Siu To first introduced Edmontonians to his interpretation of cake in the 1980s. He had arrived in Edmonton in 1978, from Qingdao, China, and despite having no professional culinary background, he was driven by a strong desire to share his culture with his new city.
In North China, the cong you bing is a beloved grab-and-go dish. The only way To could think of describing such a dish to Westerners was as “a green onion cake.” Made from dough that is rolled and folded with oil and minced green onions, it has nothing in common with what gets served on a kid’s birthday, lit with candles. “Cake has always been related to desserts, but I didn’t know how else to define it,” To says.
Whether you describe it as a pancake, a flatbread or simply a bun, as long as scallion is involved, it is a green onion cake.
It was after opening the Happy Garden restaurant in 1980 that To started sharing the dish with Edmonton. He began selling them at major local festivals, which did wonders for his popularity. It didn’t take long for the dish to become a city favourite, earning To the nickname “The Green Onion Cake Man” — now the name of his business.
“It is a simple recipe,” he says. “I have never put myself on a pedestal because there is no right or wrong way to do it, it is always being reinvented.” He still takes pride in being the first to introduce this savoury, flaky flatbread to Edmonton but he is even more pleased to see other restaurants following his lead and drawing inspiration from his specialty dish.
Edify staff indulged in some of Edmonton’s beloved green onion cakes (we wish we’d had the time to travel to every corner of the city) and we are sharing some of our culinary notes with you. Amongst the many characteristics of these cakes, our main focus was on softness (interior), crispiness (exterior) and onion kick (flavour).
Chewy and stretchy, it is a classic for a reason. To’s specialty cake offers the right level of oniony undertones, without being overpowering. “Very big green-onion flavour and not too salty,” says Jodi Glen, Edify’s operations director. But it is not only the flavour that makes Green Onion Cake Man stand out.
Staff writer Alyssa Noel did not find it intensely fluffy, which is a win in her books. “It’s definitely more of a pancake,” she says.
Alberta Avenue | 9132 118 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.760.2115
Saigon Taste’s onion flavour is bit more subtle, presenting a different balance of the best characteristics of the green onion cake. “It is chewy on the inside, flaky on the outside,” says editor Mifi Purvis as she devoured yet another piece. From the first bite, it felt like pillowy bread in my mouth, soft and airy. It is also a salty cake, not overwhelming, just the right amount to make it stand out as a flavourful dish.
Wîhkwêntôwin | 10383 112 St NW, Edmonton | 780.705.1675
The prominent element of An Chay’s cake is its cracker-like, flaky surface. Each serving includes stacks of folded, donut-shaped breads, with a golden-brown exterior. “These are our go-tos at home,” says Noel. “The dough is definitely more front and centre than the onion taste,” which is probably why her little ones cannot get enough of the stuff.
“These are the kind of green onion cakes I think of as ‘Edmonton’ green onion cakes,” says staff writer Caitlin Hart. She grew up eating them at the Fringe. “It’s the kind of green onion cake I associate with festival season.”
Wîhkwêntôwin | 11203 Jasper Ave, Edmonton | 780.752.2203
This Edmontonian chain offers the perfect on-the-go snack. Fair to say these are the flakiest cakes on the list. The secret behind the crispiness: Oodle Noodle deep fries its green onion cakes, rather than panfrying. The inside is still a dewy, soft scallion concoction. “If you are not into strong onion flavours, this is the flatbread for you,” says Noel. No shame in preferring a more subtle scallion tasting bread, green onion cake is still green onion cake even with a bit less flavour intensity. Also, for a sweeter version, try it with classic plum sauce.
Spruce Grove | 122, 131 Century Crossing
Oodle Noodle locations (There are 15 Oodle Noodle locations around Edmonton.)
Similar to the classic way of making green onion cakes, Bánh Mì Day rolls its dough like a cinnamon bun, but instead of flatting it with a rolling pin afterwards, it is pressed down leaving a spiral-like pattern on the surface. Think flat croissant. Which adds an interesting twist to the eating experience: you can undo the roll and tear it apart easily. It is a soft, chewy bread that pairs perfectly with the spicy hoisin sauce — the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. “It really made me crave a huge pop,” says Hart.
Wîhkwêntôwin | 11765 Jasper Ave, Edmonton | 780.485.2802
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