529 Wellington - Extravagant Excellence

Food is meant to be experienced. Rarely do I dine out nowadays solely for the role of nourishment, rather I dine out to be wowed and inspired by great food and great company. The success for any restaurant is their ability to weave a story in the food they present and become a springboard for diners to create an experience. One of the top restaurants in Winnipeg is 529 Wellington, a steakhouse known for its high quality food and expert service. Thus you can imagine my excitement when a fellow pediatrics colleague of mine decided to host their birthday celebration here.

Key to the experience of 529 Wellington is the grounds for the restaurant. The building is a mansion harkening from the early 1900s that was meticulously retrofitted to become the current restaurant. Details are key here with the designers maintaining an aged feel to the restaurant, like the large magnificent foyer greets diners or the grand staircase leading up to the second floor.

The private room we were situated in was gorgeous. Magnificently realized paintings adorn the walls of the room and overlook a massive oak table and plush comfortable chairs. A lovely chandelier paints the table with warm light to give diners the ultimate romantic dining experience. Finishing the experience are a troupe of expert wait staff who were a wonderful combination of respectful, meticulous and thoughtful to our group.

As a larger group, 529 Wellington has a trimmed down group set menu. Taken all from the regular menu, the preset option is perfect for groups to try a variety of options. At the end of the day, 529 Wellington is known for as a steakhouse and prides themselves on their Canada Prime beef. A helpful tour of beef is given for first time diners here where the service staff help explain the different cuts, give a visual clue to the size of servings and ultimately help whet the appetite for the upcoming meal. If steak is not in the cards, there are number of fish and seafood options available as well, both on the set and on the main menu. While I found the waiters attentive they did have some difficulty with payment and splitting of the bills with multiple people having errors in what was charged; and while contentious and quickly willing to resolve, I feel an error like this is amateur and should not be present at such a prestigious restaurant. Nevertheless off to the food!

The Smoked Salmon appetizer was phenomenal, with large portions of succulent tender fish that paired well on the accompanied toast. The classic combination of capers, onion and lemon make their entrance here and work as effectively as ever to balance out the fatty fish. The addition of an garlic aioli was thoughtful as well and gave the dish a creaminess that was lacking.

I found the Cheese Bread to be utterly disappointing, both in taste and presentation. A couple slabs of crusty bread is topped with a bunch of nondescript cheese and finished plainly in the oven. No balance of flavours was found here with diners just getting a taste of salt from the cheese and nothing else to contrast it. The tin foil serviette was laughably amateur and an eyesore for such a classy restaurant. Completely forgettable.

The size of the Jumbo Shrimp was impressive. The massive crustaceans were served cold and paired with lemon and a tomato based cocktail sauce. The shrimps, nice and succulent, had a wonderful hint of sweetness on top of the meaty bites. Adding in the cocktail sauce gives diners a tart and tangy flavour to contrast the undertones of the meat. Well done!

These Dry Ribs were also a disappointment, despite the cute presentation. The slabs of ribs, supposedly dusted with a dry rub, were so devoid of flavour that I wondered if the chefs even bothered to season the meat at all. Finishing the ribs off in the oven unfortunately rendered the meat dry, overcooked and robbed of any hint of juiciness. Utterly mediocre.

One of the specials of the day was a divine Lobster Mac & Cheese. Al dente macaroni is served here with large chunks of fresh lobster meat and tossed in a extraordinary creamy and rich cheese sauce, delightful! Bits of broccoli permeate through the dish and give tender morsels of freshness while adding a sense of colour to the dish. Ultimately though, it is the interplay between the creamy cheese, pasta and lobster that is key here. Delicious.
 

The starter Spinach Salad was completely ordinary with a bevy of spinach tossed in a tart vinaigrette. Crunchiness is added through the addition of walnuts while creaminess is found through the large chunks of blue cheese. While I appreciated the large portion given, the flavours themselves seemed very ordinary and nothing stood out as unique or exciting about the salad.

My main, the Beef Wellington, was expertly crafted and beautiful presented. The base Filet steak served here was extraordinarily tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Each bite of the exquisitely tender meat was smooth, succulent and melted in your mouth. Paired with the beef wellington was a foie gras pate that had a nice beefy and rich consistency that melted along with the beef. Unfortunately the exterior puff pastry crust, while tasty, did not adhere to the pate and ended up flaking off into small separate pieces, robbing the entire dish of the contrast between the meat, the pate and the crust. Topping the beef is a strong red wine demi-glace that added a nice salty and savoury flavour to the meat.

Accompanying sides to the beef were Snap Peas tossed in a host of butter and finished with garlic. Nice, tender and succulent, these snap peas were a bright contrast to the heartiness of the main courses.

I thoroughly enjoyed these Button Mushrooms. The aroma of garlic and butter permeated the air when these mushrooms arrived and was a perfect compliment to the beef.

These Au Gratin Potatoes were average. Here scalloped potatoes are tossed in a cream cheese sauce and baked to perfection with a bread crumb topping. The dish had a nice contrast between the nice and creamy potatoes with the crispy topping.

By now I was about to exploded but managed a few bites of the Warm Blueberry Bread Pudding. The luxurious chunks of bread pudding, with the occasional blueberry baked into it, was a nice contrast of warm bread, sweet caramel and airy whipped cream. Tasty but nothing extraordinary.

529 Welllington overall packaged great food with exquisite service in a gorgeous setting to fit the bill of fine dining and was exactly what our group was looking for in a birthday celebration. The costs, while high, are on par with what excellent steakhouses should charge; and truly 529 Wellington does their beef well, with incredibly tender and well seasoned steaks that is a cut above anything I have had in Winnipeg. However it is the accompanying dishes, especially the appetizers, that at times fell flat and not on par with the quality of their steaks. And so while I would recommend 529 Wellington for anyone looking for the best steak in Winnipeg, I would caution larger groups with the quality of the set menu and rather point them towards ordering a la carte.

Ichiban Steakhouse - Average Teppanyaki

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cooking that combines quality ingredients cooked in front of you on an iron griddle with a show featuring the main chef doing tricks and stunts in an effort to excite and amaze their guests. Most major cities feature a Teppanyaki style restaurant and Winnipeg is no different with Ichiban Japanese Steak House. On a frosty night myself and a fellow co-resident made the trip to Ichiban for some flare and good food.

Ichiban is located in the heart of downtown kitty corner from the Delta Winnipeg and across the street from the Winnipeg Convention centre. The restaurant itself is in the basement and actually fills a large sprawling area with plush chairs, comfortable seating and the aforementioned teppan style grills. Great care was put into the experience with authentic decor and attentive waitresses in authentic geisha outfits. Everyone seemed to be having a good time with a cacophony of noise as the teppan tables exploded with excitement at the next act of each show.

Unfortunately we, having made an impromptu decision, were not seated at the teppan tables but rather at their regular dine in tables. We were assured it would be the same food (minus the flare of the show) at the same prices and most importantly, quality. The menu itself is quite limited and focused on the Teppanyaki combinations; with the occasional appetizer and sushi roll designed to compliment the main meal.

Each meal starts with a bowl of Vegetable Soup. Simply chicken broth with root vegetables, the soup tasted fine but severely lacked any authenticity (where was my miso soup?).

Alongside the soup came a starter salad: Marinated Cucumbers with Crab. Again an odd dish to serve with teppanyaki that was missing an air of authenticity. I appreciated the use of real crab meat here and thought it had a slight sweetness that rounded out the crisp vinegary cucumbers well.

The next dish in the meal was an appetizer of sorts, Chicken Liver with Vegetables fried and finished on the teppan. Again, an odd choice to surround a teppanyaki meal with, this liver dish was rendered inedible and devoid of flavour. The accompanying vegetables had a nice sweetness from the teriyaki based sauce but overall this dish was a complete miss (and a head scratcher for this type of meal).

For my main I ordered the Sirloin & Salmon Combination. The sloppily presented plate featured a sizable steak portion, cooked to your liking, and a chunk of salmon with a nice sweet soy glaze. Accompanying the protein was a heaping bowl of fried rice and a mix of teppan vegetables. Each individual component were fine, but there was no forethought or combination of flavours here. The meat was well cooked and salmon tasty, but the entire plate did not work and resembled a pick-four style combination plate one can find at any food court.

It was as if Ichiban wanted to overwhelm the diner with a host of options to give the idea of value. While one cannot discount the value associated with sitting at the teppan with a chef cooking in front of you, the food itself was simply not up to par. There was no planning or thought into why each course was given, nor was there any truly unique or tasty offerings. Rather Ichiban gives you pomp and circumstance almost to trick the diner into believing they are getting fine dining. You will get better food in almost any other Japanese restaurant in town and there you can enjoy the show of chefs creating real Japanese cuisine in front of your eyes. Do yourself a favour and skip Ichiban.

To meat with love, Carnaval Brazilian BBQ

In pediatrics it is standard to ask every parent about family history of medical diseases/disorders. The reason stems from the fact that lots of diseases run in families and the idea of genetic inheritance. Macroscopically, Carnaval is the epitomization of the human carnivorous inheritance. I had the wonderous opportunity to celebrate a friend's birthday at Carnaval Brazilian BBQ.

I had previously blogged about Carnaval and am happy to report that not much has changed. Located on the corner of Waterfront and Bannatyne, Carnaval attempts to soothe the meat lover in all of us. Featuring a rodizio prix fix, you get the opportunity to sample as many of the different meats and sides as you possibly can.

Going with a group of people allows one to try more sides than you would normally be able to. Thus this meal will be to, again, showcase the meats and highlight some of the better side dishes that Carnaval has to offer.

The Cordeiro (Lamb Shoulder) was improved from last time. The spice rub mixed in with the juiciness of the lamb made this a hit around the table. One sometimes shies away from lamb because of the gamey-ness but Carnaval's was completely devoid of such taste. 

The Sobra-Coxa De Frango (Chicken Thighs) were an excellent second offering. The crispy skin with the juicy meat reminded me of a Brazilian version of fried chicken. The generous spice rub does well to accentuate the nature flavours of the chicken.

Alcatra (Top Sirloin) was served next. I received a side piece of the steak which initially disappointed me. I was excited on my first bite as this was still wonderfully soft and tender and had a umami deliciousness to it.

Maminha (Tri-Tip Steak) was served medium-well and was altogether okay. Perfect for those on the table who preferred this meat more cooked through.

Pork Sirloin was somewhat disappointing. Pork is difficult to do in a buffet style setting as it can dry easily. Such was the case with the sirloin with the meat tough, dry and bland.

Ancho (Rib-Eye) was similarly bloody compared to last time. This rendered a nice tenderness to the meat. However the rub was disappointingly lacking and all one could taste was meat and fat.

Linguica (Chorizo Pork Sausage) was one of the highlights of the night. Fatty chorizo with a sharp spicy kick to it made this a wonderful multidimensional dish.

Costela De Porco (Pork Ribs) were a huge disappointment for me. Fatty pieces of rib with minimal meat, this was devoid of any semblance of the honey mustard glaze Carnaval touts on their menu.

File Com Bacon (Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin) was one of the stars of the night. When you mix in the deliciousness of tenderloin with the saltiness and smokiness of bacon, you get a package that cannot be dismissed.

Similarly the Frango Com Bacon (Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast) was also excellent. The bacon served a second purpose here to envelop the chicken and keep it nice and moist. Very well done!

Our sides started with the Heart of Palm Salad. A vegetable from the inner core of a growing palm tree, the heart of palm resembled a bamboo shoot. This worked well with the freshness of the cucumbers, arugula and finished with the sweet onion vinaigrette.

Batata Frita (French Fries) were a consensus at the table. What better way to compliment a bunch of meats than with their best friend, potatoes! Carnaval's fries were fine: nicely cooked and had a slight salty flavour.

The Squash Salad came highly recommended. Squash, arugula, raisins and pumpkin seeds made this a nice compliment to the fatty meats. Carnaval touts to using a honey ginger vinaigrette but it tasted simply of honey with nary a ginger flavour in site.

The Roasted Yams were a table favourite. Oven roasted with fresh herbs, this was a great way to end our meal.

Overall Carnaval remains a unique and fun experience for those in search of meat. It was refreshing to revisit a restaurant after a few months and see it continue to provide quality food.

Meat, meat meat. Carnaval Brazilian BBQ

Last night of Marilyn's stay in Winnipeg was the most anticipated meal for the both of us. In Edmonton we had always wanted to go to a brazilian BBQ restaurant with the rodizio style menu. Alas, we never got around to going there. To my utter joy, one of the first restaurants we heard about in Winnipeg was Carnaval:

Carnaval works on a rodizio menu where, for a fixed prix, you can eat as much meat as possible. The meats are brought out on metal spits from the grill and you determine how much and when you want the meats. All other vegetables and sides were ordered from our server.

Red means no more meat.

Green should be self explanatory

First meat was Cordeiro (lamb shoulder). Wonderfully roasted, medium rare and not very gamey.

Frango Com Bacon (bacon wrapped chicken breast). The bacon added a lot of juiciness and flavour to the chicken.

Close-up of the bacon wrapped chicken.

Pork Sirloin. I am used to Asian style cha siu, so this pork was less appealing. Dry and a bit tough.

Alcatra (top sirloin). The steak was well done but overall lacked some flavour. Could use some extra seasoning.

Linguica (chorizo pork sausage) was absolutely delicious. Spicey, juicy and crispy on the outside. One of the best of the day

Our sides came in the middle of our meat massacre. From left to right: Kale and Broccoli Salad; Squash Salad; Roasted Yams; Chorizo and Chickpea Stew. Star of the sides was the broccoli and kale.

Sobre-Coxa De Frango (chicken thighs). This was delicious. The crust from the marinade kept the inside juicy while doing a juicy and sweet dance in your mouth.

Maminha (tri-tip steak). We wanted a well done piece for Marilyn. A little tough for me but the crust had some nice herbal aromas.

Ancho (rib-eye). This came out way too bloody for Marilyn so I had both helpings for the two of us. Tender, but altogether non-seasoned.

File Com Bacon (bacon wrapped tenderloin). STAR of the show by far. Delicious tenderloin wrapped in delicious bacon, grilled to deliciousness. Did I mention it was delicious?

Ordered a couple more sides including a side salad and cauliflower. Both decent.

Wonderful way to finish any Brazilian rodizio menu is grilled pineapple. This was SO GOOD. As you can imagine we were terribly full when we got to these guys, but the aroma set us off. Simply marvelous.

Perhaps obviously, Carnaval is only for those who love meats. Furthermore I would only recommend it if you love meats done of the medium rare doneness. Service was good, location was excellent. Would highly recommend for the carnivore in the family.