Adding a new fold to a family tradition Dreams of childhood comfort led a former interior designer to the kitchen, where he mastered the art of wontons By: Eva Wasney Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, Mar. 27, 2023 Last Modified: 7:08 AM CDT Tuesday, Mar. 28, 2023 Updates

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This article was published 27/03/2023 (894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He used to make aesthetically pleasing spaces, now he makes emotionally pleasing food.

After building a successful career as an interior designer and entrepreneur in Hong Kong, Louie Lui started asking himself some deep, existential questions: “If tomorrow is the end of the world, what kinds of things would I like to do?”

Surprisingly, his bucket list didn’t include floor plans, fabric samples or paint chips. It was all about food — specifically the home cooking of his grandmother who worked as a cafeteria chef for a major manufacturing company.

“I never learned any cooking methods from her, but I tasted her food as a child and I couldn’t describe and express how happy it made me,” he says. “If tomorrow is the end of the world, I have to cook for someone.”

Lui started looking into culinary programs in Canada. He had previously lived in Toronto as a high school exchange student and wanted to return to a culture he felt an innate connection with.

“I’m a straightforward person, I couldn’t hide something in my heart; this country is the same.”

He moved to Winnipeg in 2017 and enrolled in the culinary arts program at Red River College Polytechnic, working at Bergmann’s on Lombard and Bonfire Bistro upon graduation.

At first, Lui was happy toiling in other people’s kitchens. He had paid his dues as a business owner and wasn’t keen to take on that kind of pressure and responsibility again. But old personas die hard.

“There’s some voices telling me, ‘You should do something for this city, you should bring something new to this city,’” he says. “Maybe it’s time to open up my own restaurant, this is the only way I can do my own things.”

Lui opened Aroma Bistro in a small strip mall on St. Mary’s Road in 2019 and built his brand around wontons — contemporary versions of the comforting dumplings his matriarchs used to make.

“When we got sick my grandmother or mother would wrap us wontons because (they’re) the most healthy things,” he says. “I don’t have family here, so if I want to make roots here, I have to treat this city as my home, so I want to share that feeling with people.”

Chef Lui and his team turn out more than 1,000 wontons per day. While the restaurant has a full menu of dishes, the Chinese delicacies — served fresh in-house or sold frozen in packages — remain a top seller.

Folding the wonton wrappers into plump rings is muscle memory at this point. The shape has two purposes: it creates a natural cradle for flavourful sauces and it mimics the form of a sycee, an ancient Chinese currency that has become a symbol for wealth and prosperity. The double meaning has been a good omen for Lui.

What started as a hole-in-the-wall eatery designed primarily for take-out has expanded to an off-site production kitchen, retail operation and, soon, a second location. The flagship Aroma Bistro location has also grown its footprint to include a simple spa-like dining room with a handful of tables, a faux fireplace and soft instrumental music playing in the background.

Lui is currently in talks with Sobeys, which has expressed interest in stocking his frozen dumplings in its grocery stores, and is in the process of opening an Aroma Bistro stall at The Forks.

For someone who was looking for a lifestyle change, Lui has found himself in a familiar entrepreneurial place. This time, however, the end product is much more satisfying.

“You can earn a lot of money in (interior design),” he says. “But for me, money is not the only concern. Happiness and enjoyable and shareable things… (make) me feel like I’m living in the world.”

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @evawasney