Superfood Soup at Freshii

A very layered superfood soup. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 16, 2017 at 8:54am PDT

I needed something fast and healthy after being at an event, which rn well past the lunch hour one Saturday. I headed to Freshii at 103 and Jasper, and had the Superfood Soup. The soup was served in a plastic container, and the contents were very layered. This meant I ate one element of the soup at a time, until I got closer to the bottom when the quinoa started to rise. The flavour was very mellow, with a sweetness to the tofu. The soup was very hot and filling, and I knew I was eating something healthy.

Smoked Tofu Sandwich at Block 1912

Smoked tofu sandwich #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 16, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT

A Saturday lunch meeting on Whyte Avenue brought me to Block 1912. I decided to try something from their new sandwich menu. The smoked tofu sandwich was a nice size, on a fresh bun. I loved the smokiness of the tofu, which my companion said resembled liver pate. The dried kale and sprinkling of ramen noodles added crunch and a nutty flavour, while the peanut sauce was rather nondescript. The sandwich was a very interesting combination of flavours and definitely unique.

Vegan Buffet at Abyssinia

I was on 95 Street for an evening meeting last week and noticed that Abyssinia, an Ethiopian restaurant practically next door to my meeting, had a vegan buffet on Wednesdays and Fridays for only $15 starting at 5 p.m. As it was a Wednesday, I decided to give it a shot. Eight hot trays featured dishes including yellow chick peas, red lentils, kale, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, squash, and carrots and potatoes. There was also a heaping plate of injera bread, and a bowl of rice. The dishes were spicy but not overwhelming, and a few could have been hotter in terms of temperature (but on the other hand, that also kept the spice heat level down). My personal faves are the carrots and potatoes, the yellow chick peas, and the squash, the latter having a sweetness that cut the spice. I would recommend going a little later than 5, as a few of the dishes as well as the rice were not available yet, and I was already full by the time they were out. For $15 this is an excellent value and a great introduction to Ethiopian food.

Sandwich and Salad at Cafe Blackbird

I have been wanting to give Cafe Blackbird another try, and had the opportunity a couple of days ago. I tried the smoked salmon, spinach, and cream cheese sandwich for $9. The sweet, pickled onions added a flavour dimension different than the capers and onions which typically come with smoked salmon. The salmon was fresh and plentiful, and while the baguette from Cobs was delightful, I really missed the dense, chewy sensation of a bagel. The portion just seemed a little light for the price.

On another plate was a salad of spinach, kale, and tomatoes, with a dressing of olive oil and lemon. At $7 for a half size, the portion was quite generous, the kale and spinach filling and crunchy. I would have loved more sliced almonds on top. The dressing gave the salad a fruity after taste which was pleasant. However, the dressing was also loaded with garlic, which became stronger the more I ate. It is a good thing I did not have a hot date afterwards! The flavours of the individual salad components were enough that it did not need such a strong dressing. Lighten up on that a bit and Cafe Blackbird will have one of the best salads in the city.

The Pho Files: Veggie Pho at Pho Delight

A weekend lunch at the Pho Delight side of the duel Friends and Neighbours (10838 82 Avenue) allowed me to indulge my curiosity about the place's vegetarian pho. This is not to be confused with the Buddha Pho, which is the same thing except spicy. This was definitely one of the heartiest vegetarian versions of pho I have ever had. It included lots of tofu for protein, as well as almost a garden's worth of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms (just a few), kale (the first time I have ever seen it in pho), and brussels spouts. I was a bit leery when I noticed the latter, as I absolutely hate brussels sprouts. However, I bravely put one in my mouth and was surprised by a rich, almost roasted flavour with very little bitterness. That says something to me, that when I can enjoy an ingredient I normally hate then a dish is indeed very well done. There was also quite a bit of celery, which was superfluous as most of it sank to the bottom. The broth was also vegetarian yet rich and flavourful. The noodles were a bit difficult to retrieve at first because of all of the vegetables weighing them down, so as a result many of them broke before reaching my mouth. This is just a minor criticism. Vegan and vegetarian lovers of pho need to try this.