Ciao! February March 2020 CIAO_FebMar2020 | Page 42

bestlist
tea house
Tea Story
224 Osborne St, 204‑477‑1102. Bright
and playful Japan‑influenced space
boasts an extensive list of flowering,
aged, organic, and bubble teas. Sweet
or savoury waffle sandwiches are
satisfying fuel. WA, A, IA, M, V
Panda Tea
2999 Pembina Hwy, 204‑504‑8299;
1041 McPhillips St, 204‑505‑6989. Tea
room serving milk tea, slush drinks and
bubble tea in flavours like passionfruit,
red bean and taro. IA, M, V
thai
Bangkok Thai
100 Osborne St, 2nd floor, 204‑474‑0908.
Located within the beautiful courtyard
at the corner of Osborne and River,
this sunlit room creates the perfect
setting for exotic Thai dishes served on
elaborately decorated silver tableware.
LP, IA, M, V
Magic Thailand
842 Logan Ave, 204‑774‑0839. Well‑
travelled locals in the know consider
this simply styled spot a go‑to for
authentic cusine like curries and stir
fry dishes. WA, IA, M, V
Sabai Thai Eatery
1113 Corydon Ave, 204‑888‑6508. The
succinct menu at this neighbourhood
hot spot has popular standbys as well
as a few contemporary house specials
like pickerel cheeks in rich peanut‑
sesame sauce. WA, LP, SP, IA, M, V
Siam Thai
587 St. Anne’s Rd, 204‑254‑7765. This
small, suburban ethnic eatery focuses
its cuisine on central Thailand and uses
the freshest produce. Chef’s specials
include stir‑fried chicken in chile jam.
WA, LP, IA, M, V
Sukhothai
191 Osborne St, 204‑633‑6907. The
comfortable modern interior is a good
counterpoint to classic Thai cuisine.
The perfect hot and sour soup and fresh
fruit frozen drinks keep fans returning.
WA, LP, IA, M, V
vegetarian
Affinity Vegetarian Garden
100‑208 Edmonton St, 204‑943‑0251.
With 88 dishes, this small Chinese
eatery has the most diverse vegetarian
menu in town. For those who can’t
decide, try a combination plate.
IA, M, V
Circle Kitchen
1‑709 Corydon Ave, circlekitchenwpg.
com. This little spot offers a plant‑
based menu that’s gluten and peanut
free. Try the filling taco bowl, featuring
walnut cauliflower “meat”. SP, A, IA,
M, V
Fortify
123 Marion St, 204‑231‑5333. Health‑
focused eatery serves nutrient‑dense
plant‑based eats and energizing
smoothies. WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
40
ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand twenty
Roughage Eatery
126 Sherbrook St, 204‑779‑8344.
Vegan restaurant serves a knock‑out
selection of plant‑based sandwiches.
All “meats” and “cheeses” are made
in‑house. WA, IA, M, V
Verde Juice Bar
887 Westminster Ave, 204‑615‑8733.
Mod spot serves energy boosting juices
and smoothies, alongside superfood
salads and snacks. Try the acai bowl,
loaded with berries and shredded
coconut. WA, AI, M, V
vietnamese
Dalat
2‑1170 Taylor Ave, 204‑895‑3222.
Highlights among almost 200 menu
choices are hot and sour soup, ginger‑
fried beef and shrimp with lemongrass.
WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
Pho Hoang
794 Sargent Ave, 204‑415‑6893; 235
Portage Ave, 204‑949‑0077. The pho at
this chic and comfortable strip mall spot
ranks among the city’s best. Rich broth
gains its deep flavour from a 24‑hour
simmering process. WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
Purple Noodle Bar
667 Stafford Street, 204‑500‑0264. A
succinct menu of health‑conscious
highlights includes starters like shrimp
tempura pancake. People are already
smitten with the spicy beef noodle
bowl. LP, IA AE, M, V.
Thanh Huong
534 Sargent Ave, 204‑774‑8888.
French‑accented North Vietnamese
and Chinese cuisine. The satay beef
noodle soup is deeply satisfying.
WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
Viva
505 Sargent Ave, 204‑772‑3167. Family‑
owned and operated West End hot
spot. Traditional favourites like deluxe
vermicelli and bánh mì are highlights.
Shrimp and sour soup and sweet and
savoury stewed basa also get top
marks. WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
World Food
Reflecting Winnipeg’s
ethnocultural diversity, this
category represents our top
choices from the many small,
primarily family‑run restaurants
in town. The decor at most of
these is simple and/or the location
is out of the way. However,
each restaurant represents food
from the owner’s culture, with
sometimes astonishingly low
prices that reflect the simplicity of
the service and surroundings, not
the quality of food.
Beaurivage Bistro [Lebanese]
788 Corydon Ave, 204‑691‑6999.
Charming Lebanese eatery with a
prix fixe dinner menu. Try kibbeh, a
delicious spiced beef croquette. À la
carte menu available for lunch.
WA, LP, A, IA, M, V
Baraka Pita Bakery [Lebanese]
1783 Main St, 204‑334‑2004. Famous
for in‑house fired pita bread, this North
End gem offers falafel pitas, pita pizzas
and specialty dips like hummus.
WA, IA, V, M
BBQ Hut Pakistani Grill
[Pakistani]
435 Notre Dame Ave, 204‑221‑4144.
Sizzling plates of grilled meat satisfy at
this quirky West End spot. Try the malai
tikka, tender pieces of grilled chicken
marinated in a spicy cream sauce. WA,
IA, M, V
Boun’s [Southeast Asian/Laotian]
4‑208 Marion St, 204‑231‑3005. An
extensive stir‑fry menu offers the best
in Southeast Asian spices and curries.
The Laotian grill serves up shrimp,
pork and beef short ribs in signature
garlic and soy barbeque sauce. WA, LP,
IA, M, V
Casa Grande [Italian]
984 Sargent Ave, 204‑783‑6231.
Checkered tablecloths and candlelight
create the ambience for Italian fare
like homestyle pizza and pasta. LP, A,
IA, M, V
The Dancing Noodle [Chinese]
1393 Pembina Hwy, 204‑691‑0205.
Dough is hand‑pulled into fresh noodles
at time of order before being served in
flavour‑packed soup and noodle bowls.
WA, IA, M, V
Emerald Palace [Chinese]
704 Sargent Ave, 204‑788‑4573.
Authentic fare served up in a bustling
atmosphere. Try the famous fried butter
chicken. WA, A, IA, M, V
La Fiesta Cafecito [Salvadoran]
Unit M‑730 St. Anne’s Rd,
204‑257‑7108. The vacation‑inspired
decor offers the perfect setting for
platters and exotic fruit drinks. Try
the burrito podoreso or the champion
pupusa. WA, LP, SP, IA, M, V
Gojo [Ethiopian]
533 Sargent Ave, 204‑615‑0785. Made
fresh every morning, injira is perfect for
scooping up vibrant flavours like lamb
tibs cooked with spiced butter. Lots
of vegetarian options. WA, LP, SP, A,
IA, M, V, ATM
Grand Donuts Café & Bakery
[Vietnamese]
2‑271 Grassie Blvd, 204‑417‑0289.
Cute corner café serving Vietnamese
favourites like pho and fruit tea
alongside freshly baked donuts and
pastries. WA, IA, M, V
Harman’s Café [Ethiopian]
570 Sargent Ave, 204‑774‑6997. Enjoy
Ethiopian breakfast as well as familiar
Ethiopian lunch and dinner entrées.
Don’t leave without ordering Ethiopian
coffee at meal’s end. WA, LP, IA, M, V
JC’s Tacos and More [Mexican]
187 Henderson Hwy, 204‑414‑9187.
This cheerful restaurant instantly offer
house‑made juices and made‑from‑
scratch dishes like pupusas, tortas and
tacos. WA, IA, V, LP, M