2016 has been a wonderful year of noshing for Food Musings.

The year started with munching on salads at The Nook, The Peaks Restaurant and the Capital Grill, then progressed through the delectable offerings of beef tartar at Sous Sol and Segovia. The peanut butter & jam chicken wings were a hit at the Silver Heights as well as the peanut butter and jam buster at Bronuts.

Midyear brought the Sunday brunch buffet at Gausthouse Gutenberg and out of town treks to Jonsey’s and Hillside Beach.

Noodles were the selected fare at Dancing Noodle, Nicolino’s and Tom’s Pho and fish and chips were sampled at both Sei Sushi and the Captain’s Table.

The biggest surprises were the bacon and egg pizza at Peg Beer Co. and the calamari on the seafood pizza at Amici (now closed) followed closely by quail eggs at both Bisita and Fusion Experience. Everything was a surprise Saperavi, the first Georgian restaurant on the prairies.

The year concluded with exceptional tastes of the Vietnamese pork sandwich at King + Bannatyne,

fried chicken toast at Clementine and paella at Simon’s Cuisine.

What does 2017 hold for Food Musings? Well I am still trying to work my way through the reader’s suggestions of Begonia Grill, Common Sense Deli & Bakery, Diner’s Grill, Ethiopian food at Massawa, Latin American fare at Mercado Latino Restaurant & Market, a theme night at Rossmere Country Club and the White Star Diner once they make their move to Kennedy St. On my personal list are Saddlery on Market, Feast Café Bistro, Blind Tiger Kitchen and Crème de L’Essence. So it looks like 2017 will be another busy one with trying to keep up with Winnipeg’s vibrant restaurant scene (and going to the gym to offset the fruits of my labour).

Kath’s quote: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”-Mae West

Love never fails.

Simon’s Cuisine is part of the snazzy new Food Hall at The Forks Market. Winnipeggers were out in droves on this particular balmy winter day and so finding a parking spot took a bit of patience. Simon’s delectable offerings made one forget about the extra effort. The new Hall had a grand open feel, even though the seating is still food-court style.

Simon’s has been on my radar for a long time. I had intended to visit their original location on St. Mary’s Road and never got the opportunity.

Jose Sturym, the Owner/Chef moved to Winnipeg in 2003 from Argentina with his family. He opened the original Simon’s in 2004 and this manifestation earlier this year. Along with a huge variety of Argentinean empanadas the kiosk offers Chicken Deshuesado (a boneless chicken breast marinated in lemon, garlic and wine), a Milanesa Sandwich and Fritatadas. I couldn’t decide between the Lorca or Paella so I ordered both.

Lorco is an Argentinean stew made from sausage, squash, lima beans and hominy (corn grits). I detected a smoky paprika taste and enjoyed the white beans and mild sausage. The hearty portion came with a wedge of bread to mop up the stew’s sauce.

I was particularly impressed with the Paella. Containing a spicy chorizo sausage and a variety of seafood, namely mussels, squid and shrimp, the dish could easily pass as a dinner entrée. The famous Spanish casserole is rice-based but has distinctive onion, garlic and spicy pepper notes. The juices from the seafood permeate the rice and create a hearty and deeply satisfying dish.

I can imagine dining there one evening with a flight of craft beer or a wine flight from The Common also located in the Food Hall.

I forgot to ask who Simon was!

Simon’s Cuisine official address is 132-1 Forks Market Road. They are open daily from 11 am until 8 pm. They have an all day menu available and are wheelchair accessible.

Watch for Food Musings every second Wednesday in your copy of The Headliner, The Herald, The Lance, The Metro, The Sou’wester and The Times.

Kath’s quote: “ESTELLE: What am I supposed to do with all this Paella?!
GEORGE: They said tomorrow, maybe.
FRANK: Maybe?
ESTELLE: Maybe they don’t like us.
FRANK: Why wouldn’t they like us? (tastes the Paella) Again with the pepper? What do you gotta use all the pepper for?!!
ESTELLE: Ah keep quiet.
FRANK: What are you trying to set my mouth on fire?!!
GEORGE: I don’t know what the reason could be”. – Daily Seinfeld

Love neve fails.

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We were up a half an hour early so that we could still have our morning routine of coffee and the sunrise

and our last visit with H & G.

The taxi came a smidge early so we had a half hour wait for the ferry. I used the time to take some last shots of Medina.

One last pouty pic.

We love the new ferry terminal.

We had a lovely ferry and shuttle ride. Adios Isla Mujeres. Can’t wait to be with you again.

Kath’s quote: “Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen”.-Benjamin Disraeli

Love never fails.

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Up for another glorious sunrise.

We walked into town to say goodbye to Brother #3 & L (with their sad pouty faces on).

We snagged a cab to Mango Cafe.

I chose the eggs bennie on chia leaves, mushrooms and curry hollandaise.

D had the Stuffed Pobalno Chili. Everything was absolutely excellent as always.

We made it for the last 20 minutes of church.

We strolled home.

I headed out for a last opportunity of beachcombing.

It was a hot one as the clouds had subsided as well as the breeze.

So we conserved our energy and simply hung out for the rest of the day at Luna d’ Miel.

Me, showing off my tan (and my wrinkly neck).

We packed for our morning departure and strolled into Centro for our progressive dinner:

Our fist appetizer was a shared Bimbo Dog.

Next course was a shared order of Coconut Shrimp & Dos Xs at Miminoes.

We were fascinated by these two little girls that we could see from our seats. They were apparently fishing with a piece of fishing line.

Our next stop was Bally Hoo for a shared Pasta Marinera, margaritas and wine.

We caught one last glorious sunset and then headed to the square for Churros.

On the way home we grabbed Pizza from Suny’s for the next day. We shared a lovely bottle of Camenere with the stars and waves. We had a fabulous holidays and it was so leisurely we kept saying: “We’re still here!”

Kath’s quote: “I think that when two people are able to weave that kind of invisible thread of understanding and sympathy between each other, that delicate web, they should not risk tearing it. It is too rare, and it lasts too short a time at best….” ― M.F.K. Fisher

Love never fails.

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My husband caters a few special events each year and when that happens I get kicked out of the kitchen. This created an unexpected opportunity to order in and Fusian Experience (612B Academy Rd.)immediately came to mind. The phone line went immediately to voice mail so I suspected they were busy on a Saturday evening. Since they are right in our neighbourhood, I nipped over there to place my order in person. Only 3 of the half dozen tables were occupied but the phone orders were really keeping the kitchen hopping. Owner Lisa Le-Taing (with her husband Owner/Chef Chris Taing) took my number and told me that she would phone me when I could return to pick up our fixings. This gave me an opportunity to survey the tiny but sleek restaurant. The bar stools at the open kitchen would be a fun spot to perch in the future.

Oxford dictionary states that “fusion” refers to food or cooking that incorporates elements of diverse cuisines. How would Chef Taing fuse Asian food to our favourites of Mexican and Italian cuisine? We ordered from the Tapas section of the menu which in itself is a fused notion because you may or may not know that tapas are a Spanish manner of eating.

We enjoy Lettuce Wraps on a regular basis but typically not with sushi rice and lemongrass pork. These were especially crunchy and the ribbons of cucumber and cilantro made them taste sparkling fresh.

Sushi Tacos were also stellar with the clean tastes of satiny albacore tuna and mango salsa. In fact every time we tasted something new our dinner got better and better.

The Hawaiian Shrimp Nachos knocked dinner right out of the park!  Spicy panko shrimp were perfectly teamed with mango and pineapple. The avocado and Gouda added a silky texture, the jalapenos some heat and the wonton crisps even more crunch. We were so crazy for these; we plan to pick them up on a regular basis.

The Forbidden Risotto was the pièce de résistance. Organic king salmon had been fashioned into a floral bloom and was nestled atop a bed of black rice risotto. Black rice is so packed with nutrition; we should all try to eat it more often. The quail egg added a fabulous pizzazz both visually and in taste.

Fusian Experience is open Tuesday-Saturday 11:30-2 pm, Tuesday –Thursday 5:30-9 and Friday & Saturday 5:30-9:30 pm. There are Lunch, tapas, dinner and catering menus available. They are wheelchair accessible and have plenty of parking in the lot behind the restaurant.

Watch for Food Musings every second Wednesday in your copy of The Headliner, The Herald, The Lance, The Metro, The Sou’wester and The Times.

Kath’s quote: “The food was so good that with each passing course, our conversation devolved further into fragmented celebrations of its deliciousness: ‘I want this dragon carrot risotto to become a person so I can take it to Las Vegas and marry it.” –John Green

Love never fails.