Saskatoon Eats

I am a very critical but there is one restaurant which I am having trouble picking apart. That is Lien Thanh Restaurant in Saskatoon. This cute little restaurant nuzzled conveniently just off of the freeway downtown offers up some of the best Vietnamese noodle dish varieties around. The décor is simple; specials are posted daily on a white board on the wall. The restaurant staff could not be friendlier.

I am in love with their crispy, flaky, delicious Vietnamese Rolls!

You are given two menus when you are seated. The first menu is the itemized text menu listing all of the available dining options. The second menu is a labeled photo album showcasing several of the menu options. It is wonderful to be able to get an idea of what you are in for.

Instead of forcing you to order a full appetizer like many restaurants they give the option of being able to order half orders of the Vietnamese or Pork & Shrimp cold rolls. They have many different varieties of soup and you are also given the option of ordering a smaller portion as well as being able to add on Shrimp! This is great considering many of their soups eat like a meal and make a wonderful appetizer!

They have many different varieties of Vietnamese Noodle Dishes. They offer the much desirable option of being able to add on individual Vietnamese rolls, vegetables, shrimp or a fried egg!

The service at Lien Thanh is friendly and fast. So check out this awesome family restaurant and enjoy the great value. Don’t forget to try one of the cinnamon and chocolate chip cookies on your way out as they are rather delicious!

Downtown Ottawa restaurant has been a favorite of mine for several years. The traditional Japanese Décor is welcoming and the Hostesses Dress the part as well. The menu offers Sizzling Dishes, Sushi, Miso Soup, and white rice served up with chopsticks. Just hope you don’t get a sliver! Saskatoon Eats recommends restaurants invest in some plastic or pre-separated wood chopsticks. Hot Green Tea or Plum wine could be nice additions on chilly Saskatoon days.

Recently there have been some reports of lower quality meat being used at the Ottawa Restaurant and I have to be honest and admit I have noticed a marked decline in quality especially in the Lunch Bento Boxes which are now using dark, fatty meat. This made me a little sad as their Bento Boxes were a great value!

The sauce on the Ginger Chicken is a little bit addictive and even though you don’t see them much anymore the smiling faces of the owners always make Us smile!

I would recommend eating-in over delivery. The food doesn’t seem to keep that well in the way over in Styrofoam containers.

Ottawa Japanese Restaurant is 3/5 Bridges from SaskatoonEats.com Review

I hate when this happens; I know things aren’t the same as they used to be and Ottawa is a lot more popular now but I would have given them 5/5 in 2005 ….. Ah; there will always be memories <3

Gibson’s Fish and Chips is a Saskatoon legend and for good reason. Located in Cumberland Square just off 8th Street and is available for Take-Out in the original location (the doors closest to Safeway). Gibson’s has recently expanded and the addition offers a large dining room. The entrance for Gibson’s Family Dining is found to the left of the original entrance. Since the expansion Gibsons’s has been hoppin’!

The beer battered fish is of the highest quality. Gibson’s never uses sub-par fish. It is always white, flaky and delicious. Make sure to get extra Tartar sauce. The fries are fresh and home cut; while they are not the best in the city, they do not disappoint.

Don’t overlook other menu items either. The shrimp is peeled, de-veined, and fried in a light batter and makes a great addition to any Fish N’ Chips meal. No looking for shrimp butts here, they are taken care of for you and you are left with nothing but delicious battered pop-in-your mouth shrimp!

The take-Out packaging could not be better. Fish is wrapped up in newspaper with some twine to grab and dine!

Don’t miss out on Gibson’s Fish and Chips, it is a must stop in Saskatoon.

Gibsons Fish and Chips
1501 8th St E # 3
Saskatoon, SK S7H 5J6
(Cross Street: 8th ST E and Cumberland AVE S)
306.374.1411

Hours: Closed Sundays

Traeger’s is a cozy little retreat in the middle of the crazy hustle and bustle of 8^th street. It seems much more laid back and relaxed than more traditional English tea venues. Cute old ladies enjoyed tea in the main tea room. Some couples enjoyed dinner in the back dining area.

We came for bakery Take-Out; we sampled a number of baked treats and none of them disappointed. The Rum Balls were tasty and rich but not *too* rich. The shortbread was done almost like grandma would do. I find lots of commercial shortbread falls short, but Traeger’s shortbread holds onto that homemade flavor. They also have gourmet chocolate options for those with diabetic needs.

What really stands out to me, at Traegers is the array of delicious breads. No corners are cut, and you can really tell. We enjoyed Kaiser Rolls, Croissants, Specialty Fruit Bread Loaf, and Pretzel rolls. The Pretzel Rolls were delicious. They were great on their own and next time I go to make burgers, I’m going straight to Traeger’s to get myself some of their delicious Pretzel rolls.

Traeger’s Fine Pastries & Tea Room Restaurant
1515 8th St E # C
Saskatoon, SK S7H 0T2
306.374.7881

Hours:
Monday – Saturday : 8am-8pm
Sunday : 9am-8pm

I was near ecstatic to find out Saskatoon had a wing restaurant. A WING RESTAURANT! Wings are delicious and the news of a restaurant just for wings in countless flavors (there are 30*) tickled me pink.

My first impression was familiarity. The layout is much similar to Subway, Mr.Sub, and other various fast food places. It is obvious this is mainly a take-out venue. I could see the larger packages available working very well for watching hockey games, lan parties, or get togethers.

I was greeted by a very friendly cashier/cook who took the time to explain the most popular flavors. I took her advice on the Puckerin’ Lemon Pepper Wings(½ pound) and on my own accord I ordered Rippin’ Raspberry Pepper Wings(½ pound), Maple BBQ Wings(½ pound), Goooeeeey Honey Garlic flavor(½ pound), Parmesean Ribs(1 pound) and a deep fried Mars Bar! This came to around $30.

It is around a fifteen minute drive back home from Wing Nuts so we dug right into that Mars Bar. Yum! JUST STICK IT IN MY VIENS! I could see this pairing with ice cream or magic green herbs very very well. The mars bar gets 4/5. It isn’t the best, but it is a great unique treat when you are looking for something new.

When we returned home and opened everything up there was a mess of sauce in the bag. I would have scanned the take-out menu for this review but it was covered in raspberry vinegar, parmeasean sauce and some mysterious goo. The ribs and wings were cold and the packaging was very poor. The ½ pounds were packaged together (two per styrofoam) and the flavors mixed.

I believe this restaurant is a great idea with poor execution. The small price that would be involved in wrapping the wings in tinfoil, placing the wings tinfoil bags or tin containers would greatly improve the product and the overall experience.

The wings were delicious after they were reheated, but the flavors hit and miss. I didn’t weigh the wings themselves but the weight seemed a little bit less than ½ pound per order. The rib orders seemed much more accurate for weight.

I would go without the Rippin’ Raspberry Pepper Wings next time, I’m not sure if vinergarettes really go with wings but I would totally get a double order of the Puckerin’ Lemon Pepper Wings. I really love lemon pepper and these wings do lemon pepper the justice it deserves! The preparation of the wings itself gives them a great texture and flavor. I approve of the wings.

On the other hand the dry ribs were lacking in texture and flavor. I remember referring to them only as “meaty chunks”… this isn’t a good thing. I will order the Goooeeeey Honey Garlic flavor again, but next time on wings . The parmeasean ribs were not executed well and could really be improved upon. They would have been much better if the parmesean was a coating for the ribs itself instead of just being sprinkled on top.

I’ve returned to the restaurant since and the wings have remained consistently great. Mmm Wingnuts wings! Overall I think this is a good place to go, just for wings and dessert (they have deep fried Oreoes as well) but maybe pass on the dry ribs and bring your own take-out containers.

Wing Nuts
700 CENTRAL AVE,
SASKATOON, SK S7N 2G5
(Between: C Central & 107th)
(Near: 107th ST W and Central AVE)
306-652-9464

Delivery available for entire City of Saskatoon!

Hours: Sun-Wed : 10:30 AM – Midnight
Thurs-Sat: 10:30 AM – 3AM

When you walk into the Bulk Cheese Warehouse it might be a little bit overwhelming at first. Gourmet Meats and Cheese abound! Take a deep breath and let me guide you….

The Cheese Selection is massive and if you are looking for any cheese in particular this would be the place to locate it in Saskatoon. Since the cheeses are not unique to the Bulk Cheese Warehouse alone; I will not be focusing on these.

In the cheese cases you will also find an array of dips and spreads. I have tried several of these including the hummus and they were good. I especially like the wonderful mass of Cracker and Bread choices available for all of your dipping and spreading needs. Choice is very important and the Bulk Cheese Warehouse does not skimp on this.

Hors d’œuvre : Nearly anything in this case is a good choice but the Samosas are the shining star.

Not all Samosas are created equal my friends. The African style Samosa is very flavorful, and delicious. The spicy sauce is a genius blend of spices that nearly burns off your tongue with pleasure. I prefer to have the Samosas piping hot just as they are served street side at the yearly Fringe Festival; but they can be served cold as well.

Now if you are wondering where The “Bulk” in The Bulk Cheese Warehouse comes in. The Bulk Cheese warehouse has an array of pre-made sides, salads and pastas deli style along the left side of the store. I enjoy the Greek Salad, yum.

The Butchery section is well organized and contains many interesting organic meaty delights! Beef, Chicken, Ostrich, Bison, and much more. Many meats are pre-seasoned and marinated. The Butchers are friendly and willing to answer most any question (Boxers or Briefs?).

In the Butcher Shop what really stands out to me is the Jerky. I’m sure I’ve eaten near a metric ton of beef jerky and the Bulk Cheese warehouse produces some of the best home made jerky imaginable. It might just be the closest you can get to fresh Jerky in the city. I can only describe the Thai Jerky as a flavor blast and should be placed at the top of anyones Jerky list. BOW TO IT! I know I do.

The Bulk Cheese warehouse.
732 Broadway Ave.,
Saskatoon, SK
S7N-1B4
(306) 652-8008
bulkcheese@shaw.ca

Hours:
Mon- Fri: 9:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sat: 9:30 a.m. – 6:30
Sun: 12:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.