10030 Jasper Ave
(587) 520-8841
My coworker Cheryl has mentioned how much she loved this restaurant and would go each time she visited family in BC. It was announced earlier this year that the De Dutch franchise was expanding to Alberta. Being a huge fan of breakfast foods, I eagerly awaited its arrival to Edmonton. It finally opened downtown earlier this month and I jumped at the opportunity to go.
My first encounter with pannekoek was in Calgary at the Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus; I absolutely loved it. Today's experience was no different. I knew I wanted to try something savoury and sweet. For my savoury pannekoek, I was drawn to the picture featuring The Hash on the menu. It is a pannekoek lining a large plate, topped with a large ramekin filled with hash browns, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, and cheese, with a choice of ham, sausage, turkey bacon, or DeBakon. All of this is topped with Hollandaise sauce. I decided to try the DeBakon, which is back bacon. When my plate arrived, I was unsure of whether to eat the hash browns separately from the pannekoek. Eventually, I figured out that the best way to enjoy my meal was to dump some of the hash brown mixture on top of the pannekoek, add some ketchup, and eat it all together. I quite liked the texture of the pannekoek: crispy on the outside and very moist and slightly doughy on the inside.
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| The Hash: $13.25 |
Andrew chose the Meat Lover ($14), which had ham, DeBakon, sausage, and turkey bacon mixed in with the pannekoek batter. It was topped off with slices of edam cheese and tomato. His selection was incredibly tasty as well.
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| Meat Lover |
For our sweet pannekoek, we shared the Peach Melba and Whip ($12.50). We didn't ask, but the server had indicated to the kitchen staff that we wanted to split it, so it came to us nicely presented on separate plates. I absolutely enjoyed this pannekoek too. The diced peaches were firm and not mushy like typical canned peaches. The raspberry sauce wasn't seedy and didn't detract from the taste of the peaches. The only thing that could have improved my sweet pannekoek experience is to have the fruit served warm as well.
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| Peach Melba + Whip |
I was a bit put off by how much my tea cost ($3), especially when it wasn't something I considered fancy tea (it was Bigelow orange pekoe tea). Andrew had also ordered a side of hash browns ($2.75) and we were laughing at the fact that my tea cost more than a plate of potatoes.
I knew I would be frequenting this restaurant again in the future, so I opted to sign up for their De Club loyalty program. For a $5 fee, you are given a card to collect points on purchases (1 point per dollar spent). For every 125 points collected, members receive a $10 voucher. There is also a $10 gift certificate given upon activation, to use on a future visit. In addition, there is a special offer for members on their birthday (I have yet to find out what that is).
I was very satisfied with my visit to De Dutch. The service was a bit slower than normal and the person who brought us our food was confused by what table she was supposed to bring the plates to. I'm attributing this to the fact that they had only been opened for a week and a half and I am hoping that the level of service will improve. It was -11 degrees the morning we visited, and we sat near the front of the restaurant. The restaurant doesn't have a set of double doors at the entrance, so a large draft of cold air entered the restaurant each time patrons entered or exited.
De Dutch is only open for breakfast and lunch (7 AM - 3 PM on weekdays and 8-3 on weekends). I only wish that they would be open for dinner as well. In addition to pannekoek, they serve a variety of other breakfast foods such as eggs benedict, toast, scrambled eggs, and fruit with granola. Their lunch items include sandwiches, wraps, and burgers.
The atmosphere and decor was pleasing. Their color scheme is a tasteful blend of orange, yellow, and brown. The front section of the restaurant offers bright natural light, whereas the back of the restaurant is separated by a fireplace and has more a diner feel to it. I have high hopes for De Dutch and am rooting for the addition of more locations to Edmonton.
4.5/5
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