The Granary - Saskatoon, SK

The Granary Saskatoon, I always hear their radio ads when driving. Finally went about and tried it with a friend one night. 

Dined in the lounge, good ambiance. 

I might have made the mistake of ordering prime rib at 8 pm which ruined my meal. Ordering so late, I guess I was subjected to the last of the prime rib that has been under the heating lamp all day. It was dry, flavorless... sadly disappointing considering I was craving a nice melt-in-mouth piece of succulent meat.

Started with two appetizers since they had a wonderful deal of 2 for 1 appys.
Had the Neptune mushroom which was mushrooms baked with cream cheese that is mixed with crab. Not a bad dish for its price

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Neptune Mushroom

Neptune Mushroom

Service was average, nothing special.

Overall, I would go for appetizers with friends but wouldn't order a main.

 

Berry Barn - Saskatoon, SK

When I first moved to Saskatoon, I asked around for any good recommendations for restaurants.The Berry Barn was thrown out several times. I've always been curious, it seems like a great place to go for brunch with the family.

Wasn't sure what I was expecting but it was interesting that they had a little gift store before entering the restaurant. They really marketed the crap out of this place (berry barn bbq sauce etc). Behind the restaurant, there's a little farm/pond you can walk around, which added a nice touch.

But of course, the most important part is the food. Everything is homemade on the menu,

Honestly, its just a Saskatoon tourist hot spot, regards to the menu/taste wise - its nothing special. Pretty bland perogies, I would not have noticed a difference if it they were just frozen ones from the supermarket and passed as hand made.
Spring rolls were soggy and greasy. They only had vermicelli noodles in them and some strands of lettuce - no veg. They essentially exploded in the deep fryer but was still served.

Cheesecake wasn't as bad. You could tell it was homemade; but wasn't the best, not much flavor.

Service wasn't great. He seemed like he didn't want to be there / didn't know how to be a friendly server.

Overall, food wasn't worth the drive nor money. Atmosphere was ... alright; it wasn't really special. Nothing stood out for me or makes me want to go back.

Keo's Kitchen - Saskatoon, SK

Went here not too long ago, thought it was time to share my experience. I love thai food, the spice, the flavors, the culture... ahh.

Tried Keo's Kitchen after alot of people recommended it to me, all saying this place knows how to spice things up. And yes, yes they do. I was almost sweating eating the green curry and I loved every moment of it. Speaking of the green curry, it's my go to dish. Keo's does a well done job, i had medium spice and it had a nice balance in the curry. I do wish it had a little more coconut flavor but I guess the spice level may change that as well; hard to control.

I'm a sucker for iced coffee and Keo's did not disappoint with theirs. I didn't find it as sweet as vietnamese coffee, but Ive heard various differences between the two. Some say they're the same except different coffee beans, some tell me one doesn't use condensed milk (The horror!!) but i personally have no idea and didn't think to ask the server.

Back to the food, it all was pretty tasty. I would pass on the spring rolls next time, just growing up on them and especially having home made ones... its hard for me to like restaurant ones and their recipe for the meat. Nothing beats the food your parents make. And I also think spring rolls are ridiculously expensive.

Great plating, very modern and relaxing ambiance. Good service, she took the time to answer any questions 

The only thing i wish was that the veg in the curry was cut a little smaller. Mainly the cauliflower.... but that is of course, just my preference for my small mouth. The dessert was light and refreshing, probably won't get it again just because I find the others more appealing. It's essentially just a biscuit and vanilla ice cream, thats my go to at costco so sorry Keo's I'll try your custard or sticky rice next time ;)

Overall, I have no complaints and will be back to try the other menu items. Living up to all the recommendations I've been getting.

 

Seoul Korean Restaurant - Saskatoon, SK

Beef Ribs and Japchae

Alright, let me be honest first... back in the day I was never a big fan or Korean Cuisine. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Korean BBQ - who doesn't?! But I could not like Kimchi or spice ... and I was also ignorant back then as well. I traveled to Korea a year ago and along with discovering how much they loved spice, I got to experience alot of interesting dishes. The spice made sense considering it was so cold outside when I went, there was no snow like Canada but that wind just bites! 

Now, I'm a changed woman. I enjoy kimchi and love a kick in my food. I've been to this Seoul Korean Restaurant twice since I've moved here. Each time, I have walked out more then satisfied.

Having experienced these dishes first in Korea, Seoul Korean Restaurant is authentic and delicious. No offense to Saskatoon, but I'm surprised this Seoul Korean Restaurant has survived since 2011 (earliest evidence I can find about it).  Usually smaller cities don't appreciate authentic cuisine and crave more of a fusion... so when I thought about the size and the demographics I was... happy(? not sure if that's the right word) that Seoul Korean Restaurant looked like it was being recognized for it's authentic dishes.

I've had a couple of dishes here:

Bulgogi Jeongol - It had lots of veg but still a good amount of beef included. Good flavor. It's a great comfort food to warm up with in the winter!


Pork& Beef Ribs - Please show me a korean restaurant that does not serve good Korean BBQ? They also offer to cook it for you in the kitchen if it suits your needs. Delicious!

Japchae

Japchae - One of my all time favorite dishes in life. And they do a pretty good job here, can't go wrong with sesame oil.They actually give you a fairly large portion as well.

Bulgogi Jeongol

Patbingsu - The dessert. Honestly, I'd pass. Nothing special - just ice cream and shaved ice with fruit + fruit loops. I think they did add sort of a red bean paste with it but it didn't really add any flavor, hence why I'm unsure if it was red bean.... But yes, this dessert isn't really as good or special as the photos make it look. Better off just going to menchies or marble slab.

They do offer a believe... three side dishes? A Sweet mash, bean sprouts and ... KIMCHI!

Prices are fairly reasonable, service is alright - pretty average. The restaurant itself is pretty spacey and only have a limited amount of tables. The second time I went during the supper rush on a weekday, people that came after us did have a short wait.

Good to see they embraced ipad menus, very up to date. I was surprised they didn't take our orders with iphones.

I would definitely be back when I'm craving some delicious korean food and will be recommending it to whomever.

Rock Creek Tap and Grill - Saskatoon, SK

The Guacamole Brie-wich

I'm not a big beer fan... or alcohol in general. So I can't really comment on the beer selection.
Food wise... not impressed. We were seated promptly and I must say, when we walked into the dining area, I was impressed. It's very well decorated, modern and provided a very relaxing ambiance. Great atmosphere.

Nothing really crazy that stood out on the menu for me, pretty similar to Earls/Moxies I would say. They did have a feature menu, which I love when restaurants do that.

My friend ordered the "Guacamole Brie-wich" which sounded really tempting to me as well, but I opted for the "Organic Meatloaf".

The Guacamole Brie-wich was, I must say, a disappointment. Sounded great on the menu, but once you get it... it just wasn't what you expected. It was a more boring dish then expected. She also ordered a side of Salsa and we both found it to taste rather.. intense. And by that, I mean when you take a taste of it, its like you just sipped some rubbing alcohol.
One weird note was that there was less then a handful of fries.

Organic meatloaf sub mash potatoes

The "Organic Meatloaf" was alright, pretty generic. You can't really screw up a chunk of meat. It was under the "Comfort Food" Section, which is fitting. I love meatloaf, its a nice hearty dish. This dish was alright, smaller portion then I'm use to when ordering meatloaf at a restaurant... but I guess when I order Meatloaf it's usually at a dinner or a more casual family dining restaurant. It said on the menu that it has a sweet spicy chilli glaze... but I'm not sure if the glaze was that red ketchup heap on top of the meatloaf. The heap wasn't a glaze, it looked like ketchup and tasted like ketchup... so i'm going to say its ketchup. I'm use to more of a slightly ketchupy/brown sugar glaze on my meatloaf. I'm not the biggest fan of Ketchup, i mainly use it to mask the taste of items. There was a little too much of the sauce on the chunk of meat loaf for me. It also came with some pan fried zucchini and carrots... very greasy for my taste. You can see the oiliness of that side already spreading on the plate in the photo. I also subbed for Mash potato since I was craving a more comforting heavier starch. It was some weird cajun chive mashed potato. It was... okay. I prefer my mash to be creamy and garlicy. This was lumpy and a bit dry. I love spice, but it just didn't taste right in mash. I wish they offered a regular version.

Service was alright, average.

Overall, my first experience here wasn't anything really special. Great ambiance, very modern interior and well spaced. Boring/disappointing food. Personally, wouldn't be a place I'd be really voluntarily visiting nor recommending

The weird salsa

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Yip Hongs Dim Sum Restaurant - Saskatoon, SK

Ah, yum cha/dim sum. One of my favorite childhood memories and still one of my favorite things to do.
Yum Cha focuses more on the tea aspect - having high tea while eating dim sum. They never asked what tea I wanted - but I've heard from a large amount of people that I don't look chinese, and also lets not forget but we are in saskatoon. From the taste of it, I want to say the tea they offer to everyone is either Teet Goon Yum  or  Jasmine .
I've been to two dim sum restaurants in Saskatoon, the Mandarin and Yip Hongs! First note, I was super happy to find out that they have the push cart service. Last time I checked, only one restaurant in Calgary still uses the push cart system. Same with Hong Kong, very little restaurants use the push carts.

I really enjoyed the dim sum selection and quality offered by the Mandarin, but they lacked one very important dish: Feng Zhao - Chicken Feet. One of my favorite dishes and they didn't carry it. I found out Yip Hong's does and I had to make a trip there. They are smaller then the Mandarin and I find have a smaller selection of dim sum. Also the taste and quality, I feel, was not as high as the Mandarin. They really only had three people doing the push carts, and sometimes they would get chatting up with a regular and take forever to make their way to my hungry stomach. 

It's a more homey feel in this restaurant, hard to explain but there were alot of regulars... just the atmosphere there was very down to earth.

Overall, the quality and taste of the dim sum offered was subpar to my standards. I do like how they offer chicken feet, but it wasn't that outstanding. I'd come here mainly for that dish if I was craving it hardcore. If anyone knows any other restaurant that offers chicken feet, please let me know!

Nagoya Japanese Restaurant - Saskatoon, SK

Sorry for the lack of photos... was hangry!

I was craving sushi for a while and nothing beats all you can eat. There are actually quite a few choices for all you can eat sushi in this city and I no doubt, before I move, will try them all. At Nagoya Japanese Restaurant, they provide a chinese buffet part of the included price, which I found interesting and loved the concept. Foodwise on the buffet wasn't the freshest, you can tell its been sitting there all day.. most of the food tasted very dry - don't blame them though since I went at around 8pm and they close at 9 or 9.30 (Bad memory).

Buffet was around $26 and it included sashimi. In the past when i've been to all you can eat (Calgary + Red Deer), the usually don't include sashimi so I was happy they did here... but wasn't happy with the quality of it.

Its known for restaurants to freeze salmon etc to keep it from going bad/getting parasites but here you could tell it was definitely not fresh, it tasted still frozen... it just tasted like eating a cold half frozen piece of rubber. I was very disappointed.

The all you can eat menu was an adequate amount, they had desserts (Deep fried bananas + ice cream), appetizers, rolls, udon, etc. Their special rolls were pretty taste, dragon roll... I only tried a few. No regrets there.
Service was below average, we went too close to closing so they were pretty obvious in letting us know we should leave.

Overall, I think you can tell if a sushi restaurant is good dependent on their sashimi served. Sashimi is so simple yet so delicate. They lacked in that department and since there are a abundance of japanese restaurants in the city, I highly doubt I'd come back to this place.

Aroma Mediterranean Resto Bar - Saskatoon, SK

Aroma! During my move to Saskatoon, I stayed twice at the Radisson and dined at their Aroma Restaurant conveniently located downstairs. I normally don't dine in the hotel and prefer to dine at local restaurants in the city but the first time I dined here, it was purely for the convenience and I am very happy I did. The second time I stayed at the Radisson, dining at Aroma was one thing I was looking very forward too! The food here is fantastic!

Since I've moved here, i have dined at a few restaurants in the city and spoken to a few people about local eats, I believe this is a highly underrated restaurant in this city. The service and food is exceptional.

 I had the same male server for both times I've been here (Can't remember his name :( ) but he was pleasant and observant, random side note: not a big fan of their uniforms, the long apron throws me off. I've had a couple of dishes here,

The first time, I had this unbelieveable pasta dish... looking at their current menu online, I don't believe its on there now :(. I'm usually avoid ordering pasta dishes from restaurants that don't specialize in it because I find myself with a very watery bland dish. This dish was amazing, all i remember is that it had truffle oil in it and I could not get enough of it in case you couldn't tell by my ravings. In the elevator, I was speaking to a gentleman and they were a little tipsy but was telling me how he just had fantastic pizza at Aroma... so of course when I was here, we ordered two as well. One being off the vegan/gluten free menu and the other being the Pig & Fig. The Pig & Fig had a great balance of sweetness from the onions and figs with the heaviness of the meat. They make the pizzas fresh by hand in the back of the restaurant.. pretty neat to watch. Most "wood stone fired" pizza's I find are easily burnt but these two pizzas were perfectly cooked. Both were pretty good, wasn't as great as the elevator guy made it to be... but then again he was a little under the influence and we all know how great food is at that stage.

One thing I was impressed with, is that one member of our party is vegan and they offered a separate menu for her which made it super easy to pinpoint the delicious dishes available for her. The second time I went, I ended up with a dish that was a chuck part of the meat (Also not in the current menu it seems), it was pretty good, very tender.
We also had a few appys as well which were of course, very appetizing.

Everyone that I ate with here, enjoyed their experience as much as I did.

I love the fact they offer little Hors D'oeuvrs before the entree. One is a antipesto (we got this both times), the second time we were offered an extra one but I couldn't remember what it was, what I do remember was that it was equally amazing.

I apologize, but I didn't seem to take photos of my first experience... must have been too hungry.

Overall, I have quite enjoyed both my experiences at Aroma and it is currently my favorite restaurant in Saskatoon. One thing this city does not lack is restaurants, shopping on the other hand... well thats another story. I love trying new restaurants but when I want a good experience and know I will be served delicious food, I will of course make my way to Aroma Mediterranean Resto Bar in the Radisson. 

Poached Breakfast Bistro, Saskatoon SK

I went here on a whim on a Sunday morning. It was the only breakfast place we could really find that was open on a Sunday morning in the downtown area. We were told a 40 minute wait... I was starting to assume it might just be one of those "current" restaurants that don't actually have food worth waiting for. We were all pretty hungry and didn't feel like waiting forty minutes.. especially since there was no where to wait except a open Starbucks a couple blocks down. I do wish they were able to put a bench out or something, but I guess that's up to the city.

We decided to go to drive around Saskatoon in search of another open restaurant but actually ended up getting lost and ended up close to downtown. By that time, the forty minutes would have been up by the time we parked and walked back to Poached so we decided on that. One thing is, I do appreciate they call the wait list customers when their table is ready. I've been to a couple popular breakfast joints in Calgary where they just take your name and they expect you to wait around in the crowd outside the door for your name to be called... many asian restaurants follow that concept as well. 

They have good food set at a pretty reasonably price. We had the Blueberry Bagel French Toast which was served with whipped yogurt, I believe. Rhubarb crepe with whipped yogurt and poached eggs on crab cakes with a side of Potato Croquettes. Don't quote me on these dishes, I couldn't find their latest menu online.. I do believe it changes per season!

Overall each dish was pretty good, all very well balance! The potato Croquette's were delicious, it had a nice crunchy outside with a creamy potato center.
The Blueberry Bagel french toast was an alright dish... nothing special personally. The whipped yogurt was a good touch, with some fresh blackberries on top. Good balanced plate, nice tartness with the fresh blackberries and sweetness with the whipped yogurt.
If you like crab, the poached eggs on top of the crab cakes with a side salad, I'm sure you will enjoy. Like the potato corquette's it has a nice crunchy outside and the side salad provides a good balance to the seafood. 

I am glad we ended up getting lost and got a chance to try this bistro. Expect a long wait time especially the later you arrive (While we were dining around 10:30 there was around an hour wait time), it is a small restaurant with really only three front of house staff. One host, one server for the front of the restaurant and one of the back. The service itself is alright, not really sociable or attentive but not unpleasant either. 

I would highly recommend this as a breakfast choice for anyone in the area to give it a try. I wouldn't mind eating here again and try many of there other appetizing items on their menu. Just got to be ready for the wait time and not mad hungry.