Back to a Classic, Sun Fortune

Old habits seemingly die hard as my fellow group of foodie residents found ourselves on the doorsteps of Sun Fortune again. It seems that despite the influx of new Chinese restaurants in town, none have been able to topple the giant grip that Sun Fortune has on Winnipeg. And I would tend to agree as it consistently ranks as my go to and recommendation for Chinese (with special considerations to Kum Koon of course). This post is a culmination of two separate visits!

I have blogged at length about the interiors and location of Sun Fortune. In short, the restaurant is a classically (albeit a tad sparsely) decorated affair located on Pembina Highway just south of Bishop Grandin Bouvelard and just a few blocks from the University of Manitoba, from whom I imagine a large wealth of its customers come from.

The menu is decidedly and classically Cantonese with a wide range of protein options cooked in the classic Chinese styles of stir fries, braising and stewing. Somewhat lacking are their seafood options which amount to the occasional lobster dish when available. For those wanting a Cantonese Seafood restaurant, look for its rival in downtown Kum Koon.

The BBQ Duck (Half) here was disappointingly dry which unfortunately robbed it of the inherent moisture of the duck. What it amounted to then was a nice crispy skin, a layer of gelatinous fat and tough meat. And while I commend the aroma of the Chinese soy and hoisin marinate of the duck, the flavour was ultimately not there.

Sweet & Sour Pork with Pineapples encapsulates the balance often looked for in Chinese cuisine. The lightly fried pieces of pork add a crispy and meaty crunch to the sweet bell peppers and the sour sauce. A hint of saltiness also compliments the entire dish to create a sensation of umami.

I had previously blogged about the Beef Brisket & Beef Tendon with Daikon Hot Pot and I am glad to report that the quality of the dish is still there! Thick juicy pieces of brisket, gelatinous pieces of tendon, tender and soft slices of daikon all come together in a wonderful anise-y braising sauce. The star of the dish has to be the daikon which has taken up and become infused with the essence of the sauce and the beef flavour. Make sure to enjoy the dish with a bowl of rice!

Scallop with Chinese Mushrooms is a humble looking dish but packed with flavour. Large meaty slices of scallop are combined with straw mushrooms and a tender gai lan. Finished with a salty starchy sauce it was a wonderful accompaniment to the other savoury dishes. Tender and crisp, the gai lan had a much needed slightly bitter/slightly sweet bite.

Our second visit to Sun Fortune had the group craving Peking Duck. The version here at Sun Fortune is highly regarded here in Winnipeg and while normally saved for special occasions, we felt the urges and cravings of our stomachs and opted for the extravagant Peking Duck. For those unsure what it is: Peking Duck is a traditional dish that takes a whole duck that is pre-air dried, marinated and roasted to create a crispy skin while keeping the interior warm and tender. It is usually served in two courses, the first being the skin wrapped in thin pancake wrappers.

The idea is to take a piece of thin and crispy skin, wrap it within the wrapper and enjoy with a dash of hoisin sauce. Compared to previously I found the peking duck this time less luxurious and more pedestrian. What should have been thin slices of Crispy Duck Skin and fat ended up being rough chops of skin and underlying meat, robbing the excellent contrast typically seen in this dish. I also felt the bird was slightly overcooked with the meat bordering on dry and the skin turning a slightly concerning level of brown-black.

Thankfully the second half of the dish, Stir Fried Duck Meat, was much better with tender morsels of duck that melted in our mouths. Cumin, anise and a slight hint of soy all dance together as they marry the meat with the occasional taste of carrot or celery. The procedure is as thus: take a spoonful (or two) of the meat mixture and throw it into an iceberg lettuce (not pictured) bowl, top it off with some more hoisin sauce and enjoy! Delicious.

Wanting to experiment a little we ordered a new dish, Shrimp with Salted Duck Egg Yolk. I was initially very impressed by the size and calibre of the shrimps and enjoyed the aroma of the salty duck yolk and the fried basil underneath. Taking a bite into the dish also did not disappoint with springy shrimp flesh working cohesively with the crispy batter and salty yolk. Certainly a dish that does not promote heart health, but something to enjoy on special occasions.

For the first time in my many visits, Sun Fortune had some mis-steps, namely in the treatment of their duck dishes. And while it certainly is jarring departure from their usual high quality, the overall flavours in their dishes was still there. Sun Fortune remains as my go to spot in Winnipeg for Chinese, maybe just not for duck anymore.