Where in the Land of Food Have I Been?

Short answer: absent.

A Fiesta in a Corner of Downtown Winnipeg

Thank goodness I know a couple of foodie friends in Winnipeg! Not only can we sample more dishes from one place, but we can also bounce off each other our opinions on all aspects of the dining experience. T. & J., that was a good night; I can see a few more noshes in our sights down the road.

It's About Time!

A few of my friends already know that there are some aspects of the big city life that I've missed since moving to Brandon, one of which is fine dining. In a sense, this isn't a bad thing since I've encouraged myself to improve on my cooking, but even with dining at home my abilities to experiment are limited by what can be purchased in town or, in rarer instances, in nearby Winnipeg. Fortunately, since the opening of this one particular store in town in August, I can now enjoy some drinks from the comfort of my own home.

Making My First Christmas Dinner

I'll remember Christmas 2009 as a unique if not watershed moment; it was the first Christmas which I did not spend with family. Considering that I'd been able to take time off work for three consecutive Christmases including the flights there and back, it was about time I'd let my colleagues take the time off while I would hold the fort. Of course, with a few days off (perchance a long weekend), that gave me the opportunity to cook experimentally for myself. My Christmas may have been solitary, but that didn't mean that I couldn't make the best of the situation.

An Unusual and Delightful Indulgence on Meat

(I had meant to write and post this sooner after I finished my Ontario trip, but other matters, including an illness, dictated otherwise.)

Charcuterie... it's a style of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, and since it deals exclusively with meat and meat products, it is a vegetarian's nightmare. With respect to one particular charcuterie in Toronto, it may also be a conservative diner's nightmare as well. Allow me to explain: The Black Hoof also serves dishes that involve parts of animals that may not be considered as traditional fare, so don't expect ribs, chops or tenderloins at this place. I'll divulge on the details shortly along with the requisite pictures.

The Black Hoof, located in the centre of Toronto's Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood, was ranked #2 in En Route's 2009 list of Canada's 10 Best New Restaurants (refer to my previous entry), and having missed the opportunity to try Nota Bene last year, my sister and I made it a mission to try this place. Fortunately, two of our cousins agreed to join us, which was perfectly fine with me; the more the merrier... and the more dishes we could sample and share. Yes, when it comes to food, I admit that I at times may have ulterior motives to satisfy my indulgences.






















No reservations are accepted here, and neither are credit cards, so armed with a trip to the bank we got there at the tail end of rush hour while there were still a few empty tables to take. When I entered The Black Hoof I thought of it as a scene of paradoxes; the decor seemed to say class, yet the metal and wood chairs reminded me of high school; the dishes were presented well, yet the restaurant only had a household Kenmore oven range for cooking them. Fortunately, the service was good and, more importantly, the food was delicious.









While my cousins and I waited for my sister who had to stay at work a bit late, we started indulging ourselves with our first order of the evening, the large charcuterie. Except for the chorizo (the dark slices at the bottom left of the wooden platter), all the meats and meat products shown were made by the restaurant itself. From what I can recall after two weeks, there was everything from pancetta and capicola to liverwurst and dill-infused lardo to smoked foie gras and foie gras mousse. Flavours got more intense as one moved from the right side of this picture to the left, and all of them were delightful. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we didn't leave any for my sister; she's guilt-tripped me royally about this, but that's another story.









When she did at last join us we ordered our own dishes; my first (yes, first) was Tongue on Brioche. Ah, the picture fooled you, huh? It certainly wasn't what I expected to see or even taste. The texture, both visually and physically, was very reminiscent to Montreal smoked meat, though it was comparatively leaner than actual Montreal smoked meat. The subtly sweet brioche helped bring out the flavours of the sliced tongue. My sister and I both agreed that, of all the dishes we tried that night, that was our favourite. (Yes, this wowed me more than their charcuterie plate, perhaps, in hindsight, likely to its ingenuity and presentation.)









Our second-favourite pick was my sister's first order, the Raw Horse Sammy. Consumption of horse meat may be illegal in certain jurisdictions, but not in Ontario apparently, and the chef's audacity to present the meat raw is testament as to how fresh it is. My sister opined that the texture was reminiscent to raw tuna. Notwithstanding the egg yolk and the spicy mayo, this may have arguably been the leanest dish sampled by us that evening.









Both of my cousins opted to order one dish each; one of them ordered Sweetbreads and Polenta. I only managed to sample some of the sweetbreads, which were fried to a nice texture, but though they definitely didn't feel nor taste greasy, the fried sweetbreads combined with polenta made it a heavy dish. (For those of you not familiar with them, sweetbreads are typically veal or beef thymus glands.)









My other cousin ordered Nduja Fetuccini, with the sauce made from that unique Calabrian sausage. The sauce was sufficiently rich in flavour that not as much was needed to coat the pasta as other sauces typically might.









After that, my sister and I felt ready for Round 2, so we ordered a couple more dishes to try. The next I ordered was Foie Gras PB & J. Pan-seared and resting on a brioche slice, the foie gras was heaven in my mouth; I'm sure I had a Chairman Kaga grin on my face during one of those bites. The "PB" refers to the peanut sauce on one side of the foie gras; the sauce's flavour and texture seemed closer to a southeast Asian version of peanut sauce instead of peanut butter as we know it. The "J" portion refers to the thick dark coulis, which on its own was a bit stronger in flavour than the peanut sauce but married well with the foie gras; somebody even took the time to peel and quarter a grape to place within the coulis on my dish. My sister called this dish a "heart attack on a plate", and I must admit that I must concede to that point. At least I've been a good boy and, until that night, had not hat any foie gras since the previous November.









My sister's second order was Tripe and Trotter Stew. It reminded my sister a little bit of French onion soup, and it was hearty, flavourful and belly-warming. The chickpeas added some contrasting texture to the generally soft and smooth textures of the tripe and trotter meat.









Finally, I was the only one who could only handle one more dish, and only then a small one at that; nonetheless we almost sampled the entire menu, and I had no regrets. To finish things off, I ordered the Roast Bone Marrow. The last time I had a dish where marrow was featured was at several Chinese restaurants when I was a kid as a stir-fry with some seafood and vegetables. Alas, that dish quickly disappeared from every menu I've seen to date since the BSE scare in Canada, and I was quite disappointed. Marrow is mild and sweet, and in the stir-fry dishes it was firm enough to stay as one piece when held with chopsticks, yet gave way easily like jelly or tofu when bitten. You could therefore imagine my anticipation to try this simple dish, and I was not disappointed. The bone was cut across and roasted on its own, the marrow had to be scooped out with a small spoon and some sea salt was needed to bring out the flavour. Spread on the supplied crostini the marrow was buttery and melted in the mouth.

The Black Hoof does a wonderful job showcasing meat and meat products, reminding us that some of the best treats offered by an animal is not necessarily in a rib eye steak or a rack of lamb. That said, in a sense I'm thankful I live well outside Toronto, as I'd be constantly tempted to try the restaurant again when I know I have to keep an eye on my own health; hey, the chef never said he'd only serve lean cuts at this place.

Name: The Black Hoof
Address: 928 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON
Cuisine: Charcuterie
Price Range: Dinner ~$50
Accessible: No

New Restaurants to Try? Oh My!

To those foodies and gourmands who like or love to try new restaurants, rejoice. En Route has published its annual restaurant guide, which includes an article on Canada's 10 Best New Restaurants of 2009. I serendipitously discovered this guide last year on an Air Canada flight to Ottawa in November; until last year I hadn't flown on a November since I was 3. The rest of the guide indicates restaurants that are still quite noteworthy and at least worth trying, and it also includes past 10 Best New Restaurants from previous years.

Last year's #1 new restaurant in Canada according to En Route was Nota Bene. Not only did my sister beat me to trying that restaurant, she "taunted" me about how good it was there. At least this time around I'll be able to try a top 10 restaurant with her; we're eyeing the Black Hoof when I join her in Toronto during my vacation. Keep your eyes peeled for a review on either of our blogs.

Soupin' Up for the Fall

Oh, there were several possible factors that motivated me to make some suit for the first time in a while, and a slow-cooked one for the first time ever. Perhaps it was my sudden realization that I hadn't done any experimental cooking since this spring. Perhaps it was the bout of snow my city got last week. Perhaps it was my sister showcasing a slow-cooked soup she made herself recently. Perhaps it was my sister reminding (taunting?) me this weekend how I've been missing out on some finer foods and especially more exotic and/or unique ingredients that at times can only be found in large cities. In any case, the urge to experiment had sprouted and had to be nurtured to fruition.

My inspiration at one of my local supermarkets this weekend was oxtail. Though there is a definitely Chinese version of oxtail soup, my first thought upon seeing oxtail pieces was my childhood experiences of Hong Kong-style Western cuisine, of which my memory of oxtail soup was most vivid. HKW cuisine is essentially fusion cuisine with a slant that's more suited to Chinese tastes. and often than not feature ingredients that are either frequently in Chinese cuisine or are readily recognized as foreign derivatives of Chinese ingredients. With an inspiration and a memory in hand, I proceeded to create my own rendition of oxtail soup. I'll admit now that my method of making this soup was restricted by what I could easily get in town; a traditional southern Chinese version of oxtail soup with certain Chinese herbs was very impractical for me to make, and I've yet to start stocking up on those items from my Winnipeg daytrips.








Behold, a (large) sample of the final product! Though in hindsight cabbage could've been used here, I didn't buy any nor had any leftover to put in the soup. However, I did have plenty of celery from making some chicken thigh stew the previous weekend; carrots I had to buy during my weekly grocery run. To further add a Western twist to this dish I also added some pot barley and bay leaf into my soup. The oxtail meat easily fell off the bone after being cooked for about 4 hours, though perhaps I should caution that this cut of beef, with some gelatinous texture and, of course, a few large bones, may not be for everybody. If you're not a fan of oxtail, you could substitute with other bony cuts, and it doesn't have to be beef at all; with the soup my sister described in her blog, she used pork shoulder instead.

With this experimentation, I must confess I've failed on two points. First, in hindsight I could've added some more vegetables, such as cabbage and tomato. The second and arguable the bigger mistake of the two was that I didn't bother trimming the fat that was present on the larger oxtail pieces; I'll have to remember that next time. I didn't blanch the meat beforehand like my sister did with her pork shoulder in her soup, but I was able to skim off the surface the foam that naturally comes from boiling chunks of meat. Next time I could try adding other ingredients that could bring different flavours to the soup as well; for some reason Ancho chilis come to mind right now.

Below is essentially what I did. Feel free to experiment with other vegetables, herbs and/or flavourings to suit your particular tastes.


Andrew's Fusion Oxtail Soup

~1.5kg (~3.0lbs.) oxtail bones (preferably the larger, meatier pieces)
~1.5kg (~3.0lbs.) mix of vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces (e.g. carrots, celery) or shredded (e.g. cabbage)
1-2 bay leaves
75mL (1/3 cup) pot barley
3 litres of water (preferably filtered)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot add oxtail bones to the water and bring to a boil for about 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, cut up the vegetables. (If using celery, save the yellow portions in the heart, especially the leaves; they themselves can help flavour the soup.) After the water has taken its time to boil, skim off the foam on the surface of the boiling water with a small sieve.

Add vegetables, bay leaves and barley to water and bring it back to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about four (4) hours on medium-low heat. If you've added something starchy to the soup mixture such as barley or potatoes, stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot, which will result in burning which can easily ruin the flavour of the soup.

Just before the soup's ready to be immediately served, add salt and pepper to taste. The soup can be served with the meat and vegetables on the side or, if served as a meal, in a large bowl with the broth itself.

Lured Back to Little Italy

The last time I ate in Winnipeg's Little Italy was the summer of 2008 when I tried a Vietnamese restaurant there. Before that, it was in the autumn of 2006 when my parents and I accidentally discovered the wonderful and aptly named Glutton's, which alas! became no more after Chef Makoto Ono left to set up a restaurant in Beijing in 2008. The building in which Glutton's stood is now home to Mise; Mise has apparently kept Glutton's grocery store which under the old name was small but featured some of the more unique, exotic and/or higher-end items that were typically harder to find in the rest of Winnipeg, such as Greaves Jams & Marmalades from Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. In spite of the name, Little Italy is culturally diverse with restaurants featuring other ethnic or cultural foods other than Italian dotted here and there along Corydon Ave. One of the noticeable additions to that street in the 2009 dining guide year was Italian, though.

Fazzo features contemporary Italian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Don't even bother thinking about pizzas when you enter this bistro, not even thin-crust ones; they're just not on the menu. Dinner main courses here are either pasta dishes or actual entree dishes with a featured meat and the customary veg and starch sides, while the lunch menu offers sandwiches, salads or, to my pleasant surprise, frittatas. Unlike other Italian dining joints where I've eaten to date, this place had a comparatively short menu, which was fine by me as I already had a tough time deciding between a few dishes, and I anticipated the chef would then be able to better focus on the quality of the dishes he/she created.









For my appetizer I was torn between the pan-seared scallops and arancini. In the end I went for the scallops partly since the server suggested it was good and partly because, though I was tempted to try those fried delights, I didn't want to feel stuffed before the main course arrived as the server noted there would've been three fairly large arancini to tackle (my sister will likely remember my experience with polenta at Bertoldi's in London, ON). I was slightly caught off guard by the saltiness of the seared sides of the scallops; it wasn't overpowering, but it was instantly noticeable. However, the subtle sweet and sour flavours of the tomato jam and the cool smoothness of the creamed leeks countered it nicely. Though only the white parts were used in the creamed leeks, the dark green parts still got to perform in this dish as a flavourful garnish in fried thin strands. The fried leek strands provided a hint of crispiness to contrast the soft and smooth textures of the scallops, creamed leeks and tomato jam.









I also had some difficulty picking a main course dish, but in the end, with my being in the mood for something relatively light and to go with the scallops I had for starters, I went for the sablefish (aka black cod or butterfish), which came served as a fillet with the skin made crispy. The meat of the fish was flaky yet moist, melted in my mouth and had a strong flavour thanks to its high oil content. Though I couldn't resist the crispy skin I found it to be just as salty as the seared sides of the scallops from the previous dish; at least the meat itself helped temper that saltiness. Fried bits of what I suspect was parma ham were sparkingly sprinkled amongst the cipollini onions and crushed new potatoes, and until that evening I'd never had, let alone seen, white beets.

Dessert selection here was limited and none of the items called upon me, so I skipped dessert this time around. I wouldn't suggest skipping this place, though. It's a cosy little place that exposes one to the joys of contemporary Italian cuisine. I was, however, a little bit surprised that I encountered two dishes where I felt there were some elements that were saltier than I anticipated and expected to be, though in fairness to the chef, I've grilled and eaten enough scallops to know they can taste saltier when seared compared to, say, simply stir-fried. Considering this was my first and as of yet my only visit to this place, I can't say for certain now if it was just a fluke or if this place is a bit more liberal with the use of salt on some of its food items.

Name: Fazzo
Address: 905 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB
Cuisine: Contemporary Italian
Price Range: Lunch $10-$30; Dinner $20-$55
Accessible: Yes

Discovering a Little Out-of-the-Way Place for Tropical Dining

Hot and humud summer weather, though late in coming, has finally arrived in Manitoba, which for one thing gave me a good excuse to make some homemade lime soda. On my Labour Day weekend daytrip to Winnipeg I thought it was a good time to get my craving for Thai food satisfied, so, armed with the latest edition of TASTE Destination Winnipeg's Culinary Guide, I decided to try a new place called Sabai Thai Eatery. Unlike other places I've tried in Winnipeg to date, this restaurant is not located in a commercial area and/or amongst other restaurants. In fact, this is about two blocks west of the Little Italy commercial area and is essentially in a residential neighbourhood.

The exterior of the building may not speak much on behalf of the restaurant, but inside the restaurant it is contemporary and stylishly simple in its decor. The menu is limited to two full 8.5 x 11 pages of food items, but if quantity is sacrified to ensure quality (and the selection is fairly decent), then I have no qualms about it.









At my server's suggestion I tried the green papaya salad, a fresh, clean and zesty start to my dinner. Shredded green (or unripened) papaya has a much crunchier texture (not quite like carrots, but close) compared to ripe papaya, and green papaya shreds look translucent, reminiscent to mung bean (or glass) vermicelli. The salad dressing certainly had a zest that can fuel an appetite, but it also had quite a spicy kick to it. The ground dried shrimp helped balance the main flavours of Thai cuisine (salty, sweet, spicy and sour) in this one dish. It was a delight to eat.








For my main course I went for an old standby that I knew each restaurant would tinker slightly to make the dish its own, the pad thai; my penchant for noodles also helped influence my choice in my main course. Though to my relief this dish was milder on the spiciness factor compared to the green papaya salad, one thing that caught my eye was that it was darker than other pad thais I've had, hinting at me the presence of dark soy sauce, an ingredient not typically found in traditional versions in this dish. Aside from that anomaly, the flavouring of the dish was alright, and the chicken pieces, though fully cooked, were still tender to the bite without a heavy grease factor. Though the presence of ground dried shrimp added another dimension of flavour to this dish, considering how this dish was comparatively on the saltier side of the balance of flavours in the end it may have been unecessary. Don't be frightened by the dried pepper flakes; compared to the green papaya salad, the spiciness factor was virtually non-existent amongst those pepper flakes.

Dessert was limited to two choices, including a deep fried banana. Being not in the mood for either item after my meal, I opted to just go for some tea, fo which this place offered four varieties of specialty teas. Unfortunately the restaurant was out of my first choice, one where the tea leaf bundles appear to blossom into flowers when immersed in hot water, so I opted instead for the Dragonheart, a blended tea based on the Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) white tea, a tea in itself with a fruity aroma compared to most other teas.

If you're looking for simple Thai food, this restaurant in a quieter corner of an older residential neighbourhood offers a nice take in a cozy setting. Should I return again, I might have to try a dish marrying Manitoba food with Thai cuisine involving pickerel cheeks; that and a few other dishes on the menu did look tempting, but a major drawback to dining alone is that it's hard to try several dishes compared to dining with a few people together.

Name: Sabai Thai Eatery
Address: 113 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB
Cuisine: Thai
Price Range: Dinner $20-$40
Accessible: Yes

Summer Heat Prescribes a Cool Drink

Normal summer temperatures have finally arrived in late August and early September, but to be honest with you I didn't complain mostly since I do appreciate playing Ultimate in cooler temperatures, I sleep better in cooler temperatures and I've been spared some higher hydro bills for cranking on the A/C. That said, I do appreciate hot weather as well as it allows for trips to the beach and easier excuses to get frozen desserts and refreshing summer drinks. Yes, classic bar drinks like pina coladas and daiquiris helps make a hot summer's day more relaxing, but for those who won't or can't drink alcohol, there are still plenty of good options out there. One drink I discovered at some Vietnamese, Thai and other general south-east Asian restaurants a few years ago shortly before I moved west.

The lime... this tart little citrus fruit easily evokes tropical images. It tastes more acidic than the lemon, but partly because of this I feel that the lime's flavour has a stronger impact than that of a lemon. I've had plenty of lemonade, both fresh and mixed from frozen concentrate as a kid, but my eyes were opened to a new dimension when I first tried fresh lime soda. It is really simple to make, and it is quite pleasant and refreshing. It provides more of a zing than lemonade, yet it tastes considerably more natural than most if not all existing mass-produced lemon-lime flavoured sodas. So, with a BBQ dinner earlier this evening with fellow Ultimate team mates, I decided to make a batch to share with them.

I do caution that my version is just a suggested formula, and you could tweak the recipe to suit your taste. I for one like a stronger lime flavour which is why I called for this many limes (I used eight this time around), but one could go easier if one wishes a milder kick. Also, substituting cold water for club soda (I prefer President's Choice) would easily turn this drink essentially into limeade. Furthermore, this is a simple version which allows for the drink to be portable in existing, easily sealed bottles. Just as lemonade can be made with fresh lemon slices or even halves in the mixture upon serving, lime soda can be done that way as well, but it won't be as portable for such events as potlucks or out-of-home picnics.

Lime Soda (suggested)
1 2L bottle of club soda
1 empty 2L bottle
8-10 limes
Simple syrup to taste

For simple syrup:
250mL (1 cup) white sugar
250mL (1 cup) water

1. To make the simple syrup, pour the sugar and water into a small pot and heat, stirring often, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
2. Roll the limes to soften them before halving them cross-wise. Squeeze and ream limes, saving the liquid in a large bowl, preferably a non-metallic bowl as acids react with metals.
3. Pour half the 2L club soda into the empty 2L bottle.
4. Pour half of the lime juice into each 2L bottle, stirring the mixture with a chopstick or other slender wooden object like the stem of a wooden spoon.
5. Pour simple syrup into both bottles to taste. Not all of the simple syrup has to be poured, but pouring more than 125mL (1/2 cup) of syrup (i.e. more than half of batch made) is not recommended as the drink could be too sweet. Stir mixture with chopstick or other slender wooden object.
6. Seal both bottles and chill before serving.