5 Saskatoon Eateries to Visit
Winter warmers.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is blossoming like its namesake berry shrub in the spring. Its culinary scene offers unexpected, innovative, and delicious dishes that just might knock your mukluks off this winter. Here is a guide for those asking: where to eat in Saskatoon?
Odd Couple
East meets west in a delicious collision at Odd Couple. The dishes may sound familiar, but they’re decidedly upscale from the usual take-out renditions. Tiger shrimp Shanghai and bacon fried rice are served up at this addition to Saskatoon’s sizzling food scene. The Yuen family brings East Asian techniques to the Saskatchewan table with soups, snacks, and shareable plates—and fabulous cocktails, too. Don’t miss the O.C. Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian coconut rice creation with grilled shrimp skewers, fried chicken thigh, grilled sausage, peanuts, cucumber, and topped with a sunny side up farm egg.
Odla
The farm-to-table movement isn’t just a phrase at Odla. Inside the modern rustic space with barn wood accents, diners can expect dishes from a showcase of made-in-Saskatchewan ingredients including chickpeas, camelina oil, mushrooms, mustard, Saskatoon berries, honey, and sea buckthorn berries. Many of the raw ingredients come from Farm One Forty, a holistically-managed farm owned by Arlie and Brett LaRoche who partnered with sommelier Lacey Sellinger and chef Scott Dicks to bring the Odla concept to life. The cocktail menu continues the theme, featuring housemade syrups—rhubarb, spruce tip, and lilac honey—plus local Black Fox Oaked Gin.
The Night Oven
Who doesn’t love the smell of a bakery in the morning? At The Night Oven, homey aromas are guaranteed thanks to a massive brick oven that churns out an exotic menu of delicious loaves. Grains are sourced from Saskatchewan farmers and milled right at the bakery—but don’t expect white enriched flour here. Red fife wheat, purple wheat, spelt, dark buckwheat, khorasan, einkorn, and rye make regular appearances. Grab a loaf of Saskatoon sourdough and enjoy a chocolate rye cookie on your way home.
The Hollows
Almost a decade ago, The Hollows, housed inside a former Chinese restaurant, where much of the décor remains, may have been responsible for kickstarting Saskatoon’s culinary renaissance. Chefs Christie Peters and Kyle Michael remain committed to featuring Saskatchewan ingredients including beets, rabbit, trout, and mushrooms; blending old and new cooking techniques; and wowing diners with innovative presentations of down-home ingredients. While the menu changes according to seasonal availability, the beetroot salad is almost always there, featuring citrus, pistachio, goat cheese and basil oil. It might be the city’s best salad. Partake in a rhubarb margarita served up in vintage crystal to really set the scene.
Ayden
There’s a decidedly big city aesthetic at Ayden Kitchen & Bar with its velvet banquettes and dark wood walls, but the vibe is anything but. It’s all Prairie personality here, so don’t be startled if a chef stops by your table to show off the basket of chanterelles just delivered by his favourite forager. The kitchen seems to do everything just right, from local Lake Diefenbaker trout to a tower of in-season tomatoes that seem still warm from the summer sun. The classic burger is everything is should be, topped with aged cheddar and garlic aioli—with hand cut fries on the side, of course.
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