East Meets West Festival 2014

Mack and I met up with Maria and Roxanne last Saturday to check out the East Meets West Festival in Chinatown, now into its sixth year. In the past, the timing usually coincided with an event in Little Italy (hence the name), but this year, the Business Revitalization Zone-organized Chinatown portion took place about a month earlier.

97 Street

It was great to see the festival return to 97 Street, the main artery of the neighbourhood, and a location that gives the event much more prominence. A stage was set up near 105 Avenue, while vending tents and food trucks were spread out on the street.

Stage

No doubt the weather was much improved from last year (when a flash hailstorm forced the event to shut down early), but I had to assume it was the poor experience the organizers had with small tents in inclement weather that caused them to go with the larger, heavier-duty cover this time. Though its hard to argue with their sturdiness, the walled structures felt disconnected from the rest of the street.

Inside the tent

Most of the vendors beneath the tent sold items typically found at Chinese markets – trinkets, small toys, clothing and accessories. The theme didn’t necessarily continue throughout the marketplace – while it was great to see the Organic Box’s Fruit Truck, it would have been great if they had been able to incorporate some Asian produce into their wares.

Fruit Truck

East Meets West chose to partner with Hawkers Market to organize a combination of pop-up food vendors and food trucks. I was hoping more of the trucks would be serving Asian-themed menus, but it was a bit hit or miss.

Knosh and So-Cal Smoothies

Long Lost Foods was one that absolutely hit the mark with their unique vegan donair made with green onion cakes. Given the recent debate about whether the donair or green onion cake should be crowned Edmonton’s official dish, it was an ingenious way to settle the argument – why not combine the two?

Long Lost Food’s green onion cake donair

With the scorching hot weather, we also couldn’t resist an ice cream sandwich from One Cool Cookie. The trailer is not only equipped with ovens (fresh baked cookies, anyone?), but because they assemble the sandwiches on-site, we were able to personalize our treat with our choice of cookie and ice cream.

One Cool Cookie

I ended up with one of their suggested combinations – skor cookies with Pinocchio’s salted caramel ice cream. The thin, room temperature cookies made this one of the easiest homemade ice cream sandwiches I’ve ever had, and it was darn tasty, too.

Mack’s double chocolate and black cherry ice cream sandwich

It was a great day to be outside, and though the heat may have chased away mid-afternoon revelers, we hoped more foot traffic would come in the evening.

Squinting in the sun

If you missed this event, not to worry – we’ll be announcing the details of our follow-up to our successful 97 Street Night Market shortly. Stay tuned!

Recap: Hawkers Market 3

The third Hawkers Market event took place on June 14, 2014 in Vacancy Hall, the cozy Mercer Warehouse basement suite. Mack and I were fortunate enough to receive free admission tickets.

Several of the vendors who were present at the Mercer Summer Super Party the week prior were back again, but it was nice to see some new vendors in the fray.

Vacancy Hall

Long Lost Foods (formerly Mirepoix Trio), explained that their new name was the result of another Canadian company already having registered under their former identity. Hopefully word spreads fast, and they won’t lose the momentum (and recognition) they’ve gained under their previous name.

Long Lost Foods

Long Lost Foods brought their A-game to Hawkers Market, with their vegan pizza bombs on offer. At 3 for $10, it was the best deal that night, and the perfect hand-held snack. For Mack, who lived off of Pizza Pockets in a past life, it was a way to indulge in an old favourite with less guilt.

Mack loved the pizza bombs

We also finally got to try Orbit, the first food truck to sell out at our last What the Truck?! event in Old Strathcona. Their orange ancho pork tacos ($5), with grilled pineapple relish and bacon was delicious, a nice balance between the succulent meat and the fresh garnish.

Orbit

Orange ancho pork tacos

The boys from The Local Omnivore were serving up The Hulk ($8), a sandwich layering stewed spiced beef, “baconed” onions, swiss and salsa verde together.

Thumbs up for The Local Omnivore

The Hulk

It was great to see Honest Dumplings again. Their menu seems to change so often that it always seems that you will always find a new, yet-to-be-discovered dumpling flavour on your next visit. That said, the Peking duck might just be my new favourite.

Honest dumplings

This Hawkers Market event didn’t seem as packed as the previous two, but I’d chalk it up to busy summer schedules more than anything else. And though I understand the reason for the sit-down picnic tables (encouraging people to linger, drink in hand), I’d prefer more cocktail tables, as attendees seem more likely to mix and mingle in that type of set-up.

While the next indoor Hawkers Market date hasn’t been set yet, you will find them at the East Meets West Festival in Chinatown on July 12, from 11am-9pm. They’ve partnered with the Chinatown Business Revitalization Zone to organize the food truck and pop-up food booths. I’ll be there!

Date Night: Hawkers Market & Parka Patio Party

In spite of how far we’ve come, there’s still a stereotype that nothing happens downtown on evenings and weekends. Well, on a recent weekend, we hopped from a great food event to a happening party, which all took place within a few blocks of one another.

We started out the evening at the second Hawkers Market to take place in Edmonton, again at the Mercer Warehouse. Conceived as an incubator of sorts for new food-related businesses, I think it still has a ways to go before it is able to attract the newer entrepreneurial efforts who really are seeking a platform to road test products.

Brittney and I at Hawkers Market

That said, Hawkers Market is still a great addition to the food scene in Edmonton, particularly in the winter, when economical events are harder to come by. Although the line-up of vendors was remarkably similar to the previous event, it didn’t deter the crowds. Organizers estimated about 100 more people this time around, and at least one vendor sold out an hour and a half into the evening.

The Drift team!

Kara of Drift Food Truck made a good point – the provision of seating really changed the experience for attendees. They encouraged people to linger and stay and to perhaps have another drink or dish that they wouldn’t have otherwise indulged in.

Busy night

As a result, the atmosphere seemed more festive, with friends gathering around tables, facilitating sharing all that much more. Mack and I sampled a handful of dishes, starting with bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers ($5) from Low & Slow Barbecue, a new vendor at the event. Some people might be familiar with them from the 124 Street Grand Market, but this was our first encounter with their food. Mack enjoyed them well enough, though we were told later on that their pulled pork was the standout.

Jalapeno poppers from Low & Slow Barbecue

Slow Food Edmonton had a booth, offering both sweet and savoury concoctions. I really liked their version of grilled cheese ($3), made up of a base of Bon Ton bread, a crackling crust of The Cheesiry’s pecorino, and a dollop of Mojo JoJo Pickles’ salted caramel pear butter.

Chad Moss cooks up some sandwiches

Slow Food Edmonton’s grilled cheese

Their local marshmallow trifecta ($4) was a unique dessert, with my favourite of the three being the honey-scented treat, topped with a honey toffee crumb.

Marshmallow treats from Slow Food Edmonton

Mack couldn’t resist Bully’s perogies and ham ($8). We anticipated tasty perogies, but what blew us away was the house cured and smoked ham steak, which was so tender it flaked under a fork alone. And you can always hand it to Bully to win the serving size sweepstakes!

Dean serves a mean ham!

Bully’s perogies and ham

Our favourite dish of the night was from Parts & Service, a food truck hoping to hit the streets this spring. Their take on chicken and waffles ($5) was ingenious from a street food perspective, as it could easily be eaten standing up with one hand. Not to mention, the house made chicken sausage (wrapped in a waffle cone) was delicious! It was served with maple syrup and an apple hot sauce, but really, the sausage was seasoned so well it didn’t need any accompaniments. I’m even more excited about their truck now!

Chicken and waffles from Parts & Service

I was most looking forward to dessert from Paper Bag Donuts (cooked up by Red Ox Inn chef Sean O’Connor). I had missed them at the last event, as I mistook their table as an extension of the bar. This time, they had an overhead sign advertising meyer lemon curd donuts ($3) and honey crullers ($5). We chose the latter, and weren’t disappointed with the warm, freshly fried treats.

Paper Bag Donuts

We had a great time, and based on that night, I think Hawkers Market has the potential to become a staple event in our community. For those who missed out, mark your calendars – the next event is scheduled for April 12, 2014.

Full, we walked over to Latitude 53, which was hosting their annual Parka Patio Party. Mack and I had attended their first ever winter patio party in 2012, but the weather had been kinder that year. This year, with temperatures hovering around –30 with windchill, we were grateful that the event had an indoor component.

Parka Patio Party

That said, we had dressed for an outdoor function, and like other attendees, had no use for the coat racks set aside.

What coat racks?

Hot tea and soup were served inside, but playing up the Ice Land theme, organizers were offering make-your-own cocktails out on the patio. Not only did this involve an ice luge, but also an array of frozen fruit. Needless to say, we gave it a shot.

Ice luge!

If that wasn’t enough, Pinocchio Ice Cream was also on hand sampling newer product varieties – popcorn and salted caramel ice cream.

Tom from Pinocchio Ice Cream

A DJ kept the spirits up indoors, and in addition to art up for silent auction, there was also a fun “Scandinavian Toy-Scape” installed in the space (I loved the little waving monster!).

Too cute

It was great to catch up with some familiar faces at the party, and to take part in a winter event, that in spite of the cold, played to a packed house.

The cold didn’t keep people away

Thanks again to Latitude 53 for the tickets! Here’s hoping it’s just a few degrees warmer next year.

Recap: Hawkers Market Edmonton

The first ever Hawkers Market in Edmonton took place on Saturday, November 30 in the basement of the Mercer Warehouse (otherwise known as Vacancy Hall). Originating in Vancouver, Hawkers Market intends to “create a space where vibrant and exciting local food can be discovered…a place to conduct commerce, rapidly test ideas and meet customers face to face.” As a result, I expected the event to be similar in nature to the Toronto Underground Market I attended last year, which is set-up as an opportunity for start-up food businesses to grow and make a name for themselves in a competitive market. No doubt, one of the busiest vendors at TUM that night was La Carnita, which is now one of the most popular taquerias in Toronto.

Hawkers Market

Mack and I were given free admission tickets, but I did purchase two $10 advance tickets for my sisters. Menus weren’t available in advance, but when we arrived, we found that food averaged between $5-7.

With my sisters

Given it was Hawkers Market’s first time in Edmonton, a few hiccups were to be expected. For one, the start time was 5pm, though this was inconsistent on some of the advertised Eventbrite information. As well, with some power issues and poor ventilation, it will be interesting to see if Vacancy Hall will continue to host this event.

Getting busy

Eight vendors were set up along the periphery of the room, with a DJ adding to the party atmosphere. Though we were somewhat surprised to see that five of the vendors were existing or soon-to-be food truck operators, in a way, the timing perfectly complements the food truck off-season. That said, we were hoping to see more newly-established businesses, but I am guessing this will come as word spreads about Hawkers Market.

The Bully Food Truck team!

Drift’s mini truck replica greeted guests walking in, but perhaps even more enticing was their menu offering, a Burmese dish of khao swe ($5). One of Nevin’s family recipes, the coconut chicken noodles were served up and ready to be customized with an assortment of toppings: green onions, cilantro, fried onions, chickpea chips and sticks, boiled egg, lemon and red chili flakes. It was fun to make the dish to our taste, delectable as it already was.

Mini Drift!

Khao swe from Drift

Notably, Drift was also selling their signature ketchup and spice, nicely packaged for holiday giving. If you missed it, you can now pick up the products at Acme Meats!

Give the gift of Drift

Amanda high-tailed it pretty quick to Sailin’ On, her favourite food truck. We shared an order of chili-lime tofu tacos ($9), with refried beans, vegan cheddar, veggies, salsa verde and lime. She wasn’t disappointed with her pick.

Chili-lime tofu tacos from Sailin’ On

I didn’t expect a restaurant like XIX Nineteen to participate in Hawkers Market, though in hindsight, it was an opportunity to interact with a whole new group of potential patrons. Felicia ordered a dish of rabbit and gnocchi poutine ($5 without the meat) to try. It was a creative dish well-suited to the environment it was being cooked and served in, and the gnocchi was tasty in and of itself.

Gnocchi poutine from XIX Nineteen

In that same vein, Casa Doce, a food truck which has mostly operated in Sherwood Park this past year, showcased their Mexican cuisine to a different audience. We tried their jalapeno and queso fresco tamale ($5), topped with beans and pickled onions. It was piping hot, and definitely meant to be shared by a group.

Tamale from Casa Doce

It was exciting to see two brand new vendors launching at Hawkers Market who don’t yet already have an existing storefront or truck. Parts & Service is a forthcoming food truck, their name inspired by some of the off-cuts of meat they will be using. That night, they were serving up duck confit and roasted bone marrow ($5); we ordered the latter. Served with crostini and topped with fennel salsa, it was a memorable dish that immediately set them apart from other trucks.

Roasted bone marrow from Parts & Service

Unfortunately, we missed sampling the dessert from Paper Bag Donuts, courtesy of Red Ox Inn’s Sean O’Connor. To be honest, I saw a tiny sign with the letters “PBD” on the corner, but didn’t investigate any further – our loss. Hopefully Paper Bag Donuts pops-up again soon!

The one vendor that wasn’t quite like the others was South Island Pie Company, which had presence at the City Market this summer. They weren’t sampling any products, and instead, were selling frozen pies for takeaway. We did pick up a pair on our way out, as we were heading home and could stash them in our freezer, but given they were the odd booth out, we hoped they were successful through the night.

South Island Pie Company

So while the majority of the vendors weren’t necessarily new, I think Hawkers Market still accomplished their mission of increasing the exposure of small food businesses. It sounds like a second Hawkers Market is scheduled for February 22, 2014, so keep an eye out for more details!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: