Raw Almond 2015 - Weekend Brunch

It would seem as though I am slightly addicted. A friend from Edmonton had come to visit for their CaRMS interview and promptly asked what's new in Winnipeg. The hot topic of discussion, from the food scene perspective, was Raw Almond. Describing my experiences from the previous dinners and salivating at the possibility of brunch, we quickly made the easy trek to The Forks to experience the Raw Almond Weekend Brunch.

This particular morning was beautiful with clear blue skies and not a cloud to be seen. Knowing that the brunch was first come first serve, I had some reservations if they had enough room in the services to accommodate us. Nevertheless, my friend was struck by the marvel of the structure and the engineering and ingenuity one requires to produce such an event.

This brunch was hosted by The Tallest Poppy, a local brunch restaurant that just opened up a new location on Sherbrook street (across from Stella's). I was thoroughly excited as they take a unique view on food and tend to mix nontraditional ingredients in distinctive ways, often with delicious outcomes.

We started with drinks. I had a Two-Tone Caesar while my dining companion had the Mimosa. The caesar was as you would expect it, with a strong Mott's Clamato base elevated with a hint of Worcestershire and a dab of hot sauce. The mimosa was far simpler but more appropriate for brunch; featuring sparkling wine, orange juice and black pepper syrup, this was a refreshing start to any meal.

The first course was called the Red River Cereal. The base was more akin to a rice pudding or oatmeal and topped with poached pears and a berry compote. This was a excellent dish as the sweetness of the pears contrasted well with the soft and grainy (in a good way) cereal. Served warm, it filled out tummies with anticipation for the upcoming courses.

Next was Waffle with Bacon. Overall a serviceable dish, it consists of half a waffle with a piece of thick cut bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. The waffle was nicely cooked, the syrup a high quality and the bacon intentionally overcooked to add a crisp element. Although everything tasted fine, I was not enthused by this altogether regular dish.

The next dish was excellent! Coined as a Pupusa, Poached Egg and Slaw, this was the star of the meal. The pupusa, a native Salvadorian dish, was a thick tortilla filled with beans and covered with a perfectly poached egg, drizzled with hollaindaise and served on the side with coleslaw. The pupusa was hearty and tasty by itself but was elevated to another level with the smoothness of the silky egg. Excellent!

Our dessert was a Marshmallow. Homemade marshmallow covered with chocolate and finished with a touch of sea salt. I appreciated the variety of flavors here from the soft and gooey marshmallow to the bittersweet chocolate. The best part was the sea salt which added a nice contrasting ... salty ... flavour.

Overall Raw Almond impressed my dining companion. As a more lax weekend service I did expect it to differ vastly from the dinners. Overall I was happy with the meal. The food was of a high quality and offered some pairings that were both unique and delicious. I do have to criticize the use of paper plates and plastic forks and knives at the service. While understandable, I thought it took away from the classiness of Raw Almond.