Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next, we sat down with Lao Jian, the owner of China Marble Restaurant. It is the restaurant’s second year participating in Chinatown Dining Week.

Why did you decide to open the restaurant?

Our family had a wonton restaurant in Hong Kong, and our dishes were very popular in our neighbourhood. We thought it would be a good idea to try it here in Edmonton and see if Edmonton locals would like it as well.

How long has the restaurant been open?

We had 2 restaurants in the south of Edmonton, and the first location was open in 2004. Both locations were closed in 2017, but our friends and previous customers kept telling us how much they missed the food. We were really grateful for the support from them and decided to start looking for a new location. In 2020, this location (previously Pagolac Restaurant) in Chinatown became available for us. We really liked how there are lots of Chinese businesses in the area, and the location came with some customer parking spots at the back – and here we are!

XO Vermicelli from China Marble

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant?

What we have on our menu are mostly Cantonese dishes made with traditional home recipes. Our signature dish would be the Bao Yu Wonton Soup, which is named after my lovely wife. Our Cantonese style stir-fried dishes are also very popular, and we have a Dim Sum menu as well! 

Salt and Pepper Pork Chop from China Marble

What makes your restaurant special?

We make cooking sauces in house to ensure they taste authentic and great! 

I’d like to also mention that our restaurant location is where one of the very first Chinese banquet restaurants was located. We even have a display in the restaurant that shows you the very original menu from the 1930’s. 

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown?

There are lots of great options of Chinese food and cuisines from many different ethnic cultures. It definitely brings you an international food experience!

China Marble Restaurant will be offering the following specials during Chinatown Dining Week. They are valid for pick-up or dine-in:

• $20 Special: Salt and Pepper Pork Chop on Steamed Rice, plus 1 Green Onion Cake and Bowl of Soup of the Day
• $10 Special: Shanghai Noodles or XO Vermicelli
• Orders can be made via phone or in-person
  (780) 760-2808 and (780) 760-2809
  10566 97 Street
  Wednesday-Monday 10am-10pm, closed Tuesday

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next up, we interviewed Luan Cao, one of the managers at Co Chin Saigon. This is their second year in Chinatown Dining Week.

Why did you decide to open the restaurant?

We are always proud of how delicious Vietnamese food is, as well as the variety of traditional food across the country. Also, it has been a long time since Vietnamese food was introduced to Canadians with lots of adjustments to meet local people’s tastes. This is not really necessary anymore nowadays. Thus, it is an opportunity for our team to start up a restaurant that can bring back the experience of authentic Vietnamese food.

How long has the restaurant been open?

We will be two years old this coming March 7.

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant?

We provide a 100 percent Vietnamese food menu, and a unique full service for dining customers that can’t be found elsewhere.

Co Chin Saigon’s Pho

What makes your restaurant special?

At Co Chin Saigon, customers will receive not only the best dishes and/or soups but also a unique daily special menu that introduces more traditional foods to try out every day.

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown?

Chinatown should be considered as the most convenient and interesting place for people to visit and stop by, as there are many local markets providing special imported products, and restaurants offering a variety of traditional  food menus from many other countries to explore. Also, it is very close to the city’s downtown where many other indoor and outdoor events are held due to its location, and it is not too far to visit from surrounding areas.

Co Chin Saigon’s Spring Rolls

Co Chin Saigon will be offering the following specials during Chinatown Dining Week. They are valid for dine-in or pick-up:

• $20 Special: Pho, with Medium Rare Beef, Flank, and Meatball, and an Iced Vietnamese Coffee
• $10 Special: 5 Spring Rolls and 1 Pop
• Orders can be made via phone or in-person
  (780) 761-6311
  10632 100 Street
  Sunday 11am-6pm, Monday 11am-8pm, Tuesday-Wednesday 11am-6pm, Thursday-Saturday 11am-8pm

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next up is second-time participant Lee House. We sat down with Jayden Cho, Manager with the restaurant.

Why did you decide to open the restaurant?

When I was going to school here in Canada, I met many friends who came from Korea to study. What they missed the most from Korea was home-cooked food, so I used to invite them over to share my mom’s food. My mom is a great cook, and all my friends really loved her dishes. My family decided to open the restaurant to share my mom’s food with anyone who misses Korean home food, and with anyone who wants to try something new!

How long has the restaurant been open?

It’s been 9 years in Chinatown.

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant?

We are serving traditional Korean food, nothing fancy, but just like how Korean people would eat at home.

$20 Chinatown Dining Week special from Lee House

What makes your restaurant special?

It is a definition of a family-run small local business; we cook, we serve, and we run the place. My family put our love and passion in this place to create Korean home-style meals, just like how Korean mothers would prepare for their family at home. It is authentic and comforting.

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown?

Chinatown in located at heart of Edmonton’s downtown. It brought many cultures together, not only Chinese, but Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, etc. It also neighbors many other ethnic groups, such as Ethiopian, Greek, Italian, etc. Visiting Chinatown, not only you will be having authentic Chinese food, but you will be pleasantly surprised by the many other options that you could choose from.

Lee House will be offering the following $20 special during Chinatown Dining Week:

• Special: Spicy Wok-Tossed Seafood Noodle with 5 Deep Fried Dumplings
• Orders can be made via phone or in-person
  (780) 438-0790
  10704 97 Street
  Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next to be profiled: we sat down with Maya of Padmanadi, 10740 101 Street.

Tell us a bit more about the restaurant. 

We are a family owned, vegan restaurant. There has been a lot of demand for plant-based food, eating healthy, and eating something that’s different, and people are open-minded about the type of food that we are serving. Our dishes are more to share – we encourage family-style sharing. This way you get to try different dishes.

Padmanadi’s ginger beef Chinatown Dining Week special

How long has the restaurant been open? 

We have been around for 20 years. We used to be in Chinatown right on 97 Street. We outgrew ourselves more than 10 years ago. It used to be a 60-seat restaurant, and now we have grown to 160 seats.  We also opened a second location on the southside in 2019.

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant? 

We are Indonesian, and my mum is Chinese. The type of food we serve is what we eat back home, which is Indonesian-Chinese food. We are also Buddhist, so we don’t use any garlic or onions in our cooking. We don’t use any egg or dairy, and everything is completely plant-based.

Padmanadi’s Chinatown Dining Week special

What makes your restaurant special? 

When people think of vegan food, people think about raw, or salad-based foods. What we serve is more like vegan comfort-food – not mac and cheese type of comfort food, but with rice, curry, ginger sauce, and a bit of spice. We cater to various types of people [who love food]. We also have a lot of lactose-free customers who enjoy our food a lot.

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown? 

Small local grocery stores have started selling lots of products that cater to special needs such as halal food and other dietary restrictions.

Chinatown is a destination for everyone  – you can find good Chinese/Asian food in Chinatown and there are things that you will learn and experience differently in a smaller shop or restaurant.

Padmanadi will be offering the following $20 special during Chinatown Dining Week:

Special: Individually-Sized Meals with Spring Rolls, Jasmine Rice, and Chocolate Mousse Dessert; choose one of the following items: Curried Tofu Vegetables (tofu in our famous yellow curry sauce with a selection of seasonal vegetables – gluten-free), Padmanadi Vegetable Deluxe (Oriental vegetables and tofu stir-fry extravaganza – gluten-free), Ginger Beef (soy beef strips, sweet bell peppers and carrots in a tangy ginger sauce), Kung Pao Chicken (vegan chicken stir-fried with celery, bell peppers, carrots, and cashews), Curry Chicken (rich yellow coconut curry with veggie chicken and potatoes)

Orders can be made via phone or in-person
10740 101 Street
(780) 428-8899, press 1
Tuesday-Thursday 11am-2pm and 4-9pm, Friday-Sunday 11am-9pm, closed Mondays

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next, we interviewed Phong Luu, the owner of Kim Fat Market.

Tell us about your business.

When you walk into our market, you will not only find butchers offering you fresh custom cuts of meat (beef, pork, chicken, and lamb), but we also provide a great selection of live seafood, a well-stocked Asian market and fresh vegetables. We also offer a variety of delicious Chinese and Vietnamese food to-go. Some popular items being our hotpot kits, garlic fried chicken wings, lobster with noodles and cream sauce, and so much more. We can provide ready to go, tasty meals for you, your family, and friends.

How long have you been open?

This is our thirty-fourth year! We have been serving the Edmonton area since 1989.

Owner Phong Luu holds Kim Fat’s Chinatown Dining Week special

What makes your market special?

What makes our market special is that our team takes the time to understand what our customers want. Our staff can teach customers about the different cuts of meat to help better your meals.

Why should people shop in Chinatown?

Chinatown has always been known for its culturally rich markets, Asian bakeries, delicious dining spots and sweet shops. Our customers also enjoy the family dynamic as they become a member of our family the moment they walk through the front door.

Kim Fat Market’s $10 Chinatown Dining Week special

Kim Fat Market will be offering the following $10 special during Chinatown Dining Week. It is valid for pick-up only, Tuesdays to Sundays from 11:30am-5pm:

• $10 Special: Fried Chicken Skin, flavour options: Original (Garlic), Salt ‘n’ Pepper
  
  Text message orders only
  9905 107 Avenue
  Text (780) 982-8222
  Chinatown Dining Week special valid Tuesdays to Sundays from 11:30am-5pm, business open Monday-Sunday 9am-5:30pm

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 15 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 26 – February 5, 2023. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $20. Check out all of the menus here.

Next to be profiled: we sat down with Andy Chung of Tea Bar Cafe, 10640 98 Street.

Why did you decide to open the restaurant?

When I first opened the restaurant, there was no bubble tea place in Edmonton. People had to go to Vancouver if they wanted to have bubble tea. Most people didn’t even know what bubble tea was. I chose to name the place Tea Bar Café because I wanted it to be easily recognizable. People know for sure that they can get tea here and I added “bar” because we also have a liquor licence; at night it is a lounge where people can come for drinks, order snacks and even sing karaoke.

How long has the restaurant been open?

22 years.

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant?

I serve mainly bubble tea, and snack bar food. It is casual dining.

Tea Bar Cafe’s $10 Chinatown Dining Week special

What makes your restaurant special?

Tea bar Café is the OG bubble tea place in Edmonton. I have been open since 2000 thus, it is the first and longest running bubble tea place in Edmonton. We offer a diverse drink menu accompanied with over 30 food items.

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown?

Chinatown offers something that is different to other areas of the city, which makes it unique. There is a lot to try and explore in Edmonton’s Chinatown.

Tea Bar Cafe will be offering the following $10 special during Chinatown Dining Week:

Special: 1 Original Egg Waffle and 1 Bubble Tea

Orders can be made via phone or in-person
10640 98 Street
(780)424-0696
Monday-Sunday 11:00am-12am

Chinatown Dining Week will be returning for a sixth year!

• What: Chinatown Dining Week
• When: January 26 – February 5, 2023
• Where: Businesses in Edmonton’s Chinatown

There is no question that the last year has been especially challenging for the businesses in Chinatown. Many establishments had barely recovered from the pandemic when the tragic events in May refocused attention on issues of safety and security in the area. As a result, restaurants and other establishments still haven’t seen a return to foot traffic required for a thriving neighbourhood.

The mission of Chinatown Dining Week remains more relevant than ever: highlighting culinary gems in an overlooked part of the city, especially at a time when they could use more support.

This year, 15 businesses spanning both Chinatown North and South have returned. Participants have put together special menus for $10 or $20 that will be offered from January 26 – February 5, 2023 for in-person dining and/or take-out.

• 97 Hot Pot, 10602 97 Street
• All Happy Family, 10013 106 Avenue
• Asian Express Hot Pot, 10586 100 Street
• China Marble Restaurant, 10566 97 Street
• Co Chin Saigon, 10632 100 Street
• Hong Kong Bakery, 10649 97 Street
• Kim Fat Market, 9905 107 Avenue
• King Noodle House Pho Hoang, 10613 97 Street
• Lee House Korean Restaurant, 10704 97 Street
• Liuyishou Hot Pot, #168, 9700 105 Avenue (Pacific Rim Mall)
• Padmanadi, 10740 101 Street
• Shan Shan Bakery, 10552 97 Street
• Spirit Bistro, 10824 97 Street, Unit #3
• Tea Bar Cafe, 10640 98 Street
• The Moth Cafe, 9449 Jasper Avenue

Menus will be released at edmontonchinatown.ca on January 13, 2023 – check back then for more details!

Chinatown Dining Week is now underway, and runs from January 13-23, 2022! Click here for the menus.

We’ve also received some great coverage for the event so far! Check out the stories below to learn more about Chinatown Dining Week:

From Taproot Edmonton: Chinatown Dining Week set to return with more restaurants than ever

From CBC Radioactive: Taste the world this week at Chinatown Dining Week

From The Edmonton Journal: All of the flavours of Asia with Chinatown Dining Week

From Linda Hoang: Lindork’s List #99 – Chinatown Dining Week, Deep Freeze Festival, west end poke and more!

From Global Edmonton: 2022 Edmonton Chinatown Dining Week has some restaurant owners optimistic of boost in business

From Global Edmonton: Edmonton restaurants hoping Chinatown Dining Week will bring in foodies

From Global Edmonton: Chinatown Dining Week showcases more businesses than ever

From Lindork Does Life: Ep. 18 – Edmonton Chinatown Dining Week

Until the start of Chinatown Dining Week, we’ll be featuring each of the 18 businesses who are participating in this year’s event, running January 13-23, 2022. All businesses are offering special deals during this period for $10 and/or $18. Check out all of the menus here.

Last but not least, we sat down with Lao Jian, the owner of China Marble Restaurant. It is the restaurant’s first year participating in Chinatown Dining Week.

Why did you decide to open the restaurant?

Our family had a wonton restaurant in Hong Kong, and our dishes were very popular in our neighbourhood. We thought it would be a good idea to try it here in Edmonton and see if Edmonton locals would like it as well.

How long has the restaurant been open?

We had 2 restaurants in the south of Edmonton, and the first location was open in 2004. Both locations were closed in 2017, but our friends and previous customers kept telling us how much they missed the food. We were really grateful for the support from them and decided to start looking for a new location. In 2020, this location (previously Pagolac Restaurant) in Chinatown became available for us. We really liked how there are lots of Chinese businesses in the area, and the location came with some customer parking spots at the back – and here we are!

What is the style of cuisine served at the restaurant?

What we have on our menu are mostly Cantonese dishes made with traditional home recipes. Our signature dish would be the Bao Yu Wonton Soup, which is named after my lovely wife. Our Cantonese style stir-fried dishes are also very popular, and we have a Dim Sum menu as well! 

What makes your restaurant special?

We make cooking sauces in house to ensure they taste authentic and great! 

I’d like to also mention that our restaurant location is where one of the very first Chinese banquet restaurants was located. We even have a display in the restaurant that shows you the very original menu from the 1930’s. 

Why do you think people should dine in Chinatown?

There are lots of great options of Chinese food and cuisines from many different ethnic cultures. It definitely brings you an international food experience!

What have you changed about your business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Of course we have to make sure all the health and safety protocols are strictly followed, such as masks, proper and frequent sanitization, checking vaccination proof and ID, etc. We have our own laundry room in the basement, and all the tablecloths are changed, washed, and dried after each table is finished. 

How has your business been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Business has definitely gone down compared to what we used to have in the southside locations. Much less dine-in customers, and most orders are for take-out.

China Marble Restaurant will be offering the following $19 and $18 specials during Chinatown Dining Week. They are valid for pick-up or dine-in:

$18 Special: Shanghai Noodles or Beef Chow Fan (flat noodles) with Soup of the Day

$10 Special: Shanghai Noodles or Beef Chow Fan (flat noodles)

Orders can be made via phone or in-person
(780) 760-2808
10566 97 Street
Wednesday-Monday 10am-10pm, closed Tuesday