Author: Kevin_Acri

It was a few years ago when my family and I first discovered P&L inside Edmonton's downtown Comfort Inn. We took a chance and enjoyed many aspects of this Chinese restaurant. Since then, we have had good evening meals with the same consistency over a...substantial period of time. This past Christmas, my husband and I arrived late in Edmonton, and since we were staying at the Comfort Inn, we were able to warm up over piping hot food from P&L's kitchen. To this day, P&L is an enigma to me. Dimly lit in a corner, it looks mystical at dusk, almost like a Taoist lantern with people huddling around dinner tables. After just one visit, my family and I appreciated this reliable eatery for dinner whether we were a small group of three or large group of twelve. The food has been consistently good throughout all the years we visited. However, P&L is still a bit of a mystery to me because although not large in physical size, its menu is diverse with many regional Chinese dishes not available at other Chinese restaurants, but not exorbitantly so. The hostess and servers are also polite, friendly, and helpful. Since we have never had lunch at P&L, we wonder if there's in fact, a lunch buffet for the downtown crowd. If yes, during daytime, its floor-to-ceiling windows all around must let in the bright sun or interesting city life from the outside. How quaint -- and that's why I think of it as Taoist -- a bit dreamy but actually real, a place that has to be experienced from the inside. The food we had this past Christmas was ordinary Chinese fare that came to just over $40, for three dishes with seafood, vegetables, and fried rice -- dessert included. The best benefits of visiting P&L are free indoor parking, a convenient downtown location, and surprising varieties of regional Chinese cuisine for folks who like to try new and different dishes each time. From the menu, the chefs definitely appear equipped to prepare a very wide range of Chinese food. In sum, my family and I would recommend this mystic alcove tucked inside a corner at a downtown Edmonton hotel just south of Jasper Avenue and 104 Street. Thank you.