Fung Wah

Fung Wah (Chinese, 3665 Dutch Village), visited December 20. We’re guilty of pretty much always ordering the same thing at Chinese restaurants – usually Sweet & Sour Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Chicken Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. We’re most certainly missing out, but it’s what we know we like. So, that’s what we ordered from Fung Wah. But, you know, we were pleasantly surprised. Sometimes you can’t quite tell if it was prepared fresh or came straight out of the freezer, but this stuff tasted like it had just been prepared. The proportion of chicken to batter was perfect, there were plenty of carrots in the Beef & Broccoli, and there was plenty of food to save for the next night’s dinner. All in all, we were pleased. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

C9 Combo from Fung Wah

 

Willman's

Willman’s (Diner, 3154 Isleville), visited November 25. M went for the Traditional Fish & Chips and J had the Mediterranean-seasoned Kafta burger. Both were ok but not great, and the price was reasonable. The fries looked like they were going to be nice and crispy, but they were surprisingly limp. Verdict: 3/5 (60%) chance of returning.

 

 Fish & Chips and Kafta Burger from Willman's

La Frasca

La Frasca (Italian, 5650 Spring Garden), visited November 13. We headed out for M’s parents’ birthday dinner and started with the Arancini – tasty cheese-filled risotto croquettes, which were just lovely. The Italian Onion Tart was good, but we were very surprised it was served at room temperature. The Tagliatelle Bolognese was meaty and hearty but a bit tougher than expected, while the Penne con Salsiccia (sausage) was salty but very good. The steak in the Fettuccine Cacio e Pepe was particularly good, while the Linguine was light on the scallops but extremely heavy on the pancetta. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

 

 Tagliatelle Bolognese & Penne con Salsiccia from La Frasca

Tusket Falls

Tusket Falls (Pub, 2220 Gottingen), visited November 7. We were joined by vegetarian friend B, and shared the Cajun-seasoned War Fries with Curry Ketchup, Honey Dill and American Fry sauces, and Three Cheese Artichoke Dip with three different kinds of chips. All were very good, and they seem to be pretty big on variety – we like it! B went for the Spicy Vegan Tacos, which he said he’d order again, while we went for the Pulled Pork Tacos, which were also good and the crispy jalapenos were a nice touch. The Designer Hot Dog was loaded with stuff – bacon, brisket, cheese curds, cabbage and a bunch of sauces. It was incredibly busy, but how could we say no to that? Verdict: 4.5/5 (90%) chance of returning.

 

Artichoke Dip, Pulled Pork Tacos, Spicy Vegan Tacos, Designed Hot Dog & War Fries from Tusket Falls

2021 Halifax Asian Food Festival Special

We need to be honest with you, Halifax: We still don’t really understand what happened on the weekend of October 29-31. We also don't understand the difference between Off The Eaten Path and the Halifax Asian Food Festival, or if they’re one in the same. We struggled mightily in our attempts to follow its website and social media accounts in order to help us maximize the number of participating restaurants we could visit, but the information kept changing in the days leading up to, during and even after the festival.

As frustrating of an experience as it was, we're appreciative of the opportunity to try some special offerings, including ones from eateries we’d never heard of before. Here’s our ranking of what we tried.

Final Rankings:
#1 - Coconut and Tamarind Chicken @ Rasa
#2 - Teriyaki Chicken Chasu Rougamo @ Pinehouse
#3 - Sweet Spicy Fried Chicken @ Backoos
#4 - Four Seasons Swiss Roll @ Sweet Secret
#5 - Spicy Golden Soup Beef Noodle @ Yong He Noodle House

Coconut and Tamarind Chicken from Rasa

Sweet Secret

Sweet Secret (Café, 5633 Fenwick), visited October 29. This is a lovely find in the bottom of Fenwick Tower “The Vuze.” We stopped by for their Halifax Asian Food Festival special – the Four Seasons Swiss Roll. This whimsical offering was delightfully presented, with a different flavour for each season (matcha, strawberry, orange and chocolate). The innards were a bit frozen, but the whole offering was very appealing, and the service was excellent. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

 

 Four Seasons Swiss Roll from Sweet Secret

Yong He Noodle House

Yong He Noodle House (Asian, 5595 Fenwick), visited October 29. A generous portion of Spicy Golden Beef Noodle Soup – a sour and savoury dish with a nice kick to it. This was part of the Halifax Asian Food Festival, and we had a hard time finding it – it’s located to the Asian grocery store attached to Julienne’s Restaurant inside the Fenwick Medical Centre. Not gonna lie, we weren’t crazy about the particularly fatty pieces of beef we were served. Verdict: 2.5/5 (50%) chance of returning.

 

 Spicy Golden Beef Noodle Soup from Yong He Noodle House

Rasa

Rasa (Indian, 1542 Birmingham), visited October 29. Stopping in for take-out during the Halifax Asian Food Festival, we felt seriously under-dressed – this place is fancy! The Coconut and Tamarind Chicken was nice and creamy, with bold flavours and excellent quality overall. Verdict: 4.5/5 (90%) chance of returning.

 

Coconut and Tamarind Chicken from Rasa