Justin K.

I have to say, Edmonton was never a top destination for me to choose regardless of family living here but this place has put 780 on my radar. Great location, outdoor patio partying, DJ spinning old school music what else could you ask for!? The ambiance reminds me of Vancouver's Main Street/Chinatown vibe which is the biggest trend at the moment. Friendly staff and parking is fairly easy to find nearby being downtown. Definitely a place to go with a group of friends to have a good time whether it's to start the night or the last stop of the night. Will definitely come back when visiting!

Erika G.

I think that Edmonton has realized that we (as a collective) like dim, moody, Asian-style bars because we certainly have a more-than-average amount of really good ones. Cool, vibey joints that feel a hint seedy (but aren't actually). To be clear, this should be a point of pride and I absolutely love the amount of unexpected diversity in our city's current culinary scene. One such place is Baijiu (the name of a Chinese liquor), a bustling Asian inspired cocktail bar and eatery. Emphasis on the cocktails! EDify Magazine named Baijiu Best Cocktails 2023 and it must be mentioned that this is where James Grant (World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2021 and Canada's 100 Best Bartender of the Year 2022) tended bar for some five years. (He is now the Director of Mixology at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto - but he's a proud Edmontonian who happens to be the most esteemed bartender in Canada.) Baijiu's location couldn't be better. They're Downtown, right in the heart of Edmonton's ICE District and on the 4th Street Promenade (which is honestly the best street downtown). You'll find Baijiu just across the street from not only Rogers Place but also the Neon Sign Museum which adds so much cool ambiance. The building itself, historical Mercer Warehouse, was built in 1911 so you know that it's packed with tons of character and charm (and ghosts and probably secret passageways). Did I mention that they also have a hidden speakeasy tucked away to the side called Little Hong Kong?? Because of course they do. I visited on a Sunday evening and felt very hip taking in the whole downtown cocktail scene. Baijiu is very atmospheric, trendy, dimly lit, and pleasantly casual. Their Asian-inspired food is meant to be shared amongst your loved ones which is why I visited with a nice little group (our table was even outfitted with a lazy susan for passing dishes around). You can bring minors along before 9pm and all of the food is 10% off on Sundays! Bonus! The long and skinny space does offer an outdoor patio to one side but the interior is where it's at. I loved the ancient rafters and brick, the popping floral wallpaper, and the framed images of rappers on the walls. I got comfortable in a leather-wrapped booth - the ideal perch for taking in the rest of the room. The focal point is absolutely the bar that stretches the length of the restaurant, boasting over 200 bottles on display, the most extensive in Edmonton. The music (also mainly rap) is loud, completing the whole sensory experience. It seemed obvious to me that ordering from the Baijiu Originals cocktail menu was maybe the most important thing that I was going to accomplish on my visit. There are a lot of unique and interesting choices; ranging from the Baijiu Barbie to the Chanel No. 6 and everything in between. These expertly-crafted cocktails use innovative ingredients and come in a rainbow of colours, most with a decidedly Asian flavour profile. After much debate, I selected the End of the Road (Havana Club 7, creme de cacao, Kahlua, creme de violet, cold brew, sesame, cherry bitters - $17.00). Garnished with coffee beans, this cocktail delight was so much more than a coffee-based beverage and it took me on a beautiful little journey. It wasn't too boozy and it was filled with complexity. I absolutely loved the subtle cherry and sesame notes. The robust flavour of coffee was certainly at the forefront but the drink was also creamy and nuanced. Certainly one of the most perfect cocktails that I've ever had in Edmonton. Baijiu also makes a Notorious B.I.G. Cocktail which is served large format style in a teapot meant for sharing. It's $65 and I would be so curious to see it for myself! For the food, I just ordered a lot of it. (You know how we do it around here!) Divided into categories like "smalls" and "biggie plates," I tried to grab a bit of everything. The servers who helped us were all super upbeat and friendly, seemingly having a good time which added to the overall great environment. First up were the Devilled Tea Eggs (Black tea & soy marinaded, kewpie, wasabi, sesame, crispy onion, togarashi, scallion - $9.00) from the Smalls menu. I'm sure that I've said it before, but devilled eggs are having a huge moment right now. You can find them, in different variations, on all of the hot menus in town. I think that everyone has realized that nostalgic food is some of the best food. First I need to say that I LOVED all of the plastic longevity dishware. This matched the theme so well and felt incredibly casual-Chinatown-cool. The eggs were so clever. It was like they took a marinated ajitama (ramen egg) but prepared it as a devilled egg instead. Genius! Instead of a jammy egg yolk, this was replaced by a creamy whipped-with-kewpie center that was bursting with flavour. Tons of texture from the crispy onions and scallions, the use of togarashi brought this whole dish home seamlessly. Also from the Smalls part of the menu, we had to try the Green Onion Mini Buns

Jeffrey C.

The Service was great, very friendly staff. Very knowledgeable staff. Bartenders felt more like mixologist. They explained everything. There's a "tea cup" made with alcohol and fruits. Very cool. Very good. The nachos were like traditional nachos, tasted great but I'm assuming because the chips were so different. The music and the ambiance were 10/10

Vilma R.

A super trendy spot downtown, this place is bumpin on a Friday night with a dj on the patio spinning beats, outdoor bar for endless cocktails, and delicious modern Asian inspired eats. The patio is bigger than it appears and holds a lot of people. The inside is a lot smaller but still cozy vibes in there with a speakeasy hidden in there too!!! I didn't get to check out Little Hong Kong (speakeasy) this time around but hope to be able to next time! We sat on the patio and ordered drinks and food from the waitress, the drinks took forever to come out but once we realized that we could just order drinks from the outdoor bar on the patio we were set. The food took a bit of time to arrive but was well worth the wait! The restaurant was packed full but the service was still good even with the abundance of order I'm sure the kitchen had that night. My favorites included the chicken wings, which were a take on honey garlic but made with fish sauce; the green onion balls were hot and fluffy when they came out, the peaches and shrimp bao were soooooo good!!! The fried chicken however was a little on the dry side. Oh and all the dipping sauces were the BOMB!!! The cocktails are absolutely delicious! I wanted to try them all but my wallet said no hahaha. I'll have to return to make my way through the cocktail menu but the hai long bay was delicious and fruity. The margarita was yummy and their house shot, Remy and tea, was so unique and quite enjoyable. I would definitely come back to baijiu and even order takeout too! Highly recommend trying this place if you haven't yet as it is definitely a modern culinary twist on classic Asian flavours.

Marzena F.

In the summer don't sit near the building at the picnic tables the pigeons poo and it lands on the umbrellas and sometimes on the bench you are sitting on and on the table its actually pretty gross the umbrellas are not cleaned off or the tables moved over away from the wall.. I am happy i was not eating and only drinking as this happened to myself and our guest. The tables are also on a slanted floor so it's a bit uncomfortable on that side of the patio. The other side of the patio or indoor of course is fine. We did not eat here. The drinks are decent we tried a few of the specialty drinks. Atmosphere is great. Getting served and ordering was fast but actually getting what you ordered was super slow we weren't sure if our drinks were coming and had to ask for them. Staff are friendly but seem rushed.

Jennie L.

Went here with my kiddo to eat this summer. It was packed even though we showed up a little after 5. We had to sit at the bar. We ordered a bunch of things to share - Tofu Ramen Bao, Kimchi & Tofu fried dumplings, Spicy Salad rolls, Deviled tea eggs, pork and shrimp dumplings and pork bao. Things came out when we they were ready however I think they messed up in the kitchen because the two people that came after us was served before us which was annoying because were were there a good half hour before them and we had a concert to attend. Food was for the most part really good. The Baos were probably were our favourite. The baos were nice and fluffy and the fillings were interesting and combided well. Salad rolls were fine but not exceptional. Deviled tea eggs were excellent. Well cooked, interesting, and a great item to share. We enjoyed the the kimchi and tofu fried dumplings however they were slightly overcooked and a bit dry. The pork and shrimp dumplings were lovely. Nice wrappers, great sauce. The filling was juicy and plentiful. Service was spotty. i probably would go here again but not when it is super busy because I don't think the kitchen can keep up and the service wasn't awesome. However, fun atmosphere and interesting bar food to set the tone for a great night.

Daisy Y.

My husband told me about this place after watching Masterchef, so I figured I should go check it out. It's a nice space; not too big. Located right next to Rostizado. Free parking outside at the meters if there's no events after 6pm. The menu isn't too big, which I don't mind and the cocktail menu has some interesting drinks. We were there on a Tuesday for the bao specials $7 (reg $15), but ultimately opted for the tasting menu. (6-7 dishes for $30, and the $40 option also comes with dessert - 4 dinners required) We started off with the deviled tea eggs, which I enjoyed. The beef carpaccio came next, which was good. I liked the fried lotus roots on top. We then had the kale beet salad, which came in a way bigger bowl than what we were expecting. Tons of kale but not a lot of beet and no taste. I feel like they forgot the vinaigrette because all you could taste was the bitter kale. Next was the Korean fried brussel sprouts which looked promising but was waaaaay too salty/saucy. Would've been better with less sauce or eaten with some rice to take away the saltiness. We had to mix it with the bland kale to down this dish. The pork and shrimp lions head dumplings came next. I love dumplings and there was nothing wrong with these. (Dumplings are on special on Thursdays) The red braised pork bao came next. Bao was well done. My friends said it was too salty, but I actually really enjoyed it and didn't find it salty at all. We finished the meal with the garlic shrimp fried rice. I found it a bit on the spicy side, but my friends didn't mind it, although we all agreed that we could make better fried rice at home. Good portion size. We were so full, we had leftovers. We just weren't crazy about the meal; there were more misses than hits. Service isn't bad. Our server was very helpful and answered all our questions. I didn't mind the music, but my friends complained about it being too loud to hold a conversation. Free wifi available. Reservations recommended due to the small space.

Jonny M.

Baijiu has to be one of, if not, the most anticipated/hyped restaurants to open up for 2017. I remember first hearing word about it back in June so fast forward 8 months later, it's finally open. It was slammed on opening Friday night. Sister restaurant to North 53, you already know the aesthetics and vibe is on point. The inside has a massive bar (25 seats), a "family" table (6-10 people that you can reserve) and about 6-8 tables makes up the rest of the space. It's dark and intimate with sweet hip hop/rap beats on repeat. My kind of music. Our group of five arrived a bit before 6:00pm and had to wait for a table to open up. Seems like this place will be a hotspot for the after work downtown crowd. Good 'cause Etown is in desperate need of those. Cocktails make up most of the drink menu but there are other libations. The food menu is a mixture of Asian fusion, small plate sharing dishes. - Last days in Vietnam ($14.00) - they had me at soju; it went down smoothly. Cocktails are pretty legit. Friends tried the milk punch, lazy Suzanne and champagne cocktail. - Hennessy & green tea ($9.00/shot) - what's a Friday night without Hennessy? Best part about this shot was the green tea. It must be homemade or something 'cause it was the best chaser I've had with shots... - Deviled tea eggs ($6.00) - I like the addition of the shallots on top to give the deviled eggs a crispy element but they were pretty typical. - Mi krop salad ($8.00) - it seemed like they were going for a Thai style papaya salad but it was a big miss us. It was missing that spicy fire AND it really needed some acidity. The fresh lime wasn't cutting it. - Pork and shrimp lion's head dumplings ($11.00) - sure, these were good dumplings but you only get 5 pieces and it's small. Worth it? Mehhh...maybe go to Chinatown to get your fix instead. - Pine haven beef carpaccio ($12.00) - the carpaccio was nice; beautiful thin slices and jalapeno ponzu sauce was well balanced. Again, crispy shallots and the lotus root added a nice texture to the dish. - Char siu pico fried rice ($14.00) - honestly, I wasn't a fan of the fried rice. It was smothered with a lot of bean sprouts (aka. filler) and someone was a bit too heavy handed with the salt. - XO squid noodles ($18.00) - now these were something different and unique. The noodles were actually the squid; tender, juicy and chewy. A well executed fusion spin. - Tom ka clams ($15.00) - the clams were freakin' legit. I could smell the lemongrass the moment it was set on the table. I'd happily order a bowl for myself. - Whole fried ocean perch ($32.00 medium) - price depends on the size of the fish. Our waitress told us a medium is about $30ish while an XL would be $40 something. It was probably the best thing we had all night. Comes full fish, with head and eye and all. The peanut emulsion it came with was super addictive while the fish was tender, flaky, perfectly cooked. - Fried boa ice cream sandwich ($7.00) - the bun is fresh and pairs perfectly with the ice cream; it's an excellent dessert. You can tell Baijiu is going to do very well. Sweet beats, friendly staff, solid drinks, this will be the hot spot to bring a date or hang with the homies.

Christina B.

Located next to Rostizario in the Mercer Warehouse, Baijiu is Dark & Moody. The music lively and the server attentive and soft spoken. Baijiu was packed when we entered around dinner, I was concerned we wouldn't get seated, Baijiu is a smaller space. The bar had full seating available, so we had back up if needed. Luckily, a table opened up and we were seated quickly. I bet this place is Hopping on a Friday/Saturday and look forward to sampling their drink menu $$$ pricey but comparable to 'like' establishments. We ordered six dishes family style and enjoyed them all. The Brussel Sprouts being our favourite (who says that?) SO MUCH FLAVOUR!! There are options for sharing. The menu prices are reflective of this. I found Baijiu's food prices reasonable, I guess it depends on what your used too. I've read other Yelpers were not stoked about the portions IE: 5/6 dumplings for $11 ~ I split my dish and was happy to put five on it :D FUN FACT: Baijiu is a misunderstood Chinese liquor and the most consumed alcohol in that Country. Their cocktail menu is dope, ORDER SOMETHING! For non-drinkers they offer lively tasting spritzers sans alcohol. Try the bartenders special if your giving your liver a break, these drinks get changed up. I love their bathroom (again who says that) the wall paper is the ISH! Tip: PARKING. Go early if you have reservations. Do they take reservations ? Meter Parking was also reasonable $(non game day/mid week) Explore this building, there are a lot of amazing local businesses in this area. I'm looking forward to exploring some of them at an upcoming YELP! Event !!

Jaime M.

This is a review of Baijiu's TASTING MENU. So there are two options for the tasting menu, $30 for small plates and $40 for larger plates. We opted for the larger option as we were quite hungry and wanted to try a lot of things. So first we got the deviled tea eggs. Normally an order has 4 eggs, but there were 6 of us and when you order the tasting menu they tailor it to you so we got an egg each which was nice! The eggs were absolutely delicious - we were all pleasantly surprised! For veggies we got a bean sprout salad and Korean fried Brussels sprouts. The salad is really and actually just a bowl of bean sprouts! The dressing was delicious but a whole bowl of bean sprouts was a bit much and I would have liked another type of veggie or lettuce to offset it a bit. The Brussel sprouts were flavorful and spicy! I wish they were a little more crispy though. We also had pork and shrimp lion's head dumplings (2 each) and red braised pork bao (1 each). The dumplings were delicious - soft dough and in a nice vinegar and soy sauce sauce. The bao were most people's favourite dish!! The pork belly had a sweet glaze. A lot of people with us had never had bao before (sort of like an Asian taco), and it was delish!! Next we got duck confit rice and this was the second favourite of the group for the evening. It's fresh, has different textures, and nice pops of sweetness with the cherries. For the main course they brought out pork ssam, which is kind of like fancy Asian lettuce wraps. Slow roasted pork (soooooo good), some cucumber and carrots, and nuoc cham sauce - you roll all this up in big leafs of lettuce. Everyone liked it and this was my personal absolute fave. Finally dessert, which was disappointing. A green tea ice cream sandwich (half a sandwich each). The ice cream was not too 'green tea-y' if you know what I mean by that. The bread for the sandwich was ok. Overall I cannot believe the value for this tasting menu!!! You can't get a tasting menu for that price anywhere!!! And it was in general sooo delicious, and when not, it was still good food. And so much of it too! I highly, highly recommend the food and definitely going for the tasting menu if you're quite hungry. There were 6 of us and all of us left happy! The service and atmosphere were great.