Kasey Ramen Grows With Help from the Community

In just 16 months, upstart Kasey Ramen has transitioned from a home-based business offering ramen kits to hosting pop-ups in an Edmonton restaurant.

Kasey Ramen proprietor Allen Gao has had a keen interest in food for years. “Since high school, I’ve had friends over and cooked food for them,” said Gao. “It’s my way of showing that I care about them.”

After graduating from the University of Alberta in 2020 with an environmental engineering degree, Gao was unable to secure a job in his field. So, while working in engineering-adjacent positions, he started to further explore his passion for food.

“Ramen was the one food that stumped me,” said Gao. “All other times I could crack open a recipe and make it work. But I couldn’t crack ramen. And ramen was one of my favourite foods growing up.”

Gao then stumbled upon a YouTube channel called Way of Ramen that changed everything for him. “Ryan Esaki was the first person on the internet making really good videos of how to make ramen,” said Gao. “Through Way of Ramen I was able to discover a whole community of online ramen makers doing it professionally or at home.”

In November 2020, Gao made his first ramen kits under the Kasey Ramen banner (“Kasey” is the sound of the initials in Gao’s Chinese name, “Kechao”). He gave 15 kits out to friends as samples, and sold 15 more to individuals he was connected to on social media. Once it grew to a point where he was selling to people he didn’t know, he knew he had to move into a commercial kitchen.

In September 2021, the folks behind District Café offered him in-kind use of their bakery space to make his noodles. A month later, he was connected to Ark Café, which had commercial kitchen space available for rent. Both businesses now serve as pickup locations for his ramen kits, which sell out every week within hours of being posted online.

“The limiting factor was actually being able to make enough noodles,” said Gao. “Prepping at District has allowed me to grow exponentially. I did 40 servings a week in September, and then 60, and now I’m doing 150.”

Kasey Ramen will host its first pop-up at District Cafe on March 27 and 28. “I’m excited to serve people and see people eat the ramen,” Gao said. “I’ve only seen online feedback, and sometimes it’s difficult when it’s just through a screen.”

Gao defines ramen as “any noodle dish that has some sort of Japanese flavouring, like soy sauce or salt, that has some sort of alkaline noodles.” His approach involves pairing his scratch-made noodles to the soup being served. For instance, for a recent kit that included ground pork instead of pork slices, Gao made a softer, chewier noodle, so it could better grip the sauce.

After Gao was laid off from his job in November 2021, he focused on Kasey Ramen full-time. While he is the sole employee, he credits the support he has received from friends and family, from designer Ivy Mak, who creates each kit’s illustrated instruction sheet, to his girlfriend Shannon Wong, who bakes the treats offered alongside each week’s kit. Still, he acknowledges the challenges of making such a business sustainable.

“The last thing I want to do is sacrifice my integrity to make a bad product,” said Gao. “I could see how it could be tempting to use the shortcuts that some restaurants use. I feel like for me, the entire brand is about accessibility and craftsmanship.”

Gao hopes to host one pop-up a month, but will continue with the ramen kits when possible. Ultimately, he would like to open his own restaurant, and help further educate diners to want better ramen. And though it hasn’t been easy, he couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else.

“It’s really scary to think about my own ramen shop, but in a city like Edmonton where the community is so supportive, I am not afraid of failing.”

COVID-19-related News

• Duchess has brought back indoor seating to their 124 Street location.

Openings

• Selfishly, it’s always great to have another coffee shop within walking distance of our house, and even better when it is located in a heritage home! Stopgap coffee is now open in at 9749 111 Street.
• Smokin’ Barrels Cocina Latina is a new Latin American restaurant that opened on March 21, 2022 at 13119 156 Street.
• Social Canadian House is now open at 15845 97 Street.
• Ancaron is a shop that opened recently in Old Strathcona at 10336 82 Avenue, offerings frozen Korean macarons.
• Waffloos is the latest in a string of Calgary imports to open in Edmonton this year. Find them at West Edmonton Mall in Phase III.

Closures

• Nourishak opened their Downtown location in early March, but it looks like they are closing their west-end pop-up.

Upcoming Events

• After a two-year hiatus, the Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum (FRAMS) is resuming their Dining with Friends events with a twist, called Dining with Authors. Although the March 29, 2022 event is now sold out, involving a conversation with an author alongside a paired meal, keep your eyes peeled for future events now that they’re back.

Local News

• Ben Staley of Restaurant Yarrow shared in a lengthy Instagram post that he will be leaving his position in May to pursue a career in design/architecture.
• 142 Bistro Bar is the latest restaurant to offer a menu item in support of the Ukrainian crisis.
• Restaurants are gearing up for Downtown Dining Week, which runs March 30-April 10, 2022, including Continental Treat Fine Bistro, a newcomer to the event.
• Stephanie recently hosted a birthday party in the private space at Brew and Bloom (her rental and decor fees were covered by the restaurant).
• Popular products at T-Rex Distillery include their garlic pickle vodka and vodka garlic pickles.
• Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers for both meal prep and delivery.

What I Ate

• • We hit up some of our favourite Chinatown haunts over the weekend, including Ying Fat, Shan Shan Bakery, and King Noodle House for #PhoToGo! Every day is the perfect day for soup.

Bun Bo Hue from King Noodle House

Hayloft Reimagines the Steakhouse in Southwest Edmonton

Chef Paul Shufelt has opened Hayloft Steak and Fish and a third location of Woodshed Burgers in the southwest Edmonton neighbourhood of Cameron Heights, adding to the Robert Spencer Hospitality stable alongside Workshop Eatery and The Greenhouse.

In Shufelt’s words, the new development came about through “dumb luck and persistence.” Last fall, a customer who resides in Cameron Heights was insistent that Shufelt take a look at a vacant building in his area. Eventually, Shufelt agreed to meet the landlord for a walk-through.

“I immediately saw the potential,” he said. “I would compare it to how a chef would respond when you give him a black box of ingredients and his mind starts racing on how to put everything together.”

Although some suggested that Shufelt should simply replicate Workshop Eatery in a new spot, he didn’t want to take away from the original. “We wanted to complement Workshop Eatery and maintain true to what we do and the relationships with our farmers,” said Shufelt. “This is how Hayloft Steak and Fish came to be.”

Still, Shufelt recognized the restaurant would have to be tailored to meet the needs of the neighbourhood. “It’s one thing to do the thing you want, but will the community take to that?” he said. Factoring in the design of the space, which features a lounge on one side, pairing a higher-end restaurant with a more affordable offering made sense.

“I like to go out for a nice steak dinner, but I can’t afford to do that every day,” said Shufelt. “Maybe you’re celebrating a special occasion, and you go to the steakhouse side one day, but a week later, you’re stopping in with the kids and grabbing a burger after a hockey game or when you don’t feel like cooking.”

Combining Hayloft and Woodshed Burgers in one place also has the benefit of upholding company’s philosophy. “It allows us to hold true to ‘use the whole animal’,” said Shufelt. “Traditional steakhouses leave much of the animal behind with the farmer. This would help us move the lesser known cuts of beef.”

At its core, Hayloft seeks to offer something different from a traditional steakhouse. “We’re trying to redefine what a steakhouse is, and get away from the conventional expectation that you’re going to have the same cuts of beef every night,” said Shufelt.

Exclusively serving Nonay beef from Lakeside Dairy, the steak selections will change on a daily basis. “We will try to be mindful of selecting cuts based on night of the week,” said Shufelt. “On Sunday nights, we might do a cross-rib roast for a traditional Sunday dinner feel. On Monday or Tuesday, we will have value cuts, versus Friday or Saturday nights, when we might offer the 90-day aged rib-eye, or wagyu tenderloin.” Similarly, the fish program is based entirely on seasonal catch brought in by fishmonger Effing Seafoods.

Shufelt acknowledges that opening up a more formal restaurant right now is a risk, especially given the pandemic-related growth over the past two years of more casual eateries with take-out ready options. But he believes the community is finally ready to embrace dining out in greater numbers.

“People miss gathering socially,” said Shufelt. “How many special occasions have we missed over the last couple of years? People are ready to get out of the house and dine again. It’s always darkest before the dawn, and I feel that the dawn is around the corner.”

My partner and I were among those hosted by Hayloft Steak + Fish at the media launch last week.

COVID-19-related News

• Northern Chicken has re-opened for dine-in during their regular hours, instead of just at lunch.

Closures

• Forest Heights’ Pho & Bun has announced their closure: “After being opened for 14+ years, today we are sorry to announce the retirement of our family business. I know this may come as a shock to many as we were looking for a new building to move our restaurant to, but unfortunately we were not able to find a place that worked for us.” They don’t have a set closing date yet, but have listed their business for sale.

Upcoming Events

• On March 19, 2022, some of the Black Owned Market YEG vendors will be popping up at the Token Bitters storefront at 10047 108 Street.
• Pei Pei Chei Ow will be hosting a pop-up at Whiskeyjack Art House. Tickets are $200 and include a multi-course dinner, drumming performance, talk, and an art piece by Indigenous artist Mackenzie Brown (Kamamak).
• Awn Kitchen is launching a Dinner Club on March 26, 2022, with proceeds to benefit the Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis. Tickets are $125 per person.
• On March 28, 2022, three Get Cooking chefs will be taking over Dalla Tavola Zenari. Tickets are $20 and includes a welcome drink, flight of canapes and the opportunity to order a la carte small plates from Addie Raghavan, Mai Nguyen, and Kathryn Joel.

Local News

• More hospitality businesses are running Ukraine-related relief campaigns, including Awn Kitchen, Glass Monkey, and Seitan’s Kitchen in the 5th Street Food Hall.
• The Public is offering another round of pre-ordered drop-offs at designated outposts in the Edmonton area on March 28, 2022. This drop features three Whyte Avenue businesses: Drift, Flirt, and Sugared & Spiced.
• If last week’s story about Edmonton Public Library’s new learning and community kitchen wasn’t enough, listen to EPL’s latest podcast which is all about The Kitchen.
• The latest Best Dish column highlights Awash Ethiopian Restaurant.
• Edify’s Best Restaurants edition highlighted Tiramisu Bistro’s pandemic pivot which continues to endure, and also featured the stories behind independent cafes Candid Coffee Roasters and Woodrack Cafe.
• Edify also sampled some dim sum from Tasty Noodle.
• Edmonton restaurant Baekjeong Korean BBQ House will be opening a location in Calgary.
• Local butcher shop MeatHead has begun offering delivery to accommodate customers.
• Savvy Mom has a list of Alberta-based delivery boxes (including food and drink subscriptions) to consider.
• NAIT developed a guide to bread and pastries in Edmonton, which features the businesses started by their graduates.
• The Italian Centre shared the sad news of the passing of Rina Spinelli last week, wife of the late Frank Spinelli and mother to Teresa.
• Alberta Food Tours published a list of 30 women-led Alberta food businesses in honour of International Women’s Day, and Explore Edmonton highlighted women entrepreneurs, including Seble Isaac of Tiramisu Bistro and Kirsta Franke of The Public.
• Women in the brewing industry continue to face an uphill battle.

What I Ate

• Mack and I were very fortunate to be hosted at Hayloft on Thursday. The skirt steak and tenderloin we tried were perfectly prepared, and the sides were decadent for such a grand night out (our first as a couple in two years!). Thanks again to Paul and his team for a great evening.

Our spread from Hayloft

• I tried take-out from Thien An for the first time last week. While the grilled chicken wasn’t quite as good as T & D Noodle House (RIP), it was a serviceable vermicelli bowl. The spring roll was especially crispy and satisfying.

Grilled chicken vermicelli from Thien An

• It’s been too long since my last visit to Mama Asha but I can report that it was as tasty as I remembered! Their chicken suqaar wrap is such a huge serving, and the sabayad bread is worth seeking out alone. I’m also happy their coconut cake was available, and was big enough to share with five people! Such a gem in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood.

The chicken suqaar wrap and coconut cake from Mama Asha

Downtown Library Prepares to Open Community Kitchen

The Kitchen, a learning and community kitchen facility located on the second floor of the Stanley A. Milner Library, is finally ready to open to the public this month.

The in-person grand opening celebration will take place on March 16, while a virtual tour will run March 19.

Although the renovated downtown branch of the Edmonton Public Library has been open since September 2020, many of its plans for group-based, in-person activities were postponed due to the pandemic. Now, with the further lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, The Kitchen can operate as intended.

“The primary objective of The Kitchen is to create learning opportunities to help increase knowledge and grow interest in food literacy and nutrition, and to teach skills that would be transferable into a home kitchen environment,” said Karen Chidiak, the EPL’s manager of marketing and communications.

The facility will offer courses in cooking, baking, and other food-related matters either directly or through partner organizations. “We also want to make The Kitchen available to community groups and others looking to build connections or share cultural practices with food,” Chidiak said. “Finally, we hope to make our space available to entrepreneurs looking to explore starting food-related businesses and in need of space and equipment to help them start out.”

The 2,100 square feet of space can accommodate up to 36 participants at workstations, and it is equipped with commercial-grade ovens and ventilation systems alongside more traditional at-home appliances like stand mixers.

Pre-registration is required for the virtual sneak peek sessions running March 19 and 20. So far, workshops featuring Fox Burger‘s Sean O’Connor on pancakes and Pei Pei Chei Ow‘s chef Scott Iserhoff on Indigenous potato pancakes already have waitlists, and sessions on preparing a Spanish-themed supper, brownie baking, and cocktails are filling up fast.

More than two dozen hospitality professionals from restaurants and food-related businesses have already donated their time and expertise to help get The Kitchen up and running, and the library is open to including others. “Many Edmonton chefs and community experts are passionate about bringing culinary literacy skills to Edmontonians and offered to share their knowledge, expertise and platforms,” said Chidiak. “As we identify the types of classes that help create a culture of learning through cooking, we expect more contributions from local experts.”

The intended audience for The Kitchen is broad. “The primary focus is helping everyday Edmontonians be more informed and comfortable with cooking, nutrition, and food preparation,” Chidiak said. “We will also be offering some entry-level cooking classes that can act as a precursor or step towards more advanced learning.”

While virtual classes are free of charge, The Kitchen may charge fees that reflect the cost of ingredients as it adds in-person classes beginning in April. Chidiak acknowledged the challenges some participants may have on cost, and said the library is trying to minimize these barriers. “For example, thanks to a grant received by Pei Pei Chei Ow, they will provide grocery cards to support the purchase of ingredients for low-income families.”

Chidiak noted that staff will be reflecting in six months on how The Kitchen is meeting the needs of its customers, and noted it has the flexibility to explore different types of classes and partnerships. “The Kitchen is another example of EPL’s commitment to providing creative spaces and places for people to learn through hands-on experiences, collaborate and build community connections,” said Chidiak. “We hope to become a resource for multifaceted access to food-related learning, community-building and entrepreneurship.”

Openings

• Pizza continues to be the rage in Edmonton – Toast Culture is the latest to sling pies under sub-brand Birch & Bear Pizza.
• SSP America’s Upper Crust (not to be confused with the longstanding Edmonton-based Upper Crust) is now open at the Edmonton International Airport.

Closures

• It looks like T & D Noodle House has already permanently closed.

Upcoming Events

• The next Nosh Food Fest, featuring over 80 food and beverage producers, is taking place March 19-20, 2022 in Sherwood Park.
• Chef Table Living will be leading 124 Street Food Walks from March 19-April 9, 2022. Tickets start at $55.
• Aditya Raghavan will be popping up at Restaurant Yarrow on March 20-21, 2022 for YEG Curry Nights, a 10-course paired meal. Tickets are $150.
• Save the date for Downtown Dining Week, which returns March 30-April 10, 2022, with 58 participating restaurants offering $20, $35, $50 and $65 multi-course meals. The menus are already up for your perusing pleasure.

Local News

• Edify released their full Best Restaurants list (disclosure: I was on the judging panel this year).
• The Tomato also released their Top 100 Best Things to Eat and Drink in Edmonton.
• Many local businesses in the last week have stepped up to fundraise for Ukrainian relief efforts. Some have since passed, but active campaigns include Backstairs Burgers, Otto, and Roasti Coffee.
• Local business H & T Food Products was affected by a fire last week, and the family has started a crowdfunding campaign to help them get back on their feet.
• Flava Cafe re-opened on March 1, 2022 after a break-in at the restaurant.
• The Journal has the story behind Beb’s Bagels and Waffle Bird.
• Local butcher Elyse Chatterton competed on the Food Network Canada series Wall of Bakers. Her episode will air on April 11, 2022.
• Sea Change will be releasing a beer brewed in collaboration with Yego.Death.
• Alcohol will again be permitted at certain picnic sites this summer.
• Blush Lane Organic Market staff will be trained on using naloxone kits.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The City of Edmonton is accepting applications for this summer’s pop-up community garden sites until March 31, 2022.

What I Ate

• We grabbed Burger Brawl take-out on Friday and it was super satisfying! I enjoyed the Juicy Lucinda burger, and it was great that the shoestring fries and onion rings were still crispy after the trek home. We’ll definitely be ordering it again!

Burger Brawl order

• It was our first time trying Kasey Ramen and it won’t be our last. We slurped up every last bit of the excellent tonkotsu broth, and loved the chew in the noodles. The kits sell out fast when they are released every week, so you have to be on top of it to order!

Spicy tonkotsu ramen from Kasey Ramen

Filistix Embraces Change with New MacEwan Food Hall

Filistix is creating a food hall on the MacEwan University campus and bringing a new dinner concept to its main downtown location in an effort to make it to the other side of the pandemic.

As with other hospitality businesses, Filistix has been forced to continuously pivot over the past two years in response to changing public health guidelines. But there is no doubt that trying to maintain business at a post-secondary institution was particularly challenging, given the lack of foot traffic on campus.

“As the months went on, we were thinking about how we would recoup this lost revenue, especially at our University of Alberta location,” said Ariel del Rosario, co-owner of Filistix. The opportunity he saw was to go big.

Filistix had a very public dispute with Aramark over the abrupt cancellation of its vending contract at the U of A in 2018. It ended up finding a new U of A home in the Students’ Union Building, but it closed its MacEwan location, which was also managed by Aramark. Filistix maintained a good relationship with MacEwan, however, and reconnected with the school in 2021 to determine what was possible. “We didn’t want to just occupy a kiosk like we did last time,” said del Rosario. “We wanted to convert the entire concession area in the Robbins Building into a mini food hall.”

Food halls offer a collection of local food vendors and chef-driven concepts under one roof. JustCook Kitchens operates the only current Edmonton example, but they have popped up in every major city, del Rosario said. His version is called Takam Market, named after the Tagalog word meaning “to crave.” It opened on Feb. 28 and will continue to phase in more offerings over time.

Among the concepts is Filistix Modern Filipino, which will serve a menu similar to the one available at the U of A branch, while Yelo’d will open up a Sosyal Scoops ice cream and milkshake shack. In addition, the market has partnered with The Colombian and Ayco Bakery to offer coffee and baked goods.

Meanwhile, the flagship downtown location of Filistix will be undergoing some changes in March. “We know people’s dining habits have changed for the near future,” said del Rosario. “People now go out once every couple of weeks. Are people who live in the outskirts compelled to come downtown and eat at a restaurant? If we’re going to be a destination spot, we need to make our concept and menu a destination.”

The restaurant will officially launch this concept on Fridays and Saturday evenings after previewing the menu at Downtown Dining Week in late March and early April. “This will be the grown-up version of Filistix,” said del Rosario. “Wine glasses, linens, napkins, and a completely different look.”

Throughout the pandemic, Filistix has hosted a number of well-received pop-ups, including its Bayanihan dinner series. This new concept builds on those ideas.

“Our mission has always been the same: to introduce the public to Filipino food and flavours,” said del Rosario. “That is still at the forefront of what we do. But we want to elevate our food and plating while adhering to traditional and authentic flavours. We’re looking at the dishes and seeing what elements are essential to that dish and applying different techniques or cooking methods to different elements. We’re not going to be shy to use strong flavours but need to repurpose them so it is less intimidating for people to try.”

Dishes will include a karekare oxtail with a peanut-based sauce and charred vegetables served with kalamansi beurre blanc.

Although del Rosario acknowledges that some of his customers may not welcome these changes at first, adaptation is necessary for survival. “We have nothing to lose,” he said. “We’re sitting in an empty restaurant. We might as well do something that we’re passionate about and proud of.”

Back at MacEwan, Takam will be the site of a pantry to be supplied by The Public starting in March. “MacEwan residents don’t have a dining hall. Students are expected to make their own food in their kitchenettes,” said del Rosario. “There was no way for students to have a prepared meal after the concessions closed in the afternoon.” Now they can, as The Public will be curating heat-and-eat style items as quick meal solutions.

Until April, Takam will be open from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Its hours for the spring-summer session will be determined after this initial launch. In September, Filistix plans to open two additional concepts offering sandwiches and either pasta or noodle soups.

“We want Takam Market to appeal to a broad range of people,” said del Rosario. “Our whole idea is to be a player in this neighbourhood, to be part of the broader community and not just the MacEwan community.”

COVID-19-related News

• The rest of Alberta will lift their indoor mask mandates in most settings on March 1, 2022, but Edmonton’s mask bylaw will remain in place until at least March 8, 2022 when City Council will review it. Council is asking for the public’s input about continuing the bylaw in an online survey open until March 7.
• A man has been accused of assaulting a hospitality worker in Cochrane after being asked to wear a mask.

Openings

• Deville Coffee, the Calgary-based coffee chain, is opening their first Edmonton location on March 7, 2022 at MacEwan University (10700 104 Avenue).
• Another Calgary import, Flirty Bird Nashville Hot Chicken opened in Old Strathcona (10455 82 Avenue).
• Popular Calgary restaurant Jerusalem Shawarma recently opened an Edmonton branch at 2213 101 Street.
• Nourishak is opening their Downtown location on February 28, 2022, with a full opening to come on March 14.
• Flame & Barrel is coming soon to 1237 Windermere Way SW.

Closures

• I’m sad that my go-to work lunch spot T & D Noodle House, is closing after seven years in business. As of March 1, they are shifting to dinner service only, and as soon as they find a new tenant, they will permanently close.

Local News

• Malina Ukrainian Bakery shared how hard the last week has been for them.
• Edify teased the restaurants named under the “best new” category from their Best Restaurants list (which will be released in full on March 1): La Petite Iza, Rosewood Foods, and Tryst.
• The Union Bank Inn has been purchased by a local entrepreneur. He envisions replacing Madison’s Grill with a modernized restaurant, plus he hopes to add a wine bar and an “old school pub”.
• Freson Bros. is celebrating the first birthday of their Edmonton location on March 5, 2022.
• Phil’s latest Best Dish column highlighted the sandwiches at Careit Urban Deli.
• YEGTour offers a visual introduction to Ayco Cafe’s Downtown location.
• Edify checks out the time capsule of Red Goose Restaurant in Hazeldean.
• Greg Zeschuk, the BioWare cofounder and man behind Ritchie Market and Biera, was recently profiled in Wired Magazine.
• Linda shows you how to hot pot from home.
• The latest Let’s Do Coffee podcast episode features Monita Chapman of Simply Supper, as she shares how she pivoted during the pandemic.
• AmploMedia highlights SOHO, the new-ish bar and pizza joint in the core.
• Edify has the story behind the local company Seven Summits Snacks.
• MilkCrate’s Steven Brochu has been awarded the Alumni Award of Excellence from NAIT in part for his advocacy for mental health.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Calgary-based vertical farming company groHere has opened a commercial strawberry facility at the Edmonton International Airport.

What I Ate

• I was happy to be able to catch T & D Noodle House for one last work lunch – I am going to miss their amazing grilled chicken vermicelli.

Grilled chicken vermicelli from T & D Noodle House

• I met up with Linda for lunch at Maria last week. While I was excited to try their birria, it was the fundido de queso (Mexican fondue topped with mushrooms and roasted poblano peppers), served with handmade flour tortillas that really stole the show.

Birria from Maria

• It had been too long since we had take-out from BaoBao. Their pan-fried soup dumplings and noodles provide so much comfort.

Dumplings and noodles from BaoBao

Hoot Company’s New Ghost Kitchens Offer Springboard for Chefs

Hoot Company, an umbrella for several businesses including DOSC, Dorinku Osaka and Dorinku Tokyo, and Japonais Bistro, launched two ghost kitchens in February, offering a couple of chefs a way to test concepts that may become full restaurants some day.

After taking over a building less than a block from Rogers Place, Hoot Company relaunched the dormant Burger Brawl brand and launched a new concept called Taco Nova, both run by chefs who were originally from DOSC.

Ghost kitchen are hospitality businesses with no dine-in options, relying on third-party delivery apps and take-out. They started popping up in core neighbourhoods in Edmonton several years back. Many ghost kitchens offer generic menu items or serve branded items. But Hoot Company’s ghost kitchens are different – the chefs behind both Burger Brawl and Taco Nova have particular visions, and Hoot Company has supported them to bring their concepts to life.

“The benefit of having a ghost kitchen is that we don’t have as many overheads as a storefront restaurant, so we are able to be more competitive with our pricing,” said Bianca Condren, the sales and marketing manager for Hoot Company. “We are always listening and assessing data to be more flexible, and guest feedback is the most important.”

Taco Nova chef Luis Rivadeneyra is excited for the chance to make traditional Mexican food at an affordable price. “I am very proud of the whole menu, but if I had to choose [one dish to recommend], I would say our ‘Cecina’, a semi-cured beef,” said Rivadeneyra. “It is a very popular preparation in Mexico, especially in the town of Yecapixtla. It is served with a cactus salad, grilled Panela cheese, guacamole and cilantro.”

He shared that 90% of the menu is home-made, and they are in the process of sourcing the equipment needed to make their own tortillas in the near future.

Chef Karl MacKinnon has been able to lead the rebirth of his Burger Brawl brainchild from DOSC to ghost kitchen. “When I first conceptualized Burger Brawl, the lockdown was in full effect [in December 2020], so Burger Brawl was made as a way to create revenue for DOSC during the lockdown. In a way, DOSC was functioning as a ghost kitchen as we were solely running Burger Brawl out of it,” said MacKinnon. “Once the mandates were lifted, it was rather complicated running a full DOSC menu and Burger Brawl out of the same kitchen.”

Burger Brawl went on hiatus in June of 2021 but was revived in February at the new location. MacKinnon has been heartened by diners who have returned, even with the break in service. “A lot of the people who supported us from day one have come back with great enthusiasm, and the local community around MacEwan has also embraced us with open arms,” said MacKinnon. “We are still in early days of where I hope Burger Brawl will eventually end up, but it is nice to have such a strong cult following right out of the gate of our relaunch.”

While burgers are pervasive in the restaurant and delivery space, MacKinnon believes his execution and concept set Burger Brawl apart. “For one, [nearly] everything…is made in house,” said MacKinnon. “Our buns are never frozen. Our burgers are made entirely from locally-sourced sirloin and brisket as well. We also allow for your burger to be completely customized. Lastly, we have an endless amount of burgers that we plan to roll out so there will always be new burgers to keep our customers excited about.”

For both Burger Brawl and Taco Nova concepts, Hoot Company hopes that the ghost kitchen format will eventually springboard to brick and mortar locations. “The ideal plan will be to gather as much feedback and customer responses as possible to see which burgers are hits and which are flops so that when we do eventually have a set location, we are ensuring that we are selling the best possible products for our clientele,” said MacKinnon.

Although competition is steep in the hospitality sector, sales and marketing manager Condren is confident that they will succeed. “If there is anything COVID has taught us, it’s that we have a great community in Edmonton where there is a lot of support for local restaurants,” she said.

COVID-19-Related News

• The Cave Beastro is still requiring diners to provide proof of vaccination at time of arrival.

Openings

• Home & Away (which has taken over the Mercer Tavern space) will be hosting their grand opening weekend March 10-13, 2022.
• Macau-born bubble tea franchise Macao Imperial Tea has opened a branch at West Edmonton Mall (Level One, Phase III).
• Jollibee opened its fourth Edmonton location at 881 Tamarack Way in southeast Edmonton.
• Miga has re-opened as Premium Pork Cutlet House.
• Bravo Pizza & Kitchen will be opening on February 24, 2022 at 13240 118 Avenue.
• It looks like Nourishak, a Korean restaurant will be moving into the former Cafe Lavi space at 10335 100 Avenue.
• Modest Meats, a whole animal butcher shop, is coming soon to Edmonton.

Local News

• Da Capo beans can still be sourced from owner Antonio Bilotta – but will now be delivered by bike.
• Did you know Maria offers unlimited breakfast buffets on Saturdays and Sundays for $25/person?
• Edify tried Gravy’s Halifax burger.
• Linda’s weekly list continues to highlight Black-owned restaurants to visit.
• Alberta Food Tours has a list of 7 Alberta Black-owned businesses to check out.
• If you’re looking for imported candy and pop, YEG Exotic Pop might be your kind of place.
• The Journal profiled farmers’ market vendor Bogata Street Food.
• Awn Kitchen will be resuming in-person classes in March. They will also be hosting a pop-up market with soup, dips, stocks, bread, and jams on February 26, 2022.
• $1 from each can or pint of Arcadia Brewing Company’s Take Your Shot Lager goes to support Soul Shot’s efforts to support women in sports.
• The Edmonton Food Bank continues to see an increase in demand.

What I Ate

• We had a Taco Nova feast on Friday – love that they sell tacos individually too so you can easily try their variety! Our favourites were the quesabirria, Baja fish tacos, and bean dip, and we will definitely be ordering the churros waffles again.

Taco Nova feast

• Cinnamon buns are one of my favourite treats, and it’s hard to resist the buns from the Nook Cafe. Find them at the Downtown Farmers’ Market on weekends!

Cinnamon bun from Nook Cafe

• We decided to have a movie night on Family Day, and grabbed take-out from Love Pizza for our night in. Only one more week left to get your mac & cheeza fix!

Love Pizza spread

Alberta Ends Restrictions Exemption Program

Last Tuesday, Premier Jason Kenney announced that the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) would end later that evening, at 11:59pm on February 8, 2022. Liquor restrictions remain in place, with service ending at 11pm, and tables are limited to 10 people. Indoor masking requirements (while not eating or drinking) will remain in place until at least February 28, 2022.

Hospitality businesses were not given any notice to prepare for the end of REP. The Alberta Hospitality Association questioned the lifting of REP without loosening other restrictions such as the liquor service curfew, while others, including Kris Harvey of the Chvrch of John, are wondering about the motivation behind the decision.

“It’s a completely backwards way of operating. What they’re doing is pandering to an unvaccinated population that has given us the reason to have the restrictions exemption program in the first place.”

The City of Edmonton did not fully explore creating a municipal version of the REP, but given it would have been the lone city to do so in the province, it would have been a challenge.

Although the QR code reader is no longer available for new downloads, those who have already downloaded the app can continue to use it for “some period of time”. As a result, some restaurants have shared that they will continue to implement a vaccine passport program on their own.

Passporteats.ca was intended to be a repository of restaurants continuing with REP, but uptake has been low. Thus far, I am aware of three restaurants that have shared their decision to continue with REP for the moment:

• Northern Chicken, “To quote another post by us…We ain’t changing anything tomorrow.”
• Fleisch, “Our current rules will remain in place until the end of the weekend AT LEAST, while we figure out what our next steps look like. We remain committed to keeping our community and staff safe, and are doing our best to navigate the difficult position we have all been put in.”
• Cafe Bicyclette, “Please note that we will maintain all of our current protocols including REP until we can navigate a practical timeline to return to our normal lives. Merci!…#REPnotRiP”

COVID-19-related News

• Downtown restaurants, including the owners of Chicken for Lunch and Dalla Tavola Zenari, are looking forward to customers returning after the work-from-home order lifts on March 1, 2022.
• Between the Omicron variant and supply-chain issues, restauranteur Paul Shufelt shared that it was the worst January he had experienced.

Openings

• Chicken and waffle restaurant Waffle Bird is now open in the former DangerKat Waffles space at 8116 101 Street, from the folks behind the Preserve Food Truck (which they’ve since closed) and WhoaNuts.
• Chicko Chicken, a Vancouver-based Korean fried chicken restaurant chain, has moved into the former Mama Lee’s Kitchen storefront, located at 10633 51 Avenue.
• Hoang Long had closed its other Downtown location on Jasper Avenue some time ago, but it looks like they will be opening another further east, at 9892 Jasper Avenue later in February (formerly housing Al Centro).
• Nuttea, an international chain specializing in dairy-free house-made milks, will be opening its first Edmonton location soon.
• I’m so happy to see a cafe returning to the Downtown space vacated by Starbucks – a Blenz Coffee Shop will take over 10104 109 Street.

Closures

• It looks like Ohana Donuts is now closed.

Upcoming Events

• Sakihitowin is the next Friends of Royal Alberta Museum event on February 19, 2022. The after-hours evening will feature Indigenous cuisine by Pei Pei Chei Ow Chef Scott Jonathan Iserhoff. Tickets are $150.
• Lola’s Gift Shop, the pop-up at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market, is hosting an online cooking class with Mai Nguyen of Gourmai Dumplings on February 21, 2022. Tickets are $68 for two and $98 for four, and includes all the necessary ingredients and complimentary vintage dishware. Tickets must be purchased by February 15.
• The 5th Street Food Hall will be hosting a Tacos & Beer Pop-Up on February 28, 2022, with all four kitchens offering special curated menus.

Local News

• It looks like the weekly convoy is continuing to disrupt some Downtown businesses, with at least one, Buok, deciding to proactively stay closed.
• Phil’s latest Best Dish column highlights BaoBao’s wonderful soup dumplings.
• Edify checks out Stanhope Eatery and Bar.
• In honour of Black History Month, Linda has some great recommendations of black-owned restaurants to try. Ashley Otieno also shared a list of black-owned restaurants.
• Confetti Sweets is now offering photo-screened cookies that can be shipped nationally, with pre-selected themes or personal photos.
• For those looking to cozy up at home, On Our Table has curated a February Hygge Box filled with locally-sourced goods.
• Super Bowl Sunday has passed, but the Journal has a round-up of locally-sourced finger foods that can make any gathering a tasty one.

What I Ate

• Mack and I indulged in a hot breakfast from Rosewood Foods last week. I deviated from my usual breakfast sandwich and opted for a very satisfying breakfast bowl with sausage.

Breakfast from Rosewood Foods

• We satisfied Mack’s craving for Oodle Noodle on Friday. We ordered the butter chicken mac and cheese for Emily, but we ended up eating more of it than she did – the sweet sauce was surprisingly tasty.

Oodles of noodles from Oodle Noodle

• We took some Lockstock Coffee cheese scones to enjoy at the end of our walk exploring the Tawatina Bridge over the weekend. I usually opt for their kouign amann so it was a nice reminder of just how great their savoury goods are too.

Cheese scone from Lockstock Coffee

• Mack and I had the luxury to meet up for a quiet Valentine’s lunch today. It was also our first time trying the scaccia, a calzone-like Italian loaf from Dalla. It was such a great deal at just $10, with a generous amount of meat (capicollo, mortadella, salami), mushrooms, and cheese. We will be ordering it again!

Scaccia from Dalla

Take-Home Valentine’s Day Options Abound

So many people (including me!) have become homebodies as we enter our third year of the pandemic that it’s not a surprise that for Valentine’s Day, many hospitality businesses will be offering take-home options for those celebrating the occasion. This is by no means an exhaustive list (and keep in mind most require pre-ordering by certain deadlines), but hopefully it provides some ideas for how you can commemorate the day while supporting local independent businesses!

Savoury

• Some restaurants are opening up just to offer curbside pick-up on February 14, as is the case with Tzin’s menu for two, 5-courses plus sparkling wine for $150.
• The four kitchens at the 5th Street Food Hall have each put together 3-course dinners available for pick-up and dine-in, ranging in price from $80-90.
• Including kids in your at-home Valentine’s plans? Chartier has you covered, with kids meals to add to their take-out game dinners starting at $6.
• If you’re looking for a heat-and-serve option, May is offering a $145 3-course dinner for two, which includes a bottle of wine.
• Kitchen by Brad is offering two different options – a breakfast in bed package including their house-made bagels, and a bacon bouquet.
• Meuwly’s is offering a more complete package, bundling charcuterie, flowers, and sparkling wine for $210.
• Buok’s dinner package for two, including three courses, is among the most affordable options at $39.99.
• For another great deal, don’t forget about LovePizza – 2 signature pizzas are $25 on Mondays. And their epic mac & cheeza is still available in February!

Sweet

• If your Valentine prefers variety, the Sugared and Spiced Valentine’s Box might be right up up their alley – which of course includes their amazing brownies.
• Bread and Butter Bakery in Riverdale also has some pretty treats in smaller quantities for pre-order, including heart-shaped cinnamon love buns.
• Farrow has also dressed up their doughnut cake just for the occasion.
• For something more interactive, The Art of Cake has Valentine’s Day decorating kits available.
• Technically both salty and sweet, Zwick’s Pretzels is offering two options for heart-shaped pretzels through Public Food Hub.
• Also both sweet and savoury, Breadlove is sampling two of their loves also through the Public Food Hub.

COVID-19-related News

• Premier Jason Kenney announced last week that the province will be lifting restrictions within the month, including ending the Restrictions Exemption Program. More details will be announced this week. Toast Culture and RGE RD were interviewed about what REP ending might mean for their businesses, while Kris Harvey, the co-chair of the Edmonton Independent Hospitality Community, is concerned lifting restrictions too soon could lead to further restrictions in the future.
• Although there are likely reasons other than just COVID-19 that have prevented Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw from dining out, it was still somewhat surprising to hear that she hasn’t eaten at a restaurant in two years.
• Campio Brewing is offering free 6-packs of beer for healthcare workers and first responders.

Openings

• Dookbaeki opened their second location at West Edmonton Mall on Level Two near T & T Supermarket.
• Asian Flame Indian Kitchen and Bar is now open at 8505 109 Street.
• Calgary-based cafe Deville Coffee is expanding to Edmonton. The first location will be on campus at MacEwan University.
• Home Town Pizza is now open at 2203 47 Street.

Upcoming Events

• Old Strathcona’s Sweet Treats & Latte Festival is back, with 17 participating businesses serving up a hot drink or sweet treat from February 7-27, 2022.
• Beb’s Bagels will be popping up at Wilfred’s for their first-ever Beb’s Brunch on February 19-21, 2022.

Local News

• Sweet Pea Cafe & Playhouse distanced themselves from former partner Jamie Sale who has been publicly supporting the convoy.
• Some of the businesses located around the Alberta Legislature, including District Cafe and Buok, decided to remain closed on Saturday in order to protect their staff from potential harassment from the convoy protesters.
• In an unrelated incident, The Common had their restaurant windows and doors smashed.
• Edify checked out the relaunched Honey Jam in Old Strathcona.
• Boxer Kitchen and Bar changes up their menu seasonally.
• The Kitchen at the Stanley Milner Library is not yet open, but Chef Doreen Prei filmed a segment there sharing her three favourite kitchen tools.
• Julie Van Rosendaal’s project to offer virtual cooking classes to children and youth has grown into a separate website. It’s password protected, but DM Julie to obtain the password!

Beyond Edmonton

• The family that owns Earls has acquired full ownership interest in Cactus Club.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Vermeer Dairy Farm, east of Camrose, is providing the public with an opportunity to see how milk and butter gets to the table.
• The most recent episode of That’s Food features Maryann Borch from Good Note Community Farm.

What I Ate

• We could not pass up the Jack’s Burger Shack special of Vietnamese fried chicken sandwiches offered on Lunar New Year. The portions were huge, crispy, and so, so delicious. I especially loved the pickled veggies!

Vietnamese fried chicken sandwiches from Jack’s Burger Shack

• We made a stop at Kind Ice Cream on the way home this weekend after spending some much-needed time outdoors. To our surprise, out of all of their flavours to choose from, Emily picked salted caramel. I’d like to think she has good taste!

Ice cream from Kind

Pop-up Brings Chinatown to Downtown Farmers’ Market

Lola’s Gift Shop, a month-long pop-up located on the first floor of the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market (EDFM), aims to raise awareness about businesses in Chinatown, in addition to Asian- and BIPOC-owned businesses.

Developed through a partnership between the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Society of Edmonton (CTC) and the creative collective I’ll Call You Tomorrow (ICYT), Lola’s will operate every weekend during market hours until Feb. 27.

CTC had been exploring ways to engage the community to increase visitors to the neighbourhood, said Alicia Chung, special events coordinator for CTC. Fortuitously, this lined up with ICYT’s intent to create a multi-brand retail boutique, said co-founder and creative director Raeland Mendoza.

“Since our studio is located in CO*LAB, adjacent to the Chinatown and Boyle Street communities as well as downtown, early on we knew if we were to expand our physical retail strategy, it’d also have to reflect the parts of the city that are meaningful to us as a collective,” said Mendoza. “That idea eventually became Lola’s Gift Shop.”

The partnership with the farmers’ market came about from an existing relationship between EDFM and the Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA), one of the key stakeholders that advocated for the creation of the CTC back in 2018. In years past, the market and the CBA had collaborated on several long-table feasts for nearby residents.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for both (the CTC and the EDFM) to accomplish our respective and collective goals through collaboration,” said Chung. “The CTC hopes to bring value by adding to the vibrancy and the existing community of incredible vendors at the EDFM, as well as finding at least one way to answer the question, ‘If people aren’t currently coming to Chinatown, how can we bring Chinatown to them?'”

Lola’s Gift Shop plans to accomplish this by offering products from a mix of established Chinatown-based businesses and up-and-coming vendors, with an emphasis on businesses owned by people of Asian descent or people who are Black, Indigenous, or people of colour.

“Part of the fun in curating our brand list is pairing different scales of businesses,” said Mendoza. “Similar to the diversity in Chinatown, each brand is in a different part of their respective journey.”

Food and food-related products feature prominently among the 30 vendors sold at Lola’s, which also spans art, home goods, and fashion. “Since we’re Asian, there must always be food — really good food!” said Chung.

Brands currently available are Caramunchies, DRTY Ice Cream, Gourmai Dumplings, Hungry Zine, Mamahan Pastries, and Momma Tong, with plans to bring more well-known brands like Hong Kong Bakery and Ying Fat for special appearances.

Mendoza hopes that Lola’s will ultimately lead more people to explore Chinatown, located just one block north of the market building on 97 Street.

“A benefit of having over 30 retail vendor partners in our brand list is that we now have over 30 additional platforms in the city to talk about their own experience with the neighbourhood,” said Mendoza. “… (We) aim to bridge the gap for more Edmontonians to explore Chinatown.”

COVID-19-related News

• Bodega’s Sherwood Park location will be closed until February 2, 2022 due to a staff member testing positive for COVID-19.
• Northern Chicken is now offering dine-in service for lunch.

Openings

• Burger Brawl (a ghost kitchen run out of DOSC) returns on February 1, 2022.
• Fuzion Donuts are a ghost kitchen that opened up recently and is available through delivery.
• Another ghost kitchen, Taco Nova, launches February 2, 2022.
• El Corazon’s Latin flavours will be available soon at West Block in Glenora (142 Street and 102 Avenue).

Local News

• Just in time for Lunar New Year, Linda has a great post about whether businesses should sell Lunar New Year-themed products.
• Chef Sonny Sung shared his memories of Lunar New Year growing up. He was consulted by Twyla Campbell to help put together a list of best Asian restaurants in the city.
• Roasti Coffee shared that due to economic conditions and price increases, they will be increasing the price of their drinks and some beans.
• Fat Unicorn Brewery, with locations in Edmonton and Lac La Biche, support the truck convoy. Similarly, Dutch Delicious also supported the convoy.
• Phil’s Best Dish column last week focused on Culina To Go’s grab and go concept.
• Edify samples the sauerkraut soup from Continental Treat’s downtown location.
• Happy birthday to Bundok, who just celebrated their fifth year in business.
• The Edmonton Sun’s recent 20 Questions featured A Capella’s Kim Mahoney and Caramunchies’ Alysia Lok.
• Meuwly’s is offering a new referral program for their charcuterie subscriptions – current subscribers can give new subscribers a $10 discount while getting a $10 subscription credit.
• Happy Beer Street continues to pick up traction with seven breweries now a part of the unofficial brewery district.

What I Ate

• Tres Carnales Rostizado was offering an amazing deal in January – just $7 for their delicious chicken burrito. Even without the discount, it’s worth seeking out!

Chicken burrito from Tres Carnales Rostizado

• We decided it was best for Emily to have a virtual birthday celebration for a second year in a row. To help our Edmonton-based family commemorate the occasion, we delivered Sugared and Spiced cupcakes to everyone (customized with Emily’s favourite colours!), which the bakery pre-boxed for us for easy drop-offs. They tasted as good as they looked!

Vanilla funfetti cupcake from Sugared and Spiced

On The Edge Coffee Adopts Self-Contained Coffee Roaster

A new kind of ventless coffee roaster is allowing Edmonton’s On The Edge Coffee to release less pollution and tailor its roast to each type of bean.

Bellwether Coffee, based out of Berkeley, California, has created an electric and automated system that allows roasters to operate in spaces without requiring separate ventilation. On The Edge started using the machine at its Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market kiosk in December 2021, becoming the first in Edmonton and one of just a handful of roasters using the system across Canada.

Owner Jodine Chase acknowledged that coffee has challenges when it comes to sustainability, considering the distance it travels to reach consumers in other parts of the world. But transitioning to the Bellwether was a way for On The Edge to cut down on its own emissions. “Roasting accounts for about 15% of the coffee industry’s footprint, and so there’s room to reduce that right here in coffee-consuming countries instead of mainly burdening low- and middle-income coffee-growing countries,” said Chase.

The Bellwether’s air filtration system reduces the volatile organic compounds and particulate matter that traditional roasters release into the atmosphere, she added.

Jodine Chase with On the Edge Coffee’s Bellwether Roaster

Another big selling feature of the Bellwether is its consistent product output. Bellwether users have the option to source beans directly from the company, then program the machine to roast it based on a specific profile uploaded by Bellwether for that particular bean. That seamlessness allows roasters with less experience to tap into global expertise through the power of the internet. Currently, 75% of the beans roasted by On the Edge are from Bellwether.

“On my best day, I couldn’t do it as consistent as the (Bellwether) does,” said Jennifer Graham, head barista with On the Edge. Graham said the system permits the creation of roast profiles for beans sourced from elsewhere, or to edit existing profiles if they aren’t satisfied with the results. She believes that coffee roasted in the Bellwether has a cleaner flavour most apparent in light-roast coffees. “In our Ethiopian coffee, you can better taste the bergamot and blueberry notes,” she said.

On the Edge has plans to offer coffee cuppings and tastings in the spring to showcase what the Bellwether can do. They’re also not averse to the possibility of offering tastes of conventionally roasted beans alongside their Bellwether roasted beans to allow consumers the chance to judge the product for themselves.

Currently, most of the roasting is done on Sunday afternoons during market hours, and customers are welcome to stop by to see the Bellwether in action. “Customers really love it,” said Chase. “Most folks coming to farmers’ markets have a real interest in supporting local and supporting growing and food production practices. They can sip a coffee while learning about the farm it comes from as they watch the beans turn from green to brown right in front of their eyes.”

COVID-19-related News

• Mikado temporarily closed dine-in service and will re-open on January 30, 2022. They remain open for take-out.
• St. Louis Bar and Grill in St. Albert had to close for two weeks due to staff illness.
• Restaurants continue to struggle as the pandemic continues, including those downtown that continue to face reduced foot traffic.
• The Granary, a restaurant in Red Deer, was forced to close after AHS received complaints that staff had permitted guests to dine in after showing the picture of a dog with their identification. They have since been allowed to re-open after demonstrating their understanding of the Restrictions Exemption Program.

Openings

• Les Moulins La Fayette is a new French bakery that opened on January 14, 2022 at 4460 Calgary Trail. It joins locations in Calgary, and several in Ontario and Quebec.
• Mama Mia Pizzeria is now open at 6875 Ad Astra Blvd.
• KB and Co will be opening a location on the north side (16715 127 Street) in February 2022.

Closures

• Olly Fresco’s in the Edmonton City Centre Mall is permanently closed.

Upcoming Events

• Check out the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative’s Pop-Up Shop, running every weekend at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market until February 26-27, 2022. Find local products from Caramunchies, Mama Han, and Hungry Zine, with more to be added!
• Eats on 118 is launching its Lunch Club with an event at Mama Asha Cafe on January 26, 2022. The meal includes an opportunity to learn more about the business owner and their inspiration. Tickets are $25.
• Chef Table Living is offering several different food tours in conjunction with Ice on Whyte. Adult tickets are $79 and include visits to a couple of restaurants and VIP access to the festival.
• The Colombian is hosting a Valentine’s Experience featuring a six-course plated menu paired with natural wines on February 12, 2021. Only tables of 4 remain, for $300.

Local News

• Linda has a thread about some of the local businesses offering Lunar New Year specials in anticipation of next week’s festivities.
• Northern Chicken was transparent about their menu price adjustments made to compensate for increases in their costs.
• Edify samples some of Campio Brewing Co.’s popular menu items.
• Tzin’s windows and tiles were damaged after a police arrest outside their restaurant last summer – but the City of Edmonton will not compensate them for the nearly $3,000 in damages caused.
• In case you missed it – The Yards shared their annual Best in the Core list, including their recommendations for the best fries, most allergen-friendly restaurant, best cheap eats, and best coffee shop office.
• Alberta Food Tours has two new Alberta Cares Packages available, featuring produced sourced from Alberta-based businesses.
• The Loblaws City Market in Ice District will open at the end of 2022, about two years behind schedule.
• Shortages at grocery stores will be fuelled by a combination of supply chain challenges, weather, and the Omicron variant.
• Food rescue apps like Flashfood can save consumers money and divert some food waste.
• Congratulations to Parkland County-based Anohka Distillery who won the Best Canadian London Dry Gin at the 2022 Word Gin Awards.

What I Ate

• We walked over to check out Ayco Bakery last week. They will maintain their West Edmonton Mall location but bake everything for both shops downtown. I thought their cinnamon roll was tasty, and Emily could not stop talking about her strawberry-glazed donut.

Part of Ayco’s baking case

• We finished Chinatown Dining Week strong with a feast from Spirit Bistro and Namaste India. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the event this year!

Our spread from Spirit Bistro and Namaste India

• When Love Pizza offers a great customer appreciation deal at the same time as their amazing mac & cheeza, you order two Big Love size pies! Emily also got to customize her kid-size pizza which was also included as a part of their usual Sunday deal.

You can never have enough mac & cheeza

News of Incoming American Chain Disheartens Local Business Owners

On January 13, 2022, it was announced that American chain restaurant P.F. Chang’s would be opening their first Alberta location in Edmonton later this year. To be located in the Currents of Windermere, this would be the chain’s third location in Canada, with existing operations in Montreal and Winnipeg.

Predictably, as has occurred when other international brands enter the Edmonton market for the first time, every media outlet in Edmonton released a story about the forthcoming P.F. Chang’s. At a time when local businesses are challenged because of an unrelenting pandemic with no end in sight, it was especially disheartening to the owners of small establishments.

“The only thing more depressing than trying to maintain your small independent biz during a pandemic is doing it while watching everyone & their dog get a raging hardon for yet another garbage US chain coming to town to serve you bowls of overpriced starch & commodity meat.” – Paul Shufelt, of Workshop Eatery, Woodshed Burgers, and The Greenhouse

“Watching a few more local restaurants close their doors. We are now in the “it’s not worth it” phase. I fear we are entering the death of the small business (under $1 million). When you buy yourself a job and take home all the pressures, unless your plan is to scale…..” – Jimmy Shewchuk, of Prairie Catering, Say Uncle, and May

“If it’s not one thing, it’s another…If you think I’m heartless or driven by profit that I express frustration, you’re mistaken. I’m speaking from a position of survival. And we will not unless this entire situation changes…like, now. We will continue to do what’s necessary to get us to the next checkpoint. We will continue to fight for the survival of our business. We will continue to serve our loyal customers. But fatigue is definitely setting in. And we’re getting tired.” Ariel del Rosario, of Filistix

“Whether or not they’re type of restaurant you personally enjoy, we can all agree that large multinational chains can afford their own advertising. Let’s try to offer more free media coverage to the openings/stories of small independents that make our community vibrant!” – Peter Keith, of Meuwly’s

June’s Delicatessen was the latest local business to announce their closure last week, after many more shuttered their doors in 2021.

COVID-19-related News

• Bro’kin Yolk has voluntarily reduced the capacity at their locations (including their Edmonton restaurant) to 50% capacity.
• The Omicron variant has added complications to the already stressed hospitality community.
• Arcadia has re-opened for dine-in service.

Openings

• Ayco Cafe will be opening downtown at 10551 Jasper Avenue on January 19, 2022.
• Honey Jam, which serves katsu & udon opened on January 14, 2022. They are located at 8130 Gateway Blvd.
• Fuzed Kitchen + Bar is now open at 2335 111 Street (formerly a Brewster’s location).

Upcoming Events

• Chinatown Dining Week continues until January 23, 2022, with $10 and $18 specials offered at 18 participating businesses.
• Three Foodies at the 5th Street Food Hall is hosting a 3-course Burns Supper on January 25, 2022, for $50 a person.

Local News

• I was so sorry to hear about the passing of Adrienne Pan today. She was an ardent supporter of local food, and Chinatown Dining Week could always count on her to help us feature some of the small businesses in our event. This is such a loss for our community – Rest in Peace, Adrienne. Twyla Campbell shared her own memories of Adrienne, as well as some of her favourite restaurants.
• Roasti has decided to call it a snow day tomorrow and proactively keep both cafes closed on January 18, 2022.
• Did you know that two ghost kitchens offering sushi and Thai food operate out of the Royal Pizza located in the Hys Centre?
• A Bite of Brazil is hosting their own Soup Festival featuring all gluten-friendly soups.
• Remedy’s Southgate location is back up and running; their Jasper Avenue cafe is currently under repair.
• Phil’s recent Best Dish column highlighted bakery Sugared and Spiced.
• Edify checks out the Maria’s take on Northern Mexican cuisine.
• Alberta Food Tours highlights their top five vegetarian restaurants in Edmonton.
• CBC profiled cheesemaker Aditya Raghavan of Fleur Jaune.
• The Mawji Centre at NAIT hosted Peter Keith of Mewly’s to discuss their minimum viable product that eventually led to their brick and mortar shop.
• MilkCrate chef Steve Brochu and his wife Lourdes just finished cooking through a second plant-based book.

What I Ate

• Our first (of many) Chinatown Dining Week meals over the weekend involved pho from King Noodle House. It’s such a great deal for $18: large pho, spring rolls, grilled pork balls, and a drink!

King Noodle House Chinatown Dining Week special

• Mack thinks we’ve created a bubble tea monster in Emily! She tore through a majority of the two fresh fruit bubble teas we picked up from Tea Bar Cafe. They’re offering an amazing $10 Chinatown Dining Week special featuring a bubble tea + a bubble waffle.

Bubble tea from Tea Bar Cafe

• We followed that up with a Chinatown Dining Week meal from Syphay, who never disappoints! I love their pad Thai!

Syphay Chinatown Dining Week special

• Any day with Brio is a good day – I had been missing their Prairie loaf terribly. If you haven’t tried it already – their pre-order service is so convenient; it means you not only get to skip the line, but also means you don’t necessarily have to stop inside the shop if you prefer not to.

Goodies from Brio

• We also stopped by the Green Onion Cake Man this weekend after taking in the Deep Freeze festivities on 118 Avenue. There’s nothing like a salty green onion cake right off the griddle!

Green onion cakes from Green Onion Cake Man