Relaxing with vegan poutine in Winnipeg

The Provencher Bridge over the Red River in Winnipeg, taken from the French side.

I was happily surprised by Winnipeg: the landscape was prettier, the city more interesting, the vegetarian restaurants tastier than I had thought. If I have the chance, I would love to explore the city more: try out the bicycle trails through the university area, wander through the parks, see if I can go on a boat ride on the two rivers that converge in Winnipeg, near the Forks.

Boon Burger’s Buddha burger.

First on my list was Boon Burger, which has a big, delightful selection of handmade, all vegan veggie burgers (and gluten-free buns— yay!) I had a Buddha Burger, made with chickpeas and topped with a spicy curry mayo. Cukes and peach chutney balanced the spice out, and the chickpeas made for a rich tasting, very filling burger. My dining companion had a Baja burger, with cheddar cheeze, pineapple and tomatoes. Also, we shared a wonderful heap of vegan poutine (which is just as good as Brooklyn Street’s in Detroit.)

And poutine, with vegan cheeze and gravy.

Another great restaurant is Affinity Gardens, which has a large selection of all-vegetarian Chinese food (and all the gluten-free choices clearly marked.) My dining companion and I ordered way too much food: spicy Szechuan tofu, tofu sautéed with tomatoes and cilantro, vegetables and vermicelli noodles. The tofu and tomatoes was one of my favorites: the tofu was sliced thin and lightly fried, and with the sautéed tomatoes, almost melted in your mouth when you ate them. I really enjoyed being able to order tasty Chinese standards, and not have to worry which ones have meat.

Tofu and tomatoes, Affinity Gardens.

(And the leftovers made great breakfast— and lunch!— the next day.)

Spicy tofu and fried rice, Affinity Gardens.

I arrived in Winnipeg just in time to catch a few days of Indian summer— enough time to enjoy a warm day at Lake Manitoba (though the water was very cold!) As I’m leaving the country very soon, I’m trying to get in all the visiting that I can— hence the trip to the Canadian prairie to see a friend.

Sunset on Lake Manitoba.

And on my last day, I made a happy discovery at the Safeway grocery store: a great selection of gluten-free veggie burgers! Which I’ve taken as a sign that I have to return, likely next summer.

Bilingual veggie burgers, Safeway.