Deseo - Incredible Upscale Tapas

Spanish tapas style restaurants have graced North America for years; however recently one cannot miss the explosion of such establishments. Working from the microcosm that is the food scene in Winnipeg, we have been graced with many highly regarded and authentic tapas restaurants. One of them is Deseo Bistro, the location of our most recent pediatric resident dinner hangout.

Deseo Bistro is an upstyle restaurant located on South Osborne. An attractive and modern banner outlines the two story home that has been retrofitted into the restaurant we see today. Exuding class and elegance, the helpful staff welcome you to a charming dining room filled with eclectic (yet class) decor. An immediate waft of marinating meats and spices entices would be diners to embark on a journey of taste and flavour.

The elegant dinner menus are a nice collection of traditional Spanish favorites as well as newly imagined takes on contemporary cuisine. One word of caution: designed as a tapas style restaurant, each dish is designed to be shared and enjoyed in a group. While everything we ate today worked as a distinct dish, they are not entrees in the traditional sense; therefore the dining experience will be varied depending on the size of your party. The traditional Spanish faovourites here include a scallop ceviche, a beef tartare and the ever popular patatas bravas. New takes on classics include an incredible brussels sprouts (with caramelized bacon) or the sweet and salty flavour in the chorizo and figs. Definitely something for everyone to enjoy.

Deseo's Steak Tartare combines succulent cubes of beef tenderloin topped with a slaw of parsley, zucchini pickles and crispy shallots. Tender and smooth, the beef is the highlight here that works to envelop the subsequent stronger flavours. A drizzle warm brown butter adds in extra fattiness and luxuriousness without making the entire dish greasy while Ethiopian hot sauce embarks heat and spice to the dish. Enjoyed with crispy grilled sourdough, each bite is a delectable mix of sweet, salty and spicy on top of the rich and tender meat.

Internally, these Zucchini fritters are filled with a zucchini (obviously) and ricotta blend and fried to a crisp. The fritters themselves have a nice crisp exterior while maintaining a creamy and salty interior. The dish is topped with a nutty cardomom yogurt mixed in with mint and more pickled Zucchini. Brightness is brought to the dish with a carrot puree butter drizzled alongside the yogurt. While these fritters are excellent, the zucchini flavour were diminished to the strength of the ricotta and did not add anything other than a base for the fritter. Nevertheless a tasty and elegantly plated dish.

Lamb Meatballs were a hit amongst the group. Four bountiful balls of minced lamb meat is topped with feta, orange and pine nuts. Each bite brought a incredible burst of tender lamb flavour which was a nice contrast to the salty feta cheese and sweetness of the orange. Crunch is added through the pine nuts. Tender, flavourful and incredible juicy, these lamb meatballs is an automatic recommendation.

There is nothing simple about the simply named Asparagus. The spears of legume are grilled tender and form the foundation for a brown butter puree and goat cheese topping. The highlight of this dish though is the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg which, when opened, oozes its soft and silky yolk onto the dish. A wonderful combination of sweet, salty and savoury greets you with every bite of the dish.

In truth, this Beet Salad perhaps should be renamed beet and apple; as the interplay of texture and flavour between the two fruits is the key here. Topped with goats cheese, the ginger and honey dressing adds much needed sweetness to the salad. Candied walnuts are included for an element of crunch while also further enhancing the subtle sweetness of the beet and apples.

I am still salivating at these Brussels Sprouts. The often overlooked morsels here are fried to perfection with a creamy teleggio and onion sauce while the addition of bacon adds in saltiness and fat. Each bite consists of sharp slightly bitter brussels, fatty bacon and creamy cheese; all working together to form a taste of umami in your mouth. Delicious.

Patatas Bravas was the most uninspired of all the dishes today. The simple dish consists of fried potatoes drizzled with a garlic aioli and a sweet and spicy bravas sauce. While tasty in its own respect, there was nothing extraordinary here, especially when in comparison to the other incredible dishes we were able to taste today. Nevertheless, the crunchy potatoes here are nicely paired with the warm and creamy sauces.

The subtle flavour of Eggplant is paired with creamy cauliflower, squash and pickled cucumbers. The chefs here were able to cook the eggplant to tender perfection without adding in too much extra greasiness. The crunch of spicy peanuts and aroma of cilantro round out this dish.

Each morsel of tender ricotta and black truffle Gnocchi would be delicious by themselves, but Deseo elevates the humble pasta even more by adding bacon and black crisp garlic. Perfectly al dente, the contrast of the smooth and creamy pasta with the crisp bacon and slightly bitter garlic is key here.

And the consummate favourite of the table was the Chorizo & Figs. Thin slices of sausage and crisp figs are enveloped by a sweet and sour sauce and finished with grilled sourdough. Fattiness from the chorizo and sweetness from the figs are elevated by the sourness of the sauce.

Deseo remains at the height of Winnipeg's food scene. Featuring contemporary and nouveau haute cuisine, it creates fantastic and whimsical tapas style meal that should delight anyone looking for this style of meal. One of the best if not the best restaurant in all of Winnipeg.