Mon Ami Louis, Fun and Reasonable Parisean Fare

One of the more iconic locations in Winnipeg is The Forks, a geographic meeting ground of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers that was crucial for the First Nations who first inhabited the area. Now the area is a top attraction for local Winnipegers and feature fantastic and iconic buildings like the Forks Market and the Human Rights Museum. Amongst the buildings is the Esplanade Riel, a beautiful pedestrian bridge stretching across the Red River connecting St. Boniface with Downtown Winnipeg, which also happens to house a new restaurant, Mon Ami Louis, a French Parisean restaurant that took over the confines from the previous inhabitants, Chew Sophi.

There are few words that can truly describe the location of Mon Ami Louis. Historical and geographic importance notwithstanding, the Esplanade Riel bridge itself is a site to behold with massive beautiful steel girders stretching leisurely into the sky. In the middle of the bridge, jutting out to the South, is the crescent shaped restaurant, gorgeous and easy to identify. In truth the interiors are even more impressive than the outside, with the owners creating a massive window giving diners a glorious view of the river, the Forks and the heart of St. Boniface. And while the outside view is tough competition, the interior decor is no slouch either, with a pleasant sheen of new veneer on the floor and handsome and comfortable booth style seating. Fleshing out the experience are a host of knowledgeable and welcoming wait staff who quickly usher you to your table of choice.

The menu is a simple but fully featured Parisean menu with a few splashes of Western influences. Clearly the menu items are more geared towards smaller sharing plates with a host of appetizers, soups, french fries and tarte flambee (re: pizza) options available. For those wanting something more filling, a host of savoury crepes, sandwiches and entree options are also available. While certainly not the most extensive of menus I have ever seen, it houses enough options to make most happy.

It is difficult to ignore the Poutine Bourguignonne, a dish that brings together crispy shoestring fries with braised beef and bothwell cheese curds. First off, the fall off the bone tender braised beef, which had a nice hint of red wine flavour, worked wonderfully with the large pieces of squeaky bothwell cheese curds and the slight kick of spice from horseradish. What did not work so well were the french fries: slightly soggy and over-seasoned such that it threatened the entire dish with a single note of salty flavour.

The Traditionnel Tarte Flambee (French Pizza) combines sauteed onions, smoked bacon and swiss cheese on the wonderfully thin pie crust. The contrast of the sweetness of the sauteed onions with the smokiness and saltiness of the bacon works really well together. Add on that a slight creaminess from the swiss cheese and combine it with the crisp thin crust make this a killer pizza/pie. Not to mention a huge portion too!

Baked Brie Cheese came as an accident from the kitchen as they served us an extra dish. Nevertheless we devoured this tasty combination of cheese, walnuts, apples and cranberries served on toasted bits of crusty french bread. The soft and creamy brie worked perfectly with the sharp and sweet fruit while a bit of crispiness comes from the large toasted walnuts. Only disappointment was the slightly overtoasted bread, which gave some bites an irritating burnt flavour.

Final dish of the day was the Crepe au Brie. Elegantly presented, the buckwheat thin crepe is topped with creamy brie cheese, slices of chicken, asparagus and walnuts, all finished off with a sweet fruit drizzle. The key here though was the buckwheat crepe, thin and light enough to not overpower, while thick enough to house and hold the other ingredients. Delightful!

Mon Ami Louis combines a beautiful location with decidedly Parisean Fare to create a fun and whimsical dining experience on the banks of the Esplanade Riel. Similarly, the food is wonderfully crafted full of strong contrasting flavours and, despite a few small errors in execution, a exemplary rendition of French cuisine.