Openings
- JUU-KU is the newest restaurant from Nineteen’s Chef Andrew Fung, “blending Japanese, Chinese, and Korean influences with bold, forward-thinking flavours.” It is located along the same complex as the original Nineteen in Terwillegar, at 5946 Mullen Way.
- Maria Northern Mexican Cuisine opened their second location, Maria Express, at 6506 170 Avenue.
- Juana Ines, a new Mexican restaurant from the folks behind the now-shuttered Frida, opened on April 29 in Manchester Square, 12042 107 Avenue.
- Old Yale Brewing’s first Alberta location will open in Beaumont on May 12 at 7201 49 Street.
- Deccani, a restaurant serving up the “delicacy of the Nizams” from Hyderabad, had its grand opening on May 2 at 6412 Cartmell Place SW.
- Indian restaurant The Curry Table opened last week in St. Albert (Unit C, 388 St. Albert Trail).
- Mr. Halal Burger is set to open a second spot in the city, to be located in West Edmonton Mall.
Upcoming Events
- The 2025 Canadian National Barista Championship will be hosted by The Colombian at the Oliver Exchange Building from July 24-27. Spectator tickets will be available at some point.
Local News
- The Journal has the story behind Bodega’s continued expansion – in the Edmonton area, and soon, to Calgary – and the addition of Roca by Sabor to open in the former Union Bank building in 2026.
- Bagel Bar has moved to 6792 99 Street as of May 3.
- Ben’s Meats and Deli’s final day at their current location will be June 7. They will re-open at 10516 184 Street on June 10.
- Happy and Olive will be closed for building repairs from May 5-23, and re-open on May 24 for regular service.
- We’re into the Oilers’ second round, so naturally, there are more team-themed products to choose from, including the return of the cutest cookies from MilkCrate, and an Oilers-themed espresso drink from Objects.
- Just in time for Mother’s Day, Edify asked three food enthusiasts, including Blair Junior McFarlane of Red Star, where they would take their moms for the occasion.
- Also from Edify, stories about two 124 Street eateries – Golden Sparrow and Mr. & Mrs. Singh Kitchen (great to see Liane Faulder, who wrote the latter piece, back with a food byline!).
- The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market opened for their first Sunday market day on May 4.
- CBC Radio Active’s beer columnist Jason Foster covered the transition from Biera to Campio in Ritchie.
- Linda released the 2025 edition of her Asian Heritage Month clothing collaboration with local business Zen Lion Design. I’ve always been partial to her food-themed designs.
- Honest Dumplings and South Island Pie were broken into last week, and “thousands of dollars in equipment, cash, and essentials were stolen”. Consider supporting them during this time.
- Tu Le of Jack’s Burger Shack has survived the first two rounds of Big Burger Battle.
- Podcast This is Edmonton’s latest episode features a Cooking 4 Community class, put on by Touch Grass Club, New Grocery Movement, and the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians.
What I Ate
- I caught up with a friend at CQ Noodle last week. It’s so great to see how busy they are on my past two visits.
Chef meat specials with pork
- We always deliberately over-order from Jerusalem Shawarma because we enjoy their food so much, but it is especially dangerous now that they have a more central location in Wîhkwêntôwin (11303 104 Avenue). I will say the pitas from this location were much fresher than the other locations we’ve tried.
Shawarma chicken family plate from Jerusalem Shawarma
- I finally tried Mimi, Daniel Costa’s lobby bar in Citizen on Jasper. The food was great, as expected. I will say I was a little overwhelmed with the music volume during the visit as a friend and I tried to have a conversation (recognizing how incredibly old I sound in writing that!).
Arancini and goat ricotta crostini from Mimi
Only Here for the Food 