Corso 32 - Divine Italian (Number 30 of Edmonton 30 in 30)

The hallmark of a top restaurant is when their appeal moves outside of their home market and into the collective consciousness of the global food community. For many years now a collection of top Edmonton restaurants always seemed to include a small Italian shop on Jasper Avenue; a small shop that served upscale and progressive Italian cuisine; a small shop that, lovingly, became notoriously difficult to procure a reservation; a small shop by the name of Corso 32. You can imagine my shock when a chef in Winnipeg, upon realizing I came from Edmonton, demanded if I had ever eaten at Corso and who, after finding out I had, raved for seemingly an hour about the incredible food here. International gravitas indeed.

On the corner of 103rd and Jasper Avenue, Corso 32 is an easy gem to miss. Located on the bottom floor of a two story building, there is nary any signage that welcomes one to the restaurant. Instead the large red painted letters on the outside window serve as the only advertisement of the restaurant. A different story unwinds, however, when you step inside and are greeted by the handsome oak wooden tables, dim and romantic lighting and the welcoming staff that beckon you towards your table. The menu is simple, small but forceful. As you read, the richness and weight of each dish can be felt with each description weaving a tapestry of excitement in your taste buds. The chefs take a combination of exotic luxurious ingredients and local farm raised produce with Italian techniques to create a decadent menu that is both extravagant and functional.

Our table had a collective gasp when we dove into the Egg Yolk Gnudo and saw the gorgeous yellow yolk seemingly out of the pasta. The gnudo had a surprisingly delicate flavour with creaminess of the egg yolk working well with the saltiness of the ricotta. The base of baby swiss chard elevated the dish by adding freshness, colour and a slight bitterness that rounded out this excellent appetizer.

The initial bite of the Speck had a surprisingly sharp flavour from freshly shaved horseradish and while strong, it helped to elevate the smoky fatty aroma of the cured pork. Balance is further achieved by the sweet and crisp pink lady apple slices. While the first nibble was sharp, we became tolerant of the horseradish in each subsequent bite and quickly appreciated the balance of flavours here.

Our favourite pasta was the Cavetelli with pork and funnel sausage finished with salty Pecorino cheese. Each loving bite of tender pasta had the perfect mixture of aromatic tomato-ey sauce, fatty sausage and salty cheese. My favourite component though was the addition of Broccoli Rabe as they provided a delightful crunch of bitterness that contrasted the other flavours well.

Special of the day was an Agnolotti Cacio Pepe. A simple filled pasta with beef and vegetables, it is finished with salt, pepper and a black truffle pecorino moliterno. The aroma of the truffle was paramount and while it was a strong aromatic presence it did not overpower the flavour of the dish. Actually it was the interplay between salty cheese and grainy black pepper that stood out in this dish.

One of our dining companions went with the Cornish Game Hen "Al Mattone". The hen was extroadinarily tender with a crisp sweet and slightly bitter exterior encapsulating tender sweet flesh on the inside. The key here was the sauce, a brown butter and sage jus that worked well with the squash and apple panzanella to compliment the intentionally muted flavours of the chicken.

Our only disappointment of the day was the  Garganelli. The al dente pasta was tossed in a traditional Ragu and finished with fresh Parmigiano ... and that's it. Well I appreciated the depth of the tomato flavour in the ragu and the sharpness of the cheese, this overall felt muted and underscored by the rest of our dishes.

This divine Vanilla Panna Cotta features the silky smooth custard on a bed of pistachios and grappa, a grape based liquor. The combination of smooth egg-y custard works well with the fruity liquor but it is the interplay of textures between the panna cotta and crisp pistachios that elevate this dish to greatness. Delicious!

Similarly the Gelato Affogato was divine. Finished with a herbal Amaro liquor, each bite had a nice mixture of smooth cool cream with sharp bitter liquor and coffee flavour. A small dish but packing tons of flavour.

This Chocolate Torta is featured in Avenue Magazine as the best dessert of 2015. The cake has a dense and rich chocolate aroma and flavour that is counteracted by the salty, crispy and bitter hazelnuts. The hazelnuts, slightly toasted, are a genius addition as it provides an excellent balance to the luxurious velvety chocolate.

Definitely saving the best for last, Corso 32 is deserving of every accolade it has been afforded to date. Stylized and progressive, this is Italian cuisine at its best and Edmontononians should be proud to have such an luxurious and impressive restaurant in their backdoor. Corso 32 takes the best of Italian techniques and transforms humble local ingredients into works of art; and it is truly this process that makes this restaurant one of the best I have ever dined at in the world.

And so I finish up my thirty Edmonton blog posts in thirty days. I would be remiss if I did not comment also on my wonderful friends and family that have dined and supported me through this process and who have shaped and transformed who I am. I am exceedingly impressed by the variety and quality of Edmonton's food scene and cannot wait to return to see what new restaurants and flavours have arisen.

Tao Garden - Noodles A Plenty (Edmonton 30 in 30)

As we approach the end of my time in Edmonton, I fondly reflect on all the experiences and food adventures I have had, the numerous friends and family I have had the ability to catch up with and the immense fun I had in retrying old beloved restaurants and new world class cuisines. Fitted amongst my favourite restaurants are those hole in the walls with no expectations and which end up igniting your sensations with something new and delicious. Such was my meal at Tao Garden Restaurant.

The spitting definition of the mom and pop hole in the wall, Tao Garden lies square in Chinatown on 107th Avenue and 96th Street. Tucked behind Lucky Supermarket, one has to actively search for this noodle shop. But those efforts are not in vain as the the intrepid explorers will find a cozy noodle shop with minimalistic but tasteful decorations and friendly service staff waiting to fill your stomachs with warm goodness.

The hallmark of their menu is their make your own noodles. You start with a base (each comes with soup, vegetables and tofu skin), add in your choice of noodle and two more luxurious toppings to create your own hot pot style noodle bowl. Despite the seemingly endless number of permutations, each ingredient would be familiar to anyone who has frequented a Chinese Hot Pot restaurant. Along with the noodles, Tao Garden offers a small list of appetizer accompaniments, larger hot pot dishes and baked rice dishes.

Giving their hallmark, I had to go with a noodle soup bowl. The large serving of Little Sheep Broth (extra hot) with Thin Rice Noodle and Sirloin Beef Slices and Jumbo Shrimps was an impressive site to behold. Piping hot (both literally and in flavour), the little sheep broth had a nice rich gamey aroma and flavour that was accentuated well with the addition of chili peppers.

The Thin Rice Noodles proved to be an excellent carrier for the hot and spicy soup as they had enough firmness to soak up the goodness but were thin enough to not overpower the entire dish. Each additional topping was good, with average to large size shrimps and thinly sliced beef that rivals those of good Vietnamese joints. The best part though, was at the end of the meal when all the juices and flavours had coalesced into a soupy lukewarm bowl of sweet, spicy and salty. Delicious.

Never wanting to just try one thing, I also ordered a Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Hot Pot Rice. A great value for the price, diners get a small palate cleansing soup and a bowl of boiled vegetables, bok choy with oyster sauce for me, to start.

The star of course is the hot pot rice where a piping warm metal bowl contains a large portion of tender rice topped with chunks of chicken thigh meat and Shiitake mushroom. Intentionally mild in flavour, customers are able to customize the salt level with the accompanied sweet soy sauce. Truly it is the interplay of tender chicken with meaty mushroom and the sweet and salty soy sauce that makes this dish work. Although I would have preferred a higher meat to rice ratio (there was a TON of rice), the overall dish was hearty and tasty.

Overall Tao Garden is a functional restaurant that offers tasty noodle and hot pot dishes with high flavour, lots of variety and at reasonable prices. While there are a litany of great Chinese restaurants in town there is enough of a hook here, with their make your own soups, to warrant a visit for anyone interested in having a bowl of yummy noodle soup.

Duchess Bake Shop - Incredible Baked Goods (Edmonton 30 in 30)

As I write this post, I am again reminded of how astounding a meal I just had. There are few restaurants that can, colloquially, live up to the often lofty expectations set out by the community and food scene. I have been hearing about the wonder that is The Duchess Bake Shop for many years with my friends and family members raving about the astounding desserts and baked goods available. What initially piqued my interest has become a firestorm of excitement as each positive review, post and conversation about the little bake shop on 124th popped up. Surely I had to see what the fuss was about and so on a Sunday morning I gathered a group of old friends to what would become one of the best meals of my life.

Located on 124th Street and 107th Avenue, the Duchess Bake Shop is an imposing and attractive figure featuring a large banner that is both confident and welcoming. Clearly the community has noticed too, with a large line snacking its way from the door even before opening and the entire bake shop's plentiful seating filled to the brim within minutes of opening.

Like most bakeshops, The Duchess recruits your visual senses and throws them into overdrive with their assortment of baked goods and desserts. Handsomely presented and displayed, the de facto menu consists of a number of classics (like The Duke or The Duchess Cakes), a rotating lineup of macaron cakes, a ever-changing list of seasonal macarons and baked goods. On top of these, the bakeshop also offers lunch and offers a monthly quiche, tartine (open faced sandwich), patard (sandwich) and soup.

Starting off, the Brioche Pepin was divine. Buttery brioche dough envelop a vanilla white chocolate pastry cream to create a perfect contrast of sweet and savoury. The hint of vanilla is the key here as it adds both a complimentary flavour and aroma to the entire dish.

Cheddar Pepper Scone was delightfully flaky and had a nice combination of sharp cheddar and crunchy black pepper. Importantly, the scone was perfectly cooked, flaky but not doughy and became the vehicle onto which the cheese and pepper worked. Make sure to add in a wedge of salty margarine to complete the entire dish.

Wanting to try a bunch of items I split a Meat Tartine with Parsnip Puree Lunch Combination with one of my dining companions. While one expects their baked goods to be excellent, my squeal of delight from the incredible tartine was hard to miss. Slightly tart from the cider marinated chicken, slightly sweet from the sun dried tomato, slightly savoury from the bacon and slightly sour from the grainy dijon mustard all combine to a unison of umami. Not to be outdone, the parsnip puree was also delightful with a slight crunch from the roasted hazelnuts working to contrast the warm and creamy soup.

The Vegetable Quiche was incredibly rich and one of the creamiest versions I have tasted. The custard like interior surprisingly took on a creamy buttery consistency that was contrasted by the slight bitterness of broccoli and sharp saltiness of the cheddar. Luxurious and decadent indeed.

Their Meat (Turkey) Patard was the most standard of the dishes we had with turkey breast and provolone adorning the interiors of the crusty bread. In truth, the bread, akin to a baguette, is the key to the dish with its crispy exterior but pillow soft interiors that magnificently holds all the ingredients inside. Compared to the previous dishes this patard, although solidly tasty, lacked any exciting or extra-ordinary factor.

In my research of this dish, I learnt that the Paris-Brest hails from the 1890s. The two layers of pastry house an praline (a sugar candy from nut) mousseline (a variant of Hollandaise made with whipped cream) and finished with candied hazelnuts. The chefs do a wonderful job in making a smooth mousseline while still keeping the flavour and slight texture of the candied nuts, which in turns works well to contrast the slight crisp pastry halves.

Sour Cream Cherry Pie was tasty but simply average. The pie had a excellent filling featuring whole and reduced cherries to create both a tart and sweet interior. Frankly, we were a bit underwhelmed by the hard and extremely flaky crust that seemed a bit overdone which resulted in us having to bounce between mouthfuls of tasteless crust and savoury cherry.

The Duke Cake is beyond superlative. The cake is dense with an immense but not overwhelming chocolate core with a dark chocolate ganache. The addition of salted caramel was a welcomed one that worked to add a flavour contrast to the sweet and chocolatey core. Beautifully presented, incredibly tasty and splendidly priced, this was an instant crowdpleaser.

The Duchess Bake Shop deserves all the accolades that it has amassed. Serving exceptional desserts and baked goods, Duchess has cemented itself as the de facto champion of Edmonton bakeshops. While normally this would be enough for most bakeries, The Duchess also creates delicious savoury lunch options on top of these dessert choices, adding further to its mythos. The truth is, The Duchess Bake Shop is incredible and no amount of superlatives can accurate describe them. Do yourself a favour and just go.

The Common - Average Gastropub (Edmonton 30 in 30)

The Common has over the years worked itself up in popularity to become one of the more popular gastropubs in Edmonton. Touted for its large selection of beers and a new spin on modern cuisine, customers had been frequenting and raving about the restaurant for many years. Thus it was obvious pick and so a group of us made the trek to Downtown Edmonton on a warm spring afternoon to The Common.

On the corner of 109th street and 99th Avenue, The Common is easily missed for drivers on 109th, a historically busy street connecting Downtown to the River Valley. Not helping matters is their small gray signage that is difficult to spot unless one is directing viewing it. Nevertheless, once you are inside, customers are welcomed to a large gastro-pub adorned with large tasteful decor, handsome wooden tables and attentive wait staff.

The kitchen menu is a simple one pager consisting of a surprisingly wide array of smaller starter plates and larger fare. The premise, as per their chef, is to create a new spin on common classics and is easily apparent in such tantalizing dishes such as Truffle Popcorn or Duck Carpaccio. I like the balance and am impressed by the variety of dishes they have available.

The Tandoori Calamari were surprisingly great. These tender pieces of squid are dusted with a curry flour coating and roasted to perfection. Dipping them into the sweet ginger dip adds a layer of sharp sugary flavour to the crispy curried calamari. Fresh fruit, adding freshness and more sweetness, and olives, imparting saltiness, act as accompaniments to finish off the dish.

Short Rib Poutine sounded excellent in concept but was poorly executed. Unfortunately, The Common paired salty french fries with salty braised short rib with salty cheese curds and salty gravy which all unified to give the dish one sole salty flavour. Pitty too because the braised short rib was actually well executed and exquisitely tender.

A unique dish, Rabbit Carbonara combined fresh pasta with chunks of rabbit meat and bacon in a cream and herb based sauce. In truth, the dish could have been substituted with any dark meat substitute as the subtle rabbit flavour was completely overwhelmed by that of bacon and of heavy cream. On the positive, the pasta was well cooked al dente and paired well with the bacon and cream.

Lamb Popsicles, a playfully named dish, was unfortunately simply average. The lamb chops, while being a nicely prepared medium rare, was devoid of seasoning even when dipped in the currant based sauce adorning each chop. Even more egregious were the deep fried "risotto" balls which were starchy and grainy and lacked any creaminess on would normally find in anything with the word risotto.

Chicken and Waffles was the best of the our three mains. The two pieces of chicken breast were nicely cooked and had a aromatic herbal crust to them. Pairing them with the apple bacon relish adds in fattiness and luxuriousness to each bite of chicken. The waffle was ordinary and acted as a starchy base onto which the flavours of chicken and bacon can dance.

We were more enthused overall by the appetizers at The Common than their mains. Although each protein was cooked well, we were let down by most of the flavour profiles accompanying them. In truth, the inconsistency in the food makes The Common a difficult restaurant to recommend. There are tasty things to be had, but you might need to wade through a few mediocre dishes to find them.

Rostizado - Tremendous Latin American (Edmonton 30 in 30)

Tres Carnales arrived at the moment of Edmonton's stratospheric jump into modern haute cuisine. Indeed it was the airing of "You Gotta Eat Here" that piqued everyone's initial impression of Tres Carnales. Based off a concept of Mexican style cuisine with local ingredients, they then took the food scene by storm and put Edmonton on the proverbial food map of Canada. Using their success of the first restaurant, the owners decided to create a new establishment based on the concept of Mexican infused rotisserie meats. That restaurant came to be Rostizado and, like its old cousin, has consistently been on the top of Urbanspoon's Talk of the Town.

The restaurant is located on the corner of 104th Street and 103rd Avenue. Found in the northern tip of Downtown, Rostizado is betting on the eventual development surrounding the arena to build up their clientele. Handsomely presented, the large neon sign (that reminds you of their Tres Carnales owners roots) beckons you forward. And boy what a payoff! The restaurant is new age with low dim lighting, gorgeous art and tasteful decor. Helpful wait staff try their best to entertain you as you make the sometimes long wait for a table (reservations are only allowed for groups of eight or more).

The menu is small and based upon their rotisserie. They offer two protein variants, a pollo (chicken) and a puerco (pork) which serve the basis upon which patrons add with a number of appetizers, all with Mexican flare, and a number of tasty side dishes. Rostizado strives to serve fresh local produce and proudly displays their partner farms that they receive their meat and produce from.

These Tamales were excellent. This version of the classic Mesoamerican dish takes corn based dough, combines it with their roasted chicken, wrapped around a corn husk and steamed to tenderness. Encapsulating everything in the corn husk is a old and tried method that allows the ingredients to cook within its own juices. But truly it was the balance of flavours, from the starchy yet grainy dough with a fiery salsa roja (red sauce) to the cool brown butter cream and smooth queso fresco, that makes this dish stand out.

Platter of 2 is one of their marquee dishes and one that stands out in their menu. Doubling the protein quota with a half order of their rotisserie chicken and pork, this is the best way to indulge and experience Rostizado. The platter is indeed humongous and includes a side of roasted potatoes, an unlimited supply of Mexican soft tortillas and a trio of sauces: Chimicchuri, Salsa Verde and an Argentinean Hot Sauce.

Rosti-Pollo was the table favourite of the two protein options. Oven roasted to lock in the juices, this rotisserie chicken had a delightful sweet and slightly bitter char on the skin that went incredibly well with the awesomely tender meat underneath it. Popping these into a tortilla topped with your choice of sauce finalizes the flavour profile.

Rosti-Puerco (Roasted Pork) was similarly delicious with a smooth fatty flavour profile mixed in with a heavy accent of cilantro and rosemary. In fact, this pork was some of the most tender I have had in Edmonton! Furthermore they go delightfully well when packed into the middle of the mild corn tortilla which adds in a blander starch element to the dish.

The included Rosti-Papas are your average run of the mill roasted potatoes. Rostizado does indeed roast them well to the point of tenderness, but fail to infuse any further flavours into the taters. Granted this is meant as an accompaniment in the Platter of 2 and when taken from that light, they do act well as a bland starchy contrast to the flavour-filled meats.

Rostizado offers a few sides on top of the rotisserie meats. Frijoles Charros, fried pento beans, were surprisingly presented as a soup! The broth had a nice sharp spicy aroma and flavour to it while the beans added a meaty punch to each bite. Cilantro finishes the dish with a much needed herbal freshness.

Roasted Carrots are humbly named but full of royal flavour. The use of a lime, serrano and honey based vinaigrette is a calculated one as it infused sweetness, tartness and spice to the fork tender vegetables. Balance of textures is achieved from the addition of almonds. Delicious.

As customary now with my current group of dining companions, we went with Churros Con Dulce de Leche as our dessert option. Large pieces of fried dough are coated with sugar and cinnamon and served with a "dulce de leche" sauce. This was, unfortunately, the only dish that did not work for the group as: technically, the dough was too dense and a tad undercooked; and thematically, the flavour too simple and reminded us of tastier variants we ate from the summer fair.

Rostizado is a bold addition to the Edmonton dining scene. Although created by the team of Tres Carnales, they take a different approach to dining serving up immense protein rich mains, cool and refreshing salsas and tasty accompanying sides. In the end, the food was excellent with delightfully tender meats and well executed sides with a twist in Mexican flavours. A definite visit for anyone in town.

Numchok Wilai - Fantastic Thai (Edmonton 30 in 30)

There are some restaurants talked about so much that you feel the need to try it. When Avenue Magazine came out with their Top Restaurants of 2015, a quick perusal to the Thai section mentions Numchok Wilai as one of their top picks. Having never heard of it before, my interest, while piqued, was never sold enough to try it. That is until numerous other residents and colleagues mentioned it as well, raving about the authentic Thai food featured there. Indeed on a free lunch, having missed the boat already, I had to try Numchok Wilai.

The restaurant is located on 124th street at 106th avenue. The small eatery has a large red sign with handsome lettering inviting would be diners forward. I loved the accent of the watercolor-esque painting on the exterior windows, giving passers-by a conversation topic and intrigue to check out. The interiors are similarly picturesque with large paintings of Thai landscapes adorning the tables.

The lunch menu features set meals which offer their more popular curries and stir fries with rice and a few small appetizers for a reasonable price. The dinner menu is as you would expect with a large variety of Thai cuisine including curries, noodle dishes, rice dishes and stir fries.

Lunch starters include Lemongrass Soup and Veggie Spring Rolls. As advertised, the lemongrass soup had a lemony flavour to it and features a few slices of mushroom. The vegetable springs rolls were your average run of the mill fried variety and were served with a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce.

Wonderfully sweet and creamy this Green Curry Chicken might be one of the best I have ever eaten! The flavour base is coconut which delivers a thick creamy and sweet envelop that hugs the vegetables and thick slices of chicken. The bamboo gives a slightly tender crisp texture while adding more sweetness while the green peppers accentuate the dish with freshness and colour. Excellent balance of flavours.

Knowing that I must try their signature dish, the Pad Thai was similarly delicious. These thick tender rice noodles are dazzlingly tasty in the tomato based broth and accentuated with silky egg, large shrimp and succulent chicken. Adding in the peanut topping gives a textural crisp component to complete the dish. Umami indeed.

Numchok Wilai deserves its award in Avenue Magazine as one of the best Thai restaurants in Edmonton. Pairing authentic ingredients with luxurious sauces at reasonable prices, Numchok Wilai should be a go to for anyone interested in Thai food in Edmonton.