Kam Ho - Robust Dim Sum

As part of residency you get the opportunity to move around and do external "electives" which are basically opportunities to explore and work with other pediatricians across the country in the field(s) you are interested in. As we ended one block and moved to another I was preparing to leave for such an elective in Edmonton. To prepare I was forced to clean out my fridge and was suddenly devoid of quick nourishment; well I saw this as a chance to try out a new place on my growing list of Winnipeg must-tries. So I decided on Kam Ho, a Chinese restaurant featuring dim sum.

Kam Ho is located on St. Vital in the south central region of Winnipeg. A historic community featuring a large Francophone population, the district has a fun eclectic vibe to it with lots of small mom and pop stores lined up on the streets. The restaurant itself is nothing to look at with a bright red signage and drab exterior. But its always about the food!

Kam Ho holds the key to my dim sum dreams. Featuring dim sum throughout the day six days of the week (closed Tuesdays) they offer the staples that one would expect at any dim sum restaurant. From steamed dumplings to rice rolls and pan fried dishes, this is the dim sum craver's dream come true. On top of this they do have a regular take out and dine in menu featuring all the normal items you would expect from a Chinese dine in restaurant. But of course I was there for the dim sum!

Pan Fried Turnip Cake is a must have for me when at a dim sum restaurant. The cakes are composed of a flour mixture and fresh turnip, fried to a crisp and served with Hoison sauce on the side. Kam Ho here tries to achieve a dichotomy between the crisp outside and smooth turnip interior but ended up over-frying the cake and resulted in a slightly burnt flavour.

Shrimp Dumplings are also a staple at dim sum for me. Filled to the brim with shrimp and steamed in a soft translucent wrapper, Kam Ho does well here in delivering tasty and spongy shrimp in the delicate exterior. Overall it tastes as you would expect.

Called Fun Dumplings on the menu, these are synonymic to Teochew Style dumplings filled with pork, peanuts, shrimp, mushrooms, peanuts and cilantro. I simply love these dumplings! The multitude of flavours and textures here work so well together that they all mix together in a big umami mess of deliciousness. Definitely a must order from Kam Ho.

HK Style Rice Rolls are curiously difficult to find at most restaurants. The key to the dish is the crispy Chinese Long Donut that forms the interior which is covered by soft silky rice noodles and finished with salty soy sauce. The contrast in textures here becomes the standout of the dish, just be forewarned of the greasiness of the donut.

Pork Dumplings are crucial for a good dim sum restaurant. Unfortunately these were simply average at Kam Ho. The wonton wrapper encompasses a mixture of shrimp and pork and the whole package is steamed to tenderness. I would have preferred a textural contrast here as one simply tastes fatty and greasy pork with no other flavours or textures to speak of.

Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf was a large serving of glutinous rice mixed in with chicken, beef and mushrooms and all steamed together in a lotus leaf. The leaf works to trap all the flavours of the ingredients and also incorporates a slight sweetness to the whole dish. Furthermore it adds an impressive visual component as one unwraps the leaf to dig into the interior.

This was excellent! The glutinous rice was wonderfully fatty, sweet and salty as the juices of the ingredients permeated the sticky rice grains. The chicken, pork, and mushrooms were also delicious and added a nice textural contrast to the rice.

I appreciate Kam Ho for delivering quality daily dim sum at reasonable prices throughout the week. Overall the dim sum was favourable and had the right mix of ingredients, flavours and textures. I recommend anyone to muster past the drab exterior and lackadaisical wait staff and try Kam Ho's quality dim sum.