The Spring Roll Restaurant. There is literally a hole in the wall

This week brings me to another mom and pop run Chinese food restaurant - the spring roll. This diamond in the rough is located on Norte Dame right by Tec Voc high school and across the street from the historic Christies building. 

You may be asking yourself - "self - what could he possibly tell me about a Chinese restaurant that I don't know?" The answer is everything. 

When approaching the restaurant you should be questioning whether you want to enter the building. If you don't then you are a very trusting person and I have a dragon I'd love to sell you. Also - have I let you down yet with my reviews? In a slightly run down house/restaurant is where you will find an incredible lunch that you will not leave feeling hungry.  Walking into the restaurant the family sees me, waves and starts to get my tea and water ready. Always cheerful and always quick - the spring roll specializes in large quick lunches. I'm dining solo today so there no menus are needed. Ginger chicken steamed rice (normally fried rice) and wonton soup. Within 2 minutes a piping hot bowl of wonton soup comes out and eyes are filled with joy of my impending fullness. The wontons are full of pork meat - no filler. No frills but plenty of thrills. Just a clean fresh tasting broth with tender wontons to enjoy. It doesn't take me long and the soup is gone. I almost wished that I had another bowl until the main dish comes out - and I remember why I didn't. 

Calling it a plate of food is almost an insult. The more aptly used term should be a mound of deliciousness. The mound consists of a healthy helping of rice, chopped up celery, carrots, and pan fried beef and finished off with 4 - yes I wrote that correctly - 4 palm sized pieces of ginger chicken. My focus starts with the veggies - because if I don't make them a priority now - then I never will. A would be remise if I didn't mention at some point about how fresh the food tastes. Not a veggie is overcooked or a piece of chicken overlooked. Fresh is what best describes the spring roll. 

I finish my meal and am completely content. Not wanting or needing anything else but a bit of a rest. The best part about this meal - the cost. I would easily pay upwards of $15 for this meal. You would pay more for anything on the menu at a joeys or earls or moxies and not have the same satisfaction. You would believe that this feeling of happiness can be purchased for under $7? And if you go on Wednesday this meal is all yours for under $6?  Don't believe me? You should. 

For those of you who have a thing for for lemon chicken - The Spring Roll is the place. Literally the size of child's head is how this luxurious lemon flavoured treat is served. The only caution on the menu that I would put out is for any of the deep fried beef dishes. Not their best foot forward but it helps to tell yourself that you are staying away from it to reduce your red meat intake. 

Finally - if you find the need to use the bathroom - you'd be better off heading to the co-op down the street. That being said I still haven't found a Chinese restaurant whose bathroom is a place I will frequent unless of emergencies. 

So go and try out The Spring Roll. I dare you to tell me it isn't delicious. 

Search for Winnipeg's Best Clubhouse Sandwich Continues....The Vendome - Enter at your own risk

The Vendome Hotel

As my search for Winnipeg's best clubhouse sandwich continues, I ended up at the Vendome. Never heard of it? This time, I can't blame you. I'm sure most of you have driven by it numerous times and never thought twice. I know that I didn't. Until a friend of mine - who also loves clubhouse sandwiches suggested we head there. Without knowing any better and certainly without any sort of personal protection on me I drove downtown to 308 Fort Street.

As I walked up I was greeted as I have been every time I've gone to the Vendome - VD... by some patrons hanging out on the stoop. Always with a fews words - usually a hello or to see if they can help me lighten my pockets since they looked heavy. Kind.

For those who will take this journey of self discovery please make sure you enter on the left side of the VD - Bleachers Sports Bar. On the other side you may be asked how many hours you are looking to rent a room for. But I digress.

Walking into Bleacher's I am always tempted by the pool table that seems to call my name. That is until I look up and realize on these pool tables - there's a 7 tattoo minimum. A line of VLT's escorts me to the back where there are cafeteria like tables filled with people in suits. Yup - you read that correctly. For all of the issues and cautionary tales - there has always been patrons in suits eating there for lunch. My firm belief is that it is because of their Clubhouse sandwich.

The server comes by who is always very prompt and very good. I don't need to look at the menu or even think twice - clubhouse sandwich with fries and a diet coke. NAILED IT! Very happy that the order goes well as I have been disappointed before when they had run out of turkey for the sandwiches. As I wait for my eminent enjoyment - I would like to help set the scene for you even more. There are a few TV's in the sports bar as you might expect. All sorts of sports paraphernalia on the walls and even....the ceiling. Take a look up and what do you get to dream about? Rushing down the football field that is painted on the ceiling. It is hilarious.

At this point however, I see my lunch on the way to the table and I have forgotten my surroundings. The clubhouse has arrived. A couple lightly toasted pieces of bread set the mood for this lunch date between me and the turkey. I even let the turkey bring some friends - fresh tomato - lettuce and of course - crispy not crumbly bacon. The turkey is fresh - you can taste it. Each bite encompasses every part of a clubhouse sandwich and you are wanting for nothing else. The crinkle cut french fries - although I'm sure frozen and gourmet from this little shop called McCains are the perfect distraction from an ever shrinking clubhouse. Too soon - far too soon - my lunch is over. Not from a lack of portion size - but a lack of self restraint.

I too was skeptical when I first came to the VD for lunch - but am no longer. If you want to try yet another great clubhouse sandwich in Winnipeg - try it at the Vendome. **Please go when it is daylight outside and only walk in pairs**

Noodle Express - Dim Sum Edition

Noodle Express - Not Just for Noodles Anymore

This week brought me to a few exciting eateries in Winnipeg - but I had to focus this week on one of my favourite lunches - DIM SUM!!! For those of you who have not experienced Dim Sum (more often referred to by my grandma as "tea") you are really missing the boat. I have taken more newim sum'ers (new dim sum'ers - clearly just watched The Internship and stole that term) that I can count. We have gone to various spots in Winnipeg: Kum Koon Garden, Dim Sum Garden, Yea Dim Sum, Victoria Seafood and on and on. The restaurant that I keep coming back to however is Noodle Express. Located in the heart of China Town - this small unimposing and easily missable restaurant is, and has been family run for as long as I've been going there. I have wonderful memories of going there with my dad and my grandpa when we was still around.

As we walked into the restaurant on a busy Saturday afternoon we are confronted with an outstanding aroma. We ended up having to savour only the aroma for about 15 minutes as there were no tables available. Happily we waited and soon enough a table opened up and the feast was about to start. We were handed a couple of paper menus to fill out as we sat at the table. I will make a note here that this is one of the reasons why I go to Noodle Express and not some of the other larger Dim Sum Restaurants - we fill out the order on the menu and the dishes come out fresh and hot. Never - and I mean NEVER are the dishes cold after being wheeled around a 10,000 sq ft room, being picked over and left off other peoples plates like the last kid being picked for basketball at gym class.

Since two of the four eating had never been to Noodle Express before, I was asked to pick some dishes. I love it when peoples stomaches and - bowels - are put into my hands. We ordered a schmogasbord of steamed and deep fried goodness. As we were at Noodle Express it was only right that we eat some awesome noodles. I asked the table if the white people liked soft or crunchy noodles. The majority were in favour of the crunchy noodles and we therefore ordered the Cantonese Chow Mein. It is unreal. I can confidently say that I have had over 1,342 different Cantonese Chow Meins in my lifetime and the main difference between them is the sauce. Noodle Express has aced the sauce. Fresh and light.

As for the Dim Sum dishes we ordered 2 orders of Sticky Rice, Deep Fried Chinese Perogies, Shrimp dumplings, Shrimp and Mushroom dumplings and the Steamed BBQ Buns. Incredible. All of them. Obviously we are always concerned about having a balanced meal. As a result I made sure we had some greens - Chinese Greens - Gailans to be extact. Please Please PLEASE TRY Gailans. They are a perfect mix of asparagus, broccoli and spinach. I JUST BLEW YOUR MIND! They are delicious with a side of oyster sauce to dip them in - can't beat it. I will caution you, however, that you will only need a 1/2 order. The full order is not something to just jump into. It takes years of practice and even to this day - it is a challenge.

In the end we finished nearly everything on the table. Mostly because my dad always used to say - the amount of rice specs that you leave on your plate will be what your wife's face looks like in the future. I ate all my rice.

I hope next time you are thinking of going out for Dim Sum or even something new you swing by Noodle Express and indulge in some Tea.

Village of India - 1070's St. Mary's Road

This weeks post bring me to yet another incredible type of food - Indian food. The special part about this post is that it is truly a first review from a restaurant that I have never been to, that I had not heard anything about - and I therefore went in blind - and left bewildered and disappointed.

I recently reconnected with a friend from high school and found out that we live in the same area. I suggested, as I do with most people that we meet up for a bite to eat. As he works from home fairly often, he suggested a restaurant that he had never been to but was close to his place. I was more than happy to agree to meet him at Village of India - formerly the Wok Box on St. Mary's for those of you who are trying to place the location.

This is not my first Indian food adventure. I love Indian food. All the different flavours and colours make eating Indian food an experience. From Navratan to Murg Bahar, to Samosas and Butter Chicken - Indian food has something for everyone. Village of India however - not so much.

We met in the parking lot and walked into the restaurant where there was a litter of tables with no real flow to restaurant. Still looking like it was in transition from the former restaurant to this new incarnation. We were "greeted" by a server who abruptly made sure that we knew this was a vegetarian menu only. To be fair that is a very good thing to know and maybe they have had customers come on in and then leave swiftly after learning of this revelation. However, the way the server informed us of this important fact was almost accusatory. That being said - we turned to each other said not a problem - let's do this. **This was the 3rd unexpected vegetarian meal that i had eaten that week - very abnormal for me and I wondered if I would survive.**

Upon finding a place to sit after navigating a parking lot of tables we were told that we can go up whenever and enjoy our buffet meal. We were also told that Na'an bread was to be included - plain or garlic. For those of you who have not enjoyed Na'an bread before - please do so immediately. As a Carb Connoisseur I like to think there are good tasting carbs and bad tasting carbs - Na'an is mind blowing. I keep some in the freezer all the time - maybe to add to a meal - or maybe a little Indian Fusion and making pizzas or butter chicken wraps - who knows - the sky is the limit. But I digress.

We go up to the buffet and realize that there is no information about what we are about to consume. Nothing. No labels - No mention of names - No concern for people wanting to know what they are eating. Standing there looking at the spread - I could legitimately recognize 3 of 16 or so dishes. We therefore created a painters pallet based solely on colours. As we were making our way back to the table the server asked us about our Na'an bread selection. We both asked for garlic and once again were ambushed with the response - "That'll be an extra $1". Putting aside the fact that they said at the start it would be included in the buffet - there was absolutely no hint of politeness. This boggles my mind. I can understand being short as a server if you are being run ragged - however - there was not another table in the restaurant. NOT ONE.

We ate the food and it was alright - somewhat bland and unexciting. The samosas were fairly tasty and the rest of the unnamed edible products were ok. We left both feeling fairly disappointed and agreeing that this will not be a regular spot.

What this experience has taught me was that there is a huge discrepancy between Indian food Restaurants. With so many to choose from in Winnipeg - please don't waste your time and money at Village of India. Spend a couple more loonies and go to a restaurant that makes you feel at home - like The East India Company. At least there you'll know what you are eating.

Have you been the Village of India and had a different experience? Where is your favourite Indian Restaurant in Winnipeg? Let me know.