prasantrin

Last I heard, Rolf was working somewhere out of town--Garson, Manitoba. It might be at a golf course/country club, but my memory is hazy. I just thought of two more upscale-type places to dine. The Manitoba Club and St. Charles Country Club. I have been to neither though an acquaintance (who is very knowledgable about food and wine) raves about both. The chefs at both have competed on Canada's World Cup culinary team at some point (if that means anything). Unfortunately, one must be a member, or be dining with a member, to eat at either of them.

Oh, it's definitely a hole. The lack of natural lighting gives it a basement-like feel and the fake plants are just so...fake but Kum Koon Garden pre-renovation had much the same atmosphere. All the Chinese Chinese restaurants (i.e. places you might actually find Chinese people) in Winnipeg (and many in other parts of the world) lack in cleanliness (except maybe North Garden--it's got the cleanest washroom of them all) so I can't really fault DSG on that (found dried hork in the sink at KKG once--completely ruined my dining experience, and in Macau some guy horked and spat on the *floor* inside a restaurant). The white plastic sheets (they aren't really garbage bags, just sheets of plastic) are rather ugly though I have seen them used elsewhere, (they used to use them at KKG but I can't remember if they still do) so they are not unique to DSG. I guess my preference for DSG is relative. They are relatively good, especially if comparing them to other dim sum places in Winnipeg. I don't really care that much about atmosphere when it comes to Chinese food; I just want to eat and of the dim sum places in Winnipeg, right now it's the only one I would go to. I should try KKG again, but last I went, their prices were just too high for the quality of the food. Perhaps Jeff listened to my mother and made some changes, but I doubt his daughter even passed our concerns on to him. I will say that I find that none of the dim sum places are very consistent with the quality of their dim sum (Grand Garden excluded--their dim sum is just plain bad all the time). I've had bad dim sum at DSG, but I've also had very good dim sum there. My Hong Kong Chinese friends often go to DSG for dim sum so it can't be all that bad (then again, if Canadians like to go to Earl's, does that make it good Canadian food?

I suspect our difference in opinion stems from very different taste buds. I thought Green Gates was terribly overrated--flavourless overcooked food. I may have visited on an off-night, but nothing about that experience has made me want to give it a second chance or recommend it to anyone. It has changed its menu recently, though, and is trying to appeal to the "average" Winnipeger. Perhaps the quality of food has also changed. Pasta la Vista is good, but nowhere near the range of Tre Visi or Amici's. I don't think their food is much above the Olive Garden in terms of quality. I've only been to East India Company once and at that time, their buffet was definitely geared to those who had little experience with Indian food. Everything tasted the same. I have heard that recently, though, their food has improved greatly and one can actually differentiate between dishes based on taste rather than name and appearance. All three of the above restaurants, imo, are as popular as they are because of their appeal as restaurants rather than for their food. Winnipegers are known for their love of names and pretense. Decorate your restaurant well and throw some fancy names and ingredients on a menu and you're set. Green Gates and Pasta la Vista are the types of restaurants that seem sophisticated and, to a certain degree, ritzy. Wasabi and Sawatdee Thai (or pretty much any of the other Thai restaurants) are two other restaurants that fall under that category. I would bet the Ivory, the newest Indian restaurant, also fits there. People often mistake pleasant atmosphere and pretty decorations as signs of excellent food and in Winnipeg, I find this happens more often than not. As for Dim Sum Garden, it is nowhere near the level of places like Grand Yatt in Toronto or Luk Yee in Hong Kong, but given the other choices, I believe it is the best. Grand Garden is horrible so there is no need to even try that place. Kum Koon used to be the best, but I believe they changed their recipes when they expanded--either consciously or as a consequence of adding more chefs. Their fried calamari was sweet (!!) and chewy, the shell of the har gau was tough (though the shrimp itself was plump and juicy), the siu mai had a very odd aftertaste, and the filling of the coconut buns was miniscule while the bread was hard and overbaked. Of the other dishes we tried, everything had been sweetened to a degree of unpleasantness. We had been going to Kum Koon for more than 20 years, so it was a great disappointment when the change occured. We did tell the owner's daughter our opinions but have not been back since so I don't know if the food has improved since then. In terms of atmosphere, however, it certainly is the nicest Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg.

There are much better restaurants in Winnipeg than the ones you visited. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) most are sheap to moderately-priced rather than "upper-level." Of moderately to upper-level restaurants, some suggestions include: Tre Visi--fabulous Italian food in the Exchange District. Their carpaccio is a rare find in the Prairies. Amici's and Bombolini's--Amici's is the more expensive of the two, though the food from both comes from the same kitchen. I much prefer the menu at Amici's. I've had some disappointments with menu choices at Bombolini's, but everything I've tried from Amici's has been excellent. If I could choose just one Italian restaurant, however, it would be Tre Visi. Their gnocchi outclasses any others in Winnipeg (Bombolini's were heavy and were as large as rocks). Dubrovnik's--I've never eaten there but have had food prepared by the chef. His osso bucco is tender and flavourful. During the early '90s, the quality of the food suffered as the current (and original) chef left for a period of time. He has since returned and as I understand it, he has brought the menu back to its former glory. But as I said, I have never eaten there so I cannot personally vouch for the menu. Bistro Dansk--Danish and Bohemian food (strange combo, but it works!). Wonderful schnitzel, excellent roasted potatoes, and the most amazing hazelnut pie I have ever eaten. Their homemade liver pate is also a treat. Sometimes the hazelnut pie is a tad overbaked, but it is always delicious. I would stay away from their puff pastry (really a giant cream puff)--it's delicious, but they overdo it with the chocolate sauce. Competely ruins it, imo. Edohei--far better sushi than Wasabi. Chef Ono is a real sushi chef, unlike those working at other establishments, and the attraction at Edohei is the food rather than the schmoozy, pretentious atmosphere. I generally stay away from sushi in Winnipeg, however, since frozen fish (and pretty much all the sushi in Winnipeg is from frozen fish) makes poor sushi, but Chef Ono does a pretty good job with what he can get. For lunch, his donburis are the best in the city. Velvet Glove--I haven't eaten there in years but it was good then. I don't know if I would have raved about it but I have heard some good things about it recently. I haven't eaten at 529 Wellington but I think for the money, you can get far better quality beef and cook it yourself. I tend to think of it as being more for those who are interested in restaurants rather than food. For cheaper eats, Winnipeg really shines with 'ethnic' foods. For example: Massawa--for Ethiopian food. Service is mediocre to bad at times, but the food is quite good. I haven't been there in some time, though, so that may have changed. Siam Thai Cuisine--the best Thai food I've had outside Asia (I'm half Thai, so I think I know my Thai food). Servings are small but that is because the chef uses the best quality ingredients she can find. My favourites including the Golden Cups (stay away from the satay--it has little flavour) and Prawn Wrap appetizers, choo chee pla, beef salad, pla dook foo (catfish salad--hard to find elsewhere), and sticky rice with coconut custard (sounds pedestrian, but their version is one of the better ones I've had). One caveat--the quality of the food depends on who is cooking. Try to make sure Samloy (the owner/chef) is preparing your food. It's just not as good otherwise. India Palace or Taste of India--I'm not sure which I prefer, but I often judge Indian restaurants by the quality of their samosas. Both of these places have excellent samosas and tamarind sauce to boot. India Palace has better desserts, though. Dim Sum Garden--not just for dim sum, but for the other food, as well. They are one of the only places left in the city that does poached chicken with ginger and scallions. Kum Koon Garden used to have the best dim sum, but since their spectacular renovation, the quality of the food has changed. It's not nearly as good as it used to be so Dim Sum Garden has regained its Number 1 position (at least on my list). If you go to Dim Sum Garden between 2pm and 5pm Mon-Sat, all the dim sum menu is $1.95/dish. Best to go on Saturdays when they have a full selection, otherwise you'll end up ordering from a much reduced menu, but go at 2 or you'll have a long wait for a table. Other good Cantonese food--North Garden and Sun Fortune which are both in the south end of the city. Asia City--Cheap Vietnamese food (very cheap though not as tasty as other places) and the best bubble tea anywhere. Their bubble tea is more like a slush than most other bubble teas. Get a fresh fruit one--the young coconut one is rich and creamy, mango tastes just like mango, and avocado is perfect. Caribbean Delight--while I haven't had a full meal there, their patties are very good. Winnipeg has a number of Caribbean/West Indian restaurants though the quality has declined greatly over the last 10 years. I judge Caribbean restaurants by their patties, and Caribbean Delight had the best of the bunch (Tropikis even microwaved their patties!!!). I'm sure there are other places I've forgotten, but this should give you at least an idea of what's out there.