Winnipeg Flying Noodle House - Incredible Homemade Noodles

I am amazed at the diversity and range of cuisines available here in Winnipeg on a daily basis. Not only are there the upscale Western style restaurants, but the litany of International options is dizzying. Exemplifying it even more so is Winnipeg Flying Noodle House, a mom and pop restaurant featuring handmade noodles and dishes from Mainland Northern China.

Located on Isabel Street just north of William, the restaurant is in an auspicious location flanked by take out pizza joints. Definitely not the location one would look for authentic Chinese. It also does not help that the exterior is decidedly dated and unwelcoming, nor do the tacky decor inside the restaurant. Nevertheless as with most of these family run places, the service and attitude of the owners positive and always keen to please.

The menu is exactly what I was looking for! Featuring only fourty items, it is clear that the owners were specifically looking to offer Northern Chinese specialties. Their main is always the handmade noodles which come in a dazzling array of protein options. Add on top of that specialty fried dishes and featured dishes like sliced fish fillet in chili oil makes this exciting menu soar. You can imagine my excitement off the charts for the food!

Homemade Noodles with Slow Cooked Spicy Beef in Broth is a long name but expertly crafted. The key here is in the extremely tender knife shaved noodles that are thick enough to soak up the soup but thin enough to not overwhelm the dish. Their slight chewiness is a welcome textural element especially when contrasted to the rich thick chunks of beef. The broth is also excellent with rich and deep flavours of the beef based broth.

Going with something new on the menu I ordered the Stir-Fry Preserved Yardlong Bean with Ground Pork. This dish was decidedly less appealing than the noodles as it featured small cut up bits of yardlong bean (similar to green bean) and ground pork. The chili sauce everything is fried in adds a nice heat to the dish but otherwise it is but one note in an otherwise bland ensemble.

I am a sucker for hot pots so you can imagine my excitement when this Slow Cooked Beef with Onion, Pepper, Leek and Potatoes Served in Iron Pot showed up for my eating delight. The beef was lightly dusted with a satay based sauce which went perfectly with the wok fried vegetables giving each bite a nice combination of sweet, salty, bitter and sour. The vegetables were nicely cooked: tender but not soft which challenged the brazen flavours of the well.

Winnipeg Flying Noodle House is an incredible treat to find in the heart of Winnipeg. While the decor and restaurant are nothing to write home about, the food is, at its heart, traditional Northern Chinese fare and anyone wanting a change from the usual dull Westernized Chinese in the area should come for a bite (make sure to order the noodles)!

Lan May = Overpiced and Undervalued Taiwainese

I write this post in disappointed retrospect as I reminisce about the poor meal I had at Lan May. Taiwanese cuisine comes from a mixture of different cultures, representative of the extreme variances of political rule its people had to endure over the past few decades. Not wanting to bore you with a history lesson, Taiwan and its people have become an amalgamation of Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Western culture over its many years and this diversity is shown in its varied and experimental style of cuisine. Therefore I was ecstatic upon learning of Lan May, a supposedly traditional Taiwanese restaurant in town, a moniker that unfortunately its owners have failed to live up to.

Located on Portage Avenue, Lan May boasts an excellent location to attract both foot and car traffic. Realizing this, the owners created an attractive and sprawling signage that beckons would be diners forward. Initial impressions of the interior are also positive with a sprawling back dining area and smaller booth style rooms for groups wanting a more private affair. The attentive husband and wife combination greet you warmly as you enter the restaurant.

The menu, in truth, is impressive both in regards to the authenticity as well as the variety of dishes available. The menu is easy to follow with beautiful pictoral depictions of the more popular dishes, an always helpful addition! What the menu lacks though is focus. While I appreciate the sprawling number of dishes available, I found a few of the choices puzzling (i.e. Korean Kimchi) and others lacking proper descriptions of depictions. Nevertheless there is enough here to make anyone happy.

Wanting to order from the "Specialty" section of the menu, I started with a Taiwanese Fried Chicken. Akin to popcorn chicken, these little nuggets of dark meat are lightly dusted and shallow fried to form a nice tender interior while having a crisp exterior. Although nice fried, the dish lacked seasoning and finesse with the only unique flavour coming from crisp fried basil.

Boiled Pork Dumplings are a specialty of all Chinese people and these were rightfully tasty. Large tender dumplings are filled to the brim with a lean pork and cabbage mixture and boiled to perfection. The addition of light soy gives the dish a much needed saltiness that acts to coat the purposefully bland dumpling. Only negative is the overall value with eight of these dumplings going for $8.

My final dish is supposedly the most unique of Taiwanese dishes, Simmered Pig Feet, but was in actuality extremely disappointing. Albeit, the large portion of pigs feet had a nice aromatic presence that sings of anise and soy. However the meat was sinewy and the skin (a delicacy in China) chewy and tough; all coaslescing in a dish that was downright inedible. In fact it was tough to get through a portion of the dish before resorting back to my other orders.

It is difficult for me to recommend Lan May to anyone but those extremely intent on trying Taiwanese cuisine in Winnipeg. Despite the best efforts of the owners, the restaurant is overpriced and undervalued, especially when in comparison to the other Chinese spots in town. While its uniqueness is a definite positive, the quality of food needs to improve before it can become a staple in Winnipeg's Chinese food scene.

Delectable Vietnamese in the heart of downtown, Vietnam Restaurant

One cuisine I always turn back to when having a bad day or requiring a quick meal is Vietnamese. The combination of fresh ingredients in a hearty bowl of soup is perfect for the busy at work professional. Thus it should be of no surprise to anyone that a bevy of delicious pho restaurants surround the Health Sciences Centre. On a rather non-busy day at work I made the quick trek out to Vietnam Restaurant for a bite. 

Located in a strip mall off Balmoral Street in the west end of the city, Vietnam Restaurant will not win any beauty pageants. In fact the drab exterior is an eyesore for anyone passing by unknown of the delights inside. The interiors are similarly decorated with plain glass top tables that house small advertisements underneath the glass ... tacky indeed! Nevertheless the service staff are nice and attentive; more than making up for the barren esthetics of the restaurant.

The vast and cavernous menu houses so many options that one wonders how a small family run kitchen can possibly create them all. A finer perusal of the menu reveals that the majority of the dishes are simply permutations of each other, mostly offering a difference in protein or sauce option. Nevertheless the classics are there including a smattering of delectable pho options, a bevy of bun (Vermicelli) and an almost exhaustive list of stir fries. There is nothing there that will surprise anyone who frequents Vietnamese restaurants, but that should not be taken as a negative. In reality, Vietnam's owners show a matter of self confidence in offering the no frills classics of Vietnamese cuisine.

My usual order of Medium Rare & Beef Ball Rice Noodle Soup (Pho) was one of the better ones I have had in Winnipeg. A luxurious broth that sings the many aromas of star anise and beef bones is both delicate and rich and works well to envelop the tender noodles and thin cuts of beef. The beef balls were large and springy, as they should be, and the beef slices delicate and light. The symphony is finished with tender and light bean sprouts that add a delicate crunch to the entire meal.

My second dish to try, Sizzling Spicy Satay Beef & Onion, was less of a success. While tasty, the entire dish lacked finesse and tasted unilaterally of satay. I recognize that I deliberately ordered a satay dish, but I wished that the sweetness of the onions or the inherent richness of the beef played a stronger note here, rather than simply that of the sauce. Make sure to enjoy this dish with a heaping bowl of steamed rice!

Vietnam Restaurant is exactly what I am looking for in a Vietnamese restaurant. As per its namesake, the owners strive to offer authentic cuisine at reasonable prices ... and for the most part, it succeeds! Ignore the rather drab decor and come to enjoy one of the best options for pho in the Health Sciences area.

Kim Thanh - Average Pho

Finding the best pho in Winnipeg is a difficult process with new restaurants popping up on an seemingly daily basis. With each boasting authentic home inspired cuisine, it can be a daunting process to find the best pho in town. Therefore in my continued need to establish the best Vietnamese (and other cuisine) restaurants in Winnipeg, I find myself at Kim Thanh.

Kim Thanh is located close to the hospital on Notre Dame by Arlington. The unassuming exterior might be a seemingly drab contrast to other newer restaurants, but is serviceable and most importably, noticeable for passersby. Similarly, the interiors are nothing to shout home about, but seem clean and feature a modest number of chairs for diners and patrons.

The menu itself is rather sprawling. Impressed by the number of dishes here, diners should be pleased by the great variety of Vietnamese cuisine found here. Starting from the classic Vietnamese phos and noodle soups, one also finds the popular Vermicelli bowls, traditional stir fries and French inspired submarine sandwiches. An impressive feat considering the small family-run aspect of the restaurant.

My hallmark for any Vietnamese establishment is the Rare Beef & Beef Balls Pho and the version here was simply average. Kim Thanh's pho broth, the most important ingredient, lacked a depth of flavour usually found in pho broths, but rather had a MSG filled instant soup flavour to it. Furthermore, the beef balls were missing the sponginess one usually finds but rather were firm and rather unappealing. The rare beef, thankfully was as advertised and thinly cut.

Prawn & Pork Salad Rolls are a favorite of mine and another marker of the quality of a Vietnamese restaurant. These rolls were again average with nice springy shrimp and pork slices all wrapped together with a bevy of vegetables and rice noodles. The accompanying hoisin based sauce was a tasty, albeit extremely salty, dip that complimented the intentionally bland ingredients in the roll well.

Wanting to try a number of things (and also starving from a tiny lunch) I also ordered a Banh Mi Grilled Pork. Harkening back to a French inspiration, the Banh Mi is a classic Vietnamese submarine sandwich taking crusty bread and filling it with a host of grilled meats and vegetables. I enjoyed the version here with nice pieces of tender grilled pork, salty and sugary pickled vegetables and fresh cilantro. Encasing it all is a nice bread that had the needed crunch on the exterior while being velvety soft in the middle.

Fresh bean sprouts are always necessary at a Vietnamese restaurant and while the initial visual passed the test, further inspection revealed old and slightly yellowing sprouts, definitely a turn off for a supposed traditional Vietnamese restaurant.

I have to be underwhelmed by Kim Thanh. Most of their food today was average at best, stale and tasteless at worst; and while the crunchy Banh Mi was a highlight, it did not elevate Kim Thanh above many of the Vietnamese establishments in Winnipeg. You can find better even in the hospital vicinity.

Homer's - Average Greek

And oh back to Winnipeg! After finishing my elective in Edmonton, I was not shocked to find the damage both to my wallet and my waistline. Wanting to start on a healthier non-everyday eating out diet, I vowed to limit my outings this month for food. Well that ended quickly. After finishing my first day back on the pediatrics wards I felt the urge for some homey soul filling food. Finding a trusty resident friend who was also free, we landed upon Greek food to satisfy our hunger pangs. Known for their catering of many medical school events, I had consistently heard of Homer's and its promises of authentic and tasty Greek cuisine. And so we made the short trek to Homer's on Ellice.

Homer's is located on Ellice Avenue on the corner of Ellice and Young Street. The large brick building is hard to miss with its pleasant lettering that beckons prospective diners forward. For such a congested area of the city I was impressed by the relatively large parking lot associated with the restaurant, definitely a plus for anyone who knows the parking woes in this area of town.

This restaurant is beautiful. Pearly white walls with marble like columns adorn the large open dining space with thoughtful and tasteful decor. Definitely pleasant on the eye! The menu is sprawling and features a number of appetizers, soups and salads to start; and a venerable choice of meat souvlakis and combination platters for dinner.

Saganaki is a popular Greek dish known for its flair and theatrics, where servers take a pan fried portion of Greek Cheese and flambe the dish, often to screams and squeals of delight. Despite being known for its pomp and circumstance, the flambe actually imparts a nice smoky aroma and flavour to the seared cheese. Homer's does well to create a dichotomy between the crispy crust with the smooth creamy interiors. Tasty!

Avgolemono Soup is a humble looking soup that packs a strong punch of lemon-y flavour. Despite the initial intense tangy-ness, the lemon works to accentuate the entire dish to bring out the other flavours. Texturally you get the occasional chunk of chicken or bite of tender rice to contrast the broth.

The Homer's Platter is a venerable feast involving two skewers, a healthy portion of Moussaka and a large stuffed tomato. Their platters and dishes come with your choice of starch, potatoes or rice, and a handful of steamed vegetables. The initial visual inspection of the dish was rather disappointing with each item seemingly slapped onto the plate with little finesse or care for their presentation. But nevertheless, it is about the food.

Adorning one part of the dish was the Pork Souvlaki and Moussaka. I was impressed by the treatment of the tender pork that had enough of a charred crust to texturally contrast the moist interiors. Unfortunately the flavours were dimunitive with it lacking seasoning and taste. Thankfully the Moussaka was much better with its combination of exquisitely creamy eggplant, tender but crisp zucchini and a luxuriously rich sauce. Eggplant tends to soak up all the tastes surrounding it and Homer's does a nice job of pairing it with the strong bechamel sauce.

The other half of the dish consisted of another average skewer, this time Chicken Souvlaki. Like its porky counterpart, I have no qualms with the cooking of the chicken but rather find it dull and lacking of any flavour. Similarly also, the accompaniment, a Stuffed Tomato was excellent. The oven roasted tomato is filled with a pilaf of rice, herbs and small diced vegetables. In the roasting process, the starch nicely encapsulates all the inherent sour, sweet and salty flavours from the tomato. Well done!

My dining companion's dish, the Lamb Souvlaki plate comes with two large skewers of marinated lamb, a few mouthfuls of vegetables and again your choice of starch. I was thoroughly disappointed in this dish, as the lamb, like its pork and chicken cousins, was not only dull and devoid of flavour but also dry, overcooked and tough. For a culture that is known for their lamb, this laughably poor effort will impress nobody. Thankfully the lemon-y potatoes are delicious.

Homer's is a beautiful restaurant serving ordinary and, at times, subpar, Greek food. While diners will be initially impressed by the decor and authenticity of the restaurant environment, the food will be unfortunately disappointing. With that said there were tasty bites in our meal, but they comprised accompanying dishes rather than the main hitters. In the end there are better Greek restaurants in Winnipeg and Homer's should be only a consideration for anyone stuck in the Ellice area with a craving for Greek.