Greg Sweeney's HOM Street Food takes over Bibo's kitchen on Whyte Avenue
The Southeast Asian pop-up operator is bringing his signature bold flavours—rendang daging, fermented ingredients, and craft cocktails—to the back-alley sake bar through September.
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Greg Sweeney's HOM Street Food has taken over the kitchen at Bibo Strathcona, the sake-and-wine bar at 10302 Whyte Avenue NW, bringing his fragrant and bold Southeast Asian menu to the back-alley space through at least the end of September.
Sweeney founded HOM informally after travelling across Southeast Asia in 2018, and the brand has since evolved into an occasional pop-up restaurant, a catering and prepared meals service, and a packaged food brand. "Southeast Asian food is fresh and bold," he told Taproot. "They do a lot of fermentation, and they do shrimp paste and fish sauces, and all these funky and umami flavors that I was blown away by." Rather than mass-consumed dishes like green curry, Sweeney puts his spin on regional specialties from Thailand, Indonesia, and beyond.
One of his current favourites is rendang daging, a dry, curried, caramelized beef dish officially recognized as a national dish of Indonesia. He serves it with peanuts and fried anchovies, braised greens, sambal, and turmeric rice — a spin on the traditional slow-cooked preparation. The menu makes liberal use of herbs, chilis, garlic, and fermented ingredients throughout.
When the Culina group opened Bibo in 2024 as a reinterpretation of the namesake venue that closed alongside Culina in Mill Creek in 2016, they tapped Sweeney for a June takeover after kitchen staff turnover created an opportunity to experiment. "This industry is really small," Sweeney said. "One thing I love about it is that the people who you respect and who you're friends with, they really want everybody to succeed and be great."
Dan Tansy, who works at nearby Boxer, built a cocktail menu to complement HOM's flavours — including a sake-forward negroni named for Whyte Avenue, mixed with pandan gin and bianco (white) vermouth. Sweeney doesn't know what's next after September, but he's rolled with unexpected turns before.
Good to know
What kind of food does HOM Street Food serve?
HOM Street Food serves Southeast Asian cuisine with bold, fragrant flavors featuring fermented ingredients, herbs, chilis, and garlic. Signature dishes include rendang daging, an Indonesian curried beef served with peanuts, fried anchovies, braised greens, sambal, and turmeric rice.
Where is Bibo Strathcona and how long is HOM taking over?
Bibo Strathcona is located at 10302 Whyte Avenue NW in Edmonton's Old Strathcona neighbourhood. HOM Street Food is running the kitchen through at least the end of September 2026.
What cocktails are on the menu?
Dan Tansy created a cocktail menu featuring sake-forward drinks, including a sake negroni named for Whyte Avenue made with pandan gin and bianco vermouth.
