Edmonton Restaurant Review: Lava Rock Grille & Sushi

Posted on by

2

The exterior of Lava Rock Grille & Sushi

Living on the far southwest side of Edmonton, I admittedly don’t make to the west end very much. Therefore, I’m often unaware of restaurants that may have opened in that area. Thankfully, Groupon has helped to keep me in the loop. The site has showcased some fantastic offers over the past few months, including one for Lava Rock Grille & Sushi.

When I first saw the deal, I checked the address and, as I suspected, this business had opened in Mayfield Common. Situated to the left of World Health, that location has been home to several other eateries in the past. Most of them were East Indian in nature and none of them lasted long despite the often excellent food. Seeing that a new restaurant was willing to take on the challenge of this doomed space intrigued me and I immediately purchased a voucher.

The Sunday that my boyfriend and I decided to go, I called about 30 minutes before to make a reservation. Although it may not be a necessity all the time, I’d recommend booking ahead. We ate early at 5:30 and there were only a few tables occupied when we arrived, but the place filled up quickly while we dined.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I have to say that I was really impressed with the interior of Lava Rock. The whole space was gutted and updated from what I last remember it looking like. The front has a bar and the back of the venue is completely open with the kitchen shifted to the side. There are also a lot more tables than there used to be and it’s much brighter and more welcoming as well.

The set menus that we got to choose from.

Once we were seated, the server went over what our Groupon included. Basically, we had our choice of four different set menus that I believe are always available to order even without the voucher. They range in price from $24 (Striploin and Basa Filet) to $29 (Filet Mignon) with Shrimp falling in the middle. We were to pick one meal each — to be filled out on the paper we were given along with our choice of sauces — and we both opted for the 8 oz. Filet Mignon.

Dynamite and Spicy Salmon Rolls

Service was quite prompt. We received our pieces of Dynamite Roll and Spicy Salmon Roll shortly after our order was taken. Truthfully, these were quite basic. I disliked the rice to filling ratio and that the tempura shrimp in the Dynamite Roll wasn’t warmer. The latter is a sign that these were probably prepared in advance. Otherwise, the flavours were fine. The raw salmon tasted decent and the texture was okay.

Read these instructions before cooking the meat.

While we were still working on our maki, the slabs of hot rock were wheeled over to the table along with the meat and sauces we’d chosen. The server quickly ground some salt onto the stones and lay the meat on top to begin the cooking process. Before she walked away, she uttered a few instructions and then left us to our own devices. I do recommend taking the time to read the small card placed at every table. It goes over all the dos and don’ts of dining there. My biggest takeaway is that nothing other than salt and whatever protein ordered should touch the stone. One of the servers had to remind people as they ate. Her reasoning was that everything else burns and creates uncomfortable clouds of smoke.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In any case, eight ounces of meat is a lot of food! I’m not complaining though. It was awesome. The cut I got was a bit gristly on one edge. However, it was easy to cut off and the rest of the filet was perfect. I like my red meats cooked to a medium rare. Yet, due to the number of items I was indulging on at the same time, the meat did cook a little past that point. It was still so tender though, so no matter. I especially loved the sesame sauce that I paired with my steak.

Beef Ramen and Green Salad

If that wasn’t enough, the meal also included a cup of green salad and a bowl of beef ramen soup. The salad was fresh, but it wasn’t my favourite. There were these teeny little red peppers that just had this odd taste and were a tad too seedy. The ramen also didn’t have much in the way of beef or noodles and it was cold. Mostly, I was disappointed with the flavour as the soup was incredibly bland.

Mixed Tempura

Our dinner was completed with a plate of mixed tempura: zucchini, shrimp, oyster and scallop. The portion wasn’t large. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised that they provided so much seafood rather than the usual veggies. Everything was breaded lightly and had a crisp texture. Nothing was too greasy.

By the time we polished everything off, we were both full and satisfied. Sure, there were improvements to be made; the sushi wouldn’t be my top choice and I’d skip the salad and ramen. But, overall, the restaurant offers great value with these set menus. As long as one doesn’t mind playing a part in cooking their own meal, it’s well worth a visit to eat at Lava Rock Grille & Sushi.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: XO Bistro + Bar

Posted on by

0

Lunch time at XO Bistro + Bar.

XO Bistro + Bar opened in the Ice District late last year. Situated on the main floor of the new Ultima condo building on 103 Street and 102 Avenue, it’s not far from my downtown office.

Still in its infancy, I finally stopped by for lunch last month. When I showed up for my OpenTable reservation, my friend was already seated in one of the booths by the bar. The space isn’t all that big, but it’s modern in design and it looked like there were stairs by the doors that led up to a second level.

At one o’clock, it was pretty quiet. The lunch crowd must have already dissipated by that time of day. The server brought over some water and, after giving us a few minutes to check out the menu, she came back to take our orders.

The lunch menu is quite succinct with several appetizers and various iterations of Vietnamese pho, vermicelli and bowls as well as a handful of other options. The main difference between most simply came down to the toppings selected.

In our case, my friend chose the Combo 2 Rice Plate with Grilled Chicken and I decided on Combo 3 with Vermicelli, Grilled Beef and Grilled Chicken. Both dishes were served with a spring roll. The food was quickly prepared and we were able to eat without much delay.

Combo 2 with Rice, Grilled Chicken & Spring Roll

My friend’s plate looked nice with a dome-shaped portion of rice, two large pieces of grilled chicken and a side of julienned veggies. The server had dropped off a couple of sauce bottles along with our food, but neither was soy, so my dining companion had to track her down for that. Other than that minor hiccup, my friend enjoyed the meal.

I found my vermicelli to be very filling. There was actually a lot of food crammed into the bowl. I poured the entire amount of fish sauce provided into the noodles and attempted to mix everything together without losing anything over the sides of the dish. It was a bit difficult. However, I was happy with the overall portion size. Anything less and I may have been disappointed because it’s a bit pricier than other eateries that serve Vietnamese cuisine.

Combo 3 with Vermicelli, Grilled Beef, Grilled Chicken & Spring Roll

Here, a bowl with one choice of protein and a spring roll cost about $17 after tax and tip. Whereas, places like Pho Hoan Pasteur and Delicious Pho are about $2 less and include a variety of toppings like grilled pork, chicken, beef, meatballs, shrimp and the spring roll, so there’s more value with the others. Regardless, the grilled beef and chicken at XO Bistro was flavoured well with lemongrass and had that lovely charred taste to it. It meat was thinly sliced, so it cooked quickly to the perfect texture and chew. The spring roll was also crisp on the outside and not too greasy.

Honestly, I’m not sure that the downtown lunch crowd is who they’re catering to. They seem to be more of a late night venue with a fun cocktail menu and bar bites, so I’d be inclined to come back to check that out another time.

Granted, that’s not to say it wouldn’t be worth trying XO Bistro + Bar on any other occasion. On the contrary. It was wonderful to be there when it was quieter and not too busy. Their service is decent. Plus, the food is tasty, albeit nothing that really differentiates it from other Vietnamese restaurants.

All-in-all, I think it comes down to convenience and preference. If I’m looking for somewhere stylish to eat this type of food in the downtown area, XO Bistro + Bar will probably be one of the first places to come to my mind. It’s also an ideal location for anyone popping by Rogers Place for any shows or games as it’s literally minutes away by foot.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Via Cibo

Posted on by

1

Pizza and pasta are a couple of the options to be found on Via Cibo’s menu.

Okay, so Via Cibo is a little ways out of Edmonton, but it’s close enough considering that it’s located right on Baseline Road in Sherwood Park. My visit here was thanks to another deal snapped up through Groupon. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I knew that it was a franchise in the vein of Italian street food.

When my boyfriend and I arrived at the restaurant early on a Saturday night, it was fairly quiet. I noticed that the only other diners happened to be a celebratory wedding party. They were sitting at the long communal table in the center of the space and their stay was winding down. The staff attempted to busy themselves around the open kitchen. Yet, as soon as one of them saw us walk in, she greeted us and asked if we knew the process for ordering.

Being our first time to Via Cibo, I found out that the model is similar to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (our local success story). The idea is pretty much the same: check the menu, order and pay at the till and then the food will be brought out when it’s ready.

Via Cibo’s site says that the shops pride themselves on using local ingredients and making all items from scratch. Although I can’t actually speak to that information as a certainty, I could see that the kitchen was stocked with the small appliances needed for making things like fresh pasta. Therefore, I’m inclined to believe that at least one of those facts is true.

Since it wasn’t busy, we actually took the time to settle into our seats and peruse the menu. Ultimately, my boyfriend opted for the Carbonara Pasta ($13) with extra Grilled Chicken ($5) and I decided on the Via Casalinga Pizza ($15).

Preparation of the food was extremely quick as the plates were probably served to us within ten minutes of us placing our order.

Carbonara Pasta with Grilled Chicken

A bun came with the pasta even though the starch was unnecessary and the Carbonara dish itself consisted of pancetta, fresh egg, Grana Padano cheese, fresh parsley as well as plenty of added grilled chicken. What I didn’t like was that the sauce wasn’t all that creamy and the texture felt as though the sauce had curdled a bit due to overcooking of the egg; it was slightly chunky instead of being smooth. Otherwise, I thought that the flavours were there.

Via Casalinga Pizza

Of the items we tried, the pizza ended up being the better of the two. While I do think that the toppings could have been spread out across the dough more evenly, the Via Casalinga Pizza is a great value. With two types of meat ─ handmade Italian sausage and Casalinga salami ─ and fior di latte and ricotta cheeses, there’s no need to tamper with the recipe. It was savoury with a slight amount of heat and the crust was easy to fold and bite into. I only managed to eat half of the pizza and the rest was packed to go.

If Via Cibo was closer to my neighbourhood, it would probably be a good alternative to our usual eat-in or take-out options. The prices are pretty fair for the portions received. It’s just not a place that is practical for us to frequent more often though. But, it’s certainly somewhere to keep in mind should I ever find myself in need of a speedy fast-casual meal in and around Sherwood Park.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: The Needle Vinyl Tavern (Closed)

Posted on by

1

The open bar and stage at The Needle Vinyl Tavern.

Since The Needle Vinyl Tavern opened about a year and a half ago, I’ve frequented the place a few times. It’s located right on Jasper Avenue and 105 Street. When the business was first announced, it was a welcome addition to the city as it wasn’t simply another bar, but a small live music venue as well. On the cusp of the loss of several others like it in the span of a year or two, Edmontonians were happy to know there was something coming in to fill that void.

The wall opens up to allow for an expanded patio space.

Although I haven’t gone to any of the shows (they do have some great artists coming through), I have been for food and drinks. The first time was last summer when my friends and I decided to walk a few blocks from the office for our lunch break. It was a beautifully sunny day and we managed to snag a table out on the extended sidewalk patio, one of the few spaces like it in the downtown core. Personally, I think it’s a great spot to catch some rays and grab a bite. The only thing is I prefer sitting a little further in from where the pedestrians are constantly passing by.

The original vinyl drink menu is no longer used, but was a great touch.

On that occasion, I was really impressed with the details that went into The Needle. The overall menu had a decent mix of options and the dishes were promising. What we ate tasted good and the service was prompt. I especially loved that, to go with the theme, they had their list of drinks printed on actual vinyl discs. It was a fun feature. However, over time, those intricacies have disappeared and been replaced with what I would say are watered down versions of their previous offerings.

The last time I visited, my friend and I popped in for lunch. Instead of sitting out on the patio, we ate at a booth inside. While I enjoyed getting to view the bar and the stage, I found the service to be extremely slow even though there were a lot of staff on hand (chatting to each other) and not many people dining in.

Eventually, a server came over to take our order. I opted to make a meal of two of the appetizers: Mac N’ Cheese Bites ($9) and Cauliflower 78 ($13). My friend chose the Taco Supremo House Pizza ($17).

Taco Supremo House Pizza

I have to say that the slice of taco pizza was the best thing out of the trio. Yet, I don’t think that’s saying much. Sure, the flavours were okay, but I felt that the crust was bland and lacked in texture. I also disliked the fact that it was difficult to see past all of the lettuce and tomato that topped the pizza. It was like the kitchen was trying to hide what was underneath. The red sauce was basic and there was not enough beef.

The Mac N’ Cheese Bites with Ketchup

Still, the pizza was better than both of my starters. The Mac N’ Cheese Bites were passable. The thing is, it seemed as though they literally took a box of Kraft Dinner and made the pasta into nugget shapes before breading and frying them. The ten greasy pieces were served with a side of ketchup for dipping. They may have added some extra cheese as the interior of the bites were creamier than I expected. Regardless, the execution was poor. If you’re going to serve something like this, take a page from the many other restaurants that serve similar items. Jazz it up with a ketchup that’s made in-house or incorporate some spice or seasoning.

Cauliflower 78 with Sweet & Spicy Dip

The worst of the bunch was definitely the Cauliflower 78. These tiny florets were over-breaded (somehow not that crispy) and the portion was way too small for the price. They came in a bowl the size of a cup of soup. The side of sweet chili dip was probably store bought as well. This was absolutely nothing special and such a disappointment.

My takeaway from the whole experience is that The Needle Vinyl Tavern is mainly there for the music and maybe the drinks (my co-worker said the selection of beer is lacking). I’ve been told the brunch menu is a winner, but I have yet to try it. In the meantime, I believe that food is no longer their forte. They have the potential to make it a strong suit because I saw it in the beginning. I just think that they’ve veered off of that path for the time being. Hopefully they can get back on track eventually.

The bar is a cool feature of the venue and it’s pretty spacious to fit a standing crowd during shows.