CIBO

Snapper Appetizer 

Tortellini Appetizer

Charcuterie Board Appetizer

Arancini Appetizer

Polenta Fritta Appetizer

Tazza Di Cioccolato Dessert

Tony Roma's

Lunch Special Fish and Chips

Lunch Special Riblets

Fuss cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake with Tiramisu Icing

Peppermint Cupcake

Friends and Neighbours

Spring Rolls

Club Sandwich

Khazana

The Common

Beetroot Salad

Soup and Sandwich

Hudsons Canadian Tap House

Pulled Pork Sandwich and Poutine

Steak Sandwich and Poutine

Country Boyz Restaurant

Club Sandwich with fries

 Chicken Sandwich with mashed potatoes and stuffing

Steak sandwich with fries

Tropika

Pad Thai, Long Beans and Prawns, Eggplant, Duck and Lychee

 Lamb and Chicken Skewers, Roti and Coconut Surprise

The first time I went to Tropika in the South I was not impressed with the service, food or atmosphere. The place was a bit run down and the food did not seem authentic and lacking taste. 

This week we tried the West restaurant as our friends live near there and enjoy it. As they had been many times before we let them choose the meals to share and I'm pleased we did as every dish was a winner. I didn't try the Pad Thai (I've even my fair share in my life) but by all accounts it was very good. 

My favorite was the beans and prawns, they were so delicious I could have eaten the whole amount. I'm not sure what all the many ingredients were that they marinated the dish in, but it tasted very authentic with a mix of salt and coriander. My favorite! 

The duck was a little disappointing being very fatty but the lychees and sauce of the dish made up for it in leaps and bounds. I've seen a lot of other reviews saying the skewers had bland sauces and were over cooked but we went on a Friday night and did not find that. I think they have a special through the week and on that day I can understand the quality might fall a tad. 

The service was professional but not super friendly. They weren't rude just a bit stiff. The red wine was poured for us to taste and the waters were kept filled. We had to ask for the dessert menu a few times and I just think the flow of the servers was a bit off. For the four of us it was almost $150 which is on the pricey side for a suburban restaurant. We did get a lot of food and a bottle of wine so it's not exorbitant  The restaurant was fitted out well, very comfortable, clean and a nice dark and peaceful atmosphere. 

I would certainly go to the West restaurant again. 

Food taste and quality = 8.5 out of 10

Atmosphere and service = 7.5 out of 10 

Mr. Mike's

Finger food for party

A group of approximately 30-40 of us went here for a work dinner / shopping event. They let us take over the whole upper floor for all our shopping bags, gift wrapping and buffet table. The selection of food was yum. Some warm and some cold. The warm items were run of the mill, chicken bites, spring roles, gourmet hamburgers. The cold items of lots of types of cheese was what got me! Delicious. They have chocolate brownies in show glasses that tasted like cake batter and the lollipops in the bottom right of the picture were mini red velvet cakes on a stick! Yum. All the food was very tasty and well cooked, except the "roasted" pumpkin and zucchini which we suspect might have forgotten to be roasted. We had lots of very good red and white wine and our waters were always being topped up. 

The service was friendly although not necessary the most professional. They leaned over people and took plates before people were finished. The buffet wasn't maintained by a staff member so started to look a bit worse for ware. I'm not sure what their normal al a carte service is like but I would probably go back and try a meal their if I was in the mall. I have no idea what prices were! 

Food Quality and Taste = 8 out of 10

Service and Atmosphere = 7.5 out of 10

IKEA

IKEA Breakfast Buffet

You get what you pay for. $5 for these two "meals"...and I would rather just have toast at home. I've never been to prison but I imagine this is what the food would taste like. Scrambled eggs full of water, dry pancakes, soggy french toast, I think the bacon wasn't cooked but dyhydrated in a science lab somewhere? As there is no service, it's a get your own forks put away your own dishes place, I have to score 0 out of 10 for service. The servers actually dishing up the gruel and taking your money are clueless, I'm not sure if they spoke English because nobody spoke to us. For atmosphere I give it a 1 because at least their were chairs there. The 1 point for food is for the potatoes, apparently they were ok. I'd pay an extra $2 and go to A&W next time for an edible eggs and bacon. 

Food quality and taste = 1 out of 10

Service and atmosphere = 0 out of 10

Old Spaghetti Factory

Bread, Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

Fettuccine con Pollo, New York Steak with fries and mushrooms

 The bar, cinnamon and apple pudding, gelati

In the middle of a snow blizzard we decided to take ourselves out to an early dinner. As we arrived before 5.30pm it was nice and quite, the blizzard probably didn't help either. It is a large restaurant with wood partitioning making the areas a bit more intimate and "Saloon"like. I liked the decor and "old school" feel. The place is so large that it can literally fit an old tram in it. The tram sits approximately 6-7 couples and would be a great place for a little party.

The server was very friendly and professional. He didn't chat away but was efficient and helpful. With quite a lot of menu choices, I was surprised that pizza wasn't a choice. They have a kids menu and I think it would be a kid friendly place in general.

I ordered an main Fettuccine Pasta with chunks of chicken (their words). It had a creamy sauce and mushrooms, and was then baked in the oven with multiple types of cheese. It was rich! but in a blizzard, just what the doctor ordered. With all mains you receive a complimentary salad and ice cream of coffee. A pretty good deal for $11 to $16. Blair got the New York steak for $16 so he was happy.

They brought out a warm loaf of bread with garlic butter which we quickly polished off before the salads with housemade blue cheese dressing, so smooth and tasty I wanted to lick the plate.

My pasta was a very large serving and cooked well. Perhaps too much cheese but that is a personal preference. I thought it was tasty and would order it again. Blair loved his steak and declared they were the best fries he'd had in Edmonton, which is a big call as he eats fries with almost every meal.

Despite having complimentary gelati Blair wanted to try the pudding, which was only $5. So of course he did, it was very tasty, moist, not too sweet. My gelati was pistachio, chocolate and vanilla swirl.

The bill including a softdrink came to $40. Very good value for a big tasty meal with three courses for two! All in all a lovely meal, quick and hardy reliable food for a snow blizzard! We will definitely be back, probably for a rowdy party in the tram! toot toot

Food Quality and Taste = 8 out of 10
Atmosphere and Service  = 8 out of 10

Devaney's Irish Pub

Lemon Pepper and Thyme Pepper Chicken Wings

White Wine "Chandy", Beer, Tea

We go to this bar every week after orchestra rehearsal. It's tucked behind Bonnie Doon shops and a busy little place. I like the atmosphere here, wooden tables, fun posters on the wall, and it's always kept nice and clear. 

We usually just get drinks, chips, nachos and wings which are always fried and tasty. 

I did order a Slushy Cocktail once and unfortunately did not enjoy it, however that's what you get for breaking a cardinal dining out rule, "only order what this place specialises in". If you go to a pie shop and order a steak, you will certainly be disappointed. 

It's always affordable and usually for $10 each we all get a good feed and a drink. The service is a little slow but for a pub it's what can be expected. 

My favorite part of this pub is that it's not too loud, yes I'm an old bore. But the chatter of the full house is enough atmosphere and a bit of quiet music in the background is all we need. 

I would preference coming here for a drink with friends over the noisy and often dirty places in Whyte Ave or Downtown. 

Food Quality and Taste = 6.5 out of 10

Atmosphere and Service = 7.5 out of 10

Szechuan Paramount

We had been recommended this restaurant when we mentioned we felt like Chinese. It is a buffet so I really should have known from there to stay away, but we soldiered on in our desperate hope for finding good Chinese food in Edmonton.

It is cheap, so that's good. $15.50 each is very reasonable and they had a line of people collecting take away so the signs were promising. It did smell good. 

However, all the meat was fatty and most things were deep fried. The dumplings were tasty and the hubby enjoyed the spring rolls. I had the black bean sause and couldn't finish it because it was so watery. The dessert was nice, like a school camp and that was one of the only thing positive I can comment on really. The chop sui was fresh and the sauce authentic. 

The decor is dated as expected but the serves were polite and quick. Their language barrier only got in the way when we asked for soda water but that could also be our accents. 

I wouldn't go back, but if you're in the mood for food court style chinese quick and cheap, come here! 

Food quality and taste = 5 out of 10

Atmosphere and service = 5.5 out of 10

12901-97 street, Edmonton, AB T5E4C7