Victoria Seafood, Cheap and Average Dim Sum

And here I thought I had completed the sweep of Winnipeg's dim sum core ... comes Victoria Seafood to the fore. Dim sum is the exemplification for me of family, food and culture; all wrapped up in delectable little bites of steamed goodness. I discovered Victoria Seafood upon patrolling the new Zomato Winnipeg site realizing that I had indeed missed it on my initial go around the dim sum spots in town. Needing to quickly correct that I made the long trek down to Victoria Seafood Restaurant on a shockingly cold summer day for a quick bite of dim sum.

Victoria Seafood lies on the corner of St. Mary's road and Dunkirk Street. A busy intersection close to St. Vital mall, its owners did a great job with the large block lettering inviting hungry traveler's forward. The interiors are simplistic but functional with comfortable wooden tables, extremely efficient wait staff. My initial excitement came to a fever pitch upon seeing the entire restaurant filled to the brim, a rarity for a weekday lunch.

Dim sum here works on the pen and paper ordering system. An initially seemingly skeletal number of wait staff work efficiently and effectively bussing the busy restaurant. My target was dim sum, although Victoria Seafood does offer a sit down ala carte dining option. Part of the draw I realized was the "happy hour" special running through the day with the majority of dim sum items coming down to ~$3/item. Thankfully along with the seemingly positive price point, the variety of items available do not disappoint. A large laundry list of the classic dim sum items adorn the menu and while nothing seems extraordinary, there is enough here to keep the novice and the adventurous dim sum diner happy.

The classic Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) here were simply average with a nice soft exterior and tender shrimp filling. My biggest complaint is in the portion size with each dumpling significantly smaller than the majority of Winnipeg dim sum spots.

A somewhat rarer item, Scallop with Shrimp Dumplings, takes the delicate filling of shrimp dumplings, marries it with bits of scallop and is steamed to perfection. I liked the dichotomy of the slightly chewy egg wrapper with the tender filling and the slight crunch of the egg roe on top.

A usual for me, the Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf is a block of sticky rice housing a collection of meats and mushrooms and steamed with a lotus leaf wrapper.

I was slightly disappointed at the version here as the rice was tough and not as moist as expected. While the filling generous, the taste did not permeate the entirety of the sticky rice and left the dish with two distinct dichotomous flavours as opposed to an unified one that the dish is supposed to convey.

Victoria Pork Dumpling is in actuality the "shark's fin" dumpling with a pork, mushroom and vegetable filling wrapped in an egg wrapper. Although nice in concept and presentation, the filling was altogether bland, greasy and tough. Missing was a sense of crispness or tenderness which would have helped these dumplings climb out of mediocrity.

You can probably judge from the picture of these Deluxe Seafood Dumplings (Sui Mai) that they were average. While Victoria Seafood offers large portions for these sui mai, I cannot help but wonder if they are of the frozen variety with tough filling that was unfortunately represented a congealed glob of fat.

These Chinese White Turnip Cake were a nice surprise from the overly greasy dumpling options. Lightly pan fried, the cakes had a delicate tenderness to the interior while maintaining a crisp exterior. Diving headfirst into a wash of the accompanied Hoison Sauce adds in well needed saltiness and a sense of umami. Well done!

These steamed Beef Balls were also surprisingly nice. The balls were infused with a hint of cilantro which added a nice aromatic indulgence that cuts through the fattiness of the underlying meat. Missing was the crunch of taro root that is usually accompanying said dish, but nevertheless the overall flavour was positive and spot on.

Victoria Seafood offers solid dim sum at a extremely affordable and reasonable rate. While there were clearly some misses on the dishes, there is enough here to satisfy most dim sum diners - a perfect spot for those wanting to delve into it for the first time as one can order a large variety without breaking the wallet. Definitely a consideration for those in the area.

Sizzling Dhaba - Solid Indian Buffet

There are some days when I wake up with a craving that does not go away. Even when stocked with a full refrigerator that could last me weeks, I find the need to go out and dine on some of the ethnic cuisines that I currently do not have the ability to keep up with. One of those guilty pleasures is Indian food ... ever since I was a child, I loved the combination of spices that play a bold dance on my taste buds combining ingredients and flavours that were both new and similar to me. Finding a new Indian place therefore always comes with excitement and energy ... which I took to Sizzling Dhaba.

Located in St. Vital, Sizzling Dhaba is a mom and pop owned Indian restaurant. Pleasant and appealing to the eye, the exterior of the restaurant screams modern modesty, and the interiors are just the same. They offer a nice variety on their ala carte lunch and dinner menus, but the true treat is in their buffets which offer a collection of tasty high quality Indian dishes at an affordable rate. Being someone who only typically dines ala carte, I have always kept a keen fondness to Indian buffets and thus could not resist today.

Appetizers here include a Chicken Somasa, Aloo Tikki (fried potato and onion snack), Onion Bhaghi (fried onion fritter) and a collection of sauces and chutneys. I was overall impressed by the non-greasy starters and felt the size and overall flavour within reach of regular ala carte options. The onion bhaghi was not overly doughy and had a nice aroma surrounding it while the samosas were stuffed to the brim with potato and peas (nary a chicken was in site unfortunately).

Vegetarian options include (top going clockwise) a creamy Vegetable Korma, a spinach based Palak Paneer, soft and tender chickpea Chana Masala, tender paneer and peas in their Mutter Paneer, and flavourful aromatic lentils in their Dahl Makhani (in the middle). While everything tasted fine there was no wow factor in any of these dishes. I found the korma missing the usual thick creaminess, the palak paneer missing its kick of spice and the chickpeas in the chana masala too overcooked and mushy.

Thankfully the meat options are excellent with the usual Tandoori Chicken, a mouth burning Beef Vindaloo, a tender Goat Curry and the always popular Butter Chicken. I was impressed by the impressive tenderness found in the goat curry and thought the interplay between the meat and the tomato based sauce was excellent. The butter chicken was an unusually lighter variant that was less creamy but more aromatic than the usual store bought versions, a change that sat well with my now bulging stomach. The vindaloo and tandoori meats were as expected.

Included in the meal is a piece of Naan Bread. I have to fault Sizzling Dhaba here for their imitation Naan that was more of a flatbread than the Tandoori raised equivalents found at other Indian restaurants. Thick and doughy, these breads did a poor job of picking up the curries and overall added nothing to the entire meal.

Sizzling Dhaba offers a solid Indian buffet that should satisfy most looking for a nice variety of Indian cuisine. While the vegetarian options left something to be desired, the tasty meat options elevated the restaurant into a solid category. There are some better options in town, but one should be enticed by the variety and affordability given by Sizzling Dhaba, especially if you are in the area.

Vanxai's - Serviceable Thai

Winnipeg never fails to impress me with their impressive variety oriental restaurants. Waking up during the day from a post-call slumber, I was immediately greeted by the venerable growl of my unhappy stomach. Perusing the depths of Urbanspoon and flipping through the pictures of previous diners, I suddenly had an urge for Thai food. Whisking through my list of Thai places I wanted to try, I landed upon Vanxai's Lao & Thai Restaurant. Needless to say, I was in my car within minutes.

Vanxai's is located on St. Anne's Road just off of St. Mary's Road. Found in historic St. Vital, the building is obviously a retrofitted brick structure from long ago. To their credit, the owners do a nice job of sprucing up the restaurant with functional decor and pleasant service staff.

The handsome menu features a nice collection of authentic Thai and Laos dishes. I was impressed by the large number of traditional appetizers including the ever popular Stuffed Chicken Wings. A litany of soups adorns the second page, all associated with drool worthy pictures. Their main course consists of the regular noodle dishes as you would expect including the ever constant Pad Thai. Finishing off the last page consists of a large number of curries including the usual Green, Cred and Panang variety. Overall a good representation of Thai and Laos cuisine that should please anybody perusing the menu.

The Pad Thai Chicken was a nice portion of tender rice noodles with chicken slices and bean sprouts in the typical tomato-based sauce. Vanxai does a nice job in straddling the delicate balance of tartness and sweetness in the sauce. Texturally you have the nice contrast of the crunchy peanuts, crispy sprouts and tender noodles.

Green Curry Beef was a miss from the onset. I was rather unimpressed by the thin, runny and watery sauce that had a disappointingly mild curry flavour. The vegetables feel tacked on and although add brightness and crunch, did not impart any of their flavour into the sauce. Most egregious of all is meager number of bland, tasteless and chewy beef slices. Definitely a pass.

Overall Vanxai delivers serviceable Thai food that did not impress nor excite me. While I appreciate the nice decor and prompt service, ultimately their food was not up to snuff, especially when compared to other Thai restaurants in town.

Kam Ho - Robust Dim Sum

As part of residency you get the opportunity to move around and do external "electives" which are basically opportunities to explore and work with other pediatricians across the country in the field(s) you are interested in. As we ended one block and moved to another I was preparing to leave for such an elective in Edmonton. To prepare I was forced to clean out my fridge and was suddenly devoid of quick nourishment; well I saw this as a chance to try out a new place on my growing list of Winnipeg must-tries. So I decided on Kam Ho, a Chinese restaurant featuring dim sum.

Kam Ho is located on St. Vital in the south central region of Winnipeg. A historic community featuring a large Francophone population, the district has a fun eclectic vibe to it with lots of small mom and pop stores lined up on the streets. The restaurant itself is nothing to look at with a bright red signage and drab exterior. But its always about the food!

Kam Ho holds the key to my dim sum dreams. Featuring dim sum throughout the day six days of the week (closed Tuesdays) they offer the staples that one would expect at any dim sum restaurant. From steamed dumplings to rice rolls and pan fried dishes, this is the dim sum craver's dream come true. On top of this they do have a regular take out and dine in menu featuring all the normal items you would expect from a Chinese dine in restaurant. But of course I was there for the dim sum!

Pan Fried Turnip Cake is a must have for me when at a dim sum restaurant. The cakes are composed of a flour mixture and fresh turnip, fried to a crisp and served with Hoison sauce on the side. Kam Ho here tries to achieve a dichotomy between the crisp outside and smooth turnip interior but ended up over-frying the cake and resulted in a slightly burnt flavour.

Shrimp Dumplings are also a staple at dim sum for me. Filled to the brim with shrimp and steamed in a soft translucent wrapper, Kam Ho does well here in delivering tasty and spongy shrimp in the delicate exterior. Overall it tastes as you would expect.

Called Fun Dumplings on the menu, these are synonymic to Teochew Style dumplings filled with pork, peanuts, shrimp, mushrooms, peanuts and cilantro. I simply love these dumplings! The multitude of flavours and textures here work so well together that they all mix together in a big umami mess of deliciousness. Definitely a must order from Kam Ho.

HK Style Rice Rolls are curiously difficult to find at most restaurants. The key to the dish is the crispy Chinese Long Donut that forms the interior which is covered by soft silky rice noodles and finished with salty soy sauce. The contrast in textures here becomes the standout of the dish, just be forewarned of the greasiness of the donut.

Pork Dumplings are crucial for a good dim sum restaurant. Unfortunately these were simply average at Kam Ho. The wonton wrapper encompasses a mixture of shrimp and pork and the whole package is steamed to tenderness. I would have preferred a textural contrast here as one simply tastes fatty and greasy pork with no other flavours or textures to speak of.

Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf was a large serving of glutinous rice mixed in with chicken, beef and mushrooms and all steamed together in a lotus leaf. The leaf works to trap all the flavours of the ingredients and also incorporates a slight sweetness to the whole dish. Furthermore it adds an impressive visual component as one unwraps the leaf to dig into the interior.

This was excellent! The glutinous rice was wonderfully fatty, sweet and salty as the juices of the ingredients permeated the sticky rice grains. The chicken, pork, and mushrooms were also delicious and added a nice textural contrast to the rice.

I appreciate Kam Ho for delivering quality daily dim sum at reasonable prices throughout the week. Overall the dim sum was favourable and had the right mix of ingredients, flavours and textures. I recommend anyone to muster past the drab exterior and lackadaisical wait staff and try Kam Ho's quality dim sum.

Siam Thai, Just Average

Having such a rich Asian restaurant scene in Winnipeg is a double edged sword. For the diners it allows for richness and diversity; for the owners it propagates competition and a need to constantly invent and create. In other cities I have seen this arms-race result in many family owned restaurants not being able to keep up and ultimately closing down. Somehow Winnipeg, while remaining a mecca for their food scene, has fostered and engendered so many of these family run hole-in-the-wall establishments to survive and prosper.

Siam Authentic Thai Restaurant is located on a busy stretch on St. Anne's Road in St. Vital. It has been one of the top rated Thai restaurants in Winnipeg for quite some time and so it was time enough for me to get a taste.

The restaurant has an elegance to it. From the colourful large signage to the modern decor, from the dim lighting to the attentive wait staff, Siam Thai has everything you would want, on first inspection, of a quality Thai establishment. I was impressed by how busy they were, with more than half of their tables filled and take-out orders flying out the window in a frenzy. Obviously the community likes their Thai. The menu itself offers the usual suspects including traditional curries, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Excited, I set out to order.

I started with a Stir-Fried Chicken in Homemade Chili Sauce. Handsomely presented, this dish was a nice mixture of green beans and chicken breast in a spicy and tangy Thai sauce. The best part was the delicious gravy which had a nice mixture of spicy, salty and sweet. The chicken itself seemed an afterthought and did not contribute anything other than adding some protein to the dish.

The classic that is a measuring stick for all Thai restaurant: Stir-Fried Rice Noodles Beef (Pad Thai). The heaping portion was nicely presented and included well prepared noodles in the usual tangy tomato-ey sauce and finished with a nice sprinkling of peanuts. The cabbage on the side was an odd choice (versus the usual bean sprouts) but it did a similar job by adding crispness and freshness to the dish. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the beef. Lifeless, tough, small and devoid of flavour, the barely edible beef almost made this entire dish unpalatable. It seemed Siam Thai was determined to add protein to the Pad Thai, even if it meant endangering the flavour of the whole dish.

I appreciated Siam Thai's use of traditional ingredients and cooking techniques. It was obvious they have a sound understanding of the sauces and bases, but they showed a lack of nuance and forethought in their protein options. Ultimately there are better Thai restaurants in Winnipeg and I cannot recommend Siam Thai unless one is stuck in the area with a craving for Thai ... just make sure to order the tofu options.

Taste of the East Indian - Water Lilly

There are days when all I do is crave indian food. It is easily on the top three cuisines I turn to when I want to have a nice delicious meal for a reasonable price. Myself and a fellow peds resident turned to Water Lily for a lazy Sunday dinner.

I am a sucker for stuff like this. The menu came in a scroll. How cool is that! Not only does it engender a sense of delight as you open it, but it also speaks to the quality of the restaurant when they take the time and effort to roll and tie up each and every menu. Off to a great start!

The house papadums are nothing to write home about.

We were recommended this dishby the service staff: Aloo Tikki Chaat. Underneath all that sauce are soft potato patties stuffed with vegetables. The overlying sauce had a wonderful taste of sweet, sour and spicy.

Palak Paneer is a dish I tend to gravitate to when ordering ala carte at Indian restaurants. Paneer (milk curds) are fried with chopped spinach and a cream sauce. This version was passable: the paneer was in too large of pieces and the cream sauce overpowered the spinach.

We also ordered a Chicken Butter Masala. Tender pieces of chicken breast in a tangy sauce. Tasted on par with most indian restaurants.



 

Overall we could not complain of this meal. The chaat was definitely an eye-opener and star of the night.