Modern flavours of Manitoba
In a sea of pierogies and diner food, Deer + Almond is a clear standout in Winnipeg. It’s one of a handful in the province that does Modern Canadian food: innovative creations with regional produce. It’s not held back by culinary traditions but still respects them. There’s a high chance that each dish will be a unique experience for diners.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, Deer + Almond has switched from à la carte to a tasting menu format. It’s a stupendous deal at $72.80 for 6 courses. Diners still have some choice: they can pick the heaviest course. There are also additional dishes that can be tacked on (priced separately).
The food
1. Scallop in celery and green apple with seaweed
Small seared scallops with celery and apple discs on top. Ok, so the server toppled some of them and it didn’t look as pretty on arrival. Something to bind the layers together might have helped. Maybe apple compôte?
The green apple oil was concentrated and came close to overpowering the scallop. The searing left an oily aftertaste. Thankfully, I could still relish the sweetness of the scallops.
The raw vegetables provided a bitter and crunchy contrast. In fact, too crunchy to integrate well with the scallop.
Overall, I like the concept with its variety of land and sea textures. Some fine-tweaking like blanching the vegetables or patting grease off the scallops would harmonize the flavours better. 7.5/10.
2. Healing broth seasoned with flavours of the boreal forest
This was my favourite dish of the night. It felt luxurious to have a hot bowl of soup when it’s -28 degrees outside. The flowery description didn’t mention exactly what was in the broth: torn bread, spruce, rosemary, foraged and preserved porcini mushrooms, and an egg yolk.
This was like the next level of chicken soup. Or a forest-based ramen broth.
Flavours were deep. Rosemary and spruce guaranteed the aromatics of the dish. I didn’t miss the absence of meat and finished every last drop. 9/10.
3. Little raviolis stuffed with mushrooms, porcini vinaigrette
This was my least favourite dish. The pasta dough was all right but I was disappointed by the flat raviolis. I would have liked more filling for a better mouthfeel.
The parmesan was a little heavy-handed. But it must be said I am not a fan of that cheese. On the other hand, I love mushrooms and were glad that they were front and centre. 7/10.
4. Marinated radicchio in fermented dressing with olde cheese
Raw radicchio is bitter and rarely the focus of a dish. I was wondering how they would make this dish palatable with such a large leaf. The answer was lots of aged manchego cheese and a savoury miso-like dressing. There were some panko (bread crumbs) clusters to add crunch. Despite the strong toppings, the astringent radicchio was still the main player. 8.5/10.
5. Manitoba pickerel with Wild Earth Farms kohlrabi and hollandaise
Now this was a pleasant surprise. The description gave no hint that the dish was assembled like sushi. Butter-fried pickerel fillets were placed over lumps of short-grained rice. It was the same rice used for sushi but without rice vinegar and sugar. I found it odd initially but in hindsight, seasoned rice would have clashed with the other strong flavours on the plate.
The pickerel was dressed with hollandaise sauce, charred cabbage, and torn shiso leaves. They added warmth. The burnt bits added bitterness. Interspersed between the “sushi” were crunchy drapes of kohlrabi. A grilled shiitake mushroom provided more crisp. This was an imaginative earth and sea combination that was perfect for winter. 9/10.
6. Parsnip and cranberry cake with parsnip ice cream
Parsnip was definitely visible in the cake but it’s such a mild vegetable that I barely tasted it. The cranberries, cranberry sauce, and cardamom easily took over. The cake was dense and very moist because of the parsnip and plump cranberries.
I preferred the ice cream. I couldn’t taste the parsnip as usual but I enjoyed the subtle botanical flavour. It was just at melting point. With the crispy crumble underneath, it was a contrast in textures. 8/10.
The place
Deer + Almond is located downtown in the Exchange District. There’s some psychedelic murals behind the restaurant.
It’s furnished like a fine-dining/casual diner. The dining area is inviting with pastel and wood tones.
Their wine shelf is delightfully offbeat.
Window seats have a diner vibe because of the pink neon lights outside.
Especially at the bar area with the random tchotchkes.
The service
The staff was relaxed and looked like they were having fun. It was definitely not a formal affair. They checked in frequently and topped up my water without asking. The executive chef also checked in every few courses.
Verdict
The progression made sense, with the radicchio serving as a palate cleanser of sorts. The flavours and ingredients were curated with consideration to the cold weather.
Creative, modern, Manitoban. 9/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Deer + Almond
- Rating
- 9/10
- Recommended dishes
- Tasting menu. It’s the only option.
- Prices
- 6-course tasting menu: $72.80 ($65.00 excluding tax)
- Address
- 85 Princess Street
- Hours
- Wednesday to Saturday 1700h – 2300h
- Date of visit
- December 2021