tin tin restaurant - edmonton, ab

tin tin restaurant

3338 Parsons Road

780.450.4900‎

The old stomping grounds. Tin Tin, which I think is actuall A A A Tin Tin, was home to plenty of childhood memories. Always packed with Asian clientele, we first discovered this place via an old coworker of my dad's, and have been going back ever since. With my father craving a takeout feast, I thought it would be good to go back and test out a few new options.

Stepping into Tin Tin isn't going to impress you. I often think it's a Chinese version of my favorite pho shop, but if the food is good. I was handed a menu, and inquired about a traditional menu. I was soon handed a menu with NOTHING in english. That's right, nothing. This is actually my first time looking at a traditional menu with no translations at all. Obviously this didn't help my situation, so I asked for some help. The staff were willing to help but swore I should be eating the pineapple chicken balls and sweet and sour pork.

Sure there is a place for those dishes but I wanted something else. At this point I might have just asked for 3 or 4 untypical white plates, but I knew my father would be eating and his tastes aren't as varied and he requires no spicy heat. After a handful of minutes, we had settled on a 'typical' meal. Daily soup, a seafood dish, chicken, rice, and prawns.

The soup didn't look like much more than broth to begin with, as all the bits were hidden at the bottom. Full of bones, meat and some veggies, the soup was fantastic. It's hard to explain from the looks, but the broth was rich and flavourful. I drank the leftovers!

Peaches and prawns are almost always a success in my experience, so it was an easy inclusion, and didn't let the homestead down. The shrimp were done well, and the batter was really light. The sauce was scooped out and eaten with rice by my fellow diners.

I don't know the name of this dish, but it was shrimp, squid, and scallops with mixed vegetables. My favorite of the night, I'm a sucker for seafood like this. So simple, clean and good. The seafood was cooked very well, with only one piece of squid sacrficing itself to the chewy gods.

And our last dish, I was told was just called crispy chicken. Done very nicely, the skin was indeed crispy with all but the edges of the white meat being dry. They also included a ginger and onion sauce which he suggested to dip or pour on. This was the favorite dish of the homestead, which was good because it left me with the seafood!

All in all, my first experience with Tin Tin's more traditional menu was good. With a base of things to start, hopefully I can try a few more dishes one day. My question to you, besides the A A A in the name of Chinese establishments, is why are these dishes not offered to the regular folk? My experience around Edmonton is the same as here with regards to a different menu, but who wouldn't love peachy prawns or crispy chicken?

*oh and seriously, what person needs 3 pounds of rice. We had it for days!

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soul soup - edmonton, ab

soul soup
140-10020 101A Ave
780.409.8272

Soul Soup has occupied a cozy little spot on Rice Howard Way for some time now. I'd first heard about the venture through a close friend, who had worked with the mind behind this restaurant, yet for what ever reason (location, time, I make soup) I'd never stopped in until last week.

With Sarah having a short lunch break, and wanting soup, I seized the opportunity to drive across the river and see what Soul Soup was all about. Tucked just off the street, it could easily be missed by those driving and took us a moment to find it, and another lap to find parking (a definite premium downtown). Opening the doors we were greeted by a small space and only a handful of chairs, which were all occupied.

I imagine this setup plays well into the downtown clientele, as most customers probably take the soup back to the office. Working just as well for us, as we were only there for pickup, we were now faced with the selection. Offering 3, rotating and changing, soups each day, one meat, one fish, one vegetarian, we asked for the staff their suggestion. On this day, borscht won out.

Opening the bag, we saw a warm whole wheat bun nestled beside the soup. Being raised around Ukrainians, I like to think I've had my fair share of borscht. I know many have their personal preference with regards to meat, vegetables, sour cream or not, so I can only speak for myself here. The soup was delicious. Lots of veggies, in various sizes filled the bowl of beet goodness. A solid version of borscht in my mind. The bun was a nice addition, as Sarah and I both agreed, in today's world of food eating, many people may look for a sandwich to go with their soup.

After you're done your soup, don't forget to check the bag. In case you missed it, there should be a little candy of some sort. A cute and sweet way to finish your meal. Besides you don't need a slice of cake after every meal do you. I don't know when I'll be coming back, but Soul Soup has made my list of great additions to Edmonton's core.

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the greenhouse - edmonton, ab

the greenhouse
8623 112 Street
780.757.1731

Meeting up with Sarah recently for lunch, had us visiting the Greenhouse. Billed as a gourmet salad experience, this newish restaurant is located right in the University area and shares its space with a Good Earth location.

The space is very welcoming, with the entire process available for your viewing pleasure.

Due to the time, and a different eating schedule, I'd already eaten my lunch and took advantage of the coffee offerings from Good Earth. Sarah on the other hand had a look through the handy menu and decided on a soup/salad combo. Choosing bocconcini classico for her salad, she then selected the jerk beef stew to complete the meal.

The presentation was nice, and a small sampling of the salad left me happy. There was a good balance of ingredients, with the balsamic complimenting the package nicely. Really, the best part was probably the chicken. Not dried out at all, the breast was juicy and tasted exactly like it should off a grill.

What threw me was the soup option though. Billed as a stew, it didn't fit the bill. I think it would be stretching it to even label it as 'stoup'. Either way, the soup base was flavourful, and the peppers were a nice touch. The main issue was the fattiness. Maybe this is where the 80/20 mentality they talk about comes into play, but the lingering fat, both in the soup and on the beef, could have been reduced.

At the end of the day, this sampling did it's job, in that it's enticing me to go back. With a selection of proteins, and a few delicious sounding combination's, it almost goes without saying that the Greenhouse was doing steady university business during our visit. Now if only the parking lot attached didn't cost a small fortune for the hour, and I could find a white belt...

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pizza hut millwoods - edmonton, ab

pizza hut
6504 28th Ave NW
780.310.1010

Ah, Pizza Hut. So many memories. From sitting in the big, red booths as a child, to the cheap buffet lunches during my time at NAIT. Even with all those memories I can't recall the last time I picked up a pie from the Hut. Maybe this dinner order would win me back. *The above picture was taken after the visit, as it was too dark during my initial stop.

Calling in the order for pickup was a breeze and I was told it would be 15 minutes. Leaving the homestead almost immediately, I arrived before the pie was ready so I had a few minutes to look around. The first I noticed was that the restaurant looks exactly like it did back in the day. I wonder if they ever change things; new chair coverings, paint, tacky gold poles, etc. The restaurant was only occupied by two tables, with two other groups waiting beside me for pick-up. After a few weird looks (either from my face, but mostly likely my camera) from the people in the waiting area, I started to wonder how many sit down Hut's are left. Maybe it's a dieing breed, as I see a lot more corner take-out versions appearing.

One things I was pleasantly surprised by was the customer service. The employee behind the counter, asked a few polite questions and then visually confirmed the pies before handing them over. I really liked this idea, akin to McDonald's double checking your drive thru order. It would suck to get home and not have what you ordered.

Both pizza's were selected from the specialty pizza category, which I think actually lists every common combination possible, meaning I think the only way to not have a specialty pizza would be to make your own...but then wouldn't that be special!! Pizza number one was a first for the homestead, Grilled Chicken Italiano - A mouth-watering combination of grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms and 100% Pizza Mozzarella. Of course the first thing you might notice is a lack of red peppers! What gives you say. Apparently the location was out of red. They did however contact me on the way over, and ask if more green peppers would be fine. The pizza itself was ok. I do get a little weirded out by perfectly square nuggets of chicken, and they didn't really add anything. The highlight was the dotting of pepper? (see specks in cheese) which did wonders for the taste. I'm sure the red peppers would have also added a level of sweetness that the green couldn't deliver.

The second pizza, while not a regular order, has I'm sure, appeared many times over the years. The Canadian - Loaded with pepperoni, bacon, sliced mushrooms and topped with 100% Pizza Mozzarella. Staring the supper with a piece of the chicken pizza, this pie was polar opposite. The smokey flavour of the bacon dominated this pie, giving it a very meaty profile. In fact it reminded of ordering meat only pizzas back in the day. The mushrooms, even with their umami flavour, couldn't compete on this day. I also enjoyed the sauce, which seemed to have a bit of tang. Not sure what it was per say, but it had enough of something to stick out. Which I suppose is better than just acting as a wall flower.

One thing that was really impressive, was the lack of grease at the bottom of the box. Don't get me wrong it wasn't spotless, but this is classic pan crust pizza we are talking about. Cooked inside a well lubed pan, it has always been on the greasy side. Even the bottom of the crust was noticeably dry, something that everyone in the homestead commented about. So with a fresh memory of the offerings, has this visit convinced me to go back? Probably not, but sometimes it's just nice to confirm things haven't changed.

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

Even though I've been aware of Furusato's recently added lunch hours for some time now, I hadn't stopped by to check out the scene. With the doors now open at 11 AM, we ended up arriving just after 12. We were greeted by a sparsely filled restaurant; something I've never witnessed during my regular supper visits.

With the low number of customers, my father and I opted for a table. This just so happened to make it easier for me to snap a few pictures of the interior.

Rarely, if ever, would I branch out from drinking tea while indulging in sushi, and this occasion was no different.

Needing something extra to warm the belly, I decided to start with a bowl of miso soup. This is something I've never ordered from Furusato, and was surprised by what arrived. I don't recall for the life of me, ever having spinach in a bowl of miso. While the soup base it self was relatively predictable (seriously, show me a stand out miso), the addition of spinach was a nice surprise. There was also a good stash of green onion and tofu.

I went with one of my usual options, chirashi, and finished every last bit of rice. As an aside - When I eat rolls, and nigiri for that matter, I rarely utilize my side bowl. Meaning I don't do a lot of soy sauce/wasabi dunking. Sashimi on the other hand, has always been something I'm more likely to dip. I mention this because, on my last visit, I noticed a couple who created their soy/wasabi mixture before pouring the liquid over their chirashi orders. Forgetting about his until about half way through my bowl, I decided to dump what I'd already created, and give it a go. The big difference I noticed was with the rice, which sucked the liquid up giving the dish a strong soy flavour. Not really my cup of tea. Is this mix/dump concept new, strange, different, common. If you know, let me know.

What stood out in the dish on this day were the scallops and roe. The scallops were hinting that they have seen better days, while the roe was extra delicious. Don't ask me why, it just was.

My father opted for his classic standby, rainbow roll. Deciding to branch out, he settled on the avocado roll to follow

Both were a success in his mind. Dipping my hungry fingers into his avocado roll, I found the avocado at it's ripest. Which in this case made the roll very smooth, but also very messy to pick up with your hands. Not really a stand out in my mind.

Even with only one sushi chef working, at supper they have two, I didn't notice any lag in food delivery. This surely has to do with the lack of customers though. A solid lunch, I'm looking forward to see how things pan out. I just hope it doesn't affect supper in any way.

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burrito libre - edmonton, ab

burrito libre
6541 28 ave
780.577.7070

The Millwoods Burrito Libre location recently got together with the Salvation Army for a free burrito giveaway. While, not exactly free, it required either a food, clothing, or monetary donation in exchange for a large burrito of your choice.

Bins were situated right at the front, with a staff member there to say hi and take whatever donation you brought. The lineups moved extremely fast, with a huge amount of staff in the back making quick work of people's orders. I stopped by twice in the day, lunch and diner, and was lucky enough to try a few options.

Having previously visited this location, I understood the process and did my best to keep the line flowing smoothly.

I tried both the brown (whole wheat) and white tortilla, both of which did an equally good job. I really liked that they are steamed very quickly (5 seconds maybe), so they are soft and pliable when you open the wrapper. I added rice and beans to both burritos, deciding to skip the potato. As you can see from the whole wheat version, the rice was disproportionate to the rest of the ingredients. I realize this is a way to add bulk, but it can be a little too much starch on starch for some. I selected honey chipotle chicken for one, and spicy chicken for the other. I didn't pick up anything from the honey chipotle, disappointing as it's their big ad burrito at the moment, but quite enjoyed the spicy chicken.

The corn salsa found it's way on to both, and added a nice level of sweetness. I opted for the spicy salsa for both, and it was good with an acceptable level of heat. Although the staff warned me on both occasions it was VERY hot. The sour cream was well, sour creamy, while the small amount of shredded cheese did nothing in the overall package. Finally the guacamole was fresh and tasty, even having good sized chunks of avocado. My biggest complaint would be about the lack of evenly placed toppings. For example, cutting the whole wheat burrito in half left me with corn on one side, and salsa on the other. Sure the lineups could have been to blame for the quick dumping of ingredients, but an even scoop of toppings would have done wonders for the overall taste.

It would be pretty hard to come out totally disappointed with burrito's these days, and it would be no different here at Burrito Libre. The large burrito is fairly big and could easily provide some people with two meals. Would I go back, probably, but it wasn't about that. Just seeing the amount of food, money, and clothing donated goes to show what the day was really about. Cheers to Burrito Libre for taking the event.

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opm asian bistro and lounge - edmonton, ab

opm asian bistro and lounge
1820 99 St NW
780.989.5898

After two trips to my local immunization center, and spending what seemed like an entire day in line, I was finally ready to take a H1N1 vaccination in the arm. After wards, with some in the group feeling a little worse off, we headed in search of food. A quick discussion took place before OPM was suggested and we soon jumped in our cars and headed south.

Situated, in the middle of South Edmonton Common, OPM falls between an Earls and Montana's. So while it has the Asian cuisine on lock-down among it's immediate neighbours, you can easily walk a few blocks and find everything from sushi (Mikado) to steaks (The Keg) to family (Ricky's) dinning. With an upscale interior, OPM definitely gives off a trendy Asian personality. This is not your parent's Chinese take-out joint, if that makes sense. The slogan, Fresh Dining From Ancient Places, along with the name, give you a clue to the cuisine, while the menu confirms the dishes come from China, Thailand, and Japan.

With only one person at the table drinking beer, OPM's house offering China White (dark wheat ale), it was a quick round of waters while we looked over the menu. Regarding the beer menu, I was really happy to see 3 local offerings. 2 from Amber's brewing and 1 from Alley Kat. With not a lot of local brews available, OPM gets a thumbs up for including these choices along side it's regulars like Kokanee and Keith's.

The dishes will arrive to your table when they are cooked, which means you may have some down time between plates. First to the table was Lemon Scallops & Prawns. Apparently wok fired with vegetables in a tangy citrus sauce, this dish tasted like lemon pie filling. That's right, a few bites of this and I found it over whelming sweet and lemony. All I needed was a dollop of meringue. Terrible dish.

The remaining two dishes arrived together (7 or 8 minutes after the first), OPM Spicy Chicken and Coconut Yellow Curry Prawns. First up the spicy chicken, which is billed as the hottest dish on the menu. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. Sure there was some heat trapped inside the red chilies, but the chicken itself seemed to have a sweet (brown sugar?) BBQ sauce flavour. The chicken was juicy and the mixed vegetables were solid, so the dish as a whole was decent enough.

The curry prawns came swimming in enough sauce to drown a gnome. The shrimp were cooked nicely and the dish worked well. Probably my favorite of the three, it didn't have any heat but was well balanced with 'Thai' flavours. Good thing a few bowls of plain rice were delivered to the table or we would have needed straws to fully utilize the sauce.

Based on one previous visit, and the above three dishes, I don't think I'll go out of my way to come back. Nothing jumped out at anyone of us in the group, yet talking with my father, who eats here regularly, it's the appetizers that shine. Oddly enough his favorite (yam fries and rock shrimp) were not on the menu. At least our hunger cravings were curbed after the long day in line, and we were able to relax and enjoy the company.

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boston pizza millwoods - edmonton, ab

boston pizza millwoods
5228 23rd Avenue
780.429.9999

Foreward - I'm not a fan of Boston Pizza. It's always left a bad taste in my mouth. From the service to the food and everything in between. From Grand Prairie to Medicine Hat, Rocky Mountain House to Cold Lake, my experiences have always been sub par. The only good experience I've had was in the US version of Boston Pizza, (Boston's) in Great Falls, Montana.

With that said, last night I was invited to Boston Pizza in Millwoods for supper. As I'd already enjoyed dinner, I thought I would meet up and maybe have something light while enjoying the company. Arriving sometime around 6:30, the restaurant was full with the wait-line reaching the outer doors. Having a peek into the lounge yielded the same result, but just as we turned to leave we noticed 3 free stools at the bar and decided to hop on. Being that it was a Saturday night in October, it almost goes without saying that every TV in the lounge was showing Hockey Night in Canada. A very wings and beer crowd was occupying this side of the restaurant.

My fellow diners decided on their meals and we asked for a round of calamari to nibble on. The strangest thing about calamari to me, is how often it's cooked incorrectly. I find more often than not, it comes to you on the chewy side so I didn't really have high hopes. Strangely enough, it wasn't rubbery at all. I should say though, I think this had to do with the calamari being so thin. If the breading wasn't so thick, I'm pretty sure you could have use these guys for a window. There was a plus side to this though. After the paper thin pieces were fried, they ended up so crispy and delicious. It reminded me of fried pig skin..which if you haven't had, is quite addictive. We all agreed that we must have been given a funny scoop of tzatziki, because our little dish tasty like sour cream.

While we were chatting about the calamari, the two entrees arrived. Zorba the Greek pizza for the one and Ginger Citrus Chicken Salad for the other. Can anyone explain to me, why every salad comes with garlic toast? Do people commonly do this at home?

Both dishes served their purpose without any major flaws. The pizza seemed to be different than what was remembered from a previous visit so it came as a bit of a surprise to my fellow diner. I noticed half of the individual sized pizza was boxed up to go home, so I'm not too sure if that was a good sign or not. The salad, if anything, was dressed pretty heavy. So while the chicken held up fine, the salad greens had a tough go and after a few minutes were looking pretty limp. Does anyone else ask for salad dressing on the side? I've taken to doing this in the last couple of years because of the 'heavy dressing' situations I've encountered more often than not.

Lastly a comment about the service. The bartender, who did a good job of taking care of us between the steady flow of beer, didn't smile once, or interact longer than absolutely required. Picking up that 'she's having a rough night' vibe, I couldn't help but overhear the conversations she had with the wait staff in the lounge. Most importantly a flurry of f-bombs in quick succession used to describe a gentleman who was in earlier. Now I know it's one thing to have a bad night, and another to have crappy customers...but really is there any need to drop f-bombs in front of customers. Even though I know I'll occasionally end up at Boston Pizza, I always do, there is nothing enticing me to do it more often. Although I must say, from the steady lineups..they must be doing something right.

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furusato japanese restaurant - edmonton, ab

furusato japanese restaurant
10012 82 ave
780.439.1335

With my father left to his own devices on Friday, he went looking for food. Which in turn meant he called me to ask if I wanted to go for supper. Inquiring as to where, I jumped when he wanted sushi.

Pulling up to the bar 10 minutes after the doors open, we were greeted warmly by the staff. Looking around, only 2 tables were occupied, yet by 5:30 (20 minutes later), the restaurant had no empty seats. I'm always blown away by restaurants who pull this off.

I ordered the medium sashimi platter and two pieces of uni. I've said more than my fair share about these items before. No surprise, both plates were delicious.

My father ordered a rainbow roll and spider roll. In the past I would have said his favorite type of roll was a dynamite, but I think the spider roll has recently taken top spot. He enjoyed both.

Another good experience at Furusato. Talking with the general manager, Dave Phung, I asked how the fairly new lunch hours were treating them. He mentioned it's hit or miss, with more regulars than drop ins. He didn't look overly convinced about it.

Oh and the first picture in this post, was taken just after sitting down. When we left around 5:45, it was less than half of that. I was blown away by the disappearing mound of salmon and tuna. In our short time, we watched the two chefs go through 8 or 9 chunks of salmon and 5 or 6 of tuna. Nothing says fresh like turnover, right?

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