Winnipeg Flying Noodle House - Delightful Homemade Noodles

Watching a new YouTube blogger travel across New York City eating homemade noodles certainly built up my own appetite for some and my first immediate response was to the Winnipeg Flying Noodle House, a restaurant promising homemade noodles and other Northeastern Chinese delights. Northeastern Chinese cuisine is vastly different than that of the south and relies on pickling and preserving fresh vegetables and meats to last through its long and Winnipeg-esque winters. The focus is on creating warm bowls of soup filled with hearty ingredients and lots of braises and stews in heavy sauces to fill up the belly during a cold winter day. A perfect sounding combination for the now bitter cold entombing us in here in Manitoba.

Winnipeg Flying Noodle House is a minimalistic restaurant just minutes from the hospital on Isabel Street. The signage is simple and easy to miss, especially with half its lighting not working. Nevertheless the restaurant itself is warm and comfortable to dine in. Its menu is incredibly varied and houses a bevy of stews, stir fries and noodle soups. The influence is from Northeastern Chinese cuisine with a focus on its noodle soups and hearty stews.

One of my favourite vegetables are eggplant and I could not miss an opportunity to try their Stir-fry Eggplant with Homemade Garlic Chili Sauce. The dish has resemblances to the eggplant casseroles or hot pots where pieces of the vegetable are braised and topped with meats and sauces. Here the eggplant is stir fried tender and topped with a homemade garlic chili sauce. I loved the treatment of the eggplant here with it being perfectly tender but still retaining its shape and not becoming too mushy or soft. The chili sauce gives a nice sweet and spicy flavour that has soaked into each bite of the vegetable. Finally little bits of ground pork give a meaty contrast to the dish. Delicious.

Wonton Soup with Homemade Chili Sauce is a take on a traditional Chinese dish. Classically it takes wonton noodles and is served in a tasty chili broth. What makes it unique is the addition of Chinese peppercorns which add a "numbing" sensation on top of its chili flavour. This version was on par with a sensational chicken broth mixed in with peppercorns and sesame oil. Within the soup are twenty large and meaty wontons, perfectly cooked and filled with pork and vegetable. I found the flavour of the soup complimented the otherwise bland wontons nicely and loved the mouth numbing sensation with every bite. Only complaint is the excessive greasiness from the oils in the soup.

I had ordered this item the last time and loved it. Thankfully the Homemade Noodles (Shaved) with Slow Cooked Spicy Beef Served in Broth were still as delightful. The noodles are called "shaved" because in traditional Chinese culture, these handmade noodles would be carried on the chefs foreheads and shaved off whenever someone ordered, hence the "shaved" noodles. I must admit I did not see any hand shaving of these noodles, but nevertheless this bowl of luxurious beef broth was perfect for the cold winter day. The thick noodles themselves are the star here, retaining a chewiness and tenderness despite being in the hot soup. The soup was a close second star with a deep and rich beef flavour and a hint of star anise. The only disappointment was the small and pitiful beef, too small and surprisingly tough, which ultimately did not impart any additional flavour or texture to the dish.

Feeling extremely gluttonous we ordered an Egg Tofu with Homemade Sauce to round out the meal. Egg Tofu is not truly a tofu but rather steamed egg and soy milk that condenses into a soft tofu-like consistency, it has a gelatinous flavour with a soft egg-y flavour. Here the egg tofu is pan fried until golden brown and topped with a special homemade sauce. The sauce is definitely a soy based broth but was thick and had a hint of oyster and Hoison inside. Nevertheless the sauce was an excellent addition to the soft and intentionally bland egg tofu. I loved the interplay of the crisp outside while preserving the soft interiors to give a nice dichotomous texture to each bite. Tasty.

Winnipeg Flying Noodle House serves tasty Northeastern Chinese cuisine in the heart of Winnipeg. From its shaved noodles to its spicy noodle and wonderful braised eggplant, the food is tasty, authentic and does the cuisine justice. And while the decor is dated and uninspiring, the food is great enough to warrant a visit for those in the area.