Chosabi Feast Café and Bistro Máquè
PHOTOS : IAN MCCAUSLAND ( CLEMENTINE )
QUIRKY CASUAL
The fast casual trend hit in full force this year . Fresh , healthy , and adventurous food delivered at sleek order-at-the-counter spots has flipped the script on fast food and proven as versatile as convenient , with countless variations of quick eats spanning global cuisines and dietary styles .
Of the many new concepts that have appeared , Chosabi is the cream of the crop , instantly gaining enough fans to open a second location mere months after the launch of the original Exchange District spot . Inviting rooms , sprinkled with jabs of colour ( red in the Exchange , yellow on Pembina ) are effortlessly sleek , with clean lines and a modern mix of steel and wood textures . Stretching powerfully across a wall , a stylized mural of a fish , painted by local artist Pat Lazo , gives these clean spaces an edge .
The sushi burrito ( aka Chorito ), a hefty hand roll that turns delicate maki snacking into a two-handed affair , is the signature here . Perfectly seasoned rice , fresh fish , and creative ingredient combinations are a winning formula . The short menu also lists bowls that pull from a variety of cuisines , from Thai green curry to Korean bulgogi . The poke bowl is a must have , laden with glossy pink cubes of salmon and tuna , lent a briny note by threads of seaweed and a mix of soy sauce and lightly pungent wasabi-punched aioli .
Flair is added to even the smallest details . Burritos are wrapped , cut , and served in bamboo steamer baskets , and signature take out boxes are styled up with a colourful fish illustration . Even prepackaged eats are superbly fresh , like salads , nigiri , and fruit-packed smoothie cups ready to be blended at the counter . For those with more time to sit and sup , specialty coffee drinks , by-the-glass wine , and Asian beer on tap round out the selection .
Concept-driven eateries have proven popular for entrepreneurs , and Chosabi shows the strongest players deliver with outstanding taste and uncompromised flavour . 100 King St , 204‐615‐8338 , Map 1 : O-4 ; 2696 Pembina Hwy , 204‐615‐8313 , Map 2 : F-4
PRAIRIE POWER
Food is many things , from basic sustenance and nourishment to an exercise in creativity . In many ways , the food we eat is tied to identity . Manitoba ’ s regional ingredients like bison , beets , and lakefish have become ever more popular , but in the hands of Christa Bruneau- Guenther , these ingredients speak with added significance . When she opened Feast Café and Bistro on the corner of Ellice and Sherbrook last December , Canada ’ s first Indigenous cuisine restaurant was born .
Inside the welcoming room accented with warm colours , pendant lamps , and large black and white photos of prairie scenery , the intimate restaurant feels at once chic and cozy .
Indian Tacos are the menu favourite , a riff on popular powwow food from Southwestern First Nations groups like the Navajo . Feast ’ s version is all Manitoba , topped with a hearty bean and local bison chili . Puffy wheels of lightly fried bannock support a mountain of chili , lettuce , salsa , and a drizzle of sour cream hinting of chipotle . This may be the only taco that requires a fork and knife , but it is easily devoured .
The same frybread makes the base for pizzas with creative toppings . A vegetarian version sporting nutty-sweet roasted butternut squash , a rich cream sauce , a smattering of pine nuts , and chipotle cream is an out of the park hit .
Simple variations on classic breakfast items draw neighbourhood crowds in the morning , from pancakes and French toast to “ eggs banny ” on a bannock bun .
While fare is familiar , hinting of classic diners and home cooked meals , small substitutions point to Feast ’ s real charm . Bannock replaces bread in nearly every dish ; bison sausage swaps for breakfast sausages and pepperoni on pizza ; fish fingers become oven-baked pickerel . From the use of traditional ingredients to the warm neighbourhood atmosphere , dining becomes more than just the experience of a meal ; it is a connection to land , culture , and community . 587 Ellice Ave , 204‐691‐5979 , Map 1 : O-1
PAN ASIAN PERFECTION
In a city as culturally diverse as Winnipeg , there is no lack of inspiration for chefs seeking to explore flavours from across the globe . The resulting fusion across cultures has birthed new diverse dining categories . It is into one such novel genre that Máquè , the new open for chef Scott Bagshaw , steps .
Like Enoteca , Bagshaw ’ s River Heights haunt , Máquè features few seats , an open kitchen , and small plates made for sharing . The twist comes in the flavour profiles that populate the carefully considered menu . Inspiration comes from Chinese , Japanese , and Thai cuisine , translated into carefully balanced plates that blend far east flavours with French derived technique . Plump dumplings , with tacky dough giving way to juicy pork , are paired with a thick smear of almond butter , playing off the warm notes of Chinese five spice powder . A dish of tender crab , lobster , bacon , and caviar is a menu highlight . The delicate jumble of seafood is doused tableside with a fragrant , swoon-inducing blend of red curry and lobster bisque . This revelatory French-Thai mash up is impossibly rich , savoury , and spicy , overset with hints of sweet coconut and a whisper of black truffle .
Multiple orders of steamed buns can be spied on every table . Drawing Momofuku comparisons , the pillowy crescents are stuffed with a mix of crisped pork belly , peanuts , ssäm sauce and a sliver of pickle .
Décor is simple , with drawings of sparrows ( the Chinese translation of the restaurant ’ s name ) adorning the window-wrapped room . Though simple wooden chopsticks replace silverware , saucy Frenchinflected dishes beg diners to lick the plate . 909 Dorchester Ave , 204‐284‐3385 , Map 1 : T-1
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 where . ca 7