Alberta Avenue is home to a diverse selection of cultures, represented beautifully in the restaurants that line the Avenue. While walking down the Avenue, the aromas from the restaurants blend together beautifully, creating an enticing fragrance. One of the neighbourhood’s newest restaurants is Amoud World Cuisine, found on the south side of the street between 95-96 Street on 118 Avenue.

Amoud World Cuisine is within walking distance for most of the neighbourhood. The staff are friendly and warm and new to the neighbourhood. Though there weren’t many people in the restaurant, the voices of the few patrons echoed loudly as they sat around enjoying themselves.  

When my wife and I visited there was no set menu as of yet, so instead they told us what was available. There were only a few items, served with a large bed of rice and enough spaghetti to count as a meal on its own. The food was served on large, brightly-coloured plates that beckoned the imagination to far-off lands.

To start the meal, we were each served a bowl of vegetable soup in a clear broth and a house salad with a light dressing. The soup contained cabbage, carrots, and onions. It was spiced with black pepper and had some zip.

My dish contained spaghetti, herbed rice, lightly breaded fish, mixed vegetables, and a glass of  lemonade. The spaghetti was coated in a light red sauce that was a bit oily, but simple and reminded me of a pleasant childhood memory, especially with the lemonade.

The herbed rice had a pleasant taste, but carried a heavy garlic aftertaste that stuck around long after we finished the meal. Not that I was complaining! The rice is great for garlic lovers, but maybe go there for a meal with a few other people so that everyone can share in the garlic love.

The breaded fish was light and cooked just right. It was two large fillets of a white fish and wasn’t over-spiced or breaded, which helped offset the rice.

Sitting on top of the breaded fish were the mixed vegetables: peppers, onions, and cabbage were done up as a stir-fry.

My wife’s dish contained the same spaghetti, herbed rice, and mixed vegetables, but she had steak fillets and mango juice instead of the fish and lemonade. The steak fillets were sliced thin and fried. They were a little overdone, but tasty nonetheless. Like the fish, they helped play down the strong flavour of the rice.

Each dish, with drink, cost only $13. With the tip, we paid $32.

With the low variety of options they currently have and the odd addition of spaghetti to the plate, I would give Amoud World Cuisine  3.5 forks out of 5. But that does not mean that I will not try them again once they have a full menu and have worked out a few kinks. They show promise and I wish them the best.

3.5 forks out of 5

AMOUD WORLD CUISINE

9567 118 Ave

780.479.1600

HOURS: Sun-Thurs, 9 am-11 pm

FRI-SAT, 9 am to midnight

Featured Image: The top dish had spaghetti, herbed rice, lightly breaded fish, mixed vegetables, while the plate on the bottom had a steak fillet with the spaghetti, herbed rice, and mixed vegetables. | Stephen Strand