Openings

• Bodega announced its seventh location in the Edmonton region. It will be located in Old Strathcona in what was once an Elephant and Castle (10314 Whyte Avenue).
• Dahlia’s, the plant-based café from the folks behind Die Pie and operated in the same space at 11817 105 Avenue, opened at the end of November. It offers coffee and baked goods.
• Café Aria, the sister establishment to Café Versailles, held its grand opening last week. It is located at 20023 Lessard Road.
• Vetrina Café is now open in the space that formerly housed Vish at 10326 124 Street, and serves a very similar menu to its predecessor. The Vish menu will actually continue to be available for online orders for pick-up from the restaurant.
• Eleven Eleven also opened at the end of November at 10305 100 Avenue (the former Rigoletto’s).
• Krispy Kreme opens its first Edmonton location on December 10 at 4614 Gateway Blvd.
• The 100th No Fills location in Western Canada opened last week in Edmonton at 21546 92 Avenue.

Closures

• Filistix announced that after five and a half years, they are closing their standalone location: “the aftermath of the pandemic has seen this paradigm shift, like no other, where working from home is now the norm and that hit us really hard. The fact that the Government District, and the downtown core in general, no longer has the vibrancy nor the density it once had, has taken its toll on us. It’s no secret that people are spending and eating out less than ever before and these factors make it untenable for a restaurant like ours to survive.” Filistix will continue to operate their locations at the University of Alberta and MacEwan University.

Upcoming Events

• Some will remember Green Onion Cake Man’s Siu To used to run a restaurant called Happy Garden. With a blast to the past, he is cooking up a Happy Garden-inspired menu on six dates in December starting December 14. The eight course meal will be prepared for groups of 5 at the cost of $250.

Local News

• The Journal interviewed Sean Thompson, the owner of new community pub Frank’s, on the inspiration behind the place.
• Julio’s Barrio re-opened in their new location just down the street from their former location at 10416 Whyte Avenue (the former Malt and Mortar space) on December 4.
• Paper Birch Books in Little Italy now has a coffee bar!
• Italian Bakery’s Tesoro (with groceries, a deli, bakery, and café), opened in the fall in the southwest to meet the population growth in that area.
• So happy to see that Pho Tau Bay is back open after closing for renovations.
• Slow Pour Beer Bar celebrated two years in business.
• I love take-and-bake meals over the holidays, so it is great to see more businesses offering different options. Paraiso Tropical is one such place, with Mexican, Salvadorian, and Colombian dishes that can be pre-ordered for larger groups.
• On that note, Edify has a round-up of more mainstream options available.
• Also from Edify, they share some Christmas memories from local chefs, including Blair Lebsack from RGE RD and Winnie Chen from Fu’s Repair Shop.
• Congratulations to Strathcona County’s Bar OA and Nisku’s Rig Hand Distillery, who both won accolades at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Awards.
• Edmonton’s Food Bank has only reached 20% of its fundraising goal for the year so far.

What I Ate

• We stopped by Nuestra Coffee Shop across from Borden Park over the weekend. It is a beautiful space, and it was great to see so many people inside on a Saturday afternoon. I envision returning in a warmer season to grab a drink to enjoy while the kids play at the playground.

Nuestra Coffee

• I had lunch with a colleague at Vetrina Café today. The menu is almost identical to Vish, which I was happy to see given my opinion that their hummus and pita is the best in the city. I enjoyed the hummus bowl, but I probably would have hoped to see more chicken served with the order. I will say, the staff gave us a sample of a new spread they were working on, a pesto mayo, and it was delicious.

Hummus bowl from Vetrina Café

• Mack and I were invited to attend a preview of Krispy Kreme last week. They dodged the question of why exactly it took so long for them to open in Edmonton (Calgary had one years ago that eventually closed). This location is considered a “factory”, which means that it produces donuts on site (as opposed to a café location which would only serve donuts). Besides the fact that they plan to operate the mostly automated machines for 23.5 hours per day to churn out 55,000 donuts, the benefit of the factory is they can serve warm donuts to customers (look for the “hot now” sign to be lit up). It was a treat to be able to enjoy a signature original glazed donut fresh off the line, but it was interesting that two staff that we talked to actually named the chocolate cake donut their favourite of the Krispy Kreme line-up. At $1.90 each (or $16/dozen) for the original glazed, it is something I can see flying off the shelves when they open on December 10.

Original glazed donut from Krispy Kreme

Trio aims to be a ‘catalyst’ in Chinatown with Boa and Hare

Winnie Chen’s next restaurant foray brings her even closer to her roots, and she hopes it can add to the positive momentum of change in Edmonton’s Chinatown.

Boa and Hare, which Chen co-owns with her brother William and business partner Wilson Wong, will open in mid-December in Pacific Mall at 9700 105 Avenue NW.

Chen has received several accolades over the past two years as the head chef of Fu’s Repair Shop. William Chen and Wong, meanwhile, took over Chinatown business Van Loc last year in an effort to help revitalize the neighbourhood.

The trio aspires for Boa and Hare to build on Van Loc’s success in bringing younger clientele to the area.

“Cool places do exist in Chinatown,” said Winnie Chen. “We want people to say, ‘We want to go there and we have to go to Chinatown to go there.'”

Boa and Hare is named after William and Wilson’s respective Chinese zodiac signs. “‘Boa and Hare and Goat’ doesn’t have quite the ring to it,” laughed Chen about why her zodiac animal was left out.

The concept behind Boa and Hare is a dual café and bar. “It’s a day-to-night kind of thing,” said Chen. “As Wilson likes to describe it, a place where you can start your day, and a place where you end your night.” When Boa and Hare opens, it will launch with daily café hours of 9am to 3pm and cocktail hours of 5 to 11pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

Chen has spent a lot of time in the Chinatown area, having grown up nearby in McCauley, near the Italian Centre. She recalls riding her bike to Chinatown often and enjoying dim sum with her family at the banquet restaurant in Pacific Mall as a child.

“One of my fondest memories of being in the mall was when we were done having dim sum, we got to go buy candy at one of the stores,” said Chen. “Now, when people have a family dinner at Dynasty, they can pop downstairs and have a cocktail – the equivalent of sneaking out to buy some candy as an adult. That’s what is most exciting to me about this location and project. We want to breathe more life into this mall.”

Those family connections will also translate into other aspects of Boa and Hare. While Chen is intensely involved in shaping the food and drink menu, the day-to-day execution will be led by chef Tommy Chung, her uncle.

“I’m really excited for my uncle to shine,” said Chen. “[Chung] and my dad were head chefs of a restaurant in Chinatown more than 10 years ago. Some of my favourite dishes from my parents’ restaurant will make a comeback. Back then I remember those dishes were some of my favourite things I ever ate. They get a second chance to be featured again. I don’t think people gave it that chance. It was too ahead of its time.”

Wilson Wong, Winnie Chen, and William Chen in front of the Boa and Hare mural

For example, Boa and Hare will offer a Chinese-style jia jiang mian. Chen said in Edmonton, some restaurants serve a Korean version. By comparison, the Chinese dish is more savoury and less sweet, served with a meatier sauce, and has noodles that are thicker and chewier. “I’m really excited to showcase that style of noodle that people may not be familiar with,” said Chen.

Chung trained as a chef in Japan, and some of the dishes will play up his culinary background, but also include Chen’s own training in a wide variety of cuisines. “A lot of people think because I’m Chinese that my food defaults to Chinese, and I’m trying to break out of that. Fu’s is my first foray into Chinese food,” said Chen. “My background in food is French, Italian, and steakhouses. We’ll have a beef tataki but garnished with ginger granita, so Italian-inspired. And a korokke, a Japanese-style potato croquette. It will marry Japanese flavours with a risotto and gruyere arancini. It will be very different from anything you’d find in the city.”

On the drinks side, the restaurant will have a robust whisky selection because of William’s interest in that spirit, and unlike Fu’s, Boa and Hare will serve wine. For cocktails, Chen has chosen to primarily utilize Chinese ingredients like baijiu and glutinous rice, distinguishing the drinks from Fu’s more pan-Asian approach.

As Chen intended, Boa and Hare will be unlike anything currently in Chinatown. “When I was thinking about writing the menu for this place, I didn’t want to overshadow other places in Chinatown,” said Chen. “This is in addition to other places in Chinatown.”

Ultimately, she hopes that Boa and Hare will encourage more diners to give the neighbourhood a chance. “The coffee is great, the food is going to be really good,” said Chen. “Everything that you are looking for in a great spot to hang out and eat, it’s this place. The added bonus of being a part of something that we’re trying to do, Chinatown revitalization, that is really exciting. All the reasons that you might not want to come, to me it doesn’t outweigh the reasons that you should come. If this were a business somewhere else, there’s absolutely no reason not to come. By coming, you have the potential to help us be a catalyst for the neighbourhood.”

Openings

• The family behind Nara Chicken and Tonkatsu has opened Nara Katsu, its second location in the former NongBu space in Old Strathcona at 8115 104 Street. NongBu owner John Ahn had teased that a Korean family would take over the space, but didn’t reveal the name at the time.
• Fox Burger opened its newest location in Westmount last week at 11003 124 Street. It is the third restaurant in the Edmonton area, joining locations in Highlands and Leduc.
• Three Amigos has opened a sister restaurant, Taqueria El Chingon in the former Waffle Bird space in Old Strathcona, at 8116 101 Street.
• New Korean restaurant Chacha’s Rabokki is now open at 10117 100A Street.
• Southbound Brewing opened up in the fall at 9943 69 Avenue, by Sue Kiernan, the proprietor of Empress Ale House which closed back in 2020. It was featured in Jason’s Foster’s latest segment on CBC Radioactive.
• A new cocktail bar called Golden Sparrow is coming soon to 10704 124 Street, the former Northern Chicken space.
• A century-old store just north of Edmonton, Johnny’s Namao, re-opened on November 28 after closing its doors back in 2018. It has been refreshed by the fourth generation members of the family and now stocked with items from local vendors and house-brewed beer.
• I missed the opening of rolled ice cream shop Rock N Roll Ice Cream back in September on the edge of Chinatown, at 10109 108 Avenue.
• Edmonton’s first Krispy Kreme opens on December 10, to be located at 4614 Gateway Blvd.

Upcoming Events

• The annual Edmonton Christmas Market at Fort Edmonton Park is now on, until December 15. Online tickets for adults start at $20.95.

Local News

• Linda’s latest Chinatown-related project, Chinatown Chow Down, is now live! The project includes $5 monthly group lunches/dinner, food crawls, and a passport-based challenge. Chinatown Chow Down runs December to March.
• Julio’s Barrio had been in the same storefront for more than 30 years, but has since closed it and will be moving a few doors east into the former Malt & Mortar space. No re-opening date has been yet announced.
• Edify checked out Frank’s Community Pub.
• Jacek is celebrating fifteen years in business!
• Luna Mexican Restaurant turned two.
• Happy fifth birthday to Bread Love’s brick and mortar shop.
• Shane Chartrand, who made it to the top 5 on this season’s Top Chef Canada, shared his recipe for Métis Galette with Edify.
• Congratulations to Edmontonian Elora Khanom, who won this season’s Great Canadian Baking Show.

What I Ate

• Mack was craving BaoBao on Friday, so I was happy to oblige with some take-out. Our kids love their spring scallion dry noodles.

Our BaoBao take-out

• It’s been ages since I’ve dined in at King Noodle House (their take-out is on our regular rotation). But there’s nothing like warming up with a steaming bowl of soup there on a snowy day.

Bun Bo Hue from King Noodle House

• It was also a convenient walk to Little Bon Bon, where I picked up my Chinatown Chow Down passport. The Yelo’d Rabbit cookies ‘n’ cream was a delicious treat.

Little Bon Bon

Openings

• Lucky Supermarket is opening their third location in Edmonton (eighth location in Western Canada) on November 28. It is located at 2950 Calgary Trail.
• Tiramisu Bistro has opened up its sister restaurant next door at the Lift Me Up Sandwich Bar, serving up focaccia sandwiches at 12408 108 Avenue.
• The folks behind Panini’s Italian Cucina and Rob’s Famous Fried Chicken have a new ghost kitchen called Michelangelo’s New York Pizza that opened last week. The pizza can be ordered through Uber Eats.
• South Island Pie opened their hot pie pop-up shop at Zwick’s Pretzels on November 20.
• St. Albert bakery BreadLove has opened up a café in the same space called Little Darling Coffee, at 46C St. Michael Street.
• Sawaii Indian Restaurant and OMG Bowls & Wings, serving up Indo-Mexican fusion, had its grand opening last week. It is located at 8656 118 Avenue.
• Tahini’s a Canadian chain serving Mediterranean fusion cuisine, opened its first Edmonton location in October, at #35671, 3535 Gateway Blvd.
• Edmonton’s second Chick-fil-A location is now open at 2060 99 Street.

Local News

• Filistix hosted a pop-up for SiuYeh over the weekend, which offered skewers and a few other dishes.
• Three restaurants made OpenTable’s list of the Top 100 Restaurants in Canada: Bernadette’s, Sabor, and Tzin.
• Edify checked out newly-opened cafe Nuestra.
• CTV wrote an article about food trends in Edmonton, which included an interview with my friend Linda. She also shared a follow-up blog post with additional links about what she discussed.
• Baijiu’s outdoor heated patio is back for a second season.
• I always love seeing local businesses collaborate, like this vanilla confetti cake lotion bar, from Sugared & Spiced and Wild Prairie Soap.
• En Route featured Lessig Ferments’ Strawberry Basil Bomb hot sauce in a piece highlighting products from across Canada.
• Analog Brewing Company is offering a “12 Beers of Christmas” half-advent calendar with $5 from each sold to benefit Edmonton’s Food Bank.
• Members of Edmonton’s Sikh community and My Radio 580 AM raised $50,000 for Edmonton’s Food Bank.

What I Ate

• I met some friends for lunch at Jinya Ramen Bar last week. The room was packed at lunch with others who had braved the snow for some hot soup. Service was excellent, and the space is bright and welcoming during the day. I tried their Tonkotsu Original 2010, and found it to be as hearty and creamy as I was hoping for.

Tonkotsu Original 2010

Openings

• On the heels of opening their fifth location, The Colombian announced that their sixth location is in the works, to open in Sherwood Park in the new year.
• Frank’s Pub, a “casual, inclusive friendly neighbourhood pub” is opening on November 20 at 8815 99 Street.
• Kommune Snack Bar is coming soon to 11931 Jasper Avenue, which previously housed Ikki.
• Eleven Eleven, housed in the former Rigoletto’s spot at 10305 100 Avenue, has delayed their opening.

Closures

• Shogun in Wîhkwêntôwin has announced its closure, with its last day of operation being November 24.

Local News

• South Island Pies will be opening up a “hot pie pop-up shop” at Zwick’s, serving the pies hot out of the oven. It hosted a soft opening on November 15, with details about the official launch to come.
• Sale of the new Coffee Pass – its biggest ever with 40 independent cafes, bakeries, and roasters – is now live.
• Mother by Chartier in Nisku announced they have re-opened, after a closure lasting several weeks due to water line renovation.
• Edify checked out Backyard Smokehouse and An Vat.
• Lakeland Today featured Endeavour Brewing and Endeavour Coffee Roasters.
• The Fort Distillery won at least $150,000 in investment from Startup TNT’s Summit X last week.
• American Rapper Blvck Svm filmed one of his music videos at RGE RD. The song appears on an album alongside other songs inspired by fine dining.

What I Ate

• After some errands, I stopped by Van Loc for some sustenance. Their assorted sub always hit the spot.

My usual from Van Loc

• The soul of Uccellino is alive and well at Olia, its renamed incarnation at the Citizen on Jasper. I found several of my favourites (including the whipped ricotta) on the menu on Friday, and the Caramelle, with the classic flavour combination of pumpkin, brown butter, and sage, was delightful.

Whipped ricotta and arancini from Olia

• My friend and I also had a drink afterwards at Spilt, Edmonton’s first zero-proof bar. We both really enjoyed the cocktails (I had the Whoops-a-Daisy) and felt the prices were reasonable. We learned that although Spilt doesn’t serve food, it is possible to order a pizza from fn’za a few doors down, and staff will walk the pizza over.

Whoops-a-Daisy from Spilt

Openings

• Chef Shane Chartrand has opened Paperbirch by Chartrand at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, serving up breakfast and lunch with “local flavors and a cultural twist.”
• Transcend opened their permanent location on 124 Street last week! Find it at 12332 106 Avenue.
• Nearby, Tiramisu Bistro will be opening up Lift Me Up Sandwich Bar next to its restaurant, which will serve up focaccia sandwiches by day, and charcuterie and wine by night.

Upcoming Events

• Sauce is hosting a cozy fireside feast on November 23 to celebrate their second birthday. Tickets are $50 and include a buffet and s’mores dessert.

Local News

• Zocalo has re-opened 10 months after it was closed due to fire, and has allowed the owners to partner with other local businesses. The café is now managed by Aspen Coffee Roasters.
• The Journal interviewed Biera owner Greg Zeschuk for more details behind the closure announcement. He reiterated the multiple factors that led to the decision.
• The duo behind Veg In YEG, Kassia and Erin, created a guide to plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan eating in Edmonton for Linda’s blog.
• Bar Henry is featured in this month’s issue of Modern Luxuria.
• Edify checked out Steve’s Famous Sandwich Co. and Stopgap Coffee.
• Meat and Don’Ya Ukraine’s Kitchen collaborated to create a limited edition perogy with brisket in place of potato. Proceeds are being donated to cancer research.

What I Ate

• Press’d had a buy-one-get-one free sandwich deal last week, so it was a good excuse to try their food again after several years. While I appreciated the ease of online ordering and the food being ready at the allotted time, the sandwich was just okay. There was way too much mayo, and I wouldn’t have known the bread was scratch-made if it wasn’t advertised as such.

California club from Press’d

• I was #hosted at the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival last week with my friend Su. It has been years since I’ve been, and the event has grown a lot in that time, in terms of the number and range of wine and spirit vendors, as well as the diversity of food options served. It was great to see several soju and makgeolli booths, for instance (I picked up a new-to-us makgeolli for Mack, who is a fan). Although it was pretty packed, it was fun to browse through the aisles of vendors to see what was on offer. For food, our favourite bite of the evening was the bulgogi tacos from Hanjan, flavourful and a good portion size for the price. Thanks again to the Festival for a great evening out!

Bulgogi taco from Hanjan

Openings

• It looks like the third of Daniel Costa’s new restaurants in the Citizen on Jasper (10110 120 Street), Mimi, is now open.
• Birch and Bear has opened a third Edmonton location in the former Fleisch space in Forest Heights, at 8210 106 Avenue.
• It’s great to see that Fox Burger is adding a third location. It will be located in Westmount on 124 Street.
• Popular Calgary-based pizzeria UNA opened in Edmonton in South Edmonton Common, 1708 99 Street on November 2. Outside of Calgary, UNA also has a location in Saskatoon.
• Fawkes Coffee has closed its pop-up location in the Great West Saddlery Building and will be opening their permanent spot in the same building on November 5.
• Nuestra Coffee Shop, located opposite Borden Park, is opening on November 13 at 7601 112 Avenue.
• New Vietnamese bakery and dessert spot Ăn Vặt opened on November 1 at 3555 Gateway Boulevard (the name translates to “to eat between meals” in Vietnamese). They offer banh mi, snacks, and treats.
• Mai Mai has opened a location based out of Sea Change Brewing’s Edmonton taproom, located at 9850 62 Avenue.
• The Backyard Smokehouse, based in Ontario, is opening its Edmonton location on November 9.

Closures

• It was a surprise to learn that after 7 years, Biera will be closing at the end of December: “due to changes to market conditions, we feel the restaurant is in need of a revamp, but we’re not going to be the ones to do it. Our goal is to find a worthy successor with fresh ideas and energy that will continue to serve customers in the existing space.” Blind Enthusiasm’s Market Brewery will close along with Biera. The Monolith Taproom will continue operations, and Biera Market will operate until the end of the year and will re-open in the new year offering many of the same products.
• Nomiya is closing its Ellerslie location after 11 years on November 27. Nomiya’s original location on Calgary trail will remain open, as well as its sister Ellerslie restaurant, Chan Can Wok.

Upcoming Events

• The Polar Patio Club, celebrating winter patios, launches on November 6 at the Rocky Mountain Ice House at 5pm.
• Sisters Dialogue is hosting an event focusing on Uyghur cuisine, and “how food can serve as an act of resistance, community, and liberation.” The event takes place on November 9, and tickets are $10.
• Out of Bounds Restaurant is hosting a series of pop-up dinners in November, including a Modern Polish Feast on November 9 with chef Julia Kundera and A Night In Mexico on November 28.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is hosting a community tree lighting ceremony on November 14 from 12-1pm. It is open to the public and they will be serving up cookies and hot chocolate.

Local News

• It’s always great to see hospitality trailblazers recognized on Edify’s Top 40. This year’s class includes Doug Checknita, The Monolith’s head brewer, and Winnie Chen, executive chef and operating partner at Fu’s Repair Shop.
• Connected Kitchen Project, offering food production space for micro- to medium-sized food businesses, opened in the former EPIC Market space downtown on November 1.
• Square 1 Coffee and The Stone & Wheel Pizzeria is aiming to raise $500,000 through gift cards with bonus values to bring the businesses to Sherwood Park.
• Good Goods, who closed its downtown storefront in September, will launch a new partnership with Little Brick on November 8.
• La Prosciutteria is under new ownership.
• Edify profiled Callie Draper, who was the winner of this year’s World’s 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship.
• It’s too bad none of the three Edmonton restaurants recognized on the longlist of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants made the top ten, released today.
• Chefs Allan Suddaby and Chael MacDonald talk all about Edmonton food chains on their Food Court podcast.

What I Ate

• Linda and I visited Out of Bounds Restaurant, located at the Cattail Crossing Golf & Winter Club, for the first time. The crispy broccoli was a great appetizer, fried but not heavy at all.

Crispy broccoli from Out of Bounds

Openings

• New “sourdough cafe” Leo’s Cafe has opened on Spur Line Alley in Old Strathcona, 10420A 82 Avenue. They offer bagels, sweet treats, as well as pizza and sandwiches.
• In September, El Corazon opened up a second location in Keswick (1003 Keswick Drive). A year ago, when I chatted with co-owner Hifa Maleki, the original plan was to open up a restaurant with a new concept, but it’s great to see that their expansion plans have still continued.

Upcoming Events

• Although Christmas in November had to be cancelled this year, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has organized a smaller culinary celebration taking place November 8-11 called Together Again. The event will feature some of the same instructors from previous years, including Anna and Michael Olson, and Emily Richards. Edmonton will be well-represented by Jacek Chocolates and Duchess Bake Shop.

Local News

• The Remedy Cafe business is up for sale due to owner Sohail Zaidi’s impending retirement. The asking price? $7.6 million.
• The St. Albert Gazette interviewed the Chelsea and Tony Tipping, the couple behind the town’s newest restaurant, WildRoots.
• Edify checked out Menya Mori and Phat Boy Cheesesteaks.
• Mill Woods Town Centre will be home to a No Frills store in spring 2025.
• Congratulations to Karen Anderson on winning the silver medal from the Taste Canada Awards for her cookbook, Eat Alberta First.

What I Ate

• I finally grabbed take-out from Siam Thai Kitchen’s Edmonton City Centre Mall location on Friday. Of note, it shuts down around 5:15pm (though the rest of the food court closes at 6pm). My kids loved the spring rolls, and being under the weather, I found extra comfort in the fiery tom yum soup. I will be back for more.

Take-out from Siam Thai Kitchen

Openings

• So happy to see Menya Mori has finally opened (from the Kasey Ramen folks and their ramen kits that started it all). The restaurant is currently in its soft opening phase; check their account for updates on hours.
• It looks like Ben Staley (previously of Restaurant Yarrow) will be back with a new venture called Kin, a cocktail bar.
• The Colombian has opened up its fifth location at 8204 106 Avenue, the neighbourhood of Forest Heights.
• It’s great to see Siam Thai opened up a third location in Edmonton (with a fourth in Fort McMurray), located in the Edmonton City Centre Mall food court.
• Chef Tony Tipping (most recently of Ora at L’OCA) and his wife Chelsea have opened new restaurant WildRoots Bistro in St. Albert at 150 15 Perron Street.
• Lochi Afro Nija, offering primarily Nigerian cuisine, is now open at 10335 100 Avenue (the space that previously housed JMT Cuisine).
• Great to see local farmers’ market vendor Yo Baba Foods open up another retail location at 13634 149 Street.
• West Edmonton Mall is home to the newest hot pot restaurant in Edmonton, called Shoo Loong Kan (translating to “Little Dragon Ridge”). It is located on Europa Boulevard.
• Fresh Hot & Healthy replaced a Freshii location at 10322 Jasper Avenue, and held a grand opening earlier this month.

Upcoming Events

• Jason Gregor’s annual Pizza Pig Out, in support of KidSport Edmonton, returns on October 24. Tickets are $60 and includes a welcome drink and unlimited pizza.
• Filistix is hosting a burger pop-up on October 25-26. $25 will get you a burger, fries, and a house-made drink (I recommend the pineapple blast, it’s such a treat).
• The Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival returns to the Edmonton Convention Centre on November 8-9, 2024. If you are interested, you can use the code YEO24 for 20% off general admission tickets (disclosure: the festival has provided me with admission tickets and sampling coupons to attend the event).

Local News

• Congratulations to Doreen Prei of Glenora Park, Jason Greene of Braven Restaurant, and Julia Kundera of Out of Bounds Restaurant for their respective gold, silver, and bronze placements at the Edmonton Great Kitchen Party qualifier. Doreen will go on to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa in January 31-February 1, 2025.
• Vish had previously announced that it would be closing September 30. However, in early October, Vish announced that it has been able to remain open due to community support.
• The folks behind Die Pie are developing a café concept at the same location called Dahlia’s.
• Edify checked out Sushi Wave’s new 124 location.
• Also from Edify, a profile of the brothers behind Wow Brownies, and a review of the Oilers burger from Meat the Bun.
• The Wilhauk family have changed their beef jerky business name to The Brickhouse Smokery because of copyright issues.
• Congratulations to the local breweries recognized at the 2024 Alberta Beer Awards, which include Alley Kat Brewing Co., Bent Stick Brewing, The Monolith, and Campio Brewing Co. 
• A segment from Dragon’s Den went viral last week, involving guest dragon Simu Liu accusing a Quebec-based bubble tea company of cultural appropriation. My friend Linda was interviewed about the controversy on CBC RadioActive.

What I Ate

• We had a great staycation over Thanksgiving at our favourite cabin retreat, the Prairie Creek Inn near Rocky Mountain House. It’s become our tradition to bring heat-and-eat meals to make the stay more of a vacation. One of our favourites (and a great value!) are frozen Battista’s Calzones, which are still priced at just $10. I typically pre-order in advance so I can have the flavours I prefer.

Calzone from Battista’s

• Because of the holiday, we also brought A Cappella’s take-and-bake Thanksgiving dinner with us, which provided dinner and leftovers for a couple of days for our family. We’ve tried several different heat at home options over the years, and it’s hard to top A Cappella, on quality or price.

Part of the take-and-bake dinner from A Cappella (the salad is missing)

• Prairie Creek itself offers a great breakfast, and we’ve always chosen to indulge. Emily loves it, too.

Breakfast from Prairie Creek

• On the way home, we made the requisite stop at The Donut Mill in Red Deer. The cake doughnuts were our favourites on this trip.

Treats from The Donut Mill

Openings

• Daniel Costa’s newest venture in the Citizen Jasper, an Italian restaurant called Olia, is now open. Find it at 12016 Jasper Avenue.
• Waffle Bird opened its new location, featuring a dine-in option, last week at 10347 80 Avenue (the former Ohana Donuterie).
• Sushi Wave has opened in the the 124 Street area, offering “West coast styled sushi”. It is located at 10812 124 Street.
• Woodshed Burgers will be opening up a location in Sherwood Park.
• Café Versailles is opening up a sister bakery in the west end called Café Aria, located at 20023 Lessard Road. It will open in mid-October.
• Thanks to a reader, Anna, for the heads up about a new coffee shop called Nuestra to open across the street from Borden Park at 7601 112 Avenue. It’s always great to see mature neighbourhoods gain an independent!
• New Indian restaurant Shree Restaurant and Bakery opened this past weekend at 2838 James Mowatt Trail SW.
• The Tap Room has replaced the short-lived Slap Shot on 104 Street, and is now open at 10184 104 Street.

Upcoming Events

• The Italian Centre Shop’s Festival of Cheese returns for its second year on November 13. The vent features cheese and food stations alongside wine and beer pairings. Proceeds support the University Hospital Foundation.

Local News

• Edify captured their experience with another interactive dining series currently running in Edmonton, Le Petit Chef, at the JW Marriott.
• Also from Edify, a visit to new Pakistani restaurant KohSarr Grill.
• The duo behind Bernadette’s talked about “Indigenous cuisine” on the latest episode of CBC’s This is Edmonton podcast.
• The October issue of Modern Luxuria highlights Monsoon Bistro & Bar.
• Happy 15th birthday, Duchess!
• Season 11 of Top Chef Canada, featuring Edmonton’s Shane Chartrand, debuts October 14 on Food Network Canada. The Journal interviewed Chartrand about his experience.
• The Alberta government decided against letting grocers and corner stores sell liquor.

What I Ate

No Food Notes next week, as our family is heading out of town for the long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

• Had a quick trip to Calgary for work last week, and revisited JinBar with a few colleagues. The Korean fried chicken and brussels sprouts were the table favourites.

KFC from JinBar

• Our family had dinner at PlayWright on Friday, and learned just how busy the restaurant gets on a show night. The kitchen was quick though, and our hungry kids were fed in a timely way. The mac and cheese was a hit, and I enjoyed the very crispy fried chicken sandwich.

Fried chicken sandwich from PlayWright

• While we won’t be eating it just yet, we’re thrilled with our pumpkin harvest from our community garden plot, our first time planting this crop. We will end up with eight sugar pie pumpkins in total!

Emily is excited for pumpkins!

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