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! 

It' Dog

The newest eatery in town? It' Dog! A Korean fusion joint specializing in gourmet hot dogs and fried chicken, It' Dog is located on 109th Street right beside Remedy Cafe and Movie Studio. I first heard about this place on Instagram and Twitter, when a few people posted pictures saying they had just opened on January 6th. Unsurprisingly, I took a visit here the next day with CJ. I guess you could say I like to stay on top of my #yegfood adventures, lol! 

The interior.

CJ and I left for It' Dog right after school. I really like how close this place is to the University Campus, so it's perfect to go to for lunch or for a bite during breaks in between classes. We were the only people there when we arrived, so we had a lot of time to take in the menu and the interior! 

The menu.

The menu at It' Dog is simple and quite easy to read. Their food includes hot dogs, fried chicken, and poutine, along with drinks such as pop, juice, or beer. It's clear that the hot dogs are the main focus of this eatery, considering that it takes up an entire board! There are definitely a lot of options... kimchi, bulgogi, and truffle mac and cheese were just a few of the hot dogs that intrigued me the most! 

Our hot dogs.

The hot dogs here are loaded with toppings! It was so fun to take pictures of them because CJ and I had never eaten hot dogs like this before. Not to mention that the colours of our food was so vibrant and pretty. Our hot dogs came out a bit slower than was expected, but it was probably because there were suddenly more and more people pouring into the eatery. We were both happy to have beaten the lunch rush. 

Crispy Chicken Dog.

I finally decided on the Crispy Chicken Dog ($7.50) for my hot dog. I wanted to try both the hot dog and the crispy chicken, and since this option incorporated both I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. The grilled beef sausage is also topped with lettuce, spicy mayo, and onion. At first, I was quite overwhelmed by how big this hot dog was (from my viewpoint, at least). How was I supposed to eat this and not cause everything to spill out! I ended up just cutting up the hot dog into pieces with a knife and fork. Yes I know, not fun at all. In terms of taste, I found the sausage to be bland and nothing special. Tasteless, almost. While the pretzel bun added a unique touch, I thought it was a bit dry and difficult to chew on. The spicy mayo had a subtle yet enjoyable heat - more sauce, please! The crispy chicken topping was the best part. So good and crunchy! Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) done right. 

It' Hot Dog.

CJ's pick was the It' Hot Dog ($10). This hot dog is topped with bulgogi, tempura shrimp, mushroom, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese, green onion, and sweet wasabi mayo. This one was the most expensive hot dog option. During our trip here, I asked CJ to write a review of his food for me instead of me just asking him what he thought. He definitely had a lot to say: "The individual hot dog tastes like one that comes out of the can from the Dollar Store. I didn't like the mushy texture of it. The pretzel bun didn't work because it just absorbed too much. I felt my throat becoming drier while eating it. Everything else tastes like how you would expect it to. Overall, meh experience. 5/10 because it was $10 for a hot dog - a little bit too pricey for what it tastes like to me. However, this all may be due to me being sick and all my taste buds aren't here. It was hard for me to eat the hot dog when I would usually just scarf it down." 

Nomz.

The verdict on It' Dog? The food we got was just okay, but there is certainly some room for improvement! I think the combination of the toppings are what makes the hot dogs special, but the actual sausage and bun could use some work. I would come back here for the fried chicken for sure - it was awesome and even comparable to Coco's Deep Fried Chicken! It' Dog also offers sweet & spicy, sweet mustard, and soy garlic chicken for the fried chicken lovers out there. The pricing of the food is inexpensive overall, which is a plus for us university students haha. I personally think the convenient location and close proximity to the University make It' Dog a great place to go to for an after school lunch with friends. They are also open until 3:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays for any night owls. Give it a try!

Coco Deep Fried Chicken

Hey everyone! I'm excited to say that this is the last food adventure I went on before Taste of Edmonton. That means my blog posts will finally be in order after this (at least I will try to keep it that way). Just two days after mine and CJ's monthsary date at Nineteen, my friends and I ended up planning an afternoon playing golf. We went to Bogey Busters Driving Range which is located in South Edmonton on Ellerslie Road. This actually wasn't our first option... we were considering several other golf courses. But after some research, I soon found out that these other golf courses followed a particular dress code... and I did not own any proper golf attire! I'm not the most athletic person... I only own the most basic sweats and running shoes. With that being said, Bogey Busters was the best option (for me, at least. All my friends had actual golf clothes). No one would care what you wear, and the pricing for the baskets would most likely be not as expensive as other golf courses. 

Alright, here's a summary of my day at the driving range. I paid $12 for a large basket of golf balls, and my friend Jeline let me borrow her golf clubs. Of course, being the noob that I am at sports, I could barely hit the ball. I didn't even know how to properly stand and hit the ball in the first place actually. Good thing I had my friends and CJ to teach me how. I was very happy whenever I did hit the ball and watched it fly off (even though it didn't go that far). I guess all it takes is lots and lots of practice. If you're hanging out with your friends and don't know what to do, I would suggest going to the driving range! This was definitely something out of the box for my group of friends, considering we usually like to go to the movies or shopping for our hangouts. The only thing to note is that you'd have to bring your own golf clubs to use. 

After the eventful afternoon at the driving range, the first thing on my mind was obviously food!!! Standing outside in the heat of the afternoon sun, of course I would get hungry. CJ, June, and myself headed over to a place that I've been wanting to go to for awhile now: Coco Deep Fried Chicken (www.facebook.com/pages/Coco-Deep-Fried-Chicken)! This is a Korean restaurant located in a strip mall on the intersection of 34 Ave and Parsons Road. Considering I live in the south side, this restaurant was very easy to get to for me as I've passed by it many times before! There is also plenty of parking available as well. 

The interior.

Walking in, I was actually expecting to see a more formal restaurant set up... a hostess to seat you at a table, servers, individual menus. I'm not sure why I was thinking that in the first place, because I soon found out I was wrong. Coco Deep Fried Chicken is a casual restaurant where you order at the front counter then choose to dine in or take out. Good thing there were just a few empty tables left for my friends and I to sit at! 

Special Set 1.

We decided to share an order of Special Set 1 ($29.99). This comes with 10 pieces of half and half chicken - specifically, crispy chicken and sweet & hot sauce chicken. It is also served with a side of pickled daikon. Lastly, you can choose any 2 drinks or beer bottles. I loved how large each piece of chicken was... perfect for sharing with two other people! 

Crispy Chicken.

I went for the crispy chicken first. Wow! The exterior was nice and crispy, and the chicken itself was beautifully moist and tender. So delicious, and very addicting. 

Sweet & Hot Sauce Chicken.

Next I tried the sweet & hot sauce chicken. This is a traditional Korean sauce - my first time trying it! I loved the sweeter notes in the sauce, and the heat definitely came through with each successive bite. The heat even had CJ in sniffles. Like the crispy chicken, the meat for the sweet & hot sauce chicken was just as juicy. Considering the addition of the sauce, I would say this chicken would be the more flavourful option between the two. Just a warning: eating this chicken gets pretty messy! CJ and I had to use several paper napkins to clean up the mess on our fingers and faces. Hahaha. 

As for the side dish: I don't think I've ever tried daikon before, so I was a bit hesitant to eat it at first. June convinced me to give it a taste... and I'm glad I did. For those who are unfamiliar with it like myself, daikon is a winter radish native to east and south-east Asia. I really enjoyed the mild flavour and the crunchiness of it. I thought it made for the perfect palate cleanser. 

I highly recommend checking out Coco Deep Fried Chicken if you're ever looking for some delicious and flavourful fried chicken lunch or dinner! They claim to serve the "Best Deep Fried Chicken in Town", but until I've tried all of Edmonton's fried chicken eateries, I can't make that call yet! While they specialize in chicken, they do offer some sides which include fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, caesar salad, rice, kimchi, coleslaw, potato salad, and finally the daikon I mentioned earlier. I'm looking forward to coming back here for some more KFC - Korean Fried Chicken!