Baraka Pita Bakery & Restaurant

It should be no surprise to anyone reading this blog that I love food. Wrap it, grill it or fry it; if something is edible then you can bet I will not be too far behind. During the first two years of medical school I was consuming food at an incredible pace: there would be nights when I would have "two suppers" or days when I would frequent the local Indian buffet. Unsurprisingly I grew to an unhealthy weight, one that started alienating my friends, costing future relationships and ultimately shaving years off my life expectancy. Thus during third year of medical school I decided enough was enough. Cutting out the fatty unnecessary meals of the day, I started on a crash diet of homemade meals, low calorie snacks and the occasional workout at the local gym (emphasis on occasional). During the half year it took me to lose ~40 lbs, my guilty pleasure were pitas. Pockets of delicious bread filled with grilled lean protein and vegetables finished with delicious hummus, it was exactly the low fat, high protein meal I needed. Thus with fond memories of my love for pitas, I came across Baraka Pit Bakery & Restaurant.

Baraka Pita Bakery & Restaurant is a highly rated Mediterranean restaurant in the north end of Winnipeg. The family run joint has been a staple for the past couple decades and features a simple but killer menu based on Falafel and Shawarma.

Their menu is small and revolves around a meat (or falafel) base in either a pita or a platter. Accompanying that duo is a nice mixture of vegetables and dips. Despite the small menu, it was obvious Baraka was doing well. During the ten minutes it took me to peruse through the offerings, a line had started to form to order. Crying out in dismay, I quickly decided on my culinary target of the day and proceeded to order.

I foolishly asked the owners what their Soup of the day was. "Lentil, the same soup it is everyday" the owner replied with a huge grin. "Well, I can not go without trying that then!" The soup was excellent. A curry based broth worked well with the smooth creamy lentils and was contrasted with fried crispy bits of dough (you can tell I have no idea what their called). A tasty start to the meal!

Wanting to try as much as possible I ordered the Lamb Platter. A heaping plateful of food featuring the grilled lamb on a bed of rice with a side of Greek salad, hummus, tabbouleh and garlic sauce. Absolutely delicious: the charred bits of meat were incredibly tender, the Greek salad well dressed and the rice soaking up all the wonderful juices. The star of the dish though was the creamy fragrant hummus which brought the entire dish together.

Baraka is a special little place in Winnipeg. Judging by the massive lines out of the door, it is obvious that Barakas' business model works. And it is easy to see why as they have good delicious food at affordable prices mixed in with friendly owners and staff. Baraka is definitely one of my top recommendations for anyone in for a pita fix, or in need for a meal in north side of Winnipeg.

Fast Food Korean - Kim Chi

I woke up today happier and almost back to normal. Stoic, I decided that I shall not waste the day and went upon a huge shopping spree. It really is amazing how quickly you can fall behind on life. I ventured out today to Costco, Superstore, and finally to the shopping mall Polo Park.

It has been ages since I ate at a food court. After starting this blog, one of the things I tried to avoid was fast food. However I had a craving for some korean ... and had a 25% off coupon from the Winnipeg Show & Save Book for Kim Chi.

In the food court, this was by far the most popular of the lines. While in line, I decided upon the Chicken & Beef Kalbi. Out came a good portion of rice, stir fried vegetables and korean marinated beef and chicken. The beef ribs were bland and tasteless. The chicken however, was nicely seasoned with korean spices and char grilled. Overall, a satisfying quick lunch.

To a classic ... - Bridge Drive-In

One of the places everyone here in Winnipeg tends to rave about is BDI. Touting lines that could last up to half an hour, I had to go check out this Winnipeg institution.

BDI doesn't try to do anything fancy. Just shakes, sundaes and soft-serve.

The girlfriend enjoyed a Oreo Cookie Dough milkshake. Within the creamy ice cream was bountiful oreo cookie bits. So good

For me I had to try their softserve. When I saw the menu I told myself that I had to try the standard ice cream with no toppings nor dressings. THEN while in line, a child walked past me happily eating a bunch of sprinkles off his ice cream. I was sold. I have a soft spot for sprinkles. They are horrible for you, being all sugar and all that. But I couldn't resist. When it came to my turn, I got the watermelon flavoured ice cream with sprinkles. Boy was it delicious. I now know why everyone loves BDI. Part of it is the ice cream, but part of it is also being able to enjoy the company of close friends and loved ones. There's also this super snazzy bridge you can walk across with your dessert in hand. Loved it.