Fu's has been on my must-try list for a long time, ever since I noticed that they were taking over the space on 109th Street that Prairie Fish N Chips had left vacant. The windows were papered with newsprint and signage that said that they would "fix me" and I was beyond curious. Since then, Fu's has done very well for themselves and have moved to a larger location (you thought that they had a lot of lanterns before?) around the corner on Downtown's Jasper Ave.
Opening in 2022, less than two short years ago, Fu's has made quite the splash and very well might be the coolest restaurant in town. enRoute magazine nominated them as one of Canada's Best New Restaurants 2022 and EDify Magazine awarded them the Best New Restaurant 2023 spot.
Edmonton has always had restaurants but now, more and more, we are seeing entire experiences. Incredibly strong and immersive concepts. Fu's Repair Shop is an example of this, if not the best version. The idea is that the "repair shop" is a front. They'll fix your broken (obsolete?) electronics, you know, like your pager, walkman, 8 track, and VCR. I love this whole thing. You can picture this shop in a Chinatown somewhere. Walking inside, the entrance looks like a small, you guessed it; repair shop. There are piles of electronics and kitsch strewn about and old TVs with static on the screens. And there's a 7UP pop machine... Except it's not a vending machine - it's a secret door! Passing through this door might be one of the most exciting reveals that Edmonton has to offer. Once on the other side the space opens into the most gorgeous dining room, dripping with theme and design. Are you in some back alley speakeasy in Chinatown now? Because yes, you are. The lanterns! Hundreds of them! The ornate xieshan-style bar with neon lights! The kung fu movies being projected on the exposed brick wall! The level of ambiance is unmatched. It's dim, sultry, and there are details everywhere. The music is also amazing, all from the late 90s and early 2000s. It should be noted that no minors are allowed in the restaurant. (Hello date night with no kids!!)
I visited on a Saturday evening and once seated I was excited to get a cocktail into my hand ASAP. The program is extensive and perfectly matched to the entire vibe. The Cherry Blossom looked so pretty going by with its flower garnish but I had to pick the Sakura Sour (Tart cherry infused Bacardi white rum, vanilla bean infused Remy VSOP, cardamom syrup, lemon, egg white, and Token cherry bitters - $14.50). The flavours of cherry, vanilla and cardamom sounded incredible and exactly like my kind of drink. It was delicious! This beverage felt sophisticated while still being playful. It wasn't too sweet and the different flavours came through beautifully. I love the fluffy egg white top on a sour and was very pleased with each sip.
Other fun things on the drink menu include the FU-BERG which is beer topped with soju slush, a Lucky Teapot of beer for $10, and a great list of non-alcoholic cocktails. The Lychee Rose Tonic is something that I absolutely must order in the future! There's even a "dealers choice" option where you can just let the bar make you something special.
I love that Fu's makes a point of supporting local vendors and the Chinatown community in Edmonton. Anything not made in-house is sourced from this community and this only elevates the authenticity of the food and overall experience. We wanted to order a bunch of different things to eat from all parts of the menu! And so that's exactly what we did. Our server was decently okay but I did find her quite disengaged and generally unenthused about answering questions or making recommendations. All of our dishes came out as they were ready and in no particular order. The feast was on!
I love the idea of All Night Dim Sum and ordered a bunch of items from this section of the menu. First to arrive was the Chan Bao (In-house golden baked milk buns - $10.88) with Miso Gochujang Butter. Baked in limited quantities each day, I was happy to get my hands, er, mouth on these pillowy, golden pockets. These reminded me of a warm, soft brioche especially with the dusting of fleur de sel on top. But somehow, inside there was a filling of miso gochujang butter that changed the game entirely. One of my favourite things that I ate, these buttery soft bao melted in my mouth and surprised me with flavour and a bit of heat. The bao are also offered in three other types, including a daily feature that rotates.
Next to arrive were the Green Onion Cakes (Served with house chili oil - $5.88 for one). This is considered a "side." Being that green onion cakes are maybe the singular most iconic food that Edmonton has to offer, I needed to try the Fu's version. I've written about green onion cakes and Edmonton's love affair with them quite extensively in the past and it's only fitting that Fu's has their own on offer. Like with almost every restaurant green onion cake out there, this version was the fluf read more