Food Roundup
March 24, 2026
The people behind DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen are eager to bring vibrancy to downtown's public spaces. "Our entire team is from Europe, where downtowns are vibrant," co-founder Janice Krissa said at a grand reopening ceremony for Little DON'YA on March 18, after the cafe moved into another part of a building at 10405 Jasper Avenue NW. "That energy is something we deeply value and something we want to help bring back to downtown Edmonton, because right now, that vibrancy is missing." Though office workers are starting to return to downtown, weekends remain quiet. "We tried an opening on Saturdays, and our total sales were just $71 in one day," Krissa said. "That is the reality many downtown businesses are facing."
DON'YA, which started as a project to employ Ukrainian newcomers, also rolled out a coffee bike to serve the newly revitalized Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park. It's across the street from the downtown cafe and just a few blocks east of the new O-day'min Park. "When we look outside, we can also see the investments the city is making in supporting our downtown vibrancy," Coun. Anne Stevenson said at the March 18 event. Plans are underway for outdoor fitness classes, markets, and live music with an emphasis on different cultures, Krissa said.
The restaurant's aspirations seem aligned with the city's Downtown Action Plan, which seeks to bring more people to the core through events, beautification of public spaces, and housing incentives. In February, the city put up to $3 million into a fund to help achieve the plan's goals. Applications for the first intake closed on March 23, but the second intake is open from March 24 until April 20, with decisions to be made by May 19.
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Openings
- Spring Hotpot Restaurant, serving all-you-can-eat hot pot, opened on March 14 at 438 Mistatim Way NW.
- Miss Saigon has opened its fourth location, at 5344 Ellerslie Road SW.
- Bonnyville's Rari-Tea Cafe has opened a location in Edmonton at 10524 110 Street NW.
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Headlines
- Edmonton city council voted 9-3 to keep new annual patio fees in place, rejecting a motion to pause them for the 2026 season. Fees of $3,700 for seasonal patios and $6,900 for year-round ones take effect April 1. Most of the 115 restaurants that had such patios last year have applied for a permit this year, with seven cancelling their patios, administration said. Hear more on Episode 348 of Speaking Municipally.
- Eleven Eleven and District Café told Global News they saw a spike in business during Downtown Dining Week, which wrapped on March 22. Quinn Phillips of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association said online engagement indicates the event was a success.
- Ramneek Singh, a food blogger who reviewed more than 50 butter chicken dishes over two years, is turning his journey into a one-man show called Butter Chicken Odyssey. The play gets its first reading at the Springboards festival, hosted by Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre, on March 27. Singh will also stage the show during the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August. With the Odyssey reviews over, Singh is now working on a new series called Mill Woods Dreamer.
- Alberta Food Tours celebrated cuisine and art in a submission to the Edmonton & District Historic Society's lead-up to the 30th anniversary of the Doors Open festival. Karen Anderson, the tour company's founder and president, shone a light on Jill Stanton's Backstories mural, noting her organization could not imagine Old Strathcona without it.
- Mavka Theatre's production of Moonshine on March 27 will include a menu of perogies, borscht, khinkali, and more. The music, theatre, and dining event takes place at the space shared by Waffle Bird and Twist & Taste, which serves Georgian food.
- Juju Paul of Golden Sparrow and Ed Donszelmann of OTTO Food & Drink discussed the city's food scene on the Edify Unfiltered podcast. The episode is a supplement to the magazine's Best Restaurants issue, which included both restaurants on its best overall list.
- NAIT shared more on Alex Kim's career ahead of his stint as the 2026 Hokanson Chef in Residence. Diners can try Kim's culinary work on March 26 and 27.
- Rob LeLacheur of Road 55 is trading upwards for NAIT students. The One Lollipop campaign included a swap of pies from Fifendekel for an Apple Watch, which has since turned into an Oilers game day experience. "I'm trying to at least double or triple the value each time," he said. LeLacheur, a NAIT grad, plans to sell his final trade to fund tuition for NAIT students. Potential traders have until April 17 to assist him in the quest.
- Fuge Sausage is running a March Madness-inspired bracket to identify the best of its sausage offerings. Those who submit their bracket picks by March 24 at 11:30pm are eligible for more than $400 in prizes. (Elsewhere, the Arch Madness bracket continues for the city's most-threatened historical buildings.)
- Growing demand for halal meat is prompting more restaurants to expand their offerings, CBC News reported. In 2025, Hanjan switched all three of its locations to halal chicken; Salvadoran-Mexican restaurant Acajutla added halal offerings; and Capital Convenience and Halal Meats on 107 Avenue reported significant customer growth.
- Alberta Ale Works has brought back its Pint Pals Klub membership, with two options for "prepaying your beer tab" as the company prepares to open the Koselig brewpub at 9643 82 Avenue NW. With tiers at $250 or $500, members get a T-shirt and monthly offers in addition to the beer they've paid for.
- Edify surveyed matcha offerings at Common Ground Coffee, Boxcar Coffee Shop, and Boa and Hare, among others, indicating Edmonton's matcha moment may not be over.
- Balay Coffee's owners reminded Instagram followers that ube is a Filipino plant and flavour profile in a post referring to the "gentrification" of regional foodstuffs such as ube and matcha. Balay suggested buying ube-flavoured treats from Filipino-owned businesses such as DRTY Ice Cream and Yelo'd, instead of bandwagon-jumpers without Filipino roots.
- Siwin Foods received more than $1.8 million in provincial tax credits after a multimillion-dollar expansion that more than doubled production capacity and created more than 100 jobs. The company, which produces products such as dumplings and ginger beef, now turns out roughly 150,000 dumplings per hour.
- The Alberta Food Processors Association is now offering coaching, training, and funding to small and medium-sized food and beverage processors through a portal called SCALE AB. Funding of up to $100,000 is available to successful applicants. Applications opened on March 23.
- Moonga Sashimi has updated its hours and menu. Omakase service is available on Fridays and Saturdays, and the restaurant is closed on Mondays.
- Doreen Prei shared recipes for elevated chicken breast dishes on CBC Edmonton's Radio Active, describing the cut as the perfect protein for bold techniques and layered flavours.
- Beef prices are high, and the industry warns they may stay that way. Market analyst Jamie Kerr of Canfax told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active that U.S. cattle herds are at their lowest level in 75 years, and ranchers are not rushing to rebuild.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- March 24: Pitch-A-Friend Edmonton starting at 6:30pm at OTTO Food & Drink
- March 25: Domaine de la Bégude Winery Dinner starting at 5:30pm at Darling
- March 25: Here, Pair, & Everywhere: A Guided Tasting with Blind Enthusiasm starting at 7pm at Relish Bar and Market
- March 25: Italy!…. Italian Wine Varietals from off the Beaten Path starting at 7pm at Crestwood Fine Wines and Spirits
- March 25: After Dark starting at 7:15pm at Delavoye Chocolate Maker
- March 26: Malbec & Meatballs in March starting at 5pm at Aligra Wine & Spirits
- March 26: Control Apple Maggots in Edmonton: Time to Act starting at 7pm online
- March 27: Moonshine Dinner starting at 6pm at Waffle Bird
- March 27: Cocktail Class - Espresso Martinis starting at 7pm at Cocktail Culture
- March 28: Stuff-a-Bus starting at 12pm at ICE District Plaza
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- April 8: Spice Harmony: Indian Vegetarian Flavours & Techniques at Get Cooking
- April 15: Indigenous Taste of the Market at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
- April 18: Culinary Arts Cook-Off: Cookie-Off Edition at Highlands School
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.