Global bites

GLOBAL CUISINE, LOCAL

CHOICES

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CARL PATZEL

For an island hopper with travel and gastronome running through their veins a venture around the world in 80 meals would be the ultimate thrill.

While that isn’t necessarily practical, or even possible during a lengthy pandemic, grabbing some international cuisine is just blocks away or available right on your doorstep.

When you have a beef with bizarre roller-coaster restrictions, you jump on comfort food like a starving hyena. From shawarma to sushi to curry, Airdrie doesn’t disappoint when it comes to global flavours, and no eight-hour flight required.

Here’s just a sample of what our restaurant-rich community has to offer.

EAST COAST PUB & EATERY

While I was born in Ontario, those eastern nuances never became ingrained as we migrated to Alberta while I was still filling diapers. But I consider myself an honorary East Coaster having lived in “Newfoundland’s second-largest city,” Fort McMurray, for a couple of decades.

So having the chance to taste Atlantic cuisine, I jumped at the opportunity.

No Jiggs dinner or cod-kissing initiation required (ask your Newfoundland neighbour). This is straight-up pub food with a bit of East-meets-West deep-fried pickles, fisherman’s platter, lobster roll, seafood chowder, Halifax original donair and plenty of fries.

Being serenaded by a touch of Irish rock and accordion tunes, I dug into a plate full of cod pieces and fries. The nuggets were crispy on the outside and provided a warm and tender inside, served with a spiced coleslaw and a vinegar duo for the fries.

With plenty on tap and ample televisions to watch a football match, kilts are optional. But you’re a man in my book if you take a twirl on the dance floor decked out in a traditional Scottish Highlands tartan garb.

BISTRO ZENBU JAPANESE & KOREAN CUISINE

Travelling through Japan and South Korea several decades ago two local delicacies brought slight dietary trepidation. As a meat-eating Albertan the thought of noshing on raw fish and fermented, spicy kimchi wasn’t exactly high on my list.

Tromping around downtown Osaka and the small town of Seoul (only nine million people at the time) there wasn’t much choice. As my palate stretched it was easy to become enamoured with sashimi and the marinated beef of Korean barbecue of Bulgogi.

So, with the opportunity to revisit both cultures’ cooking, Bistro Zenbu, Japanese & Korean Cuisine, hit the spot.

All meals start with a healthy bowl of cubed tofu, a touch of onion and seaweed in a fermented soybean miso broth. This slightly salty soup is guaranteed to reach the depths of the soul on a chilly winter day.

The Beebeem Bob is a one-dish Korean specialty with sliced beef, julienne carrots and cucumber, sautéed spinach and a fried egg all served over rice. Kimchi, a spiced fermented cabbage, traditionally buried underground in a clay pot, can be had on the side. Think cabbage rolls without the filling and mom encouraging you to eat more.

A short hop southwest, Japan offers an entirely different bite for the taste buds from soups to tempura, sashimi, sushi and rolls. A major component, seaweed, for the uninitiated, sports a unique essence that can be loved or hated.

The popular rolls are a work of art with little gems of colour weaving across a white plate with sauces snaking alongside.

The Jumbo Dynamite Roll combines prawn, yam tempura, cucumber, avocado, crab and tobiko (fish roe) with a drizzle of spiced teriyaki sauce. This may be the equivalent of the Japanese kitchen sink, but much tastier.

First daters be advised: unless you want to impress someone with your squirrel-like cheeks, this is not a one-bite morsel.

On the other hand, the smaller Crispy California Roll with crab meat, avocado, cucumber and sesame seed is more manageable. (Can’t guarantee you won’t have something in your teeth. Ask your date.)

A little wasabi for bite, and slice of pickled ginger for a palate cleanser, and you’re ready for more.

MOODY’S MEDITERRANEAN

My initiation into Mediterranean food fare came on a sun-soaked Greek island, where greeted by an ancient local I was encouraged to down a full glass of Ouzo with a resounding “Ya Mas!” – our version of cheers!

A good night’s sleep later, I dove mouth first into Greek salads, feta cheese and an all-time favourite, Moussaka dish.

Hoping to replicate some of those flavourful experiences, minus the hangover, I took a shorter journey to Moody’s Mediterranean. Combining several food styles of Greece, Turkey, Morocco and several other countries encircling the

Mediterranean Sea, this quaint tuckedaway café will satisfy your inland sea taste buds.

An aromatic journey begins immediately when entering this restaurant where proteins are cooked to order on a flat griddle for all to see. Several platters, wrapped or stuffed pitas, moods bowls and salads are offered with either beef (skewer or donair), chicken, lamb and fish proteins.

Wrapping up my choice, the large, warm pita bread was loaded with skewered beef, lettuce, pickle and tomato. The traditional experience was made complete with a salty pickled turnip as well as spicy jalapenos.

With plenty of options, what’s a Mediterranean meal without a touch of hummus, some garlic sauce and a portion of the tart cucumber yogurt tzatziki to sweep you away to an oceanside bistro? TONY’S VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Vietnamese restaurants are usually small, clean environments with emphasis on plenty of savoury food.

Airdrie hosts several of these Southeast Asian-origin eateries, but after a few coin flips the spacious Tony’s Vietnamese Restaurant took the call pho this late lunch.

While plenty of appetizer options, it is pretty much a given that the traditional spring roll is going to be decorating one of your plates at a Vietnamese establishment. Tony’s spiced things up nicely with tangy sriracha, hoisin and fish sauces. But be warned, some of these have a nice kick.

With over 90 dinner choices, the variety is almost endless with several proteins, rice, noodles, soups, curries and vegetarian options, as well as Chef’s recommendations of ginger beef, Hawaiian fried rice, wonton and other Chinese-style dishes.

I cruised to the vermicelli noodle section and special combo of grilled beef, grilled chicken, shrimp and spring rolls (Bun Tom Thit Nuong Cha Gio) as well as a stir-fried vegetable and tofu dish on crispy noodles.

Both meals utilized a large combination of hot and cold very fresh veggies, noodles, lettuce and meats accumulating in a unique texture combination of soft and crunchy. A refreshing, welcoming sweet-and-sour palate, this meal was anything but bitter and left the door open for many more journeys to the land of Vietnamese cuisine.

GOLDEN CINNAMON INDIAN CUISINE

Yes, spice is your friend. Whether you like it mild, medium, hot or a tongue-screaming burn, the East Indian culture leads the way with the multi-mix blend of spices that make up traditional curry.

Fragrant and inviting, Golden Cinnamon Indian Cuisine offers a bevy of fabulous aromatic curry-style dishes laced with traditional tomato, onion sauce drenched in mouth-watering creams found throughout the southern European country of India.

Serving them in small sharing bowls, Golden Cinnamon produces several curries from popular creamy butter chicken, cashew cream korma, vinegar and potato vindaloo, and Tikka Masala.

The latter boneless chicken masala dish unites a creamy mix of onion and fresh tomato sauce with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and several other spices giving any tomato-based sauce a run for their money.

For the vegetarian crowd most dishes, like the Jal Frazie with deep-fried tofu, colourful peppers and onions can be converted to meatless or a cottage-cheese paneer.

No Indian meal is complete without a sweet-smelling, coconut rice and a couple of slices of fresh, warm, buttery naan bread (in this case the garlic variety).

Mild or hot, this Indian fare will warm up the insides whether summer, fall or winter and maybe even give the health metre a little boost. TEQUILA AND TACOS TRADITIONAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Sitting on the Tequila and Tacos patio overlooking the canals one can easily emulate that “I’m-on-holiday” vibe.

Combine that with the spicy, meaty aromas coming from the kitchen and you have a near-perfect evening meal location.

Pushing the margarita aside for just a second, a good portion of guacamole was required to test the authenticity of this Mexican delight.

Chunky, fresh pieces of avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro united to help pass the genuineness test of this green goodness. Surrounded by corn tortilla chips, this isn’t your supermarket, jarred, whipped guacamole; this could come straight from the streets of Mexico City.

Enjoyable, knowledgeable servers pointed towards several veggie options on their flexible menu. A just-right spiced fajitas dish brimming with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and sweet peppers was an excellent choice, also served with good portions of guacamole and rice.

Smothered in a mild, slightly smoky red sauce and stuffed with a good portion of chicken, the Enchiladas Verde soft tortilla dish added more legitimacy to this legitimate Mexican cuisine.

A couple more margaritas and there’s no need to fly anywhere for a South American-style satisfying meal.

IL FORNO FUSION

Like stepping into a Disney Lady and the Tramp movie, Airdrie’s Il Forno Fusion restaurant is a perfect setting for a romantic dinner or family gathering. Customary redand-white checker table clothes complete the Italian-themed dining room.

But the plot payoff comes with the time-honoured, high-class Italian menu brimming with fresh steamed mussels, cured salmon, pastas, lasagna, veal scallopini and of course pizza.

While a good amount of bread and cheese pies have probably been consumed during the pandemic, there’s no beating a soft, chewy delight delivered to your table straight out of a bricked pizza oven.

The Casalinga pizza produced just that. Slices of Italian sausage coalesced with fresh onions and peppers and a very large amount of Bocconcini-style mozzarella cheese which evoked a small streetside café in Rome.

Emulating a large pull-apart cheese string, plenty of the melted milk product required a bit of knife work between each slice. But that’s the kind of labour that keeps a hungry pizza lover going back for more.

The gravy (yes, I got that from The Sopranos) tomato sauce promoted a nice blend of spices and flavours. And just when you try to think you’re out, they pull you back in with Caesar salad and a large, vegetable-chunked fettuccine primavera (recommended by amusing, pleasant staff) fresher than your garden.

Romantic spaghetti scene optional, this meal would be worth an eight-hour flight to the tomato-vine country. Thankfully, it’s just around the corner.

LA TABLE PASTRY

After a long day of walking around Calais with only two French phrases in your pocket, “please where’s the toilettes” and “where can I manger,” not necessarily in that order, a little sweet at the end of the day always hit the spot.

What would any meal be without a little confection, the sweet bonne bouche, that

tidbit sugary indulgence that signals the taste buds that the eating day has come to another glorious end?

Of course I speak of dessert and, as some would argue, French culture may rise to the top like a creamy concoction when it comes to confectionery satisfaction.

Touting haute cuisine of the patisserie scene, La Table Pastry offers several sweet desserts for the finishing touch. The crème brûlée is one of their upscale, candy-coated treats.

As the name suggests a delicate flame caramelizes the sweet candy-like crust that, on breaking through with a dessert spoon, satisfies like bursting an air-filled packing peanut. Underneath the topping is an appetizing cream, with a delicate sweetness that hits the taste buds with a smooth, clean flavour.

Licking the little red tin clean is optional but recommended.

The apple-caramel-cinnamon cream cheese-filled pastry is both flaky and buttery. And of course everything is better with a sweet cream cheese.

A nicely layered banana chocolate sticky square, Suisse brioche garnished with chocolate chips and a croissant aux almonds rounded off the meal-ending finale. The latter trio could, and in this case, did also make a fine addition to breakfast with a touch of butter. life

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FOR MANY, OBTAINING OUR DAILY BREAD IS ENGRAINED INTO EVERYDAY LIFE.

That slice of nourishing soft, warm, chewy delight is not only a scrumptious treat but a necessity.

Walking into Cobs Bread bakery you are immediately hit with a wave of delicious, aromatic essence of yeast, flour, butter and other fine ingredients that only fresh baked goods can offer. “Cobs mills our own flour. Most of that flour comes from Alberta, and Alberta breed wheat,” says Cobs Bread bakery owner/operator, Alma-Lousie Norris. “The quality is way better flour then what you can buy in a store. It’s very, very high quality ingredients.”

Morning, noon or night, the Towerlane Mall bakery has the answer for every meal whether it’s a comforting breakfast, a sweet real fruit and custard danish, a savoury lunch or a compliment to the evening dinner.

“There’s something for everyone. We have some really great pizzas with mushroom and spinach, prosciutto and chorizo sausage and ham and pineapple. So those are great to pick up bites for lunch,” says Norris who has run Cobs Bread for 10 years. “Of course our most popular item which is cinnamon buns, freshly baked that morning.” A pure local product, Norris and Cobs Bread staff all reside in Airdrie and are heavily involved in charity supplying several outreach organizations through their End of Days program.

“That’s why there’s nothing left at the end of day, it goes to charity, and we start fresh every morning,” Norris says. “It’s a nice win win on both fronts.”Even though we’re a franchise brand, it’s local people baking here.” Grabbing your daily bread will earn rewards through the new Cobs Club app, replacing stamp cards, where patrons will receive two ‘crumbs’ for every dollar spent on any product not just bread loafs.

“This program means every dollar will count whether you’re buying a croissant or cinnamon bun. There will be a five dollar credit to spend on anything when you get to 200 points. That’s super nice,” Norris added.

A list of ingredients of all products can be found in the store and on the Cobs Bread website, including the fall Family Fave artisan sour dough breads and buns – garlic and herb, flax, and plain -- still prepared with the original culture from San Francisco.