Stories Behind the Chopsticks Inaugural YEG Food Crawl - May 30, 2015 Part Two

This blog post is Part Two of my recap of the Chinatown YEG Food Crawl. Don't forget to read Part One of my recap by clicking here if you haven't already!

After our meal at Zen Sushi, we headed over to our next stop of the food crawl... Golden Szechuan Restaurant (10508 101 Street)! This restaurant was next just door to Zen Sushi, making for a super short walk.

Our table.

I've never had Szechuan cuisine before, so I thought I'd do a little research. Szechuan, or Sichuan, is a province located in southwest China. Cuisine in this region is characterized by its bold, spicy flavours. One of the signature ingredients used is the Szechuan peppercorn, a fragrant and numbing spice with slightly citrus overtones. Other common ingredients include ginger, spicy herbs, and chilis which were introduced later on in China's history from South America. Typical preparation techniques include stir frying, steaming, and braising. 

Our plate of food!

Shredded pork with Szechuan sauce.

Sliced beef tendon dipped in spicy sauce.

Boiled sliced fish in hot sauce.

Each participant of the food crawl was given their own plate featuring smaller versions of food served at Golden Szechuan. We were served these dishes very quickly (just a few minutes after we sat down), so everyone got to dig in right away. Yay for speedy service! Freya went around to each table to explain what was on our plate and that the level of spiciness in the food was toned down to be more mild and enjoyable for us. I started with the shredded pork with Szechuan sauce, which was mildly spicy and had a distinct sweetness to it. The thinly sliced beef tendon was tender and the sauce it was dipped in was bold and a bit spicier compared to the pork. Last but not least... the boiled sliced fish in hot sauce. I hadn't even gotten to this part of the meal yet when CJ started coughing beside me, reaching for his glass of water while commenting how the fish was so spicy. Thanks for making me scared to try the fish lol! Eventually, I was brave enough to try it... the fish itself was soft and the sauce was indeed hot and spicy, perhaps even a little numbing but still delicious. Later on, a server went to our table and told us that the type of food served at Golden Szechuan is traditional with authentic Szechuan flavours. I really enjoyed everything on my plate because each food item had its own complexity and level of fieriness. 

I also got a chance to meet and chat with Sharon Yeo, the blogger behind one of my favourite Edmonton-based food blogs titled Only Here for the Food. Sharon was helping co-guide the tour with Freya during Saturday's food crawl. It was so nice to meet you! 

Now onto our next destination! There was initially going to be only 4 stops on the food crawl, but one more stop was added in between Golden Szechuan and our last location of the day. Our group walked over to Ruby's Bakery (10642 98 Street), which was approximately 5 minutes away from Golden Szechuan Restaurant.

Ruby's Bakery.

The inside of Ruby's Bakery.

Ruby (left) sharing her story about her bakery with Freya (right).

Stepping inside Ruby's Bakery, we were greeted by a warm, sweet smell of baked goods. Our large group managed to squeeze inside to listen to Ruby's story about her bakery. Ruby's Bakery has been in Chinatown since 2011, but she previously had a location in West Edmonton Mall. Ruby specializes in Hong Kong style birthday cakes and wedding cakes but also sells buns, cookies, tarts, and more! Custom cake orders usually take her 1-2 days to complete. We also got to see a few pictures of cakes she's made in the past, including a cake with a peach design on it. We were told that in some Asian cultures, peach-shaped cakes or cakes with a peach decoration are given to seniors on their birthday because the fruit symbolizes longevity and good life. Neat! 

Our box of treats from Ruby's Bakery.

Coconut tart.

Tulip cake.

Shortly after, each of us were given a box from Ruby containing two desserts: a coconut tart and a tulip cake. I reached for the coconut tart first, which was a nice golden brown on top and a warm yellow colour inside. I don't really go for tarts whenever I want a sweet treat, but my first bite into this tart was amazing! Each bite was soft, fluffy, and a little crumbly. Not too sweet at all. I'm already craving more of this buttery pastry as I write this! Afterwards I tried the tulip cake. This cake was light and airy with a sponge-like texture. Also super tasty! This treat didn't taste too sweet or sugary either, so I wouldn't feel guilty eating tons of it all day along with the coconut tart. I would definitely return to Ruby's Bakery for more of these desserts! 

Finally, our fifth and final stop of the Chinatown YEG Food Crawl: Tea Bar Cafe (10640 98 Street)! Located right next door to Ruby's Bakery, our group headed here for bubble tea to conclude the crawl. 

Tea Bar Cafe.

Freya concluding the YEG Food Crawl.

Taro and Mango Bubble Tea.

While we were still in Golden Szechuan Restaurant, Freya wrote down what bubble tea drink each person wanted so that the drinks would be ready by the time we arrived at Tea Bar Cafe. Everyone headed towards the back of the cafe to sit down and talk with other food enthusiasts, all while sipping on our bubble tea. I went with taro, while CJ went with mango. The drink was nice and cold and tasted exactly like how it should be. The crawl was finished around 4:30 PM, just half an hour past the scheduled 4:00 PM ending time. Before everyone went their separate ways, we all completed a feedback survey of our experience of the crawl.

Personally, I thought the Chinatown YEG Food Crawl was a wonderful learning opportunity for me: I got to learn more about the neighbourhood and try new cuisine that I probably would not have considered trying on my own time. I also want to try more food places in Chinatown now, a neighbourhood that previously I would not even consider travelling to. One of the best parts of the food crawl was that at each restaurant we visited, CJ and I sat with different people every time. Both CJ and I are usually kept to ourselves when we're around people we don't know well, but it was easy to chat with other people at this event because of a common love for delicious food. Also, when you're with other food lovers, everyone just seems to understand the idea of taking pictures of your food before eating it. To all the food lovers who sat beside or across from CJ and I, thanks for making our food crawl experience more enjoyable!

Hand print wall at Tea Bar Cafe featuring Marshmallow.

For $35 per person, I would say this event was totally worth it. We got to try so much food - way more than I had expected! Gratuities were not included in the cost but luckily I brought some cash with me to tip the servers for all their hard work. I would love to visit the restaurants and food businesses from the crawl sometime in the future. Lots of good conversation was made during the event as well. I'm looking forward to future YEG Food Crawls... I wonder which neighbourhood will be next? Be sure to check out the YEG Food Crawl Facebook page and follow on Twitter (@YegFoodCrawl) and Instagram (@yegfoodcrawl)! P.S. Don't forget to click on the photos if you want to view it as a larger image.

Stories Behind the Chopsticks Inaugural YEG Food Crawl - May 30, 2015 Part One

Last month, while browsing through social media, I learned about an upcoming food crawl event in Chinatown. I've heard about pub crawls, which involves a group of people drinking in multiple pubs or bars in a single night, often travelling either by foot or bus. I've never participated in a pub crawl, but I would totally choose a food crawl over it! The first tour of the Stories Behind the Chopsticks YEG Food Crawl event took place yesterday, the last Saturday of May. The second tour of the event happened just this afternoon! 

Chinatown YEG Food Crawl.

The inaugural YEG Food Crawl event, presented by McCauley Revitalization, aims to provide exposure to the restaurants in the neighbourhood while showcasing Chinatown as a safe area in an effort to challenge its negative stereotypes. Specifically, the event is a 3 hour long staggered eating process where participants eat pre-determined meals at 4 restaurants or food businesses in Chinatown for about 30 to 45 minutes at each location. The cost per person was $35. You don't find out which restaurants you're going to or what food you're going to eat until a few days before the event, which makes for a nice surprise. 

I don't really find myself heading to Chinatown for food, mostly because it always seemed hard to get to since I usually travel by bus or LRT whenever my destination is in Downtown. Yesterday, however, I learned that it's actually quite easy to get to the neighbourhood by bus if you're travelling from south of the river. This was great news for me because now I have more food places to choose from! CJ and I headed over to the first stop of the food crawl... Lee House (10704 97 Street)! 

The interior of Lee House.

Our table.

A few months ago, Lee House opened a new location on 97 Street in Chinatown, right across from Lucky 97 Supermarket. Lee House has always been a place I wanted to try, and since being voted the best Korean restaurant of 2015 in Edmonton by Avenue Edmonton magazine, the need to visit was reinforced even more. That's why I was so excited to find out that Lee House was one of the stops on Saturday's food crawl!

Before we started eating, Freya Fu - the coordinator of this event - gave an introduction about Chinatown and its history. In the 1960's and 70's, many people from China and other south east Asian countries came to Edmonton to study at the University of Alberta. Eventually, they chose to reside in the Chinatown area and opened up businesses there. A few years later, the Canadian government began to accept more refugees from Asian countries which helped to increase the diversity and population of Edmonton's Chinatown. Today, you'll find that Chinatown is made up of two areas: 97 Street, which is the business and retail zone, and 102 A Avenue, where the multicultural centre is found and where many societies, organizations, and associations have their head offices.

Left to right: Kimchi, Daikon Squares, and Mung Bean Sprout Sesame Salad.

Beef Bulgogi.

Chicken Balls.

Sweet Potato Sticky Noodles.

We got to try a lot of dishes at Lee House, including their Beef Bulgogi, famous Chicken Balls, and Sweet Potato Sticky Noodles. Kimchi, daikon squares, rice, and a mung bean sprout sesame salad were also served to accompany our meal. Phil, one of the owners of the restaurant, explained that Korean food is one of the healthiest out of all Asian cuisine since no MSG is added and very little oil is used. Everything tasted amazing! My favourite dish was the Sweet Potato Sticky Noodles, or Jab Chae Bokeum. I loved the chewy noodles with the sweet soy mushroom sauce - it was delicious and something new and different for me. The chicken balls were also great and not too greasy, although I felt the exterior was a little tough to chew. Finally, the beef bulgogi was one of the best I've tried in the city! So flavourful.

Phil and Mrs. Lee sharing their story about Lee House.

When we were about half way done with our food, Mrs. Lee and her son Phil shared their story behind Lee House and the food they create and serve. Phil shared that every morning, before Lee House opens, Mrs. Lee can be found shopping at Lucky 97 Supermarket across the street to buy everything she needs to create the food served at her restaurant. Additionally, some of the ingredients used are shipped directly by relatives from their home town in Korea, resulting in distinct flavours that you won't find at any other Korean restaurant in Edmonton. Such a lovely story! I think it is amazing how Mrs. Lee creates everything herself - definitely something to be proud of!

After 45 minutes of eating (beginning at 1:00 PM) at Lee House, we headed outside where we learned about the statue situated in front of Lucky 97 Supermarket. I really liked how along with stories about the restaurants we visited and the food we ate, we were also able to learn about a landmark in Chinatown. Afterwards, our group of about 25 food lovers headed to our next destination: Zen Sushi (10518 101 Street)! Located on 101 Street, it was about a 5 minute walk from Lee House.

The interior of Zen Sushi.

Our table.

Shortly after being seated, each table got a piece of paper where we had to select the food items we wanted from 5 courses: sushi, maki, salad, tempura, and a main dish. It was a little confusing at first, but with help from other people we were able to figure out how to order! 

Miso Soup.

Teriyaki Chicken.

Shrimp Tempura.

Crab Stick Sushi, Salmon Sushi, and Avocado Sushi.

To kick off our meal, we were given a bowl of miso soup - always a great way to start in my opinion. Next to arrive was our teriyaki chicken and CJ's teriyaki beef (not pictured). The tender and flavourful teriyaki chicken was a hit at our table... in fact, CJ wished he had ordered the chicken instead of the beef! CJ and I, along with the two lovely ladies sitting across from us, also really liked the shrimp tempura which we found was lightly crispy and delicious. Each one of us also got to choose our own sushi, with avocado sushi being my pick. These sushi pieces looked so cute! My sushi was a nice bite because of the perfect creaminess of the avocado. 

Top (L to R): California Maki and Spicy Tuna Maki.
Bottom (L to R): Spicy Salmon Maki and Avocado Maki.

Top (L to R): Bean Sprout Salad and Green Salad.
Bottom (L to R): Edamame and Sunomono Salad.

So. Much. Food!!! When we were given our maki and salads, we already had quite a stack of small plates at our table. I ordered the spicy tuna maki, but it wasn't my favourite. The texture of the tuna seemed a little weird and mushy to me, so I gave my remaining pieces to CJ who didn't seem to mind. For the salad course, I went with their bean sprout salad. This salad was very refreshing and made for a nice palate cleanser. I also got to try edamame for the first time! I had no idea how to eat the edamame until a lady sitting at the table beside us explained how: don't eat the pod, just eat the beans inside which easily pop out *cue my brief moment of fascination*. The edamame pod was lightly salted, and the beans were soft and something I wouldn't mind eating for a snack. 

My dining experience at Zen Sushi was great overall, although it was a little uncoordinated. Some food items were delayed at arriving to their respective tables, but I would say it was forgiveable and not a huge issue since we were such a large group.

Henry Ma sharing his story about Zen Sushi.

Just a few minutes before it was time to leave, Henry Ma - the owner of Zen Sushi - shared his story about the restaurant. Zen Sushi has been open since 2006, and just last year Henry became the new manager of the restaurant that he actually named. He shares that because he grew up playing in the Chinatown area, he has always felt it to be a safe neighbourhood. Edmontonians often drive right past Chinatown, unaware of all the food businesses in the area. He comments that initiatives like the Chinatown YEG Food Crawl are a great way to try different specialty food items offered by the local restaurants. 

Please click here to read Part Two of my recap of the Chinatown YEG Food Crawl!