40$ Zaika Coupon for 11$

I'm so excited about this deal. If you sign up and buy it through my link you get a 5$ credit you can use towards the deal (so you pay 11$ for a 40$ coupon).

Im looking forward the the lunch and dinner buffets (17$)

Deal lasts till Sunday night and the coupon expires in July 2011.

The link:  http://goodnews.com/referral/8986181358

If you want to check out Zaika's menu you can veiw their site at http://www.zaikabistro.com/

Best things to do in Edmonton list

I came across this list of restaurants and activities while I was browsing online. Take a look at it. It may give you some ideas for where to eat next or where to check around this weekend.

http://livingsocial.com/cities/81-edmonton/articles

Press'd Update

I could help but go back to Press'd today to sample another one of the great sandwiches on their menu. Today I chose 'The Bird': turkey, avocado, sprouts, and cream cheese (on pumpernickel rye bread). It was great...not to mention huge for the small order (5.03$ it came to).

The Bird

Press'd: The Sandwich Company

Cuisine: Sandwich shop
Location: Basement, City Center Mall West
Hot topic: Sandwiches!!

I think I just found where I will be eating my lunch for the months to come. This place is yummy, healthy and fresh, well priced, conveniently located, and has a wide assortment of sandwiches and soups to choose from. I was very excited to finally try it out since I've been waiting for it to open for a while now and so far have read some great reviews on it.

Today I ordered the 'Meddito' (4.75$) on pumpernickel rye. The meddito includes smoked turkey, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, roasted red peppers and mayo. They put it on the press for a little whole so the bread was nice and warm.

The sandwich's come in 2 sizes, small or large. I had ordered the small but it was as big as my whole hand! So I have no idea what the large is like.

They bake their bread daily and you can choose from white, whole wheat, foccacia and pumpernickel rye.

They also serve soup (cream of potato, chicken noodle, bacon cheese, clam chowder, broccoli 2.99 S/4.79 L) and salad (Greek, broccoli crunch and fruit salad 2.29$). The large soup comes in a freshly made bread bowl. Yum!

Some of the great sandwich they have on their menu that caught my attention are:
-Golden Bear (5.75/8.79$): smoked chicken, baked brie, roasted apples, spinach, sweet fig jam
-The Bird (4.79/7.79$): smoked turkey, avocado, cream cheese, alfalfa sprouts, mayo
-Buenna Bella (5.29/8.29$): roasted portabella mushroom, basil pesto, spinach, cucumber, red onion, sprouts, tomato

http://pressdsandwiches.ca/

.:.

My 'meddito'

seating area

Treasury Update

UPDATE:

Went to the Treasury again a couple weeks back and had a little bit of a less enjoyable experience this time around. The service was unbelievably slow and inattentive for a place that was empty. The servers just stood around chatting while we waited unreasonable amounts of time all the way from ordering to getting the bill. Service was slow for everything, and confusingly so seeing that the place was far from busy.

As for food, the Lobster Crepes and the Cobb salad were ordered, with the Carrot Cake for dessert again. Both unfortunately both were disappointing. While they tasted good, for the price we paid  (both around 15$ each dish) I couldn't help but feel a little overcharged/riped off.

There were only 2 small crepes for an order of lobster crepes. My dining companion said they were good, but a little over salted and the small portion size was disappointing.

The Cobb salad  I had ordered surprised me, in a bad way.  It was small and had no greens what so ever. While it tasted good, it was simply just components of a Cobb salad stacked on top of each other minus the lettuce. A deconstructed Cobb salad you could say. Great presentation, but for a 15$ salad when your hungry it was a let down. The single piece of friedd eggplant however was like ingesting pure oil. The Green Apple Lavender salad my friend ordered last time we were here was large and looked great so I was hoping all the salads would be reasonable too, but I guess I was mistaken.

While I was disappointed in our meal, I like the atmosphere of the Treasury and the excuse to don a cute cocktail dress so I do intend on going back,  but perhaps next time I'll be more cautious when ordering.

Transcend Coffee

Cuisine: Coffee house
Location: 109 st, next door to Garneau Theater
Hot topic: lattes

Transcend is a rather new coffee house in Edmonton located next door to the Garneau Theater on 109 st and very close to the University.

This establishment sources their coffee directly from farmers, direct trade rather than do it the `fair trade`way or no way at all. They take pride in the fact they go one on one with coffee farmers around the world to bring you the freshest and best coffee they can make. That`s just a bit of background on the place.

Inside is a cute minimalist cafe with lots of chairs, booths and a little bar. The place was filled with student, yuppies as well as some old folk, so it really does cater to a variety of ages and crowds.

I had the cappuccino and I got my brother a mocha. Both were very made fresh and individually, so it did take a little longer than getting something like that made at Starbucks, but it was nice watching them make it and how they made each one individually all the way from steaming the milk to brewing. In the end they make a cute heart or leaf with the foam, it really is a nice touch.

They also serve the typical coffee house items as well as little treats and they have a coffee and waffle deal for 6$.

http://transcendcoffee.com/

Inside

Inside

Mocha

Flirt Cupcakes

Cuisine: Cup Cake shop
Location: 10158 82 ave (Whyte Ave across train tracks)
Hot Topic: Cup Cakes

I had a 2 for 1 coupon for Flirt Cupcakes so my brother and I decided to check it out while we were on Whyte yesterday afternoon. Flirt is a cute little bake shop that sells cup cakes (2.95$), coffee and pop.

They offer either chocolate or vanilla cupcakes (from what I saw yesterday) with a variety of different icing and toppings. Yesterday they had a strawberry cream cheese icing, peppermint, chocolate fudge, lemon coconut, peanut butter, Madagascar vanilla, and classic cream cheese. They typically have 12 daily flavors.

I had the coconut lemon on vanilla cake, and my brother had the strawberry on chocolate cake. They were decent cupcake size and tasted good. Nothing to rave about (same par as the other cup cake shops) but they were cute yummy treats.

Check em out: http://flirtcupcakes.com/index.html

Strawberry and Lemon

Book A Table Edmonton: Sign up for their newsletter and get a 25$ meal coupon

Book a Table Edmonton is a community that promotes local Edmonton restaurants. Several local eateries such as Sicilian Pasta Kitchen, Ric's Grill, the Copper Pot, Guru, Twisted Fork etc are promoted by this group.

Sign up for their newsletter and receive a 25$ voucher that you can use towards any of their member restaurants.

The voucher takes a while to mail but it will get there!

http://www.bookatable.ca/

Get your 10$ off Coupon for Hudsons and 2 for 1 Cafe Press (expires Sunday Jan 23)

I was looking at the Travel Alberta Card site and they have many good offers you can take advantage of from hotel packages and vacations to restaurant discounts and freebies. You need a Travel Alberta Card (its free and you can order your own from the site) for most of the big things but for a coupon such as this it doesn't matter.

I really encourage you guys to take a look at the Travel Alberta Site, they have lots of fantastic offers.
http://www.travelalberta.com/en-ab/Holiday_Card/Pages/default.aspx?mrkt=Alberta

They have several deals wrapping up this weekend because of the Ice of Whyte Festival. There is a coupon for Marble Slab, The PourHouse, 20% off food at the Artisan Resto Cafe, Flirt Cupcake, Foosh, Chicken Scratch etc etc.

But because I do not feel like walking down Whyte eating ice cream I've decided to post the coupon for Hudsons and Press Cafe.

Go to the link and print it off and your good to go! Enjoy.
Remember they expire this Sunday though.

Hudsons: http://www.travelalberta.com/en-ab/Holiday_Card/Pages/OfferDetails.aspx?PackageId=d044ef35-435a-df11-aef7-005056a369a1&mrkt=Alberta

Press Cafe: http://www.travelalberta.com/en-ab/Holiday_Card/Pages/OfferDetails.aspx?PackageId=f0eb5e7a-9159-4c78-a073-a68921251955&mrkt=Alberta

Random In a Hurry Restaurant List

Now I should be in bed because its nearly 1am on a school night, but while I'm updating my blog I might as well throw in a restaurant list. If you cant decide where to eat tonight perhaps this can help you. I'm not going to list their addresses but you can easily google it.

Happy eating.

"Fast Food"
-OPA (Greek)
-Pita Pit
-Edo Japan
-Panago
-Tokyo Express
-Mt. Fuji
-High Voltage (donairs)
-Dahlias Mediterranean
-Mona's Pizza (Lebanese)
-Sunterra Market
-Press'd Sandwich Shop
-Eml Cafe
-Wok Box
-Oddle Noodle

"Breakfast"
-Dennys
-Alberts
-Humptys
-Cora's
-IHop
-Fresh Start Cafe
-Barb and Ernie's (German)

"Casual Franchise"
-Earls
-Moxies
-The Keg
-Milestones
-Cactus Club
-Red Robins
-Original Joes
-Joeys
-Chilis
-Olive Garden
-Hudsons
-Local Eatery
-Fat Burger


"Local Restaurants"
-Koutukis (Greek)
-Yannis (Greek)
-Cosmos
-Ric's Grill
-Sicilian Pasta Kitchen
-L2 Grill
-Corso 32
-The Copper Pot
-The Treasury
-Madison Grill
-Ruth Chris's Steak House
-Famoso
-Blue Plate Diner
-Urban Diner
-Cafe Select
-Coco Di
-Normands
-Caffe de Ville
-Delux Burger Bar
-Skinny Legs and Cow Girls
"International"
-Pho Hoa (Vietnamese)
-Punjab Sweets 
-Origin India
-Zaika (Indian)
-Goodbuddy (Chinese)
-Zen (Japanese)
-Padmanadi (Indonesian/Chinese)
-Khazana
-New Asian Village
-Tropica
-The King and I
-Sweet Mango
-Blue Nile
-Langos Skies

"Desserts"
-Fantasia Gelato
-Kiwi Kiss
-Twisted Yogurt
-Duchess Bake Shop

"Buffet/brunch/all you can eat"
-Chateau Lacombe Sunday brunch
-Sawmill Sunday brunch
-Fairmont Sunday brunch
-Zen lunch and dinner all you can eat sushi
-Punjab Sweet lunch and dinner buffet
-Zakia lunch and dinner buffet

"Specialty/Bakeries"
-Everything Cheese (cheese store)
-Kirstens Chocolate
-Bon Ton Bakery (west end)
-Prairie Mill Bakery
-Old Fashioned Bread Bakery
-Bee Bell Bakery
-Cobs Bread
-Paddy's Cheese

Crazy Pasta

I was at Winners the other day and I came across this pasta in their 'food' section.
Looks pretty cool, but with all the dye that must go in it I don't know if I necessarily want to eat it.

Interesting

Tokyo Express

Cuisine: Japanese
Location: lots around Edmonton
Hot Topic: Maki combo

I know Tokyo Express is certainly not a high quality Japanese food establishment, but its sure good, quick and cheap. You go up to the counter and order and they will call your number and you pick up your food at the counter.

Their menu is made up of the typical North American Japanese food favorites: cali rolls, udon, teriyaki bowls, bento boxes, maki rolls etc. The rolls are well sized and the maki rolls are especially large.

My favorite items include the "maki roll combo" which consists of large beef, veggie, and cali maki rolls (around 7$). Their beef teriyaki bento (9$) is also good. I typically get it with sushi and tempura.

Beef Bento

Maki combo

Famoso Update

I already have a post on Famoso but I thought I'd give you an update.

I'm currently loving their flat bread sandwiches. So far they have the "Wiseguy", "Sofia Loren" and the Prosciutto Arugula". You can either get these on their own (very filling portion), or you can get it with side (either one of their awesome salads or their tomato bisque soup).

I had the Wiseguy (red pepper spread, provolone, and lots of different Italian deli meats and salamis) with the Caprese salad (tomato and fresh mozzarella salad). (Full size 12.50$, with Caprese salad 12.75$)

My friend had the Sofia Loren which is a veggie sandwich filled with roasted vegetables. It comes with provolone cheese and pesto ricotta cheese. I didn't get to try it but it looked so good. (Full size 11$)

Sofia Loren

Caprese salad with the WiseGuy

Duchess Update

Mmmm. Every month Duchess brings out limited time only macaron flavors. This month (January) this have raspberry black sesame, caffe, and banana chocolate. In addition to the limited time flavors they also have their standard lemon, strawberry, pistachio, chocolate, salted carmel and coconut.

The limited flavors..so cute!

Starbucks Green Tea Latte

My new favorite drink has got to be Starbucks green tea lattes. They are so bright and cheery and taste so good. I get mine with skim milk and either sugar free of sugar free vanila. Tastes the same to me :)

Jan 7-16th from 2-5 all tea lattes are half off.

Love the color

Mmmm

Great Places to Check Out for Cute Christmas Gifts (food related of course)

Food related:

Duchess Bake Shop

• Macarons (1.50$ each, 10$ for a box of 6)
• Short bread (80 cents each)
• Meringues (80 cents each, 5$ for a package)

Everything Cheese: Specialty cheese store

Kirstens Chocolates

• Fleur de Sel Chocophilia bar (4.75$)
• Cardamint Chocophilia bar (4.75$)

Jam Lady Preserves (available at Bon Ton Bakery)

• Ecstasy in a Jar

Bon Ton Bakery

• German caraway rye bread
• cranberry raisin nut bread
• rustic olive
• lemon poppy loaf
• antipasto

Prairie Mill Bakery

• Pesto Parmesan bread, Carmel apple bread, apple cheddar bread

Old Fashion Bread Bakery (Latin Bakery)

Sunterra @Lendrum:

• Olive tapenads
• oil oils

Famoso

• Buy a 25$ gift card and receive 10$ coupon

Just google the names of these places to get to their website and find their addresses

Bon Ton Bakery

Cuisine: Bakery
Location: 8720 149 Street Northwest
Hot topic: Jam

Bon Ton Bakery sells not just bread and typical bake shop items but also carried a wide assortment of pasta sauces, jams, antipasto, salsa, dips etc.

I went there the other day because they carry jam from the 'Jam Lady' (6.95$). The  'Jam Lady' sells delicious and fresh jams at farmers markets throughout Edmonton but also sells her goods through Bon Ton. Thankfully, because finding her jam this time of the year is hard. Bon Ton carries a massive assortment of her jams from berry jams, to apricot, mango, hot pepper, rhubarb, raspberry cherry, to my favorite "Ecstasy in a Jar" which is fresh red raspberry jam with Calbaut chocolate. Yumm.

But they also carry Happy Camel and Dip Sea Chicks products.

I bought 2 jams (berry: strawberry, raspberry, black currant, and Berry Plentifully: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry), spicy red pepper and carrot jam (great with cheese and crackers) and a Chutney (5.50$) imported from South Africa.

They also carry a big jar of butternut squash pasta sauce that was absolutely awesome (8$)

http://www.bonton.ca/

The Treasury Vodka Bar and Eatery

Cuisine: Western
Location: Corner of Rice Howard Way and Jasper (Downtown)
Hot topic: Maple butternut squash soup


The Treasury is a cute dinning lounge turn night club in the late evening. Its located on the corner of Rice Howard Way and Jasper.  Decor is  "sexy", sleek, and trendy, while the food is upscale yet comforting. This place is great for a girls night out or even a date. There is a dress code so its one of those places you can go to and make use of all those dresses sitting in your closet.

I had the mushroom and brie phillo puffs (11$) and the maple butternut squash soup (6$). The mushroom puffs (3 to a serving) were a combination of sauteed mushrooms and slice of brie in phillo pastry topped with balsamic reduction. It was really good but it could have done with more balsamic reduction because the phillo was a little dry and left a little more to be desired. I could hardly taste or even see the brie inside the puffs, but nevertheless the abundance of mushrooms made up for that. The soup on the other hand is to die for. It is really thick and rich and oh so good. It's topped with some baked phillo and bacon foam. I love the soup so much i'd go back again just for the soup.

My friends ordered the green apple salad (14$) which I am most certainly ordering next time (greens, green apple, roasted figs, goat cheese, strawberry, candied walnuts and a honey lavender dressing).You can certainly taste and smell the lavender in the salad, to die for. Ivy had the Beef Wellington (29$) which I think was pretty standard.

For dessert we all had the ginger soaked carrot cake topped with cream cheese icing (11$). The serving looked tiny but it certainly wasn't.
http://www.thetreasury.ca/about.php

Sorry about the dark pictures, my camera died half way and I had to use my camera phone.

Mushroom and Brie Phillo

Maple Butternut Squash Soup

Green Apple Lavender Salad

Beef Wellington



Carrot Cake









Duchess Bake Shop

Cusine: Bakery
Location: 124st and 107 ave.
Hot topic: Macarons

So I just fell in love with this place. I've been waiting to get the chance to stop by forever and ...... im in love. Everything looks so so so good. The decor is very Parisien and cute. They have an assortment of sandwiches, macrons, short bread, merangues, cookies, mini tarts and cakes etc etc. Check it out for your self you wont regret it. Items from Duchess also make really good hostess gifts and Christmas presents. Plus they have prepackaged items for easy gift giving.

Shortbread: Lavender, rosemarry, traditional, honey, etc etc (85 cents each)
Macarons: Everyday flavors: lemon, strawberry, salted carmet, pistachio, chocolate. They also have weekly flavors that they change up. So far i've seen and can remember egg nog, candy cane, strawberry and balsamic vingegar (1.50$ each).

You can also follow Duchness Bake Shop on Facebook to see whats baking :)
http://duchessbakeshop.com/
Happy eating

Lemon and Strawberry macaron

Mmmmm

Mmmmm

Wouldnt these make such cute little gifts
(this photo taken from their fb site)




Maki Maki

Cuisine: Japanese
Location: Off Whyte Ave (past the train tracks)
Hot topic: Maki rolls

So I decided to finally try out Maki Maki...and I was kind of a disappointed. The menu was big, but the portions were small. Service was also extremely slow for a rather empty restaurant. Not being fond of raw fish I ordered the avocado rolls (~5.50$), yam rolls (~6.50$) and cali rolls (~5.50$). Pretty generic, I know, but safe.

The rolls themselves were really good, but for what I was paying I was expecting something a little bigger. To be honest I was rather disappointed. Apart from the small portion sizes, the time it took to make the rolls was slow seeing the place was rather empty. Service was fine, the ladies were very friendly, but preparation was slow. Oddly enough they also brought out each plate one after another and not all at one time. I think bringing out all the rolls at once would have been a lot better. Overall the food was good, but the slow service, servings, and price left a little more to be desired. I left hungry.




Yam rolls



Thought the Erotic Roll with ecstasy sauce
 looked pretty entertaining