Fergies - Delicious Fish 'n Chips

With spring fully upon us, The Forks has again picked up its usual cacophony of noise and traffic and Winnipegers wake up from their winter hibernation and begin to enjoy the crispness of spring. One of my favourite locations in the summer was the Forks market and often I can be found perusing the stalls looking for new local items, grabbing a quick bite to eat at one of the many food vendors, or going for a quick walk among the many trails surrounding the area. One particular day, while entertaining a new arrival to Winnipeg, we had decided to check out The Forks, and specifically, Fergie's Fish n Chips for a quick bite.

Fergie's is located in The Forks Market in a rather lonely corner of the mall. The large stall showcases a cavernous kitchen where staff were cutting their own potatoes for the fries and processing their own fresh fish. The menu is located on the backboard and features simply, fish and chips. Diners can have the choice between three types of fish (Cod, Pickerel or Haddock) in one or two piece meals.

With the two of us being slightly emaciated we went with the Double Meal. The meal starts with a humble bowl of delicious Seafood Chowder. The soup was filled to the brim with generous portions of seafood all encased in a rich fish broth. The dusting of paprika on the top adds a nice salty and spicy flavour to the rich seafood tones of the chowder. Tasty!

The star of the meal were as, as expected, the fish. The two pieces of Cod were nicely fried to a golden crispy exterior while still encapsulating a flaky tender interior. Fergie's does a nice job with flash frying the fish such that it does come out soggy or greasy. The french fries were large thick cut potato fries which had a similarly nice fry job. The accompanied tartar sauce was as you would expect.

Fergie's Fish 'n Chips is a nice addition to food choices at The Forks market and delivers on its promise of tasty fish and chips. Nicely fried non-greasy fish with tender crispy potatoes make a welcoming combination that should please anyone in the mood for old fashioned traditional fish and chips.

Sydneys at the Forks - MPS Society Dinner

Like clockwork, one of the event dinners that I have come to associate with Pediatrics and our residency program are the Manitoba Pediatric Society get togethers. Hosted always at Sydney's at the Forks, it gives the residents valuable time to work with and be in the company of our mentors. Usually armed with a theme, this particular night at Sydney's focused upon advocacy and what the upper year residents were doing for their annual advocacy project. The night works to two-fold: to arm the current group of pediatricians with a worthy cause ... and also inspiring and moving the new generations (i.e. me) of residents forward with our own project.

Sydney's needs no introduction. The beautiful restaurant is located on the second floor of the Forks Market and has become known as one of the go to places for upscale society dinners. The view and location are their key draws, being on the banks and overlooking The Forks, but it is their food that keeps people coming back. I was always impressed by the level of service and hospitality of the staff, giving it a true fine dining upscale experience.

Each Manitoba Pediatrics Society dinner has had its own specific menu and todays was no different. Nevertheless, the menu is a nice examples of the typical fare you would find on the non-catered menu. Offering fresh produce and meats, Sydney's focuses on high quality European cuisine combined with Asian influences. I realize that is a rather nefarious description that encapsulates a large range of cuisines, but Sydney's truly tries to push the current accepted standard of haute cuisine, often with positive outcomes.

Most of the diners started with the Cauliflower & Leek Soup, a nice take on the classic French Leek soup. This version though has a nice textural crunch of pureed cauliflower and is augmented by aromatic oolong tea. The base creaminess from the leek is accentuated by their use of cream here. Served warm, the leek soup was an excellent light starter to tickle the palate for the upcoming meal.

One of my dining companions ordered complimentary dishes for us all to try. Their Butternut Squash & Feta Ravioli was an impressive site to behold! The large ravioli was made up of al dente pasta holding the butternut squash and feta inside. Adding black miso into the dish gave a rich aromatic flavour that complimented the sweet butternut squash well. The pickled carrot and almond toppings completed the dish by giving a crunchy textural component. Only gripe was the addition of feta which was strong and seemed to overpower the tender pasta and sweet squash.

My Sous-vide Pork Belly consisted of tender and smooth meat with a candied apple and chickpea stew. The addition of rhubarb, along with the apple, gave a crunch and sour component that went along well with the pork. But truthfully, the pork belly was the star of the dish with succulent tender meat, smooth silky fat and a denser crispier skin. The chickpeas felt out of the place in this dish and felt like filler to flesh out the dish.

I have always been impressed by the fish at Sydney's and their Salmon Fillet was no different today. Flaky, juicy and tender fish is paired with sweet potato, truffle and beets. I loved the interplay between the soft fish and the inherent sweetness of the potato. The beets were a thoughtful addition by giving the dish a meaty salty alternate to the fish. Topping the dish with proscuitto was a good idea but the other flavours were developed enough that it felt tacked on and added little to the dish.

Similarly, their Angus Beef Striploin was nicely done. Medium rare, the tender steak was finished simply with salt and pepper and grilled perfectly. The sides of spaghetti squash and brussels sprouts worked not only to give a green element but also to compliment the salty and fatty beef. Star of the dish goes to the slightly bitter, slightly salty and slighty sweet brussels sprouts which were a nice explosion of flavour next to the beef.

Something new to the menu was the Duck Breast. Beautifully presented, the pieces of sliced breast were of high quality and cooked perfectly to preserve the crispy skin but maintain a glorious medium doneness. I have always viewed duck as more of a red meat than a white meat and prefer the tenderness associated with medium duck rather than full doneness (ala chicken). The addition of grapefruit here gives a bitter and sweet component that works well to accentuate the slivers of tender breast. Bok choy gives colour and freshness to the dish.

I have found the desserts at Sydney's less than spectacular and unfortunately the trend continues with their Dark Chocolate & Cherry Mousse. The chocolate too hard and bitter, the cherry mousse not flurry enough and monotonous, the entire dish seemed more of an afterthought than a carefully crafted dessert. The saving grace is the jelly made from Sauternes (a French sweet wine) that was a tasty combination of sweet and savoury.

The Creme Brulee was better but simply average. The classic French dish is crafted here with smooth rich custard topped off with the, as expected, flambe'ed caramel topping.

Sydney's at the Forks continues to deliver thoughtful and, for the most part, incredible French and Asian inspired cuisine. Designed with fine dining in mind, ever aspect of the meal was of class and elegance and while there were a couple misssteps, the food continues to be excellent. Certainly a recommendation for anyone looking for fine dining in Winnipeg, especially if they are in The Forks area.

A Bear-y Special Visit: Era Bistro

All good things must come to an end. On our friends' last day in Winnipeg we had visited the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Our main goal was to visit the polar bears, but we also had some ... personal ... encounters with the zoo animals, almost resulting in us losing a member of our group. Nevertheless, having survived our brush with the wild we were starving for some food. Our last stop was the Canadian Museum for Human rights and so it was easy to pick ERA Bistro as our lunch stop of choice.

Located inside the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, ERA is gorgeous. A modern restaurant with three large communal tables for sharing conversation and a multitude of smaller separate tables, it had sleek modern decor, a huge open kitchen concept and, most importantly, a crowd of happy diners. It was difficult holding back my excitement waiting for the waitress to show us to our table of choice.

The menu is cosmopolitan. ERA features a number of sandwiches and salads all featuring local Manitoba ingredients. For those opting to share, ERA also offers a number of small plate tapas style options for those inclined to try a number of items.

We started off by sharing the Bearcat Pickerel Cheeks: panko crusted pickerel cheeks are served with a spicy caper remoulade. Overall this was pedestrian; akin to nuggets, the fish, nicely coated and fried, was lacking in flavour by itself and overpowered by the remoulade. One does not get the sense this is a pickerel cheek and could have been fooled into believing this was any fish.

Our fish loving diner ordered the Arctic Char. Served similarly to smoked salmon, the char is paired with pistachio, caviar, caper and creme fraiche. Overall this had some nice flavour and I enjoyed the combination of fresh fish with the creme fraiche and crunch of pistachios. A decent serving, ERA does a good job here highlighting the fish.

For my main I had the Braised Lamb Sandwich. Served open face, a heaping load of tender lamb is paired with feta and arugula on a focaccia. The protein was delicious and, albeit obvious choice, went well with the feta. I loved the open face aspect which showcased the lamb and utilized the bread as simply a vehicle to carry the main star. I substituted with Carrot Fries as the side and was thoroughly disappointed by the soggy and greasy carrot sticks.

Finally our last diner had the California Club. Crisp chicken breast, pancetta, avocado, mayo on sourdough made up this pedestrian sounding and pedestrian tasting sandwich. It featured no unique or special aspects: the avocado lacking, the mayo overpowering, the vegetables plain and the chicken breast, while tender and nicely roasted, bland. The Mushroom Brodo that we substituted in the meal was excellent with deep rich mushroom broth and tender vegetables.

ERA Bistro is a beautiful restaurant in a wondrous structure that attempts to offer gourmet bistro style food but in reality was average and (slightly) overpriced. I like some of the ideas in the dishes but found overall the quality inconsistent for the price charged and while we left full, there was nothing special or unique to warrant a revisit. The basis for a great restaurant is here, but until the food becomes up to par, I have to recommend one take a pass on ERA.

Raw Almond 2015 - Bob Blumer

Raw Almond is the epitome of the Winnipeg culinary scene. Take an eclectic group of chefs, have them cook a tasting for a table of 15, design a restaurant on the frozen river and let the local and international diners enjoy. A lot of credit has to go to Deer & Almond for dreaming up of the idea and even more needs to go to the creative chefs that made this possible. I finish my spree of Raw Almond meals with a doozy.

When I first purchased tickets to Raw Almond in December, I was attracted to the local talent that was being showcased. What thoroughly impressed me were the chefs of international fame that would be partaking. One of whom was Bob Blumer.

Bob Blumer is a celebrity chef from The Food Network and host of The Surreal Gourmet, Glutton for Punishment and World's Weirdest Restaurants. Furthermore, he also has seven Guinness World Records! Known for his creative takes on food, this turned out to be the most unique meal I have ever had the pleasure of having.

Getting the opportunity to chat with him for a few minutes, it was immediately apparent his love and passion for food. Full of stories, he began by introducing the special menu he had designed for Raw Almond. I appreciate it when chefs take the time and energy to meet and personally greet you, which fosters a sense of togetherness and showcases their passion for food. The excitement and buzz surrounding the air was palpable and with a wink and a huge smile, we began this surreal, delicious and unique meal.

The first dish, ice fish(ing), could have been found in a art gallery. The dish consists of an arctic char sashimi in vodka covered with a thin slice of jicama and paired with olive oil, sea salt and a finger lime. The presentation was exquisite and well thought out with the jicama resembling an icy river and the (real) fish hook puncturing the newly caught char.

The taste was also excellent. The fish was perfectly prepared and had a nice bouncy texture to the fatty meat and the condiments added needed saltiness to the dish. The star was the finger lime. Mr. Blumer explains that he grows these tiny limes in his backyard and love their burst of sour flavour when you bite into them. True enough, it resembled a intense baby lime and the paste-like lime fresh went well with the smooth fish. The only downside was the vodka which was a bit overpowering and took away from the delicateness of the sashimi.

The second dish, prawn fire, was also nicely presented. Three wonderful prawn spring rolls were served with a homemade Thai sweet chili. The spring rolls were nice and crisp on the outside while smooth on the inside and went well with the sauce. I applaud Mr. Blumer for adding some heat in the sauce which elevated the entire dish in intensity. As always, the presentation was exquisite with the detailed red pepper flames.

Bob showed his playfulness with the next dish, Italian onion soup au gratin. Initially bemused by a pizza delivery man, I was honestly quite shocked to see the contents being a onion soup pizza! Chuckling to myself, this bewildering dish was a perfect example of the uniqueness of Bob Blumer.

The dish itself was well done. The crust was thin and crispy and was covered with caramelized onions, layered with a sharp cheese (?gruyere) and finished with Italian parsley. I loved the playfulness of the dish but thought the taste was simply average. The onions were nicely caramelized and added a sweet and tangy component to the sharp cheese.

In par with the meal, the next dish, winter wonderlamb, was so unique that I felt wrong digging it. Braised lamb with a lamb demi-glace cover the bottom of the snowman and are topped with a parsnip and potato mash. Finishing off the snowman, the hat is made of olives, the arms twigs of rosemary and the eyes/mouth/buttons peppercorns. Not only a feast for the eyes, this had excellent flavour. The lamb was expertly cooked and wonderfully tender. The mash was nice and creamy and went well with the fiery-ness of the peppercorns. I praise Bob for his presentation but thought it was short on the demi-glace: I was missing a salty gravy-like component to bring the entire dish together.

For dessert we had chilly s'mores. I expected the meal to finish with a bang and was not disappointed. Bob had replaced the centre dining plank with a retrofitted one topped with a propane burner, a litany of marshmallows and cups of Mexican chocolate. He then promptly hands everyone a branch and off we go.
 

Resembling a campfire, one toasts the marshmallow and dips it into the delicious chocolate sauce. I was visually stunned by the presentation and loved the unique take on a campfire. I welcomed the, well thought out, use of the propane burners and loved self toasting the marshmallows.

The taste also did not disappoint! The Mexican chocolate sauce was wonderfully smooth, salty, sweet and a hint of bitterness. Eating this dish reminds me of their childhood and the giddy fun associated with camping. Furthermore the warm chocolate warmed by stomach (and soul) to face the cold wintry night of Winnipeg.

This meal was exemplifies everything Raw Almond does right. Take a accomplished chef and give diners an unforgettable dining experience that is unparalleled around the world. Words cannot describe how fortunate I am to be able to dine at Raw Almond and be in the presence of a celebrity chef. I entered this meal with equal amounts anticipation and excitement and left wholly satisfied. A night to remember.

Raw Almond 2015 - The Mitchell Block

I write this post with pure and unadulterated excitement. There comes the occasional times when you are truly blown away, when you experience something so impressive that it changes you forever. This happened to me with Raw Almond. While interviewing for pediatrics I was introduced to the concept of the "pop-up restaurant". A restaurant literally on the river, I began to read all the reviews and news articles surrounding this project. You see, the clever minds at Deer & Almond thought up of this as a celebration of food. They would invite chefs from Winnipeg and surrounding cities who created tasting menus for their prospective guests. Diners would sit at a communal table for a night of community, food and conversation. When they came on sale last December for tickets to Raw Almond I gleefully made a mad dash for tickets. And so I begin my next set of posts on the wonder that is Raw Almond.

As with last year, Raw Almond is a pop up restaurant located at The Forks. A design competition was held this year for the restaurant and a London (UK) based group won with this marvelous structure. Best described as four rectangular tents that come together to form a cross, the structure is an impressive site to behold. Brightly lit and welcoming, it literally beckons you forward, confidently telling diners of the deliciousness you will find within.

The design of the inside was meticulous. Three massive diner tables make up three arms of the structure. The fourth houses the kitchen and the chef's workstation. Each table was exquisitely decorated with a large communal wooden table as the centerpiece, wood stumps covered with furs as seating and bright pod lights above highlighting the food that was to come. This type of dining facilitates conversation and a sense of community. While dining elbow to elbow with other guests, you cannot help but strike a conversation. I was lucky enough to dine with an incredible couple, both artists and musicians who presented thought provoking discussion throughout the night.

Each table on each night of Raw Almond features a different chef. This night we were dining with the chef from The Mitchell Block, Sean McKay. The Mitchell Block is a upscale classy diner in the Exchange District. I had heard much about them and thought it was a perfect opportunity to explore their food at Raw Almond.

As an amuse bouche we were treated with Tuna Dusted Popcorn. Wonderfully popped popcorn with a slight hint of paprika and tuna flakes, this was an excellent start of the meal. I thought the tuna flavour was a bit overpowered by the spice but overall found myself constantly picking at the bowl in between conversation topics.

The Smoked Malpeque Oyster was a visual site to behold. Presented in a elegant glass bowl it gave the diners an immediate visual cue but also worked to infuse the smokey flavour into the oyster. The freshly shucked PEI oyster did not disappoint. Wonderfully smooth with a hint of the ocean, the smoke added a hint fire-food aroma to the delicate meat. Simple but works well to showcase the oyster, this showed restraint on the chefs part to not overload the plate of tastes and textures. An excellent start!

Cured Wagyu Beef with Parmesan Foam and Fig Jam was beautifully presented. Wagyu beef is known for its fattiness and tenderness and this version did not disappoint. The tender wonderfully cured slices of beef went well with the sharp Parmesan cheese. The fig jam afforded a sweetness that helped encapsulate all the flavours in this dish. I did not care for the cheese foam as it did not add much to the overall dish.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Fried Pork Belly was simply presented in a mason jaw. The artichoke, sometimes known as sunchoke, was exceptionally creamy and full bodied. The pork belly added well needed fattiness and was an excellent accompaniment to the pureed artichoke. I was impressed by the depth of flavour imparted by the few ingredients in this dish, further detailing the skill of the chef.

Fresh Burrata with Mint, Strawberries, Melon. This was excellent. A burrata is a combination of Mozzarella on the outside with fresh cream on the inside giving diners a nice dichotomy of textures. The creamy burrata was contrasted by the fresh fruit. I addition of mint was thoughtful as it added a tartness and freshness that completed the dish well. Delicious!

Pork Ossobucco was the main for our meal. A large braised portion of pork shank served with crumbled nuts, black lentils and pureed squash. The pork, being the centerpiece, was excellent. Tender and fatty, the juicy meat had a hint of smokey aroma. The accompaniments were fairly average with tender lentils and crunchy nuts. I usually do not care for the skin but it was extraordinarily springy and firm, delicious.

One of the members of our dining group had the vegetarian option: Semi Boiled Egg, Lentils, Green Beans. Similar in flavour to the pork, the perfectly cooked half boiled egg was creamy and decadent.

Rabbit Saddle was the unique name for this combination of rabbit meat, grated ginger and carrot puree, marinated carrot and deep fried crisp (i.e. the saddle). Chef Sean does a great job of taking out the gamey-ness of the rabbit. The grated ginger mix added a nice saltiness and sharpness to the dish which worked well with the gravy drizzled on top of the meat. Overall good but I felt it was missing a carb component to complicate the rest of the ingredients.

Vegetarian option: Ricotta, Green Beans, Mustard, Toasted Sesame Seeds. It is dishes like this that make me reconsider being a vegetarian. The ricotta was exquisite and paired expertly with the stringy green beans and toasted sesame seeds on top. The depth of flavour here was immense and well handled.

Our dessert was a Cannoli with Golden Goat Cheese. Two large pieces of cannoli filled with goat cheese which was, as you might guess, excellent! By now I was too stuffed to appreciate all the aspects of this dish but thought the fruit (?craisin vs. pomegranate) was a nice touch to balance out the cheese.

Overall I cannot say enough great things about Raw Almond. This was an unbelievable culinary experience that is unrivaled across Canada. To even dream of a restaurant on a river, much less one where you can experience a unimaginable tasting menu, is unprecedented and warrants commendation. I am everyday growing more impressed by the cultural and culinary mileu of Winnipeg and you should not pass on the wonder that is Raw Almond.