Great Vietnamese fare at E.K. bistro

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/04/2015 (4044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Neighbourhoods like East Kildonan were once thriving little self-contained business centres.

When I grew up just half a block from Watt Street we could walk to our own grocery store, pharmacy, hardware and dentist. The mini strip malls which once housed these establishments on Watt Street and other parts of the city sometimes have a ghost-town feel about them. One such business centre is being revived by restaurants like the Watt Street Bistro. I suspect the motivation for the neat and tidy café is the huge student population and recreational participants next door at Miles Macdonell Collegiate, The East Kildonan YMCA and the beloved Melrose Community Club.

My eldest brother, who still lives in the area as do most of my extended family, encouraged me to give the place a try. He mentioned the $5.99 lunch specials and poutine, so I was surprised that the bistro actually features an extended selection of Vietnamese fare.

The highlight of this visit was the sizzling curry shrimp and vegetable dish that was served first.

The owner personally brought out the two-part dish. We were warned about the temperature of the wrought iron platter that was placed in between my sister and me. The second component was a heaping bowl full of the saucy shrimp and veggies. As he poured the bowl onto the platter, the sizzling began and the dish imparted the most amazing aroma. Both the shrimp and the multitude of vegetables were cooked perfectly to a tender crisp and the sauce was — well, I could have supped up the sauce with a spoon. Instead, I poured it over little bowls of rice and was well-pleased.

Charbroiled pork vermicelli was another choice. The heaping bowl is my “must-have” dish when dining at a Vietnamese restaurant and this was a lovely version.

Kathryne Grisim is a local food and travel writer and blogger: foodmusings.ca. She believes food = love.