DINING OUT
Give plant-based Kanu Cafe a try
Somehow — mostly to do with lazy thinking — the Alberta stereotype remains a Ford-150 sporting a “I Love Alberta Beef ” bumper sticker, rolling past pump jacks and canola. And while it would be foolish to propose such tableaus are passe in these parts, statistical realities are tough to argue with.
To be sure, there is a vibrant rural-small town culture here that embraces classic western themes, certainly including what Albertans put on their plates each evening.
But as we know, it is the cities, suburbs and exurbs that are growing, attracting folks from the far corners of the globe, who carry with them a wealth of different perspectives on nearly everything, including food. Add to that generational change, increased awareness of health and environmental concerns, cheaper international travel opportunities, spiritual imperatives, North American urban food trends and we’re talking about something other than yer basic meat ’n’ potatoes for many of us.
All of which is a long-winded way of arguing that Edmonton is ripe for an influx of diverse restaurants in the vegan and vegetarian categories, as happened in the “ethnic” realm over the past 40 years. Of course, plantbased options have been around town forever, and there are a few establishments in the vegan/ vegetarian realm that continue to excel, such as Padmanadi, designated nights at Narayanni’s and the increased capacity of some younger chef-owners of all stripes to treat the categories seriously, creatively.
That said, it’s safe to opine that Kanu Cafe, which occupies the southeast corner of a shiny new building at Jasper and 108th has established its own beach-head in local dining circles. For, in this case, the comparisons you might draw would be with the likes of Millenium or Greens in the Bay Area or Dirt Candy in New York’s East Village, to mention a famous trio I’ve visited. These are kitchens operating at a high level that simply happen to be vegan. After a superb course or two, you don’t even notice that the entire plated show is plantbased. It’s that wonderful. And beautiful to look at.
Kanu is a looker too, both on its plates and in the room, its fittings, cutlery and furniture, a sleek, modernist L-shaped affair you might expect to find in Copenhagen or Oslo.
Let it be said that the servers here seem to have been very well-briefed, as they will guide 10803 Jasper Ave. (780) 760-5268 Dinner for two without liquor: varies widely, $65 and up
diners through the menu with admirable — and happily, nonPortlandia-ironic — specificity.
We started with the cashew raclette ($16.50), which was a darn sight tastier than the last (cow’s milk) version of the Suisse/Savoyard standby we shared a while back. Served with cornichons, watermelon radish and fabulous dipping toast via the Bon Ton bakery, this rich riff absolutely smokes most of its dairy iterations if we’re comparing, which we weren’t.
Next appeared the mysteriously-named kimchee dumplings ($15.50 for three), of which we could have easily shared a dozen, absent the sobering tariff. They were the best parcels I’ve had to eat in some time, perfect little green pyramids of sesame and ginger foam.
The mystery was the seeming lack of kimchee, which seems remarkable given the generally lovable, if unsubtle taste profile of the pickled cabbage. No complaints though, this approaches perfection.
There were no sea beans (apparently Californian for sea asparagus) available for the little gem caesar salad ($15.25), but the combination of very fresh mixed greens with dulce, capers and a thick, spectacular sunflower caesar dressing redolent with nutritional yeast was delicious.
A dish of splendid roast potatoes ($9) followed, dusted with lemon zest, truffle salt, parsley and served with a truffle mayo that didn’t overdo the oil for a change.
The spicy udon noodles were also first-rate (if not particularly spicy), perfectly prepared and lovely to look at, topped with greens, radish, red (togarashi?) chilies, whole roasted cashews and a subtle cashew hoisin sauce.
For some reason we were (full disclosure) comp’ed the hibiscus strawberry cheesecake priced at $14, along with a wonderful slice of coconut cream pie served on a slate tile at the same steep price.
Each was luscious, and here again, the vegan versions of these sweet classics made you forget the dairy-rich originals ever existed.
I was on the wagon that night (Sparkling Q water, $2) but my companion happily quaffed a tankard of Wild Rose Velvet Fog ($7.25) and pronounced it soulful and potable. The wine list needs some serious work, especially in the “by glass” category. Smoothies and a selection of teas are also available.
Kanu Cafe is a collaboration of real estate developer Sherry Schluessel and California chef Matthew Kenney, featuring the latter’s “proprietary methods and recipes.”
Whatever the provenance, it all worked on a recent, chilly weekday night. A lot of thoughtful time, science, kitchen chops and gutsy capital have gone into this worthy project. It shows.
Forget the vegan bona fides if it puts you off or embrace it if you fancy, for whatever reasons.
The main thing is that this is a delicious, elegant restaurant experience by any standard or metrics.
You owe it to yourself to give Kanu Cafe a try, yet another signature downtown destination.
A lot of thoughtful time, science, kitchen chops and gutsy capital have gone into this worthy project. It shows.