There’s something extra delicious about good food from a restaurant that’s hidden away in the most “hole in the wall” sense. It feels like a discovery that’s all your own, like when you love an indie band before it blows up big. Part of you is happy other people get to share the experience, but there’s something extra special when it still feels like a secret.
Two brothers opened JMT Korean Cuisine about seven months ago, but if you don’t regularly walk the 100th Avenue area just west of Bellamy Hill Road, there’s a good chance you’ll have missed it. The restaurant sits mid-block between 103rd and 104th Streets, in the basement of the brick building bordering the alley. Even neighbourhood regulars might have missed it, but JMT is a secret that needs to get out.
First, there’s the item simply listed as “Crispy,” as JMT throws its hat into Edmonton’s crowded, high-quality fried chicken ring, and very much holds its own. (“JMT,” the internet explains, is a Korean acronym for a phrase that apparently translates to “fucking delicious.”) It wasn’t particularly crispy — the skin is more light and flaky — but the meat (boneless, with JMT’s special batter) was moist and free of excess grease. It also comes with mozza ddeok, which is important, because cheese.
Second, is black bean sauce having a moment in our city’s restaurant scene? It seems like it’s the signature dish at more and more places, and according to JMT’s website, its Jajang Myun is the “most popular noodle dish in Korea.” Either way, we say the more black bean sauce-based dishes, the better.
Next time, we’re thinking of the spicy, deep red Jjambong, with mussel, squid and shrimp, but there will definitely be a next time. We just hope it’s not too crowded by then.
JMT Korean Cuisine
Downtown | 10335 100 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.760.5335
