Maque - Incredible Asian Fusion

If you were to ask me what my favourite restaurant is in Winnipeg, my answer would consistently be Deseo. The combination of local ingredients, contemporary and unique flavours, and tapa style dining make it an easy recommendation for a great night out. So, when chef and owner Chef Scott Bagshaw announced his latest new venture, I couldn't help but try his take on Asian fusion cuisine, Maque.

Located on a quiet side street, on the corner of Stafford and Dorchester, Maque's unassuming exteriors might not suggest the location of a fine-dining experience. Rather, the glow of candle-lit tables, and walls adorned with photos of the restaurant's namesake, the sparrow, create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere within the small space. In addition, the attentive and knowledgeable service staff help to round out a pleasant dining experience.

The menu is a showcase of Chef Scott's expertise and experience in a wide variety of Asian flavours. It can be best described as Asian fusion, served tapa style, and meant for sharing. The plates all combine traditional Asian ingredients mixed with contemporary Western techniques and nicely wrapped up in an unique twist.

The Steamed Bun is reminiscent of the popular Chinese street food "meat burger". The soft and velvety bun encases slices of tender pork belly and pickle. The pork belly is expertly cooked and has a rich, fatty and gelatinous quality which works harmoniously with the spicy and tangy ssam sauce. Ultimately, the sauce is what elevates this dish above expectation. A sweet, salty, spicy and tangy concoction that gives an overall sense of umami.

Next up is the Cucumber Salad, recommended as one of the restaurant's signature dishes. An intriguing ensemble of diced cucumber and jicama, mixed with fresh mint, kale and water cress. These are brought together by the flavourful Thai dressing, that can only be described as an every changing quality of sweet, spicy and tangy. The hazelnuts add a much needed crunch.

Blue Swimmer Crab resembles more of a bisque than a plated dish. Beautifully presented, one half of the dish was a tasty mixture of lumped crab meat, chopped fingerling potatoes, and radish topped with caviar. While the other half is a a smoky, bacon dashi broth that tasted of the sea and helped bring out the flavour of the crab meat. Unfortunately, the bacon flavour overpowered the crab and made the dish a bit confusing in flavour.

XO Sauce is my favourite and so when a dish incorporates Pan Fried Greens with the aforementioned sauce, I could not help but order it. Young asparagus, broccolini and green onions are flash fried in the XO sauce and topped with almonds in this delightful dish. The XO sauce is the star of the dish giving a spicy, salty and oily accompaniment that highlighted and complimented the inherent flavours of the vegetables. A textural crunch is given via the addition of almonds.

Another signature dish recommended by the service staff was the Fried Rice. Thankfully we listened to the recommendation because this is not a dish you want to miss! Definitely one of the best fried rice that I've ever had. The rice had the perfect moisture level, not too wet and not too dry, and there were even fried crunches of rice, which is the best part of any good fried rice. Both the shiitake and oyster mushrooms added a soft textural contrast to the crunchy rice. The mushrooms soaked up the Shaoxing dressing so that each bite was bursting with flavour. Finally, the soft egg added a wonderful creaminess to round out the dish.

Mongolian Lamb Egg Noodles is reminiscent of the Northern Chinese egg noodles that I grew up eating (albeit, maybe even better). The morsels of lamb were incredibly tender and had the distinct taste that you expect in authentic Asian-style cooking of lamb. Fried shallots provided a nice a crunch. The broad egg noodles were ultimately well-cooked, but a bit too al dente for my taste, but nevertheless mixed well with the tomato based sauce. Delightful!

I just could not get enough of this generous portion of Braised Beef Brisket. There are no better words to describe the experience than melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. The brisket sits in a sea of oyster sauce and is topped with tender broccolini and fried shallots. The beefiness of the brisket was well paired with the rich and salty oyster sauce, resembling the classic beef and gravy pairing.

Maque is, without question, my new favourite restaurant in Winnipeg. Chef Bagshaw does an incredible job by combining Asian flavours with unique Western twists, while still maintaining authenticity. He even had my Chinese dining companion, usually quite skeptical of fusion cuisine, raving and ranting about how good the food is. A must try for everyone, just make sure to bring a friend to indulge in the shareables!