Openings
- Luna Mexican Restaurant has reopened in the same location as Huma Mexican Comfort (9880 63 Avenue).
- Slow Pour, a beer bar which features beer from around the world (and with a new beer each week), opened last week at 10316 122 Street.
- So many Asian concepts and chains have opened at West Edmonton Mall over the past couple of years – the latest is a Toronto-based chain called Mogouyan, offering hand-pulled noodles. Find them on BRBN Street. Lydia checked them out already.
- Korean restaurant K-Papa has opened a new stand-alone location at 5728 104 Street (they were previously housed in H-Mart).
Upcoming Events
- So many holiday events to be had around town, but a favourite of our family’s is Winter in Little Italy. Their horse-drawn sleigh rides are great, but so is the chestnut and marshmallow roasting for those looking for some tastes of the season. The final date runs December 18 from 11am-4pm.
Local News
- I hope to write a standalone post on the food scene over the past year, but in the meantime, I did an interview with Taproot (where I am also a contributor) about the year in Edmonton restaurants.
- Jeff Nachtigall from Sugared & Spiced shared the financial challenges they were facing this year; five days later he tweeted that they’ve been inundated with orders for some days in December.
- Last week I missed linking to Linda’s partnered post about 10 soups to warm up with this winter in Edmonton’s Chinatown. A few of my favourites are on the list!
- Edify checked out Dookbaeki and Hakone Japanese Cuisine.
- Also from Edify, they collected some food and drink recipes to consider as you’re entertaining this holiday season.
- There are many holiday boxes to choose from at this time of year, including those from Culina which include a treat for the furry members of the family.
- Chefs Doreen Prei and Levi Biddlecombe were interviewed by Alberta Prime Times.
- Campio, Odd Company, and Irrational Brewing collaborated to each brew a different beer based on the same base but their own yeast strains. $1 from every pint and growler will go to support Boyle Street Community Services.
- Hungry Zine is launching Community Supported Art program as a way to support their artists and writers. It is similar to a subscription and the 2023 share will include the next three issues of the zine.
- The latest Canada Food Price Report estimates that food prices will increase by 5-7% on average in 2023.
What I Ate
- Last week, we ordered from Charcoal Dragon, the Vietnamese food pop-up run by Tu of Jack’s Burger. We weren’t sure what to expect, but were blown away by the flavours. The fry bread reminded me of youtiao (one of Emily’s favourite baked goods), and was served alongside a fragrant stew. It was my second time trying bun cha (the first was earlier this summer at Get Cooking), and I really loved the grilled meat. Mack couldn’t get enough of the spring rolls. The next pop-up is scheduled for January 12, 2023.
Three-course take-out from Charcoal Dragon
Only Here for the Food 