ciao! reviews
Black Bird Brasserie
Cho Ichi Ramen
Little Goat
The Oxbow
50
ciao! / dec/jan / two thousand eighteen
chicken leg sits atop buttery mashed
potatoes, sweet French green beans,
and large pieces of pancetta, all
surrounded by a pool of intensely
fl avoured mustard infused jus.
Succulent steak and crispy frites
are a brasserie classic. Create the per-
fect bite; soak up the Madeira sauce
with a piece of juicy fl at iron steak,
add slices of sautéed mushroom and
braised shallot, and enjoy. French
fries and a bowl of dressed greens
accompany the meal.
Pickerel à la meunière presents a
favourite Manitoba fi sh, Frenchifi ed.
The lightly breaded filet sits on a
mound of plump Israeli couscous
covered in a tangy lemon caper
butter sauce topped with radish
and chives for a pop of colour. Fried
capers sprinkled on top add crunch.
Don’t overlook Black Bird’s
bourguignon, a long-simmered
version that would have made Julia
Child swoon with delight. Tender
braised brisket, pearl onions, car-
rots, potatoes, mushrooms and
pancetta are covered in a silky, thick
Burgundy wine sauce ready to be
sopped up with a grilled baguette.
After dinner, step through into
the connected Canteen Coffee Shop,
owned by Black Bird, for a steam-
ing cup of joe. Leaving a meal feeling
warm and satisfi ed is surely what the
brasserie is all about.
Black Bird is open Sun-Wed 11
am-1 am, Thurs - Sat 11 am - 2 am.
years or so it’s been eaten on the
daily. Styles vary by region; fatty
and salty, chicken and pork, miso,
shio, shoyu, distinguishing fla-
vours of every broth.
In the heart of Canada, ramen
is just beginning to see the light of
day. Until this summer, it appeared
on precious few menus, winning
favour with early adopting food-
sters and citizens of Japanese
descent. In June that changed. As
the season’s temperatures soared,
Cho Venevongsa added Cho Ichi
Ramen to his Wasabi Group of
restaurants, betting heavily on
hot steamy bowls of ramen. Mere
months later, its 80 seats fill up
regularly, already revealing an
opportunity realized. Chef John
Garcia from Wasabi heads up the
kitchen, bringing singular focus to
selling every customer one prod-
uct, one that takes 6-12 hours to
prepare.
Daily pots of chicken and pork
stock are always on the go, each
providing rich depth for signa-
ture fl avours to be added. Pork is
the bigger seller satisfying crav-
ings with its fatty full bodied
liquid. The top pick either way is
prominently listed on the single
sheet menu as “The Original”.
This signature bowl delivers the
pure fl avour of its long simmered
broth. It is the fully loaded option
complete with an egg, tender sous
vide cooked chicken and pork,
bamboo shoots, spinach, green
CHO ICHI RAMEN
onion and nori. It is perfection.
Neighbourhood . . . Fort Garry
Miso, shoyu, shio offer fla-
vour variations infusing every
Address . . . 1151 Pembina Hwy bowl with its own characteristics.
Phone . . . . . . . 204-615-8832 Add-ons vary slightly from one to
another, a list of toppings encour-
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . .$13-$15 ages customization. Order miso,
and a satisfying mixture deliv-
In Japan, alongside fi sh and rice, ering umami goodness awaits.
the noodle that rules is ramen. Sweet corn punctuates each bite.
An explosively flavourful bowl An alluring red spicy garlic option
of messy calorie laden noodles is rewards the heat seekers, and chal-
the signature staple of the masses. lenges the wannabes. It hurts, but
Ramen rules, and for the last 100 the delicious pain that comes with