Lindork’s Lists #253 – FREE Lunar New Year Festivals, 90s Dance Party, Weird Beers & MORE!

Last chance to take in Chinatown Dining Week!

• The 8th annual Chinatown Dining Week runs until Jan. 26 with 27 participating restaurants offering $10 or $20 food specials!

• Although I haven’t been yet, someone was raving to me about their experience at One01 Bistro Chinese restaurant. Their $20 Menu is: Dim Sum Basket (includes: 2pcs Shrimp Dumpling, 3pcs Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai, 1pc Sticky Rice, 2pcs Beef Ball), Wonton Soup Noodle, and Chinese Tea. Their $10 Menu is either Option 1: Hong Kong French Toast with Hong Kong Milk Tea or Hong Kong Lemon Tea (Hot or Iced), or Option 2: Golden Tofu with Hong Kong Milk Tea or Hong Kong Lemon Tea (Hot or Iced).

• See all Chinatown Dining Week restaurants + menus.

• Also worth noting that 16 of the 27 Chinatown Dining Week restaurants are participating in my Chinatown Chow Down initiative! You can get a bonus event sticker plus the restaurant sticker if you’re taking part in the Chinatown Chow Down Challenge.

Grab a quick downtown lunch from Buok Fresh Korean Kitchen (10707 100 Ave.)

• I caught up with an old friend at Buok Fresh Korean Kitchen in downtown Edmonton and had a great meal. I had never tried the Ginseng Chicken Soup before and it was really lovely, I described it as tasting like healing comfort lol! They do offer other dine-in Korean soup specials (I’m a Korean soup gal lol) I need to go back for but this Ginseng Chicken soup was such a star.

Check out funky craft beer creations for Wyrdstock 2025 (various locations)

• 19 Edmonton-area craft breweries have come up with some weird concoctions on tap for an event called Wyrdstock 2025, what’s described as a ‘city-wide scavenger hunt for beer geeks.’ You can get stamps at various locations when you try the odd brews to win a commemorative pint glass. What a fun way to taste your way around the city! Sherbrooke Liquor even has a bubble tea-inspired brew.

Pick up some mac and cheese pizza from LOVEPIZZA (various locations)

• LOVEPIZZA’s beloved ‘Mac and Cheeza’ has returned to the menu. This mac and cheese pizza is a popular one and only available for a limited time each year at all five Edmonton area locations.

Try the Pasticcio from Tasty Tomato (14233 Stony Plain Rd.)

• Alex, my new intern, had this “secret” menu food recommendation for you when you visit Tasty Tomato Italian restaurant in the west end. As a note, a lot of restaurants on Stony Plain Road have had a really tough time due to LRT construction so supporting eateries in this area would be meaningful!

  • “There’s this dish called the Pasticcio, a pasta in a tomato cream sauce baked with a layer of cheese on top. What I love about this dish is that there’s multiple different pasta shapes in it! Rotelle, fusilli, mezzi rigatoni and creste di gallo. This dish used to be part of their lunch menu back when they were open for lunch so even though it is not an official item listed on their current menu, you can still ask for it and they will happily make it for you, kind of like a secret menu item!”

And here are some upcoming food events you may be interested in!

• The Renaissance Hotel’s 3rd Annual A Heavenly Gin Festival takes place this Saturday, Jan. (Gin) 25.

• Bibo in Old Strathcona is doing a Sake and Cheese Pairing Event on Saturday, Jan. 25.

• Carol’s Sweets is hosting a farewell party (and sweets or chocolate sale) on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Glenora Community League.

• Labo Coffee is hosting a Coffee Tasting on Feb. 9.

• Meuwly’s has a few events coming up in February including Valentine’s Dinner for Two (Cooking Demo & Tasting) Feb. 9, Charcuterie & Wine Tasting Feb. 13, and Charcuterie & Craft Beer Tasting Feb. 22.

• Le Petit Chef a 3D immersive dinner theatre with the “world’s smallest chef” is on at the JW Marriott with dates listed until April 2025.

• Seven Paintings, an interactive dinner show that combines art + technology (like super elevated Paint Night!) is on at the Renaissance Hotel with dates listed until May 2025.