We didn’t actually spend much time in Digby, Nova Scotia — home of famous Digby scallops — because we were catching the ferry from there to New Brunswick.
Luckily, we miscalculated our meals and were pretty hungry by the time the three-hour ride got underway.
We wandered into the cafeteria of the Princess of Acadia, where it seemed everything was pretty much battered and deep-fried. We settled on sharing the Captain’s Platter ($12.95) — and had some amazing, succulent scallops.
I guess it would only make sense since we were sailing the waters in which the delicious mollusk is harvested. (The platter also included shrimp, clams, fries and a small coleslaw.)
It wasn’t fancy seafood dining, but we got a taste of Digby’s famous export. Next time, we should stay longer, and maybe even take in the Digby Scallop Days.
Every time I visit Fredericton, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much the city is changing and how many more new restaurants have opened.
Downtown Fredericton now has an Indian-Pakistani restaurant, a Vietnamese noodle house, a Caribbean place, and a Korean-Japanese eatery called Bulgogi.
Deb says in addition to the steadily growing Chinese student population, there’s now a burgeoning Korean community in Fredericton.
Bulgogi is a casual place, geared more towards take out or a quick meal. Everything is set up like a fast-food counter with a big overhead menu and prepared food you can see behind the glass counter.
I got the special combo ($9.99) which was waay too much food. It gives you three choices with rice and cellophane noodles, and three pieces of maki sushi. I got the spicy pork (good) with dumplings (a little too cool) and bean sprouts (yum).
Bulgogi is still working things out: Jason ordered after I did — and was told they had run out of rice (it was about 1:30 p.m.). They gave him extra noodles instead. The staff is obviously trying hard, and were very nice.
The Korean food and sushi wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but to just have a decent option like this in Fredericton is a good thing.
And if you need groceries …
The Friendship Convenience Store, a crowded corner grocery, used to be the only place you had any hope of finding Asian ingredients. But now there’s Saigon Asian Grocery, a full-fledged supermarket — unfortunately tucked away in the industrial park, but it’s not that far of a drive.
The first floor is packed with stuff — furniture, clocks, purses and watches. But the lower floor is a cook’s heaven — and if you’ve ever tried to find preserved duck eggs in New Brunswick, you know what I mean.
The shelves are lined with all sorts of sauces, vinegars and noodles and the freezers filled with dumplings, won ton wrappers, and lemongrass.
The cashier lady (and owner no doubt), who I heard speaking Vietnamese earlier, asked me something in Mandarin as I was paying for our Pocky, but when I told her I could only speak Cantonese, she switched! Now, that’s skillz!
Bulgogi, 459 King St., Fredericton, New Brunswick, (506) 472-9866.
Saigon Asian Grocery, Wilsey Road, Fredericton.
Friendship Convenience Store, 606 Albert St. Fredericton, (506) 459-3077.
Tags: groceries, Korean, new brunswick
“Have you ever had yukkaflux?” Colette asked me one day.
I definitely had not. Turns out it’s a kind of liquor concoction favoured by high school and college kids in the Prairies.
Spelled yukkaflux, yukaflux, yuccaflux and yuckaflux, it even has a website dedicated to it.
Colette’s version involves dumping whatever leftover hard liquor is at hand into a big container (vodka, rum, tequila etc.) and then adding fruit to it for days.
The fruit stews in the liquor and absorbs all the alcohol, while also adding its juices into the mixture.
Colette, a true Saskatchewan girl, brought a cooler of it to a backyard barbecue — and YOWZA. It packs quite a punch.
Jason, however, also informs me that back in Grande Prairie, they used to put a hole in a watermelon, pour a bottle of vodka into it, and leave it in the fridge for a while. Then they would have a nice summer snack.
Since I’m all old and very much not in college anymore, I only had one cup of Colette’s yukkaflux. And it was good, all potent and fruity — though I wouldn’t stand above the cooler and inhale the fumes too much.
The farmers market in St. Andrews was so much more than I expected. I figured organic vegetables and jams, of course, and maybe some knitted slippers.
But this sleepy seaside town has quite a market bursting with fresh Mexican salsas, Indian samosas, Turkish baklava — and some of the best Thai curry I’ve had in a while. Check out the list of vendors.
The Thai food stand is right near the sidewalk as you step into the square. David and Chantharas Crawford have a pretty efficient setup, with a small deep fryer for the spring rolls, an electric frying pan for the pad thai, and a container in an insulated bag with rice in it.
They had two curries in two warming pans, and even though I just had breakfast two hours before, I had to have some penang pork curry ($5 small). It was delicious. Layers of coconut and ginger and then that slow, sneaky hit of spice at the end.
The market is a cute place to check out if you’re in the area on Thursdays. There are also musicians and artists, including a boy who was selling photocopies of his hand-drawn cartoon book for $2.50.
Past the market is the town wharf where you can sit on a bench, enjoy the view and your tasty curry.
St. Andrews Farmers Market, Market Square near corner of King and Water Streets, St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Open Thursdays in summer (usually last week of May into early October), 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Website here.
Tags: "farmer's market", curry, new brunswick, Thai
After my first encounter with fried clams, someone told me I had to try “Ozzie’s Lunch.”
I’ve completely forgotten who it was (leave a comment if it was you!) but I remember that person saying it was a popular destination for RCMP officers and those guys always know where the best local eats are.
I tried to google “Ozzie’s Lunch” and was puzzled to find nothing — until I saw the big sign on Highway 1 boasting the “best seafood in North America” at Ossie’s Lunch.
This highway stop, open since 1957, is literally a hard turn from 100 km/h between the towns of St. Andrews and St. George. Some might say it’s the middle of nowhere.
But it seems everyone knows where it is. A van full of seniors from a nearby home was there, followed by a steady stream of highway crews, families and random travelers with their assorted licence plates.
You place your order at the window, get a number and wait for them to call you over the intercom.
The food isn’t cheap but it’s extremely good quality — even if the majority is deep-fried.
My clams and chips ($15) were so meaty and fresh, unlike the tiny clam bits that most places serve. It came with a little cup of coleslaw and passable fries. But really, it’s the clams you should come here for.
Jason’s shrimp ($12.95) was plump and tasty too.
Ossie’s has a huge parking lot for all the different vehicles that pull over, from enormous RVs to motorcycles. But there are also about two dozen covered picnic tables nestled far away enough from the highway to sit and enjoy your seafood.
There’s also ice cream and homemade pies whose flavours are scrawled on a piece of paper taped near the order windows.
I don’t know if I’d vote this the “best seafood in North America” but I would certainly vouch for the best fried clams ever.
Ossie’s Lunch, Highway 1, Bethel, New Brunswick, 10 minutes west of St. George. (506) 755-2758. Open from Mother’s Day weekend until mid-October.
Tags: clams, highway restaurants, seafood
