September, 2010
NOW OPERATING AS PEASANT COOKERY
Oui Bistro & Wine Bar
100-283 Bannatyne Avenue, 204-989-7700
http://www.wowhospitality.ca/restaurants/oui.html
March, 2009
Winnipeg currently undergoes two renaissances: the rebirth of the Exchange District and the resurgence of the classic French restaurant. Among such a flurry of competition, restaurants need to be top-notch to compete. Oui sits smack in the heart of the Exchange District, a stone’s throw from the venerable King’s Head Pub and immediately across from Old Market Square, Winnipeg’s summer, cultural, gathering hub. Oui faces some formidable obstacles, including the proximity of Mirlycourtois, one of Winnipeg’s finest French establishments, and the dubious history of restaurants that formerly inhabited the location.
The last establishment at this location, Decanters, had flaws in its food but it boasted one of the most interesting and comprehensive wine lists in the city. I’m happy to see Oui bring in an equally impressive offering of wines. The list features mostly French selections but the menu also includes “French-influenced” wines, which hosts a nice array of New World wines, for those that insist on an Australian shiraz or an American cabernet sauvignon. Oui recently added an impressive selection of Belgium beers, perfect for a hot-day sipping beverage on the patio across from the Square.
Inside, Oui features two-toned, blue walls with speckles of paintings and artwork. The large windows and the high ceilings evoke roominess but maintain an air of cosiness. The atmosphere maintains a degree of formality, without coming across as stuffy. When booking, try to reserve one of the semi-circle booths.
Oui purports to bring traditional French bistro foods and inject new and innovative techniques into them. Chef Tristan Foucault brings a wealth of experience, including stints with local restaurants and North American heavyweights (such as French Laundry and Bouchon). Starting from the appetisers, the menu features distinctly traditional French fare, including mussels with fries, pate and the obligatory French onion soup. The mussels change daily and today’s special comes in a simple cream sauce with fennel, leeks and onions. This austere sauce oozes with French influences but lacks originality and innovation. The mussels come perfectly cooked, plump and juicy. When Oui first opened, they imported select mussels, each bursting with essential flavour and goodness. Alas, my last few experiences with their mussels have been limited to mere mortal mussels. I truly miss the mussels that Oui used to import but the current ones will continue to satisfy the most demanding seafood aficionado. If you order the mussels with the fries (and I recommend that you do), you’d receive a generous helping of wonderful fries that come with their homemade mayonnaise. The mayo tastes wonderful but the fries serve a much better function in sopping up the delicious mussel sauce. As a seafood fan, you should also consider the house-smoked king salmon. As a big fan of gravlax, I look forward to any incarnation of smoked salmon but Oui takes their offering to new heights. The delicate flavours of the salmon stand easily on their own but the traditional pairing with capers and shallots complements the fish perfectly. Simply spectacular.
Oui presents a traditional French baguette with dinner and this bread does not disappoint. The crunchy crust houses a moist and flakey core. Simple, but also simply well done.
The lunch menu combines a nice assortment of traditional French dishes with some daring injections. The croque-madame sits ubiquitously in France’s bistros, similarly as the hamburger represents Canadiana (Americana). Basically, the croquet-madame is a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg (over easy) sitting atop the bread. Oui’s version uses generous slabs of ham with gruyere cheese on a brioche. This rustic yet elegant sandwich rivals many from the heart of Paris.
Less traditional, the bison meatloaf comes gently smoked and sits on an apple mash. Smothered in an onion mixture, the meatloaf tastes rich and complex. Oui’s portions aren’t huge; you get just enough food to make you comfortably full, yet the wonderful tastes keep you yearning for more. This is the case with the bison. Oui also offers a seafood pasta du jour and today’s penne comes with smoked arctic char in a white wine sauce. Arctic char has similar flavours to salmon and the smokiness adds an incredible dimension to this inspired dish.
Some of the lunch items carry over to the dinner menu, including the steak and fries. Foucault uses the flatiron cut for his steak; the flatiron (so-called because of its shape) sits atop the blade steak on the beef shoulder. Normally, the tougher the cut of beef, the more flavour it has; the stronger muscles get more usage and thus, holds more depth. The shoulder meat is very tough but the flatiron is the one exception from this loin. Grilled to medium-rare and covered in herbed butter, Oui’s flatiron steak is fundamentally one of the best steaks that you’ll find, period.
Foucault braises his traditional beef bourguignon in burgundy with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms. The entire assortment sits over buttered, pureed potatoes. Foucault enhances many of his dishes with lardons (bits of smoked pork fat, similar to bacon) and the lardons adds an extra dimension to this wonderful beef stew. Again, the modest portion leaves you full but wanting for more.
The only dish I can find fault with is the duck confit, which tastes a little dry. Cooking confit entails slow braising a meat in its own fat. Duck is the perfect meat for confit since the ultra-fatty duck meat can render plenty of fat. Unfortunately, this offering tastes overcooked and dry, which is surprising since duck meat is normally rich and juicy. Judging by the quality of the rest of the offerings, I can write the confit off as an aberration.
Finally, the service at Oui is warm and professional. Each server maintains an air of formality without being aloof. Coupled with the excellence of the food and welcoming atmosphere, I consider Oui one of the best restaurants in Winnipeg.
**** ¾ /5
NOW OPERATING AS PEASANT COOKERY
Oui Bistro & Wine Bar
100-283 Bannatyne Avenue, 204-989-7700
http://www.wowhospitality.ca/restaurants/oui.html
March, 2009
Winnipeg currently undergoes two renaissances: the rebirth of the Exchange District and the resurgence of the classic French restaurant. Among such a flurry of competition, restaurants need to be top-notch to compete. Oui sits smack in the heart of the Exchange District, a stone’s throw from the venerable King’s Head Pub and immediately across from Old Market Square, Winnipeg’s summer, cultural, gathering hub. Oui faces some formidable obstacles, including the proximity of Mirlycourtois, one of Winnipeg’s finest French establishments, and the dubious history of restaurants that formerly inhabited the location.
The last establishment at this location, Decanters, had flaws in its food but it boasted one of the most interesting and comprehensive wine lists in the city. I’m happy to see Oui bring in an equally impressive offering of wines. The list features mostly French selections but the menu also includes “French-influenced” wines, which hosts a nice array of New World wines, for those that insist on an Australian shiraz or an American cabernet sauvignon. Oui recently added an impressive selection of Belgium beers, perfect for a hot-day sipping beverage on the patio across from the Square.
Inside, Oui features two-toned, blue walls with speckles of paintings and artwork. The large windows and the high ceilings evoke roominess but maintain an air of cosiness. The atmosphere maintains a degree of formality, without coming across as stuffy. When booking, try to reserve one of the semi-circle booths.
Oui purports to bring traditional French bistro foods and inject new and innovative techniques into them. Chef Tristan Foucault brings a wealth of experience, including stints with local restaurants and North American heavyweights (such as French Laundry and Bouchon). Starting from the appetisers, the menu features distinctly traditional French fare, including mussels with fries, pate and the obligatory French onion soup. The mussels change daily and today’s special comes in a simple cream sauce with fennel, leeks and onions. This austere sauce oozes with French influences but lacks originality and innovation. The mussels come perfectly cooked, plump and juicy. When Oui first opened, they imported select mussels, each bursting with essential flavour and goodness. Alas, my last few experiences with their mussels have been limited to mere mortal mussels. I truly miss the mussels that Oui used to import but the current ones will continue to satisfy the most demanding seafood aficionado. If you order the mussels with the fries (and I recommend that you do), you’d receive a generous helping of wonderful fries that come with their homemade mayonnaise. The mayo tastes wonderful but the fries serve a much better function in sopping up the delicious mussel sauce. As a seafood fan, you should also consider the house-smoked king salmon. As a big fan of gravlax, I look forward to any incarnation of smoked salmon but Oui takes their offering to new heights. The delicate flavours of the salmon stand easily on their own but the traditional pairing with capers and shallots complements the fish perfectly. Simply spectacular.
Oui presents a traditional French baguette with dinner and this bread does not disappoint. The crunchy crust houses a moist and flakey core. Simple, but also simply well done.
The lunch menu combines a nice assortment of traditional French dishes with some daring injections. The croque-madame sits ubiquitously in France’s bistros, similarly as the hamburger represents Canadiana (Americana). Basically, the croquet-madame is a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg (over easy) sitting atop the bread. Oui’s version uses generous slabs of ham with gruyere cheese on a brioche. This rustic yet elegant sandwich rivals many from the heart of Paris.
Less traditional, the bison meatloaf comes gently smoked and sits on an apple mash. Smothered in an onion mixture, the meatloaf tastes rich and complex. Oui’s portions aren’t huge; you get just enough food to make you comfortably full, yet the wonderful tastes keep you yearning for more. This is the case with the bison. Oui also offers a seafood pasta du jour and today’s penne comes with smoked arctic char in a white wine sauce. Arctic char has similar flavours to salmon and the smokiness adds an incredible dimension to this inspired dish.
Some of the lunch items carry over to the dinner menu, including the steak and fries. Foucault uses the flatiron cut for his steak; the flatiron (so-called because of its shape) sits atop the blade steak on the beef shoulder. Normally, the tougher the cut of beef, the more flavour it has; the stronger muscles get more usage and thus, holds more depth. The shoulder meat is very tough but the flatiron is the one exception from this loin. Grilled to medium-rare and covered in herbed butter, Oui’s flatiron steak is fundamentally one of the best steaks that you’ll find, period.
Foucault braises his traditional beef bourguignon in burgundy with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms. The entire assortment sits over buttered, pureed potatoes. Foucault enhances many of his dishes with lardons (bits of smoked pork fat, similar to bacon) and the lardons adds an extra dimension to this wonderful beef stew. Again, the modest portion leaves you full but wanting for more.
The only dish I can find fault with is the duck confit, which tastes a little dry. Cooking confit entails slow braising a meat in its own fat. Duck is the perfect meat for confit since the ultra-fatty duck meat can render plenty of fat. Unfortunately, this offering tastes overcooked and dry, which is surprising since duck meat is normally rich and juicy. Judging by the quality of the rest of the offerings, I can write the confit off as an aberration.
Finally, the service at Oui is warm and professional. Each server maintains an air of formality without being aloof. Coupled with the excellence of the food and welcoming atmosphere, I consider Oui one of the best restaurants in Winnipeg.
**** ¾ /5
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