Tag Archives: OpenTable

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Haweli Indian Kitchen & Bar (South Common)

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Butter Chicken

When the Hudsons at South Common closed less than a year ago, I was incredibly surprised by the news. Shortly after, I was maybe even more surprised to find out that Haweli Indian Kitchen & Bar was taking it’s place. It would be an Indian restaurant with a pub twist (and Indo-Chinese fusion).

The main space of the restaurant houses the large bar.

Before a recent appointment for my bridesmaids at David’s Bridal, my mom and I popped by Haweli for dinner (reservations can be made through OpenTable). The space still retains that pub feel with a large central bar and dozens of taps. But, overall, they’ve done a great job of transforming the venue into something that is large enough to accommodate groups of all sizes while still retaining a more intimate feel. The woods are dark, the colours are warm and there are hints of South Asian design peppered throughout.

Haweli South Common’s current Happy Hour specials.
Wing Wednesday deals

We lucked out by arriving before the end of happy hour (available daily from 3pm to 6pm). Plus, it was Wing Wednesday, so we got to take full advantage of all of their deals. NOTE: When they say it’s $0.39 per wing, that’s not actually true. Both of the orders we got only totaled eight wings each, but they charged us $3.90 per basket. It’s still a decent price, but just note that they prepare it based on weight versus actual numbers.

Lemon Pepper wings with veggies and dip
Tandoori wings

Speaking of the wings, we sampled the Tandoori and Lemon Pepper flavours. The former were great, but much stickier on the hands as they were a little saucy. It also meant they didn’t have much crispness to them. The taste and texture was very similar to actual Tandoori chicken, so it’s a much cheaper alternative to getting the main dish. As for the latter dry rubbed wings, I loved them. These were battered and crisp on the outside with the perfect amount of citrus to balance out the spice.

Moscow Mule

To drink, I opted to grab a Moscow Mule (regularly $9, on special for $6). This was presented in an actual copper mug, which I appreciated. It kept my beverage chilled the entire time we were there. The ginger beer used had a strong ginger flavour to it, perfect since I enjoy the spiciness in this particular type of cocktail.

Crispy Cauliflower

Continuing with the food, we also opted to try their Crispy Cauliflower (usually $11.50, but $7 during Happy Hour). The portion size was much larger than I expected it would be. These were also quite saucy with the battered and fried florets doused in an ample amount of a sweet and sour plum-style glaze. For the most part, these were quite good. I just recommend that you eat the dish when freshly made as the outer shell becomes too soggy when it sits for long.

Coconut Shrimp come 7 to a plate
Coconut Shrimp

Next up was the Coconut Shrimp (normally $15, available for $10). These were a little reminiscent of the kind I could buy frozen in a box from the grocery store. Still, I’m not particularly picky and they were more than decent. The prawns had a tender consistency making for a delicate chew. I also thought that there was enough coconut to bring sweetness to each bite. At the lower price during Happy Hour, it seemed worth it.

Butter Chicken with Naan Bread

No doubt though, the best item we had was the Butter Chicken with Naan (listed as $23.50 normally and $16 on special). I don’t necessarily believe that it’s the most traditional butter chicken in town; it’s probably made to appeal more to the North American masses. However, I loved the super creamy and thick tomato-based sauce with it’s light heat. Some pieces of the chicken were a bit overcooked. Otherwise, the thigh meat was relatively tender and completely soaked in the flavours. The sauce was plentiful, too, making for the perfect pairing to the delectable slices of naan bread.

Another room to the side provides additional seating in a more South Asian styled space.

The ambiance in the restaurant was pleasant as it was quiet enough to allow for conversation. I just found the service to be alright though. Everyone was friendly enough, but it did take some waves and “excuse mes” to get the attention of the staff at times. When it came to the food, our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs during this meal. At least a third of the food was packed to go (Kirk was the happy beneficiary). It’s not to say that anything really missed the mark because it didn’t. We were pleased with the quality of what we ate and the price was right. I’ll definitely be back to Haweli Indian Kitchen & Bar in South Common as this location is a welcome change of pace from the typical chain options in the area.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse

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Pampa downtown Edmonton interior

For years, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse sat on 99 Avenue and 109 Street as the lone location in Edmonton. However, more recently, they’ve grown to include two more spots in the city, one in Ellerslie and another in the west end. Although the premise of rodÍzio (unlimited meat carved at the table) always intrigued me, the price didn’t necessarily encourage me to go.

As my friends had mentioned before, it’s a great experience, but the cost — $52.99 per person for dinner — simply covered the main meal and buffet. Anything such as drinks and/or desserts (if you even have room left) were an addition, quickly racking up the bill. Therefore, it remained on my list of places to try, but it was never a priority.

Then, last year, a different restaurant with the same idea decided to open up along Saskatchewan Drive. A number of other local foodies were popping into Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse to test run it, and I opted to check it out, too. Personally, I loved Fumaca’s meats (their buffet could use some improvement), and ever since then, I’d been wanting to get to Pampa to compare the two.

Downtown Dining Week menu

I strategically waited until Downtown Dining Week rolled around before booking an OpenTable reservation for our visit. The $45 menu on offer during that event was slightly smaller. It included the hot and cold buffet (over fifty items) as well as ten different meat skewers versus the usual fourteen at regular price. Was it enough of a difference to my wallet to skimp out on those four more meats? Probably not. On the other hand, I made a point of trying all ten cuts that were available to me, and I can safely say that I don’t think I could have eaten any more than what I did (not counting the dessert I tacked on at the end).

My plate of items from the hot and cold salad bar

To recap the overall meal, I’ll start with the buffet. It’s a pretty extensive spread ranging from pickles and veggies to hummus and cheese to potatoes and salads (greens and pastas) to soups and stews. It certainly seemed fresher than the one at Fumaca with more variety and larger portions set out. While I chose not to sample the soups, they did look deliciously creamy. Ultimately, I stuck with some of the house-made hummus (I’ve had better from a store bought container), sliced radishes, raddichio salad (kind of bitter and oddly textured), Brazilian cheese bread (too hard as if it’d sat out too long under heat), beef penne salad, marinated baby potatoes, Caesar salad, and a warm creamy chicken pasta to accompany my onslaught of meats.

Once we were back at our table, we left our cards flipped to the green side to signify that we were ready for the skewers to come; flip them to the red side to let the servers know you need a break.

Marinated Chicken Drumstick

First up was the marinated chicken drumstick. I found this to be simply seasoned and smoky with a very crisp exterior while still maintaining some moisture underneath the skin. Not my favourite, but tasty enough.

Pampa Pork Sausage

Next was the Pampa pork sausage. I have not learned to love cilantro (it has that soapy flavour) and I found that the herbaceousness of it came through too much for me. This sausage was also dry and I didn’t enjoy the full pieces of peppercorn that dotted the pork.

Beef Top Sirloin

I asked for a more medium-cooked slice of the beef top sirloin. Definitely a bit more fatty than some of the other cuts of beef, but this was tender, juicy and nicely crusted at the edges.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thigh

The bacon-wrapped chicken thigh is likely the hottest piece of meat that we were served (everything else was lukewarm). This was probably due to bacon grease being trapped between the pork and the chicken. No question, it was a little oily, but the chicken was quite succulent underneath the bacon.

Parmesan Pork Loin

One of my top choices, more for the flavour than the texture (slightly tough), was the Parmesan pork loin. The meat had a hint of lemon to it and it was heavily rubbed with dry Parmesan cheese crumbs. Honestly, this was a genius combo.

Rosemary-Marinated Pork Shoulder

Before trying the rosemary-marinated pork shoulder, I wasn’t sure that I would like it. Pork shoulder isn’t a cut of the pig that I often have and I was concerned about the preparation of it. Turns out that it was the closest thing to pork belly (go figure) that I’d get to eat on that night. Sure, it didn’t have the same fattiness of pork belly, but the extremely crispy skin held all of the juices in and reminded me of the pork belly I’d had at Fumaca.

Beef Garlic Steak

Can you ever have too much garlic? It’s a preference thing, I suppose. In the case of their beef garlic steak, I’d say that it’s a big maybe. Initially, I loved the abundance of garlic crusting the piece I was carved. Yet, it eventually became way too salty on my palate.

Chimichurri-Basted Beef Striploin

The only meat that wasn’t served from a skewer was the chimichurri-basted beef striploin. It was one of the last meats that I was presented with, so I asked for a smaller piece to make sure that I’d be able to finish it. If there was cilantro in the sauce (it’s a typical ingredient in many chimichurris), the flavour was thankfully masked; nevertheless, it was too greasy and salty despite the use of a tender steak as the base.

New Zealand Leg of Lamb

To change things up, they also offer a New Zealand leg of lamb. Much leaner than the other meats, it provided a decent chew and a lovely outer crust without the gamey flavour that many dislike about lamb (I don’t actually mind it myself).

Beef Rumpsteak

Last, but not least, was the beef rumpsteak. The slice I received was just a tad dry (shredding apart in the mouth) even though it looked to be cooked perfectly and had a nice colouring to it. It was also very minimally seasoned, making it kind of bland.

Feature Dessert: Coconut Custard with Mango
Boiled mango topped the coconut custard
A yellow gooseberry and a meringue added for decoration

As a final bow on the evening, I went for their feature dessert. It was a coconut custard with boiled mango on top. The preparation of the fruit was interesting. It turned the mango into something like a chewy jelly, and the custard actually had flakes of coconut in it. Not the worst, but also off-putting since custards should really be creamy and smooth. This was unexpected.

All in, our meal came to $114 after tax and tip was accounted for. Aside from the one dessert, we refrained from extras like beverages, which made it more reasonable for two people. Nonetheless, with each small glimmer of greatness in the food, there were also many things that I found to be lackluster. I’m not likely to go back to Pampa anytime soon; however, if anyone is a fan of meat, meat, and more meat at a single sitting, then this is the place for you.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Japonais Bistro Omakase Thursday Dinner

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Seared Scallops

Around the beginning of December, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I came across a post from Japonais Bistro. It was advertising their new Omakase (a Japanese phrase that means “I’ll leave it up to you.”) Thursday Dinner for twenty per cent off with a code to be requested either by direct message or email.

I immediately jumped on the opportunity and, within the day, I had gotten a reply. They provided a code and a copy of the set menus for me to review. There are two options for the dinner. The first is an $80 six-course meal. The second is a $100 seven-course supper that includes an extra Amaebi (sweet shrimp) Sunomono salad and a different steak dish.

I made arrangements with my friend for a double date night in January. Between the choices, the less expensive made the most sense for us. It seemed like more than enough food and, after the discount, it would only be $64 per person, which is reasonable for the number of courses.

Japonais Bistro indicated that there would only be limited omakase spots available every Thursday, so it was recommended to book in advance. I arranged for our evening about six weeks ahead. While that kind of time frame may not be necessary, we were planning around my friend’s birthday. Still, call to reserve because even though they said Thursday is a weekday and it’s slower, the place — located at 11806 Jasper Avenue — was packed when we arrived at 7:45pm. Plus, they will need at least 48 hours notice, if you plan to dine with them for omakase.

Additionally, although the menu is preset and mentions that there are no substitutions, I was told that we could let them know of food allergies upon booking. My friend cannot eat shellfish or avocado, so I made them aware. When we had settled in, the staff already knew about the note and the kitchen arranged to have her scallop course replaced with cod. They were very thorough in ensuring that she would be okay.

Kamo Duck Salad

Beverages were an extra cost. Kirk and I opted to stick to water, but the others grabbed some beers to pair with their meals. Dinner started off with a Kamo Duck Salad. Rather than persimmon and plum, the former was replaced with blackberries. The sweetness of the fruit perfectly balanced with the savoury slices of duck. Atop all of the meat and fruit was a large helping of shungiku greens — these are the stems/leaves of the crown daisy — with mustard and miso-dashi dressing. Sort of prickly and crunchy in texture, the slight bitter taste was reduced by the umami flavour of the accompanying sauce. A very nice and light introduction to our culinary journey.

Seared Scallops
Cod replaced scallops for my friend’s allergy.

We received the Seared Scallops next. They were, admittedly, smaller than I expected. Nevertheless, the trio of mollusks were perfectly cooked and wonderfully seared. The meat was tender and could be cut apart with just a fork. These were laid upon a painterly streak of celeriac puree decorated with basil pesto, quinoa and micro greens. Around the rest of the plate were dustings of powdered sesame (excellent when eaten with the scallops). Unique in presentation and taste, it was probably one of my favourite items all night. Thankfully, we were given spoons with this dish so we could scoop up every morsel. My friend’s cod was pretty much served in the same way, just with a cut of cod instead of the scallops. It looked just as appetizing, although I’m glad I didn’t have to carefully pick out fish bones myself.

Chef Choice Fresh Fish Sushi

Following that, we were presented with the first of two sushi plates. This was the Chef Choice Fresh Fish. It came with five pieces, including eel, snapper, yellowtail, bluefin, and amberjack. The eel was quite good in terms of taste and texture. It did have some bones though, so I pricked my lip when bringing the piece to my mouth. I managed to pull out any larger bones and then just ate the rest in a single mouthful. I can usually take or leave snapper as I find it to be too chewy. This one wasn’t bad, but it’s still not something I’d order on my own. The same can be said of this particular amberjack. The yellowtail was a bit smoother and easier to eat. The best, hands down, was the beautiful jewel toned bluefin. I could have devoured a whole plate of that. Each piece of sushi did have a dollop of wasabi placed between the fish and the rice already. It’s the traditional way of serving sushi and I found it manageable, but that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Bavette Steak

I suppose the Bavette Steak can be considered the entrée. This was a six ounce cut of sous vide flank steak rested on potato puree and surrounded by a pool of teriyaki demi-glace with dots of black garlic sauce. Even though we were offered utensils, we all insisted we could get away with eating everything using just our chopsticks. In the end, I managed to do it. However, I looked like a child playing with my food as I used the slices of steak to scoop up the creamy potatoes and sauce. Although there was a bit of tendon running through my meat (making it a little harder to bite off pieces at times), the steak was, overall, succulent and I loved how the exterior was crusted and seared. It held in all of the flavour despite being served to us already cut apart.

Chef Choice Aburi Sushi
Seared Osaka-style pressed sushi

The Chef Choice Aburi Sushi was definitely where it was at. Give me all of it! Honestly, I was busier taking photos as soon they dropped my plate in front of me and I didn’t listen to what each fish was. However, a few pieces looked to be some sort of torched salmon. Two of them were the Osaka-style pressed sushi. One had a slice of jalapeno and the other had a miso dressing. The three pieces on the other half of the dish were presented more normally, yet with a twist. One was simply seared (unknown fish), the salmon sandwiched in the middle came with silvers of daikon, and the fish in the center of the plate was citrusy with the use of grated yuzu. All of them were excellent examples of the technique utilized by sushi chefs. It doesn’t take a lot to alter what is familiar, but it needs to be done the right way. At Japonais Bistro they know what they’re doing.

Roasted Rice Panna Cotta (Green Tea?)

Completing our meal was the Green Tea and Roasted Rice Panna Cotta. Not totally sure, but they may have changed the flavour of the panna cotta because it wasn’t green and it didn’t have that distinct full-bodied bittersweet taste. I found the amaretto syrup to be quite strong, but it was quickly eaten in the initial bites and after that, I didn’t have enough for the rest. The consistency was also more firm than I prefer and reminded me of a dense tofu. It was alright, but it certainly didn’t live up to their Matcha Crème Brûlée dessert as, quite frankly, nothing else there ever will.

If this post has convinced you to check out Omakase Thursday Dinner at Japonais Bistro, please note that it is required to have a minimum of two orders for the kitchen to even serve this. It won’t be available to a single diner, so definitely gather up a family member, friend or co-worker to go. They’ll be running this menu until the end of February, so there are six more chances to take advantage of this promo. Don’t forget to reach out to them by email or direct message on Instagram for your discount code. For the service as well as the price, amount, and quality of the food, it’s certainly worth it.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse

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Unlimited meats, salad bar and brunch items!

Step aside Pampa, there’s a new steakhouse in town! In all honestly, I’ve never actually tried Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse myself. I’ve always been weary of the prices ($51.99 per person for dinner and $33.99 for brunch), unsure if it’d be worth the money considering I can’t really eat all that much meat in one sitting. But, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed earlier this summer and I noticed quite a few posts about a similar restaurant called Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse.

The spacious interior of Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse.

This new business is located on the ground floor of the Water’s Edge building at 10143 Saskatchewan Drive. On a nice summer day, it’d be quite enjoyable to sit out on the patio with views of the bridges and the city skyline. During our visit though, it was starting to turn chilly and the winds were high, so indoors we went. It’d been years since I’d set foot into that space (it previously housed New Asian Village). From what I can recall, it used to be a lot more cramped. Now, it’s very open and spacious with a more modern design that utilizes bold colours on the walls and art.

Green = More / Red = Pause

We did have an OpenTable reservation. However, I will note that it wasn’t particularly busy when we arrived. They offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Timing it so that we could eat before a Fringe Festival show, we decided to dine at 1:00pm. Perhaps showing up later meant it had already quieted down. Therefore, we were quickly seated and given instructions on how the meal works — the buffet is available at any time, but the meats are brought out from the kitchen throughout; if you want the churrasco (Brazilian barbecue), flip the circular card to green and if you need a break, flip it to red.

Brunch at Fumaca is $25.99 and includes French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash browns as well as a salad bar and an unlimited amount of seven select cuts of meat (at dinner there are 15 varieties, hence the increased cost of $44.99). We started our meal by perusing the buffet. I stacked my plate with the aforementioned French toast and pancakes, dressing those with a berry compote. I also scooped up some hash browns and mashed potatoes on the side. From their salad bar, I chose some red beets, marinated mushrooms, a curry pasta, and the pièce de résistance, full bulbs of roasted garlic.

My initial plate of pancakes, French toast, hash browns, mashed potatoes and veggies.

The latter of my collection from the salad bar was perfect to accompany most bites of meat that I sampled. I mean, garlic works with everything. As for the rest of my choices, they were all tasty and well-seasoned. Nothing was overly salty or inedible. Although, I did feel like the salad bar was a tad scant. There were plenty of dressings and oils laid out to go with bowls of mixed greens and some additional veggies, fruits and toppings, but not much else. If someone opted to pay just for the brunch salad bar on its own ($19.99), I’m not sure that it’d be all that filling.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pancakes and the French toast though. It’s very easy for those to be ill prepared as part of a buffet. When items like those are left out for too long, they can either become hard or soggy. These stood the test with the pancakes remaining rather fluffy and the French toast holding a crispness on the outside.

Signature Beef Rumpsteak carved table side.
Beef Garlic Steak

Then came the meat. Our introduction to their rodizio was through their signature Beef Rumpsteak. Carved right at the table, it was that perfect medium rare pink. The meat was juicy and not overpowered by seasoning. Simply dressed with only a little bit of sea salt, the steak itself was left to be the star of the show. The second was a Beef Garlic Steak; a smaller cut of meat that was succulent and had an extra hint of flavour. The third beef steak we ate was the Top Sirloin. It was a tougher cut since it was leaner than the other two. Flavourful, but, comparatively, the chewier texture wasn’t ideal. Admittedly, we thought the staff were kind of skimping with the slices, but once you’ve eaten several kinds of meat, it’s eventually more than enough.

The Chicken Drumsticks were nicely charred to get that grilled taste. They were also plump. I could have done without those though. I’d much rather something outside the norm of what I might make at home. That’s where the Leg of Lamb comes in. Not too gamey at all and super tender, this was a total treat to be able to have lamb included as part of a limitless brunch.

Crispy Pork Belly with what remained of my Pork Sausage.

When I first told Kirk that there wouldn’t be any regular sausage or bacon, he seemed quite disappointed. Then I mentioned that they serve barbecued Pork Sausage and Crispy Pork Belly instead and his spirits brightened. After all, those are just elevated versions of the usual brunch fare. Initially, we couldn’t put our finger on the herb used in the sausage, and we ended up asking one of the servers. To our amazement, it was cilantro. That is pretty much my taste bud nemesis. Yet, somehow, they managed to make cilantro edible for me. I’m not sure what black magic they’re using in the kitchen, but it worked and the sausage ended up being one of my top picks.

Still, my absolute favourite was the crispy pork belly. These were thick cut portions of pork belly that were seared beautifully on the edges. I did have to remove a little excess fat that had not rendered away during the cooking process, but the acidity from the spritz of lime helped to cut through that as well. The second portion of pork belly was even better. It seriously made the meal.

Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse seems to have a solid foundation in the kitchen. They’re the only other business of this kind in Edmonton giving the long reigning Pampa a run for its money. The service we received was great, too. I just hope that they get some more people through their doors, and perhaps they can expand their salad bar a bit. Nevertheless, for any meat lover with a hefty appetite, this should be one of their go to places to fuel up on the weekend.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Riverbank Bistro (St. Albert)

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Dessert in the form of Key Lime Pie!

After a day out at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August, Kirk and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner out. Instead of sticking around the busy area of Old Strathcona, we made the trek over to Riverbank Bistro in St. Albert. I’d read recent praise about the restaurant, which opened up inside the Victorian-Style house situated on Mission Avenue last fall, and I wanted to try it.

The Victorian-style exterior of the building.
The foyer has a door to the right that leads into the Riverbank Bistro lounge.

We showed up for our OpenTable reservation early (at about a quarter to 5:00pm), so I snapped some photos of the building and the interior of the house before we went inside. Interesting to note is that Riverbank Bistro also has a lounge serving a very different bites menu; however, it’s completely cutoff from the restaurant. The lounge actually has a different door on the right hand side of the foyer, accessible when you enter the building. The door to the left takes you into the main dining room.

The dining room is through a door on the left.

Upon our arrival we were greeted immediately. Although we could have requested to sit outside on the patio that overlooks the Sturgeon River, we ended up seated at a table for two inside. Personally, I believe we made the right choice seeing as how a couple that had originally opted to dine outside ended up shifting indoors. It sounded like the bugs were invading.

Prior to our visit, I had perused the Riverbank Bistro menu online. The list of classic items had an elevated air to them, and I was excited to sink my teeth into their offerings. What I didn’t realize was that on Sundays, the only menu they have available is their Sunday Feature Menu. It’s a two-course dinner that includes a starter and an entrée for $28.95 per person. While I’m all for the price, I was a tad disappointed that it was our only option. The menu provides four appetizers and three mains to choose from. My singular hope was that the chef had selected the best from their menu to showcase every Sunday.

If anything, the lack of choice made our decisions that much faster. Kirk decided on the Caesar Salad (normally $14) and the Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib (not on the usual menu). I ordered the R.B.B. Soup Creation (regularly $8) and the Pan Seared Salmon Fillet ($27 on its own). I also began my meal with a Mission Ave Mule ($13).

Caesar Salad

For the Caesar Salad, the kitchen refrained from chopping the romaine hearts. Instead, they cut them lengthwise, laying them open and then piling on the dressing, focaccia croutons, shaved Asiago, crispy capers, and grape tomatoes. To finish things off, it was topped with a grilled lemon slice. The juices from that created a charred acidity. I appreciated that the appropriate amount of dressing was used. More often than not, salads either have too much or too little dressing. In the case of Riverbank Bistro it was just right for me. Plus, the ample cheese helped. What kind of gave the Caesar salad a twist was the addition of those grape tomatoes, bringing a pop of tang and sweet here and there.

Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib

The Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib was decent. The meat looked to be cooked to a proper medium or medium rare. Yet, I found it to be a bit dry in spots. The rosemary jus was flavourful though, and the smashed potatoes were buttery. I kind of wish there had been more potato. Although, I suppose with a side of Yorkshire pudding, there was already enough starch to go around. Speaking of the Yorkshire pudding, Kirk called it his dessert. Most days he prefers salt to sugar, and I have to agree that Riverbank Bistro’s version is good. It had a crisp outer shell and a fluffy interior with a slight chew, ideal for soaking up leftover gravy. The roasted carrots and turnips were prepared nicely as well.

R.B.B. Soup Creation

The R.B.B. Soup Creation changes all the time, but boy did I luck out that weekend! The chef had made a creamy potato Asiago soup with caramelized onion and bacon. In my opinion, when it comes to soups, I can take or leave a broth. I’m all about an amazing cream soup, and this one was luxurious, to say the least. It was surprisingly smooth. Whatever they did to puree the potatoes, they were undetectable in terms of texture. It was warm, thick and creamy all the way down to the last drop. The flavours of the cheese, onions and bacon melded together perfectly. I’d go back to Riverbank Bistro simply for this.

Pan Seared Salmon Fillet

My main of Pan Seared Salmon Fillet was passable. I will give them props for the fish itself. The cut was large and it was pan seared so that none of the moisture was lost. The fish was succulent and flaky without falling apart too easily. I’m not entirely certain as to how it was seasoned. If I had to guess, I think it was simple salt and pepper with some maple syrup as it looked lightly caramelized on the top. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was the base of the dish, which consisted of an herbed spaetzle along with a bacon and corn succotash. I found the dill heavy handed and the overall taste saltier than I would like. While bites of the noodles seemed to help tone down the brininess, it was still a lot for my palate to take.

Mission Ave Mule

What really assisted with washing away the salt was my Mission Ave Mule. It’s a typical mule cocktail mix with vodka, lime, and ginger. Riverbank Bistro took it up a notch by adding in blueberry. I could clearly taste the fruit in the beverage with every sip, but they also decorate the top of the drink with frozen blueberries as an extra touch. My only wish is that for $13 it came in a bigger cup. I really had to savour that drink slowly.

Key Lime Pie

To cap off our dinner, we decided to share the Key Lime Pie ($10) for dessert. This was plated beautifully on a large white backdrop with colourful dollops of puree and pieces of fruit. It was creative and playful. The pie was delicious with a filling that leaned towards creamy instead of spongy. It was smooth and had a pleasant zestiness. The crust was also different from a basic pie since they incorporated coconut into it giving it a toasty flavour that married well with the key lime.

Despite the initial revelation that their regular menu was not available on Sunday, it turned out to be a pretty good meal. It gave the two of us an idea of the potential that lies in Riverbank Bistro. With the mains, maybe they just had more of an off night since I do believe that improvements are needed. But, wow, did they do a great job with things like their appetizers and dessert. I also think that the service was excellent (aside from one forgetful moment where we were brought our bill prior to our dessert coming out). We’re definitely willing to give Riverbank Bistro another shot as long as we visit on a Tuesday to Saturday instead.