If you could pick one restaurant that helped redefine Chinese dining in Edmonton, it might have to be Sai Woo Garden. This Chinatown restaurant brings a modern lens to Cantonese cuisine, while staying grounded in tradition.
Sai Woo Garden really shines when ordered family style, especially through the dinner packages. Meals often begin with a fish maw soup, a classic Cantonese staple that sets a warm, comforting tone. The Deep-Fried Calamari is always one of the first plates to disappear. It’s light, crisp and addictive. From there, the table fills with shareable dishes like various beef dishes mixed with vegetables, steamed fish and Sai Woo Garden’s most popular chicken plates, including Deep-Fried Chicken with Garlic Sauce, all designed for the centre of the table. It’s the kind of place where food arrives in waves, conversations linger, and the experience is built around gathering and sharing. – Lydia Lam
Sai Woo Garden
McCauley | 10571 97 St NW, Edmonton | Sai Woo Garden Facebook
Shanghai 456 has become a go-to spot for people who appreciate the comfort of Shanghainese cuisine. It’s a restaurant people return to, not just for one dish, but because the menu rewards familiarity.
Sunday brunch is especially popular here, when their beef pan fried buns make an appearance. Crispy on the bottom and juicy inside, these little pockets of wonder are among the most anticipated dishes in the dining room. The pork and crab Xiao Long Bao are another must: delicate wrappers, flavourful filling and plenty of broth. Shanghai noodles are a fixture on many tables, often paired with classic stir-fried dishes to round out the meal. Together, it creates the kind of spread Shanghai 456 does best: comforting, generous and shareable. – Lydia Lam
Shanghai 456
Dominion Industrial | 14456 118 Ave, Edmonton | 780.451.8333 | Shanghai 456 Facebook
Mr. Bun is a restaurant built around a very clear idea: specialize in a few things, do them well and let everything else support that. The menu centres on dumplings, buns and noodles, leaning into the kind of comfort food people crave when they want something warm, fresh and satisfying.
One thing that stands out immediately is how fresh everything feels. You can watch the buns being made in the restaurant, reinforcing the focus on handmade dough, careful folding and constant turnover. The Xiao Long Bao are what most tables revolve around, pockets of delicate, pleated pastry filled with savoury meat and rich broth. Pan-fried Dumplings are another favourite, crisped on the bottom and juicy inside. Order them alongside simple noodles to round out the meal. – Lydia Lam
Mr. Bun 壹笼包子
Garneau | 10828 Whyte Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.761.2720 | @mr.bun_yilong
This article appears in the March 2026 issue of Edify
