In the heart of Red Deer resides a home for Asian fusion cuisine. Jumble Eats offers residents an opportunity to explore authentic Asian meals that begin with ingredients, straight from the source.
“Our priority is authenticity. If we’re going to provide authentic flavours in our food, we simply can’t get some of these ingredients in Canada. For example, there are no suppliers in Canada that can provide the right flavour of Gochujang for our Korean dishes, so we have to buy directly from Korea.”
One of Dizon’s favourite menu items at Jumble Eats is their flavourful hot pot dishes.
When asked about the importance of hot pot at Jumble Eats, Dizon chuckles recalling moments with customers new to the cuisine, “we’ve had guests come in at times asking what hot pot is, assuming it is fondue.”
A brief history
Exploring the world of hot pot also known as a steamboat, this menu item has a long standing history two thousand years in the making. Appearing for the first time in the Shang and Zhou dynasties during the bronze age, (approximately 1600-256 BC), when the three kingdoms were in existence between (220-280AD), copper pots emerged as a reliable source for cooking during frigid times of the year .
Initially, duck and chicken were commonly associated with hot pot recipes. Many years later, the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, and they were also influenced by the hot pot culture. They began to incorporate beef and lamb into hot pot and the Northern Chinese style hot pot was inherited here.
How to order and eat a hot pot
Today, hot pot recipes featured at local restaurants such as Jumble Eats offer a dish whereby a heat source placed on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering.
To properly eat a hot pot, you first need to order a soup base. You can have up to three different flavors separated into a pot.
Next you choose the food that you would like to boil. Served with a diverse and delicious mix of sliced meat, the menu includes: Alberta beef, pork, poultry and duck as well as eastern Canadian seafood. Customers can also pick from a variety of vegetables they wish to add to the boiling broth.
Once ordered, these items - all of which are raw- are then placed into the simmering, yet flavourful broth which is cooking right in front of your eyes.
Accent by sauces imported directly from Japan, Taiwan and Korea, these authentic flavours transform the meal into a fusion cuisine that is both delicious and immersive.
At Jumble Eats, customers can expect authentic meals made with locally sourced ingredients, though the process can be challenging, seeing the smiles on customers faces makes the hustle worthwhile.
“We have regular customers who come in three times a week and they’ve told us it reminds them of home,” Dizon says. “I told them that we import the broth base for our meals straight from Japan, that’s why it tastes like home. That customer satisfaction means everything to us.”
With hot pot being this good, cooked fresh at your table, this dish is a must-try. Offering in-house dining, a full bar, takeout and catering services, Jumble Eats serves customers from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Jumble Eats is currently offering a daily value deal serving all you can eat Hotpot for $28 per person all day on Sunday
To place your next order or to simply stay updated on their newest dishes, be sure to check out the Jumble Eats website and follow them on Facebook.