mnp001

We were taken to Savoy for dinner with friends and were really surprised to find very tasty food tucked away in a strip mall across from Southgate.

This is a very economical place to eat with most dishes under $8. The fare is south Indian, and is made on the premises

Decor is a bit lacking and minimal. The restaurant I think used to be a health food juice bar, and the poster on the wall still exists documenting all the juices you can have and what diseases they will cure. It provided some amusement for the evening.

The specialty of the house is dossa, which is a type of savory crepe, rolled up with fillings of vegetables or potato. The dossa was very tasty and seasoned appropriately but not a lot of spice heat. The samosas were also good – quite flavorful and deep fried an crispy.

The Cha tea was also very good. As mentioned, fresh squeezed juices are available, and the kids jumped at the fresh squeezed apple juice saying it was the “best ever”.

The menu is a bit schizophrenic in that you can also order a variety of north American sandwiches, which I think is to accommodate the lunch time crowd.

The restaurant serves an early dinner, but unfortunately, because it is family run, closes down at 6:30 pm. It would be a great place to go for lunch though .

Lemongrass Cafe is a very casual establishment – a good place to go in jeans or shorts. The decor is pleasant, and the restaurant appears clean. Ample parking as it is located in a small mall in south Edmonton. Reservations are not required

Service at the restaurant is a little spotty – but efficient. The restaurant is very busy, and the waiters were hopping.

The menu prices, area, as others indicated a bit pricey – $17 for a vermicelli rice bowl for example – but there are many good finds for less on the menu, and if you are vegetarian, this is nirvana with its own vegetarian menu that actually has protein in the food.

We settled on a hot and sour soup, which is ample to share with probably 4 or 5 people. $9.00. Very nice and chocked full of mushrooms, tofu and vegetable, and just spicy enough to be enjoyable.

My companion had the tofu in coconut and lime sauce which was excellent. I had the house special of banana leaf wrapped salmon. Very well spiced with traditional Vietnamese flavors, the salmon is perfectly cooked, most, tender and well seasoned. Served with vermicelli and steamed vegetables, the dish was very substantial. We both had leftovers to take home. Total bill was under $50 for two.

The restaurant is very amenable to families and large groups. A good place to go with friends for dinner or after a show for some good food. Not a romantic setting for ta hot date though

Bua Thai is a very popular restaurant with a very large menu. The restaurant is situated across from St. Jospeh’s Basilica, off Jasper Avenue. The restaurant is small, but cozy is nice. This restaurant is usually packed on Saturdays, but is usually a good choice for lunch weekdays with a group. Reservations on the weekend are a must, and it is a good idea to call a day ahead.

The atmosphere in the restuarant is very nice with deep green walls and black and gold accents throughout. The bar/ kitchen, however, are visible from about half of the restaurant.

The food here is excellent with a good variety of authentic Thai cuisine. Seafood is always excellent, and recommended dihed include the shrimp cakes, shrimp rolles and vegetarian rolls.

Main courses include an excellent variety of seafood, meats and vegetarian options. Highly recommended dish is the Cashew Tofu, a dish with a slightly sweet sauce of cashews, mushroom, and vegetables – a veritable experience of flavor and texture.

The curries are all excellent, and can be prepared to the liking of the guest with anywhere from mild to authentic Thai heat. Coconut rice is a must, and is sticky and well prepared with rich coconut flavor.

Service is generally pretty good, with attentive servers who know the menu well and are able to make good recommendations for those unsure of Thai cuisine. The only criticism is that often it is first come first served to get into the restaurant, and Saturday, the busiest day, reservations are often not accepted. Take out is an option, and is recommended to experience the very good cuisine.

New Asian Village is one of 4 restaurants in the city. The atmosphere is very well done with a lot of wood carved chairs, fabric dividers, and rich colors in the decor. There is plenty of very impressive artwork including sculpture in the restaurant that adds to the feel of an authentic east Indian meal. Meals can be ordered from the menu, but also there is an excellent buffet.

While the restaurant is decorated fairly richly, most of the clientele are dressed quite casually. Service is excellent, and the waitstaff are attentive, polite and efficient. The restaurant is also accommodating to children, and offers reduced price buffet to these little consumers.

The buffet is organizied into four areas – the first is predmoniantly vegetarian, with a wide selection of bhiryani, curries, samosa and pakora. All were very well seasoned with a good mix of dishes with spice and some that were very mild for the more timid tasters. A meat section offers tandoori chicken, as well as a selection of of other fish and meet dishes – again with a lot of variety of preparation and presentation. Naan is plentiful, and served warm. If desired, you can request roti praha from the kitchen and they will serve the warm breads to the table without additional charge.

The desert area offers a nice selection of traditional sweets – kheer (rice pudding), mango custard, halva and other sweets.

The only criticism is the buffet is not well organized in that the last station of the buffet is salads, chutneys, and fresh fruit. Perhaps this is my own ignorance, but many of the dishes served here would appear to be appetizers, but perhaps traditional Indian dining serves these last.

Drinks from the bar are reasonably priced. Highly recommended is the mango lassi which is a welcome extinguisher to the occasional spice heat of the dishes

Wildflower Grill is a slightly obscurely location at the side entrance of the Matrix Hotel. Once inside, the atmosphere is warm and intimate. The service is excellent from the hostess, stewards and servers. We had a potato encrusted seafood dish for an appetizer that was delicious with generous sized shrimp and scallops and wonderful seasoning. The main was the seafood platter with a wide variety of of fish and shell fish, great presentation and unique seasonings. All very delicious. My dining companion is vegetarian and was less impressed with the offerings, but the kitchen made valiant accommodations for converting menu items to vegetarian options on request. Desert was a series of chocolate variations that was beautifully presented and very tasty. Dinner is on the pricey side – two meals with appetizers and deserts (no wine) was $130 before tip.