Deseo Bistro is undoubtedly my favourite restaurant in Winnipeg. While my first post about them was biased (it was my birthday) my subsequent next and now this visit have all manifested as consistent gourmet nuanced fusion cuisine. And so when a fellow resident was hoping to try out Deseo for the first time, there was little chance I would say no.
I have blogged previously about Deseo. Needless to say, Deseo is a modern and sleek restaurant featuring beautiful interiors, a welcoming and incredibly attentive service staff which all combine to make a top dining experience. It is divided into two halves with a large dimly lit dining hall on the main level while natural lighting converges into the upstairs. Its staff are quirky but extremely attentive, easy to strike up conversation with and quick to offer their suggestions on the menu.
And oh the menu! My third visit to Deseo and I still rave about the menu. Chef Scott Bagshaw takes local ingredients and adds in Asian and Latin flavours and techniques to create a unique contemporary fusion cuisine. The menu is moderate in size but large in flavour with each item confidently named followed by a short listing of the unique combinations needed to create them. On top of the main menu (which does rotate semi regularly), there are daily specials which change routinely. These specials on first glance usually seem more adventurous combining rather unique and complex ingredients and flavour profiles.
One of the specials for the night, these Seared Ahi Tuna were marvelous. First off the tuna is perfectly cooked with a slight sear on the outside and wonderfully tender rare on the inside. It becomes a canvas onto which jalapeno, avocado, caramelized shallot and pomegranate play out. The creaminess of the avocado is interjected by the jalapeno while the shallot adds a baseline crunchiness. The tortilla beneath was a bit dense and felt too rich for the lighter ingredients on top, but it is a minor quibble for an otherwise delicious dish.
The humble beet is transformed into this tasty Beet Salad. Crispy crunchy sweet green apples play along with the soft and tender red beets and are welcomed by a sweet honey dressing. The group loved the chevre, a creamy goat cheese that paired well with the otherwise bland beets. Candied walnut gives a crunch while arugula on top adds a lighter touch.
The only disappointment of the meal were these Shishito Peppers. We were initially taken aback by the visual of the finger length peppers perfectly balanced on top of a romesco, but the flavours did not add up appropriately. The peppers were well cooked with a nice char and finished with a hint of sea salt, but the romesco sauce left something to be desired. Underseasoned overall, the dish came out bland and one dimensional.
One of my favourites at Deseo, Brussel Sprouts takes the controversial vegetable and whips it together with bacon, smoked chillies and a sharp cheese (Taleggio). But it is the melted onion soubise that finishes the dish in a flurry. Warm, creamy and aromatic, the sauce had a consistency of a bechamel and was a perfect compliment to the slightly bitter brussel sprouts. Delicious.
Black truffle on pasta is a combination that rarely fails and Deseo works it to great benefit in their Gnocchi. Each morsel of pasta is bursting with the aroma of truffle and the creaminess of ricotta and interplays with the fatty and saltiness of fried bacon and the bitterness of blackened garlic. The chefs are able to add even more layers of flavour by sauteeing the pasta, giving it time to infuse with all the ingredients while creating a nice delicate crust onto each bite.
Wanting to try something new the group decided on the Striploin Tataki. Perfectly cooked to rare, the steak is paired with a number of other strong flavours like that of bacon and plum. I loved the burst of sweet and tang from the plum contrasting the strong beefy flavour. A crunch is created by the togarashi dusted chips on top of the steak. A visual slight to behold and even better to eat.
I have always advocated for their Chorizo & Figs everytime I dine at Deseo and it consistently continues to deliver. Sweet figs, savoury chorizo and a great big piece of sourdough to slurp up the sauce is a recipe for success. And while the broad brushstrokes are excellent, it is the little things that complete the dish, like the tiny bits of fresh green onion or the slight sourness of the sauce to make this an outstanding and marvelous dish.
While my other dining companions went with traditional dessert, I had been eyeing their Duck Empanada for a long time. Unfortunately the presentation and flavours here leave something to be desired. A empanada filled with smoked duck and finished with a cilantro corn crema sounds delightful in origin but the ratio of empanada to filling was off, with most bites being of crispy dough with a hint of cilantro. The little duck meat there was delicious, to be fair, but was too meagre of a portion to save the dish.
Females love their desseerts and so the three of us shared a Chevre Cheese Cake. And though I usually shade away from the sweets at the end, this concoction caught my eye and taste buds. Chevre in the cheese cake makes it extremely moist and creamy while the blueberries on top give it a wonderful fruity sweet and bitter flavour. The addition of ginger is a nuanced one which adds aroma and a sharp textural contrast to the cheese cake. Delightful.
Deseo is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Winnipeg. Its combination of whimsical flavours with fresh and extremely high quality ingredients make it a premier dining experience in town. There should be no reason to skip Deseo, just make sure to bring a friend so you can try more!
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