Paphos.SK's Profile
Ricebowl Fusion in Saskatoon
I agree. In fact, we returned again a couple months ago and found that the food didn't seem as good as originally. I wanted the shanghai noodle dish we had the first time but it didn't even seem to be the same menu.
It wasn't very busy at all for a Friday evening so I wonder if the place can maintain the good start. Just my opinion after only 3 visits...
UWS Gem!
I am visiting NYC this coming week.
This place sounds great but how do I find it? I don't know what "UWS" means.
I'm staying in the Chelsea area (near West 23rd) so I assume this review is for somewhere in Manhatten.
accommodation for big groups
We did quite well with 2 tables of 8, side by side, at Au Petit Extra
http://www.aupetitextra.com/petitextra/fr/index.asp
(This is maybe not quite in the district you specified but we found that it is really hard to find a decent place for a large group).
There was an even bigger group, other side of the room. It was pretty noisy but a great atmosphere. The food was very good although not awesome. It was Saturday night, so I thought they managed really well.
Also, since most places who do take a large group have room for only one big reservation, so book well ahead!
All inclusive (hotel, dinner) get away
What about Saint Gabriel?
I forget which hotel this auberge connects to but the food is amazing!
http://www.lesaint-gabriel.com/index.html
(So is the cost. Do you have plump pockets?)
Dinner along Robson St. for Europeans?
Did anyone mention Zakkushi-Charcoal Grill Diner- the only place I ever even heard of offering Japanese tapas!
http://www.zakkushi.com/
Good Chinese Food in Victoria - recommendation needed
Many years ago the best place was Foo Hongs, on Fisgard.
Now we like Szechuan Restaurant at 853 Caledonia Ave better.
It's small and family-run so if it is busy, be patient! Yum. And inexpensive.
Traveling to Quebec City in May with my hubby and twin brothers (age 22), need help...
I found that walking around was pretty wearing because there were so many unimaginative touristy places. Just my opinion... we had great advice from the staff in our hotel (The Chateau Bellevue, very near the Frontenac and small, inexpensive, friendly) and particularly enjoyed dinner L'Utopie and lunch at "Le Paris-Brest" (590, Grand-allée est).
Some good threads on CH:
'First time in Quebec city' (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/564637)
'Quebec City - not super upscale' (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/534115)
Old Montreal - best steakhouse in or near
If you are close to Gibby's, why not go to DNA instead (355 Marguerite D_Youville)? Now *that* is one great restaurant. Fairly new and you can satisfy the carnivore exceedingly well. (http://www.dnarestaurant.com/eng/con/)
IIRC, the chef used to be the main cook at 'Fifteen' (Jamie Oliver's resto in London). Anyways, they have a flare for innovation and everything is made on the premises, including wonderful charcuterie.
Warning: this is not a cheap place but I thought the price was totally worth it.
Don't forget to visit the restroom... great theme in there. :)
best non-touristy "touristy" in old montreal
New place, DNA, is really a great treat and less $$ than Club Chasse et Pêche.
DNA is hard to find and our cabbie was a pain, taking us to Gibby's (Yuck) in Place d'Youville instead of 355 Maguerite d'Youville.
But DNA is new and so totally worth it, imho. It is run by a chef who used to work for Jamie Oliver. And the food is superb.
Khyber Pass: Montreal ???
Two summers ago we ate at KP and they didn't take Mastercard, just Visa. I didn't notice this when we went in but it wasn't awkward fortunately because someone had a visa card. They also said they couldn't do debit. But no one felt scammed about it.
Have to say I didn't like the food all that much. It wasn't very distinctive between the different items, at least what our table of 6 ordered. Haven't been back but I liked the ambiance and it was fun, in a touristy sort of way. Not that the OP was about the food....
Trip To Calgary & Saskatoon - Recs?
What kind of food are you up for?
We've been eating at lot of Asian lately and last trip to Calgary saw us revisiting Leo Fu's. Superb Chinese food and a wide variety of dishes.
In Saskatoon there's the very reliable Calories resto on Broadway Ave. Reservations a must on the weekends.
Lots of Saskatoon recommendations on this board, but in all honesty, nothing is really knock- your-socks-off. You can have good food but nothing that you'll say oh wow, that is one of my 5 best restaurant experiences ever. (I'll probably get flamed for saying that but my standards have become pretty stringent after such outstanding food in Quebec and Ontario.)
Wolf Cooktop For Wok - OR - Can I do better?
We bought a wolf cooktop, although I wasn't focused on the higher BTU's as we don't stir-fry our food very often. Wolf has the best of the compact cook tops imho and their adjustment for heat at the lower end (with lots of simmer option) was what sold us. So you should be sure you can get the gas flow as you want. For quality, the sealed type of burner in the high-grade steel has proven excellent.
What I really wanted to tell you was about the outside vent. We *have* to vent outside for gas cooktops (building code). We were pleased to find that the ductwork could go up and then at an angle, since we're unable to go straight up to the roof (bedroom and ensuite bathroom in the way, due to a split level). We bought a Faber "telescoping" hood. It turns on when you pull it out and has 3 fan settings. This is the model:
http://www.faberonline.com/cristalhc.html
The trick is that the bend in the ductwork has to be gentle and that you have to be sure the installer insulates the venting pipe. It was a flexible sort of metal 'coil' and in our cold climate, doesn't work without being wrapped. There was enough room in the wall to work it through alongside the sink vent pipe. Don't know if this will help, but at least it might give you some other options.
Ricebowl Fusion in Saskatoon
This fairly recent opening was a nice addition to Asian-style food in Saskatoon. The restaurant is in a location on 33rd St. that has seen several restaurants and cafes over the years. The new owners have done a great job redecorating. And the food is delicious.
We shared the dishes amongst three and enjoyed the Penang red curry (a chicken and coconut milk dish, that was fairly traditional but with added fresh fruit that made this interesting), shanghai chicken wings with broccoli and carrots, bulgogi beef lettuce wraps (outstanding sauce accompanied this traditional Korean food) and sticky rice served on a banana leaf in a bamboo steamer. We also ordered an Indian flatbread (paratha) just for fun to see how they did it (delicious!).
The food was definitely freshly-made and they were really busy on Saturday evening. So we had a longish wait, drinking the green tea. This was Japanese style with that toasty rice flavour which I really like.
I don't usually do washroom reviews here but I have to say, the owners are to be commended for doing a first-class job renovating this important restaurant accessory. Our previous visits to this location always left me feeling pretty yucked out when I went to wash up. There's a disconnect in some of Saskatoon's Chinese-food places between the standards in the seating area and the cleanliness in the restroom area which is off putting because you wonder what the kitchen is like!
It was obviously a busy place even later into the evening so you might want to make reservations on the weekend. They have a menu and hours posted on their website (www.rice-bowl.ca/index.html).
My impression was that the menu in the restaurant was more extensive, though.
It was not super cheap, at $43 for three but we definitely would go back because I think our choice of dishes somewhat missed the 'fusion food' theme.
Quebec City - not super upscale
Agree with johnnyboy, we too thought Les Anciens Canadiens very poor. Maybe not the worst but certainly overpriced and imho, not authentic. There are so many better places to eat in Quebec City why waste the money there? L'Utopie was really good, for example and I loved that they have their own kitchens to develop signature meals.
About No. 3 maple syrup... again! Made in Quebec but no sold here?
My last trip to the Marché des Saveurs at the Jean-Talon market, (we visited Quebec in September) was especially to buy gifts to take home. Guess what?
I looked carefully at the labels and there were a number of "Made in the USA" origins for the maple syrup products!
So be careful what you choose. I'm not saying all the maple syrup was American but I sure didn't see a division of the provincial products from imported.
If HealingBlu is headed to Quebec City, I can recommend a traditional grocers that carried a lot or nice Quebec maple products: J.A. Moisan's,
http://www.jamoisan.com/epicerie.htm
First time in Quebec city
We enjoyed fresh brioche, cinnamon buns and other such pastries plus coffee at bistro Tatum. On rue St. Jean, in the upper old city.
Very reasonable and way better than the hotel breakfasts.
They do lunches as well.
Sandwich/Coffee in Saskatoon
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/558343
This is a post you might like to look at. Off the beaten track.
Quebec City
We went to Quebec City in September.
An awful lot of tourist-fare.
here's what people have posted as being great and ones that we also thought good enough to recommend:
Le Saint Amour
L'Utopie
Panache
Le Café Du Clocher Penché
Toast (mixed reviews)
Cafe Brest (we had lunch there. Excellent).
Bistro tatum (for coffee, pastries)
I hope you post your experiences. I particularly urge you to discuss L'Utopie because we loved it but I didn't remember enough to describe the food properly!
Ethnic food in Winnipeg
We really liked East India Co. It was one of those times we were with a large group (about 10) and wanted reasonably priced food. I wasn't holding out great hopes but surprise! It was very good. I've eaten in some of the best Tandoori kitchens you could find as well as at the homes of East Indian friends and this buffet style was amazing.
They made us fresh Naan bread and a plateful of chappatis to eat with our curried lentils and curried lamb. And it was a very nice place. Yeah, it was buffet but it was busy and everything was fresh.
Vancouver Island Trip
This was a good suggestion but EAT doesn't appear to allow a search function. I looked for their up-Island column and didn't see that either.
I would be grateful if you could provide a specific link.
Thanks.
Visiting Quebec City
Try Panache in Auberge Saint Antoine.
http://www.saint-antoine.com/
I confess we didn't eat there but I checked it out as an option if we decided to go. Looked like you could sit at a bar area if you are alone. Might be more expensive than you wanted.
Also, Le Toast, recommended elsewhere on the board looked appropriate for the snacks at happy hour, if you wanted to socialize in the city. I also didn't go but am reporting this by hearsay from friends who enjoyed it.
http://www.restauranttoast.com/
(sorry but the website plays a lot of flash).
Post us a review!!
Vancouver Island Trip
Being originally from Victoria, we have family scattered along the east coast of the Island and good friends throughout.
So we're out to the coast a couple times a year and CH is a great way to see what's new, who's gone, etc.
So-- what a disappointment to hear that Paprika is going to close. I remember when they very first opened, down on Cook St. near Fort. Oh, waaah. I hope we find a new favourite.
OK, so we've had a few good meals passing through the island towns although nothing memorable. Generally staying with family. So if you are any where near Comox (C'mon, now don't laugh!), there is actually a really great little dinner place and also a lunch place.
I may get moderated off of here because I'm drawing a *complete* blank on the names. But don't despair. You know how the shopping area is in the little village, really the only retail area, you know what Comox is like, one street about 4 blocks? Ends in a grocery store?
OK, there's a lunch spot on the opposite corner beside a bookshop. Really decent lunch and cappuccinos. The dinner place... go up the street about a block and on the opposite side of the street from the thrift shop, there's an unpretentious house that has a small sign that they open for dinner at 5 pm.
Can anyone tell me about this place? I went all of once and we had simply wonderful seafood. And we are *really* fussy about seafood. They had a seating area out the back but it was sort of drizzly and the main room was nice.
I mostly am posting to ask this because we'll be back in November and I want to convince my sis to come up from Nanaimo with me for dinner somewhere different.
L'Utopie in Québec city
This is definitely the place to go for "molecular gastronomy".
There were interesting things throughout the meal but now, it is all a blur!
Isn't that a shame. But I never go online in public venues to log in so I didn't post soon enough to remember. (Yeah, I know, there's low tech "ink and paper" options to remember).
One appetizer had caviar on top of a beet puffy mousse and there was a confit that was very different. Listen, you like experimental food? This is the place -- they even have their own experimental kitchens down below, IIUC.
We went to Saint Amour, too, and had the 9 course tasting menu. Not an everyday thing for me at $110 a person, but worth it. The chef there was so creative, making fusion food without being ridiculously contrived.
So because we had 2 fabulous dinners in Quebec and *then* spent 4 days in Montreal right after that (more yumminess), I kind of forget.
Maybe someone else from CH will go to L'Utopie and post right after with a better review. I just wanted to mention the place because we never would have found it if the staff at our little hotel hadn't suggested it.
Fine Art Café in Saskatoon: hidden lunch and snack spot
I thought it was time to post about this 'off the beaten path' spot. We have been frequent customers this past year and have not had one poor item..
We like it because it's not too crowded for lunch on weekdays -- a quick getaway, easy cycling or walking distance, from either Broadway Ave or the University.
It's at a residential intersection and hard to just 'trip' over if you're new to town or just a visitor.
Check the website here, there's a map as well as some links to the menu.
http://www.pacificgallery.ca/fine_art_cafe.htm
The Fine Art Café is located in the Pacific gallery, so you get to admire the local art scene while you wait for your food. The place is very casual-- order from the counter, then find a place to sit. Outdoor tables are nice because it is quiet.
The food is prepared from scratch and great for fresh taste and innovative ingredients. My favourite is the "Pizza vegi amore" -a great lunch for only $7.95. Made with artichokes, roasted peppers & eggplant, sliced olives and caramelized onions.
There are lots of other choices and they make espresso-style coffees or provide herbal tea choices. I never have room to eat dessert and so I don't know how good those are.
L'Utopie in Québec city
This was a very satisfying experience for four keen foodies, best characterised by being innovative, super yummy and with a classy contemporary ambiance.
The menu has à la carte items and a table de hôte arrangement, not quite a tasting menu but you could certainly get that feel from the menu items. Three of us had the four-course arrangement and mine was thoughtfully tailored to suit dietary restrictions.
The food was beautiful to look at and had some of that foam topping so full of flavour. Loved all the courses but unfortunately, I didn't write down all the different foods we had -- IIRC, this was where I had an the orange beet salad starter with goat cheese all in a very original manner, not the usual presentation, that was fabulous. I know one off-note was the peppery seasoning on the bison, the main meat for the evening's fixed menu. The fourth in our party had a smoked/grilled serving of meat that was apparently to die for, so clearly the other servings were not the result of a general application of too much pepper.
The Italian wine was chosen as the feature around which to select the bison and it was pronounced outstanding, a rich wonderfully aromatic red. But I can't have grapes, so I only got to check out the fragrance.
One down side to telling you about the restaurant find is that their website is not really very good (http://www.restaurant-utopie.com/). It has an incomplete menu online. It is also a bit far to walk (226, St-Joseph E) if you are staying in Old Quebec but the taxi was cheap and I think all 4 of us would highly recommend this place. The prices seem very reasonable. That might not last as the place becomes more established because it doesn't seem to be overwhelmed with the tourist trade (yet).
Any new restaurants serving good food in Saskatoon?
I'm sorry but there's a lot of improvements needed at Bliss.
My favourite foodie companions and I went this weekend and it was very disappointing, especially after the glowing hype in other threads.
My companions had the halibut. Overcooked fish and one serving was burnt on the bottom. The rice was cold and the asparagus was tough as well as cold. The fish was so bland, lemon was requested by both people but only 2 thin wedges were brought, really enough for only one person.
I had a prawn starter with stale, slightly 'off' prawns. The grilled orange slices with it were good, though. My main was a vegetarian lasagna with buffalo mozzarella. The spice seasoning in the pre-made ramekin of lasagne was very subtle. I think maybe a gas chromatograph might have detected herbs but I certainly couldn't. I don’t like “bland”.
I was choosing this vegetarian main because, they had no Tuscan chicken left.
This I don’t get, we were in the first seating for dinner. The waiter said I could have had some if I’d come the night before.... this in a restaurant that opened less than a week ago?
For dessert we had the vanilla pot de crème, which is not a particularly original item. However, it tasted as if there was almond extract in it. Maybe there wasn’t but it didn’t taste like vanilla. .We also had chocolate paté and what I want to know is, how do you make a tough chocolate paté?? The bit about the desserts, reported in another post about this resto was laughable..... ummm, doesn't Calories have (I have to say, outstanding) chocolate paté? ... And how exactly is banana cream pie (which wasn’t on the menu we were given) or lemon tart a revolution in dessert making? To top it all off, the coffee was less exciting than drinking Saskatoon tap water.
The thing is, the first month of opening by supposedly experienced chefs should have been stellar. This is the time to impress and encourage repeat visits. So we were really baffled by the excuses at the till along the lines of “Gee give us a chance, we just opened”. And, “we’re just getting the staff trained”. Our waiter was great and we don’t blame him at all. Attentive without intrusiveness, asked in a timely fashion what else he could bring. Not his fault the menu was already out of items. And to be fair, the bill was adjusted by removing the cost of one of the entrées.
So if you decide to try out Bliss, be advised that as far as we are concerned, the 'jury is still out' on whether this restaurant is going to be a source of gourmet delight.
Bliss Fine Food - Saskatoon
Well, yes, they did take a reservation. I got a new directory listing from SaskTel.
And would I go back? No.
It was like I was back in Pesto's when they'd totally tanked.
Was I at a *completely* different place than the OP was at?
I've posted a review on the original Saskatoon review thread,
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/513164
Bliss Fine Food - Saskatoon
I've been trying to get to this restaurant ever since I saw the opening mentioned for August 25 and finally will make it this weekend but... what the heck is their phone number?
Obviously it is going to be very busy today what with that fireworks display tonight and everything else hopping.
Broken links
My recent posts aren't showing up on "My Chow". That's how I look for new replies.
Also, certain posters are good to follow for whatever their latest post topics are but clicking their usernames leads to a message that there's an error. Is this a sign all your IT are on holidays?
