Food Notes for October 20, 2025

Openings

• Zymo, serving “European cuisine with Ukrainian character” is open in the former Dalla space at 10166 100A Street NW.
• Siu Yeh, offering Asian-inspired street eats, is now open at 3709 Gateway Blvd.
• Yemeni café Mokha Coffee House has opened their second location in Windermere. Find it at 6085 Currents Drive NW.
• Fennec Kitchen and Bar is coming soon downtown at 10250 101 Street NW.
• Snowbear Bakery, with Hong Kong-style treats, is open at 10342 81 Avenue NW.
• The Side Door, Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market’s on-site store with hours Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm, is now open.
• Ukie’s Yummy, with “authentic and modern Ukrainian cuisine” is now open in the Mercer Warehouse, 10359 104 Street NW.
• Last Modern Events is hosting another pop-up called Brewkada, serving up coffee and desserts like tiramisu. It will be open until December.
• Burger restaurant Le Smash By Medium Rare is open at 10455 Whyte Avenue NW.

Upcoming Events

• Feed the Soul returns with Ten Dolla Deals available at 14 participating Black- and racialized-owned restaurants in Edmonton. The deals are available October 17-26.
• The next Swine and Dine is a Malaysian and Thai brunch pop-up with HOM on October 26. Tickets are $40.
• Chefs Christine Sandford and Roger Letourneau are back with another pop-up at Under the High Wheel called Alpine Express. It will run November 6-January 4 and feature “cozy, Alpine inspired” dining.
• Alberta Food Tours is running two Holiday Brunch and Bakery Bus Tours November 15 and 22, where attendees will sample and take home dozens of festive cookies. Tickets are $249.

Local News

• Duchess Bake Shop opened their new space next door to their previous shop on October 18.
• Hotel MacDonald has received a Michelin Guide key, recognizing outstanding hotels in design, architecture, and service.
• Many local breweries were recognized by the 2025 Alberta Beer Awards, including Sea Change Brewing Co., Odd Company Brewing, and Alley Kat.
• Lee’s Food Mart in Strathearn has re-opened under new ownership.
• Happy fifth birthday to CH Cafeteria!
• From Edify – a feature on Drift’s new retail space, and an ode to the vegan cinnamon bun from Bloom Cookie Co.
• The Journal interviewed Margaret Bose-Johnson and Holly Holt, who are competing on The Great Canadian Baking Show and Top Chef Canada, respectively.
• Also from the Journal, a series on the challenges of Alberta’s food inspection system.

Beyond Edmonton

• Congratulations to The Colombian on opening a shop in Saskatoon, their first cafe outside of the Edmonton area.
• So many local restaurants are offering discounts to teachers during the ongoing strike. On the kid side, I love that Calgary-based cookbook author Julie van Rosendaal is hosting free Zoom cooking classes while kids are out of school.

What I Ate

I would be remiss if I did not say LET’S GO BLUE JAYS!

• In September, I was #hosted at Siu Yeh, a new late night destination serving up Asian-inspired street food. The crispy tofu and chicken skewers were our favourite, and the biggest surprise was the honeydew crème brulee. It is always great to meet passionate folks bringing what they want to see in the dining scene.

Skewers from Siu Yeh

• We tried some frozen ramen kits from Mama Ramen at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. While the kits from Menya Mori are still our favourite, it was pretty good!

Mama Ramen

• Thanks to Feed the Soul for a preview box for the Ten Dolla Deals event, going on now. I especially loved the handmade Jamaican patty keychain by Love Lorelle.

Ten Dolla Deals is on now!

• We returned to one of our Chinatown favourites, Spirit Bistro, for some comfort food on the weekend.

The ginger beef from Spirit Bistro always hits the spot

• Our family headed out to Prairie Creek Inn for our annual retreat. Our preferred Thanksgiving take-and-bake wasn’t available before we left, so we chose to try a similar meal from L’OCA. While the quality was fine, we still haven’t found anything that matches A Cappella in value and taste. Hoping all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

Grateful for our little family