In 2014, Arden Tse and his partners were understandably nervous just before their pop-up was set to open at the Get Cooking Edmonton facilities in MacEwan University. The venture involved selling dishes made of ramen noodles, an ingredient almost unheard of in Edmonton, save for die-hard foodies. Tse and one of his partners, Terry Wong, experimented for several months, perfecting the art of creating these Japanese staples. They even got additional advice from a consulting chef from Toronto. They hoped that the social media campaigns would stir up some interest but they had no idea what was coming.
The team had 100 servings of ramen dishes ready to go on a first-come, first-served basis. But a line-up had already started forming an hour before the doors were set to open. Fifteen minutes before opening the doors, the dishes were already sold out. “I thought if we sold 50 bowls, we'd be happy,” says Arden.
Four popups and a year later, Tse and company have a more permanent home with Prairie Noodle Shop, a cozy eatery tucked away in a basement venue on 124 Street. With seating for up to 32 people, the shop serves a variety of ramen soups from garlic pork and roasted barley chicken to a cheese-filled vegetarian dish. There's also a gluten-free option.
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The chefs behind this ramen spot held several pop-ups in the city over the past few years. In late December 2015, they finally opened up a brick-and-mortar shop, in the 124 Street area. The bowls are like nothing you’ve ever tried before: Roasted pork belly, crispy pork shoulder, fried pork rinds mixed into salty pork broth and dashi and topped with an umeboshi egg (a soft boiled egg marinated in Japanese salted plums) is just one example. The restaurant is so busy they often run out of soup before closing time, so come early to avoid heartbreak.
View this Smart ListThe chefs behind this new ramen spot held several pop-ups in the city over the past few years. Now, they’ve finally opened up a brick-and-mortar shop, in the 124 Street area. The bowls are like nothing you’ve ever tried before: Roasted pork belly, crispy pork shoulder, fried pork rinds mixed into salty pork broth and dashi and topped with an umeboshi egg (a soft boiled egg marinated in Japanese salted plums) is just one example. The restaurant is so busy they often run out of soup before closing time, so come early to avoid heartbreak.
View this Smart List