Vegan Vermicelli

Vegan vermicelli bowl with imitation chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork spring rolls. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

It was back to Veggie Garden Restaurant for lunch yesterday and I went all out with a vermicelli bowl including lemongrass beef, chicken, shrimp, and pork spring rolls. The flavours, while not totally authentic, were realistic enough - the textures were nearly perfect. I loved the sweet soy sauce on the side and would have liked a couple more pieces of "shrimp," but overall this was filling and wonderful to look at.

Beef Duo at The Common

Beef duo at The Common #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I visited The Common for the first time ever this week, as I was a panelist for an interVivos event (also my first) being held there. I decided to get there early to enjoy some supper before the event and to really check the place out. I have heard so many good things about it.

After spending a while examining the menu and asking my wonderful server many questions, I finally decided on the Beef Duo which had two medallions of steak and a chunk of braised beef rib. The rib was fork tender and full of complex flavours, while the steak was done to perfection. The meat had a gravy giving some needed moisture, but also became gelatinous rather quickly.

The meal was served with roasted vegetables which were fresh and colourful, as well as a large portion of crispy shoestring fries. It was as attractively presented as it was delicious.

I get the impression the place fills up fast, so the next time I visit I will also make sue I get there early once again.

Flavourful Focaccia

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

As someone who spends a lot of time in Little Italy, I love heading to Spinelli's Bar Italia at the north end location of the Italian Centre for a quick nosh. For a number of months I have been enjoying the focaccia with black olives and ripe tomatoes. This week, I tried a new variety, with green olives, capers, and sun dried tomatoes. The flavours of the capers and green olives complemented each other perfectly (I feared together they would be too salty, but they weren't), while the sun dried tomatoes added a smokiness that added balance.

Veggie Chicken on Rice

Veggie chicken on rice at Veggie Garden #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been wanting to go back to Veggie Garden Restaurant for a while now, but for one reason or another I was unable to make it. Finally, I was here today for lunch and had, for the first time, "chicken" on rice. I often enjoy the vegetarian imitation meats because I find them quite filling with a satisfying texture, and I was right on the money here. The soy-based sliced chicken had a slightly spicy mushroom gravy on a bed of steamed white rice. I also could not resist some spicy and salty fried tofu to start with.