Niche

Niche

11011 Jasper Ave
780-761-1011

Note: I first visited Niche back in October, but that first review fell off my radar and stayed unpublished. Today's post will be a review of Niche based on the October visit and my latest visit for Edmonton's Downtown Dining Week earlier this month.

October
The restaurant gives a cozy yet modern feel. Tables are close to each other and the main dining area seats 20-22 people, with 10 additional seats at the bar. We were given the choice of sitting at a table for 2 right next to the window and the door, or at a table alongside a booth just a few steps away at the back of the dining room. We chose the latter.

Water was served in a large goblet with a thin slice of cucumber. While some may find it refreshing, I’m not a fan of having the taste of cucumber in my water. Give me lemon, please. We also ordered a pitcher of sangria. I tried to discreetly watch the server/bartender prepare our pitcher, and observed that she started off with a mixture of pineapple, orange, lime, and lemon juice, followed by cointreau, a mystery syrup, and red wine. She then added citrus fruit, peach, and strawberry slices to finish off her creation. I thought it was quite nice, but not quite perfect (I've been spoiled by the sangria in Spain). It was a pretty large jug and I was very full after finishing off the pitcher at the end of the evening.

We were guinea pigs for the new menu (they change their menu listings every couple of months or so). My entree was the duck confit with a sour cherry sauce. The duck was cooked well and had good flavour to it. My duck had paper thin piece of skin which I chose to eat. The white beans worked well with the overall dish and it reminded me that I should eat lentils more often! The cherry sauce was not sour at all, but was more a gentle tart. It also paired well with the duck.

Andrew had the candied pork, which was moist, tender and delicious. The potato medallions it was served with was also crispy and flavorful. The second side was a pickled beet leaf which neither of us liked.

For dessert we shared the flourless chocolate brownie with a salted caramel sauce ($10). Personally, I’m a huge fan of mixing salty and sweet. It was a fairly thin slice that was approximately 2.5 x 2.5 inches. However, I’m glad we shared because I found it to be quite rich, as I do with many brownies. The brownie was topped with a few thin slices of plum, which I didn’t think worked with the flavors of the brownie. There were a few grains of sea salt topping the caramel sauce and it was just the right amount for a light contrast to counterbalance the sweet. Given how rich the brownie was, I would have preferred either a dollop of whipped cream on top or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Overall, the brownie gets a 3/5.

The bathrooms were one-of-a-kind. There were two individual unisex stalls at the back of the restaurant which were enclosed by sliding doors artistically covered with stainless steel. One of the stall had a mirror on the wall that was built in behind a border of bricks that took up the rest of the wall (the brick theme carried throughout the restaurant). Three communal sinks were in between the stalls, which had copper faucets and black soap dispensers brushed with copper paint. Fresh towels were available for patrons’ hand-drying needs.

The dishes are reasonably priced but the menu selection is quite small. I did feel a bit uncomfortable sitting so close to other diners (we were able to eavesdrop in a conversation of a couple who were 2 tables down from us; they sounded like they were on a first date).

March
For Downtown Dining Week, Niche offered 3-course dinners for $25 or $50. They also had a 2-course lunch option for $15. We opted for the Dinner for $25. The appetizer was the Duck Parfait - a duck confit with a mixed berry and apricot coulis. It was served in a sherry glass encircled by several pieces of crostini. The duck confit was velvety smooth with a rich and hearty flavor, while the fruit was warmly spiced. The coulis complemented the duck well as the savoury flavor of the duck and the fruit and spice from the coulis became accentuated. The only thing I didn't like was the depth of the glass the parfait was served in. It came accompanied with a tiny spoon and it was a bit tricky getting it into the narrow glass opening and to the bottom of the glass.

duck.parfait

There were two choices for the entree: the Shoulder of Lamb and the Sea Bass Polonaise. We ordered one of each to try both. The sea bass was encrusted with Panko crumbs and served with a tiny portion of duchess potatoes. The breading on the fish was crunchy in most areas but a bit soggy in others, and the fish was unremarkable overall. The duchess potatoes were rich and buttery with a crispy coating. I thought that this entree was small and could have used a side of vegetables.

sea.bass.polonaise

The lamb was served with a fig sauce on top of a bed of minted pea risotto, with a side of seasoned julienned vegetables. The lamb was slow roasted until melt-in-your-mouth tender and I enjoyed the fig sauce that topped it. The risotto was not too heavy tasting, and the mint in it gave it more of a fresh taste. Overall, I preferred the lamb over the sea bass.

shoulder.of.lamb

Crepes Suzette were on the menu for dessert. There were two crepes topped with a segment of red-dyed orange. The crepes dusted with icing sugar and served in a pool of butter. Very rich.

crepes.suzette

During this visit, I asked whether they still had the sangria available as I didn't see it on the menu. Unfortunately, they don't make it anymore.

Overall I was not stuffed from the meal, and I'm sure Andrew was still hungry after as he ate less than me. The service was very quick and streamlined. I noticed that our server was inconsistent with how she handled customers. For example, when she brought the entrees to the two tables next to us, she explained what everything on the plate was. She didn't do that for our table. Another thing (still not sure if good or bad) was the coffee or tea up-sell with dessert, which was only offered to the couple next to us.

Based on our two visits to Niche, I think the food was nothing extraordinary, and I am uncomfortable with the small tables and how the tables are no more than a foot apart. I don't think there's enough of a wow factor for us to return in the future.

3/5

Suitcase Souvenirs: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV, USA
March 2012

Andrew and I recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas. Having been to the Grand Canyon on a previous trip, we decided to take a short trip out of the city to Red Rock Canyon. Located about 30 km from the Las Vegas Strip, a day or half-day trip can easily be done (though if you want to extend your stay and camp there, it's possible from September to May).

The Calico Hills of Red Rock Canyon

If you don't have much time, you can see all of Red Rock by car. There is a road called the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. There are many turnouts that allow you to stop and get out of the car to look around. This is also a popular cycling route as we had passed several cyclists on the road.

Las Vegas can be seen in the distance

If you have time to hike around, the visitor's guide lists 19 different trails one can explore. Most range from easy to moderate in difficulty, with distances from 1.2 to 9.6 km. Adventurous tourists can also take advantage of the rock climbing routes here. Permits (and skills) are required for climbing though.

The extent of my rock climbing; in the background are La Madre Mountain (left), and Turtlehead Peak (right)

One of the signature rock formations of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone Thrust. It was created as a result of a series of faults with different rock types being forced on top of each other. The red rock is a red sandstone, and the lighter rocks are made from limestone and dolomite.

The Keystone Thrust

The Keystone Thrust

The geology geek (yes I'm a geek because I took an Earth Science class for fun) in me was in awe with all of the magnificent rock formations.

I love geology!

View from the car window

It's worth the 35 minute or so drive out to the Red Rock Canyon. It's a great and quiet getaway from the bustling scene of the Las Vegas Strip. I haven't come across any information on tours to the canyon, so I would recommend renting a car. The entry fee is $7 per vehicle and the canyon is accessible from 6 AM, but the closing hours vary from 5-8 PM depending on the season.

White Rock

Cactus in front of the Red Rock Wash

The Marc

The Marc
9940 106 Street
780-429-2828

I've passed by this restaurant many times but have never patronized it. The Marc was one of the restaurants featured in Edmonton's Downtown Dining Week. It offered a 3-course menu for $25. It was also recommended to me by my colleague Amanda. These were signs that we needed to try out this place.

Our dining companion, Thomas, and I decided on the wine for tonight: La Posta's Cocina Tinto, 2009. It's a blend of malbec, syrah and bonarda from Mendoza, Argentina. It was smooth and enjoyed by all.

The first course was the Seared Scallop. Two scallops were served with peas and thinly sliced pickled fennel on top of a carrot puree.I thought that the flavors and textures were pretty unique on their own and they came together surprisingly well. I savored the scallops as they were wonderfully seasoned and crispy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth smooth on the inside.

seared.scallop

A Pork Belly Aiguillette followed as the entree. I had to look up the meaning of the word "aiguillette" - it means thin slivers. I didn't think there were thin slivers of anything on my plate, but no need to be technical. The sides to the pork belly were roasted fennel, chanterelles, pearl onions, and a small dollop of celeriac puree. A flavorful maple cider aigre-doux accompanied it all. Now I didn't know what several of the aforementioned items were, and I had to look them up. Here are the lay terms in case you didn't know either:

1. Fennel bulb: similar to an onion in that it has multiple layers, is crunchy and slightly sweet. It has a mild licorice flavor.
2. Chanterelles: fancy wild mushrooms
3. Pearl onions: tiny sweet onions
4. Celeriac: a version of celery with an edible, turnip-like root
5. Aigre-doux: sweet and sour

pork.belly.aiguillette

Amanda told me that her server had instructed them to not cut the fat off the pork belly, but to enjoy all of its sinful goodness, because that was where all of the flavor was. Overall the piece of pork belly was very juicy and tender. But what made it even better was that it was seared on two sides, adding an extra level of texture to the entree. It was seasoned impeccably and was delectable, yet my piece of pork belly was so amazing that it didn't even seem like I was eating fat. I thought the sweet and sour maple vinaigrette was a perfect accompaniment to everything on the plate.

Our dessert was yet again a huge mish-mash of flavors and textures that cooperated incredibly well with each other. It was called the Spiced White Chocolate Mousse, but that wasn't all that was on the plate. In the ramekin with the mousse was a cookie (I'm sure there was a fancier name for it, but we'll just leave it as cookie...sugar cookie if you will). On the side was a tiny macaron topped with a decadent lemon cream. St Germain (elderberry liqueur) jelly, berry sauce, blackberry, and nectarine slices garnished it all. The mouse was incredibly light and tasted like a chai latte was infused within. Divine! The macaron was also very tasty and I wished that it was bigger in size.

spiced.white.chocolate.mousse

Based on this menu, The Marc has a superb quality of food. The service was top-notch as the waitstaff kept on top of clearing our plates and refilling our glasses at the most appropriate times. The dining room is bright and open with two long mirrors along the back wall to allow for maximum people watching. Go to The Marc. It's French food with personality. I would love to return tomorrow if I could. I'll have to try out a few more items on the menu, but this could very well be my new favorite restaurant.

5/5

Sushi Wasabi

Sushi Wasabi
5714 111 Street
780-433-0533

I've visited Sushi Wasabi numerous times and I've actually reviewed it several years back, but I think I should give it some more exposure. This restaurant is one of my favorite places for sushi as it seems more authentic than other restaurants in the city. It's also Tara's favorite place and since we both had not visited in a while, we decided to go. After mulling over the menu, we decided to order separate small chirashi bowls ($15) and share a half order of assorted tempura ($9) with a full order of the salmon sashimi ($20).

We were brought the salmon sashimi first. The full order consists of 10 pieces of fish. Our plate had 9 full pieces, with several smaller pieces formed into a shape of a rose on one end of the plate. The 9 main pieces were thick, fresh tasting, and served at the appropriate temperature. However, the decorative pieces tasted lower quality and had some remnants of skin attached. I think for that reason, more fish was given to us to account for that final piece.

salmon.sashimi

Next came our bowls of chirashi. The menu description stated that the chirashi toppings would include fish roe, sesame seeds, and the chef's selection of sashimi on a bed of rice. Tonight, the selections were tamago, salmon, tuna, shitake mushroom, surf clam, octopus, and shrimp. I liked the choices presented to me tonight (sometimes I find pieces of scallop or mackerel which I'm not particularly fond of). The only beef we had with the chirashi tonight was that the salmon was tough and chewy. It tasted like it was cut more towards the tail end of the fish. Other than that, the rest of the rice bowl was perfectly fine and I liked the inclusion of sesame seeds. It added a nice and toasty flavour to the rice.

small.chirashi

Finally, we were presented with our tempura. A half order of the assorted tempura included 2 pieces of shrimp and 4 veggies: zucchini, squash, carrot and yam. I liked how the batter was light, but also had some crunchy flakes on the surface.

assorted.tempura

I've mentioned how I like Sushi Wasabi because of its authenticity. The staff here speak Japanese, hot towels are presented before the meal (it's one of the major reasons Tara frequents this restaurant!), and the sushi chefs use a dab of wasabi in between the rice and fish. One of the drawbacks is that the prices are on the higher end of the scale for Japanese food, however the sushi is of higher quality. With tax and tip, our meal was nearly $40 per person. The dining room is rather small and fills up easily. Reservations are highly recommended!

4.5/5