7-Kitchens Restaurant
9645 101A Avenue
780-249-6007
7kitchensrestaurant.com

Tucked behind Jasper Avenue on 101A Avenue (across 97th Street from Canada Place) 7-Kitchens Restaurant is quietly building a loyal following among local diners looking for generous portions, affordable prices, and comforting Chinese food served with warmth and care.

With 101A Avenue closed due to street reconstruction since the restaurant opened last August, we had to walk half a block after parking on 96th Street, as the road is covered in construction fencing. It was totally worth it!

The hidden restaurant is found sheltered below the peak of the Edmonton Chinese Benevolent Association. Inside the atmosphere is warm and cozy with wood furniture. It’s exceptionally clean and the staff are incredibly welcoming. That warmth defines the experience as much as the menu itself. There’s no question they want to make guests feel at home. We thought the almost picnic table-like row of tables in the middle would be perfect for hosting a large extended family or work group.

The multi-page menu is extensive with familiar Chinatown dishes: fried rice, chow mein, noodle soups, combination platters, sweet-and-sour favourites, seafood dishes, and family dinners designed to feed far more people than advertised. There are also house specialties and combination meals that make the restaurant particularly appealing for budget-conscious diners or big families.

Our group of four decided to sample five different dishes: Shrimp with Cashews, Chinese Vegetarian Delight, Mapo Tofu, Chicken Curry, and Shanghai Noodles. Let’s just say nobody was going to starve. The mapo tofu leans toward the vegetarian style, with lots of silky soft tofu, flavour packed black fungus strands, and plenty of heat. The Shrimp with Cashews was generous, the shrimp nicely cooked and the veggies steaming hot. Next came the Chinese Vegetarian Delight, with plenty of crunchy baby corn among all the other vegetables.

The star of the night was the thick Shanghai Noodles. It’s a standard dish at many Chinese restaurants, but at 7-Kitchens the fresh noodles were pleasantly chewy with a smoky wok flavour that hinted at proper high-heat cooking, avoiding the greasiness that often drags down takeout-style Chinese food. Lifting them further, the dish contained so much BBQ pork that it deserves special mention. The juicy, red, slightly salty pork pieces made it dangerously easy to keep chowing down long after feeling full. The Chicken Curry was almost as impressive, with a deep yellow sauce that has real depth of flavour.

But what stands out most about 7-Kitchens is not culinary experimentation or trendy presentation. Instead, it succeeds by delivering exactly what many neighbourhood diners want: hearty comfort food, large servings, fair prices, and genuinely kind service. In an era where rising costs have become a common pain point, this approach is refreshingly old-fashioned. Like the most beloved Chinatown eateries, 7-Kitchens feels designed for gathering around overflowing plates with family or friends. It is the sort of place where leftovers are expected, where servers remember regulars, and where value still matters.

For downtown workers, nearby residents, or anyone craving classic Chinese comfort food without downtown prices, 7-Kitchens is shaping up to be one of the quieter success stories in Edmonton’s evolving Chinatown dining scene. Don’t pass it by - it’s well worth the obstacle course! And you’ll need the exercise. We were so full, for just $20 per person!

Alan Schietzsch lives in McCauley and is a member of the paper’s Board of Directors.