Fraser Cafe

One of the best experiences I’ve had eating out happened quite a few months ago. I’ve been meaning to write about it ever since, but kept putting it off, because I wanted to be sure I did this restaurant justice. Well, time has passed, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that some things are better to experience than to read about. And, that is precisely what I suggest you do when it comes to the Fraser Café.

This cozy restaurant keeps an ever-changing menu based on seasonal and locally available foods. Their menu is small and expertly-crafted. Plus, there is always the option of choosing the “Kitchen’s Choice”, which is a surprise dish created just for you by the talented chefs. Cool! This is just what I did upon my last visit. I gave them my dietary restrictions, and they were happy to take on the challenge, on the spot. I was impressed even before I got my meal!

When my dinner arrived, I discovered just what the clever chefs had created for me: A mouth-watering serving of sesame buckwheat noodles topped with toasted veggies coated in a subtle crispy batter. Yes, gluten-free crispy batter. My dish also came with a little stack of zippy kimchi and sesame-soya dipping sauce for the toasted veggies. Delicious! The presentation was lovely, and I couldn’t help but eat at a snail’s pace in an attempt to fully savour every bite. (So sorry I didn't take a photo!) Our meal was beautifully complimented by a ½ litre of Pinot Noir. I’ve been dreaming of it ever since.

The service was also very friendly, professional and attentive. We never felt rushed or pushed in any way, which made the experience very relaxing. I was truly impressed by the staff’s knowledge and the kitchen’s flexibility. I walked out of there feeling incredibly spoiled and swoony. J

But, don’t take my word for it –go experience it for yourself!

Hope to see ya there,

Dino

Fraser Cafe
7 Springfield Road
Ottawa, ON

613-749-1444
Map

Kiko Sushi Bar

A couple of weeks ago, I made my first visit to Kiko Sushi Bar. This is a great little spot, uncannily nestled in Little Italy.

The sushi and salads were fresh and tasty, and the pickles (some blue and purple!) were an unusual yet pleasant accompaniment to our meal. I tried cucumber, avocado, daikon and mushroom rolls, plus a seaweed salad and the house pickles. Not only was the quality apparent, but each dish was artfully presented. Plus, I should mention we had a very attentive server who happily answered my slew of food questions!

I was especially impressed when I found out they keep gluten-free soy sauce on stock, just for folks like us! Yey! Now, you don’t have to feel like a nerd when you pull a bottle of your own soy sauce out of your bag! :) But, be sure to stay away from the tempura, as it does contain some wheat flour.

Enjoy with some cold sake on a hot day!

Kiko Sushi Bar
349B Preston Street
613-695-3143
Map

Montreal Eats

Why, hello dear readers!

I’ve been away for a while, so I'd say I am due for a good long post, no?

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the lovely city of Montreal a couple of times. I had some worthwhile eating experiences there, so I’d like to share some of my finds with you:

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Crudessence
105, Rachel W Street
Montreal, Quebec
H2W 1G4

If you are up for a special eating experience, visit Crudessence. This is the first raw vegan restaurant in Quebec, and everything on the menu is also gluten-free. I’ve been there for breakfast on two occasions and have had the pleasure of trying two delicious savoury crepes that were stuffed with fresh sprouts and greens, plus slathered with macadamia or almond ricotta. Scrumptious! I’ve also had their homemade Key lime pie, made with coco butter and fresh limes in a macadamia-coconut crust. Very satisfying on a hot day. Highly recommended!

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Aux Vivres
4631 boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, Quebec

H2T 1R2

Following the veggie theme, I present you: Aux Vivres. This is another vegan restaurant that has a very good selection of gluten-free offerings, all conveniently marked on the menu. On my first visit, I had a Dragon Bowl, which was a big bushel of fresh steamed veggies over brown rice, covered in tangy ginger dragon sauce. On my next visit, I tried the Thai Bowl, which included more of them fresh steamed veggies plus marinated carrots and raddish, peanuts and grilled tofu covered with a yummy peanut sauce. Mmm! Oh, and I had a Bombay Banana smoothie too. It tasted like a chai latte mixed with bananas! Awesome!

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La crêperie du marché

7070, Henri-Julien Street

Montréal, Quebec

(Marché Jean-Talon) 

This was a surprise find that made my day. As it so happens, this little crêperie makes gluten-free buckwheat crepes, fresh to order. I had a savoury vegetarian one followed by a sweet one filled with bananas and maple butter. The maple butter one was truly to die for!

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Zero 8
1735 St-Denis Streer
Montreal, Quebec

H2X 3K4

This restaurant has a pretty interesting concept –all of its offerings are 100% free of the top 8 allergens, which includes gluten! So, everything on the menu is gluten-free. Yey! For dinner, my friend had the Olive oil + Parsley Tagliatelle, and I had a veggie sandwich with fries and a side of curry mayo. My sandwich and fries were flavourful, and the bread tasty, though it seemed underbaked to me. My dinner date seemed to enjoy his pasta, but complained about the fact that only plain button mushrooms were used, rather than a more flavourful variety. Overall, the food was good, though perhaps a bit overpriced for the quality. We didn’t get the chance to try the desserts, but they looked very appetizing, and I do believe they would be worth a second visit!

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Dragon Beard Candy

This was another little surprise, which I found in Chinatown: Dragon's Beard! A delicacy made with LOTS of sugar, cornstarch, peanuts and more sugar. I don't recall the exact address, but wander down rue de la Gauchetiere at night, and you can't miss it!

Wishing you the happiest of travels!

Dino

Green Earth Vegetarian Cuisine

Last weekend, I made my first visit to Green Earth, a vegetarian restaurant which offers mostly vegan dishes. The menu is pretty extensive, offering mostly pan-asian food with a few random burritos and burgers tossed in for kicks.

I actually had a pretty difficult time ordering here. The menu is not very descriptive and they use the word “protein” to describe meat substitutes in their dishes. This is a bit deceptive for people avoiding gluten. Does protein mean tofu, beans, nuts or fake meats? The concern here is that fake meats all contain gluten. At least, I certainly haven’t found one that doesn’t. They are a mixture of soy protein, wheat gluten, flavours, fats and chemicals that come together to look and taste like meat. A lot of people confuse fake meats with tofu, which is just plain soy bean curd and does not contain gluten (unless it is flavoured with soya sauce or processed in some glutenous way).

I asked our server what exactly “protein” meant on their menu. She explained that it was fake meat, which meant I couldn’t have any. I explained the issue to her, and she offered to talk with the chef to double check whether there was gluten in their fake meats. When she returned from the kitchen, she assured me that their fake chicken didn’t have any gluten. WOW! Oh my! I actually got pretty excited about trying it out! But, then I got suspicious, and asked to see the packaging label so I could check the ingredients for myself. Sure enough, wheat was at the top of the ingredients list. BOOH! I explained this to our server, but she tried to tell me the label didn’t say “gluten”, so it was ok. Um, no. That's not how it works. Where there is wheat, there is gluten. I did my best to explain this, but she didn’t seem to believe me.

Don’t get me wrong here – the staff was actually very kind, caring and attentive. Just totally clueless about gluten. Too bad.

In the end, I ordered a sweet and sour stir-fry with plain tofu instead of their “protein”. They graciously agreed to do this without a problem. The meal was ok. I found it to be on par with the low price. The flavour was good and the presentation wasn't exceptional, but it was cheap, so you can overlook a few things for the price. For dessert, my buddy and I shared a banana split made with tofutti ice cream. It was really delicious! I should mention that there is some debate whether this ice cream is indeed gluten-free. The ingredients don’t contain gluten, but the company has stated there is a risk of cross contamination. But, I threw caution to the wind and ate it anyway! It was easily the best part of the meal!

Green Earth is certainly a decent clean and friendly place for an inexpensive meal. But, I’d advise caution if you plan on eating GF here. The staff was just a little too untrained in the hidden sources of gluten for my comfort. With sadness, I must give this place one thumb down.

Green Earth Vegetarian Cuisine 
354A Preston Street
Ottawa, ON
(613) 563-2784
Map

Spring Thaw Craft Sale

Three Cheers Cupcakes will be featuring gluten-free key lime cupcakes at the Spring Thaw Craft Sale this weekend. Swing by and admire some great local arts and crafts while munching on a little something sweet.


Get there early - GF cupcakes will sell out FAST!

The details are as follows:

Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Routhier Community Centre
Street: 172 Guiges ave.
City: Ottawa, ON

Over 30 vendors offering paintings, crafts, clothing, accessories, jewellery, beauty products, and yummy treats!! $2 entrance fee for a chance to win door prizes from all vendors. Tickets will be drawn every hour!!

Hope to see ya there!