It is maybe the most brutally honest sign that’s on display in any Edmonton eatery: When you approach Tokiwa, in neon letters, you will see “SOUP” or “NO SOUP,” like the old vacancy/no vacancy signs you may recall seeing in front of horror-movie motels. That’s because the ramen at Tokiwa is carefully made, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. And, if you decide to lollygag through the day and not get to lunch till about 2 p.m., you are rolling the dice, because Edmontonians regularly line up to get the pork and chicken broths. And while many will stub-bornly go right to the 10-hour pork soup options, my favourite is the yuzu shio. What’s the yuzu shio? It’s the six-hour chicken broth, infused with notes of citrus. It’s the stuff that makes the lips smack. Remember, my goal in life is to get to Tokiwa before you do, to finish my bowl before the letters N and O are lit up on that sad, sad neon sign. – Steven Sandor
11978 104 AVE. NW, 780-761-1400, TokiwaRamen.ca
Bacon bits in melted parmesan cheese. Do you really need to read anything else to know you should try Bündok’s Parmigiano soup? It has grilled onion and breadcrumbs too, but if the first sentence didn’t convince you, I honestly don’t know what else to write. Let’s see. The way it’s served is pretty cool. All the dry bits sit piled prettily in the bowl, then the server pours the cheese right in front of you, daring you not to stick your finger in the stream for a quick taste before you mix it all up. This soup is like if your mom was extra fancy and treated your cold like a special occasion, but really, the flavour and aroma would be wasted on your blocked sinuses. When the waiter said, “You should see when the chef shreds the big block of parm” with a knowing tone and longing look in his eyes, it made us kind of jealous. – Cory Schachtel
10228 104 ST. NW, 780-420-0192, BundokYEG.com
Pho Hoan Pasteur has been serving Edmonton a menu of Vietnamese fusion food since 2005 with five locations in the Edmonton area. The soup menu is extensive with 15 Pho options and 10 specialty soups that come in small, large and extra-large sizes. Each soup comes garnished with white onions, scallions, cilantro and parsley, and comes with a side of beansprouts, basil and lemon. The Pho Bò Kho is one of the best-selling dishes on the menu. The beef and broth were flavourful and the portion was generous. The restaurant is known to fill up during the lunch and dinner rush, so dine during off-times if you want to avoid the crowds. – Katrina Turchin
11443 KINGSWAY AVE., 780-761-1989
16948 107 AVE. NW, 780-444-8923
6566 28 AVE. NW, 587-520-9898
9621 167 AVE. NW, 780-476-1116
10010 86 AVE. Fort Saskatchewan, 780-589-2238
PhoHoanPasteur.ca/Edmonton
This article appears in the March 2022 issue of Edify
