Chinatown Dining Week Returns January 14-24, 2021

Chinatown Dining Week is back for a fourth time! This year, 9 participating restaurants will be offering $10 and $18 takeaway deals from January 14-24, 2021.

Our mission has not changed – Chinatown Dining Week was created in 2018 to help promote and raise awareness of culinary gems in a neighbourhood that is often overlooked and undervalued. However, amidst an economic downturn and an ongoing pandemic, our partner businesses could use even more support. Foot traffic is understandably down in the area, as consumers plan only targeted visits, and pre-pandemic, many businesses served food not ideally suited for take-out. These family-owned businesses have done their best to pivot, offering delivery or enhancing their social media presence, but many are still struggling.

This year, due to ever-changing public health restrictions, Chinatown Dining Week will offer take-out meals only. Menus are available here, and diners are encouraged to call ahead to order.

We’re excited to welcome back eight returning businesses, offering a range of cuisines including Indian, Indonesian, Szechwan, Thai and Vietnamese, along with bubble tea, baked goods, and pastries. We are also thrilled that Kim Fat Market is joining us for the first time. Some may be aware of Kim Fat as a Chinatown grocer and butcher, but a well-kept secret is that they also offer prepared meals, too.

All-dressed ribs from Kim Fat

We hope you’ll consider enjoying a meal from one of our participating businesses during Chinatown Dining Week!

We’ve also launched a giveaway on Instagram for a couple of dinners for two and other specials!

Chinatown Dining Week Returns, January 17-27, 2019

I’m thrilled to share that Chinatown Dining Week is returning for a second year, running January 17-27, 2019. It was so successful last year that we knew we wanted to bring it back again and make it even bigger!

Although many are familiar with the great eats available in Chinatown, others continue to be unaware of the diversity and value of meals to be found within walking distance of Downtown. With Chinatown’s proximity to several prominent attractions, including the newly-opened Royal Alberta Museum, Ice District, and the Arts District, those planning an evening out could easily incorporate a stopover in the area.

Chinatown Dining Week is about highlighting some of the tasty options in the neighbourhood through $15 2-course fixed price dinner menus. This year, we’ve expanded the event to 11 days (up from 9) and will have 8 participating restaurants (up from 5). The menus will be online at edmontonchinatown.ca starting January 7.

Our volunteer team is excited to welcome back three of our partner restaurants from our pilot last year – Asian Express Hot Pot, Gui Lin Noodle House, and King Noodle House. They embraced this new idea early on, and we’re happy to help introduce even more people to their food!

We also have five new restaurants on our roster:

Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles – located on the northern edge of Chinatown, this noodle house is often overlooked. But their steaming bowls of noodle soup and dumplings make it an ideal place to gather on a cold winter evening.
Kanto 98 St. Eatery – shortlisted for the prestigious list of 2018 Best New Restaurants, Kanto made a splash even before it celebrated its first birthday. Their brand of Filipino fusion eats has won over its share of fans.
Namaste India – a hidden gem, it seems that few know that a delicious Indian buffet spread can be found in the heart of Chinatown.
Padmanadi – this vegan restaurant was serving plant-based cuisine before it was trendy. Their vegan takes on classic Asian dishes have a cult following in Edmonton.
Tea Bar Cafe – so much more than bubble tea, Tea Bar also serves Hong Kong-style savoury and sweet dishes to complement their drink menu.

We hope you’ll join us for Chinatown Dining Week!

2018 Edmonton Chinatown Walking Tours

Last year, I was among a small group of volunteers who piloted a series of free walking tours in Chinatown. We were amazed at the number of Edmontonians who joined us throughout the summer; most were curious about the neighbourhood that they had traversed but did not have a reason to linger in.

2017 Walking Tour

The tours provided a history of why the city has two Chinatowns, and introduced attendees to some of the cultural institutions and businesses in the area. Our hope, as was the case with other initiatives I’ve been involved with relating to Chinatown, was to encourage more people to explore and spend time in the neighbourhood.

We love Chinatown!

We’re happy to share the news that the tours are back for a second year! Even better, the City of Edmonton was able to secure a grant that permitted the hiring of a summer student to coordinate the tours. As a result, supported by the same group of volunteers, we’ve increased the frequency of the tours to twice a month, from 10:30am-12:30pm every second and forth Sunday from June until September. If you’re interested, we ask that you RSVP on Eventbrite. The remaining tour dates are as follows:

If those dates don’t work, the student is also able to lead private tours for a minimum of 10 people.

Jane’s Walk in Chinatown earlier this year

We hope this interest in Chinatown continues – consider joining us on one of the tours this summer!

Introducing Chinatown Dining Week: January 20-28, 2018

Back in the summer, I was a part of a group of volunteers who piloted a series of free walking tours in Edmonton’s Chinatown. The tours covered the history of why the city has two Chinatowns, and included visits inside cultural institutions and retail businesses.

At the Harbin Gate

We didn’t expect the overwhelming response we received, averaging about 40 participants each tour. It was interesting to see so many Edmontonians join us who shared that they frequently passed through Chinatown, but wanted to learn more so they would have a reason to stay and explore the neighbourhood.

Overlooking Chinatown South

For some of the attendees, the highlights were the culinary stops: we had a peek behind the scenes of Ying Fat, which specializes in soy products; a taste of sweet treats at Ruby Bakery; and an introduction to grocer Kim Fat. Food can be such a great gateway into new cultures or places, and this was definitely the case with our tours. Many people asked us for restaurant recommendations afterwards so they could make the most of their time in Chinatown.

Inside Kim Fat with owner Phong Luu

While we chose to put the tours on hiatus over the fall and winter months, we did want to continue the momentum somehow, and provide people with the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity about Chinatown. And so, Chinatown Dining Week was born.

Downtown Dining Week has been a staple in Edmonton for more than a decade, offering set price deals to entice diners to try new restaurants. We thought a similar model could be replicated in another central neighbourhood with even more diverse culinary gems to discover.

Green curry at Viphalay – one of the featured Chinatown Dining Week dishes

We’ve partnered with 5 Chinatown restaurants who will be offering $15 two-course dinner menus from January 20-28, 2018: Asian Express Hot Pot, Cua Hua Gui Lin Noodle House, King Noodle House Pho Hoang, Taipan Cafe Restaurant, and Viphalay Laos and Thai Restaurant. Take a look at the menus and consider trying a new restaurant, or revisiting an old favourite.

Pho at King Noodle House – another of the featured dishes

There’s a lot to discover in Chinatown, and we hope that this event will encourage more Edmontonians to learn more about an often underappreciated area of the city.

Update on Edmonton Chinatown Walking Tours

We’re halfway through our series of free Chinatown walking tours that we introduced back in June, and it’s safe to say that the interest from Edmontonians is alive and well!

The four tours were fully subscribed in a matter of weeks, and the two groups we’ve led so far have numbered up to 40 people. Nearly all have been attended by locals, most who were not aware that Edmonton had two Chinatowns and many who were looking for a reason to stay and explore the neighbourhood further.

Although the historic and cultural component provides a key foundation to the tour, it’s been interesting that many of the questions we receive relate to commercial Chinatown. People have appreciated the stops we make to introduce the proprietors of several businesses along the way, and many have asked for restaurant recommendations to extend their time in Chinatown. We understand that for many, food is the gateway into the area, and like some other communities have done, use that to our advantage to encourage more foot traffic.

We decided to add one more tour date in August to accommodate the demand - consider joining us on August 27, 2017 if you’ve been curious to learn more about Edmonton’s Chinatown! We’ll be reviewing the pilot after September to determine how we might continue the tours in the future.

If you aren’t able to make the tour but want an excuse to explore the neighbourhood, consider attending the Moonlight Carnival on September 16, 2017 from noon to 9:30pm at the Ukrainian National Federation Hall (10629 98 Street). Organized by the Chinatown Business Revitalization Zone, you can expect vendors and performances.

Alternatively, mark your calendar for the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 23, 2017, from 1-9pm, back for its forth year in a new location at the Alberta Legislature grounds. Though not in Chinatown, the cultural event features food, crafts, performances and cumulates with a lantern parade and a beautiful display of floating wishing boats on the water.

Hope to see you out and about in and around Chinatown this summer!

Introducing: Edmonton Chinatown Walking Tours

Back in 2013 and 2014, I was part of a small team of volunteers who wanted to bring some vibrancy to the streets of Edmonton’s Chinatown. Our solution was to program a night market that involved food, vendors, and a variety of performances to help bring more foot traffic to the area and celebrate some of the distinct cultural aspects that Chinatown has to offer.

97 Street Night Market
2014 Night Market

Both markets were successful, and some who attended appreciated the encouragement that brought them to a neighborhood they did not normally have cause to explore. While we weren’t able to continue the night market, we have been thinking about ways to continue highlighting Chinatown that are more sustainable.

97 Street Night Market
Lion dance at the 2014 Night Market

One of the more popular aspects of the night market we had included in both years were walking tours. Led by volunteer community members with expertise in different areas such as history, public art, and food, the tours provided participants with the opportunity to see Chinatown with a different lens, or gave them a reason to return again on their own.

97 Street Night Market
Tour at the 2013 Night Market

In May, Kathryn Lennon and Claudia Wong-Rusnack organized a Chinatown-themed tour as a part of Jane’s Walk this year. More than thirty people turned up, so the interest in learning more about this area of the city is definitely alive and well.

Jane’s Walk tour

In this spirit, we will be offering a series of free Chinatown walking tours this summer, in the hopes of being able to introduce even more people to an area of the city that is sometimes overlooked and underutilized.

Dates: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, 2017 (second Sunday of the month)

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm

Location: meet at Edmonton Tourism, 9990 Jasper Avenue (rain or shine!)

RSVP on Facebook: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10

If you’ve ever wondered why Edmonton has two Chinatowns, learning more about some of the development pressures faced by the neighbourhood, or have been curious about which businesses you should visit, please consider coming for a tour! We’re open to feedback as well, and will be adding information to the tours as they happen.

Hope to see you there!

The Future of Edmonton’s Chinatown: 2016 Chinatown Conference

Three years ago, I was part of a group that organized the 97 Street Night Market in Chinatown. The idea was inspired by conversations and observations made by my market co-organizer Kathryn Lennon at the first ever Chinatown Conference held that spring. In some ways, the market was our way of trying to grapple with the generation gap in the neighbourhood, and an attempt to enliven the streets and encourage Edmontonians to rediscover their Chinatown.

97 Street Night Market

The event gathered vendors and food trucks, created a stage for cultural performances, and offered walking tours of the neighbourhood. Overall, we felt the market was a success, and although it was a lot of work to pull together, I felt inspired to continue the momentum with another event.

The following summer, I was part of a team that hosted a second 97 Street Night Market. The event built upon the foundation of the previous year, and though the turnout was comparable, we decided the challenges we faced in mounting the market weren’t worth the returns.

97 Street Night Market, 2014 edition

It was an incredibly eye-opening experience, learning firsthand about the complexities of the neighbourhood and the numerous parties involved in the community. Chinatown has many players – the BRZ, individual businesses, community associations, McCauley Revitalization, the Quarters Revitalization – just to name a few, and they don’t all agree on how to approach the issues surrounding Chinatown:

How can Chinatown leverage the positive developments of the Royal Alberta Museum, Ice District, and the LRT Connector?
Should the old (cultural) and new (commercial) Chinatowns be linked?
How can Chinatown better work alongside social service agencies?
How can Chinatown attract more businesses and amenities?
Is Chinatown still relevant?

These are just some of the questions that the community is grappling with, and there are no easy answers. Consensus is unlikely, but one thing is true – Chinatown will change, but who will lead this change? Will the players be able to come together to move forward with solutions in a meaningful way, or will external forces dictate the change?

Edmonton’s Chinatown

As a follow-up to the first Chinatown Conference, the 2016 Chinatown Conference hopes to answer some of these questions. On June 11-12, 2016 Chinatown advocates, researchers, planners and youth from across North America, will gather in Edmonton at the University of Alberta, including 15 representatives from Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. The intention is to exchange ideas about how to preserve, celebrate, and ensure Chinatowns remain relevant in municipalities amongst demographic shifts, changing civic priorities, and gentrification efforts.

I’m particularly excited to hear from C.W. Chan from Chicago, as they have reversed the trend of diminishing Chinatowns, and instead, have continued to expand and and garner city investment in infrastructure. The conference will also host respected Toronto Chinese historian Valerie Mah and Washington, D.C. filmmaker Yi Chen, who will screen her documentary Chinatown. The second day of the conference aims to build a plan for Edmonton’s Chinatown. The full conference schedule is here.

Registration is now open, and tickets are $50.

Edmonton on Foot: Doors Open Edmonton and Chinatown Summer Market

One of my favourite things about living Downtown is its proximity to other neighbourhoods we can easily reach on foot. This was illustrated on Saturday, when Mack and I enjoyed some of what Central Edmonton had to offer that day.

I think the Historic Festival and Doors Open Edmonton should make a bigger splash than it does. It flies under the radar, given it takes place over the same duration as the much higher profile Edmonton International Street Performers Festival, but the opportunity to see some of the participating landmarks firsthand only comes around once a year.

Mack and I had already joined a horse-drawn historical tour in Beverly earlier in the week, but what I was really looking forward to was something closer to home – a guided tour of the Westminster Apartments, at 9955-114 Street. We’ve walked by the heritage building numerous times, but I’ve always wondered (a fire stoked by the accessibility of real estate reality shows) what the units inside look like.

Tour of the Westminster

Lucky for us, this was the first year some residents of the Westminster wanted to open their doors up to the public. About forty people signed up in advance – the organizers were a little surprised at the interest in their homes!

The Westminster was built in 1912 as a speculative investment of eastern Canadian capital. It was designed to accommodate people who were transitioning from rooming houses to higher-end apartments. As such, the basement was originally set up as a kitchen, where food was prepared and sent upstairs to residents who re-heated meals in their smaller-than average warming kitchens. In 2004, the building was converted to 24 condo units. Famous occupants of the Westminster include George Bulyea, Alberta’s first Lieutenant Governor.

Clawfoot bathtub

We explored four units, which highlighted each of their individuality. Given the age of the building, some residents had chosen to modernize their spaces, which ranged from opening up the kitchen to installing ensuite laundry and skylights. Most units retained some of the historical features, like clawfoot bathtubs and plate and picture rails.

Picture rails

Coincidentally, we knew the couple who lived in one of the units. Over the last ten years, Mike and Yvonne have extensively renovated their top-floor unit, incorporating many Asian-influenced designs and furniture. It is a beautiful home.

Modernized unit

Hopefully the residents at the Westminster decide to participate in Doors Open Edmonton next year – it is a gem that should continue to be admired and appreciated for years to come.

On a related note, we did try to tour Immigration Hall later that afternoon, but it seemed that the information was contained in error, as Hope Mission staff didn’t seem to know anything about it. As it goes into its twentieth year, one would hope that festival details in its guide are accurate!

After the historical tour, we walked over to Chinatown for their annual Summer Market. It is their rebranded East Meets West Festival, and when I saw that the organizers were promoting the event on social media, I was hoping that the Chinatown BRZ had changed things up this year.

It’s an event that has so much potential, and given the costs of closing down a street, I’m always optimistic that organizers will make better use of the space.

Chinatown Summer Market

They did have a more diverse line-up of entertainment, broadening the cultural lens to include South Asian performers. As well, the vendor tent did seem to house more businesses this year. But otherwise, it was a similar template to previous events, and unlike last year, had even less street-level engagement.

Vendor tent

The massive stage was placed at the north end of 97 Street at 106 Avenue, blocking the view of the busy grocery store behind it. And while some of the larger performing groups can fill the stage, for the solo dancers or smaller teams, it seems unnecessary and actually serves to distance the audience from the action.

Xiao Hai Ou Dance Group

The food element was also missing. While food trucks don’t always have to be the answer, in lieu of them, it was disappointing that the businesses along 97 Street didn’t set up tables outside to hawk their products. It would have been the perfect opportunity to engage passerby so they might be encouraged to step inside.

We watched a few performances, then headed to Lee House for lunch. In some ways, I was retracing the steps made at the Chinatown Food Crawl back in May – it was a chance to use some of the coupons I’d received then!

One coupon entitled us to a complimentary kimchi pancake at Lee House, which went well with additional dishes of japchae and rice cakes.

Lee House eats

To cool off on our walk home, we picked up some refreshing bubble tea from Tea Bar Cafe (also at a discount thanks to the Food Crawl).

Strawberry and mango fruit slushes from Tea Bar Cafe

We were ready for a nap after spending so much time in the sun, but it was great to take advantage of what Edmonton has to offer, and (lucky for us) all within a twenty minute radius of our home on foot.

Stories Behind the Chopsticks: Chinatown Food Crawl

I love the idea of food crawls – they’re not only a great way to meet other people, but they spotlight multiple establishments within walking distance of one another, thus promoting the neighborhood on a larger level. In the past, with the seemingly defunct Edmonton branch of Dishcrawl, the focus was on areas that were already mainstream – Downtown, Old Strathcona, 124 Street. In some ways, the food crawl is a more powerful tool when wielded to expose people to quadrants less ventured. Two years ago, the North Edge Business Revitalization Zone (covering Queen Mary Park and Central McDougall, just north of the Arena District) did this with their Flavour Journey Restaurant Tours. Now, McCauley Revitalization has embraced the food tour with a series called Stories Behind the Chopsticks.

Led by Freya Fu, the tours have been a way for her to connect Edmontonians with an oft-overlooked neighbourhood: Chinatown. Plagued by a reputation of its high concentration of social services and housing, many dismiss Chinatown as unsafe and unwelcoming. Those who do miss out on the gems – food stores like Ying Fat tofu factory and Shan Shan Bakery, happening late night hot pot restaurants like 97 Hot Pot and Urban Shabu, or my personal favourite, pho joints like Pho Tau Bay and King Noodle House.

Freya established connections with several business owners in Chinatown to create four tours in May, each highlighting four restaurants. Two were open to the public, and the $35 tickets sold out in just a few days. I have to say I was initially disappointed that the public tours were held in the afternoon (I think much of the stigma Chinatown has to overcome relates to its evening economy), but I also recognize the need to work with the owners at a time convenient for their regular customer flow.

I had the pleasure of accompanying Freya on her May 30, 2015 tour as a volunteer. There were about two dozen people in the group who gathered at our first stop: Lee House (10704 97 Street). The second location of the southside Korean mainstay, proprietor Mrs. Lee shared that she had started the restaurant twenty-two years ago with her husband. She was clearly very proud of her scratch cooking, and her son shared that she was particularly excited about this branch because of its proximity to the Lucky 97 Supermarket across the street, allowing for easy access to fresh ingredients.

Mrs. Lee and her son, of Lee House

We were treated to a family-style feast, including bulgogi, japchae, chicken balls, and an assortment of pickled accompaniments. The japchae (stir fried sweet potato noodles) is a favourite of mine, and the Lee House version doesn’t disappoint.

Korean-style feast

Zen Sushi (10518 101 Street) was the second stop. I confessed that I had walked past the storefront on 101 Street countless times, but had never peeked inside.

Zen Sushi interior

Henry, the owner, grew up in the neighbourhood, and expressed his commitment to help grow and develop McCauley. He intends at some point in the future to start “Zen After Dark” where their usual all you can eat concept will be set aside in favour of a special ramen menu on Friday and Saturday nights. This would help drive foot traffic in the area and he hopes to make Zen a positive destination.

Making sushi

I’m not a sushi eater, so I didn’t partake in much at this stop. Zen also had some kinks to work out in their ordering system for a group our size, but I’m certain they would have streamlined it by the second crawl.

Travelling on foot

Next, we headed to the adjacent Golden Szechuan (10508 101 Street). Specializing in regional Szechuan cuisine (known for its unrelenting heat), we were served a beautifully plated sampling of dishes: shredded pork with Szechuan sauce, sliced beef tendon in spicy sauce, and my favourite, sliced fish in hot sauce.

Golden Szechuan sampling

It would have been ideal for the owners to provide more of an introduction to the cuisine, as I was certain many would have benefited from learning about what separates Szechuan cooking from other, more familiar, Chinese styles.

Before dessert, we made a quick stop at Ruby’s Bakery (10642 98 Street) to pick up some treats.

How many people can fit inside Ruby’s Bakery?

Offering Hong Kong-style baked goods, including elaborate wedding cakes, it was difficult to ignore the wafting aromas of freshly made sweets. The coconut tarts were such a hit that some tourgoers ended up purchasing more to take home.

Coconut tart and tulip cake

With our to-go boxes in hand, we ambled next door to Tea Bar Café (10640 98 Street), one of several Chinatown establishments serving up bubble tea. An alternative to coffee shops, the blended fruit-based drinks with tapioca pearls proved to be a refreshing way to end our journey. Similar to Golden Szechuan, I would have appreciated some more information from the owner about the history of bubble tea.

Mango bubble tea

Overall, from conversations with participants, most had never been to any of the establishments prior to the tour. Many said they would return on their own, now knowing what to expect. Freya had the ingenious idea to distribute a coupon book offering deals to each of the businesses, which will hopefully further encourage repeat visits.

Thanks again to Freya for the opportunity to join her on the tour! And if you missed it, you’re in luck – due to popular demand, a second tour, featuring different restaurants, is taking place on July 15, 2015 at 6:30pm. The link to the tickets will go live on July 2 at 7am.

Another Chinatown Transformation: Lee House

It has been a few years since my last visit to Lee House in Old Strathcona, but for a recent Korean food fix, I was excited to visit their second location in Chinatown. They took over a storefront on 97 Street that has been vacant for many years, a building that I remember from my childhood (it had the distinction of being the only grocery store in the area that offered underground parking). Earlier this year, 97 Hot Pot also similarly transformed a derelict, hollow shell into a bright spot in the neighbourhood, and I’m hoping Lee House is continuing the trend.

The Lee House owners did a great job with the interior, with the wood finishes anchoring the room with a warmth and familiarity not unlike a comfortable kitchen. Tables are inset with a natural gas burner, which spoke to the communality of much of the menu.

Interior

Having just been in Korea for our honeymoon, it was great to see some familiar items on the menu, spanning from barbecue to broth-based bowls and a plethora of small plates. Still, Maria and I let Roxanne (who had lived in Korea for a time) lead us through our choices. We ended up with the sweet ginger dubboki ($9.95), similar to one of my favourite dishes in Seoul, and the pork bone soup ($33.95), which seemed ideal on that chilly winter evening.

The dubboki, made up of rice cakes, fish cakes, cabbage and green onions in a ginger-soy sauce, was pleasantly sweet, though the rice cakes themselves were much firmer than their Seoul cousins.

Dubboki

The pork bone soup felt like the main event when it arrived, complete with accompaniments. Over the course of a few minutes, simmering in front of us, the broth took on a piercing red tone, cooking down the vegetables layered in amongst the meat. But the chilli-based soup was beautifully balanced, with just enough heat to warm us through.

Pork bone soup

It was the kind of meal you linger over, taking your time over the dredges of soup left in the pot. And unlike some other places in Chinatown, we never felt rushed; the friendly servers were more than happy to refill our tea, and gave us the time and space to catch up. It was a satisfying supper, and shared between the three of us, amounted to just over $20 per person with tip. Our only feedback for the restaurant was to consider offering dessert, as we would have been more than happy to indulge in something sweet.

On a random Tuesday night, we were happy to see that many other people had already discovered Lee House (though it should be noted their south side location is currently under renovations). And given there are many more menu items I was tempted by, I’m sure to be back soon.

Lee House
10708 97 Street
(780) 438-0790
Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm

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