Food Notes for September 30, 2024

NongBu’s impact on Edmonton’s Korean food scene endures

While Korean restaurant NongBu is now permanently closed, its legacy of introducing Edmontonians to a broader array of Korean dishes lives on.

NongBu announced its closure in September, after nearly a decade in business. It received many accolades after it opened in 2015, including Best New Restaurant in 2016 from Avenue Edmonton (as Edify was known at the time).

Owner John Ahn was inspired to open NongBu as a means of sharing the Korean food he was exposed to growing up, as prepared by his mother. “One of my big motivating factors was the lack of variety of Korean food in Edmonton,” said Ahn. “I wanted to show people home cooking, and that Korean food could be more than bibimbap and bulgogi. Old-style cooking, cooking without additives, with better ingredients, and making everything fresh.”

When NongBu first opened, it was originally set up as a Korean knife noodle restaurant. “We were making fresh noodles every day, and I worked on a series of broths,” said Ahn. “But no one was ordering the noodles! Everyone was ordering the sides.”

Over time, NongBu expanded its street food offerings, and Ahn said he held out for four years before he had to make the difficult decision to add bibimbap and bulgogi to the menu. “It made us successful but it broke my heart that it was all people were ordering,” shared Ahn.

He admitted that in hindsight, staff could have better explained to diners about the ingredients being used, and how the dishes should be enjoyed. “For our lettuce wraps, we were bringing in soybean paste that was being made by nuns on the coast of Korea,” said Ahn. “They would dehydrate it for us and it came by boat, and we would rehydrate it. But we were throwing it away because people wouldn’t eat it. People thought it was like ketchup. In hindsight we should have gotten our servers to teach people.”

NongBu paved the way for more Korean establishments offering more than bibimbap and bulgogi. This includes places focused on street food, such as Gangnam Street Food, which first opened in 2019, late-night drinking spots such as Hanjan, opened in 2017, and JMT Korean Cuisine, which opened in 2023, and most recently, Sang, offering hanjeongsik, a meal characterized by side dishes.

John Ahn

Ahn was happy to see the growth of the Korean food scene, even if it meant more direct competition. “Staff would ask me if I was upset when I saw other Korean restaurants taking our menu items,” said Ahn. “Why would I be upset? They’re trying it, sharing the education of it. I remember our supplier laughed at us when we started looking for ddeokbokki (rice cakes). But that was the dish that put us on the map. Now there isn’t a Korean restaurant around that doesn’t have it.”

Although Ahn credits a loyal customer base that kept NongBu going for nearly 10 years, rebuilding the restaurant after the pandemic took a toll. He also noticed that customers were seeking a different experience, fuelled by the global rise of K(orean)-culture. “Younger people want flashy lights or K-pop,” said Ahn. “We don’t play K-pop. Or, customers were asking for things they saw on K-dramas, like corn cheese. That’s not what we do.”

Ahn’s vision and uncompromising standards made him “not a good business man”, in his words, but kept him motivated to continue to share the type of food he was passionate about. “I was not willing to make those changes,” said Ahn. “If I had to change everything — I work long hours, and I wouldn’t last very long. If I didn’t feel like we could do it the best in Edmonton, we wouldn’t do it.”

The other driving factor for the closure was his three year-old daughter. Working 14-16 hour days, he would only see his daughter when she was sleeping. “These years with my family I can’t get back,” said Ahn.

The space has been sold to another Korean family. Ahn wasn’t able to share too much, but teased the possibility that some of NongBu’s signature dishes may be served again.

“We didn’t want to sell it to just anyone,” said Ahn. “The family cares about the food, the ingredients, the experience. We are leaving the space in good hands. They are interested in purchasing our recipes but I am not sure if they will use them.”

Ahn plans to rest, spend time with his family, and travel, but he intends to return to the restaurant business in the future. “I want to go back to Korea,” said Ahn. “There are certain things I wanted to learn. My wife and I have talked about living there for a few years.”

After a reprieve, Ahn will return to the Edmonton restaurant scene again, but likely with an even more focused vision.

“My dream restaurant, which I wanted for NongBu originally, is a really small restaurant,” said Ahn. “I wouldn’t need a server, everything is seasonal, and people see food that they couldn’t see somewhere else. From everything I learned over 10 years — when I do it again, I could do it so much better. I will be even more stubborn and I won’t put bulgogi on the menu!”

Openings

• Vietnamese restaurant PhoEver is now open in Griesbach at 5308 Admiral Girouard Street.
• BC-based franchise Hellcrust Pizza opened in Edmonton (in the former Calle Mexico space at 11127 107 Avenue).

Closures

• Earth’s General Store is permanently closed as of September 28. The volunteer board tried to crowdsource the money needed to keep the shop running, but failed to raise what was necessary.

Upcoming Events

• The menus for Stony Plain Road Dining Week have been released, with 16 participating restaurants. The event runs October 3-12, and is highlighting restaurants that have been impacted by LRT construction.

Local News

• As part of the promotion for the Canadian Finals Rodeo this week, visit the #YEGHAW Bakery Trail, with 3 participating bakeries offering 10% off a treat when you wear your Western hat or boots. Bakeries include Bonton, Sugared and Spiced, and Yelo’d.
• Those looking for Thanksgiving heat-and-serve meals have several options, including A Cappella, The Butchery, Culina, Meuwly’s, and the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.
• Congratulations to Coffee Bureau for 10 years on Jasper, and great to hear that it will remain open!
• Pho Tau Bay will be closed from October 1-December 1 for renovations to the dining area.
• Chicken 4 You on Alberta Avenue endured some damage and a break in last week.
• DRTY Ice Cream has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $11,700 that will go towards its storefront in Station Park.
• St. Albert Gazette talked to the owner of Hathaway’s Diner to understand how its St. Albert location is different from its Edmonton one.
• Edify checked out the media preview of Jinya Ramen Bar and the 7 Paintings: Art of Dining experience at Halo at the Renaissance Edmonton Hotel at the Edmonton International Airport.
• Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl recommends Bistro Praha for good schnitzel.
• A new grocery store, yet to be named, will re-open in Mill Woods Town Centre in August 2025 where the Co-Op closed in 2023.

What I Ate

• • I had lunch at Green Onion Cake Man last week and picked up some heat-and-eat meals while there. Individual servings of Singapore noodles were on 2-for-1 special, clocking in at $3.50 a serving. While this specific promotion is done, staff mentioned that if it was well-received, they would repeat the offer with different dishes in the future.

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Singapore noodles from Green Onion Cake Man

• • Mack and I had a weekend away at Kananaskis to celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary. En route, we stopped in Calgary for lunch at Major Tom Bar – we had a lovely meal, and enjoyed the gorgeous views.

Lunch at Major Tom Bar