Double Greeting Chinese Snack House is well known in the Chinese circles. Hearing at nauseam about their noodle soups, I had to take the chance and make my way to downtown Winnipeg to try them out. Billed as cheap, affordable and fast, it promised a tasty meal especially in the fall and winter when the cold is nipping at our heels.
Double Greeting Chinese Snack House sits on the McDermot Avenue close to downtown Winnipeg. One cannot miss the large yellow signage and while it certainly works to attract customers, its tacky and dated lettering can be improved upon. Inside is no better with random tables strewn about everywhere with seemingly no thought to organization. The service is a vexing dichotomy of inattentive when you first arrive and hypervigilant to usher you out the premises when you are done eating. And while it is understandable as they make their living on quick turnover of tables, it did leave a slightly sour taste on my mouth.
The menu is rather confusing in a comical fashion. Thrown about in three different "menus" the items are listed haphazardly in various categories. The big items are there and on display including their noodle soups and their dim sum items. But I would have preferred pictures or a description for those not familiar with these items.
Vegetable in Oyster Sauce is a simple boiled Gai Lan dish that is drizzled with tangy and sweet oyster sauce. Crunchy yet tender, the vegetable's inherent bitterness is a nice contrast to the oyster sauce. A small portion for the price charged.
I am told they have the best Beef Brisket Noodle Soup in town and I have to agree. Crunchy egg noodles and a few pieces of delectable brisket swim in a bath of delicious chicken soup based broth. The greasiness from the cooked beef adds a layer of flavour and texture to the soup which works perfectly with the noodles. A moderate portion for the price, but the flavour and taste make up for it in spades.
This is a simple dish but high in flavour. The key to the Rice Roll with Donut is the contrast in textures: soft and silky rice roll with the crispy and doughy Chinese doughnut. Double Greeting does well here to prevent the doughnut from being moist and soggy. Flavour is from the soy sauce drizzled liberally on top.
The only disappointment of the day was the Congee with Chicken. A large bowl of congee should seem easy to do and indeed the rice itself was nice and creamy, but the ingredients lacking and failed to give it the necessary flavour it sorely lacked. The chicken small, boney and devoid of flavour and while the accompanying doughnut on top adds a a nice layer of crunch, it does little to add taste.
There is nothing surprising about Double Greeting Chinese Snack House. I have to commend them on being a staple in cheap Chinese eats in downtown Winnipeg and agree that their noodle soup is one of the best in the city. But with increasing prices and more competition, their warts seem to be showing. Worth a visit for their noodles but be wary of their other items.
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