Chinatown a feast for the senses

[IanO]

Chinatown a feast for the senses
And it isn't only Chinese: think of it as Asiatown
Scott McKeen, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Friday, May 25, 2007

Every Friday until July 9, lifelong Edmontonian Scott McKeen will introduce you to his personal haunts, hangouts and hidden gems.

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Chinatown is one of my favourite places because it is an adventure of exotic sights, tastes and experiences.
The streets and shops of Chinatown are colourful and offer a new adventure around every corner.View Larger Image View Larger Image
The streets and shops of Chinatown are colourful and offer a new adventure around every corner.
Bruce Edwards, The Journal
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Some people avoid Chinatown because they don't feel safe. It's too close to the mean streets, they think. Nonsense. I've been taking my kids to Chinatown for years, without incident.

Others skip Chinatown because of cultural differences. It might be awkward, they think.

Don't you see? We've all been corporatized, advertised and sanitized into thinking we prefer the bland uniformity of a mall, big-box store or chain restaurant.

Chinatown is an antidote to the same-old-same-old. It's like a Chinese menu, with hundreds of things to try. I haven't explored half of it yet.

The term Chinatown is a bit of a misnomer, by the way. The shops and restaurants in our Chinatown feature food, goods and culture from all over Asia.

The Tea Bar Cafe, 10640 98th St., is a good example. Its specialty, sago, originated in Taiwan, then swept Hong Kong before coming to North America.

Never tried sago drinks? I like them because they're fun, delicious and take you out of your culinary comfort zone.

Sago balls, made from the pith of tropical palm trees, are flavourless, but add a gummy-bear-like chewing experience to these cold, sweet drinks.

I've seen people panic at the experience of these fish-eyeball-like orbs of sago zipping up the thick straw and into their mouths.

The proprietor of the Tea Bar Cafe, Andy Chung, makes about 100 different sago drinks, as slushes, teas, or frothy "bubble milk."

Just a few doors north is the Van Loc submarine shop, at 10648 98th St.

For under $4 you can get a fresh, tasty Viet' sandwich. I usually order the No. 8, with barbecue ham sausage, cucumber, shredded carrot, cilantro and a sprinkling of peanuts.

All this on a light, crispy baguette, for $3.50. Yes, the Vietnamese gained something from French colonial rule -- the secrets of a fine baguette.

Another of my haunts is the restaurant Pho Hoa, known for the Vietnamese specialty of noodle soup, or pho.

Manager Bung Quach has tried to teach me to properly pronounce pho. Try this: Say 'fuh' softly, but as if it were a question. However you say it, you end up with a great meal.

Pho is served with a side plate of bean sprouts, lemon wedge, fresh basil and hot peppers. Just rip up the basil and throw it in to the soup, along with the bean sprouts. Squeeze in some lemon juice and you're good to go.

I always ask for a fork. Lifting vermicelli noodles out of broth with chopsticks is possible, but slow going. And beware the little red pepper that comes with your bean sprouts and basil. It's so hot your tongue will shrivel up and die.

Then there's the Golden Bird, 10544 97th St., where I've eaten for years. Its spring rolls and vermicelli bowls are fabulous.

And then Sai Woo, across the street from Golden Bird, is fabulous for Chinese food.

Padmanadi, 10626 97th St., dishes out delicious vegetarian cuisine and gracious Buddhist ambience.

The Hoang Long Restaurant, 10715 98th St., offers superb cuisine from all over Asia.

Tomorrow I'm taking a group through Chinatown and to the Spicy Garden Restaurant for lunch.

I also love Chinatown for the supermarkets. The produce is inexpensive. The fish is fresh. You can get fresh herbs at a great price.

But a place like the Lucky 97 Market, 10725 97th St., is also an explorer's

delight. There are so many strange and exotic products that the head spins.

My rule of thumb, when eating or grocery shopping in Chinatown, is to ask questions. If that fails, I'll take a risk and try something new.

Not that it always works out. One guy I know tried fish sauce out of the bottle as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. Ugh.

Fish sauce is just what it sounds like -- a sauce made from fermenting fish. It's an ingredient for cooking, not to be taken straight.

Debbie Yeung and George Ng are acting as tour guides for my Saturday tour of Chinatown. They understand that people might be a little shy about visiting the area.

Some cultural awkwardness is expected.

But Yeung and Ng say that Asian people are thrilled to see newcomers, even if it doesn't seem that way.

People of Asian origin tend to be a bit reserved. It's just their way.

But they want to show you their food, their art, their clothing, their furniture, their housewares and their drinks with gelatinous blobs at the bottom.

They want you to love what they love. Ultimately, they want Chinatown to become one of your favourite places, too.

smckeen@thejournal.canwest.com

AND THERE'S MORE

- ON THE WEB: Scott takes us on a tour of Chinatown and some of his favourite treats. Plus, check out interactive maps, his past "favourite places" columns and a photo gallery featuring highlights from his first Urban Mingle.

Go to www.edmontonjournal.com and click on Current Features


© The Edmonton Journal 2007

[sdimedru]

i've been to sai woo.... awesome food

i think i'll have to try some of the other ones....

[DebraW]

Love all the places mentioned here...just tried Noodle Noodle for Dim Sum this week--yummy!

Scott is a wus though if I can use chopsticks anyone can.

[IanO]

sai woo is IMO the best food there...

i highly recommend the hong kong bakery for sweets, buns, and food.

spicy garden has killer curry chicken

bubble tea is yummy at the cottage

mirama is dim sum heaven

[ike9126]

mmm vietnamese food.
I love it.

side point...look at what comes out of the journal

[travis]

^(If the Sun did an article on Chinatown)

[size=6]Edmonton's Chinatown Struggles to Look Good[/size]

Calgary's is better

pot hole riddled streets...Sott Henning...taxpayers...taxcuts...pot holes...Mike Nickel...Potholes...Deadmonton...pot holes...Calgary...Edmonton sucks...pot holes...Chinatown smells funny and is dangerous...potholes...potholes...potholes...potho les...

Kerry Diotte

[bryni]

where can sell baby herb and fresh herbs ?

[OilTastic/BigCityDude]

funny i read this today....just had a conversation about Chinatown this morn at breakfast....i didn't want to go there because i didn't feel as though we'd be safe....i used to go there to shop in the late 80's when i lived a few blocks away and now i live in the burbs and haven't been there for a while and probably don't know any better. is Saturday the best time to go, Ian?

[IanO]

Sat during dim sum time is busiest, but depends what you need or want. We often go weeknights for food, groceries and pho

[McBoo]

Originally Posted by OilTastic/BigCityDude

....just had a conversation about Chinatown this morn at breakfast....i didn't want to go there because i didn't feel as though we'd be safe....

Seriously? As in really? Not safe? As in how not safe?

Chinatown is safe - every bit as safe as any place in town.

Now, you want crowded streets? Okay Saturday. Bit of a buzz - not just 97th, the whole joint.

[OilTastic/BigCityDude]

^perception i guess?

[240GLT]

Pagolac has the best Wor Wonton in the city

[Cal76]

Saturday and Sunday are both good times to visit Chinatown although a few restos (like my fav Viet place Golden Bird ) are closed on Sundays. Chinatown itself is very safe but it borders the most wretched part of the inner city, so, after 7PM or so, some the drunk/bum types come out in numbers. Generally they are pretty harmless though you not want to go for a walk alone late at night!
The pan-Asian feel is very common in Chinatowns across Canada- seen it in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal with a growing Vietnamese/Korean presence. Our Chintaown has quite a few other flavours too - think of the Filipino eatery just behind Lucky97, the long-standing "The Italian Bakery" on 97 St and the Ethiopian-owned little convenience store next to the abandoned Ukrainina Evagelical church. All in all, a good palce for food, fun and window-shopping!

[Pollypan]

We moved here in June and couldn't wait to hit Chinatown. So far we've only made it as far as All Happy Family Restuarant. Excellent food and once they get to recognize you as a "regular" the service is very pleasant. Looking forward to the bubble tea places recommended. Thanks.