The Pho Files: Chicken Pho at Pho Boy

Pho with chicken and mushrooms. I asked for chicken broth but am pretty sure it was beef. Also, onion cakes. #yegfood #yegpho

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 4, 2017 at 12:51pm PDT

I was so excited about my first trip to Pho Boy a few weeks ago, that I went again and brought someone in tow. This time my "choose my own" pho had chicken and mushrooms as my toppings (you can get up to three), and I asked for chicken broth and all of the garnishes. My regular-sized bowl had a lot of chicken, but it was shredded so a lot of it settled at the bottom, only for me to retrieve it at the end of my meal. As well, I am almost positive I actually got the beef broth - it was far too dark to have been chicken. My lunch date was not happy with the amount of beef in his large bowl and found the broth to be bland. We also tried the green onion cakes. We enjoyed these, and loved the hot sauce/plum sauce combination that was served on the side. Because I did like my soup despite the wrong broth, I am willing to give this place another chance, but my lunch date is not.

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.

The Pho Files: Pho Tai at Nha Trang

I have been spending a lot of time in the Kingsway area lately, and finally stopped in to Nha Trang which seems like it has been there forever across the street from the Royal Alex. First, I ordered onion cakes, which were excellent: chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and well-seasoned. Next, came my medium order of Phi Tai - pho with rare sliced steak. The portion was definitely adequate, it was steaming hot, and full of meat and noodles. The broth was a little more one-note than I like, however. It tasted strongly from anise, and little else. Although I certainly would come back here in the future, it would not be my first choice with Chinatown being so close by.

The Pho Files: Delicious Pho

While en route home from a political function a couple of weekends ago, I stopped in to Delicious Pho on 124 Street. I had been eyeing the restaurant for some time but had not yet had the opportunity to stop in. The place is large, bright, and clean. The menu has all of the varieties of pho and vermicelli noodle bowls as well as some rice wraps with meat and other unique items.

I went for the pho tai, which I always try when I go to a new pho place. The portion was huge, with lots of tender meat that was already cooked in the very hot broth when it was brought out to me. The noodles were plentiful and the broth was good albeit a bit salty. I also ordered onion cakes which were not quite as crispy as I like but were otherwise good. Prices are a little higher than your average Chinatown place, but they are not out of line either and the portions are pretty big. I would definitely come here again for a bowl of pho if I was hanging around in the 124 Street area.

The Pho Files: Maki Maki

On Saturday, I was attending an event at a venue almost directly across the street from Maki Maki. It was well over two years since my first and only visit to the restaurant, and without even knowing it, I ordered the exact same meal! The only difference was the addition of an order of green onion cakes, which were crispy and delicious. Otherwise, I enjoyed the avocado roll, with the crunch of tempura adding texture to the fresh avocado.

The pho tai did not disappoint - it was even better than I remembered. The broth was rich and flavourful, and there was so much meat that I actually ran out of noodles first! Sliced so thin, the steak was amongst the most tender I have ever had in pho.

Fringe Food - Version 2014

For the fourth year I was on the Multimedia Team volunteering at the Edmonton Internatinoal Fringe Theatre Festival. As a result, I had several meals and snacks on the Fringe grounds. I won't even bother to illustrate the mini doughnuts and popcorn which were delicious staples of my afternoon snacks. I will, however, present a photo of my annual green onion cake.

After trying their beef garlic steak at Taste of Edmonton, I was eager to have a real portion from Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse's food truck. For $9, the serving of steak was exactly the same as Taste of Edmonton's, with the addition of a dollop of potato salad. Still delicious, but quite pricey.

A good value was the Chilli Chicken from New Asian Village. Large chunks of chicken were atop a bed of saffron rice and a few seasoned potatoes. If only the wasps left me alone long enough to enjoy it!

While the portion seemed deceptively small at first, the Chicken Tikka from Zaika Indian Bistro was packed with rice and chicken, which was flavourful without being too spicy. The salad on top added some fresh crispness to the meal. I was so impressed, I actually had this on two separate shifts.

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.

The Pho Files: Chicken Pho at Phobulous

I had lunch at Phobulous this week before Passover began, and just as I was coming down with a cold that required some hot soup. But first, I had a craving for some vegetarian spring rolls. Phobulous has a flavourful take on them, with cellophane noodles and taro adding layers of texture.

What is a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant without green onion cakes? This was the veggie version (as opposed to the one with minced chicken in it). Crispy and chewy, it satisfied.

Pho ga (chicken pho) was my soup of choice because of the link between chicken soup and being sick. Tender, fresh pieces of chicken were plentiful in the broth - which was beef based. However, the flavours were complementary. It was hot and delicious, and had lots of noodles. I was very happy after, although still sick.

The Pho Files: Special Beef Soup at Doan's

After a rally on a cold afternoon I was craving a bowl of warm pho. The downtown location of Doan's was the nearest Vietnamese restaurant, so I headed there.

I got started with a green onion cake. The shape was rather unusual: it was not round, but straight and cut into pieces. It tasted as good as an onion cake should, which is the important thing.

The choices for pho is not as extensive as in other restaurants, and the only option for a plain beef pho was the Special Beef soup with beef balls, medium sliced beef, well done sliced beef, and brisket. I am not a huge fan of Vietnamese beef balls as I find the texture to be too chewy, but these were all right. The other kinds of beef also varied in texture, and there was plenty of beef to be had. The broth was wonderful, very fragrant and rich. I would definitely have this again, maybe without the beef balls.

Folk Fest Food - Version 2013

I spent most of the weekend at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. In addition to the fantastic music, a major part of my time was spent enjoying some of the food available. There seemed to be more choices than ever, from places that do the round of summer festivals to stands from established restaurants.

For the most part, I like to keep things vegetarian when at the Folk Fest. My Saturday lunch was the vegetarian Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai. The noodles were plentiful and delightfully chewy, but I would have enjoyed more tofu.

There was more than one option for green onion cakes, and I decided to go with one from Hong Kong Bakery. It was just so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside - what a treat!

I grabbed some cactus chips as an afternoon snack - they were crispy and well seasoned. This is a Folk Fest tradition for me.

The Smiling Buddha Bowl from vegan restaurant and yoga studio Noorish was my culinary highlight of the weekend. The green curry was sweet and spicy, while the bed of quinoa was an interesting diversion from a standard bed of rice. The portion was generous, and I felt like there was a symphony in my mouth with every spoonful.

On Sunday, I did not indulge quite as much, partly because the intense heat was diminishing my appetite and also because I was running out of cash. I absolutely had to have fries from Punky Potato though as an afternoon snack, because the fresh cut, slightly greasy slabs of potato really hit the spot - it is another Folk Fest tradition of mine.

For supper, I broke my vegetarian streak and had the chili chicken from New Asian Village. The spicy morsels of chicken went well with the heat rising in Gallagher Park and the saffron rice was quite filling. I skipped the salad, as it has feta on it, but I was quite full just the same.

As far as drinks went, when not in the beer garden (the subject of another post) I mostly had the water I brought with me. After my chili chicken I got some lemonade from the elephant ears vendor, but unfortunately by this time they had run out of ice (and by this time, I was so thirsty and hot I really did not care).

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival has something for everyone - not only in terms of the entertainment, but also the menu. From sweet treats to savoury meals, there was no reason to go hungry.

Taste of Edmonton 2013

Taste of Edmonton is one of the city's best events if you are a food blogger. Dozens of restaurants set up in Churchill Square to offer small samples of their menus items. This year, several restaurants are new to the festival, while yearly regulars are offering new menu items.

Today was the first day of version 2013, and I headed to Churchill Square for lunch. Myself and a friend pitched in and bought 60 tickets - enough for quite the sampling. And then, the fun began.

I had to start things off with the green onion cake from Hong King Bakery. It's crispy outside, soft inside, and generally wonderful texture makes it my favourite onion cake in the city and I look forward to it every year.

My friend adores the pineapple chicken from Blue Willow, and it is something he returns to every year as well. The large portion did not seem much bigger than the regular one though. That was one of the major changes this year - some menu items had regular and small options for different ticket values.

I did not get a chance to sample this hand crafted orange and tangerine ice cream sandwich from Blue Willow, but my friend said it was worth the awkward effort eating it. I think the crispy sandwich part and cold filling would make a delicious contrast in texture.

The chicken tikka and garlic naan from New Asian Village was full of flavour. I found the regular serving more than adequate, with its plentiful vegetables and chicken chunks.

Padmanadi is one of my favourite restaurants and their menu items this year are excellent choices for people wishing to sample vegan goodness. The chicken drumsticks have a great texture: crisp on the outside and stringy on the inside, with a flavour that does resemble the carnivore version.

The chili chicken also had a realistic texture and a sauce with sweetness and a kick. Definitely a winner when it comes to "fake meat." And, at only three tickets an item, Padmanadi has great value also.

The dry, spicy chicken from Lingnan is another annual favourite and we each had to have our own portion. Another great value at three tickets (but noticeably smaller than last year's portion) the pieces of chicken are breaded and fried to perfection. The hot pepper flakes abound - be sure to have something on hand to drink!

The chicken penne from Old Spaghetti Factory was hands down, my friend's favourite and he ended up having another portion! I took a quick taste. While the penne was a perfect al dente, the chicken felt rubbery to me.

This was on our "must try" list. The s'more fritters from Mercer Tavern are a deep fried, hot, sticky, fun dessert. Very very rich - it was perfect for sharing. I didn't really taste any marshmallow as the chocolate dominated (not a bad thing necessarily).

The avocado roll from Zinc packed a huge flavour punch into one little spring roll. The middle is a puree of avocado, tomatoes, and various seasonings. I was detecting that the avocado was a touch over-ripe. The cilantro honey pesto was the star - sweet with cilantro highlights. At three tickets for only one roll it is a bit on the pricey side, but it was one of the most memorable Taste of Edmonton items I have ever sampled.

I had a few forkfuls of the Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai - one of the dishes I enjoyed last year and my friend requested. Just as I recalled, the noodles were firm and flavourful - and the dish is vegetarian to boot!

I found the steak bites from Canadian Brewhouse a little too chewy for my taste, although my friend loved them and the sesame steak sauce.

The tandoori chicken samosa from Guru was another favourite from last year that I had to try again. Once again, it was packed full of minced tandoori chicken in a coating that was soft enough to manipulate with a fork (without things getting too awkward) but still had some crunch to it.

When you are eating lots of great food in the hot sun, you need something to wash it down with. I decided to sacrifice four tickets for 24 ounces of Lemon Heaven. It got very hot this afternoon and this tasted so good.

Then, I had to jump into the City Hall wading pool to cool off! I had a wonderful afternoon at Taste of Edmonton and still have a few tickets left over. A return visit is planned for next week.

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!

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.

Folk Fest Food: Onion Cake from Hong Kong Bakery

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

Getting a green onion cake is obligatory for many Edmonton festival goers. There is one booth in particular that sells a lot of the doughy, salty treat, but this year Hong Kong Bakery entered the fray. I always enjoy Hong Kong Bakery's onion cake during Taste of Edmonton, and since the line up was exponentially smaller than the competition, that is where I got my onion cake fix.

Taste of Edmonton 2012: Green Onion Cakes from Hong Kong Bakery

Taste of Edmonton 2012, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

It's Taste of Edmonton time again! This year, there are quite a few new menu items, but one that I go for no matter what is the Green Onion Cakes from Hong Kong Bakery. There is none other with the same flavour, texture, and consistency. Total win.

Green Onion Cakes - Baccarat Casino

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

Left unsatisfied by my lunch, I had a mid-afternoon snack of Vietnamese coffee ($4.50) and a green onion cake ($5).

I viewed this as partial redemption for the casino. The coffee was sweet and strong, while the onion cakes - there were two - were crispy and salty and flavourful. A few pieces were a tad too greasy, but I loved how crunchy most of them were.

I would definitely recommend the onion cakes to be ordered alongside any of the Chinese menu dishes.

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.

Onion Cake at Pho Binh

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

Like the soup, the appetizers at Pho Binh are very reasonably priced. I ordered an onion cake to enjoy with my pho. The cake was nicely done - crispy enough on the outside and enough salt and green onion inside - but it would have been a bit easier to eat it if was cut into segments. Instead, it was cut in half, and not even all the way through. The sweet and sour sauce was a nice accompaniment.

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.