We do not venture south on Pembina Hwy. very often and do not savour the complex tastes of Indian food frequently either, so this visit was unique on both accounts.  Our eldest daughter picked the Eat On Samoa (109-2800 Pembina Hwy.) for us.  She is an adventurous eater, as are all of our kids-what a blessing.  When we arrived, the little place was full but there was a large table right in a bright and sunny window, that seemed to be waiting for us.

Orders are placed at a quick-serve counter and we decided to try four varieties of somosas between the three of us.  The lovely lady behind the counter (we found out subsequently that she was the owner Manika Pradhan) encouraged us to select a half dozen instead.  She helpfully suggested, that the cost was lower and that there was no tax assessed when purchased in this manner.  So we chose two chicken, one vegetable, two beef and one bison samosa.  Upon tasting each, we decided that enjoying three out four varieties was a good thing.  We did not care for the gamey taste of the bison-not a criticism, just a preference.

Next up, we shared two butter chicken platters for the three of us and it was more than enough food.  We enjoyed the chick peas and mixed vegetables as much as the chicken itself.    Our palettes are not discerning enough to know if the curries were the same on both the veggies and the beans.  We didn’t mind, as both were delicious.

The butter chicken was perfection.  The chicken was still moist and tender, just like “butter”.  This is how the recipe got its name, as you may already know.  We enjoyed the extra tomato-based sauce on the jasmine rice and lopped up every droplet.

There are Dine –in, take out and catering menus available.  Be mindful of a slightly elevated lip at entrance; otherwise the restaurant is weheelchair accessible.  There is plenty of surface parking available.  Fort Richmond is fortunate to have this convenient place in their neighbourhood for eat in dining, take out and catering.

Kath’s quote: “Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.”  –M.F.K. Fisher

Love-that is all.

About 20 years ago I tried sushi for the first time and to be honest with you, I was less than impressed.  At the time there were only three sushi places in Winnipeg leaving me lots of other restaurant options so I wouldn’t have to eat it again, so I thought.

Don’t get me wrong, I love fish. I’m actually a bit fanatical about fish.  I eat it at least twice a week, but I don’t like things that taste fishy.  Sounds like an oxymoron, but good fresh fish doesn’t taste fishy.

With the rapidly growing popularity of sushi restaurants I have really had no choice but to give this sushi thing another try.  So for the past five years or so I have grown to enjoy many sushi restaurants, although I still avoid fish roe and prefer to switch it out for tempura crunch.

Well my appreciation of sushi reached an entirely new level when I discovered Kudara Sushi at 427 Academy Road.  Not easy to find if you are searching just by address, but it’s in the 7-eleven strip mall behind the Domo on Academy. Kudara Sushi puts a creative spin on their dishes which are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.

We started with the tempura vegetables and while I thought the portion could have been bigger, I was very impressed with the taste.  Not at all greasy and served piping hot.

We decided on four rolls.  My very favorite was the Sunflower, filled with tamago (Japanese style omelet) cream cheese, cucumber and avocado; this rice roll is topped with a thin slice of deep fried yam.  Dipped into the combination of sauces served along side this roll made it the perfect melt in your mouth bite.  A close second in my mind is the Yami Yami. (I think I like yams a lot!) This rice roll is stuffed with fried yam, cucumber and cream cheese and smothered in crunchy little strands of more fried yam.

I also really enjoyed the Crazy.  Filled with spicy tuna and cucumber and topped with thin salmon and creamy avocado. We weren’t as fussy on the Volcano the spicy tuna sashimi on top was too thick for my taste and overwhelmed the sweet chopped scallop hidden inside.

Everything was very fresh. The little bits of sauces running along side some of the rolls was what put me over the top with delight.  Not like the sloppy orange mayonnaise you often find at sushi joints.  These sauces where light in texture but full in flavour.

Kudara is a little place with only four tables. But they do a brisk take-out business. The room is cute and the owner (I only met KJ) is very personable.  My dinner companion and I really appreciated the poster on the wall that featured translations of Japanese words like Unagi (eel), Tobiko (flying fish roe), Tako (octopus), that you often see on a sushi menu and feel silly repeatedly asking what they are.

I think I will order a platter of this amazing sushi for this year’s birthday celebration.  I can’t image a better gift of food to enjoy and share with my friends.  Rumour has it they’ll whip up some Korean dishes upon request, so I’m sure to be back for more than just sushi!

Kath’s quote: “In Mexico we have a word for sushi: bait.”-Jose Simon

Love-that is all.

Does the date of your birthday conflict with other celebrations? I love my May birthday, as the blossoms on our flowering fruit trees typically bloom this weekend and the weather is balmy, without any pesky bugs, that will be along soon enough.  Often times when my birthday arrives though, I feel as if I was just showered with affection and gifts for Mother’s Day and that doing so again so soon, must feel redundant for D and our family.  They don’t display this in the least, it is me, projecting how I might feel in their shoes.

I am more than content to celebrate in the back yard with something fun put onto the barbeque but this just occurred for Mother’s Day and I think that everyone needed a break from cooking and hosting.  So I asked if we could go to Lovey’s BBQ and Smokehouse.  Reputed to be the best barbeque in the city, I had yet to see for myself.

Even with our late afternoon arrival on a Sunday, the place was hopping and our large party was asked if we would like to sit in their party room.  We were having a party, so why not?  We did feel a little bit cut off from the rest of the restaurant, which was not such a good thing when we wondered where on earth people had disappeared to, when they went to place our order.  There was a new cashier on, doing her level best to pick up the procedure, but the poor girl was a bit overwhelmed.  We had no concern about the wait, but because we all have hospitality backgrounds, it was hard not to vault over the counter and help her out.

We got the entire family in 1 shot including the waitress!

Our privacy did mean that we could carry out our birthday tradition started by Daughter #2 for The Frenchman’s birthday this past winter.  We go around the table and share what we especially love about the person who’s birthday is being celebrated.  This is my favourite part about getting another year older, secure in the fact that my short term memory loss and brown age spots aren’t negating the way my family feels about me.  Or perhaps, they do feel differently, but they are all so sweet, they would never tell me so.

But to our dinner…. D ordered a round of Hog Spit beer, Burnt Ends and Fried Pickles.  I especially enjoyed the burnt ends, but some in our family were concerned about the fat content.  I know that fat is what delivers the flavour, but tried to restrain myself.

Dinner choices were varied from Pulled Pork Poutine (Daughter #2’s favourite dish from last summer spent in Montreal),

to a full rack of back ribs

and my half chicken (I ate the wing and the fabulous hand cut fries and packed up the rest for home).

Pulled pork was chosen by the rest of the gang and was also a big hit.  All meat choices were lovely and moist, but still firm, which is our criteria for good pulled pork and ribs.  The barbeque sauce was tasty and so appreciated, that additional cupfuls were requested.

We all know that good barbeque must have a bevy of “sides” and Lovey’s are amazing: a dense cornbread with a pleasant sweetness, homemade pit beans and creamy cole slaw.  D sampled the potato salad but everyone else went for the hand cut fries, which were plentiful and perfectly prepared.

An extra side of real chips was placed in the centre of the harvest sized table and even though we were all stuffed, they were fun to pick at (like peanuts).  I would go back for these even if the meat had not been exceptional.

Our dessert was also a family tradition: Jeanne’s banana cake with a shortbread cookie bottom and lots of chocolate shavings.  Even though I am not a big dessert eater, I could tuck into this cake morning, noon and night and often do so, when there are leftovers after my birthday celebration.

When birthdays are recognized as another year well lived and well loved, how could they be a dreaded thing?

Kath’s quote: “Grilling, broiling, barbecuing – whatever you want to call it – is
an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of
meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.” James Beard

Love-that is all.

D had the opportunity to visit Hung’s Garden (1565 Regent Ave. W.) a multi generation owned restaurant over a decade ago, at its former location.  Even though the physical location of the restaurant has changed, he remembered that the food was delectable and that had not altered.  The place was bustling with hungry fans after an afternoon Jets game.  We were fortunate to get one of the last empty tables.  There was a large group assembling in the corner for a birthday party.  The restaurant is beautifully appointed and would be fitting for a casual dinner or a celebration of this kind.

The menu includes an extensive offering of Szechwan dishes and we saw a number of sizzling platters being delivered to surrounding tables. We opted to share a huge bowl of deluxe wonton soup.  We thought that the broth needed to be punched up by a couple of shakes of soya sauce but the vegetables were al dente and delicious.  The shrimp were plump and the barbeque pork was tender, but the best part was the won ton dumplings-plentiful and bursting with flavour.  The soup would make a perfectly satisfying lunch all on its own.

One of our old favourites was next up-moo shi pork.  We love moo shi so much that I adapted the recipe for home and it was a favourite as the kids were growing up.  To increase the nutritional value, I would use broccoli slaw instead of bean sprouts.  I have never found a store that sells the “pancakes” in Winnipeg so I would substitute these with tortillas.  When all was said and done though, it was the hoisin sauce that made it all taste so good.  There was way too much filling for the four pancakes that were provided but I was happy to have the surplus with our final dish-Singapore style vermicelli noodles.  Dotted with more shrimp and bits of pork and peppers, the dish was appropriately spiced with a savoury amount of curry.

Our server was very efficient and attentive.  When we spotted an older couple behind the front desk get their coats on to depart for the evening, the server informed us that they were the owners of the restaurant.  We asked if they were his grandparents and he shared that even though they were not, he and other staff members referred to them as grandparents. What a testament to creating a family/team atmosphere for your staff!

Kath’s quote: “The benevolence of wrapping the partridge in a vine leaf brings out its quality, just as the barrel of Diogenes brought forth the qualities of the great thinker.”-Des Essarts 

PS

I didn’t know when I would ever be able to use this quotation and now seemed like as good a time as ever.

Love-that is all.

Ever wondered what the conversation centres around when three bloggers get together for lunch? Emma is a blogging friend that I have known in cyberspace since I first created this place in January 2010.  At that time, she was an old-pro having ventured into the blogisphere a year prior.  I was immediately drawn and inspired by Emma’s beautifully crafted Winnipegomyheart and not just because of the obvious unifying heart theme. I knew that J2 (Daughter #3) who is the Lady behind Baby Lady of the Prairies and Emma would hit it off immediately and I was correct.  Both are expecting babies and J2 grew up in the same neighbourhood where Emma now resides.  Conversation centred around the gorgeous elm-lined neighbourhoods of Winnipeg, how difficult it is to find a mid-wife here, the balancing act of family & work & money and not surprisingly -food!

I picked a spot that would be central for all of us and would not mind if we lingered in conversation for the afternoon. Elements-The Restaurant (599  Portage Ave.) is operated by Diversity Foods which was created by The University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation and SEED Winnipeg.  Chef Ben Kramer is one of their senior employees but in my mind the he runs the novel restaurant with the care and attitude as if he was the sole proprietor.

My daughters tell me wonderful tales of meals that they regularly enjoy at U of W.  In fact, my youngest is so impressed by the quality and value, she finds that it is hard to justify packing a lunch to lug to school.  I have enjoyed a number of school day lunches and a couple of private evening events at Elements.  In every case, the food has been innovative and well-prepared.

On this weekend day, I mistakenly assumed that the restaurant would not be busy.  But when we arrived there was a wonderful vibrant community feel, even though University classes were not in session.  Our server was very busy and the kitchen must have been too, for she would keep us posted on the progress of our meals.  We were so busy becoming acquainted with a new friend that we hardly noticed.

Our new friend started with a spicy tomato soup and then tucked into the Mushroom Almond Burger (without the bun) as she is eating gluten-free.  She said that she should have asked whether or not the patties are made with bread crumbs.  As I have known her for years in cyber-space but had never met her until this lunch date, I did feel comfortable to ask her for a taste.  But, the almond patty sure looked delicious!

My daughter-in-law enjoyed Huevos from the weekend brunch menu.  She is hooked on the Mexican Eggs from Stella’s and was hoping that this choice would satisfy her craving.  She was well-pleased, but added that she would have loved a slice of avocado or guacamole with the dish.

I had been craving a burger too and opted to add the house-made back bacon as a topping.  My lunch came with a soup as well.  The savoury mixture was a combination of Creole pork and shrimp, with rice and a red wined enhanced stock.  Our server had to check the exact ingredients with the chef when I inquired for details.  She said that their daily soups change according to surplus ingredients in the kitchen.  I make what I call refrigerator soup at home doing exactly the same thing and I appreciate a resourceful cook.

Kath’s quote: “The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.”-A. J. Liebling

Love-that is all.