Restaurant Review: Green Onion Cake Man

GREEN ONION CAKE MAN 9132 118th Avenue | greenonioncakeman.com Instagram: @greenonioncakeman Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

If Edmonton ever had a food named as the city's signature dish it would be the green onion cake. No question. The GOC originates from Northern China, however while they are widespread in that country, they really only exist in Edmonton when it comes to Canada. This is thanks to Siu To AKA the Green Onion Cake Man, who popularized the savoury cakes in Edmonton in the 80s. (He is now 82 years old!) Today, green onion cakes are a literal cornerstone of the Edmonton culinary scene. There tend to be two different types available; one kind is quite flat and decidedly pancake-like - this is the type that is iconically synonymous with the Edmonton Fringe Festival. (I am personally partial to these ones due to the memories and nostalgia attached to them.) The other type that are often found at restaurants are fluffier and puffier, with multiple layers of dough and pockets of air between the layers. However, the overall flavour profile is quite similar with both. And both are best served with LOTS of sambal oelek (a spicy chili sauce) to dip into. I have been a giant fan of the green onion cake for many, many years. I see this food item as a rite of passage. Are you truly an Edmontonian if you've never had one? During the Fringe I will often eat ten of them over the course of the festival. I'm in deep. So it was about time that I visited the man who started the craze - although it's far more than a fad, it's an identity. Named Favourite Solo on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list, I was about to taste Edmonton's original green onion cake. Visiting on a Saturday afternoon, I was sure to note the restaurant's hours. They close at 6pm every day so this isn't really a place to go for dinner. It's more of a lunch spot or a place to pop in for a snack. Located in the Alberta Avenue area, it's certainly a part of the city with more and more interesting food establishments appearing all the time. The restaurant itself is very recognizable from the outside with their distinct signage that features a stylized version of Siu To's face. Entering the space, you will first step into an area that looks like a take-out counter which is where you are to place your order. After doing so, you are able to enter the dining room to the right, which is actually quite beautiful. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the small space is full of character. There are plenty of tables in the bright room, each topped with an array of useful condiments (I noted the giant necessary bottles of sambal immediately). There is a huge tree branch in one corner that creates the affect of a tree growing in the restaurant and dozens of paper cranes are strung around the room from the ceiling. Of course I also noted the large Jason Blower piece on the wall, a favourite local artist of mine. The space is simple yet thoughtful at the same time. Unfortunately, Siu To himself was not in the restaurant when I visited but the women who was working was lovely and very friendly. We placed our order and found a place to sit. The food began to arrive after no time at all and I learned that they definitely sell more than just green onion cakes. Obviously the Green Onion Cakes ($8.00 for two) were top of mind, and I don't think that you could visit this restaurant without ordering some. That would just be weird.

Arriving hot and golden, I have to admit that this might have been the best green onion cake that I've ever seen. Of the two types of GOCs that I mentioned earlier, this particular one is like a hybrid of the two, harnessing the powers of both styles of cakes and creating one perfected super cake. I suppose that I should have expected no less from the man who essentially invented them. It is plain to see that everyone else has been trying to duplicate this version of green onion cake with varying levels of success. Heaping my plate with an obscene amount of sambal, I loved every crispy, salty bite of this GOC. The part that stood out to me the most is the fact that you can actually see the onion within the cake and there's a freshness about it. The cake is pretty pancake-like but still manages to have some light layers of dough with bits of green onion tucked throughout. The crevasses in the dough create excellent pockets for scooping up ample amounts of sambal, much to my delight. I have eaten a lot of green onion cakes in my day and I am willing to say that this was the best one out of all of them. I also wanted to try some of the other foods available and I had heard good things about the Hot and Sour Chicken Soup ($6.00).

I can't say that I noted a whole lot of chicken in this soup - at least not big pieces. However, there was quite a lot of tofu. A very good soup with a bold flavour profile, this was as good as any hot and sour soup that I've had. The consistency was quite viscous, which is a common characteristic of this type of soup. Packed with a variety of ingredients throughout and a nice spicy kick, this hot and sour will definitely warm you up on a cold day. Next, we were craving a noodle dish and landed on the Shanghai Noodles ($16.00).

The noodles in this dish are the "fat" ones and they make for a hearty feast. Bursting with wok-fried flavour, I loved the pieces of chicken and mushrooms nestled between the noods. Satisfying and easy to eat, this was a delicious plate that would be agreeable to just about anyone. If I had been more hungry I might have also tried the Szechuan beef or the "spicy angry bird," which was clearly intriguing. There's also a dish called "Buddha's meal" that I would be interested to try. Lastly, there was a "grilled wraps" section of the menu that I found quite interesting. It seemed as if this was an attempt to create easy hand-held items that could be taken to-go. You don't typically see "wraps" on Chinese menus, at least not in this form. I was curious to see what they'd done with this idea. I ordered the Mu Shu Pork Wraps with Hoisin Sauce ($8.00 for two), which seemed like pretty good value.

They were grilled wraps alright! However, the inside filling reminded me a lot of the flavour and texture of an egg roll. I could have used a bit more pork but the mu shu flavour was there and dunking my wrap into the hoisin made for some tasty bites. Maybe not the most exciting dish, but for the price it makes for a pretty decent snack. The highlight of the menu at Green Onion Cake Man is, unsurprisingly, the green onion cakes. Now that I'm aware that he is serving the best version of them around a new bar has been set. You can also buy them frozen so that you can stock up your freezer and make them at home whenever you want. I can see myself stopping in for a cake whenever I'm on 118th Ave from now on and I look forward to it. If you're craving this city's most beloved treat, this is the place to get one.