Machef Korean Restaurant
Machef is a new Korean restaurant that has opened in southside Edmonton!
It is located in the same strip mall as Sunterra Market and Sushi Wasabi. The restaurant gives off a very homey feel and the menu is what I would consider Korean “comfort food”. At Machef, the menu is small. The owner, Jacky, told me that he wanted to focus on quality, rather than quantity. Unlike other Korean restaurants that have a large number of menu items but only a few outstanding ones, he wanted to ensure every item on his menu was delicious!
Steamed Tofu $5
We started off with the Steamed Tofu. It was a simple dish – the tofu was topped with mixed greens and a soy garlic sauce. I liked how the sauce added a lot of flavour to the tofu but wasn’t heavy. The other appetizers on the menu are Panfrying Tofu, Avocado & Shrimp Salad, and Yukhoe (Korean style raw beef salad).
Korean Style Pork Cutlet $16
This was actually my second visit here. I ordered the same thing as my first visit because I had been craving it. The Korean Style Pork Cutlet is very filling and satisfying (look at how big that cutlet is!). It’s topped with a housemade gravy sauce that isn’t too savoury but has a slight tang. If you don’t like to get lost in the sauce like me, you can ask for less sauce or have it on the side. The cutlet comes with a scoop of rice and house salad. If you think there’s too little rice, you can always ask for more. I had to because I like my meat to rice ratio to be even. The house salad reminded me of coleslaw with a sesame sauce.
Seoul Seolleongtang $13
My friend had the Seoul Seolleongtang which is a beef bone soup with rice noodles and thin slices of beef striploin and brisket. It’s served with rice and radish. She really enjoyed her soup and said it was hearty. I had a bit of a taste and found the broth to be on the lighter side.
It reminded me of pho!
Spicy Pork Rib
The owner gave us samples of his special feature that night to try. It was Spicy Pork Rib, which I hope will become a permanent addition to the menu. I didn’t order it originally because I have a low tolerance to spice but I really liked it! The sauce wasn’t burning and the pork rib was very tender.
Patbingsu $4.50
We shared Patbingsu for dessert, which is Korean shaved ice. Here, the shaved ice does not contain milk in it like at other places. The owner wanted to make it as traditional as possible. He said that the Patbingsu served here was reminiscent of what he used to eat in Korea during his childhood. The shaved ice gets its sweetness from its toppings: red bean paste and condensed milk. We really enjoyed this dessert and liked how fresh the housemade red bean paste tasted.
A gift from the owner! Fun fact: he created the logo and this mug.
Overall, I found Machef to be a very welcoming Korean restaurant. The food was delicious, the portions were above average, and the pricing was fair. I will definitely be frequenting this restaurant as I do love Korean food!
Address & Hours
5818 111 St
Edmonton, AB
Mon to Sat: 11 am – 9 pm
Sun: 11 am – 8:30 pm
