While this issue comes out in the presumably warm spring of ’24, this review’s being written in what we hope is the coldest part of winter. And we all know soup is the best meal to have when it’s cold — especially when it’s a make-your-own-bowl-style from Noodleholic.
Like many great Chinese restaurants, it’s in an unassuming strip mall with minimal flare and maximum sitting room — unless service counts as flare, because we had three separate workers warmly welcome us in from the cold, even though almost every table was full.
I get chicken broth (obviously), with shrimp and the tenderest strips of pork I’ve had in a while, and it’s not my imagination — a week later, a friend tries Noodleholic’s pork too, and says the same thing, unprompted.
There’s never a bad time for great soup, but on a cold winter night this stomach-and spirit-filling experience warmed this weary rush-hour traveler’s heart as the sounds of chatter and cutlery filled the aromatic air. — Cory Schachtel
Noodleholic
Parsons Industrial | 3350 Parsons Rd, Edmonton | 780.328.1838 | noodleholic.ca
I think hot pot should be a bit of a competition. If you think you can come here without knowledge of the various sauces, spices, or meat and veggie combinations that hot pot offers, then you would be the loser at my table. It’s all about who can make the tastiest soup and the glory of showing it off in front of your family and friends.
97 Hot Pot makes that part much easier, like playing on home ice. With plenty of seasonings and quality ingredients, you can create one-of-a-kind soup, and you’ll never run out of combinations. Every visit is an opportunity for new adventures and discoveries. And, in the end, the winner is the person who was actually able to finish his, her or their soup (the bowls are easy to overfill). — Liam Newbigging
97 Hot Pot
McCauley | 10602 97 St NW, Edmonton | 587.521.1888 | 97hotpot.ca
Apparently, I’m the only person in Edmonton who hadn’t been to The Lingnan – the nearly 80-year-old Chinese-Canadian restaurant is so key to the city’s foodie scene that my colleagues were visibly disgusted when I said I hadn’t been there. This error in judgement becomes all the more embarrassing when I pull up and see the enormous — like, 20-feet high — neon sign. It may as well be a homing beacon. It offers a wide selection of food — from chicken chow mein to Mongolian filet mignon — and the service is impeccable. So, if you want to earn your Edmontonian foodie stripes, stop by the next time you’re downtown. — Jesse Cole
Central McDougall | 10582 104 St NW, Edmonton | 780.426.3975 | thelingnan.com
This article appears in the Mar/Apr 2024 issue of Edify
