Society Dinner, Sydney's

One of the perks of residency is the professional organizations we become affiliated with. Part of these affiliations involve social outings which allow individuals to meet, collaborate and socialize outside of the hospital. One of these such events happened at Sydney's at the Forks.

I had previously dined at Sydney's a month ago but was pleasantly surprised to find a brand new menu tonight. As expected, everything at Sydney's exuded class and elegance. We were quickly ushered in to the private room and offered a cocktail or a glass of wine. Then we were off socializing and meeting new and old professors and supervisors. But let us fast forward to the gastronomy experiences that night.

I started with the White Bean Garlic Apple Soup. Finished with cranberry and topped with a buttermilk scone, this was a smooth way to begin our meal. I had not expected white bean and apple to work so well together.

My main was the Bison Short Rib served with corn flake fried snails and candied beets. Most people at the table shied away from the snails, but it was masked well by the crunchy flake. The short rib itself was fantastic: incredibly tender with wonderful marbling accentuated by the candied beet sauce.

The amuse-bouche was a Cranberry Mint scoop of shaved ice. A nice palate cleanser for the mains.

I had to see Sydney's rendition of steak so I went with the Angus Beef Noisette. This noisy plate included deep fried blue cheese, a potato gratin and grilled zucchini. The beef itself was well done and perfectly medium rare. The demi-glace paired well with the beef. However, the deep fried blue cheese was overwhelmingly salty and overpowered the subtle beef flavour. Furthermore, the potato gratin and zucchini feels tacked on and do not add anything to the overall dish.

For dessert I was tempted by the Rosemary Lemon Creme Brulee. A classic dessert that was well executed. Despite naming it so, the rosemary lemon flavour was non-existent and this became simply a rendition of the basic creme brulee. Something a restaurant of this quality should be at minimum expected to do.

Overall I had a great time meeting and networking. The meal had some highlights and was overall good.

Tuesday Thai, Sabai

During one of my first trips down Corydon Street, I took notice to Sabai Thai Eatery. It was a unassuming looking building with a big simple sign that spoke of bold flavours and promises of delight. So after a delightfully long day at the hospital, I made the quick trek over to Corydon.

Sabai specializes in Thai cuisine. I will be comparing this to the, in my opinion, current king in Bangkok Thai. The menu offerings are a little more sparse; the prices similar. The ambiance and decor were high marks for Sabai. With a distinctly modern look, its mostly hipster clientele this evening further accentuate the chic vibe I was getting from this restaurant.

The hallmark of any good thai restaurant is their (Khao San) Pad Thai Chicken. The version here was presented artistically with the delicious noodles topped with a crown of bean sprouts.

Special mention must be made to the ground thai chilis in the foreground. I am told they are authentic from Thailand and forewarned of their spicy kick. Indeed it added a new dimension which worked well with the noodles.

Feeling a adventurous side today, I went with a Three Mushroom Panang Curry Beef as well. The most striking part of this dish was the contrast of the tender beef and the soft smooth mushroom. Overall a well done dish but lacked the punch that the Pad Thai gave.

Overall, Sabai Thai was good. My main complaint lies in the value department. While Sabai uses good flavours and presents their dishes well, I cannot help but wonder if they consciously diminished serving sizes. In a city with a laundry list of Thai establishments, it is difficult for me to recommend a restaurant with this practice.

Gasthaus Gutenberger

Gasthaus Gutenberger has been on my radar for months. Some of my closest friends in medical school introduced me to European (and specifically German) cuisine. Thus I was beyond myself when I found a German restaurant so highly rated and touted on Urbanspoon. Usually I try not to dine on the buffets, but I could not resist the end of the week and weekend lunch buffet specials. After a long night of call, what better way to refresh oneself than German.

Gasthaus Gutenberger is located on the west end of Portage Ave. Located in an unassuming building, one can easily miss it if not paying attention. Again with buffets, I took a bit of everything for your viewing pleasures.

The soup of the day Gemuseseppe was a beef broth vegetable soup with mushrooms, onions and carrots. Nice start to the meal.

There are a large number of salads available including Kraut (coleslaw), Pickled Beet, Tomato, House, Potato, Caesar, and Cucumber and Dill. The beets were the standout here which were wonderfully sweet and salty.

The mains: Homemade Bratwurst, Schnitzel with Sauteed Mushrooms, Perogies with bacon and onions, Sauerkraut. Everything was delicious, but the bratwurst was a winner. Moist, fatty and aromatic, it went well with the homemade mustard. The Schnitzel deserves a honorable mention as it was a nicely breaded pork cutlet cooked perfectly to retain its juiciness.

Second part of the mains: Spaetzle (German Egg Noodle), Hungarian Beef Goulash (stew), Fried Potatoes, Red Cabbage and Mashed Potatoes. On the side is a Creamy Swiss Sauce. The Spaetzle was interesting as it reminded me of a thicker and coarser Shanghai egg noodle. It went perfectly with the creamy swiss sauce, which had a strong cheesey and mushroom-y flavour.

There was a huge spread of desserts available to diners. Unable to sample each dessert, I took only two: Apple Strudel and a Cream Cheese Tart. Both tasty and a nice accent to the end of the meal.

A few more snaps of the buffet line-up and the full selection of desserts.

Overall an excellent meal. Each dish was well executed and tasted of a ala-carte quality. Should be on the radar for anyone wanting German (and European) cuisine in Winnipeg.

Call dinner - Sorrento's

Another night of call means another call dinner. Recently I have been going through a eating out phase where I have to deal with numerous cravings throughout the day that I cannot possibly make on my own. This was the exact situation last night on call. When my fellow resident asked if I wanted to order in food, I jumped at the opportunity. Looking at the local delivery site SkipTheDishes, we landed upon Sorrento's.

Two entrees resulted in this delectable bounty. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner while my co-resident ordered the Baked Penne Pasta.

The dinner includes a complimentary salad. Given the choice between house, Caesar or Feta; I went with the Feta Salad. A relatively large portion of greens, but overall average tasting. If anything, it was a good reminder to get some vegetables.

Part two of the dinner was either Rice Pilaf (or Mashed Potatoes) and Steamed Vegetables. The pilaf was quite nice with a good aroma and filled with lots of vegetables.

Part three was the Grilled Chicken Breast. The protein of the day was disappointing. Listed as "marinated in signature spices", it was a bland and dry offering. At least it was a healthy serving.

The Baked Penne that my co-resident dined on. A huge portion of pasta, cheese and tomato sauce. Overall, the dinner was a filling but unremarkable.

Sushi & Ramen at Yujiro

Perhaps this is becoming something of a tradition now. After the most recent night of call, I forced myself up from the post-call slumber in search of food. Opening up my refrigerator, I found nothing appetizing in there, and began to search Urbanspoon for possible lunch locations. Yujiro had been on my bucket list of places to go to. Featuring fresh fish and authentic ingredients, many raved about the quality of this establishment. With a renewed sense of energy, I made the quarter hour drive to Yujiro.

Yujiro is located in River Heights close to a strip mall. It still amazes me where the best restaurants end up and how they end up there. Without word of mouth, I would not have ever considered dining here.

A nice touch are wooden re-usable chopsticks. Not only do they give a sense of authenticity, but is environmentally friendly. The complimentary hand wipe is also welcome, although some more upscale Japanese restaurants dole out warm hand towels to their customers.

I ended up ordering two lunch sets. Both came with a starter Vegi salad and the bento came with a Miso soup. The salad was nice, crisp and light with the ponzu dressing. The soup was above average with a nice miso flavour.

I cannot resist the temptation to order ramen. This Miso Ramen features a large bowl of noodles topped with sliced pork, half-boiled egg, marinated bamboo shoots and seawood in a rich miso broth. The broth was the real winner here! Wonderful rich, smooth and bursting with savoury flavour, it was the best rendition of miso soup I have had in Winnipeg.

The BBQ Saba Bento was on special ($1 cheaper) today so I had to order it. The most impressive part of their special bentos is the amount of fresh fish. Going clockwise from the fish, you have a nice portion of BBQ Mackerel, Assorted Sashimi, Tekka Maki (tuna roll), Light Seared Tuna in soy and oranges for dessert.

The Mackerel was very well done. Wonderfully cooked, intentionally non-seasoned, you really get an appreciation for the subtle sweetness of the fish. Make sure to accentuate it with the lemon!

I also wanted to take some time to focus on the assorted sashimi. Two thick pieces of salmon, three of tuna (both white and red), and one scallop. I was immediately impressed by the quality, size of cuts and freshness of the fish. Plump, juicy, flavorful, this was among the best sashimi I have had in Winnipeg. Highly recommended.

Hai Shang ... Shanghai cuisine

Shanghai cuisine is one of my favourites. Featuring the wonderful Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), I quickly earmarked Hai Shang as one I must try. Lately I have been fond of dining at odd times. With such a busy schedule, my body has adapted to having food at odd hours. Thus I decided to maximize that approach by dining in the afternoon or late evening. The benefit of that is most restaurants are sparse which means quicker meals and more personalized service. After studying down southside, I decided to venture over to Hai Shang.

Located in a small strip mall, Hai Shang has a no nonsense approach to their restaurant. Roomy with average decor, this establishment is all about the food. Their menu features specials on the weekends (see below) including the unique Shanghai delicacies.

The Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings) are a a must-order every time I visit a Shanghai restaurant. Delicious pork (and sometimes crab) dumplings in a paper thin dough steamed so the soup and juices stay trapped inside.

The version here at Hai Shang were average. The major problem with these is that the dough not robust enough to stay together, resulting in loss of the wonderful soup inside. They were otherwise tasty and a good value.

The Spicy Eggplant Hotpot was served in a claypot. Large pieces of eggplant fried in a pork infused sweet and sour sauce made this dish delectable. Pair it with a bowl of obligatory rice.

Lion's Head Meatballs are another Shanghainese specialty. Fatty pork dumplings served in either a clear soup and cabbage or (as they are here) in a soy sauce based sauce with bok choy, they are meant to resemble the face and mane of a lion. Despite the need for some visual imagination, these meatballs were wonderfully cooked with a herbal soy based broth.
 
Make sure to come here on Sunday's for their specials! Overall it was a fun and wonderful meal that reminded me of friends and home in Edmonton.

Ethiopian Dining - Gohe

I was introduced to the concept of Ethiopian cuisine back in Edmonton. As someone who quite enjoys novel cuisines and styles of dining, the concept of using a starch, Injera, as the vehicle to capture the curries intrigued me. One post-call Friday, I was leafing through my Show & Save coupon book to find a coupon for a Gohe Ethiopian Restaurant.

I was dining at an odd time in the afternoon so I had to conquer this battle myself. Most people see a coupon as a turnoff, but I saw it as an opportunity to try more things (and have leftovers). Wanting to try a lot of things, I ordered the Meat Combo and Veggie Combo.

I want to be clear here: this was BOTH the meat and vegetable combination on one dish. Gohe, like most Ethiopian restaurants, presents your food on an Injera and offers extra Injera on the side to lap up the deliciousness. From top to bottom, left to right:

 

TOP: Cabbage, Alecha Wot (beef stewed in Turmeric), Stewed Beets, Stewed Green Beans

MIDDLE: Salad, Dorot Wot (chicken stewed in Berbere spice), Kik Alicha (stewed yellow lentils), Salad

BOTTOM: Qeye Wot (beef stewed in Berbere spice), Misir Wot (spilt lentils in spicy sauce), Azifa (stewed lentils)

The star of the show were the vegetables. The Misir Wot was a wonderful combination of tender lentils in a secret spice mixture. Eating it with the sourness of the Injera and the saltiness of the home-made cottage cheese was a joy.

Out of the meats I enjoyed the Qeye Wot the most. Stewed with onions and tomatoes, once again the secret blend of spices added a wonderful taste and aroma to the dish that blended well with the sour Injera.

Injera is a type of sourdough that is the national dish of Ethiopia. The secret is the spongyness of the interior which allows it to soak up the sauces and ingredients. All in all, this was a incredibly tasty meal that gave a bevy of leftovers. Highly recommended!

Korean Soul Food - Kimbaek

Finishing up this rotation afforded me the ability to treat myself. My next rotation invovles being on the wards, starting at 7AM and usually finishing at 5-6PM. I figured since I am in for a lengthy month, why not check out a restaurant on my "to-do" list for awhile.

Kimbaek Restaurant is a Korean Restaurant located less than five minutes from the hospital. What immediately struck me was the aroma wafting through the restaurant. I was immediately seated and given a menu to peer through.

Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup) is Korean comfort food at the finest. Served in a steaming bowl was three pieces of wonderfully tender pork neck pieces and potato all in a warm soothing korean paste broth. The usual version I order has bean sprouts to add some earthiness, but overall this was well done.

Eventhough I was dining pour uno tonight, I could not resist another dish. Afterall leftovers for call tomorrow! The Squid Bokum (Marinated Squid with Spicy Sauce) came out on a sizzling hot plate.

Spicy Korean bean paste with a generous portion of squid stir fried with carrots and onions. This delectable dish was perfect with rice.

Korean food is known for their banchans, or small dishes that are served with the mains. Here Kimbaek does not skimp. Offering Kimchi (in the back), Marinated Bean Sprouts (in the foreground).

Potato (in background) and my personal favourite, Seaweed in Korean Spice (in the front). The best part of the banchans is you can always ask for refills of them.