Meet Yellowknife’s Walrus and Ho-Ja food trucks

Another food truck has launched in Yellowknife’s Old Town, adding to the city’s expanding street food scene this summer.

Walrus Fried Fish & Griddle, which opened on Wednesday, is now serving northern-inspired comfort food opposite Sundog Trading Post.

Longtime resident Ethan Mackenzie said he first began seriously considering the business just seven weeks ago, though it was something he had dreamed of doing since he was young.

With roughly 25 years of culinary experience, Mackenzie has spent the past 12 years working full-time at Larga Kitikmeot after building his career in a variety of restaurants.

“It was a very last-minute thought. The whole concept – the location, the trailer we’re in, the logo, the menu, staffing – all of it was just kind of, ‘We want to do this. Let’s do this.’ So we just pulled the plug and went for it,” he told Cabin Radio.

“Anybody who knows me knows that food is a big part of my life, so it’s a creative outlet for me, but also life is expensive and I’d like to have a little bit more financial freedom. That doesn’t come without effort.”

Mackenzie said a majority of items on the menu are made from scratch using homemade recipes. He said the food truck is primarily focusing on promoting fish and chips while also offering burgers, hot dogs, a selection of chicken dishes and summer drinks.

When the business settles in, he said they will roll out specials featuring creative new dishes. The food truck also plans to offer pies at lunchtime in the future, along with a few hot meals ready for people to pick up.

Walrus will be open this Thursday from lunch through supper, closed on Friday, and open all day Saturday and Sunday. Starting next week, regular hours begin: open Tuesday to Friday for late lunch and supper, and all day on weekends.

The truck is second-hand and was previously owned by Afghan Food Corner.

Despite launching the food truck, Mackenzie said Larga Kitikmeot will always remain his top priority. Initially, he aimed to have the food truck running by Sunday, but the plan was delayed.

Mackenzie said Plummer’s Arctic Lodges gave him permission to set up the food truck nearby.

“People always tag me in food trucks for sale and I’m like, ‘Where would I even put it?'” he said.

“They’ve been kind enough to let me have the location. I came up with the idea. I ran it by them. They said, ‘Go for it.’ So we’re tied into the systems here, and we’re not going to move.” (He did add, though, that he has an ambition for the truck to appear at Folk on the Rocks.)

‘This is the real bubble tea’

Yu-Wen Huang, originally from Taiwan, launched her bubble tea and street food business Ho-Ja at the Yellowknife Farmers Market in 2021. At the time, she was at home with her two children, searching for something meaningful to do during the summer.

Huang said she wanted to familiarize the city with the concept of bubble tea and highlight its connection to her hometown. Due to the drink’s widespread popularity, she said many assumed it originated from China, Korea, or other countries.

That year, Huang also expanded her menu to include Taiwanese snacks, serving sweet potato balls and Tianbula – which she renamed “fish nuggets” to make them more relatable to locals. In 2022, she returned to the farmers’ market.

“There’s nothing to do and I’m just a full-time mommy at home. So, I’m just like: what should I do in the nice summer weather, and even in a pandemic?” she said. “I’m just trying my best to let people know what bubble tea is. This is the real bubble tea.”

While her business began in 2021, Huang did not own a food truck until last year. She said she was able to make the purchase with support from her husband, who runs Arctic Tours Canada.

“He is just so nice. He said, ‘I deserve the food truck,'” Huang said. “Every time, I just set up the tent and tore down the tent after the event.”

The couple purchased the truck second-hand from The Mantle restaurant.

From May: New food truck The Happy Tummy rolls into downtown Yellowknife

Last year, Huang visited Zimbabwe to spend time with family, which meant the food truck was only on the road for a short time. This summer, she plans to stay in Yellowknife and run it all season, June to mid-September.

Ho-Ja is parked at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and 50 Street, outside the CIBC bank, from noon to 4pm. On Tuesdays, the truck will be located at the farmers’ market from 5-7 pm.

A new addition to the menu is a fried chicken cutlet made entirely with ingredients from Taiwan. Despite the cost, Huang gets it shipped from Vancouver because “it’s the right thing to do.”

“I want to let people taste some yummy food,” she said.