ciao! reviews
DEER + ALMOND
Neighbourhood . . . . . . Exchange
Address. . . . . . . 85 Princess St
Phone . . . . . . . 204-504-8562
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . . . $6-$28
Before family style dining went
mainstream, deer + almond’s
stunning sharing plates won over
adventurous, curious and cautious
palates alike. Its noticeably cool yet
relaxed, offhandedly eccentric and
minimalist atmosphere attracts a
mixed crowd—there’s no such thing
as over or underdressed here.
Chef Mandel Hitzer has a
way of turning each seemingly
straightforward dish into some-
thing unexpected, playful and
mind-blowingly delicious. Take the
chicken fried chicken for example.
Only available on the lunch menu,
this sandwich lands on the table
appearing like a simple chicken
sandwich but transforms into some-
thing magical upon first chomp. A
pillowy bun embraces juicy crisped
chicken, a liberal spread of house
ranch, and a shredded lettuce slaw
toppling over heaps of pickles (who
knew zucchini pickles were so much
better than the cucumber variety?).
The yellowfin tuna bowl also looks
more or less as expected—radish,
wakame cucumber and tender pink
fish prettily arranged atop rice.
Then, snap, crackle and pop—crispy
rice throws a curveball, making each
bite a textural surprise.
This theme continues through an
evening menu where nothing is quite
as it seems. Advice: always start with
an order of ‘Helluva’ dip paired with
salty house chips. True to its clever
name, it’s reminiscent of the fave
onion-flavoured supermarket dip,
but elevated with smoked Manitoba
goldeye and tangy pickled beans.
The restaurant’s renown is in pair-
ing far-off ingredients and making
it seem like they were meant to be
together all along. Such is the case
with beets, plums and Cambozola.
Tossed with field greens, some pista-
chios for crunch, mint for cool factor
and a light honey dressing, each bite
is revelatory, flavours evolving from
one forkful to the next.
Though frequently changing,
the menu is often laced with our
province’s regional ingredients.
Manitoba pickerel exhibits global
flair, swimming in creamy umami-
rich grits steadied with bright
and zingy chive oil. Pickled red
onion adds a harmonizing hint of
sweetness. Remember Keen’s hot
mustard? Chef Mandel reimagines
the deli staple into a vibrant vinai-
grette for deer tataki. Napa cabbage
and vivid green shishito peppers add
colour to thin slices of melt-in-the-
mouth venison, briefly seared and
left raw in the middle.
We Build
Beautiful
Kitchens for
Wonderful
People
Are you wonderful? Call us at (204) 955-9716 or visit tentenkitchens.ca
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ciao! / oct/nov / two thousand nineteen