Chef Stuart Whyte of Original Redhead Condiments partnered with Taste Alberta last week to bring Edmonton the world’s best street foods.
I would consider myself a well-travelled individual compared to the average Joe. That isn’t mean to say that I’ve seen everything that I want to see though. The world is so big and I’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s also so much to EAT. What’s a girl to do? It’s pretty helpful then that the latest Taste Alberta event brought the world’s street food just a little closer to home. Hosted at the Dogwood Cafe (part of Culina’s family of restaurants) at Riverside Golf course, the outdoor tournament patio turned into our dining space for the evening. Tickets for the event were $29 and included three street food vouchers and one dessert voucher. Additional vouchers were available for purchase for $6. A steal of a deal, considering how much most food events are lately.
Aside from running Dogwood Cafe, Chef Stuart Whyte was keen on showcasing his love for other food, specifically Thai and Latin flavours. The menu was simple with five dishes total and one dessert. I loved that we were able to use our vouchers as we saw fit. Thank goodness for like minded diners, we wanted to try them all!
Larb Salad
Som Tom Salad
Larb Salad Minced pork, herbs, chilis, lime juice, and fish sauce. Without any forewarning, this larb salad was spicy. I mean a nice, sloooooooow, burn spicy from the use of Thai chilis. Strong use of herbs made it simultaneously refreshing and one of my favourite dishes of the night. I’m sure those who couldn’t handle their heat would disagree.
Som Tom Salad Green papaya, daikon, carrot, tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, and dried shrimp. The dish was pretty standard compared to other som tom salads I’ve had before. I was grateful for the crunch from the vegetables.
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- Spicy Grilled Chicken Hearts
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- Al Pastor Tacos
Salchicha Kaftas
Elote
Spicy Brazilian Grilled Chicken Hearts Marinated in Original Redhead Condiments Habanero Tarragon. One order came with a skewer of four chicken hearts, not for the unadventurous, a delight for offal lovers. I didn’t mind the slightly chewy texture, although it really depended on the piece. The marinade was the star of the show, something I need to put down on my grocery list. Chef Whyte’s Original Redhead Condiments can be bought at Local Omnivore, or just reach out to him through social media or email. There’s really something special about these fermented hot sauces!
Al Pastor Tacos Marinated pork cooked in banana leaves, smoked pineapples, and assortment of condiments by Original Redhead Condiments. My personal least favourite of the night as the pork was running a touch on the dry side but it was fun to use all the sauces available! Doused in salsa verde made my bites more palatable.
Salchicha Kaftas FUGE Fine Meats Salchicha de Huacho (Peruvian), crema, herbs, on fresh naan. FUGE Fine Meats is one of my favourite sausage makers in Edmonton and if you haven’t tried Steven Furgiuele’s products, that needs to go on your to-do list before any globe-trotting happens.
Elote Mexican street corn, chili salt, butter, cilantro, lime, and crema. With a number of dishes already making our tongues burn and our heads sweat, the sweetness of the elote was the best possible way to cool down. Also, thank goodness for crema.
Sweet Thai Sticky Rice
Sweet Thai Sticky Rice with banana and served in banana leaves. Not too sweet and packed with bananas, presentation of dessert was a winner all around our table. I thought it would have paired well with the use of coconut milk or even some toasted coconut flakes, but it did end our meal nicely.
Here’s hoping that Chef Stuart Whyte will run another event like this! It was awesome to see different dishes from all parts of the world and to finally try his sauces.
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- Taste of Alberta International Street Food Menu
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- Taste of Alberta International Street Food
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- Taste of Alberta International Street Food
Taste of Alberta International Street Food
Keep up to date with all events hosted by or with Taste Alberta by following their Facebook or Twitter. You can also check out Dogwood Cafe’s menus online for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Event by Taste Alberta
By Original Redhead Condiments and Dogwood Cafe Riverside
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