieces but it is worth the lingering burning on my lips.

The Fried Green Tomatoes from Creole Envie was my absolute must-try for this year, probably for the same reason as many others: the movie of the same name. That being said, for only two tickets I got at least six slices of lightly breaded and fried green tomatoes, which tasted slightly acidic with a nice crunch, accented by the creole aioli.

I was really happy to see Aboriginal food being represented this year by the inclusion of Native Delights. The bannock fry bread, made with non-GMO ingredients, was absolutely delightful: not greasy but crispy on the outside, with a chewy inside and slight sweetness.

I have not had the courage to visit Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse as I do not think I have the fortitude to withstand such a meat overload, but the Beef Garlic Rump Steak satisfied my curiosity. Rump can be a very tough cut, but this was marinated to perfection and the garlic was not overpowering. Although I had one bite that was practically all fat, overall I enjoyed the skewer.

I love lentils so was overjoyed to discover the yellow lentil dish Ater Kik Alecha Wok from Langano Skies, another restaurant that I have heard many good things about but have never ventured within. Served with a small piece of sour injera bread, this was a great dish for vegetarians and a gentle introduction to Ethiopian food.

The Beef Short Rib and Mash from Normand's Bistro was one of my favourite dishes of the afternoon. The meat was practically melting in my mouth, the mashed potatoes were creamy, and the sauce was at once sweet and savoury.

I had to wait a while to get a Jamaican Beef Patty from Irie Foods (2807 Millwoods Road), because they were sold out. Once I finally got my hands on one, I could see why. The size is fairly substantial, with a light, flaky pastry filled with spicy beef. Served in a paper bag, it was slightly awkward to eat, but really good value and ideal for people who like it hot.

The Pineapple Chicken from Blue Willow was for someone else, but I managed to sneak a bite of the lightly breaded chicken in a sweet pineapple sauce.

By this point I was winding down and desiring dessert. The Black Forest Whoopie Pie from the Edmonton Petroleum Club was my choice. The whipped cream and cherry filling between two chocolate cake wafers was certainly good satisfaction for my sweet tooth, although I would have enjoyed more of the cherry.

I was out of tickets by now but retrieved dessert for someone else, and how I wish this Jack Daniels Apple Crumble with Ice Cream from On The Rocks was mine!

Monday, July 14, 2014

All Happy

One of the few restaurants in the Chinatown area I had not yet tried was All Happy. I had supper there with a co-worker a few weeks ago. My friend ordered the garlic fried rice. I tried a little and it lived up to its name. Tiny bits of fried garlic were in every bite. It was too much for me, but she really liked it.

I definitely needed something to drink at this point, so I had the Hong Kong iced tea. It was strong and milky, just as it should have been.

I had to try the green onion cake, and was not disappointed. It was crunchy and satisfying.

My main course was the beef chow fun. This is a beef stir fry with thick rice noodles and bean sprouts. It had a very deep, meaty flavour although the beef was not of the greatest quality. The portion size was very large and I was quite full after. However, a short while later, despite the name of the restaurant, I wasn't very happy. My unhappiness lingered into the next day. If I do visit again, I think I would make a different menu choice and eat less.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Ginger Chicken at New Tan Tan

I took a lunch break in between a conference I was attending and a rally this past weekend, and headed to New Tan Tan for some Chinese food (10133 97 Street). I ordered a ginger chicken lunch combo, with chicken fried rice and chicken with vegetables. The ginger chicken was quite good - I knew I was eating chicken and not beef - while the portion of rice and vegetables was enough to keep me going for the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Onion Cake Craving

Onion cake #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I can't forget to mention the green onion cake at I had at Double Greeting Won Ton House (10212 96 Street) - which I really did not need, given the huge portion of my food. However, I love onion cakes. This was sort of a cross between the flat pancake variety and the puffier doughnut kind. The outside was not all that crispy, but the inside was very doughy and flavourful. The hot sauce on t he side was more like hot chilli oil - beware of putting too much on!

Tofu and Mushrooms at Double Greeting Won Ton House

Tofu and mushroom on rice at Double Greeting Wonton House #yegfood by raise my voice

Tofu and mushroom on rice at Double Greeting Wonton House #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A number of my friends think Double Greeting Won Ton House (10212 96 Street) is the best Chinese "greasy spoon" restaurant in the city. And greasy it is - from its no frills exterior to somewhat grungy looking interior, the place spells "cheap."

I opted for one of the menu's front page specials: tofu and mushrooms on steamed rice. This came with a glass of soy milk. I found this an interesting beverage choice, but fine since I like soy milk. Tea was also provided with my meal. I probably should not have also ordered a cold Hong Kong style coffee (like Vietnamese coffee, but it comes already stirred), but I had not yet had any coffee that day so I felt justified in my abundance of drinks.

When my meal came, I stared in disbelief. The huge plate of rice, mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables could easily have filled two people. It tasted great and I loved the sauce, which penetrated into the rice.

My meal deal was only around $9. Amazing. The coffee was around $3 extra.

Now, while I mentioned at the beginning that some of my friends rave about this place (and I can see why), others have warned me about it. In particular, they said that the restaurant would not meet my need for a high level of cleanliness. Personally, I didn't see anything that grossed me out in particular (admittedly, I did not visit the washrooms).

However, without going into graphic detail, a little while after I ate I was not very happy. In fairness, it could have been something else I had eaten that day. It could have been the strong coffee. It could have been that I ate a little too much. Or, I could have just been having a bad day.

Still, if I return to Double Greeting Won Ton House, I will do so cautiously, and possibly with others - this food is meant for sharing.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Szechuan Beef at Garden Bakery

Szechuan beef #yegfood by raise my voice

Szechuan beef #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

When we had lunch yesterday at Garden Bakery I decided to go with one of my favourite westernized Chinese meals: Szechuan Beef.

A word to describe my meal is: mountain. For $9 I had a huge pile of white steamed rice covered in crispy beef shreds and vegetables. I would have labelled the meal ginger beef, as the sauce had a mild and pleasant ginger taste, while Szechuan beef tends to be spicier. That aside, it was wonderful. The sauce enhanced the rice and there was no way I was going to be able to finish the entire meal. Fortunately, I was eating with someone who has a never-ending appetite, so little went to waste (although I am sure for both of us much of it went to waist).

Lemon Chicken at Garden Bakery

Lemon chicken #yegfood by raise my voice

Lemon chicken #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I tried food other than treats at Garden Bakery for the first time yesterday.

The lemon chicken was a large potion, cut up with covered in a lemon sauce that was not too sweet. The chicken was a little on the chewy side and overcooked in some spots, but overall it was crispy and delicious. This was not my main meal, but I was happy to enjoy a couple of pieces.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

A Cheap Lunch: The Wokkery

Trying out The Wokkery #yegfood by raise my voice

Trying out The Wokkery #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The Wokkery (10969 98 Street) probably has the cheapest lunch in Chinatown. Items are around $6.95 each, and there is also a selection of combination plates for the same price. I had sweet and sour chicken balls, beef and vegetables, and chicken fried rice (one piece of my friend's Szchechuan beef is pictured here - I just had to try it!).

The food was delicious. Sometimes chewy, the chicken inside the fried balls was tender. The rice was very flavourful (we both thought it looked bland, but it sure did not taste that way).

We also got a cup of the soup of the day as part of our lunch specials. For $6.95, there can't be a better lunch deal, at least in this part of the city.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Combination Plate the the New Tan Tan

New Tan Tan #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I was at a rally Friday in the bitter cold, so I went for the closest restaurant I could find in which to warm up and get some nourishment. New Tan Tan (10133 97 Street) is quite a popular destination from what I heard, and was glad it was across the street from Canada Place, where I was.

Known for Dim Sum, there is also a regular lunch menu. I had one of the combination plates. The ginger beef was cooked to perfection - not too hard or soft. The veggies came with chicken, not beef as stated on the menu, but I was not disappointed as the vegetables were very fresh and the chicken actually tasted like chicken (I find a lot of meat and veggie dishes have weird tasting meat). And, of course, the chicken fried rice rounded out the plate.

The meal was around $12 and I found it more than ample in terms of portion. Service was very attentive and friendly, and the place was bright and clean (and had nice washrooms). I would definitely head here again for a great lunch.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Homemade Tofu at P&L Chinese Restaurant

Homemade Tofu, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I attended a special event at P&L (9441 Jasper Avenue) yesterday, which was the first time I had ever been there. A Chinese friend of mine absolutely raves about the food, which I tend to take as a good sign.

I have lately been in a vegetarian state of mind and so decided to go with a green onion cake and the home made tofu. The tofu was simple but one of the best I have ever had: chunks of deep-fried tofu with a dry rub of bell peppers, salt, and spicy pepper. It was flavourful but not overbearing.