Text 5620, 95 rader
Skriven 2006-09-18 22:15:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Road Trip: Food Report 3
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For supper, we hit the Malaysian place we ate at on the last trip and
raved about, along with our friend Lilly who had originally discovered
the place. We worked our way through some really, really good Roti, an
assortment of beef, lamb, and pork satays with peanut sauce and coconut
rice (Lilly's choice), Assam style spicy shrimp (Roslind's), and
Belachan squid with Kang Kong (mine) followed by an assortment of
sorbets and ice creams (lemon, coconut and sambuca). For the shrimp and
the squid we were offered the choice of mild, Canadian hot, Malay hot or
Thai hot. We specified Malay hot and it was certainly hot enough for
this white boy. Once again these guys produced an outstanding meal at a
very modest price.

The girls had some sort of tropical fruit umbrella special house drinks
while I rather perversely and stupidly ordered a martini which wasn't
even listed on the bar menu. I've been on a martini kick ever since
Ray's wedding reception which featured a martini bar. I've even
purchased a bottle of gin and vermouth for the house (I'm drinking my
father's drink. Am I becoming him? Maybe I am regressing to the 50s?)
That was a mistake. I should have ordered a fruity umbrella drink as
they do know how to make those very well. My waitress who speaks only
the most basic English looked stupefied when I asked for a half and half
Martini. I explained I wanted half gin and half vodka. She went to the
bar, came back and said, "OK. So you want half a martini. And a half
vodka. What would you like with the half vodka? Half a pop?" So I said
just bring me a regular martini. I got something in an old fashioned
glass that smelled of gin and something else.... I'm not sure what, but
it didn't go with gin. There was a lot of olive juice but no olive. Oh
well, live and learn. Roslind's Singapore Sling which I tasted was
superb and Lilly's coconutty rum thing garnished with a pineapple spear
seemed to please her as well.

Tuesday we had lunch downtown at L'Azia, an upscale Asian-Mediterranean
fusion place. Now I know a lot of you are leery of fusion dishes but
this place pulls it off. Each dish is an artfully blend of Moroccan,
Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and even
Indian flavours, ingredients, methods and spices. Nothing is authentic or
pure; everything is very tasty. I started with a truffled cream of wild
mushroom soup; it was very creamy but not all that truffley or
mushroomy. Roslind had a delightful orange and spinach salad and then we
split a main course. Their pan-Asian Duet is almost a double meal.... a
Vietnamese spiced, marinated and grilled crusty pork chop, Frenched like
a giant pig lollipop, paired with a portion of Tandoori chicken atop a
pressed mound of Dim Sum rice, and surrounded by slender Vietnamese
fried rice paper rolls, a fat Chinese vegetarian egg roll and French
steamed asparagus and carrots. The whole plate was good but the pork
chop was amazingly juicy (fatty) and deeply flavoured and the asparagus
pencil thin, barely cooked and still quite crisp with a hint of mixed
herbs. It was so good we returned Thursday and ordered it again with a
different soup and salad.

That night we checked out Lux, a hip and trendy steak house, accompanied
again by Lilly. I was tired of large portions that forced me to skip
dessert so I asked the waiter if it was possible to order two appetizers
and an empty plate, then two mains and a plate and finally two desserts
and a plate. They were entirely amenable to that. Roslind and Lily
ordered as they pleased and I treated their plates as a little buffet
just for me. So I had a combination of two salads, a bit of New York
steak with rosemary crusted roast potatoes and a bit of Halibut steak
with pasta, plus assorted veggies including more great asparagus. (Why
was the asparagus so good in September; it's a spring vegetable?)
Everything was good but it was the desserts that were the true highlight
of the evening. Roslind had a rich brownie based concoction with vanilla
ice cream, chocolate sauce and raspberries while Lilly had a batch of
small fritters with a mango dipping sauce paired with an espresso mousse.
I had plenty of both with a glass of Irish Mist.

Wednesday, we had a late brunch at Hap Newsom's namesake, Hap's. It's in
the west end just a couple blocks from my MIL's place and not only a
favourite of Hap's but Lilly's brother and boyfriend and Roslind's
construction and farming brothers when they are in town visiting their
Mom. It's claims to fame are hearty all day breakfasts and 8 oz hand
formed burgers. Interestingly corned beef is an alternative breakfast
meat in all their breakfasts. Roslind had a corned beef eggs Benedict
while I had the house burger (real Cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms).
Both were good. It's not a fancy place, just an honest little family
place with hearty diner or truck stop food. After 4 days of rich and/or
spicy food it really hit the spot.

Wednesday night we took a break from restaurants and had a home cooked
meal with Roslind's mom and step-dad: good roast beef, mashed potatoes
and rich thick gravy with home canned corn and home pickled dills and
beets they had put up recently. Very hamish and real comfort food to
both of us.

Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




... Maybe You Need A Road Trip? Balm for the soul!
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