Chopstix Pho & Grill has been on my list for a while, but I didn't expect a trip to the dentist to be what finally got me through the door.
There I was, getting my bi-yearly cleaning, when my hygienist, Taysha, and I somehow got talking about food. Specifically, Chopstix. Not exactly the conversation you'd expect while someone is scraping away at your teeth with sharp instruments and you're quietly hoping they don't slip and stab you in the gums.
Side note: Taysha was fantastic. Friendly, thorough, and absolutely worth recommending. If you're looking for a hygienist, check out Wayside Dental. Look at that, a review within a review.
Anyway, Taysha mentioned that Chopstix was moving out of the Legion and into its own standalone building. That was all the convincing I needed.
By the time the fluoride was doing its thing, lunch plans were made.
Chopstix, here I come.
Because Chopstix is in the process of moving, I'm deliberately not reviewing the parking situation at the current location. There's not much point judging something that's about to become irrelevant.
The plan is simple: review the OG location now, then come back and see how the new location stacks up.
I honestly think this was my first time actually inside the Lloydminster Legion. The very first thing I noticed when I sat down was a sign respectfully asking visitors to remove their headwear in respect of fallen veterans.
Yes sir.
We can work with that.
I sat down and asked my server, Jolene, what she recommended. She gave me a few options, including the Sate Steak, the Red Curry soup with vermicelli, or, if I was feeling snackish, the crab rangoon, spring rolls, or the made-to-order fresh salad rolls.
After a quick look at the menu, I settled on the crab rangoon and the Red Curry soup with vermicelli and chicken.
And I'm glad I did.
The crab rangoon were fantastic.
Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and, most importantly, the proportions were right. There wasn't some ridiculous wad of filling hiding inside a shell that was twice as thick as it needed to be. Everything worked together exactly how it should.
Then came the Red Curry soup.
And holy shit.
This is where Chopstix really got my attention.
One of the things I've noticed with a lot of pho and noodle soup places is that when something is advertised as spicy, there's a good chance I'll eventually be reaching for the Sriracha.
Not here.
The Red Curry soup actually had heat.
Real, noticeable, enjoyable heat.
No Sriracha required.
The vegetable mix brought cabbage, carrots, green onion, white onion, broccoli and cauliflower into the party, along with the chicken and vermicelli. There was enough going on in the bowl that it never felt like I was just eating noodles floating around in a spicy broth.
For the past month, I've been kicking around a rating idea.
Is it good, or is it good for ______?
You know the kind of food I'm talking about. Something can be good for a Tuesday. Good for a quick lunch. Good for a place in the Legion. Good for the price.
I've been trying to figure out whether that's actually a useful way of looking at food, or if I'm just finding increasingly creative ways to justify mediocre meals.
This meal gave me an answer.
This doesn't need the qualifier.
This shit lands FIRMLY in the goood category.
Yes, three O's.
As lunch continued, the Legion started filling up and something else became immediately apparent: Chopstix has regulars.
And not just the occasional person who recognizes the server.
We're talking first-name-basis regulars. People whose orders are already known. Additions and substitutions remembered. The kind of familiarity that tells you people aren't just stopping in because they happened to be hungry.
They're coming back.
Jolene was also clearly comfortable behind the table. I've seen her previously at The Canadian Brewhouse and The Proper, and that experience shows. She knows how to read a table, when to check in, when to leave you alone, and how to keep things moving without making you feel rushed.
Also, I feel like this deserves its own paragraph.
FINALLY. A spoon with some actual real estate.
I shouldn't have to feel like I'm trying to eat soup with a miniature shovel designed for a dollhouse.
This was a proper spoon.
Bless you.
The atmosphere was another pleasant surprise. Even as the lunch crowd started filling the room, the music stayed at a reasonable volume. You could actually have a conversation without yelling across the table, which should be a basic requirement for a restaurant, but somehow isn't always the case.
And if you're bringing the kids, Chopstix has a kids menu for children up to nine years old, with enough options that even the pickiest little bastards should be able to find something they're willing to eat.
There's also a bit of an interesting transition happening with Chopstix right now.
They're leaving the Legion and moving into a new standalone building, but they aren't just disappearing while that happens. Throughout the month of October, they'll be operating a ghost kitchen for pickup and delivery so you can still get your Chopstix fix while the move is underway.
That's smart.
And honestly, I'm excited to see what they do next.
The current location has its own character, and there's something oddly fitting about discovering Chopstix inside the Legion. But moving into a dedicated standalone space gives them an opportunity to build something around the food and the experience rather than working around the limitations of the current building.
So this isn't really goodbye to the current Chopstix.
It's more of a to be continued.
Because I'm absolutely coming back.