The next stop in my gluttonous birthday adventures was to one of the newest dining spots in Edmonton: XIX Nineteen. Nineteen is the latest culinary venture of Chef Andrew Fung, who has been a chef at Blackhawk Golf Club, and is most recently known for his gold medal win at the 2011 Gold Medal Plates culinary competition.

XIX Nineteen - 5940 Mullen Way NW - Edmonton AB

This restaurant is located fairly close to my home which is convenient, but for anyone living anywhere else in Edmonton, it can be a fair bit of a drive south. Located right off the Anthony Henday and Rabbit Hill Road, it really isn't hard to find, and you don't have to drive all the way out to Blackhawk anymore to try out Chef Fung's dishes.

When I first stepped into the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was the concept of an open kitchen - large windows giving a bird eye view of the kitchen and the hustle and bustle going on inside. Stepping back and taking everything in, the dim lighting of the restaurant gives it a warm, inviting feel, while the decor and artwork add a touch of class.

On this particular night, I was lucky to be joined by many of the wonderful people that I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know this year. We're a huge bunch of foodies and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend the night! While everyone tempted me to drink the night away, I had to be up early the next morning, so a Caesar was the perfect choice. Nineteen makes theirs nice and spicy, just the way I like them.


{Ahi Tuna & Scallop Ceviche}
Having known each other for a while, some of us at the table have coined a motto for ourselves: sharing is caring. Swapping spit? Oh well, we love food too much to care. So right off the bat, Diane and I decided we would be food buddies for the night. One dish I was particularly looking forward to was the Ahi Tuna Twists ($12) that Chef Fung brought over from Blackhawk: Spicy Thai noodles, Asian slaw and cilantro aioli. Within the past year I've developed a huge appreciation for ahi tuna - the warm, spicy noodles and thick chunk of ahi tuna went together harmoniously. So much so that I was able to ignore the cilantro. Very tasty and presented beautifully.

Our second appetizer was the Japanese Baby Back Ribs ($15): Sake soy glazed back ribs, fresh herb salad. The marinade was on the sweeter side, but not without savoury notes to bring out the flavour of the meat. They were very tender and easily removed from the bone. Unfortunately the herb salad was quite salty and didn't add much to the dish for me.


{Fung Bun}My main for the night was none other than the Lamb Shank Osso Bucco ($32): Slow braised lamb shank, Dijon and panko crusted, ginger glazed carrots, sour cream mashed potatoes and shiraz reduction. First off, the lamb shank was huuuuge. The meat was so tender and falling off the bone, and the flavours were great. There was little to no game taste which was an added bonus, and I had to pack some of the dish home for the next day cause there was so much to eat. If you're a lamb lover, I highly recommend this dish!


{Hoisin Glazed Alberta Beef Short Ribs}
{Truffle Chicken Linguini}
After finishing up the mains, dessert was something I was really looking forward to. After reading some reviews, the Caramel Eclair ($11) was my number one choice for dessert: Creme patissiere and chocolate sauce. The three eclairs were presented beautifully on a pedestal plate, drizzled in gooey caramel. Unfortunately, this one didn't live up to my expectations. The pastry portion was quite dry and tough to bite into - three orders were brought to the table and everyone had the same opinions. With such a large discrepancy between our experience and with others, there was perhaps some error putting this dessert together that night.

Diane and I also shared the Creme Brulee ($12): vanilla creme brulee with fresh strawberries. The sugar was torched wonderfully - nothing like hearing a satisfying crack when digging into this decadent dessert. The custard was thick and not too sweet, and ended up being the winning dessert for Diane.

But for me, the best dessert was something I didn't even order! Carmen and Teresa ordered the white chocolate semifreddo ($13) which was amazing: honey, cardamom, shortbread, Grand Marnier orange reduction. There was a strong punch of cardamom and citrus in the semifreddo that I didn't expect to love. On my next visit, this will be mine.

After a gluttonous meal like this, you don't just get up and walk out of the restaurant. Following some good conversation and laughs around the table, the general manager Nicole was kind enough to give me and Dong a little tour of the restaurant. One defining feature of Nineteen is their Enomatic machine. Now, I'm no sommelier, but this is such a great option to have on site for wine lovers to try out the great selection the restaurant carries. Using an air tight system, the Enomatic can preserve wine for up to four weeks - fantastic if you don't want to purchase an entire bottle of wine. I must mention that you can't go up to the machine with your own glass - the pouring system is key card activated and pours out a specified amount each time.


{Wall of Grey Goose in the Lounge}
{Chef hard at work}Even though your drive to the restaurant may be long and far, Chef Andrew Fung and the team here at XIX Nineteen have put a lot of work into this restaurant to make the visit worth your time. If the hype and praise for the food is any indication, the restaurant is going to do very well. There is nothing similar to this concept in the deep south of the city yet, so get yourself down to the nineteenth hole - Fung's move from the green into the suburbs is basically a hole in one. (SO CHEESY, but I couldn't resist! I love puns!)