Nou Eul Tor

Nou Eul Tor caught my eye in the first few weeks being in Winnipeg. A mom and pop shop that seemed to create authentic dishes at an amazing value, it quickly rose to the top of my list of must-go restaurants in the city. I am day by day beginning to realize just how fruitful and diverse the food scene is in Winnipeg. The old adage that one cannot judge a book by its cover is aptly true here. Nou Eul Tor continues my spree of searching for the best and brightest of Winnipeg's Korean.

Nou Eul Tor suffers from a common mistake of ethnic restaurants. Unless one is fluent in Korean, the name is uncommon, difficult to pronounce and utterly forgetful. Tucked away on Sargent Avenue, the signage and exterior are easy to miss. Nevertheless, should one persevere through to finding the establishment, they won't be disappointed.

The menu is small. A full three pages worth of Korean soups, grilled meats and pancakes. I enthusiastically agree with their approach. For small mom and pop restaurants, my advice is to focus on what you do well and become known for those one or two iconic dishes. Then build the rest of the menu surrounding that. My initial thought of the menu was value. Most items were south of $10! Furthermore, spying on other tables revealed reasonable servings sizes to boot.

The beginning of the meal brought a small bowl of Juk. Essentially the Korean equivalent of congee, this is meant to be a palate cleanser prior to the arrival of the main items.

Perhaps one could have guessed already, but I had to order the Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup). The version here initially looked nondescript, but it mysteriously hides a marvelous concoction of flavours. It was obvious how much care they put into this dish: the fattiness of the pork which permeated through the broth was contrasted with sharp Korean chilis and cooled by the tender vegetables. The pieces of pork could have been larger and the broth could have used some greens but this was overall one of the better Gamjatang I have had in the city.

I also went with the Gochujang Samgyopsal. Featuring grilled pork belly, this dish was a make your own incorporating lettuce wraps and Korean bean paste. I am a sucker for lettuce wraps. Biases aside, I applaud Nou Eul Tor for making such a delectable dish. The grilled meat was on point and mixed in perfectly with the bean paste. Highly recommended.

No Korean meal is complete without Banchans. Here they offer: Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, Marinated Cucumbers, Sweet & Spicy Daikon. Special mention must go to the Kimchi, which had a nice crisp sourness, and the Daikon, which was a surprisingly delicious mixture of sweet and spicy.

Restaurants like Nou Eul Tor make me excited to explore more of this city. A classic mom and pop joint which deserves to have more coverage and exposure. I worry as a number of factors work against their favour, but am hopeful that they will persevere through. Ultimately, Nou Eul Tor is one of the best Korean restaurants I have dined at here in Winnipeg.