Tres Carnales Taqueria - LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So I realize, and I'm sure you realize that I'm a pretty lazy food blogger. I frequently find myself taking zillions of photos, and then getting to lazy to upload and edit them, resulting in the posting spam that occurs when I finally get around to it.


Yesterday I tried out Tres Carnales after seeing it as the number 1 talked about restaurant in Edmonton - and it was SO AMAZING that I can't even be bothered to edit.

Tres Carnales is tucked away near Central Station next to the Subway...

The ordering station - you order, then go sit and they bring the noms out to you ^____^b

The little number sign that you bring to your table so they know
where to bring the noms... so cute!

The menu

Tacos come in 4's and are topped with fresh onions, cilantro,
and served with a wedge of lime, house made hot sauce, and  beans.

Arrachera Tacos

Fresh Guacamole... DROOOLLLLLL

Nom Of The Day - NOTD 2

The bestestestestest cup noodles in the world, so good I snuck them in to a hockey game :3

xoxo

- nattycat

BATTLE BUN BO HUE (BBH) pt 3 - Pho Hoan Pasteur

IMHO, one of the best bowls of Bun Bo Hue (BBH) in the city - lots of lemongrass, a rich broth, topped with beef brisket and pork sausage. Topping could use a little something something, but for how simple it is, doesn't get much better.

Pho Hoan Pasteur is always busy, and I can see why. Their Pho and Thai style noodle soup are also good picks!

First NOM OF THE DAY!

Since you all I know I have a bad habit of going AWOL and then coming back and blog spamming myself, I've decided to start a new series of just a quick photo of something nommy, otherwise known as NOM OF THE DAY! Hope you guys like it!

Korean red bean mochi dusted with sesame peanut powder

xoxo
- nattycat

Dieter's Dream Ingredient - Shirataki Noodles

Fresh shirataki noodles - this type has seaweed in it

Shirataki noodles, also known as konnyaku noodles, are a dieter's dream why? 

Because they are:

- CARB-FREE

- FAT-FREE

- GLUTEN-FREE 

...and oh oh oh wait for it, CALORIE-FREE?!?!!? Say what?! And it's not air? 

They are made from Konjac flour, from the roots of a Konjac plant, a type of yam-like plant. As such, it is also HIGH IN FIBER (glucomannan, a water soluble fiber that helps you feel full), and has a nice chewy texture that allows it to be used as a pasta/noodle replacement. 

Yes, there are some caveats to cooking with it, as it does require a little bit more preparation - you must first pre-boil or sautee the noodles quickly before using them, or else there is a strange odor/flavor to them, however it is completely worth it.

The nice thing about these noodles is that they readily absorb the flavors of whatever they're cooked in - I prefer using them as a noodle replacement in noodle soups.

Shirataki noodles... after they've been accidentally frozen and thawed -____-;;

The other day I realized that someone had made the mistake of putting one of my Shirataki noodle packs in the freezer and look what happened! They became so shriveled and hard that no amount of cooking could restore them, so DO NOT FREEZE!

They are usually sold in Asian supermarkets in wet packages, for a couple of dollars a pack - there are the plain clear ones, and the brown freckled seaweed ones. I find the seaweed ones have a very ocean-y flavor. They are also sold in noodle bunches, or in long cubes, usually marked as "Konnyaku".

Check out http://shirataki-noodles.recipesilove.com/ to see some good tips and recipes for cooking with them.

WARNING: If you are one of those people that will suddenly try to starve yourself by eating nothing but lettuce or whatever, do not try and do that with Shirataki noodles. Having no calories but being able to induce fullness is a double edged sword - a few girls in Japan died after spending a few months eating nothing but these noodles. There is almost no nutritional value!

Tasty Choice

It's nice to see that there are quite a few more bubble tea/snack shops opening up in Edmonton. One of them that has now become one of my favorites is Tasty Choice, near South Edmonton Common, in the same complex as Cora's and Melting Pot.


Tasty Choice offers a broad selection of Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Japanese style snacks, as well as BBT, rice/noodle dishes, and assorted crepes. Drooling yet? I dropped by with MBear, and if you don't know that she's a menu hoarder, now you do. LOVE HER LONG TIME!! (Ya all this food is for 2!)

Left: Condensed milk toast
Right: Icecream with French toast

Condensed milk toast - ahhhh, a simple classic that's always good - nothing more than fresh white toast with butter and condensed milk. I love making this at home, but there's something extra tasty about it when somebody else makes it.  ^____________^''


I wasn't too crazy about the Icecream with French toast, because the French toast itself was already mediocre, and combined with quickly melting vanilla ice cream soon became an oily, mushy mess. Would not order this again... 

Left: Rice rolls with hoi sin and sesame sauce
Top right: Spring rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauce
Bottom right: LYCHEE DUMPLINGS with sweet mayo dipping sauce! <3 <3 <3

The Rice Rolls are surprisingly good, although it is again, another simple dish. The rice rolls are basically flat rice noodles that have been rolled, and are served with hoi sin and sesame sauce. Traditionally, in restaurants, rice rolls served like this are pan fried so that they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, however these are soft all the way through, very similar to the way they are served from street vendors in Hong Kong. I suspect they are steamed and then reheated in the microwave to order, but they retain a very smooth and soft texture without being over cooked. Definitely worth ordering every time!

The Spring Rolls were perfectly crispy, but nothing special otherwise.

NOW, the good stuff. <3 <3 LYCHEE DUMPLINGS <3 <3. These babies have SUPER NOM STATUS, you MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST order them. They are essentially deep fried flat wontons filled with minced shrimp and lychee, but they are SO DAMN GOOD. Seriously addicting. They're served with a sweet mayo sauce, which perfectly complements the savory shrimp and the sweet lychee. Every bite is juicy and an orgasm in your mouth. 

Deep fried honey garlic chicken wings

I don't know how or what, but the people over at Tasty Choice really know how to use their deep fryer. The Deep Fried Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are another favorite of mine - the chicken wings are perfectly fried: crispy and juicy without being overly greasy. While deep frying may seem like a simple cooking method, it's not! The temperature of the oil has to be just right in order to prevent the food from absorbing too much oil and getting greasy, and the quality/freshness of the oil has to be sufficient otherwise the food will come out with a stale flavor. I like that they give the sauce on the side, so the chicken wings stay crispy and you can decide how much sauce you want to use. A warning though - if you don't like garlic, stay away, because this honey garlic sauce is particularly garlic-y (which I personally love!).

Seaweed and pork floss bun

Next up: Seaweed and Pork Floss Bun - another goodie! (This place is on a roll, seriously!) A lightly toasted baguette style bread, lightly buttered and filled with toasted seaweed and pork floss, then drizzled with a sweet condensed milk/mayo type sauce. As you can tell by now, these snacks are very simple, but comforting, and Tasty Choice does them just right. For those who don't know, pork floss (aka "rousong") is just dried marinated pork that has been teased and then dried in the oven. It has a good balance of slightly sweet and savory components that make it a popular addition to things such as toast, congee, rice, or whatever you desire really.

LOOKIT all our plates! NOM NOM NOM!

I forgot to take pictures of the BBT, but overall they're fairly good. In the times I've gone, I've noticed a lack of consistency in the texture of the pearls and the sweetness of the drinks, but otherwise nothing too serious. I'm a big fan of their Calpis selection. So far, in all the times that I've dropped by, everything has been really good. Unfortunately, I can't really comment on their rice and noodle dishes - sorry! -___-;;

Another MUST TRY that I don't have pictures of is the TAKO YAKI, or Octopus Balls. (No pervert, not testicle balls, but rather, Timbits filled with pieces of octopus ;p). Tasty Choice is the ONLY place in Edmonton that has a very authentic version - all other places use the prepackaged frozen ones (which are good too, but not as good as these).

You can see the sign showing all the crepes behind me - and yes, they make their crepes fresh to order! 

Another nice thing is that there are couches and a variety of board games, cards, and other fun little things to keep you entertained in case you decide to stay and hang out. 

So? What are you waiting for?!

xoxo

- nattycat

Happy Easter - Time to stock up on bunny chocorates!

Don't you love stocking up on all the discounted Easter candy?

If only they were actually bunny shaped...

Happy belated Easter, hope you all had amazing Easter dinners! 


xoxo
- nattycat

Cactus Club Cafe

Out of the three restaurants owned by the Fuller brothers: Earls, Joey's, and Cactus Club Cafe, Cactus Club is hands down, the best. Chef Rob Feenie is the brilliance behind the menu, and his signature items marked "R.F." on the menu are all worth trying. While they are not all particularly innovative, they are all clever twists on classic dishes, executed incredibly well, and have dynamic flavor profiles.

Although I have been to Cactus Club numerous times in both Edmonton and Vancouver, this is my first review about them, and like all my previous experiences, it's a good one! Cactus Club's website describe themselves as "Canada's leading fine dining restaurant." While I don't know if this is statistically correct, I absolutely agree - Cactus Club is the BEST chain restaurant I've ever been to, and the most consistent.

Left: Tuna Tataki, Right: Ravioli and Prawn Trio

My absolute favorite appetizer at Cactus Club is the Tuna Tataki. And by favorite, I mean <3 ULTRA NOM NOM STATUS, MUST MUST MUST TRY!!! <3, also known as my favorite appetizer of ALL TIME. The menu describes it as "locally caught oceanwise seared albacore tuna, green papaya slaw, orange, avocado, pine nuts, yuzu vinaigrette." It is also served with tobiko (flying fish roe), mango, and a drizzle of cilantro oil, and topped with some sort of sprout.

I have had Tuna Tataki from Japanese restaurants in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Tokyo, but this one is the best. It is creative, delicious, and just orgasmic. So damn good, I might even turn down sex for this. Actually, I take that back, not might, I definitely would. I crave it.

Another really good one is the Ravioli and Prawn Trio. "Butternut squash ravioli, sautéed jumbo prawns." It is served with sage brown butter and pine nuts, and also very well done. The sage brown butter perfectly compliments the sweetness of the butternut squash, and the prawns were perfectly cooked.

Rob's Hunter Chicken

For the main, I ordered Rob's Hunter Chicken, a skin on chicken breast served with "button, portabello, shiitake and crimini mushroom demi-glace, green beans, and herb fingerling potatoes." The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful. The mushroom demi-glace was equally well executed, with a rich mushroom flavor imparted by the assortment of mushrooms and just the right amount of salt.

Instead of the green beans, I substituted asparagus, and in place of the roasted fingerling potatoes, I ordered a mixed green salad. Even the mixed green salad had the perfect balance of flavors, and was topped with julienne beets, strawberries, and feta. 

Blackened Creole Chicken

My friend ordered the Blackened Creole Chicken, a blackened skin on chicken breast served with "spicy creole butter, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables" of asparagus. Of all the blackened chicken dishes I've had, this is one of the best. The impeccably flavored spicy creole butter is also fantastic, it's the yellow ball in the picture above. It melts over the chicken and mashed potatoes as you eat it, and although it's clearly not good for you, I guarantee that it's worth every bite.

Key Lime Pie

For dessert, we ordered the Key Lime Pie. Another <3 MUST TRY NOM STATUS I LOVE IT FOREVER AND EVER <3 item. It's described as "freshly squeezed key limes, graham cracker crust, hand whipped cream." Simply orgasmic. I have tried to buy whole pies of this, but chickened out after realizing that I would surely eat the entire pie within an hour and then itis out for the next week. 

I have brought friends who bake to try this, friends who cook Southern cuisine to try this, and friends who hate dessert to try this. The unanimous decision? IT IS AMAZING. I am drooling as I type.

So to those who think that Cactus Club Cafe is just hype or just appearances, you are dead wrong. Behind that beautiful facade of gorgeous staff and a sleek interior is a menu and a kitchen that not only holds up to expectations but exceeds them.


The only vice I can honestly say that Cactus Club has, and this is only at the Edmonton West location, not at any of the locations in Vancouver, is that the service tends to be a bit inconsistent. While I have had wonderful service at times, it can sometimes be a bit slow or lacking unless you get one of the more attentive, outgoing girls. For example, during my last visit, I had to ask a few times for black pepper, and for water refills, even though the server wasn't busy (I used to serve, so I'm not talking out of my ass). I have only sat in the lounge, so I can't comment on dining room service.

All in all though, food always comes out efficiently and empty dishes are always cleared quickly, so I've never been too bothered by the service that other diners have sometimes commented on.

Check them out if you haven't already! (You can tell I really love this place by how much bolding I've used in the post. I can't hide my excitement, what?!)

xoxo

nattycat

http://www.cactusclubcafe.com/

BATTLE BUN BO HUE pt 2 - Thanh Thanh

Although I eat Vietnamese food quite frequently, I rarely go to Thanh Thanh, mostly because I had once, way back when, had a very westernized, flavorless bowl of Pho. One of my Noodle group members, BuBear, suggested a Noodle Field Trip, and he included Thanh Thanh as one of the places to go for Bun Bo Hue. As shocked as I was, I never turn down BuBear's suggestions, as he's one of the few people I know who not only loves food, but is an amazing chef. Being Vietnamese himself, he is also well versed in what makes a good bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

At Thanh Thanh, the entire menu is in English, and they have Bun Bo Hue listed as "Central Vietnamese Noodle Soup." Although I can appreciate that this makes Vietnamese cuisine more approachable to guests who are somewhat new to the dishes, it can make ordering certain dishes a tad confusing. Luckily, the servers and owners speak Vietnamese, so you can just as easily order the dishes in Vietnamese.

Central Vietnamese Noodle Soup

The first impression surprised me - abundant fragrant chili oil, a generous amount of sliced onion and chopped scallions, and finely sliced beef shank.

Thin vermicelli rice noodles

Another surprise! They use thin vermicelli, rather than the thicker "lai fun" style vermicelli (as thick as spaghetti) typically used in Bun Bo Hue. Personally, I prefer the thicker noodles, so I'd ask for a substitution next time.

You can see the lemongrass!

The soup was incredibly flavorful, with a slight sweetness from the pork used to make the broth and abundant lemongrass. I was also pleasantly surprised by the evident flavor of shrimp paste, which is usually used in such small quantities due to its pungency. The beef shank was perfectly tender, and well prepared.

My only complaint would be that there was only beef shank as the topping, when there should at least be Vietnamese pork sausage and pork hock. Even better, although very rare in Edmonton, there should be pork blood and oxtail. As well, the portion size was quite a bit smaller than other restaurants, which at $8.45 a bowl, is relatively expensive compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton. However, I'd say this was a small price to pay for a cleaner restaurant and a beautifully renovated restaurant.

Overall, I was very impressed - the restaurant was very clean, service was good (which is somewhat rare in Vietnamese restaurants), and the flavors (even if the ingredients were tweaked) in the Bun Bo Hue were still very authentic. Definitely a pleasant surprise when considering the flavorless Pho I had here in the past.

Although this will never be my first choice for Vietnamese food, because I personally place the most precedence on overall authenticity of dishes rather than dining ambiance, I would definitely consider coming back to try some of the other dishes next time!

http://www.thanhthanh.ca/

Long overdue... Finally, I (heart) NOM NOM on Urbanspoon!

I know, I know, ME, the most glutinous overindulgent fatty in history, without an Urbanspoon account? Preposterous!

So I've set it up under nattycat, and just wanted to let you guys know in case you have an account as well and want to be friends ^__^b

Look at what I got! (I'm a proud food baby momma now!)

Oh, and URBANSPOON ROCKS! (This is me claiming my blog, thanks Greg!)
 

 

xoxo,

nattycat

BATTLE Bun Bo Hue - Calgary Trail Noodle House

Bun bo hue is one of my favorite Vietnamese noodle soups, and thus I have been on an adventure to find the BEST Bun bo hue.


Bun bo hue's Story:


A Vietnamese noodle soup made using beef bones as the primary protein. It originated from Hue in Central Vietnam, and is predominantly flavored with lemon grass and chili. It is usually served with thick rice vermicelli, topped with sliced beef shank, sliced or whole pork hock, Vietnamese sausage, pork blood (optional), and oxtail if you're lucky. When served, it is common to add bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, green onion, and finely sliced banana blossom (usually substituted with cabbage). Shrimp paste is often added, however, it is usually quite subtle, compared to other crab/shrimp based soups.






Calgary Trail Noodle House:


Normally I will refuse to go to Calgary Trail Noodle House, simply because it seriously lacks consistency. Based on my experiences, when the good chef is present, food is amazing, however, when the food is cooked  by anybody else, it's pretty disappointing.


I dropped by the other day since I was craving Vietnamese food and happened to be in the area.


SURPRISE!! I ordered the Bun bo hue, and it was one of the BEST Bun bo hue broths I've ever had in Edmonton! Now I don't know how it tastes on a bad day, but I considered myself lucky and happily nomnomed all the way to the bottom of the bowl. ^____^V

The chili oil on the surface of the soup had chopped lemon grass in it!

The toppings were typical - It was served with beef shank,Vietnamese sausage, and a few slices of pork hock, but no pork blood. Also, no banana blossom (almost no restaurant in Edmonton serves it), but not even chopped cabbage!

Beef shank on the left, Vietnamese sausage slices on the right

The broth was very lemon grassy with a thick layer of fragrant lemon grass infused chili oil and the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. The sweetness of pork bone could be tasted in the broth, as well as the pungency of crab paste.


If I can somehow figure out who the good chef at this joint is and when he or she is working, I'll definitely be back!

I love to NOMNOM Bernard Callebaut!

No foodie would be complete unless they fully appreciated the brilliance that is good quality chocorate.

Bernard Callebaut never disappoints, and is always worth every penny. 

My godfather knows I love it, so look at what he bought me!

Even the wrapping is pretty!! 

Unwrapped...

As precious as gold

AHHHHH LOOK AT ALL DEM CHOCORATES!!! 

So beautiful... NOW GET IN MA BELLY!!!!

I LUB MA PINE-APPOWS!

I do love my pineapples... especially when they're freshly cut! Look at them shine under the warm sun...

The trick is to cut them when they're almost about to mold!

Homemade PHO!!!

Home made <3 PHO <3 aka Vietnamese noodle soup!! 

phở bò

The broth for pho is supposed to be a rich, clear stock flavored with a number of seasonings, many of which reflect the French influence on the dish. 

It is made with either beef, phở bò, or chicken, phở gà, however, I usually play around with different types of bones, combining beef, chicken, or pork, to get the flavor I prefer. 

(I KNOW, this technically take it out of the pho category, but hey, what fun is it if you don't play around in the kitchen? Anyway, I  grew up on pho that was always a combination of beef and chicken, so that's how I like it best. ''^___^)

For this pot, I used pork neck bones, oxtail, beef bones, and beef flank for the soup base, then seasoned with whole onion, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, cloves, black cardamom, coriander seeds, star anise, black pepper, palm sugar, cinnamon, and liquorice root. I then served it with fresh rice noodles, thinly sliced rare sirloin, thick slices of flank, and pork balls, before garnishing with roughly chopped green onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and a squeeze of lemon.

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOMMMMMM!!!!

I'll be posting a step-by-step soon!

XOXO

- nattycat

Pharos Pizza - Blast from the Past, RE-OPENED!!!

Pharos Pizza, of amazing deep dish, 4 cheese blend, spinach pizza fame, originally located next to the Garneau Theatre where Transcend Coffee currently resides, has finally re-opened!

Time to go check if those secret recipes taste as good as I remember :3

15120 Stony Plain Road, on top of The Haven Social Club

http://pharospizza.com/index.html

Vons Steakhouse and Oyster Bar

DID JUU KNOW?


Vons Steakhouse and Oyster Bar has Buck A Shuck oysters in their lounge during happy hour, Monday to Friday and Sunday (4:30-6:30pm), and Friday late night (after 10:00pm)!! 


West Coast oysters for $1, and East Coast oysters for $2.


Considering that their oysters range around $30/dozen, this is an insane deal, and a delicious one. Von's is the only oyster bar I know of in Edmonton, offering 15+ varieties. Does anybody know of any others?


Check em out! 

They serve their oysters on a bed of ice with fresh shaved horseradish or house made cocktail sauce!

When we went, the oysters were all freshly shucked, and delicious! Bonus points for our server being very knowledgeable about the different varietals - including how large they were, which ones were most popular, which ones were sweeter vs brinier, etc.


http://vonssteakhouse.com/index.php

Bangkok Restaurant - HOTPOT!

Front entrance to Bangkok Restaurant

There are only a handful of good hotpot restaurants in Edmonton, and Bangkok Restaurant is easily one of the better ones. Granted, the location and the decor leave something to be desired, but anybody who has tried their Satay soup base cannot argue that it is hands down, THE BEST. It's spicy, peanuty, coconutty and just has that je ne sais quoi that makes it stand out.


Most hotpot places in Edmonton offer ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT, and Bangkok offers theirs for $17.95, in a buffet style.






The Low Down on HOTPOT!
(Also known as steam boat, shabu shabu, any other names?)


If you have never tried hotpot, it is basically Oriental style fondue, except that different types of broth are used in place of oil, chocolate, cheese, etc. As well, the ingredients used are much more diverse, and although there are a number of essential items, many of the ingredients are selected on the basis of personal preference. In general, expect assorted sliced meat (beef being the most popular), assorted meat balls (fish, squid, beef, you name it!), seafood, noodles, and veggies. Depending on the type of soup base, you will also have a flavorful dip used to dip cooked items before nomming.

Table set up ^___^ // nom nom nom!

Most restaurants will offer a pot with two sides, so that you can choose two different soup broths. As far as I know, Bangkok Restaurant only offers regular chicken broth and their Satay, so of course we got both. Most people tend to like each type of broth for cooking different items, so it's uncommon to only have one type of broth.

All the sauces for you to play with :3

Unless you goto a hotpot restaurant where the soup base is intended to be salty and flavorful enough, there will always be an area for you to create your own dipping sauce.


Bangkok has a good selection, and their house made XO  sauce (an oil based sauce containing dried scallop, dried Chinese ham, and fried garlic) is actually so popular that they sell it by the jar. Their satay sauce is also a must try, and I believe they make it in house as well, but I'm not sure on that. The fried garlic oil is also made in house, and incredibly good. Every other sauce is fairly common in any hotpot restaurant, however, since Bangkok is Vietnamese owned, the sauces are skewed toward Vietnamese flavors, which I personally like alot. ^__^V Play around until you get the right mix!


All the ingredients offered in their buffet are as follows. Everything is usually very fresh, however, due to the popularity of the sliced beef, you might have to wait for refills on it.

Apparently tong ho choi is also known as "edible Chrysanthemum" (the flower!). Who knew! Unfortunately, I only know that choi sum directly translates to "vegetable heart", and usually refers to this specific vegetable, which my friend actually grows in the summer time :3


Bangkok also serves an assortment of Asian beverages that go well with hotpot, and are meant to be "cooling'' in contrast to the heat of the hotpot. Beer is probably my favorite drink with hotpot, which they also offer a large variety of. I like sticking with the beers native to South Eastern Asia, as they're usually made to be enjoyed with spicy food.

Dessert table! <3 <3 <3

And who could forget about dessert?! Don't skip it, they're worth trying. Most are of Vietnamese and Thai origin, and taste good mixed together.


Bangkok is definitely one of my favorite go-to's when I'm too lazy to get all the ingredients for hotpot, and the fact that they're open late is definitely a plus! Til midnight daily and til 2am on Friday and Saturday.


The only other advice I will offer is, DO NOT GO IF YOU HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE IMPORTANT AFTER!!! Hotpot is generally a smelly endeavor since you are basically cooking while you eat, but I find that Bangkok in particular has a really poor ventilation system. You will smell like meat and broth and all sorts of tasty things, but that might not be what you're going for if you're about to hit a party or the bar...