Edmonton Journal
Saturday, May 7, 2005
Page: D9
Section: Ed
Byline: Olivia Cheng
Source: The Edmonton Journal

- GARDEN BAKERY, 10019 106TH AVE.

Browsing through a Chinese bakery is the bomb! My mouth immediately starts watering as the delightful smell of freshly baked treats titillates my taste buds.

"Eat me! Eat me!" sing the strawberry and vanilla rolls, coconut cream buns, fresh fruit tarts and yummy little egg tarts. "No! Over here! Eat us!" scream the red bean sesame balls, barbecue pork buns and curry beef puffs.

A food fight threatens to break out between the salty and sweet, but I keep the peace by filling my tray with treats from both sides.

The best part? Goodies start at 80 cents.

- VAN LOC VIETNAMESE SUBMARINES, 10648 98TH ST.

If Jared, the dieting darling for Subway, had only eaten at Van Loc Vietnamese Submarines every day he would've saved a helluva lot of money. For as little as $2.50 the franchise poster boy could've bought a footlong sub stuffed with carrot, cilantro, cucumber and a variety of Vietnamese deli meats. Afterwards, to soothe the sweet tooth, Van Loc might've suggested Jared pony up another $1.25 to munch on his balls -- the green bean sesame sprinkled gelatin ones of course. Or Van Loc's lovely helpers might have persuaded Jared to try the dessert drink crammed with jack fruit pieces, coconut jellies and pink sago for the same price. You got served Jared, ya Subway-sucking doh mah!

- PHO TAU BAY RESTAURANT, 10660 98TH ST.

My brother and I have a deal. Whoever gets rich first will pay off the poorer sibling with a pho allowance so they can gorge on this tasty Vietnamese dish every day. Fellow pho fiends will understand our addiction. When a steaming bowl of pho is served up, my bro and I sample a spoonful of the soup. When satisfied that the beef broth is to our liking we push the raw pieces of beef to the bottom of the bowl so they'll cook. I always get pho with flank, tendon and tripe, and I like to count how many pieces of each are in my bowl. (I hate restaurants that cheap out!) Then we throw the plate of mint leaves and bean sprouts into our bowls and proceed to ignore each other for the next 30 minutes as we zone into our food. Mmmm, pho.

- SLUSH FUN

Nothing beats chilling at Hawrelak park with friends and a bubble drink in hand.

From fresh fruit slushes to ice coffee concoctions and tea-based temptations, bubble drinks come in a variety of flavours to suit all tastes. The drinks are named for the bubbles of chewy black sago balls they contain, but are available sago-free for those with texture issues. Or you can replace the sago with lychee, pineapple and coconut jellies.

Try the healthy slush alternative at places like the Dream Tea House (7912 104th St.), Tea Cottage (10588 100th St.) or the Bubble King (inside T&T Supermarket at WEM).

- DIM SUM DELIGHT, 10812 170TH ST.

Dim sum rocks! It's like going to a buffet but better because the food rolls right up to you in carts. When I invite my non-Asian friends to go "yum cha" the conversation usually goes like this:

Friend: "Dude, no offence, but I can't eat chicken feet."

Me: "Dude, no worries. I hog all the chicken feet anyway. You can have beef balls, rice rolls, shrimp or pork dumplings, sticky chicken rice wrapped in banana leaves, or spare ribs in black bean sauce."

Friend: "There's no dog, right?"

Me: "$%*@ you! Let's go, a-hole!"

ocheng@thejournal.canwest.com
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