Hello Winnipeg, we are Mr. and Mrs. Restaurant. We’re passionate about food, but not about cooking. After growing tired of everyday chain restaurants, we began our search for the best hidden eateries the city has to offer. Ever wonder if that trendy new place is worth the money; or if that greasy burger joint lives up to all the hype? Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Restaurant!
Rice Bowl Restaurant
[flickr style=”border:none; padding:4px; border:1px solid #BDBDBD; float:right; margin-left:5px;”]photo:8156656788[/flickr]Rice Bowl Restaurant is one of those places we have always heard about, but never actually tried for ourselves. This restaurant is located on Sargent Avenue and we went late enough at night to get a good parking spot, but we could definitely see parking being an issue here!
Upon entering Rice Bowl, nothing immediately wows on the décor front, but that lends towards the casual atmosphere this place gives off and we didn’t mind at all. The music however, is pretty loud; Rihanna and Justin Bieber hits drowned our conversations at first but it wasn’t long before we were used to it!
The menu at Rice Bowl is an eclectic mix of Vietnamese, Thai and Filipino dishes. Appetizers include Lumpia (spring rolls), Calamari, traditional Pho, Won Ton soup, Shrimp Sinigang and more. Pad Thai, Pork Chops, Spare Ribs, Pancit, Curry Chicken, Kare Kare (beef & oxtail dish) and Caldereta (beef stew) are a few of the main dish choices available. Rice Bowl also offers items like Chow Mein and Fried Rice but we were excited to try things that aren’t as easy to find at other restaurants!
[flickr style=”border:none; padding:4px; border:1px solid #BDBDBD; float:right; margin-left:5px;”]photo:8156657792[/flickr]We ordered a Won Ton Soup to share, the Bisteak (Filipino peppered steak dish) and the Grilled Pork Chop, along with a bowl of steamed rice. The Bisteak was amazing on top of the white rice; this saucy dish has intense flavors with loads of black pepper and onions mixed in. If you aren’t a fan of pepper, perhaps this is not the dish for you, but we loved it. The Grilled Pork Chop’s flavours are equally as intense but very different in taste. These pork chops are topped with diced tomatoes and onions; the meat is not at all saucy but maintains a flavor that we’re already craving to go back for. The Won Ton soup unfortunately, didn’t excite. The broth was so-so, and the won tons just fell flat in terms of taste.
The service at Rice Bowl Restaurant was not the greatest. Our waitress often seemed to forget about our table, but when she did come around, she was friendly and helpful. As mentioned earlier, this place is very laid-back and we weren’t expecting 5-star service anyway, so this didn’t ruin our experience.
[flickr style=”border:none; padding:4px; border:1px solid #BDBDBD; float:right; margin-left:5px;”]photo:8156657278[/flickr]We will definitely be going back to Rice Bowl Restaurant, but if we can conclude one thing from this visit, it would be that the Filipino dishes are the must-try. We all have our favorite places in the city for Pho, Pad Thai or Chow Mein and Rice Bowl’s take on these menu items probably won’t make you ditch your usual spot. Their Filipino dishes however, aren’t as easily found, and that helps to distinguish Rice Bowl Restaurant from their many competitors.
Rice Bowl Restaurant
(204) 779-2777
