Food Roundup
June 9, 2026
Explore Edmonton is testing a partnership with a reusable-dishware provider to further reduce waste at events. Toronto's Muuse is providing reusable plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery for the two-day Sari Sari Mercado at the Edmonton EXPO Centre grounds on June 13 and 14. Muuse will then wash and sanitize the dishware before using it again at its future events, said Explore Edmonton's Ziyah Karmali. "This pilot will also allow us to learn what it might take to implement such an initiative on a larger scale," she told Taproot.
The outdoor market is in conjunction with two basketball events. The Edmonton Stingers face the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Filipino Heritage Night on June 13, and the Canadian tour of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons makes a local stop on June 14. The events run from noon to 7pm both days, leaving just enough time to take your seat before tip-off. The market features vendors, performers, and food, of course, from the likes of Flipside BBQ, 6 A's and J Food Truck, Takopo. Gentea Café's food truck, Chonky Crumbs, and The Little Miss Mocha.
Muuse will provide reusable cups in a World Cup fan zone in Toronto, and a successful pilot during a series of Coldplay concerts earned it a partnership for almost 100 concerts there as well. Reusables work best in such a closed environment, Scott Morrison of Muuse Canada told Be Giant. "It's designed in a way where it's obvious that you return the items, and it's awkward if you don't," he said. Improving sustainability is important to Explore Edmonton, which has installed Canada's largest rooftop solar array at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. The array can carry 4,400 megawatts across its 9,020 panels, and has generated 970 megawatt hours this year, including 25 on one day in May. Waste-wise, EXPO diverted 79% of 1.1 million kilograms from the landfill in 2025, Karmali said.
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Openings
- The Heart & Plate has opened at 8157 112 Avenue NW, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Chef Neeraj Sharma brings 15 years of culinary experience, and the restaurant takes a slow-food philosophy focused on fresh, non-processed ingredients, reports Rat Creek Press.
- Middle Child Burger, a pop-up burger shop open until September, is now open at 12618 152 Avenue NW.
- Sushi Bar Goshen, a sushi omakase restaurant, is now open at 2846 James Mowatt Trail SW.
- EMRLD, a new restaurant and cocktail bar, is now open at 11026 Jasper Avenue NW.
- House of Fork is now open at 6439 Cartmell Place SW.
- Zaab Thai is now open at 9142 23 Avenue NW.
- Off The Record is now open at 10011 102 Avenue NW.
- Station Park will host a rotating food hall residency called Stationed. The first iteration, featuring Dorinku, Japonais, Menya Mori, Pablo Cheese Tart, and Hello Mochi, opens on June 11 at 8115 Gateway Blvd NW.
- B.C.-based chain Yummy Slice Pizza is opening its first Edmonton-area location in Fort Saskatchewan.
Closings
- Khazana Restaurant has closed its location at 10177 107 Street NW, with the owners citing ongoing LRT construction and reduced accessibility as reasons they couldn't go on. The closure led Coun. Anne Stevenson to propose revisiting property tax relief for businesses affected by prolonged construction. Khazana will also be closing its Windermere location.
Headlines
- Bae Food Group won the prize for the most innovative product at the Alberta Food & Beverage Awards for a shelf-stable chashu (braised pork) ramen topping, which it sells under the Ramen Plus brand. The company won best snack last year for the salami stick from its Fantastick brand. Other regional winners at this year's awards by the Alberta Food Processors Association include Green Onion Cake Man, Crust Craft, and Uncle Hemmy BBQ. The awards were presented in Edmonton on June 5.
- The Dragon Food Tour series by Chinatown Transformation Collaborative won the Culinary Tourism Award at the Edmonton Tourism Awards, which were presented on June 5. The series offers a variety of walking tours, sit-down culinary experiences, and workshops. The awards also presented the Peter Ogilvie Tourism Innovator Award to Eric Warnke for the Edmonton Riverboat.
- Sunrise Bakery's Andrew Polturak is a Prairie finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The large-scale bakery has been open since 1963 and distributes its products across North America.
- Edify profiled Patricia Street Deli, which relocated to Queen Mary Park at 10567 111 Street NW after the 2024 Jasper wildfire destroyed its original location. Despite being in Edmonton since 2025, the deli still serves as a community gathering place for Jasper residents. "This past weekend we had people drive from Jasper just to have a bite of one of our sandwiches," co-owner Jaimie Kreklewetz said. "There have also been times when someone from Jasper has looked at their order and started crying."
- Construction along Jasper Avenue has been hard on restaurants such as Va, The Tomato's Mary Bailey told Global News, noting that access routes can change between one visit and the next.
- Upper Crust owner Megan Rich spoke to CBC's Radio Active about celebrating the Garneau restaurant's 40th anniversary.
- A former Edmontonian now living in Calgary missed Swiss Donair's seasoned fries so much that she posted on Reddit to track down the seasoning salt — a story she shared on CBC's Edmonton AM. Swiss Donair eventually sent her some of the seasoning for free.
- La Cité Francophone has brought back its patio concert series for a ninth year, running every Thursday through Dec. 3. Tickets are $15 per person, concerts run from 7pm to 9pm, and food service is available through Café Bicyclette.
- Taste of Edmonton released the musical lineup for its festival, which runs from July 16 to 26 in Churchill Square. The majority of performers are drawn from Edmonton and surrounding areas.
- Frank's Community Pub has launched a public lecture series in partnership with the University of Alberta, featuring professors discussing topics such as sleep science and the history of debt for public audiences. Both inaugural talks sold out.
- The Edmonton Valley Zoo is hosting Zoo Brew on June 20, July 18, and Aug. 21, with 25-plus breweries and food trucks set up around the animal habitats. All proceeds support Project Carnivora, the zoo's renovation of its snow leopard and Canadian lynx habitats.
- Old Beverly Cafe will provide the traditional high tea fare of scones, sweets, and sandwiches at the Highland High Tea at Grazing Acres in Flagstaff County on June 20.
- Todo Canada has compiled a guide to Edmonton restaurants offering Father's Day brunch and dinner specials on June 20 and 21, with options ranging from the Edmonton Riverboat and Fairmont Hotel Macdonald to Fort Edmonton Park's Hotel Selkirk and the Highlands Golf Club.
- The Alberta Avenue Community League has introduced four Lohmann Brown hens to its community garden as part of an urban agriculture initiative aimed at teaching residents — particularly children — about food systems and where eggs come from. Open Garden Night runs Thursdays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm through September.
- Chef Kaelin Whittaker of Awn Kitchen shared a recipe for asparagus and radish salad with The Tomato.
- Juanita Gnanapragasam, co-owner of Converse and Cook, joined CBC Edmonton AM to make the case for reconsidering three pantry staples with an unfair reputation: MSG, lard, and anchovies.
- Modern Luxuria is soliciting nominations for its Awards of Excellence. The submission deadline is June 30.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- June 10: Food Justice YEG Summit: From Project to Movement starting at 9am at ArtsHub Ortona
- June 10: Bioeconomy Guild Night - Summer Social starting at 5pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
- June 11: Thursdays at 108 starting at 4pm at 124 Grand Market
- June 12: ScaleUP Breakfast Social starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
- June 13: St. Albert Farmers Market starting at 10am at St. Albert Place
- June 13: South Common Farmers' Market starting at 10am at South Common Farmers' Market
- June 13: Moonlight Annual Fundraiser starting at 6pm at Santa Maria Goretti Centre
- June 14: Sundays Market starting at 11am at the 124 Grand Market
- June 14: Masterclass Series: The Alberta Table starting at 11am at JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
- June 15-16: Taste of Place Summit at Westin Edmonton
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- June 20: Savour Strathcona Food Tour at Meat
- June 20: Zoobrew Vol. 1 starting at 5pm at Edmonton Valley Zoo
- June 25: Listed to Linked - Meet the Members of the CAPE Directory online
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.