We decided to go to Vero after seeing the lineup out the door at Lido Cafe last weekend. It’s been on my wishlist for some time; and I’m glad that I’ve finally gotten around to visiting.
By mistake, we were given the dinner menus to order from. Our server sort of did a double take on our order, when she realized we had the wrong menus. I ordered a glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice. I settle on the eggs benny with burger. The bread was a crisp brioche that paired well with the veal meatballs and runny vita egg. I like my eggs orange and full of omega-3s. Hubby enjoyed his Vero Traditional. I had my eye on that as well, but decided we shouldn’t have the same dish.
The food is interesting; as they advertise it, a fusion of French and Italian. They source from local suppliers as well. The service was pleasant and not obtrusive. It is a combination that works well for them.
Eggs Benedict with Burger and BalsamicVero Traditional
Looking for some pizza to go with our boardgames, we decided to try Avatara. Their selections are quite unique. Pick your choice of pizza and optionally add meat. Their crust is also gluten free. I found the flavors quite satisfying. The crust was good, for a gluten free crust. They also have dairy/lactose free/vegan/vegetarian options. Their pizza boxes were interesting too.
L-R clockwise: Guru with chicken, Italian Stallion with sausage and Che with pepperoniItalian Stallion with sausage
Ahh, another restaurant has risen from what was formerly known as Wa’s. Another new restaurant, serving ramen. A must try for me. Well, they are a sushi restaurant, and just happen to have two ramen dishes. And a bunch of udon and soba.
We were quite hungry after a day at the climbing gym. We started with the wakame salad. It was light and refreshing topped with what tasted like toasted burdock root.
Chuka Wakame Salad
The grilled oyster was pretty tasty. It was cooked in a mayonnaise and cheese sauce, topped with tobiko.
Yakigaki (Grilled oyster)
I ordered their tonkotsu ramen, which had the white broth which is typical of this style. It was quite good. I inquired about the noodles; they were from frozen. Which is fine with me, as I’ve had frozen ramen that was tasty. My friend had the spicy ramen, appropriately called “Hell Ramen”. I had to agree, it was hot.
Tonkotsu Ramen
The staff were pleasant and friendly. We went early in the dinner hour, so it wasn’t too busy. Return visit? I think so.
After my visit to the St Laurent Cake House last week, I decided to make some adjustments to my bao recipe. I used the recipe from Honey and Spice Blog. This time, I actually followed the recipe to the letter, including the overnight proof.
The dough had a different consistency than my normal bao dough. Like what I saw at the bakery, it was soft, pliable, and stretchy. The dough was very easy to handle and naturally formed a uniform round shape. The water added to egg wash makes for a smoother topping.
The peanut butter paste was made with lentils to obtain the paste consistency texture so familiar with bao. Chocolate chips can be used, but I prefer the unsweetened, natural flavour of the cacao nib. These are heavy on the protein; great for a snack if you are active.
Peanut Butter Paste
½ C green lentils
2 C water, plus extra
¾ C creamy peanut butter, peanuts only
2 Tbs sugar
Soak lentils in water for an hour. Cook lentils until tender. Puree. Add peanut butter and mix by hand. Add a little more water if too thick to stir. Add sugar. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Bao
Follow Honey and Spice Blog’s recipe for the dough. For the second proofing in my oven at 100F with a pan of hot water. Add 1-2 tbs of the peanut butter paste. Throw on top a few chocolate chips or some cacao nibs. Add 1-2 tbs of water to egg wash to thin it out. Change baking temp to 360F and time to 16 minutes.
Stretchy, pliable doughFilling the baoSoft and chewy bao
After my visit to the St Laurent Cake House last week, I decided to make some adjustments to my bao recipe. I used the recipe from Honey and Spice Blog. This time, I actually followed the recipe to the letter, including the overnight proof.
The dough had a different consistency than my normal bao dough. Like what I saw at the bakery, it was soft, pliable, and stretchy. The dough was very easy to handle and naturally formed a uniform round shape. The water added to egg wash makes for a smoother topping.
The peanut butter paste was made with lentils to obtain the paste consistency texture so familiar with bao. Chocolate chips can be used, but I prefer the unsweetened, natural flavour of the cacao nib. These are heavy on the protein; great for a snack if you are active.
Peanut Butter Paste
½ C green lentils
2 C water, plus extra
¾ C creamy peanut butter, peanuts only
2 Tbs sugar
Soak lentils in water for an hour. Cook lentils until tender. Puree. Add peanut butter and mix by hand. Add a little more water if too thick to stir. Add sugar. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Bao
Follow Honey and Spice Blog’s recipe for the dough. For the second proofing in my oven at 100F with a pan of hot water. Add 1-2 tbs of the peanut butter paste. Throw on top a few chocolate chips or some cacao nibs. Add 1-2 tbs of water to egg wash to thin it out. Change baking temp to 360F and time to 16 minutes.
Stretchy, pliable doughFilling the baoSoft and chewy bao
Ah, Calgary is finally catching up with the ramen trend prevalent in Toronto and Vancouver. Two new ramen shops in less then two months. I took a long lunch for this visit, as they have a limit of 150 bowls a day, and typically run out before dinner. Good thing I arrived early as it is a small shop and a lineup developed soon after.
Our food arrived soon after we ordered. I had the sense that turnover would be quick; ramen is fast food, but cooked slow food style. The char siu tacos were delicious. The pineapple salsa offered a nice kick.
char siu tacos, pineapple salsa
My friend ordered the tonkotsu black. She enjoyed her meal. I had a taste and found that it had a strong flavour of garlic, which I love.
tonkotsu black negi, soft tamago, menma, char siu, corn, black garlic oil, squid ink garlic
I decided to order the tonkotsu classic. The broth was not the creamy white as I might expect from a classic tonkotsu broth. The broth was flavourful; I overheard that they cook it for 16 hours. It was just a tad over salted though. The noodles were homemade. They were very good and they retained the chewy texture expected of ramen noodles. The egg was cooked to a turn and the char siu had a nice flavour.
tonkotsu classic negi, soft tamago, menma, char siu, spring greens
The service was quick and attentive. I think I will be back to try some of their other selections. As an aspiring home cook learning to make ramen; I appreciate it when a restaurant takes the time to make it from scratch.
I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the St Laurent Cake House. One of my co-workers is a co-owner of the bakery and this is how I stumbled upon this opportunity. The owner has also worked as a baker in China and at Maxim’s in Vancouver.
My friend Joanne, and I managed to fit ourselves awkwardly in the tiny space that was the bakery. The first thing that came out of the oven was the Chinese style “pigs in a blanket”. I love the taste of fresh from the oven baking. The taste of a freshly baked bao right out of the oven is indescribable. I sampled the BBQ pork, hotdog bun and egg tart.
Being a baker is hard work. The owner typically works from 7am to 10pm. The prep for the next day, which includes fillings and dough is done the previous day. They are fast, and they are efficient. All the baking is done by noon so that is the best time to head down.
In the morning, the items are fresh baked. For the second proofing, they use a specialty oven that maintains humidity at 70%. I think I need something like that for my kitchen, as my buns are never as light and fluffy as they are from a bakery.
They have a large variety of buns and items for a 1-2 person shop. They are known for their delicious cakes which are also made fresh the day they are picked up. Their mango cream cake is super good. The egg tarts are delish, and they are also known for raisin twists.
I also sampled their peanut butter napoleon. The light creamy peanut custard was a nice foil for the layers of puff pastry. There was huge pasta roller like machine for rolling dough to an even thickness, as you would need for this type of pastry.
Their other offerings included: BBQ pork bun, meat roll (pork), curry beef bun, chicken pie, coconut tart, red bean paste bun, taro buns, pineapple custard bun, cocktail bun, walnut bread, sponge cake and an assortment of other pastries similar to a napoleon.
Enjoy the baking while it lasts, as the owners are looking to sell the bakery. It has a put a lot of demand on their life outside of work.
I give credit to Joanne for some of the lovely photography.
Egg tartsPig in a blanket, Chinese style, photo by JoanneHotdog buns, photo by JoanneDoh!Kneading doh!Painting egg wash on BBQ pork bunsCoconut tart shells, photo by JoanneIt’s all in the scoop, photo by JoanneRaisin twists, photo by JoanneYum. Photo by JoanneTaro baoAn assortment of goodies – egg tart, chicken pie, peanut butter napolean, meat roll and BBQ pork buns, photo by JoanneStorefront
My father-in-law was visiting and we wanted to go to a nice restaurant. We rolled the Urbanspoon dice and Briggs Kitchen and Bar came out on top. It’s located in the old Cannery Row space, which has a nice aged, warehouse look complete with exposed brick and wood. I liked the atmosphere. But, how was the food? With chefs like Xavier Lacaze of Top Chef Canada fame, it should be good.
The menu layout, we found a bit confusing, as the appetizers were in the sharing plates section. Some dishes did not come with sides, and the sides were bundled with the sharing plates. No matter, we decided to order the calamari as an appetizer. It was crispy fried served with a side of thousand island like dressing.
Hubby had the roasted chicken. He really enjoyed it. I snuck in some of his fries and they were crispy and fried to a turn. Father-in-law ordered the 6oz AAA top sirloin and he thought it was quite good. Since he is not from Alberta, he is getting his fill of our fine Alberta beef at every opportunity.
Grilled Half Chicken house slaw, kennebec fries
I was totally famished from my run an hour earlier, so I decided to replenish with carbs. The lobster ravioli was delish. The only complaint was that the sauce was a perhaps a little too heavy on the butter, but on this day I really didn’t mind. I could have eaten two orders of the green beans, they were so good. It helps that I love garlic.
House Filled Lobster Ravioli lemon zest, lobster butter, sweet peas French Green Beans garlic sesame sauce
We went to town on dessert. We ordered all three of their desserts. The MLF stands for mille feuille. The wafers were a nice crisp contrast to the creamy coffee custard and the crunch of the caramel coffee. This was my favorite so far.
Winter MLF coffee cream, caramel toffee
The chocolate pot had a texture of a lava cake. Crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle. Pure heaven for chocolate lovers.
Chocolate Pot pecan brittle, vanilla ice cream
Then I tried the lemon pie. I liked this as just as well as the mille feuille. It was a nice finish to the meal, as the clean citrus flavours cleaned up my palate after the attack of the rich chocolate and coffee.
Lemon Pie meringue, lemon ice cream
The service was good; the servers didn’t miss a beat and were very friendly. This is a place that I could come back to.
My father-in-law was visiting and we wanted to go to a nice restaurant. We rolled the Urbanspoon dice and Briggs Kitchen and Bar came out on top. It’s located in the old Cannery Row space, which has a nice aged, warehouse look complete with exposed brick and wood. I liked the atmosphere. But, how was the food? With chefs like Xavier Lacaze of Top Chef Canada fame, it should be good.
The menu layout, we found a bit confusing, as the appetizers were in the sharing plates section. Some dishes did not come with sides, and the sides were bundled with the sharing plates. No matter, we decided to order the calamari as an appetizer. It was crispy fried served with a side of thousand island like dressing.
Hubby had the roasted chicken. He really enjoyed it. I snuck in some of his fries and they were crispy and fried to a turn. Father-in-law ordered the 6oz AAA top sirloin and he thought it was quite good. Since he is not from Alberta, he is getting his fill of our fine Alberta beef at every opportunity.
Grilled Half Chicken house slaw, kennebec fries
I was totally famished from my run an hour earlier, so I decided to replenish with carbs. The lobster ravioli was delish. The only complaint was that the sauce was a perhaps a little too heavy on the butter, but on this day I really didn’t mind. I could have eaten two orders of the green beans, they were so good. It helps that I love garlic.
House Filled Lobster Ravioli lemon zest, lobster butter, sweet peas French Green Beans garlic sesame sauce
We went to town on dessert. We ordered all three of their desserts. The MLF stands for mille feuille. The wafers were a nice crisp contrast to the creamy coffee custard and the crunch of the caramel coffee. This was my favorite so far.
Winter MLF coffee cream, caramel toffee
The chocolate pot had a texture of a lava cake. Crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle. Pure heaven for chocolate lovers.
Chocolate Pot pecan brittle, vanilla ice cream
Then I tried the lemon pie. I liked this as just as well as the mille feuille. It was a nice finish to the meal, as the clean citrus flavours cleaned up my palate after the attack of the rich chocolate and coffee.
Lemon Pie meringue, lemon ice cream
The service was good; the servers didn’t miss a beat and were very friendly. This is a place that I could come back to.
A friend suggested that we try AÑEJO for lunch as I seemed to be on a Mexican kick. It came highly recommended. So the three of us took our time with a leisurely lunch on Sunday.
We decided to share the bacon wrapped jalapenos and ceviche. It was very tasty and came with a dipping sauce of huitlacoche aioli. This really intrigued me as huitlacoche is Mexican for corn smut. Fungus that grows on corn. I was disappointed, as any flavor was overwhelmed by the taste of garlic. The dip did pair nicely with the jalapenos. The japalenos were nicely baked and fresh tasting; no deep fry here.
Bacon wrapped jalapeno
So back to the huitlacoche. We asked for a sample of it on its own so we could judge the true flavor. They were nice enough to give us a small sample that they would dress their caesar salad with. It came with cilantro in oil. It had a very mild and delicate earthly flavor. It’s one of those things like durian; if you can get past what it looks like in this case, it is delicious. It’s also really nutritious and good for you. A delicacy in Mexico; a plant disease in other parts of the world.
Huitlacoche sampler
The shrimp ceviche was delicious as well as the side of jicama salad. It was a nice foil for the richness of the jalapeno appetizer.
Scallop and shrimp ceviche
My friend J had the adobe pork taco and the Mexican stew. I sampled a bit of the stew. It was rich and hearty, not quite the light lunch as advertised on the menu. My friend A, had three crispy snapper tacos. I sampled a piece of fish and it went well with a homemade spicy roasted red pepper sauce they had on the table. The fish was a perfect golden brown, and moist.
Pozole “Mexican Stew”
For myself I choose something light. The tomatoes on my tuna taco salad were perfectly ripe. Not something that I would expect around this time of year. The home fried tacos with a smidge of refried beans went well with the greens and tuna. It was a perfect main to go along with some heavier shareables.
Tuna taco salad with refried beans and jalapeno ranch dressing
I was absolutely full before we decided to order dessert. I love cinnamon and sugar. I thought I died and went to heaven when I sampled the churros with chocolate sauce. One bite and I was hungry again.
Churros with cinnamon and sugar and spiced hot chocolate
The tres leche was quite interesting. The cake was dense, but super moist. The side I was nibbling on was cold, but according to my friends the cake was warm. No matter, I really enjoyed it cold. I thought the sorbet was a tad on the tart side, but the flavours worked well together.
Tres leches, milk cake
The server was friendly and the service was very good. But then again it was a slow lunch as the restaurant wasn’t all that full.
This was an over the top meal. I’m not sure why the ratings are on the negative side on Urbanspoon, but this time I will gladly disagree. It smacks of a return visit.
