In this new biweekly feature, Apt613 asks blog contributors and local food lovers about their recent Ottawa area restaurant highlights to help you find new tasty treats to discover or revisit when someone inevitably asks, “Where do you want to eat?” We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below, and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
Best Bites this week:
- O-Frango (151 Laurier Ave E., 769 Gladstone Ave)
- Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine (200 Elgin St)
- Beyond the Pale (250 City Centre Ave)
Frango Box from O-Frango. Photo: Vasileios Tselios.
Behind St. Joseph’s Church on Laurier Ave, there is a food truck that is a local legend among uOttawa students. O-Frango serves some of the best fried chicken in the whole city. For a food truck hidden in a church parking lot, you may be surprised just how many people it attracts, but once you try their food, their notoriety makes all the sense in the world. I tried their signature dish, the Frango Box: a box of fries topped with chopped fried chicken and an assortment of sauces, depending on the size you get. I ended up getting a medium Frango Box ($18.75) which gives you a choice of three sauces. You can choose from chipotle, garlic, barbecue, ranch, ketchup, hot sauce, and melted cheese. My personal go-to is chipotle garlic and melted cheese, a combo that I cannot recommend enough. But whatever sauce combination you choose, the taste is still amazing. The fried chicken is the main attraction, with great crispiness and flavour. Their crisp fries perfectly complement the chicken, which they give you a healthy portion of, regardless of the size of box you order. The dish is savoury and perfect for lunch or dinner, especially as it is not as bloating as your average loaded fries. The truck is currently open from 1 to 8pm every day of the week, except Sundays.
—Vasileios Tselios
You already know how I feel about Peruvian food, so it should be no surprise that I finally went to Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine to get my high-end fix. Not only is their space on Elgin sexy and elegant, but the service was knowledgeable, friendly and impeccable. The FOOD, though. The food. Today I’m here to tell you all about their ceviche, a classic Peruvian dish that is probably different from the kinds of ceviche you might have already had. Ceviche can be found in the cuisines of most South and Central American countries along the Pacific coast, and is simply a dish consisting of raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. In December 2023, ceviche was recognized by UNESCO as an expression of Peruvian traditional cuisine and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, so… they take it pretty seriously. Peruvian ceviche tends to be less acidic than others, doesn’t typically include avocados or tomatoes, and is usually served with roasted corn and plantain chips. Raphaël’s ceviche is hands down the best I have ever had.
Raphael Ceviche. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki.
Made with Mahi Mahi, leche de tigre (“Tiger milk”, a citrus juice-based marinade), citrus-glazed sweet potato, and chulpe (dried toasted corn), the dish is rich, sweet, and creamy without any fishiness. The large tender pieces of Mahi Mahi melt in your mouth, and if you ask for it spicy, there will be an extra small kick in the broth. The citrus is subtle, not acidic, and the sweet potato is a magical surprise. Adding depth and sweetness to the freshness of the fish and onions, it was the perfect bite. We ordered the ceviche to share, but I could have easily eaten the entire dish alone. If you have never had ceviche before, this is the one to start with. If you’ve been scared away by other ceviches before, this is the one to bring you back.
—Kiersten Vuorimaki
BBQ is always a good idea, so Beyond the Pale at City Centre has developed the perfect business model wherein they offer a huge list of quality craft beer paired with rich and delicious BBQ. Nothing on the menu disappoints, but recently I was there with the Silent Book Club, and didn’t want to get myself and my book all messy, so I ordered the flatbread or “Flatina” to keep my table mates and I safe. It was amazing! I like to think I understand good BBQ, and I’ve had a fair number of items on the BTP Smoquehouse menu, but this one blew me away. I ordered the pulled pork flatina, with pickled red onion, bell peppers, cheese, green onion and honey chipotle, and everyone at the table remarked on how good it looked. I definitely needed a knife and fork because it was piled so high with huge chunks of pulled pork that there was no way I could pick it up safely. The cheese reminded me of a classic Ottawa style pizza—thick and generous, keeping all the toppings juicy and safe underneath. The BBQ sauce was sweet and smoky but not too spicy, the flatbread was chewy but also crispy, and it was the perfect volume for dinner, for only $20. It paired very well with the classic BTP Pink Fuzz, and I’m looking forward to ordering it again very soon. Maybe tomorrow.
—Kiersten Vuorimaki
BTP Smoquehouse Pulled Pork Flatina. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki.
We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below, and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
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