Last meal in Winnipeg 2014, Kimbaek

Having finished all my call and prior to departing back to Edmonton for a well needed break, I needed a good meal to top off my first six months here. Recalling all the restaurants I tried, the one that stuck out was Kimbaek. A homey Korean restaurant serving a mean Gamjatang, I had no choice but to cap off my 2014 Winnipeg dining experience there.

Kimbaek lies on Isabel Street just minutes from the hospital. Housing only a few tables it truly is a home run hole in the wall.

The Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup) was wonderful as always. The spicy flavour of the soup was matched by the fattiness of the large pieces of pork. Finished with a few pieces of potato, this bubbling bowl of deliciousness represents the best of Kimbaek and Korean cuisine. I have to appreciate the large pieces of meaty pork.

Wanting to try something else I ordered the Bibimbap. Served in a stone bowl, a mixture of stewed vegetables, marinated meat and a fried egg is married with a spicy Korean BBQ sauce. Watching the egg yolk run and mix in with the rest of the ingredients was a joy to behold. Similarly so was scraping off the crisp rice at the bottom of the bowl.

Feeling completely gluttonous, I also ordered a Kimchi Pork Pancake. This was a disappointment as the pancake came out burnt. While the flavours were there, the burnt cake overtook the pork and kimchi.

The usual banchans including Spinach, Bean Sprouts, Pickled Potatoes and Kimchi. Delicious as always.

I have to hand Kimbaek the prize as my favourite go to restaurant in Winnipeg. They make a mean Gamjatang and despite the burnt pancake, still remain a go to for me. Here's to what 2015 will bring!

Pho Binh Minh

In my continued search for the best Vietnamese restaurant in Winnipeg, I came across Pho Binh Minh. Housing a sizable Vietnamese citizens, Winnipeg seems to be popping up with quality pho restaurants left right and centre. On my last post-call day I decided to drag one of my co-residents out for some pho.

Pho Binh Minh is located on Sargent Avenue in a stretch of quality restaurants. The sign does a poor job of demarcating the restaurant and one might miss the restaurant on first glance.

I was impressed by the vast interior (the restaurant stretches over two buildings) and pleasant decorations. Opening up the menu you realize that this establishment is a labour of love for a family who immigrated here many years ago. Obviously thriving, I was thrilled to see them succeed through hard work and quality food.

I have to order the Sliced Beef & Beef Balls Pho as a marker of a Vietnamese restaurants' quality. The broth here was excellent with a strong beef flavour and crispness from the onions and herbs. The noodles tender, the beef thinly sliced and the balls springy, this was a fantastic offering and rivals some of the best in Winnipeg.

My dining companion ordered the Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup with Shrimp. Filled to the brim with large juicy shrimp, cabbage, celery root and pineapples, this was the perfect answer to a cold morning. The tomato based broth was light but tart enough to contrast the rest of ingredients. Very nicely done!

Wanting to try something else we ordered the Vietnamese Crepe. A large thin crepe is filled with chicken and bean sprouts. The idea is to fill a piece of lettuce with the crepe, cucumber and pickled vegetables and dip the entire concoction in Vietnamese sweet sauce. This was excellent. The crepe was thinly fried, crisp and not oily but held all its delicious contents together.

Overall Pho Binh Minh is pushing itself on my already crowded list of Winnipeg Vietnamese restaurants. I have to commend them on a clean, pleasant restaurant and serving quality and affordable food.

Enoteca

Being 1 in 2 call is tiring. To put things into context, 1 in 2 results in the resident (i.e. me) working ~26 hours straight from Day 1 to Day 2, then goes home to, mostly, sleep off the rest of Day 2 and then return to do the same thing on Day 3. Although mentally exhausting, the prospect of having a post-call day and a post-call meal always excites me. Thus I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to join a co-resident for their birthday at Enoteca.

Enoteca is a contemporary restaurant focused on tapas style dining. Opened by one of the owners of Deseo, a personal favourite, I was nothing short of deliriously excited to be dining here. Located on the west end of Corydon, I cannot help but be drawn to the large, bright and attractive sign beckoning me forward.

Enoteca has a limited menu and recommends that one shares food. Having a large group of 16 people, we ultimately gave the reigns to the chefs to bring out a selection of their best and favourite dishes. Skimming the menu, one gets the sense that the chefs are confident in their technique and bullish in their creativity. Boy was I excited.

Listed as Green Salad, this marvelous salad consisted of romaine, edemame, jacaima, creme fraiche and finished with wasabi peas and a lime vinaigrette. The cacophony of ingredients put the dish at risk of being too "busy", but I can happily report that all the elements played well with one another. The two key parts are the wasabi peas, which gave a tart and spicy kick, and the lime vinaigrette. Overall excellently executed and well dressed.

Roast Beets are paired with pancetta wrapped pears and finished with a buttermilk and goat cheese dressing accentuated by toasted almonds and basil. Although delicious it was difficult to tell what the star of the dish was. The beets were nicely roasted but overpowered by the crisp pear and salty pancetta. Alternatively the goat cheese dressing worked well with the warm beets but clashed with the pears.

Fresh Pasta is paired with lamb, chevre and topped with a gremolata. This was absolutely divine and the best dish of the night. Incredibly tender pasta soaked up the tomato based lamb sauce. The wonderfully tender and fatty pieces of lamb contrasted well with the chevre and the gremolata brought the entire dish together. Incredible!

Roast Brussel Sprouts are mixed expertly with chorizo, chestnuts, grapefruit and finished with creme fraiche. The addition of grapefruit here was a stroke of genius adding a tarty sweetness to the dish. Combining all the elements in one bite induced a moment of umami I routinely seek but rarely get.

Soft Shell Crab was the only pseudo-disappointment of the day. Served on a brioche bun with pickled slaw and sauce Americaine, the dish was overall too moist. The crab bordered on mushy and rendered a fatty oily flavour to the dish and while the pickled slaw and sauce were good elements the overall dish was not very palatable.

The Beef Tartar was incredible. Tender pieces of beef with spices mixed in with a quail egg, served with foie gras on top of a brioche bun, this was Enoteca at its finest. The addition of the foie gras was a curious choice but worked as an butter-like base for the tender and strong beef. The yogurt and mustard sauces were strong enough to interject and add their voices to this mix of delicious.

Wild Boar Belly was incredibly tender. Topped with a romesco and paired with a sherry based broth and white prawns, this dish made the meat lovers of the group happy. Ala a surf and turf, the prawns and pork belly worked well together, but the star is the melt in your mouth pork.

Last dish of the day was Hamachi cured with lemon and mixed with citrus, fennel and capers. We were mostly stuffed by now so most of us could only offer a small bite of this. The fish was nicely cured but too delicate to be paired with the strong citrus fruit. Overall this was an altogether average dish.

Enoteca was a joy and delight to dine at. The style, presentation and pagentry the chefs create with their food is something everyone should behold. Make sure to go with a group as they are geared towards shared small plate tapas style dining.

Peds Family Christmas

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. I usually dedicate the entire month of December to planning presents, food and festivities surrounding this magical time. This year I was placed on call for the Christmas period and thus had the opportunity to spend the holidays with my new pediatrics family. Never wanting to miss a reason for a good meal, I quickly rounded up the troops and hosted a Christmas potluck. It so happened that a large number of us were of Asian descent, so we termed this the Asian Christmas Special (trademark pending).

One of my co-residents brought a homemade Spinach, Mandarin Orange, Candied Pecan Salad. The candied caramelized pecans were a revelation here and brought all the elements together nicely. Delicious!

Brown sugar and cinnamon tend to make any vegetable soar. These Roasted Yams were dusted with a healthy portion of the aforementioned deliciousness. The result: tender, buttery smooth, sweet, salty load of tasty.

Another co-resident brought homemade Mashed Potatoes. Well smashed, these potatoes had a buttery smoothness and were perfectly seasoned. They served as a canvas for the meats and gravy.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce is as simple as adding fresh cranberries to sugar water, waiting for them to pop and then finishing up with a few more fresh berries. Tart and sweet, this complimented the turkey, stuffing and mash quite well.

Homemade Stuffing consisted of the holy trinity of vegetables (carrots, onions and celery) mixed in with toasted breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, brought together by chicken stock and finished in the oven. I quickly realized it was crucial to use dry and, somewhat, overtoasted bread as I felt this came out too moist for my liking.

Holiday Ham is a must for Christmas. A small fully cooked ham is marinated with brown sugar, orange juice and maple syrup and finished in the oven for 2 hours with slices of pineapple. This was a crowd pleaser and the crowning dish of the night. Wonderfully juicy with a hint of the sweetness of the ingredients, this is a recipe I will carry forward.

You might be able to tell this already, but the Roasted Turkey was dry. As the first sin not to commit for turkey, I do feel responsible for the dry and altogether tasteless turkey. Thankfully my company did not seem to mind. Mental note to self: get a meat thermometer next time!

We finished off the meal by building a Gingerbread House. This was a pre-made house at Costco and came with all the icing and decorations.

I had a fantastic time and could not have imagined a better group of friends to spend the holidays with. I find that events like this brings us together and engenders positive workplace energy and cohesiveness. And ... it gave me an excuse to cook an elaborate supper. Merry Christmas everybody!

Noodle Express, Fastfood Dim Sum

Growing up, dim sum was a foreign cuisine for me. While most place dim sum squarely in the area of Chinese cuisine, it actually should be clarified as Cantonese in origin. My family, hailing from Beijing, thus did not grow up with dim sum. Nevertheless the flavours, methods and ingredients all resemble those I indulged upon in my childhood, just packaged differently as wonderful little bamboo steamer presents of culinary delight.

I have had a recent dirge of dim sum posts after inundating this blog with them in the first couple months. Thus, like clockwork, I recently received the dim sum hunger pangs on a wispy morning. Unable to focus on anything else, I quickly packaged myself up and went to Noodle Express.

Noodle Express is situated within Chinatown and shows its age. A bright sign masks the olden dimly lit restaurant with sparse decorations and even sparser personality. I smiled secretly when I saw the menus plastered underneath the plastic tablecloth. Part ingenious, part lazy, it epitomizes that Noodle Express is simply about the food. Ultimately I cannot fault a restaurant for that.

Curry Squid is something I usually try to order. Cuttlefish mixed and steamed with curry sauce make this a nice start of the meal. Noodle Express unfortunately uses frozen squid which rendered a rubberi-ness to the squid.

Stuffed Green Pepper is a timeless classic: tender peppers with shrimp paste steamed and topped with a soy based broth. I appreciated the strong shrimp flavour of the paste which worked well with the sauce and crisp peppers.

Deluxe Shrimp Dumpling was average. It tasted exactly how one expects it to taste: a large shrimp in a thin wrapper. I appreciated that the wrappers stayed intact and did not stick to the bottom of the bamboo.

Pork Dumpling (Shao Mai) are one of my personal favourites. The version here are just plain average with just the flavour of the fatty pork. I wish they use some dried shrimp or taro in the filling to add a second element and flavour to the dish.

Taro Root Cake was requested by my dining companion. Large pieces of taro fried to a crisp on the outside but still nice and soft in the inside, these were one of the standouts of the meal.

Chinese Sponge Cake, usually a dessert dish, came out in the middle of the meal (go figure). Literally a slice of sponge cake, this had a nice soft texture and a hint of lemon-ly flavour.

Feeling fairly gluttonous, it was at this point where we started lamenting how many dishes we ordered. The Pork & Preserved Egg Congee was nicely done with a wonderful umami flavour to the dish. The fatty pieces of pork and soft egg accentuated the dish well.

Shrimp Rice Rolls were a no-brainer for me. Tender rolls of rice rolls wrapping juicy pieces of shrimp and finished with the sweet and salty soy, this was a personal standout.

Last dish of the day were the Beef Balls. Looking at it now, I realize the picture does not do this dish justice. The beef balls were nice and tender with a strong fatty flavour and beef aroma. Make sure to dip it with the nutty soy sauce they provide for this dish.

Overall Noodle Express is fast food, efficient and humble dim sum. You will not be surprised by haute cuisine here, but should look if you have a hankering for decent dim sum at extraordinarily reasonable prices.

Viva La Vietnamese

Viva Restaurant has always rated highly on Urbanspoon's top Vietnamese. Vietnamese cuisine, specifically pho, is my dictionary definition of winter soul food. Thus after a few particularly grueling days of work it was an easy pick for my daily search for sustenance. As we approach the holidays I cannot help but get lopped up in the holiday spirit. Everyday in clinic brings a new bundle of fatty and refreshing goodies. Every night usually means a fun place to try or an older friend to catch up with. It truly is refreshing to see and work with such amazing colleagues and have such incredible friends.

Viva Restaurant lies within a few minutes drive of the Health Sciences Center. Residing on Sargent Street, the neon sign is not difficult to miss. The restaurant itself is inside a small professional complex with a few office buildings. Brightly lit, sparsely decorated, it exudes a certain class and elegance. Like its namesake, the restaurant has a certain life inside it: a cacophony of noise, a rush of brilliant aromas, the wondrous smile from the shop owners. Smiling to myself, this was going to be a good meal.

Viva has a nicely decorated menu featuring the staples of Vietnamese cuisine. I have always thought that the hallmark of a good Vietnamese restaurant lies within their broth and pho. To put it into context, the recipe for ones' pho broth is often a well kept family secret. Being the base of almost all of their soups it becomes crucial to do ones' broth correctly, and Viva's does a fine job.

The Rare Beef and Beef Ball Rice Noodle Soup (pho) was well done. Flavourful and deep, the broth brought together the entire dish. Thinly sliced beef and spongy beef balls, Viva does not disappoint in their serving size nor the amount of ingredients. The bean sprouts could have been a little fresher and a touch more cilantro could be used to spruce up the savoury-ness of the dish, but overall this was a mean bowl of pho.

I went off map a little today and got the Sizzling Spicy Beef & Onions. Served on a hot plate, this dish featured tender slices of beef mixed in a spicy marinate fried with onions and peppers. The serving size was a bit small but the dish rocked in umami flavour. Featuring spicy, sweet and a hint of bitterness, the fatty slices of beef contrasted well with the sharp vegetables. Make sure you eat this with a bowl of rice (included).

Viva Restaurant does not disappoint for quality pho in Winnipeg. Good for those in the area of the hospital or on Sargent it should be included for anyone with some Vietnamese cravings.

Asia City, fusion asian cuisine

Sometimes you just crave home cooking. For most of my life I grew up eating Chinese food. Most of the time the delicious meals would come courtesy of my mom's cooking. When we did dine out we would always find our local favourite Chinese restaurant. Thus I grew up having most of my holiday and important meals eating Chinese food. The other day I woke up post-call with a urge and craving for a taste of the homeland. Calling up a trusty co-worker of mine, we departed to Asia City.

Asia City lies in a busy stretch of road on Pembina Highway in the south of Winnipeg. Their brightly coloured building is somewhat tucked away from the main road so one has to watch for the large fluorescent sign on Pembina, beckoning them forward.

It was immediately apparent that Asia City is not a purely Chinese establishment. Its owners have created a menu of "Asian Fusion" cuisine. Creating their take on classic Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, Asia City concocts a mishmash of hybrid cuisines which takes their flavours, ingredients and methods and attempts to create the best dish possible. Admirable and somewhat successful.

Spicy Mar Pao Tofu is a take on the Sichuan dish Mapo doufu. Silken tofu is fried in a chili sauce with meat and, in Asia City's version, with mixed vegetables (which added nothing to the dish). The tofu, although missing the authentic chili oil, was delicious and had a sweetness to it you do not normally find. Replacing the tongue-numbing Sichuan chili with a toned down mellow spice was a thoughtful and, largely effective, change.

Next came the Salted Fish, Chicken & Eggplant Casserole. A hot pot dish that closely resembled its Chinese inspiration, the salted fish added a much needed saltiness to the dish. The oily and smooth eggplant was well done and the slices of chicken plentiful. The sauce encompassing the dish was ordinary, but it allowed for each ingredients' flavours to come the the fore. Overall good!

Feeling gluttonous, we also ordered a Crispy Chicken. Chinese style fried chicken was always a family favourite so it grieves me to report that the version at Asia City was a disappointment. Despite being fried well, the meat was completely devoid of flavour. The sweet and sour sauce provided did make it palatable but seemed like an afterthought tacked on as if the owners knew the chicken itself was bland. Do yourself a favour and skip this.

It is difficult for me not to see Asia City as a disappointment. I have to hand the restaurant for even attempting to tackle fusion cuisine of some of the most heralded and longstanding food cultures in the world. Furthermore I have to commend them on a good replication of the hot pot casserole. However I find it difficult to recommend them should you want a specific cuisine, rather it becomes a place I turn to when introducing new people to the idea of Asian food. There is nowhere else in Winnipeg that you can find such an eclectic mix of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. Just don't expect much authenticity.