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Ah yes, it is August again and it means only one thing - back to school sales! No, no, no, besides that! It is time for the PNE! Yup, win a house, win a car! Maybe pick up a Sham Wow or some Pink Solution. Don't forget about the Super Dogs and the exhibits. This year, there is the Hockey Hall of Fame and also a nostalgic Toytopia exhibit (featuring toys and games of years past). But let's get real here. For many, including myself, it is all about the food!!! Some of the most bizarre and creative things are found at the PNE. This year, I visited the fair with the fam and ate lots, but also returned the next day for the media event. So this post is an amalgamation of both (I used the picture of the Double Decker Diner because it is the coolest-looking food stand).
On the day with the fam, I basically got the first thing that I saw, which was the gigantic Risotto Ball (Arancini) from the Crazy Italian. This took a bit to prepare, but I didn't mind as it was in between the size of a baseball and softball. Beyond the crispy exterior, the cheesy rice (was a little soft) and what looked like squash. It was accompanied by a tangy and chunky tomato sauce. We returned a little later for their Deep Fried Pizza Bites since they were not ready to go when we got the risotto ball. If you were thinking of the pizza bites found at the supermarket, the ones we got here were nothing like that. Rather, they featured fresh pizza dough wrapped around cheese, basil and pepperoni then was deep fried. It was also accompanied by the same tangy tomato sauce. Despite the visuals, it was actually quite good. The soft and chewy dough was balanced off by the melted mozzarella and large chunk of pepperoni.
From there, we moved onto something with a Canadian twist. We've all seen the usual Poutine, but how about a Poutater? A what? Similar to what I tried at Nat Bailey Stadium, this featured tater tots topped with real cheese curds and doused with gravy. However, this version was lit as the tater tots were super crispy. This meant that even with the liberal drizzle of thick salty gravy, the tots remained firmly crunchy. Add in a fair amount of unmelted cheese curds, I had to fight off the kids so that I could actually have some for myself! This, along with 5 other versions were found at the Wiggle Chips stand. If you thought this was sinful, I got the Amsterdam Fries with Fried Pork Belly from the stand with the same name. Fresh-cut and fried twice, the fries were akin to Belgian frites in terms of appearance and texture. They were potatoey with a lightly crispy exterior. I chose a liberal dousing of garlic mayo on top. This was finished off with slices of fried pork belly which were meaty, yet a bit chewy.
We got right down to the sweets early with a PNE classic being the Mini-Donuts at Those Little Donuts. Believe it or not, I've actually worked there in my youth and have not gotten sick of them. These made to order donuts always garner a lineup. There is a good reason for that because the donuts are warm, soft and fluffy. Coated with a liberal amount of cinnamon sugar, there was plenty of sweetness for these little pillows of joy. Here is a tip: do not buy only one bag! Buy 2 for $10.00 because you'll need it, or share with someone else! From one classic to another, we moved onto the Funnel Cake stand for... a Funnel Cake! Yes, it is merely fried batter, but believe me it was tasty! Essentially a mess of piped batter into a deep-fryer, the textures range from crunchy to crispy as well as a pillowy soft middle. Add some icing sugar and we have a traditional yummy fair staple.
Back to the savoury items, we had something that was new last year, but a goodie nonetheless. Over at International Perogy's, we took in an interesting fusion of Asian and Ukranian with the Chili Lime Popcorn Shrimp Perogies. It didn't look like much, but in reality, it was probably one of our favourite items of the day. It sported mini-perogies which were soft and fluffy where the skin was thin. The chili lime was impactful and did taste like its namesake. Scattered around on top was crispy popcorn shrimp. This ate a lot heavier than it appeared. Nearby, at Jamaican Mi Juicy, we got the Jerk Chicken Plate that came with a leg, beans & rice and salad. We found the chicken to be moist and succulent with a mild amount of spice. We would've liked it with even more spice, but I'm sure this was made with the general public in mind.
That last food item I purchased also happened to be on the media tour the next day. It was the Double Bacon Mac n' Cheese Super Footlong Hot Dog at Super Footlong Hotdogs. Interestingly enough, the one I tried the first time had bacon in the mac n' cheese while the second did not. Whatever the case, the wiener itself was meaty and nicely seared. It was rolled with bacon and toasted with only the ends being crispy. On top, there was a liberal amount of soft cheesey mac (a bit more al dente would've been better). I thought it could've been saltier, but the bacon bits did help in that regard. Now, probably the most visually striking (or shocking) item at the PNE this year is the Crispy Chicken Feet on a Stick from Chicky's Chicken. This was lightly-battered and fried which meant that the cartilage itself was crunchy. On the outside, the skin was soft and well-marinated being sweet. I personally prefer the Chinese Dim Sum version, but this is the ultimate dare at the PNE this year.
Over at Steve-O's Public House, we moved past last year's Oreo Churro and Deep Fried Tequila Bites and tried their Waffle Taco. Looking like a dessert taco, the texture of the waffle was delicate and brittle. Despite the logistics in keeping everything together, it was perfect since the lightness kept things from being heavy and didn't take away from the subtle ingredients. This included rolled ice cream topped with whipped cream, Oreos and sprinkles. This was so airy, one could easily have more than one (or still have room for other food). Shockingly, there has never been a Dim Sum stall at the PNE... until now. Dim Sum Express has set up shop offering traditional items such as Ha Gau, Siu Mai and BBQ Pork Buns. I thought the dumpling skin on the ha gau to be on the thicker side while the shrimp were definitely buttery but lacking a snap. The siu mai were soft and lightly bouncy consisting primarily of pork. As for the bun, it was soft and fluffy with a sweet and lean filling.
Another shocking offering at the fair is the Cricket Burger at Gourmet Burgers. Every year, they up the ante with their creations and I have to say they take the cake this time around. Essentially a regular beef burger with chipotle mayo, the kicker is a generous helping of whole roasted BBQ crickets on top of the patty. Intimidating? Yes? Scary to eat? Maybe. However, it ate quite well with a tender beef patty accented by smoky and chunky crickets. There was a certain Earthiness about it. Very interesting indeed. After this, I found out we were going to have a funnel cake and I was afraid of another repeat. Rather, we were treated to the Funnel Cake Poutine topped with the usual cheese curds and gravy. So take the classic and sweet funnel cake as mentioned above and balance it off with salty gravy and cheese. Hence, we had the appealing combination of salty and sweet with the crispy and airy texture of funnel cake!
Continuing on with sweet, we visited a Canadian classic with Beaver Tails. A take on the traditional First Nations fry-bread (Bannock), they make it thinner and topped it with many sweet toppings. My personal favourite happens to be the cinnamon sugar as it allows the fry bread to remain crispy and simple. However, the Nutella and banana is a close second with the smooth chocolatey nutty spread naturally complimented by ripe banana. Our last stop was at Double Decker Diner which is an actual bus converted to a kitchen on the bottom and a cool eating area on top. We tried their Old English Fish n' Chips and it was fantastic. Lightly battered and crispy, the fish itself was flaky and super moist. The hand cut fries were crispy while retaining plenty of potato goodness. Of course, we took our food up to the top to eat and it was a little slice of heaven away from the bustling activity below.
Before I left the fairgrounds, I made one personal stop (other than dropping off my PNE Show Home Lottery Tickets) at The Praguery and got the Lemon Curd Soft Serve in a chimney cake cone. I've had the chimney cake in the past, but never filled with ice cream. This was a good decision because I always felt that the soft yeasty cake needed something with it and that would be tangy lemon curd and creamy ice cream! I needed to eat this quick though as the ice cream melted fast and was seeping out below. So there you have it! As much fair food I could handle at the PNE. Try some of them out and see which one is your favourite.
You'd think after a filling brunch at the infamous (yes, I meant to use that word) Jam Cafe and then a "not-so-light" meal at John's Place, we were yearning for salad or something... Well you have clearly underestimated our eating prowess. Originally, we were to go for brunch once again at the Blue Fox Cafe, but it was not to be as the lineup was worse than Jam. Therefore, we had to go to Plan B, which did not include anything green and leafy (unless it was in a burger). Hence, we walked a few blocks to Bin 4 Burger Lounge to get those leafy greens, along with meat and fries...
I had the Minted Lamb featuring eggplant & tomato relish, Ermite blue cheese, mint pistou, roasted garlic aioli, butter lettuce and red onion. I gotta say this was tasty. The lamb patty was fully cooked, yet at the same time, juicy and tender. It wasn't particularly gamy, yet it wasn't bland either. There was a natural meat flavour enhanced by the mint on top as well as the cheese. I found the fries to be lightly crispy, but with a few soggy ones. They were still good though and the truffle dip was plenty impactful without being overwhelming. From something creative to the regular, we had the Heritage served plain. Not very exciting, but at the very least, we could get the natural beef flavour from the well-charred but still moist patty. This sported BBQ sauce on the side for the fries.
Seeing how we missed out on brunch, it was still possible at Bin 4 with the Breakfast Club. This consisted of 63 Acres premium BC pork & chorizo, fried egg, Hertel's bacon, house made roasted jalapeno guacamole, roasted garlic aioli, 5 yr cheddar, butter lettuce, tomato and red onion. This was a hearty concoction where the pork & chorizo patty was juicy with a salty spiciness. The sharp cheddar and condiments added layers of flavour and of course the runny egg made things messy. From fatty to lean, the Bison Burner sported 5 year aged cheddar, crispy fried onions, house made lime and tomatillo hot sauce, jalapeno aioli, butter lettuce and tomato. Although the bison was indeed lean, it was not dry. Furthermore, the tomatillo and aioli added moisture as well as a tangy spice.
Lastly, the Bistro consisted of Rossdown Farms free run chicken breast, Hertel's bacon, brie cheese, balsamic onion jam, roasted garlic aioli, butter lettuce and tomato. Once again, the meat was still tender despite being chicken breast. As you can clearly see, they didn't skimp on the creamy brie so it was a hearty burger, especially with the bacon on top. The brioche bun was light, yet stayed intact. On the side was some spiced potato chips with curry aioli. Despite being a side, the chips and fries along with the many dip options were just as good as the burgers. It's not cheap, but considering the quality and execution, it was worth it.
The Good:
- Well-executed proteins
- Don't skimp on the toppings
- Love the dip options
The Bad:
- Won't come cheaply, but not expensive for what you get
Since we already hit up a "You Gotta Eat Here!" spot in the morning at Jam Cafe, we figured that visiting John's Place would be in order. Hey, one can never have enough comfort food in crazy ass portions right? There were a few moans and groans since they were still digesting brunch. However, John's place fit the bill as it was reasonably-priced with large plates of food and happened to be the first restaurant featured in the "You Gotta Eat Here!" series. Now it is one thing to serve copious amounts of food, but how does it taste? I guess we were about to find out on this food adventure.
We started off with some appies including the Calamari and Fried Dill Pickles. Okay, this has to be one of my pet peeves when I order calamari - the addition of fillers. There was more green pepper and onions than calamari itself. With that being said, the squid was tender with a pleasant chewiness. The batter was lightly crispy and stayed adhered to each piece. I loved the tzatziki as it was thick and flavourful with a good kick of acidity. Sporting a thick, yet crunchy breading, the pickles were juicy and appealingly tart. On the side, the ranch dip helped cool the piping hot pickle as well as added some creaminess.
We weren't huge fans of the Hummus & Pita since the dip itself was rather grainy and too mildly seasoned. However, I did get a bit of garlic and lemon. I'm not sure if this is what they were trying to achieve, but for us, it wasn't the creamy and tangy version that we prefer. The grilled pita on the side was soft and fluffy with an exterior crispiness. This was the only dish we didn't end up finishing.
For my main, I decided on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatloaf which was doused with a notably rich and creamy gravy. The meat itself was tender and not overly dense. It was bordering on loose, but ultimately stayed intact. Flavours were mild, but the Marsala in the gravy was impactful enough. The mashed potato was on point being starchy while still smooth. Loved the veggies too as they were caramelized and sightly smoky. The crispy onions were a good textural contrast. Cee Cee went for their signature dish in the Chicken Oopa stuffed with feta and almonds. This was a fairly "light" dish where the flavours were mild with some tang and Earthiness. The chicken itself was tender and succulent despite being the breast meat.
One of the most appealingly-plated dishes was surprisingly the Perogies and Ukrainian Sausage. It ate as good as it appeared where the perogies sported a relatively thin dumpling skin that was not doughy nor too dense. Loved the caramelization on the outside (with Cajun seasoning) while the filling was soft and well-seasoned. Nicely seared, the sausage was meaty where it provided the necessary saltiness to the dish. Looking rather rich and creamy, the Tortellini with chicken was good. The pasta wasn't too thick and was just a bit past al dente. As mentioned, the sauce was creamy as well as being well-seasoned.
As much as Halibut n' Chips didn't seem like an exciting dish to order, it turned out to be one the best of the meal. It featured a large piece of halibut which was flaky and moist. Although the batter on the outside seemed a bit aggressive, it turned out to be crunchy and not dense. The tartar sauce was a real star as it was creamy and purposefully tart. Looking very brown, the house cut fries were crunchy, yet a bit oil-logged. Another solid dish was the Cheeseburger in Paradise featuring a thick hand-formed patty. It was pretty moist and natural-tasting. As seen in the picture, there was plenty of melted cheddar and crispy fried onions. So from the dishes we tried, you can probably tell the place is a honest diner without any bells & whistles. In that regard, it does it well at a reasonable price.
The Good:
- Generally solid diner eats
- Well-priced
- Nice people
The Bad:
- A little rough around the edges, but it is honest food
- Gotta work on that hummus
You'd think that since we have our very own location of Jam Cafe in Vancouver, I would stay away from the original store in Victoria right? Well, no because it is always nice to visit the first Jam Cafe where they built up a reputation for creative brunch items served in enormous portion sizes. Also, a visit to Victoria wouldn't be complete either. Luckily for us, we seemed to have hit the sweet spot with our arrival as the lineup lasted only 15 minutes or so. Once inside, the decor was familiar as well as the menu.
As such, I ordered one of their most popular items (which I didn't have a chance to try in Vancouver) in the Pulled Pork Pancakes. This lived up to Jam Cafe's reputation arriving as an intimidating portion size. Not only was there a huge pile of moist pulled pork on top, there was even more sandwiched in between the pancakes (which were fluffy and moist). A touch sweet and nicely balanced by the pickled slaw, the pulled pork was meaty yet not dry. I did find the pancakes to be getting a bit soggy due to the amount of pork though. Cee Cee went for the Chicken and Waffles which were similar to the one in Vancouver, but better. The chicken was juicy with well-seasoned and crispy batter. Soft and slightly chewy, the waffles were a good canvas for the creamy and lightly peppery sausage gravy.
Featuring the same meaty and tender pulled pork, The Union was both messy and tasty. Suffice to say, the sweet and tart flavours melded well the amount of moisture meant the sandwich ate well. Despite this, the bun stood up to the wet ingredients while not being dense either. The generous side of matchstick fries were cripsy and light. Onto another lunch item, the Mac n' Cheese Sandwich was good due to the addition of thick sliced bacon. It added both crunch and saltiness to an otherwise ho-hum version of mac n' cheese. It was decently flavourful, but unfortunately dry. Being that was sandwiched in between bread, that made the sandwich even more dry.
Although the popular Charlie Bowl is something that I avoided in Vancouver, it was ordered by 3 people at our table. This massive serving consisted of hash browns, biscuit pieces, smoked ham, cheese, country gravy and green onion with 2 eggs on top. Yes, this was carb-heavy, but was rather tasty at the same time. This was due to the creamy gravy and impactful ham. Otherwise, it was quite the filler with all those carbs. Overall, this visit to the Victoria location was as expected (since I've been to the Vancouver one). It yielded large portions of generally tasty food.
The Good:
- Large portions
- I found it tastier than the Vancouver location
- Great service
The Bad:
- A bit carb heavy on some items
- Lineup
Remember my previous post about the new location of Neptune at Station Square in Burnaby? I mentioned that it was expanding at a very fast pace and moving into strategic locations. Well, before I could even finish that thought, they took over the old location of Stake at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam. I would say they are very astute in doing do since there aren't many great Chinese restaurants in the area and hey, the bulk of the clientele at the casino are Asian. This time around, I was invited to sample some of their signature dishes at the new spot.
We began with the Chilled Spicy Shrimp that didn't look like much from its appearance. However, I was very wrong with this assessment as one bite (after deshelling), and each shrimp was bursting with flavour that was a little of everything including spice, sweetness and savouriness. My only wish was that the shrimp were bigger as it was a lot of work to yield so little tail meat. Next up was the dessert... That's right, we got the Creamy Egg Yolk Custard Bun. No matter since they were fantastic. Featuring a thin and airy bun, the centre was overflowing with creamy and buttery aromatically sweet custard. I thought it was balanced in flavour and the texture was on point.
Continuing on with Dim Sum items, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling). Although the dumpling skin was a touch thick and possibly over-steamed, the ha gau were still good. The skin still displayed a nice elasticity and rebound. Inside, the filling featured a buttery snap that was sweet and aromatic from the shrimp and sesame oil. There wasn't much filler here. As for the Siu Mai, they were also quite large and featured plenty of shrimp. The chunks of pork were on the softer side while still retaining a meatiness. There was enough shrimp and shiitake for varied flavours including a sweeter slant to the seasoning. Loved the amount of tobiko on top as it looked appealing.
It seems all the rage now is to prepared Dungeness Crab with Salty Egg Yolk Sauce. Well, there is a good reason for that - it can be darn tasty. Well, this was no exception as there was just enough sauce clinging to the pieces of crab. It was not too salty since there was an equal amount of sweetness for balance. It was aromatic and not gritty where it complimented the fluffy sweet pieces of crab beautifully. From crab, we moved onto the Lobster on Sticky Rice steamed in a bamboo steamer. This was also very good where the lobster was fried just enough that it was still buttery with a sweet rebound. The rice underneath was the beneficiary of the sauce that the lobster was stir-fried in, so that it was full-flavoured while not wet.
The best dish of the meal was the Sticky Rice on Crispy Chicken. Visually, it was stunning with a caramelized hue from the chicken skin. It had been rendered down where the skin was crispy throughout with minimal fat underneath. The chicken meat was kept moist and was well-seasoned. Underneath, the sticky rice was chewy and moist while not being too wet. It was aromatic from the deep fry on the bottom side. Before we dug into the Neptune Signature Ribs, we could smell the black vinegar. Hence, there was intense and deeply sweet and tangy flavours from the sauce. The ribs were tender and succulent while still retaining a noted meatiness. However, I would've liked the ribs to be crispier and/or firmer on the outside.
Adding to the mish mash of dishes, we had the Fish and Pumpkin Congee. This was served piping hot and full of ingredients. I found the broth to be silky and only lightly thick. It didn't water down at the end though. It was not overly seasoned and allowed the fish and pumpkin to stand out. The basa fillets were tender and completely moist while the pumpkin was fully cooked while not dissolved into the broth. Interestingly, the Curry Seafood Chow Mein was red despite appearing to be yellow on the outside. No matter, it was flavourful with a slight spiciness and sweetness. The seafood was on point while the noodles were crunchy. We only wished there was more sauce as the noodles stayed crunchy with only the middle softening up.
Finishing off with another carb dish (as always in a Chinese multi-course meal), we had the Yang Chow Fried Rice. I've had this dish at the Surrey location before and let's just say this was plated more nicely. But no matter, it ate pretty much the same with chewy wok fried rice where the shrimp was cold-water crunchy. Overall, the meal we had at the Hard Rock location mirrors what I've had in the past. It was above-average and predictable. Definitely a welcomed addition to the are as there are not many options for authentic Chinese food.
*All food was complimentary*
The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Wide array of dishes on the menu
- Spacious dining room
The Bad:
- Like the other locations, there are things that can be refined
Posts
Ah yes, it is August again and it means only one thing - back to school sales! No, no, no, besides that! It is time for the PNE! Yup, win a house, win a car! Maybe pick up a Sham Wow or some Pink Solution. Don't forget about the Super Dogs and the exhibits. This year, there is the Hockey Hall of Fame and also a nostalgic Toytopia exhibit (featuring toys and games of years past). But let's get real here. For many, including myself, it is all about the food!!! Some of the most bizarre and creative things are found at the PNE. This year, I visited the fair with the fam and ate lots, but also returned the next day for the media event. So this post is an amalgamation of both (I used the picture of the Double Decker Diner because it is the coolest-looking food stand).
On the day with the fam, I basically got the first thing that I saw, which was the gigantic Risotto Ball (Arancini) from the Crazy Italian. This took a bit to prepare, but I didn't mind as it was in between the size of a baseball and softball. Beyond the crispy exterior, the cheesy rice (was a little soft) and what looked like squash. It was accompanied by a tangy and chunky tomato sauce. We returned a little later for their Deep Fried Pizza Bites since they were not ready to go when we got the risotto ball. If you were thinking of the pizza bites found at the supermarket, the ones we got here were nothing like that. Rather, they featured fresh pizza dough wrapped around cheese, basil and pepperoni then was deep fried. It was also accompanied by the same tangy tomato sauce. Despite the visuals, it was actually quite good. The soft and chewy dough was balanced off by the melted mozzarella and large chunk of pepperoni.
From there, we moved onto something with a Canadian twist. We've all seen the usual Poutine, but how about a Poutater? A what? Similar to what I tried at Nat Bailey Stadium, this featured tater tots topped with real cheese curds and doused with gravy. However, this version was lit as the tater tots were super crispy. This meant that even with the liberal drizzle of thick salty gravy, the tots remained firmly crunchy. Add in a fair amount of unmelted cheese curds, I had to fight off the kids so that I could actually have some for myself! This, along with 5 other versions were found at the Wiggle Chips stand. If you thought this was sinful, I got the Amsterdam Fries with Fried Pork Belly from the stand with the same name. Fresh-cut and fried twice, the fries were akin to Belgian frites in terms of appearance and texture. They were potatoey with a lightly crispy exterior. I chose a liberal dousing of garlic mayo on top. This was finished off with slices of fried pork belly which were meaty, yet a bit chewy.
We got right down to the sweets early with a PNE classic being the Mini-Donuts at Those Little Donuts. Believe it or not, I've actually worked there in my youth and have not gotten sick of them. These made to order donuts always garner a lineup. There is a good reason for that because the donuts are warm, soft and fluffy. Coated with a liberal amount of cinnamon sugar, there was plenty of sweetness for these little pillows of joy. Here is a tip: do not buy only one bag! Buy 2 for $10.00 because you'll need it, or share with someone else! From one classic to another, we moved onto the Funnel Cake stand for... a Funnel Cake! Yes, it is merely fried batter, but believe me it was tasty! Essentially a mess of piped batter into a deep-fryer, the textures range from crunchy to crispy as well as a pillowy soft middle. Add some icing sugar and we have a traditional yummy fair staple.
Back to the savoury items, we had something that was new last year, but a goodie nonetheless. Over at International Perogy's, we took in an interesting fusion of Asian and Ukranian with the Chili Lime Popcorn Shrimp Perogies. It didn't look like much, but in reality, it was probably one of our favourite items of the day. It sported mini-perogies which were soft and fluffy where the skin was thin. The chili lime was impactful and did taste like its namesake. Scattered around on top was crispy popcorn shrimp. This ate a lot heavier than it appeared. Nearby, at Jamaican Mi Juicy, we got the Jerk Chicken Plate that came with a leg, beans & rice and salad. We found the chicken to be moist and succulent with a mild amount of spice. We would've liked it with even more spice, but I'm sure this was made with the general public in mind.
That last food item I purchased also happened to be on the media tour the next day. It was the Double Bacon Mac n' Cheese Super Footlong Hot Dog at Super Footlong Hotdogs. Interestingly enough, the one I tried the first time had bacon in the mac n' cheese while the second did not. Whatever the case, the wiener itself was meaty and nicely seared. It was rolled with bacon and toasted with only the ends being crispy. On top, there was a liberal amount of soft cheesey mac (a bit more al dente would've been better). I thought it could've been saltier, but the bacon bits did help in that regard. Now, probably the most visually striking (or shocking) item at the PNE this year is the Crispy Chicken Feet on a Stick from Chicky's Chicken. This was lightly-battered and fried which meant that the cartilage itself was crunchy. On the outside, the skin was soft and well-marinated being sweet. I personally prefer the Chinese Dim Sum version, but this is the ultimate dare at the PNE this year.
Over at Steve-O's Public House, we moved past last year's Oreo Churro and Deep Fried Tequila Bites and tried their Waffle Taco. Looking like a dessert taco, the texture of the waffle was delicate and brittle. Despite the logistics in keeping everything together, it was perfect since the lightness kept things from being heavy and didn't take away from the subtle ingredients. This included rolled ice cream topped with whipped cream, Oreos and sprinkles. This was so airy, one could easily have more than one (or still have room for other food). Shockingly, there has never been a Dim Sum stall at the PNE... until now. Dim Sum Express has set up shop offering traditional items such as Ha Gau, Siu Mai and BBQ Pork Buns. I thought the dumpling skin on the ha gau to be on the thicker side while the shrimp were definitely buttery but lacking a snap. The siu mai were soft and lightly bouncy consisting primarily of pork. As for the bun, it was soft and fluffy with a sweet and lean filling.
Another shocking offering at the fair is the Cricket Burger at Gourmet Burgers. Every year, they up the ante with their creations and I have to say they take the cake this time around. Essentially a regular beef burger with chipotle mayo, the kicker is a generous helping of whole roasted BBQ crickets on top of the patty. Intimidating? Yes? Scary to eat? Maybe. However, it ate quite well with a tender beef patty accented by smoky and chunky crickets. There was a certain Earthiness about it. Very interesting indeed. After this, I found out we were going to have a funnel cake and I was afraid of another repeat. Rather, we were treated to the Funnel Cake Poutine topped with the usual cheese curds and gravy. So take the classic and sweet funnel cake as mentioned above and balance it off with salty gravy and cheese. Hence, we had the appealing combination of salty and sweet with the crispy and airy texture of funnel cake!
Continuing on with sweet, we visited a Canadian classic with Beaver Tails. A take on the traditional First Nations fry-bread (Bannock), they make it thinner and topped it with many sweet toppings. My personal favourite happens to be the cinnamon sugar as it allows the fry bread to remain crispy and simple. However, the Nutella and banana is a close second with the smooth chocolatey nutty spread naturally complimented by ripe banana. Our last stop was at Double Decker Diner which is an actual bus converted to a kitchen on the bottom and a cool eating area on top. We tried their Old English Fish n' Chips and it was fantastic. Lightly battered and crispy, the fish itself was flaky and super moist. The hand cut fries were crispy while retaining plenty of potato goodness. Of course, we took our food up to the top to eat and it was a little slice of heaven away from the bustling activity below.
Before I left the fairgrounds, I made one personal stop (other than dropping off my PNE Show Home Lottery Tickets) at The Praguery and got the Lemon Curd Soft Serve in a chimney cake cone. I've had the chimney cake in the past, but never filled with ice cream. This was a good decision because I always felt that the soft yeasty cake needed something with it and that would be tangy lemon curd and creamy ice cream! I needed to eat this quick though as the ice cream melted fast and was seeping out below. So there you have it! As much fair food I could handle at the PNE. Try some of them out and see which one is your favourite.
