Padmanadi Platter and Singapore Noodles

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A Padmanadi Platter featuring mixed vegan imitation meats, and spicy Singapore noodles with imitation shrimp. The noodles were a bit too hot for me, so my dad is going to have a treat! #yeg #yegeats #yegfood #yegfoodie #skipthedishes #vegan

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jan 13, 2019 at 6:39pm PST

Vegan Iced Coffee at Padmanadi (10740 101 Street)

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Happiness is a vegan iced coffee. #yeg #yegcoffee #padmanadi #yegeats #yegfoodie

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 12, 2018 at 3:18pm PDT

Happiness is a vegan iced coffee. This is like poetry in a picture of a beverage.

Seafood Delight at Padmanadi (10740 101 Street)

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Seafood delight and noodle - love that the noodles were tossed with a hint of sauce. #yegfood #yegeats #vegan #padmanadi #plantbased #yegfoodie

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 12, 2018 at 4:00pm PDT

Seafood delight and noodle - love that the noodles were tossed with a hint of sauce.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2018

Folk Fest food (clockwise): fried gnocchi with tomato sauce from The Crazy Italian (satisfying but a bit salty); split peas and spicy lentils with injera from Langano Skies (very flavourful); potato chips from Lunchpail Catering (needed more dill dipping sauce; otherwise very average); fried cauliflower, veggie fried chicken, and spring rolls from Padmanadi (a perfect vegan snack). #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats #nofilter #folkfest #festivalfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 13, 2018 at 8:11pm PDT

Vegging Out: General Tao Chicken at Padmanadi

A family supper brought me back to Padmanadi this weekend. I decided to try something I had never had before, the General Tao Chicken. Small pieces of fried vegetarian chicken was served in a tangy, sweet sauce along with bell peppers and shredded carrots. The amount of "chicken" was huge, and the flavour and texture almost reminded me of ginger beef, except this was unmistakable as imitation chicken. The sauce had less kick than a ginger sauce, and was more sweet without it being like a sweet-and-sour sauce either. Very unique, and definitely suited for sharing for two people with rice.

Breakfast for Lunch: Vegan Chicken and Waffles at Padmanadi

When having supper at Padmanadi last week, I noticed a sign mentioning a special of chicken and waffles, for brunch only. Since chicken and waffles is one of my favourite brunch items, that clinched it: I had to return to the restaurant on the weekend for brunch. I was not disappointed. Five huge "chicken tenders" were atop a dense, flavourful waffle cut into quarters, with a side of syrup. The salad with peanut butter dressing added another level of flavour. Also, I wanted a side of "bacon" but they were out, so I opted for "sausages." They were huge and only $3.

Vegan Corn Chowder at Padmanadi

When I go to Padmanadi with my brother and father for supper, we like to start with a soup. This time we had the corn chowder, which was piping hot, full of sweet corn, and accented with veggie ham. A warm and comforting way to start a meal.

Vegging Out: Padmanadi Seafood Delight

When I go to Padmanadi I tend to order the tries-and-true, at least as far as I am concerned. When I went there this past week I decided to try something different: the Padmanadi Seafood Delight. And what a delight it was. I don't know how they do it, but the "seafood" had the right look and texture (as far as I could tell as a non-seafood eater). The fried potato bird's nest was filled with "shrimp," "fish balls," and "scallops," as well as a healthy portion of veggie ham, as well as a variety of vegetables in a smoky mushroom sauce. The bird's nest gave a sort of "fish and chips" feel to the dish. It took me a few moments to get over the weirdness of it, but then I really enjoyed myself. I am adding this to my list of things to order again.

To start the meal I shared a vegetable combo soup with the others at my table. True to its name, it was full of veggies, as well as tofu and veggie chicken. A great way to start the meal.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2015

I attended the 2015 Edmonton Folk Music Festival from August 6-9, and once again food was a part of my activities.

I decided to stay vegetarian for most of the weekend, and started off with the ginger beef from Padamandi. Kasim also threw in a spring roll and veggie chicken drumstick. The flavour and texture of the "beef" is a pretty good imitation of the real thing.

I also had the combo of Pad Thai, green curry with tofu, spring rolls, and rice from Numchok Wilai. The curry tasted great but was a bit too hot for me. Very satisfying portion size.

I have never eaten in Langano Skies before, but tried the split pea curry with injera from their booth. Tasty without being spicy, although a bit of a challenge to eat in such a setting.

The weekend got hotter as it progressed and I found the quinoa avocado salad from Sailin' On to be flavourful and refreshing. My only suggestion is to have the avocado better integrated - it could have been pureed and seasoned and presented more like a dressing as opposed to a few plain chunks here and there.

Calico Baking Company is a new vendor on the scene, selling its local creations at various events and farmer's markets around the city. Their fare was perfect for the morning/early afternoon workshop sessions. The mint water was especially wonderful on a hot day, and simple - water infused with mint leaves. My muffin was supposed to be banana sourdough with chocolate, but was actually more like bran.

As the weekend wore on, so did my resolve, and I wanted a morsel of meat. The lemongrass beef skewer from Hoang Long satisfied that craving.

My final full meal was the chili chicken from New Asian Village. A hearty portion, although the pile of saffron rice satisfied my need for carbs better than the cold roasted potatoes.

Of course, no visit to the Folk Fest would be complete with a green onion cake (from the food booth of that name) . . .

. . . Or, my annual serving of fresh-made greasy French fries.

Vegging Out: Sweet and Sour Nuggets at Padmanadi

A business lunch brought me to Padmanadi last week. I had the sweet and sour chicken nuggets, one of the lunch specials that comes with rice, spring rolls, one lemon shrimp, soup, and tea. The nuggets were small bullets of Padmanadi's delicious vegan chicken in the sweet and sour sauce that my favourite vegan shrimp dish comes with. There was plenty of sauce for the rice. Very filling for $12.95.

Vegging Out: Supper at Padmanadi

A daddy-daughter date brought us to Padmanadi a few nights ago. My father tried the curry mutton, and although he enjoyed the simulated meat, he did not enjoy the yellow coconut curry sauce. I guess it may be an acquired taste. I had my favourite sweet and sour shrimp, which he found too greasy, and a order of rice noodles: thick noodles with a variety of shredded vegetables. The smoky taste reminded me of chow fun without the grease and was actually my favourite part of the meal.

Vegging Out: Padmanadi

A business lunch brought me to Padmanadi this week. I ordered off of the lunch menu and was surprised with a starter bowl of carrot ginger soup. The flavours were delicate, with the carrot providing sweetness and the ginger not overpowering.

I was in need of a veggie meat fix, so ordered an appetizer of bean curd drumsticks. The "skin" was crispy and tasted rather authentic. The moist insides did not taste totally like chicken, but the texture and flavour were heading in the right direction.

The lunch menu consists of a number of Padmanadi's most famous main courses teamed up with rice, vegetables, and spring rolls. My generous portion of sweet and sour veggie pork filled whatever room I had left. Plenty of rice absorbed the delicious sweet and sour sauce. The spring rolls added some extra crunch.

Folk Fest Food - Version 2014

I spent most of this past weekend at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. In addition to enjoying some great music, I also enjoyed some great food. In some ways, I find the Folk Fest has the best selection of festival food. Here is a look at what I consumed.

I was thrilled to find out that Padmanadi had a booth at the Folk Fest. I had a plate of vegan ginger beef with rice, and added the lemon prawns. This was a very satisfying lunch.

Although I pack plenty of water with me, other cold beverages are very welcome, like this refreshing lemonade from Lemon Heaven. I don't find it too sweet (someone contemplating buying some asked me) and you get plenty of ice which melts down into cold water.

Another Folk Fest regular item for me is the veggie Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai. The tangy sauce is not too spicy at all, although I could have done with some more tofu.

A frozen treat that I can rationalize as bring somewhat healthy is this chocolate covered frozen banana. I added chocolate chips as my topping. Chocolate comes from a bean. Therefore this was a serving of fruit and vegetables. Right? Right?!?!?

My ascension to the top of the hill required me to get some caffeine to keep me going. This iced cappuccino, with two shots, did the trick.

There was also a popcorn truck at the top of the hill. Sometimes, some salty popcorn is the only thing that will do. The kernels were nice and large.

I have never tried a bannock burger, so I leapt at the chance to have a veggie version from Native Delights. The patty was a rather plain soy burger, with some lettuce and tomato. The bun was the main attraction, of course - a crispy, greasy, fluffy affair that totally filled me up and removed the craving I had for French fries.

Back to Numchok Wilai, this time I tried the green tofu curry. This was definitely my culinary discovery of the weekend. Lots of tofu in a spicy, rich green curry sauce on top of a generous portion of rice, adorned with bamboo shoot slices. I could have shared - but I didn't!

Finally, from the same place as the frozen bananas, came a slice of cheesecake on a stick to which I added - you guessed it! - chocolate chips. It was quite a decadent dessert. The cheesecake was vanilla and chocolate swirl, and was as large a piece as one would get for dessert in a restaurant.

Vegging Out: Ginger Beef at Padmanadi

I had lunch today with a co-worker at Padmanadi. There is an extensive lunch menu featuring perfectly proportioned meals of protein, rice, and vegetables, along with two spring rolls. I opted for the ginger beef, which was strips of soy beef in a tangy ginger sauce. There was a good amount of rice, some broccoli to give the dish colour, and the spring rolls were crispy and excellent. We also shared some corn cakes (sweet, crispy, and gluten free) as an appetizer, two of which you can see in the photo.

Vegging Out: Lemon Shrimp and Stuffed Tofu at Padmanadi

Padmanadi is one of those restaurants I love but don't get to as often as I would like. When I had supper there a few weeks ago I tried a new item, the lemon shrimp. The "shrimp" is the same as in the sweet and sour entree, which is one of my favourites. The panko crust and lemon drizzle is very flavourful and made for an enjoyable appetizer.

The stuffed tofu is something I have had here before, and likely won't order again. The tofu was perfectly cooked with a light coating, and stuffed with minced "ham." I found the ham part to be a bit too baby food-like in consistency, and would usually just fall out of the tofu when I was cutting it. The flavours worked really well though, where the texture didn't.

Sweet and Sour Vegan Pork at Padmanadi

Sweet and sour vegan pork at Padmanadi #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

My adventure with Padmanadi began with this dish, and I had it again for lunch this week. Sweet and sour vegan pork - a crunchy meat substitute served as a lunch special with rice and two spring rolls. This huge portion also featured some vegetables.