Clementine - Incredible Brunch Tapas

Over the last few months there have been many new restaurant openings, but none have I anticipated for as eagerly as that of Clementine. As far back as late fall, I recall hearing that the owners of Segovia were planning on opening a second restaurant, this time a breakfast/brunch spot. Each of my previous visits to Segovia have always been excellent, and so I was excited to give Clementine a try. Just in time for the start of Winnipeg's beautiful spring weather, Clementine opened its doors to welcome brunchers.

Located in the heart of the Exchange District, the exterior of Clementine Cafe retains the old bricks of decades gone by. Not much to look at on the outside, but a beautiful surprise lies behind the door. The restaurant is on the lower level of the building, so the entrance actually leads to a staircase. As you enter, you are greeted by an eclectic mural, shown below. Downstairs, the restaurant is a beautiful large open area. On one side is the bar area where drinks are made should you fancy something like a mimosa with your brunch. On the other side is the coffee bar, for those who require a cup or two of caffeine to start the day. And at the very back of the restaurant is an open kitchen which is easily visible to diners with its glass panes. The walls are beautifully adorned with a reddish wallpaper and a variety of wooden tables and benches fills the dining area.

Clementine's menu offers many of the familiar brunch options seen at other brunch places, but upon reading the list of ingredients, you realize that these are not your ordinary brunch dishes. The menu is split into mains and sides. Having a difficult time selecting a single item, we decided to sample a variety of their mains.

To start things off, a bowl of Yogurt and Granola. Using plain yogurt as the base, the strawberry and elderflower compote added a delicious sweetness to the otherwise tart yogurt. A smooth silky mixture topped with the crunchiness of different seeds, nuts and granola. This was the perfectly balanced blend of smooth and crunchy. Clementine's has brought the enjoyment of yogurt to a whole new level. Delicious!

This is not your ordinary bowl of Porridge. A hearty mixture of oats and other grains is accompanied by barberries, slices of kiwi and almonds. Instead of just brown sugar, which you might have at home with your porridge, Clementine's variation comes with coconut dulce de leech.  Slices of kiwi and barberries add in a much needed fruity element to the otherwise grainy oatmeal. My only complaint is that I found the porridge to be quite dense and difficult to get through in one sitting.

Braised Bacon Benedict was the favourite dish that we tried on this occasion. At the base is their homemade cheddar biscuit: crunchy and light, it serves as the perfect vehicle for the bacon benedict. The biscuit is topped with a generously thick cut of bacon and a perfectly poached egg. The hollandaise sauce is paired with some fresh dill and small pieces of a pickled pepper bringing the tastes of savoury, tang and spice to each bite.

Eager to try more, Turkish Eggs were next. Crispy sourdough toast accompanied two excellently poached eggs on a bed of hummus. The hummus was smooth and full of flavour and a scrumptious spread for the sourdough toast. A hint of heat is provided by the accompanying chili butter while a dollop of zhoug (a Middle Eastern hot and spicy herb and chili pepper relish) gives a nice earthiness to the dish. Although this might sound like a spicy dish, compared to the other dishes, the flavours are more subtle and I did not notice much spiciness.

Not only does Clementine do poached eggs well, their boiled eggs are equally as wonderful, as exemplified by the Tuna Tostada. This was a mountain of flavour toppled onto a large, thin and crispy tortilla chip. Soft, melt in your mouth pieces of tuna were paired with black beans a pickled and lightly spiced medley of salsa roja, pineapple, and cortido (a fermented cabbage from Latin American cuisine). The pineapple here works extremely well to add a tart sweetness to supplement the meaty tuna and the salty cabbage. Finally a hard boiled egg, finished with a dash of cayenne pepper, acts as a final flavour topper.

To round the meal off was the Brussels Style Waffle. This homemade waffle has the right amount of crispiness, eventhough we had left this dish to the end, and a hint of sweetness that sets it apart from the usual waffle. The rhubarb and maple cream toppings provided nice contrasting flavours and worked to augment the sweetness of the huge blueberries and the waffle. Finally a hint of crunch is provided by the addition of pecans. Marvelous!

The long wait is over and Clementine is definitely a delicious addition to the Winnipeg food scene. Clementine takes familiar brunch food and elevates the level of taste without making it too foreign and retaining the elements that makes these comfort foods. An instant recommendation for anyone looking for brunch.