Hanson Liu, owner and general manager of Gama Cafe, has spent his entire life surrounded by delicious Taiwanese dishes. He started his food career working for his father at Gama Store, an Old Strathcona institution that specialized in bubble tea. It was while working at his father’s shop that Hanson decided to head back to Taiwan and bring some authentic food back to Edmonton. “I was hired as a chef at a high-end cafe in Taiwan,” says Hanson. “They do things very differently over there and I wanted to bring back some of that culture and food to Edmonton, especially things that weren’t here before.”
Upon his return, Hanson and his father decided to close Gama Store and open Gama Cafe down the street. The new restaurant offers many of the same beverages that Whyte Avenue locals love, along with delicious Taiwanese desserts not found elsewhere in Edmonton. “We were the first people in Edmonton to bring many of our desserts from Taiwan, so they taste very authentic,” says Hanson. “One of my favourite dishes is our dessert toast. We pile fresh bread together and drizzle cream on top, then we finish it off with chocolate drizzle and chocolate chips.” Other specialties include red bean pancakes and custard waffles served with fresh fruit.
