Dim Sum in Winnipeg

[prasantrin]

I don't think Ken's really serve dim sum - more like a few items a la carte. Can't remember how we found it, but it used to be on Edmonton before they razed everything to build Portage Place. We were blown away by the hot'n'sour soup the first time, and we've been going there ever since. Kitchen and wait staff have changed many times, and Ken has since died. But, Mrs. "Ken" is always there watching her TV, reading the newspaper, and eating melon seeds at a table at the entrance to the dining room. Next time in, I must check for the elusive xiaolong bao.

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Ken died? When did that happen? I don't remember my mother ever mentioning it. We were never frequent diners at Ken's.

Has anyone ever been to Foon Hai? I don't think they have dim sum, but they used to have the best mapodofu. It's been a long time since I was last there, though.

It's unfortunate that there isn't just one Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg that does everything the best. We've always had to go to one place for one dish, another place for another. Same goes for dim sum! (bringing this back on topic... )

[prasantrin]

Yes. It was the Double Greeting on McDiarmid. It must have been around the late 70s  when we used to go there with the kids. I think it was there that we first had fresh made-on-premise Chinese cruellers with jook. We were so thrilled to find them that everytime we went to Wpg, we'd make sure we'd stop there to buy a dozen to bring home.  I remember the young woman who served us there. She had a little baby, and her mother would look after it while she served.

My mother says Double Greeting is now owned by Vietnamese Chinese, no longer by my classmate's family. The last time she was there, she just had pho, and it was "just OK." (btw, McDiarmid is the home improvement store, McDermot is the street )

We used to get take out Chinese cruellers there, too, and it's also the same place that had the diamond-shaped sweet doughnuts. Even after my classmate's family bought the place, they continued serving those things. But I don't know about now.

You are right, they didn't have a large selection, but I think that was even before the larger restaurants served dim sum? But I could be wrong. I know they had rice rolls, jook and cruellers, but what else I can't remember.

We didn't move to Winnipeg till 1969, but my mother thinks Chan's (where Jeff of KKG used to work) used to have siu pao and other dim sum items. We used to just get take out, so she doesn't know if they had a full dim sum menu, but she doesn't remember them having a great variety. This was in the late '70s. Chan's was on Main Street, sort of near Portage, and my parents had a branch of their import store next door. Jeff bought the place in '81 or '82, and it either became KKG just before that or just after that. Then KKG moved to it's current location (pre-expansion), and the building where Chan's was located was demolished to make a parking lot.

Dim Sum Garden, before it became Dim Sum Garden, started offering dim sum in the early '80s. My mother can't remember what it was called before DSG, but it had the same owners. We went there a lot for their steamed chicken with scallions and ginger.

Do you remember the little shop that made dim sum for sale in bulk? It burnt down when the Turkish baths caught fire. When we first started doing dim sum, we used to order from that shop - a tiny store front, 4 large freezer display cases, and  4 little old ladies gossiping and making sui mai, har gow, etc around a high counter in the "kitchen". We used to order sui mai, har gow, BBQ pork buns, warteep. I think she even had xiaolungbaos!

We used to buy from them, too! I loved that green building the dim sum shop was in (adjoining? the dim sum place was a bit on the side, wasn't it?). We used to go to the Chinese grocery store in that building all the time when I was a kid, and the one treat we children always got was Bontan Ame--the Japanese candy with the melt-in-your-mouth rice paper wrapper and the little toy at the side! I always thought it was Chinese, but after moving to Japan, I discovered it was a Japanese candy, that's called Botan-ame (botan is a type of citrus fruit).

My mother says the woman who had the dim sum store still sells it, but she doesn't know if she has a storefront. She's not sure, but she thinks Sun Wah still sells (sold?) the woman's products. She said she would look at the address the next time she goes. Maybe they have xiaolungbao?

I think either Kam Ho or Victoria had "soup dumplings" on their menu, but I don't know if it was dumplings in soup, or xiaolungbao.

My mother is certainly willing to do more research if it involves eating! And talking! (She likes to talk to people as much as she likes eating...)

[Dejah]

Holy Smokes! Was that Chan's Moon Room on Main Street? I remember seeing the place but never went in. What is now KKG was the restaurant New Nanking. Shanghai is still there, but does your Mom remember the New Canton? That was my uncle's restaurant. When I was "banished" to live with them (because I had a Caucasian bf - a no-no in the 60s - I married him!), I used to work there on the weekends. I don't remember any dim sum in those days. I think we had cheung fun at Double Greeting.

I have gone to Foon Hai - for their hot'n'sour soup. Haven't been for some time. Creatures of habit, we are. We have been loyal to Ken's. He died a few years ago now. They have his picture at the front desk. I must try some of their dim sum items next time.

Must also check out the frozen dim sum at Sun Wah. They have quite a selection, but I didn't realize Mrs. Chan? made them. One of the ladies who used to help her make them was a Mrs. Goh. She was from Brandon before she moved into the "new apartments" in Chinatown.

When Grand Garden was still in operation,. Peggy used to have fresh cheung fun for sale. Frankly, I don't mind the ones shipped from Vancouver - Yeo's? Reheated in the microwave, splash of sweet soya, chili oil, and it'll do in a pinch!

ETA:

My mother is certainly willing to do more research if it involves eating! And talking! (She likes to talk to people as much as she likes eating...)

I want to meet your mother!

Edited September 27, 2007 by Dejah (log)

[prasantrin]

Holy Smokes! Was that Chan's Moon Room on Main Street?

Perhaps. We never know the full names of things. Mom just calls it "Chan's".

I remember seeing the place but never went in. What is now KKG was the restaurant New Nanking. Shanghai is still there, but does your Mom remember the New Canton? That was my uncle's restaurant. When I was "banished" to live with them (because I had a Caucasian bf - a no-no in the 60s - I married him!), I used to work there on the weekends. I don't remember any dim sum in those days. I think we had cheung fun at Double Greeting.

She might remember New Canton. How long ago was it around? Where was it, exactly? Our default Chinese restaurant in the early days (for most of my childhood, I think), was Hong Hing on Sargent. It's still there, but is now owned by nephews (?) of the original owners. My mother saw the original owner at that A&O Mid-Autumn festival thing, and said she looks really good. We never ordered off the menu at Hong Hing, but my dad would just say, "Just give us whatever you're having for dinner." I actually can't remember eating anything except consomme (or is that consume? ) soup and sugar cubes there!

I want to meet your mother!  

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It can be arranged if you wish! But then I'll be all jealous.

[prasantrin]

Update: my mother went to the place that used to be Marigold's on King. Here's her opinion:

OH, dear...we have to drop that former Marigold place next to Geoff's.  Horrible food.  terrible Service.  I wonder what the Chinese woman likes there.  Ihad chicken palms-marinated in soy sauce and ginger-not exciting at all, rice wrapped in lotus=very little filling,not tasty, and taro spring rolls=I thought this was ham soy gok; these were actually fried rolls with taro fillings-no meat, no nothing.

Guess I won't be trying that place!

ETA: My mother said she talked to someone there, and it's true that the cooks are the same, plus two new ones. The original owners sold because they wanted to retire.

And the place was packed Friday at lunch.

Edited September 29, 2007 by prasantrin (log)

[Dejah]

Update:  my mother went to the place that used to be Marigold's on King.  Here's her opinion:

OH, dear...we have to drop that former Marigold place next to Geoff's.  Horrible food.  terrible Service.  I wonder what the Chinese woman likes there.  Ihad chicken palms-marinated in soy sauce and ginger-not exciting at all, rice wrapped in lotus=very little filling,not tasty, and taro spring rolls=I thought this was ham soy gok; these were actually fried rolls with taro fillings-no meat, no nothing.

Guess I won't be trying that place!

ETA: My mother said she talked to someone there, and it's true that the cooks are the same, plus two new ones. The original owners sold because they wanted to retire.

And the place was packed Friday at lunch.

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Well, I can't imagine taro spring rolls - powdery, dry...

I imagine Kam Ho will be back in business now that they've had their holiday. My son's gf lives around that area and they are going to try it soon, as well as VS.

As you enter Chinatown, the New Canton was the first of the restaurants on the left hand side of the street, before Shanghai, the now Golden terrace and Kum Koon. The building is still there, but I don't know how it is used. It was owned by my uncle Chan Bak. They had 2 sons, both named James! (James and Jimmy, actually) James owns Universal Enterprizes who produces beansprouts for Superstores, etc.

I am ready for dim sum in Wpg!

[prasantrin]

Well, I can't imagine taro spring rolls - powdery, dry...

I don't think it was taro spring rolls, but those fried taro puff things that look like fluffy hum sui gok. I used to get the two confused whenever we went to cart dimsum, and would always be very very disappointed when I would accidentally get the taro ones. Then I finally learned the Cantonese for it, and even with my mangled pronunciation, I can always get my beloved hum sui gok.

I imagine Kam Ho will be back in business now that they've had their holiday. My son's gf lives around that area and they are going to try it soon, as well as VS.

My mother went to Kam Ho yesterday for a late late lunch, and surprisingly, she remembered to ask about the wrappers! Today the owner was the only one working out front, so my mother mentioned that her daughter (me ) told an internet friend from Brandon (Dejah ) about the restaurant, and the friend really liked the food! Then the owner said that she had a lot more people from Brandon coming now--have you been spreading the word, Dejah? Don't spread it too much, because I still want to be able to get a table when I want!

Anyway, my mother said my internet friend was wondering if the wrappers were homemade or...

And the woman interjected and said, "Of course they're homemade! If they weren't, they wouldn't taste as good!" (paraphrased)

My uncle, who was the one who introduced Kam Ho to my mother, had once said that the owner did most of the cooking, so I would imagine she probably makes the wrappers herself. But now that they're busier, they might have more BOH help.

My mother and her friend had tendon, steamed chicken feet (the spicy kind), fun dumplings, sticky rice in lotus leaf, stuffed eggplant with black bean sauce, and deep fried bean curd with black bean sauce (I'm typing as she and I are Skyping). The tendon isn't on the menu she has at home, so she thinks they might have a new menu (or at least a new one since July when she got this one), since she clearly remembers it being on the menu when she went yesterday. The tendon was very very good, she says.

As you enter Chinatown, the New Canton was the first of the restaurants on the left hand side of the street, before Shanghai, the now Golden terrace and Kum Koon. The building is still there, but I don't know how it is used.  It was owned by my uncle Chan Bak. They had 2 sons, both named James! (James and Jimmy, actually) James owns Universal Enterprizes who produces beansprouts for Superstores, etc.

I am ready for dim sum in Wpg!

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Mom says we never went there. We missed our chance!

Have you ever been to Chinada on south Pembina Highway? My mother's friend said they have salted fish fried rice for only $6.95, so my mother is going to check it out. I've heard from my CBC (Canadian-born Chinese) reflexologist that their frood is actually pretty good, despite the name, but I've also heard the service kind of sucks. I don't think they have dim sum, though.

[Dejah]

Then I finally learned the Cantonese for it, and even with my mangled pronunciation, I can always get my beloved hum sui gok. 

So do you ask for "ham sui gok?" Do they have the fluffy taro on the outside but juicy velvety pork filling inside? Kind makes your mouth water talking about them.

and the friend really liked the food!  Then the owner said that she had a lot more people from Brandon coming now--have you been spreading the word, Dejah?  Don't spread it too much, because I still want to be able to get a table when I want! 

I did mention it to my students. It seems the ones I have now are a lot more mobile because the previous students have driver's license and cars. I also told my daughter and she's supposed to go there soon. I'm glad your Mom liked the tendons.

And the woman interjected and said, "Of course they're homemade!  If they weren't, they wouldn't taste as good!" (paraphrased) 

Darn! I was hoping they were commercial so I can save myself work!

One of these days when I can get into Wpg without hubby, I will arrange with you to spend a day of eating with your mom!

Haven't been to Chinada, but I remember seeing it when we drove by. I commented that it was such a strange name. WHY do Chinese restaurants have such terrible service?! It drives me crazy and I keep thinking I need to open a training centre for these people!

Speaking of fried rice, we don't have any place that serves salted fish fried rice, but the fried rice at the newly opened Sushi Hut in Brandon has great wok hay in their fried rice. I enjoyed that the most the two times we were there. As with Chinese restaurants, the service was lousy!

On another note, our local Assiniboine Community College's Culinary Arts has moved to their newly renovated facilities on what was the Mental Health Hospital grounds. They are using the former nurses' residence as classrooms, admin offices, and the noted 6-weeks-a -year Grey Owl Restaurant. The kitchen is an incredible 5400 sq. feet new structure with huge windows facing the park-like grounds. I am registered for 2 Sunday classes. To tie this to the dim sum thread, I was talking to the executive chef about doing a dim sum class. And, if he needs an instructor...ahem! I'd do anything to work in that kitchen!

[prasantrin]

Word on the street (at least our street) is there's a new place that serves dim sum in St. Vital. Our neighbour invited my mother there, but not for a couple of weeks. I thought perhaps our neighbour meant Victoria Seafood, which isn't new, but is practically at St. Mary's and Dakota, but she told my mother this place was new.

I will report back once I hear details (like the name of the place, for example )

[Pam R]

Interesting. Please do report back - it's easier for me to get to St. V than Chinatown.

Does the street say anything about how the food is?

[prasantrin]

Interesting.  Please do report back - it's easier for me to get to St. V than Chinatown.

Does the street say anything about how the food is?

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Neighbour has not been there, either. She told my mother she heard of a new place, and wanted to try it, so when they go in a couple of weeks, it will be both for their first times. She didn't tell my mother very much about it--not the name nor the exact location. I would guess it would be in one of the strip malls near St. Vital Centre, which would make it very convenient. I hope not only the food will be good, but the service, as well. We need good dim sum with good service in the south!

[prasantrin]

Another piece of gossip! Dim Sum Garden's owners have retired! I thought I had seen one of them there last summer, so I don't know when it was sold. But my mother was there today and she said most of the old-time servers are gone, too.

She said the food was quite good--better than usual. She still likes Kam Ho's sticky rice best, though.

[Dejah]

Another piece of gossip!  Dim Sum Garden's owners have retired!  I thought I had seen one of them there last summer, so I don't know when it was sold.  But my mother was there today and she said most of the old-time servers are gone, too. 

She said the food was quite good--better than usual.  She still likes Kam Ho's sticky rice best, though.

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Better than usual is good! I'm ready for a feed...somewhere...Maybe I'll wait until after your Mom gets to the "new place".

I'm hoping to have a free day or two in Wpg early Dec. "grazing" for Chinese food and dim sum. When does your Mom go to visit you, Rona?

[Peter Green]

Another piece of gossip!  Dim Sum Garden's owners have retired!  I thought I had seen one of them there last summer, so I don't know when it was sold.  But my mother was there today and she said most of the old-time servers are gone, too. 

She said the food was quite good--better than usual.  She still likes Kam Ho's sticky rice best, though.

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Now, if ever I saw the perfect opportunity for a blog, it has to be Rona in the Prairies! (there, the name writes itself)!

Heck, it'd even be a great name for a band.

[Dejah]

Another piece of gossip!  Dim Sum Garden's owners have retired!  I thought I had seen one of them there last summer, so I don't know when it was sold.  But my mother was there today and she said most of the old-time servers are gone, too. 

She said the food was quite good--better than usual.  She still likes Kam Ho's sticky rice best, though.

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Now, if ever I saw the perfect opportunity for a blog, it has to be Rona in the Prairies! (there, the name writes itself)!

Heck, it'd even be a great name for a band.

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There ya go, Rona, except you'd have to do it from Japan via your mother!

[prasantrin]

Better than usual is good! I'm ready for a feed...somewhere...Maybe I'll wait until after your Mom gets to the "new place".

I think she might be going this Saturday. I'll report as soon as I hear anything!

I'm hoping to have a free day or two in Wpg early Dec. "grazing" for Chinese food and dim sum. When does your Mom go to visit you, Rona?

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She's going to my sister's first from Nov. 14 to 25, then she's leaving for Japan Dec. 4th. She's going straight to the Philippines from here, so she won't be back in Winnipeg till the end of March. So you have a very small window of opportunity, unless you want to wait until April!

And of course, I'll probably be back in town in July!

Now, if ever I saw the perfect opportunity for a blog, it has to be Rona in the Prairies! (there, the name writes itself)!

Heck, it'd even be a great name for a band.

I just had auditory memory flashes of friends singing "Rona with the Children" back in the '80s. That's not a good thing. . .

I don't eat enough to do a blog! Well, I eat a lot, but it'll be the same thing for a whole week! Not a very interesting blog, I think!

[Dejah]

Rona: Did your Mom check out the "new dim sum" place last weekend? What was the report?

Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until spring now to check out restaurants under your Mom's guidance, or perhaps July when you get back.

[prasantrin]

OK, I've been putting this off long enough. But I've been too embarrassed to post my mother's dim sum experience!

My mother and neighbour had often discussed dim sum places, so when neighbour invited my mother to a "new place", of course my mother had to go. They knew all the same places, and though they seemed to have different opinions on which were good, my mother loves to try new restaurants, so off she went.

Turned out it wasn't new at all! It was Victoria Seafood. They had talked about it before, so my mother assumed neighbour had been there before. But no...

If it's any consolation, they ordered dishes my mother had never had before. The only winner in terms of flavour was the sparerib rice one. She said the spareribs were very flavourful, but were sparse. She complained about the "Victoria Seafood special spring rolls". She expected something with seafood, since that's what VS is good at, but it turned out to be mostly vegetables, with a very little minced pork (she didn't think there was any meat in it at all, but the waitress insisted there was minced pork in it). The "special" is that they use sweet potatoes instead of carrots in the filling. $3.60 for 3 small rolls. Not worth it at all, she said.

Sorry to get everyone's hopes up! I'll try to be less hasty with my announcements in the future. I was just too excited!

[Dejah]

OK, I've been putting this off long enough.  But I've been too embarrassed to post my mother's dim sum experience!

Sorry to get everyone's hopes up!  I'll try to be less hasty with my announcements in the future.    I was just too excited!

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No need to be embarrassed, Rona. I do stuff like that all the time.

My daughter has been to VS several times now and really likes the freshness of the dim sum items. I think she's like you - prefer fresh rather than from the cart.

I need her to try Kam Ho now and compare.

[Dejah]

The daughter and her friend finally made it to Kam Ho after being frequent customers of Victoria Seafood. They really liked the Chinese cruellers wrapped in the sheet of "rice noodle" - don't know the exact name. Otherwise, they were disappointed as everything tasted strongly of and covered with canola oil - even the bamoo baskets.

Has your Mom ever experienced that, Rona? Our sons were in Wpg this weekend, and they were introduced to Victoria Seafood by the daughter. I'll have to get a full report later.

[prasantrin]

The daughter and her friend finally made it to Kam Ho after being frequent customers of Victoria Seafood. They really liked the Chinese cruellers wrapped in the sheet of "rice noodle" - don't know the exact name. Otherwise, they were disappointed as everything tasted strongly of and covered with canola oil - even the bamoo baskets.

Has your Mom ever experienced that, Rona? Our sons were in Wpg this weekend, and they were introduced to Victoria Seafood by the daughter. I'll have to get a full report later.

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She has never mentioned it, but it wouldn't surprise me if the quality were not consistent there. Last summer, they were seriously understaffed--not just FOH but BOH, as well. Once they started to get busier, the food would have to suffer unless they got more staff in, and I'm sure there have been many slip-ups like spilling oil over everything.

I've been craving dim sum lately. I can't wait to go home next summer, but in the meantime, I've made more char siu for char siu bao!

[Dejah]

Spent the weekend in Winnipeg with the kids after I dropped hubby off for his flight to LA. Daughter and bf took me to Victoria Seafood for dim sum. We had 13 items: shark fin dumplings, seafood special siu mai, har gow, sticky rice, VS special pork siu mai, bean curd wrapped veg, shrimp and scallop dumplings, curried baby octopus (we argued squid or octopus), tripe (just for me), BBQ pork buns, HK rice rolls? (crueller wrapped with rice noodle), one other dish I can't remember, and their new item: xiaolongbaos!

I'm not sure what the xiaolongbaos are supposed to be like, but I think they should have had more soup inside. The dough was very soft and the meat was substantial and tasty. Everything was well done and hot. I think we all had burnt tongues as we were hungry and had a hard time holding ourselves back.

The only disappointment was the HK rolls. They obviously had no idea how to do these. The crueller must have been wrapped with the rice noodle then the whole thing steamed! It was a crueller that didn't puff up. It was flat, hard, and chewy. The kids said Kam Ho topped VS in this item.

Three-people was the perfect combination for one dish of everything. I really liked the texture of the shrimp in all the dumplings containing shrimp. It had that "crunch".

[prasantrin]

We went to Kam Ho today for my first dim sum of the season. We (OK, I) ordered far too much food--hum sui gok, char siu bao, har gau, sticky lotus rice, char siu cheung fan, the crueller wrapped in cheung fan, and wonton soup.

The cheung fan is really well made--very soft, and not too thick or too thin. The bao is soft and fluffy, but not too fluffy, but the char siu could use more flavour. Everything else was great EXCEPT the greasiness of the fried items. I think their ham sui gok is my favourite in Winnipeg in terms of flavour and the quality of the casing (really excellent), but I think their oil is too old, so it, and the crueller), were very greasy and much darker in colour than usual. I liked the colouring, but not the greasiness. Maybe they're waiting to change the oil till after their holidays (they'll be on holidays the last two weeks of August).

Oh, the har gau could have had more flavour, but the shrimp were meaty and juicy. I think Victoria Seafood still outclasses Kam Ho with seafood items, though (haven't been there this year, yet).

ETA: Prices, as I remember them:

Small (ex. char siu bao)= 2.40

Medium (ex. har gau)= 3.00

Large (ex. everything else I ordered except soup)= 3.80

Extra Large (ex. wonton soup)= 4.95

Edited July 21, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[prasantrin]

According to Marion Warhaft in the Winnipeg Free Press, Noodle Express in the Dynasty Building on King Street now has dim sum. It will have to go on my list (like my list isn't long enough as it is...).

[Dejah]

We went to Kam Ho today for my first dim sum of the season.

Everything else was great EXCEPT the greasiness of the fried items.

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My daughter would agree with you on the greasiness, and that Victoria Seafood is still the best.

I will be very interested in your report on Noodle Express.

Have you tried the xiaolongbaos at Victoria Seafood? It was a new item when I was there in the spring. I wonder if they've kept it on their menu.