Taste Magazine 2024/2025 2024/2025 | Page 26

Amsterdam Tea Room bestlist

Small Spots / Big Flavour

Some of the best chefs are tucked in small spaces where the tiny dining area plays host to impressive palate expanding delights . K & S Island Grill is the place to go for expertly prepared Jamaican delicacies . House-made Jerk sauce , Jamaica ’ s king of condiments , appears in several applications and is worth ordering every time . Jerk chicken and linguine is a must-try . The ooey gooey pasta acts as a creamy counterbalance to the spice , popping with Parmesan funk . Look beyond the tongue-tying menu of grapes and find dishes inspired by Asian flavours featuring flawless technique and a bit of whimsy from pedigreed chefs at Bar Accanto . Nosh on innovative tuna crudo , brightened with preserved and fresh oranges , pickled chilli peppers and basil as you sip a crisp white . Avocado mousse interspersed between perfectly placed pieces of fish make for a cooling and masterful mingling . Find globe spanning spicy chili , cilantro sauce , chimichurri , ginger juice and fruit salsas layered into sushi , baos and tapas at Meal Set Bistro . The menu is a genre-bending culinary journey through modern Japanese fusion food , accented with nods to chef Ken ’ s Chinese and Vietnamese heritage . Tucked amid Academy Road ’ s boutique lined street , Fusion Grill ’ s chef Lorna Murdoch remains at the leading edge of pioneering Manitoba Regional Cuisine , sourcing seasonally , and partnering with many small local farms and suppliers . Flavour-rich ingredients are transformed into stunning dishes like signature white truffle perogies with duck sausage and walnut cream and saffron laced paella featuring Northern pike , fiddleheads and house made chorizo . Amsterdam Tea Room epitomizes cozy comfort within its heritage space and friendly chatter . Posh bevvies offer spirited mashups , which pair perfectly with a menu of kleine borden ( small plates ) flush with flavour fusions . Tartare is playfully presented with a sunny emulsified egg yolk , then flecked with shaved cured yolk . Spread it on the accompanying slices of cheesy leek Fergasa bread , scatter bunches of peppered arugula atop for added bite .
Clay Oven Three locations , Clayoven . ca . Indian dishes and Hakka cuisine are served in a stylish and modern space . Massive thali platters are popular favourites . WA , LP , A , IA , M , V East India Company 349 York Ave , 204-947‐3097 . Centuries-old artifacts grace the room of the Mehra family ’ s flagship restaurant . The food is flawless , with biryani beautifully presented and spiced . WA , LP , A , IA , M , V Shahi Flames 208 Marion St , 204-306-8000 . Menu is rich in variety and curries are can ’ t-miss at this authentic Indian cuisine St . Boniface spot .
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INDIGENOUS
Feast Café Bistro 587 Ellice Ave , 204-691-5979 . This cozy spot pays tribute to Manitoba ’ s Indigenous groups with a menu rich in bannock , bison and berries . Try the squash pizza topped with white sauce and pine nuts . WA , LP , A , M , V Promenade Brasserie 130 Provencher Blvd , 204-237-6414 The prime riverside location sets the scene for cuisine inspired by French-Metis cooks . Locally grown products appear liberally on the menu . WA , LP , SP , A , IA , M , V
INTERNATIONAL /
CLASSIC
Bailey ’ s 185 Lombard Ave , 204-944‐1180 . Heavy wooden doors open onto a world that celebrates the British Empire . Specialties include the reuben , rack of lamb and prime rib of beef . WA , LP , SP , A , IA , M , V , ATM Maxime ’ s 1131 St . Mary ’ s Rd , 204-257‐1521 . This favourite spot ' s wide-ranging menu makes for a multigenerational palate pleaser .
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Silver Heights Restaurant 2169 Portage Ave , 204-889-7246 . A popular hub for steaks and bbq ribs smothered in a house-made sauce . WA , LP , SP , A , IA , M , V The Terrace Dining Room 3975 Portage Ave , 204-885‐3330 . Overlooking the racetrack at Assiniboia Downs , a multi-tiered room gives every table a superb view . Reservations required . During race season WA , LP , A , IA , M , V
INTERNATIONAL /
CONTEMPORARY
Blaze Restaurant & Lounge Delta Winnipeg , 350 St . Mary Ave , 204‐944‐7259 . Sophisticated yet approachable cuisine is served in an open setting . Gnocchi are irresistible . WA , LP , A , IA , M , V
24 TASTE Winnipeg ’ s Culinary Guide 2024-2025