Edmonton Chinatown Dining Week has returned for its fourth—and possibly most important year amidst the global pandemic—with 10 restaurants and bakeries in Chinatown offering tasty $10 or $18 take-out deals to entice new and old customers during a particularly tough time be a small business owner.
My parents’ Vietnamese restaurant, King Noodle House Pho Hoang, is among the Chinatown Dining Week participants. Since the pandemic began, they’ve seen a 70% drop in business compared to pre-pandemic times. It can’t be understated how challenging this year has been for them, the toughest in their 22-year history. Sadly their story is not unique, which is why this Chinatown Dining Week is so important!
This week, I encourage you to place take-out orders at Chinatown Dining Week restaurants and bakeries—and Chinatown eateries that aren’t participating too. It’s never a bad time to remind the community to support local businesses if and in whatever way you’re able to.
You know I’m a big fan of concentrated efforts aligned with particular initiatives that can help rally that support, so big kudos to the Chinatown Dining Week organizing team including Sharon Yeo (of Only Here For The Food blog) and Freya Fu (who used to put on the YEG Chinatown Food Crawls). Can you support Chinatown businesses at anytime of year? Yes and you should. But is it more fun to support them and be part of an initiative like Chinatown Dining Week? Yes. lol.
The 2021 Chinatown Dining Week runs Jan. 14-24, 2021.
Participating restaurants and bakeries are:
- King Noodle House Pho Hoang
- Kim Fat Market
- Liuyishou Hot Pot
- Macarons & Goodies
- Namaste India
- Padmanadi
- Syphay
- Hong Kong Bakery
- Tea Bar Cafe
- Kanto 98 St. Eatery (temporarily closed)
You can view the full Chinatown Dining Week menu offerings here
For Chinatown Dining Week, my parent’s restaurant King Noodle House Pho Hoang (10613 97 St.) is offering your choice of a ‘Combo A’ or ‘Combo B’ $18 deal: Combo A includes a large bowl of pho of your choice + a spring rolls and grilled pork balls appetizer tray. COMBO B includes a large bowl of pho of your choice + a Vietnamese condensed milk iced coffee + two spring rolls.
For opening weekend, I also picked up the $10 Chinatown Dining Week deal from Tea Bar Cafe (10640 98 St.)—a fresh bubble tea (I chose passionfruit with lychee and tapioca pearls) plus their original egg waffle (so good!)
Tea Bar Cafe is the “OG bubble tea place in Edmonton.” They’ve been serving up bubble tea here since 2000, and say they were therefore the first and longest-running bubble tea place in the city, offering a diverse drink menu accompanied with over 30 food items. Learn more about them here.
I also stopped by Macarons & Goodies (10548 101 St.), a French bakery, for their Chinatown Dining Week deal of six macarons (various flavours) for $10 as well as two 5″ pies (I chose pear cinnamon and red fruit) for $10. They are also doing an $18 deal for one large 10″ pie. I had never been in this bakery before and was delighted to see how CUTE it was! Cozy. Fancy European-style couches. A lovely spot to sit and drink coffee and have pastries during pre-pandemic times, I imagine. Learn more about them here.
Then Mike’s pick for Chinatown Dining Week was Namaste India‘s (10023 107 Ave.) delicious $18 deal of butter chicken with rice and naan! We had tried Namaste India during a previous Chinatown Dining Week (back when dine-in and buffets were allowed), and really enjoyed the meal. After Mike came back from picking up his food this year, he said “it smelled SO good in there, I had to tell them too.” He devoured that meal!
I love what Chinatown Dining Week is trying to do for restaurants and bakeries in the area. It certainly brings attention to spots that maybe typically don’t (and certainly spots that historically have not had much of an online presence). It encourages you to discover new favourites or support old favourites you maybe haven’t had in awhile. It also does a great job of showing just how diverse the restaurants in Chinatown are! You’ve got Chinese restaurants and markets, Taiwanese bubble tea, Thai, Indian, French cuisine and more.
So for your tasty take-out decisions this week, please consider supporting Chinatown restaurants during this particularly tough time.
You don’t even have to order at my parents’ restaurant, any one will do ;)
You are absolutely welcome to copy my preferred style of picking up multiple dishes at multiple spots (make it your own little take-out Chinatown Dining Week food crawl!)
If you do pick up food for Chinatown Dining Week, be share to share it with the hashtag #EatYEGChinatown and tag @EatYEGChinatown too. I know organizers would love to share your photos and spread the love!
And after the week is officially over (Sunday, Jan. 24 is the final day for the 2021 Chinatown Dining Week), please still keep Chinatown in mind for your future take-out decisions too.
Linda
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