Lucky Supermarket
Neighbourhood: West End
Address: 1051 Winnipeg Ave
Phone: (204) 272-8011
(2012 Eat Venture)
Take a stimulating jaunt to the Far East, without ever leaving the city, at Winnipeg’s most authentic and affordable Asian markets.
Stepping through the sliding glass doors of Lucky Supermarket is akin to arriving on the bustling streets of Tokyo and Bangkok or floating markets of the Mekong. All senses are playfully assaulted with competing bright sights, savoury scents and tantalizing textures vying for attention. Stroll past bright jars of pickled veggies and piquant chili pastes among bins filled with exotic fruits and fragrant herbs.
Shelves of well-balanced soy sauces, organic buckwheat noodles, and fresh Thai basil in the aisles of this West End market rouse curiosity and appetite at once. A stylish selection of chopsticks, soup bowls and serving spoons provide finishing touches for Eastern-inspired dinner parties.
Day-trippers will also delight in the lunches and dinners offered in the deli. Sample the selection in the 36-seat dining room, or grab something to go.
Char siu is the sure palate-pleaser. Marinated in honey, hoisin and Chinese five-spice and cooked over an open fire, this barbequed pork is sweet and succulent.
Tender shrimp and cool mint make Vietnamese salad rolls a refreshing change of pace. Add a little heat with chili-spiked black bean dipping sauce.
Hop from Hanoi to Hong Kong for standout dim sum. Choose from an assortment of dumplings steamed to sumptuous perfection in bamboo baskets. Sweet, plump shrimp come encased in translucent rice paper,and pair well with sriacha and soy sauce. Pork dumplings are moist, meaty morsels.)
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ING Supermarket
Neighbourhood: South Winnipeg
Address: 1873 Pembina Hwy
Phone: (204) 261‑7335
(2012 Eat Venture)
Residents of south Winnipeg can also experience the East here at home. ING Supermarket specializes in all things Asia, from baby bok choy to beef tendon and everything in between. Perusing its well-stocked aisles sparks the imagination and stirs all five senses.
Let displays of plum sauce, pickled bean curd, and preserved lychee carry you across the East China Sea. Take in the scent of Satsuma oranges in the produce section and listen as Mandarin-speaking market-goers place their orders at the meat counter.
Here, too, a deli section satisfy the appetite with stir-fries . Earthy eggplant, paired with red and green peppers, pays homage to fall harvest in a simple garlic and soy sauce, and the Singapore-style beef and potato curry is slow-cooked with all the right spices.