First meal in Manitoba - Naru Sushi

Change is something that everyone has to go through. Growing up in Edmonton I often found myself moving, whether be it from one school to another (I went to three elementary schools in a four year period) or from apartment to apartment (to home). The move from Edmonton to Winnipeg, though, is definitely the most jarring. Leaving behind most of my family and loved ones, I not only have to transition to a new city but also to a new job/internship/school. Thankfully I was able to find a great apartment in the heart of Winnipeg in the Osborne Village, a number of fantastic classmates who also made the move with me to Winnipeg, and a super supportive program and staff I will be working for.

I made the unenviable drive from Edmonton to Winnipeg on June 23rd with a layover in Regina. One of my friends, thankfully, was able to join me for the second leg of the drive so it was not as tedious as it could have been. After arriving in Winnipeg and getting my apartment, I turned my attention to my first meal. Being so close to Osborne Village we decided to walk Osborne Street. What I found impressed and amazed me: the litany of small unique boutiques and restaurants were endless. Hungry and tired from the drive, we picked the first Japanese restaurant we saw, Naru.

The menu had the standard sushi fare I had come to expect from a Japanese restaurant. What intrigued me were all the signature rolls that they were known for.

Realizing we were not going to be able to try everything, the two of us decided to split three of their special rolls and vowed to return for their sashimi.

Started it off with a miso soup. I find a good bowl of miso soup ($2/bowl) cleanses your palate and has a soothing effect. Winnipeg was rather cold (15 Celsius) that day so this was the perfect start to the meal.




Next was a sushi pizza, we opted for the spicy salmon version ($9.95). This dish was interesting. Obviously there was little opportunity for the Japanese and Italians to meet during their history, so the sushi pizza was the invention of North American sushi chefs. At the bottom is a layer of rice patty and then ingredients like cucumber, salmon, avocado are piled on top. The dish is finished off with some wasabi, Japanese mayo (we opted for spicy) and some roe. Really tasty and filling. It was difficult to tell how fresh the salmon but the few pieces I had tasted excellent with good fat and texture

Our second roll was a butterfly roll ($8.50). Chunks of salmon and tuna topped with roe. This was a relatively pedestrian roll but we wanted to order it to offset the heavy pizza and the gargantuan finale (see below). It worked perfectly as a contrast to the two other rolls we ordered.

Last was the star of the event. When I perused the menu I knew I had to try to Extreme Volcano ($19.88) which was described to us as a spicy seafood roll they flambe at the table! Now, I am not a pyromaniac but the prospect of food being lit on fire via alcohol is something I have to see.

We were slightly disappointed that the roll was brought to the table pre-lit, but I suppose there are fire regulations and rules they have to follow.

What a site to behold! On the bottom is a salmon roll which is then topped with scallop, tempura bits, bonito flakes. Then the entire thing is drizzled in Japanese mayo and hot sauce then lit on fire. Absolutely incredible. The dish itself tasted fine but the ingredients were somewhat drowned out by the mayo flavor.

After finishing the meal, I declared to myself that I would try all of these excellent Osborne restaurants. Thanks for the great start Winnipeg and I look forward to eating your city over the next four years!