Best international cuisine in Edmonton
Eat your way through as many different international cuisines as possible during Heritage Festival, which celebrates its 42nd anniversary this year. From August 5 to August 7, 2017, 100 cultures will be represented at about 60 pavilions in Hawrelak Park. If you can’t make it to the park, you can still get your fill of delicious, exotic cuisines at some of Edmonton’s best globally inspired restaurants.
Yokozuna Japanese Restaurant
This elegant Japanese restaurant is located in odd surroundings (a not-so-elegant strip mall) but that doesn’t take away from the inside atmosphere or the amazing food. Their menu is fun and creative, with rolls like the Bumble Bee (an inside out roll with ahi tuna and avocado on the inside and yuzu tobiko on the outside) and the Arctic Lime (artic char, cream cheese and cucumber on the inside, tobiko and thin slices of lime on the outside). Their high-quality salmon and Arctic char sashimi are also favourites.
Lingnan Restaurant
10582 104 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 2W1This family-run dynasty serves up award-winning Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine in a relaxed environment. It’s been a staple in the Edmonton dining scene since it opened in 1947, and remains relevant today. There was even a reality TV show following the lives of the owners, the Quon family. Customers keep coming back for dishes like the lemon chicken canton, Cantonese chow mein, ginger beef and the special fried rice. To get a good assortment of dishes, try one of the combination plates.
Parkallen Restaurant
7018 109 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 3C1You haven’t truly had Lebanese food until you’ve tried a full meal from a high-end Lebanese restaurant, such as Parkallen Restaurant. Lebanese fast food places have limited options and the quality can vary, so head to Parkallen instead for a fancy dining experience and world-class Lebanese cuisine. Their kafta, a spicy sausage made from minced beef, parsley and onion, is tantalizing and juicy, while their garlic dip is a heavenly mix meant for chicken, zahtaar (flatbread) or pita. Be sure to try baba ghanouj, a dip made from roasted, pureed eggplant, tahini, lemon and garlic – yum!
Tropika Malaysian Cuisine
6004 104 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 2K3This restaurant specializes in Malaysian and Thai cuisine, resulting in a delicious feast of yummy options. The menu is huge; there are so many tasty noodles and rice dishes, not to mention chicken and beef satay – what food doesn’t taste better on a skewer? Be sure to try nasi goreng, which is Malay fried rice with chicken and shrimp. Try to visit with a group so you can try as many dishes as possible – the appetizer list alone covers multiple pages.
Olympian Ethiopian Restaurant Cafe & Catering
15608 103rd Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 0P3Ethiopian food isn’t something I grew up eating regularly, which makes me find it even more interesting and exotic. The menu at Olympia features a lot of gluten-free and vegan items, including a vegan buffet in the evening. Order injera, a sponge-like flatbread made from barley, teff and flaxseed, and use it to scoop up your main course. Try doro wet, a spicy chicken dish, or yesiga tibs, which is beef marinated in spicy butter and herbs, pan grilled, Ethiopian style, with onions and jalapenos.
Corso Thirty Two
10345 Jasper Ave Nw, Edmonton, AB T5J 1Y5If you love Italian food (and, really, who doesn’t?), you can’t do better than Corso 32. It’s the primo Italian restaurant in the city, with chef Daniel Costa at the helm. Even if you don’t factor in the restaurant’s many, many accolades, you can’t ignore their fresh handmade pasta, exquisite Cornish game hen with brown butter or their decadent salty hazelnut chocolate torte. Plus, with only 32 seats and a waiting list longer than Jasper Avenue, this restaurant offers an exclusivity factor that makes every meal here feel like a special occasion.
Boualouang Laos & Thai
10569 97 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5H 2L4Thai food is the ultimate comfort food, in my eyes. Whenever I have a sore throat or the weather is miserable, I crave their tom-ga-tee soup, which is a hot and sour soup consisting of creamy coconut milk, tender chicken and massive chunks of mushrooms. It’s rich and warms the stomach with just the right amount of spice. Their drunken noodles are a treat, too, with soft beef, broad noodles and veggies soaked in a red chili-based sauce.
Zaika Indian Bistro Bar
Some of the best Indian food in the city can be found at this dimly lit, romantic bistro. It’s tucked away on the south side of the city, so you have to know where to look to find it. But, once you do, you’ll become a repeat customer. Whether you prefer their extensive buffet of Indian delights or go for one of the curries on the menu, you’ll never be disappointed. The mango chicken curry, in particular, tastes like heaven piled atop savoury coconut rice.
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