Edmonton’s newest Korean fare opened its doors this week: Mama Lee’s Kitchen. The grand opening was so busy that I didn’t get a chance to meet Mama Lee herself but according to their blurb on their website, she’s been teaching home style Korean cooking in Edmonton and decided to open up her own place to share the eats!
Coolers
Located only a couple blocks north east of Southgate Mall on 51 Ave, the shop is located in a small strip mall with other small food shops and markets and is quite small. Intended for mostly take home ordering, there are small tables throughout, seating 8 – 10 people total. There are three huge coolers when you enter, supplying all your Korean cravings!
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- Assorted Dishes
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- Assorted Dishes
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- Various Bulgogi
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- Assorted Soups and Broths
Everything from sesame leaf, different marinades of bulgogi, pickled radishes, and of course, the beloved Korean kimchi! And I even don’t know where you’d be able to find homemade broths and soup to take home. Definitely need to come back to get the soup.
Order In Menu
Seating
Full menu items of take home dishes are on their website. Here’s a look at what you can order “to stay” if you manage to grab a table like we did.
Bin-dae-tteok and Stir-fried Soondai
Joe and I went on a double date with Jessica and Jerry (our first!). I consider them Korean food experts so I let them order. The Bin-dae-tteok, a Korean pancake filled with green beans and pork, was nice and hot! The stir-fried Soondai was a mixture of vegetables and shrimp although the shrimp wasn’t mentioned in the menu! Both had their own sauces for dipping. Delicious!
Tteo-kbo-kki and Kimchi Fried Rice
Close Up of Tteo-kbo-kki
Tteo-kbo-kki is a spicy rice cake dish mixed in with fish cake slices and vegetables. By far my favorite dish of the night, moreso because I don’t think I’ve ever had this dish Korean style before. You can order the rice cake at hot pot restaurants and cook it yourself, but it’s just not the same without their sweet and spicy sauce! More spicy than anything though. The kimchi fried rice was equally delicious, served with a fried egg.
Beef Bulgogi Combo
LA Galbi
With the four of us, we managed to finish off with two combo plates: a beef bulgogi (stir-fried marinated beef with vegetables) and LA galbi (grilled marinated beef short rib). Combination dishes ($8.50 – $10.90) come with steamed rice, kimchi, beansprouts, jap chae (stir-fried glass noodles), and a vegetable tempura. Best deal ever if you want to try a little bit of everything. Their kimchi is spiiiiiiicy! You’ve been warned. I can’t take my heat as well as most people would think though. Korean marinades usually have a sweeter side to them but Mama Lee’s Kitchen has a nice balance of flavors.
We were the last ones in the restaurant but nobody rushed us. The staff behind the counter were friendly and I thought the kitchens handled grand opening really well! Our order came out within half an hour as most patrons were ordering the hot food to go. Definitely need to come back and buy their soups to try. Parking is available for the small strip mall. They’re open Monday – Saturday 11AM – 7PM and closed Sundays. Make sure you try Mama Lee’s Kitchen if you’re in the area!
Mama Lee’s Kitchenwww.mamaleeskitchen.com
10633 51 Ave
(780) 498-1222
let's om nom 
Yum, this looks so delicious! And it’s so close to where I live. I can’t wait to try it out.
Yes! And have water nearby if you can’t handle their kimchi heat! 🙂 Can’t wait to go back to try their soups.
I passed by a few times and was gonna try it, but didn’t get a chance!
Is it better to do takeout though? The store looks kind of small….
The store is quite small, with about three tables that seat 2 – 4 people each. We ended up staying there to eat so the food was nice and hot. Guess you’ll just have to reheat everything if you do take out. Some of their menu items are already packaged in the coolers and ready to be reheated at home though, so quick drop in might be a good alternative to fast foods!