Haute Cuisine in Alberta?? Not happening.

home_lobster_asparagusThis is a completely true story. I was terribly amused, and not at all surprised when they “forgot” to add our drinks to the bill.

Also, in case you’re wondering why we were ordering something as simple as hush puppies at a fancy restaurant, it’s because I live in Alberta. Stuff that’s pretty common in the States, like Cajun food or even Mexican cuisine (the good stuff, not Taco Bell) is really hard to find here, and usually only survives as a ‘novelty’ restaurant, and is priced accordingly. (A lot of folks in Alberta like their steak, and don’t trust none of that foreigner food. Think Texas, but with snow.)

I would kill for good hush puppies in this town. Seriously. Or decent sushi, for that matter.

News: Posted July 1st, 2009 by Alina

^ 13 Comments to “Haute Cuisine in Alberta?? Not happening.”

  1. Damien Sim Says:

    Hahaha… that happen to me, my sister and her husband recently in Taiwan 😀 Went to this quite fancy restaurant and the bill come out lower that expected. Since it was in Chinese, and my brother-in-law is a Kiwi and me and my sister are what you can call “bananas”… yellow on the outside, white on the inside (we’re Chinese, but don’t read or speak Chinese) and the serving staff had a really poor command of English, we couldn’t point our the fact that we might be undercharged for the meal. But here is the real kicker… that wasn’s the first time. That restaurant made a similar mistake the first time my sister and her husband went there and did so again recently. Talk about lightning strike the same place twice 😀

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 12:12 am
  2. Bard Says:

    Bizzarely, some of the best sushi I’ve had was in 100 Mile House. I really can’t explain how they got good sushi (CRAB sushi, no less, California rolls made with real crab…and fresh avocado!) in the middle of nowhere, British Columbia.

    You know you’re in the Interior when the fanciest restaurant in town is called “The Hoof & Harness”, and boasts a menu whose selection could be described as either “schizophrenic” or “an act of sublime genius”.

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 12:49 am
  3. Bard Says:

    By which I mean that they have everything from standard stuff like several different cuts of beef…to at least three different Japanese appetizers. Made in house.

    …I think the chef was from Vancouver.

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 12:50 am
  4. SpotWeld Says:

    So, hypothetically. If you were in town (in the states) for a con, how far out of your way might you be willing to go to get to one of the niftier restaurants in the area? (Sadly the one Tibetan place in town closed)

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 12:56 am
  5. Zephyrion Says:

    I’ll have to check that place out next time I pass through 100 mile house.

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 1:36 am
  6. Thunderhowl Says:

    You’re going to love the restaurant I want to go to when we get to GenCon….

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 4:24 am
  7. fop Says:

    Ah, hush puppies.

    They are impossible to find in Montreal.
    Course, try and find Poutine in South Carolina.

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 9:15 am
  8. W. McDuff Says:

    I remember having pretty awesome dim sum in Edmonton, many years ago. (Ethnically Chinese girlfriend living in Edmonton at the time.) Of course, I can’t remember where…

    When’s the next UStream drawing? Or were we too scary to repeat the experience? 🙂

    (We need to find a way to play an RPG in chat or something. Must be someway to run Spirit of the Century in there…)

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 11:43 am
  9. Phy Says:

    Yeah, it kinda sucks for fine dinning here eh? 🙂 the best chinese food i ever had was in north alberta in Rainbow Lake… :0 if you want good sushi go over to the TNT superstore in West Ed, and ask the ladies that work the front counter where they recommend… then head to the back and there is a nice gent that works the live fish display, ask him where he recommends… go to the one both recommend… because the ladies at the front love the taste, and the gent at the back goes for freshness… 🙂

    Posted July 1st, 2009 at 10:48 pm
  10. blackcoat Says:

    Hey, at least hush puppies are easy to make.

    Posted July 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am
  11. Bard Says:

    Zephyrion: Do check it out. I was there back in ’06, so I can’t speak to how it may have changed. But it was really something.

    Posted July 2nd, 2009 at 12:42 am
  12. Gracee Says:

    I can’t speak for the rest of Texas, but Dallas and the surrounding metroplex actually has a lot of different types of cuisine available, especially in the suburbs like Richardson and Irving where there is a big asian population- We have Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Tex-Mex(i promise, it’s different), Salvadorean, American, Texan, Vietnamese, Korean, probably French somewhere… You just have to hunt for the good restaurants. It’s easier if you know a local. I am a total fellow foodie. So if you’re ever in town for A-Kon, rest assured food-wise. See, Texas is not all bad… =)

    Posted July 2nd, 2009 at 8:16 am
  13. miss-strumpet Says:

    try sushi wasabi (name of the restaurant, don’t look at me like that). its on 111th street and 57th ave. i used to live right near there, and i highly recommend the bento boxes.

    Posted July 2nd, 2009 at 11:42 pm

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