Tao Garden Restaurant

9642 107 Avenue NW, Edmonton
Tao Garden is a small little noodle shop that’s right behind Lucky 97 in Chinatown. It offers noodle bowls which you can customize for only $ 10.50, which includes a beverage of either hot or cold milk tea, which is a steal of a deal in my opinion.
There’s not much in terms of parking, but there’s parking around the resiential area. To be honest, if it was really difficult to find parking, I’d just find a spot in Lucky 97’s parking lot (if you can find one) and walk. The interior is typical is an asian restaurant.
For food, you have an option between 12 broths, 8 noodles, and a large number of meats, veggies, etc, with 2 free items, and additional items being $ 1.50 each. They also have specialty items for extra costs, such as century eggs, spring rolls, tofu, green onion cake, etc.
Beef Tendon, Chicken, egg noodles, and minced pork broth
Since it was my first visit, I just went with something simple, beef tendon and marinated chicken in the minced pork broth with egg noodles. You get a generous amount of noodles and broth with your meal. There was a decent amount of meat, but for $ 1.50 each, I could definitely see myself adding a couple more meat options!
Imitation crab sticks, basa fillets in a vegetable broth
The other soup that we got was imitation crab sticks and… some other food item I can’t remember, basa fillets in the vegetable broth with thick rice noodles. This seemed like a good broth to get because you get a lot of additional vegetables, and it comes with your broth…

I can never go to a Vietnamese Phở place after having eaten here. I love the big, thick meat pieces you get in their noodle dishes. Every Vietnamese Phở places I’ve gone to, I always walked out feeling ripped off. You order tendon, beef tripe, some brisket or flank with your Phở and you’ll be lucky if you see small bits and pieces of the meat and you’re just left with wishing for more meat filling in the soup.
But this place. This glorious and generous Tao Gardens. You get thick big pieces, yeah, not just one, but several of whatever meat filling you order with your noodle orders.
Yes. I know Tao Gardens is not a Phở restaurant. But that doesn’t mean the Vietnamese Phở places should skimp on the meat pieces. The broth at Tao Gardens is different from your Vietnamese Phở, but in a very good way.
I order the most spicy broth on the menu and ask for extra hot. But all that extra spiciness doesn’t overwhelm the aroma of the spices and peppers they put in the broth.
I just wish I lived closer to this place. Even the extra meat you order is cheaper than what normally is charged at your typical Phở restaurants and the serving is more generous too.

It’s hard to go wrong with fresh noodle soups. As mentioned in previous reviews, Tao Garden provides a multitude of options. Décor leaves much to be desired, but what do you expect — it’s a hole in the wall.
My one complaint, I was dining alone and taking a look at my phone as I ate. The server kept on wanting to take my unfinished bowl of soup away as I took a brief respite from eating. Noodle soups tend to taste better when you dine in than take out, and I don’t appreciate the kind of pressure that comes with a server wanting to prematurely take your bowl away.

I was looking thru Unilocal for places to eat in Edmonton and came across this restaurant located on the side street of the Lucky 97 Supermarket in Chinatown. Build your own noodle soup? I’m all in. I went there about 9:30 pm on a Tuesday night. Only one other table was occupied at that time. Well, they do close at 10:00 pm. For only $ 10.50, you get to choose one soup base, two toppings, any kind of noodle and either hot coffee or milk tea. After looking over their many choices of broth and toppings, I settled on the thick rice noodles in their original fish broth. For the toppings, I ordered beef brisket and wonton. I also had their tea/​coffee combo and I must say that the waitress/​owner makes a very mean cup of tea/​coffee. It was very strong, just the way I like it. The fish broth was perfectly seasoned and full of flavour. I think it would have been more better if I ordered a different type of noodle than the rice noodle I selected. The beef brisket were very tender and the wonton were delicious. I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely go back and try another combination. For those who are picky, this is the perfect restaurant as you can pick and choose to your heart’s content.

There is nothing better than a good noodle soup bowl. Being a new transplant from the lower mainland I needed to find a restaurant that had excellent noodle bowls otherwise I would have to move… thanks to Unilocal I found this gem tucked away and it’s quickly become a favourite.
I had the little sheep broth (extra spicy), rice noodles, pork balls and tofu puff soup. Broth was delicious and very spicy but not too spicy– lots of flavour. All the toppings were great and I drank a cold milk tea with it. No complaints! Will be back often!

Service at Tao Garden is friendly and efficient. Their food is good, but it isn’t as incredibly cheap as some like to make it out to be and big eaters would be well-​advised to add a couple of extra ingredients to their soups (at $ 1.50 a pop, that’s an extra three bucks) or getting a side to go with their soups. Recommended for a treat once in awhile.

An appetizing meal for a reasonable price.
For 10.50 you can customize a (quite large) bowl of soup which also is served with a milk tea or coffee. For an additional $ 2 I opted out of either of those and got a cantaloupe and peach smoothie. They do serve a customary Chinese tea anyway,
The service was very quick both times I visited however the restaurant was fairly empty. I don’t know how the restaurant would perform under peak hours. The waitress was attentive to the table. English seems to be her second language but she is able to speak and listen at a basic level.
The restaurant is spacious yet it does lack the quality of upper-​class restaurants.
For casual eating I do recommend checking it out,

Tao Garden is for lack of better words, a hidden GEM. Tucked away behind the Lucky 97 supermarket, this is the perfect spot to go to after you’ve grabbed all your Asian groceries (let’s be serious, I bet your cart is stocked with Pocky’s).
I was a bit skeptical on the create your own noodle bowl concept but it works! For $ 10.50 (almost unheard of in Edmonton), you choose your soup base, noodle type and two toppings along with a drink. Sweeeeeeeeet deal yo. There’s 12 soup bases, 8 types of noodles and a smörgåsbord of toppings to choose from (think hot pot style).
— Spicy wontons ($ 5.00) — we started off with two appetizers to whet our appetite. Six wontons and these were delicious. Slightly spicy from the chili oil sauce, they were gobbled up quickly.
— Grilled pork dumplings ($ 4.00) — our second appetizer was four pieces of pork dumplings. These were pretty ordinary, I’d skip out next time I’m here.
— Honey lemon drink — As I said above, you can choose from a hot or cold drink (there’s a list). We both went with the honey lemon, which warmed us up but leans towards the sweeter side of things.
— Little sheep broth (extra hot) with flat rice noodle, marinated chicken and enoki mushrooms — enoki mushrooms are da bomb. That was an easy choice. The second topping was tougher but I settled on marinated chicken. The extra hot little sheep broth actually lives up to its name. HOLY CRAP, it’s good. But be prepared for fireworks! Hot, spicy, my sinuses were in tip top shape after eating this bad boy. So delicious. I’m not sure if I can order a different broth now, I think I’m hooked.
— Thai tom yum goong soup (medium hot) with vermicelli, pork & shrimp wonton and baby bok choy — my buddy decided to try their tom yum broth. I had a taste and it was pretty legit. Mine was definitely the better one though (biased eh?). He went with pork and shrimp wontons and baby bok choy as his toppings. Good choices indeed. How can you not love baby bok choy? So healthy and tasty!
Tao Garden is an awesome addition to the Chinatown premises. I want to try one of their hot pot rice dishes ($ 13.50). Those sound just as good as the soups. Fast service, cheap prices and infinite combinations to suit your noodle slurping needs, you know you waaaaaaaaant it.

Friendly and good service, tasty soup, and good value.

What an excellent find in this hidden part of Chinatown! If you are in the mood for a huge bowl of steaming hot noodle soup — this is your place! Not only is the place bright and clean, the customized noodle bowls are massive, filling, and oh so cheap! My friend and I came here for lunch on a Sunday — there were several tables of people already there and continued to see people trickle in during our time there. The servers were quick and efficient, filling up your tea mug throughout the visit. The customized noodle bowl involves your choice of soup base, noodles, and two additions to the noodles with any extras costing more. You also receive your choice of HK milk tea or coffee with the meal. They also have a smaller, limited side menu if you want to order anything additional at a cost. Overall, highly recommended — especially for those colder Edmonton days when all you want is a hot bowl of soup to warm you up ;)

Tao Garden is located right behind the Chinatown Lucky 97 Supermarket, somewhat hidden away from the busy traffic on 97 Street. I remember eating at the restaurant that previously occupied this space many years ago, but I have no recollection whatsoever of the food or overall experience. Regardless, the interior of Tao Garden is bright, clean, and televisions feature Chinese TV shows to watch as you sit and enjoy your meal.
The menu features hot pots, rice pots, and other smaller snack items like congee, dumplings, and curry fish balls, but what I was most interested in was the option to build your own bowl of noodle soup. When I’m in Hong Kong I love going to the hole-​in-​the-​wall noodle shops that allow you to customize bowls to your own liking, so I’m glad that Tao Garden offers this type of dining.
For $ 9.50 you get to create your own bowl, which you customize to your liking on an individualized order sheet. The price includes your choice of one soup base, two toppings, your choice of noodles, and either hot coffee or milk tea. Each bowl also comes with green onion, cilantro, suey choy, sliced mushrooms, and bean curd skin, but if you’re not a fan of any of those there’s the option to exclude them from your bowl too. The menu is extensive and the combinations are endless! You can choose from 12 different soup bases, 35 different toppings, 8 types of noodles, and you can opt for additional toppings at $ 1.25 each. If you’re looking for a cold drink, it’s an additional $ 1.
My friends and I stopped by for a late lunch last Saturday and we all enjoyed our bowls and agreed we would return in the future. The Little Sheep broth was full of flavour, and the satay soup came with an unexpected, but delicious, kick of heat. Toppings were fresh and the portion was very generous. At $ 9.50 a bowl with a drink included, you leave with a full tummy at an unbeatable price. The restaurant isn’t anything fancy, but that’s not why you should come to Tao Garden. Come for the fun build-​your-​own noodle adventure and to warm up with a bowl of noodle soup.

I’m a big fan of noodle soups. That’s nothing new to anybody. It’s even better when the noodle soup is customizable though and at $ 9.50 a bowl at Tao Garden Restaurant, I don’t know how you can beat that. I guess that’s why I’ve returned four times now within the last two weeks. Couldn’t even squeeze in a review in time!
Located directly behind Lucky 97 Supermarket in Chinatown, Tao Garden Restaurant is what you’d call a hidden gem. A hole-​in-​the-​wall. Although every time I’ve visited, at least half the restaurant is packed with little old Chinese ladies slurping away happily at their customized noodle bowl. Love it. Parking is scarce although Lucky’s parking lot is always an option despite it being only for customers. Who checks? And the best part is… they’re open every day. 10:30am to 10pm, and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Noodle soups errrrrr-​day!
They’ve been open nearly six months now but I only heard about it recently through the grapevine. I’ve only been to Hong Kong style cafes in Vancouver so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I went for the first time a couple weeks ago. The build-​it-​yourself menu is just on par as all other noodle shops I’ve been to though, thank God! You’ve got twelve soup bases, 35 toppings (two items included in the set $ 9.50 price, additional item for $ 1.25), and 8 noodles to choose form. Combinations are endless! You also get a hot drink of your choice to boot, and when you sit yourself down, you’ll always get tea. To switch to a cold drink, it’s a $ 1 extra or $ 2 for a specialty drink.
The first time Joe and I went to Tao Garden Restaurant was to catch up with some friends. I ordered the «Little Sheep Broth (Extra Hot)» with Shrimp Balls and Tofu Puffs as my toppings and thick rice noodles (think BBH noodles). Holy. When they say it’s extra hot, they mean it. Chilies and chili oil everywhere! It was a good kick, although by the end of the bowl I was sweating buckets. The broth was flavorful though and great for that cold night. All bowls come with suey choy, bean curd skin, mushrooms, and garnished with green onion & cilantro, any of which can be omitted if you wished. My friend Jody got the same thing and I don’t think it sat well with her!
Since that first visit, I’ve tried to deviate: pepper fish soup (mild hot), shrimp balls and fish balls, with thin rice noodles. Apparently thin rice noodles are the vermicelli noodles used in Vietnamese vermicelli bowls. I wonder what «vermicelli» noodles on the menu are then… perhaps on my next visit. This broth was a lot milder in flavor but the kick was still there from white pepper. Definitely enjoyed my first bowl better. All subsequent visits have now been the little sheep broth (sometimes spicy, sometimes not), shrimp ball sand tofu puffs with egg noodles. And an order of lemon honey tea. I’ve perfected my combo! I hope to one day just stroll in and they’ll ask me, «The usual?»
Joe is as predictable as you can get. He will always get the Thai Tom Yum Goong Soup, a fan of that lemongrass flavor with a ton of heat, and egg noodles. His toppings have varied over our visits but I think he’s settled into pork & shrimp wontons and marinated chicken now. Better bang for your buck to get quality toppings like that but I can’t help but order shrimp balls for my bowl!
If you’re not into the whole noodle scene (how could you not be?), Tao Garden Restaurant offers other menu items as well: congee, hot pot rice combos, side orders like spring rolls, green onion cake, and sweet potato fries. Fair to say though, they’re noodle specialists. So get on that.
I give Tao Garden Restaurant two thumbs up! When Joe and I want a quick, cheap, and satisfying meal, Tao Garden is our new go-​to. If five visits within two weeks is a sign of anything, I can safely say that I’ll be eating noodle soups again soon!

There are many noodle houses on 97^th. Just discovered this place, am impressed. For $ 9.50 you get a large authentic Hong Kong noodle experience with a drink!
Great broth, good meat, and real HK tea. I will come here again and it has a comfy interior and much more selection than the Phở places.
Free wifi!

If you like noodles and creating your own custom eats, you’ll like Tao Garden. You choose your own broth, noodles and toppings to make your own noodle soup dish custom for your tastebuds. Brilliant, right? It’s like Subway, but for noodles instead. All for $ 9.50, which includes your choice of coffee or milk tea. More toppings will cost you more of course, also if you choose cold drinks over hot, but it’s still a really good deal for what you get.
Tao is your typical no frills Chinatown restaurant, tucked right behind the Lucky 97 supermarket. But if you’re coming to this area to eat, you’re not expecting a fancy place anyway, or at least you shouldn’t be.
It’s the authentic noodle experience here too, with plenty of Chinese-​style (some Vietnamese) broths, noodles and toppings to choose from. I ordered the sweet potato glass noodles with chicken broth, Chinese greens and Viet-​style pork. Delicious! Bean curd and mushrooms are included in all broths unless you specify you don’t want any. The cold milk tea is also very tasty; sweet and refreshing, good for a warm day.
I like the concept of being able to build your own noodle soup, and you can’t beat the price. We will definitely be back!