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Dessert Sinsations

Dessert Sinsations
505 St. Mary Avenue
204.284.4661

After our lovely supper at Asahi, we headed over to Dessert Sinsations to satisfy our sweet tooth(s). Luckily, it also happens to be CiaoWinnipeg's ChocolateFest, and so, we chose two of their chocolate specials to share: the Rolo torte and the Chocolate Amaretto cheesecake. Both were exceedingly decadent, and I am happy that Colleen and I decided to share the slice of torte.

The slice of torte was more generous than that of the cheesecake and the multiple layers of chocolate goodness presented a challenge. The layers of chocolate cake nearest to the cream were moist and tasty, but the outer layers were just a tad dry. The layer of chocolate ganache was heavenly but quickly became too much for our tastebuds, especially in combination with the equally rich icing. The Rolo bits were lovely to come across and the drizzle of caramel over the plate provided a nice dipping sauce for the drier pieces of cake.

Colleen indulged in a Long Island Iced Tea for $3.95 (the day's special), while our ChocolateFest specials were $5 a slice. We enjoyed ourselves and the lovely service (she didn't charge us the minimum $5/person since it was fairly slow) and vowed to return to have a meal. The table next to us had a mound of French fries that smelled heavenly.

Asahi

Asahi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
3116 Roblin Blvd, Winnipeg
204-943-2566

Asahi has changed locations since I reviewed them. They are now located on Roblin Boulevard.

Kerri, Aaron, and Colleen found ourselves at Asahi this evening for supper club, and I was pleasantly surprised with everything! It was a leisurely supper with nearly perfect service. Our server was friendly and attentive for the most part, though more frequent water refills would have been appreciated. She took the time to ask if we had any questions and to answer the questions that we did, indeed, have.

Among the four of us, we ordered vegetable and shrimp tempura and the following rolls: pickled radish, yam tempura, Philidelphia, Tsunami, Tiger (I think), California, Bakudan, and Special Vegetarian. Everything was exceedingly fresh, but the Bakudan and Tiger rolls most definitely stood out. Our tempura were not greasy at all and the batter was crisp and airy, just as it should be. The shrimp tempura was especially good, while the vegetable tempura might be more enjoyable with smaller cuts (for the zucchini in particular). Presentation was also a delight for the eyes.

We enjoyed a half litre of the house white with our meal, which was lovely, actually. Since I'm not too much of a fan of dry wine, the house white must be a bit sweeter, probably a 1.

Our server split our bill without our asking and presented it before we had officially decided we would not have dessert there, which may have been a mistake on their part. Altogether, our bill came to around $80. I highly enjoyed my first visit to Asahi and plan to return again soon!

Tomi-Tola's

641 Sargent Avenue
(204) 779-2777

Unfortunately, Tomi-Tola's has closed down.
 
Since so many people on New Winnipeg listed Tomi-Tola's as one of their top West End restaurants, I suggested this Nigerian restaurant for the Pet Sole staff party, and Vani loved the idea. Six of us made it, including one vegetarian, and Kenny, the owner, was more than obliging. She even asked right-out if there were any vegetarians in the crowd.

Upon entering, Kenny greeted me and reached out for handshake but I opted for a hug, saying, "I hear you give hugs!" She was tickled pink and gave me a hug and proceeded to give everyone else at the table hugs. There was only one other table in the restaurant at the time, so Kenny sat down and had a chat with us about her menu and Nigerian food while we waited for the sixth person to arrive. Instead of ordering off the menu, Kenny ordered for us. She charged $10 per person and served us the traditional dishes, which included joloff rice, fried rice, salad, moin-moin (steamed black bean cakes), foo-foo (tropical mashed yams), egibu soup (soup=sauce in Nigeria), chicken, and fried plantains. Yum! I really liked the joloff rice, plantains, and chicken. The joloff rice is a bit spicy--just the way I like it! The egibu soup was quite good hot with the foo-foo, but once it had cooled off, I thought it needed more flavour.

Everything was served and eaten communally, just like you would at the dinner table at home. The foo-foo and soup are meant to be eaten by hand, and she welcomes eating purely by hand as well, though utensils are provided. We did have a choice of chicken, beef, or fish, or a combination of the above.

Kenny was more than generous and told us that she fed people until they were full, gauging their appetites by whether or not they're Canadian. I thought that was hilarious. She kept on asking if we wanted more food, and we did get some more plantains because they were so good! It was all covered under the $10, though.

We had water and red wine to drink. The wine didn't suit me but the others seemed to enjoy it (we're all poor students though). I also had the mango drink, which was quite nice--tasted like real mango.

Madina can't ever be replaced for me (someone needs to open up another Somalian restaurant!) but I found Kenny and her Nigerian food entertaining, filling, and delish!

Aladdin chez Sophie

Aladdin chez Sophie
248 De la Cathedrale Avenue
(204) 235-0353

My supper club left the restaurant absolutely stuffed. Between the five of us, we tried the 9" build-your-own pizza with pepperoni, bacon, cheese, and tomato sauce, the 13" Femiere pizza (three cheeses, one being goat cheese, and a cream sauce), salade noire (darky leafy greens, balsamic vinaigrette, dark chocolate shavings, parmesan, and orange slices), steak au poivres (with pommes frites and steamed vegetables), the tartiflette (glorified scalloped potatoes), the dessert pizza with chocolate sauce, and the banana strudel.

I enjoyed the salade noire but found it a little underwhelming. For nearly 6$ as a starter, I would either share the larger portion or skip the salad altogether and give in to a heavenly carb-filled night. We noticed that nearly everyone around us ordered soup, which came on a darling little wooden cutting board. It looks like a favourite amongst the regulars. Entrees (excluding pizzas) come with a home-baked white bun--fluffy and warm from the oven.

The three girls indulging in French pizza loved the thin crusts--crispy and light, but not to the point of being cracker-like. The crusts come in thin, medium, or deep crust. The bacon was real slices (not just crumbles) and the cheese was generously spread. Aladdin chez Sophie uses a special cheese made by Trappist monks, and the cheese is definitely the best part of the pizzas, as well as my tartiflette. The tartiflette was delicious but very rich. This baked dish contains sliced potatoes, tons of cheese, bacon, ham, and onions. I love potatoes and I could not finish this very filling portion.

I was a little disappointed with the desserts. You have to pre-order your dessert pizza during your entree because they make it fresh. I found the pizza crust to be too bland for a dessert pizza and the fruit did not retain very much flavour. I think this dish could benefit from less time in the oven or a pre-baked crust that's sweetened a touch more than the regular pizza crust. The banana strudel was not a strudel, in fact, but a rather skimpy serving of banana wrapped in what appeared to be pizza crust. The chocolate sauce on both desserts was too thinned out.

Service was delightful, though uninformed. Our server often had to go back to the kitchen when we asked a question about the menu. My friend's steak au poivre were supposed to come with salad, but alas, the salad did not come. We still enjoyed our evening and had some good laughs when the francophone server tried to converse with us. Be forewarned, some of their servers do not speak English! It was just shy of $100 plus tip for the five of us, and I would definitely go back for the pleasant atmosphere and delicious food.

Vi-Ann

I have only ever been to one other Vietnamese restaurant in Winnipeg, being Phuong Nam on William and Arlington, so I can't give a definitive answer regarding the best Vietnamese restaurant in Winnipeg.

Out of Vi-Ann and Phuong Nam, though, I would say Phuong Nam wins hands-down. Phuong Nam has real Vietnamese food for cheaper.

I'm sorry to disappoint those who *love* Vi-Ann's Vietnamese food, but it's actually Chinese food, with a couple of Vietnamese dishes. The people who own the restaurant are Chinese (I am Chinese and I heard them speaking). Most likely, they are ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. That's my guess because the menu and cooking style remind me of my own family's cooking. My grandma was ethnic Chinese from Vietnam.

I went with three friends. We ordered the Vietnamese vegetarian spring rolls to start. They were fresh and good. They are the small kind of spring roll, about the size of rotund pinky. Five to a plate with a generous dish of plum sauce.

For our main course, we ordered the Charbroiled Pork Ball Salad Wrap, Beef Lo Mein, Vegetarian Singapore Curry Rice Vermicelli, and the Honey Garlic Ginger Chicken.

The Salad Wrap was very good, though the pork was not in ball form. There were eight rice wraps, a platter of rice noodles, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and bean sprouts (sparing on the vegetables), and the pork, and a dish of fish sauce. I missed the fresh herbs that you get at Phuong Nam.

The Chinese dishes are all very generous, easily doubling the size of dishes at most North American-style Chinese restaurants. I really liked the Beef Lo Mein. About 2 parts bean sprouts to 2 parts noodles, with a generous helping of broccoli, and an average helping of beef. The Rice Vermicelli was disappointing, though. The curry flavour was off, and they use flat rice noodles... which aren't vermicelli... hmm. The vegetables were also the same as the Lo Mein dish, which made for a weird combination with the thinner, lighter-tasting noodle. Finally, the chicken dish was great! A smaller serving than the noodle dishes, the chicken was lightly battered and in a not-too-sweet sauce, along with green peppers and onions, and sprinkled all over with sesame seeds. A very nice touch. The chicken came with steamed rice--a decent variety of jasmine rice.

All of the dishes were on the sweet side. I'd propose the reason people like Vi-Ann is because of the sugar in each dish. Even the Lo Mein was sweet tasting.

After the four of us had finished eating, each noodle dish could still fill its own take-out container, and there was also half a container of chicken. Oh, and don't take us for light eaters, either.

We all had water. Two of the girls had the iced Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk. The coffee was very good with great presentation... as far as family-owned Vietnamese places go. The coffee comes still dripping from the filter onto a thick layer of condensed milk, with another glass of ice.

Regarding service, it's pretty on par with other low-staffed Chinese restaurants. I made eye contact with the waitress when I was ready to orderand she came right over. Ice water came without our needing to ask. We did have to ask for refills, but that's no big deal. When we were finished, they came to ask if we'd like to take it home. I'm guessing the "bad service" rep comes from the naturally surly look of the waitress. She's not a smiler.

Our bill came to $50 and change. Though this isn't an amazing deal, when you consider that there was enough left over for another supper, it's worth it. The location in Osborne also makes the restaurant a great place to meet with folks before heading out somewhere else. I'd recommend it for some good Vietnamese/*Chinese* food.

For a greater variety of Vietnamese food, try Phuong Nam. Vi-Ann is limited to the essential dishes: salad wraps, pho, and rice noodle dishes (tossed with meat, julienned veggies, and fish sauce--sorry, I can't remember what it's called in English).

Baked Expectations

Baked Expectations
161 Osborne Street
(204) 452-5176

I will admit to my bias right off the top. I hate paying for "fancy and overpriced" desserts and think nearly all desserts by the slice are overpriced. So, when I say that everything cost too much money, you need to take that into account!

I went to Baked Expectations with a large group of friends for a birthday party. I personally sampled the dark chocolate cheesecake (6.50$), orange chocolate cake, and key lime pie (6$). All very good, in their own rights. I really enjoyed the key lime pie--very light filling, full of flavour, and a flaky crust. My friend ordered the trifle (6$) and that was the disappointment of the night. She received a tiny bowl and was highly unsatisfied.

We had a variety of hot drinks that were not as good as the desserts, but that's to be expected, I suppose. It was a nice surprise to learn they carried different percentages of milk when another friend ordered a glass for 2$.

Service was absolutely wonderful, though. It was an incredibly busy Saturday night and the server made time to arrange us a long table, didn't charge the 5$ minimum per person, and even provided a candle for my friend's slice of cake!

Moxie's Classic Grill

Moxie's Classic Grill
Polo Park Shopping Centre (1485 Portage Avenue)
(204) 783-1840
1615 Regent Avenue
(204) 654-3345
St. Vital Centre (49-1225 St. Mary's Road)
(204) 257-1132
MTS Centre (300 Portage Avenue)
(204) 926-5757

Moxie's and I go way back. The Polo Park location was the choice hang-out in my high school years. Our fond memories, the restaurant's comfortable atmosphere, and the people-pleasing menu ensure a visit every few months, if not more often (around birthday season).

One of my perennial favourites at Moxie's is the Smoked Applewood Chicken Pizza. The small size serves as a great appetizer to share. The crust is quite thin, almost with a cracker-like texture. Spread evenly over top are carmelized onions, roasted chicken, apples, and sun-dried tomatoes. They also offer several other pizzas on the same thin crust.

Moxie's is constantly revamping their menu, and their most recent menu includes adventurous appetizers like tuna points and stand-by pub fare like beer battered fish and chips. The creative display of the tuna points could rival any sushi restaurants. Sushi-grade tuna balanced delicately on top of a triangle of cracker with a variety of tasty garnishes. The visual appeal, however, is countered by the rather difficult eating process. The tuna points are not bite-size, but because of the crunch of the base, a crumbly mess awaits.

They also have great stand-by meals, of which we sampled the penne carbonara, cheese foccacia toast, broccoli and cheese soup, prawns, clubhouse sandwich, honey dill double chicken breast sandwich, and beer battered fish and chips. All very tasty, though the prawns were on the small side. We went on bellini night and enjoyed the fishbowls! Bellinis make a girl's world go round.

My last visit to Moxie's was to the new MTS Centre location. I must say, while the atmosphere is quite nice--subdued lighting, dark woods, etc.--there are some design flaws. The biggest mistake were the long booth tables that sit adjacent to a window, literally preventing servers to do their jobs! We had to pass entrees down the table. Who wants to do that when they go out to eat? Moxie's has also matched Earl's for the female servers' short skirts now, so watch out for that as well. There were still plenty of kids around, though.

Cora's

Cora's (or Chez Cora in French)
340 Provencher Boulevard
(204) 9281204
840 Waverley Street
(204) 9281200

When my Toronto friend Mikael visited me in Winnipeg in October, we made a spontaneous and speedy stop at Cora's on Waverly between pedicures and his date. He insisted, as I love Quebec and crepes, and he thought it was a crying shame I didn't know Winnipeg was home to Cora's.

After informing the host and our server we were in a rush, we were served very quickly. Mikael had the raspberry burst, I believe, with English cream. I had three crepes with "a mountain of fruit." I was wowed by the size of the crepes. For $9, it was good value.

So, this past weekend, when Ebony and I had some time to spare before going tobogganing, we went for another spontaneous brunch. Being a Sunday morning, the place was absolutely packed. Cora's specializes in breakfast fare, with a two-page span featuring all sorts of crepes, as well as other breakfast favourites. They also have lunch items. Cora's is well-known for serving fruit alongside every dish, though I have found that this "mountain" usually isn't a very big one. Or if your dish already has fruit in it, like the raspberry burst, then you won't get any additional fruit.

Ebony had the raspberry for lucie and I had the ham and swiss. We shared a mango and banana puree, which was thick and yummy, but oddly room-temperature, which I don't especially like in a smoothie. Ebony was disappointed with the size of her crepe, as I had been raving about how many I had eaten last time, but as she tasted the raspberries and cream, she became reconciled. For $10.15, though, it's a bit pricey. My ham and swiss was delish, but again, seemed overpriced for what it was. The accompanying fruit was not nearly as nicely displayed as in the menu, so it seems Cora's doesn't meet expectations.

Overall, it's a fun atmosphere that makes me feel like I'm back in a sunny cafe in Quebec (though blown up to franchise proportions). The food is good, though most of it is overpriced. If you went for some staples, though, Cora's is comparable price-wise to places like Stella's, while the food itself takes you out of Winnipeg and into Quebec.

Luce

Luce
635 Corydon Avenue
(204) 4523037

Luce is now closed.

I took Colleen and Aaron to Luce on Sunday night for their Christmas present. We partook in an extended Dine Out $25 menu--lovely for the pocket book!

We all had the housemade ricotta and grilled eggplant tournedo to start. This appetizer is Luce's vegetarian take on sirloin tournedos. The eggplant is wrapped around the ricotta like bacon. Paired with a pesto sauce and a fresh tomato sauce, I found the two tournedos to be more on the bland side alone, though the ricotta was very nice.

Aaron and I both had the beef trio, which consisted of petit filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce, six pepper tenderloin kebab, and braised shank steak with chipotle and raspberry, accompanied by roasted garlic smashed potato and Asian greens. This plate was nicely presented but seemed rather scant, especially in comparison with Colleen's shrimp trio. However, the kebab and shank steak were both very tasty. The kebab was tender. I very much enjoyed the shank steak. Its texture and heat reminded me of Indian dishes. The gorgonzola sauce was lovely, but I was disappointd with the filet mignon. The piece of meat itself was fairly miniscule and, probably due to its size, the meat was tougher than filet mignon should be. The smashed potatoes were rather bland without a generous sprinkling of fresh ground pepper but were nice and hot.

Colleen had the shrimp trio: shrimp phyllo satchetti with blue brie and chestnut butter, grilled shrimp with smoked salmon veloute, and shrimp cake with chili lime sauce, accompanied by cactus pear rice pilaf. Her favourite part was the satchetti which she deemed tasty and surprisingly filling. The shrimp cakes surprised her with their tangy flavour. A great talker, though, by the time Colleen had finished the shrimp, the rice pilaf was cold, and she only had a few bites before tossing in the napkin.

We finished with Colleen and I having the cheesecake trio. The lemon ginger cheesecake was surprisingly good! The candied ginger lends a distinctive and sweet taste, but I avoided the whole ginger pieces. The mocha cheesecake was also nice, with a nice crunch from toffee. However, the chocolate-covered cheesecake didn't quite work, the chocolate being too hard and the cheesecake too soft for you to eat them together. Aaron had the cheese and fruit platter, which was rather skimpy, I think. He had two thin slices of gorgonzola and a few small squares of aged provolone and parmesan paired with two thin slices of pear, one of apple, a couple slices of more exotic fruit, and a spartan sprig of grapes.

Colleen and I both had Blackberry Lemonade, a cocktail with lemonade, creme de cassis, and Sprite. It was fun, light, tasty, and dare I say, girly! $5 for a glass that we sipped on throughout the meal. Aaron stuck to re-fillable iced tea for $2. Colleen and I had tea and coffee afterwards for $2.

I found Luce's food to be different and exciting, but I think that I would choose carefully if I were to return. Like any type of fusion food, especially presentation sometimes appears to take precedence, I think shock value or uniqueness sometimes nudges aside good old common sense for what tastes good!