Winnipeg soup guide

By: Alyssa Tomchak

Soup season is here and on a cold day, sometimes all you need is a dish that feels like a warm hug. Here’s some of the best local spots to grab a warm bowl of homemade soup.

Aroma Bistro (opens in new window) | 1 Forks Market Rd. & 741 St Mary’s Rd.

Aroma Bistro is locally famous for their homemade wontons and red chili oil, which combine the flavours of owner chef Louie’s Hong Kong upbringing with just a hint of the mouth-numbing tingle you get from Sichuan cooking. You also won’t want to miss their spicy snow beef udon soup or their chicken udon soup. Check out their original location at 741 St. Mary’s Rd.

Buffalo Stone Café (opens in new window) | 1961 McCreary Rd.

Buffalo Stone Cafe at FortWhyte Alive specializes in comfort food using tons of local ingredients. They have a seasonal menu, so if you see mushroom soup with whipped butter or silky butternut squash soup, order it –– it’ll be delicious!

Double Greeting Chinese Snack House (opens in new window) | 355 McDermot Ave.

Hot soupy dishes are the staple of cozy comfort food, and one of our favourite hidden gems is Double Greeting. It has a whole menu page dedicated to noodle soups that won’t break your wallet, and you can’t beat the brisket with its slightly anise broth, along with the shrimp dumpling in a soup with a buttery quality.

Feast Café Bistro (opens in new window) | 587 Ellice Ave.

When Christa Guenther first opened Feast Café Bistro, it was one of the country’s original restaurants rooted in celebrating First Nations cuisine. You must taste their bison ramen noodle bowl, made with wild rice noodles, ramen noodles, sweetgrass, ginger miso broth, bison sirloin and more delicious ingredients.

Kimbaek Restaurant (opens in new window) | 193 Isabel St.

Given Kimbaek is currently for sale as a turnkey operation, now is the time to dive into its spicy bowls and savour its banchan. For soups, the gamjatang –– a bubbling cauldron of pork necks and potatoes fired up with plenty of gochugaru –– always hits the spot, noting it’s not the sort of dish you could eat in front royalty while wearing a white shirt. That said, taking out those neck bones to remove the meat with your chopsticks is always rewarding, just watch that you don’t make a literal splash.

K&S Island Grill (opens in new window) | 2069 Portage Ave.

K&S Island Grill focuses on authentic Jamaican cuisine. They make different soup flavours daily, so ask their server what’s on the menu for the day. If the opportunity is there, you must have their delicious and comforting chicken soup.

Le Colonial (opens in new window) | 208 Marion St. #4

Le Colonial Restaurant blends Vietnamese cuisine with French influence on the dishes. On top of their pho, a must is the spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup which is the perfect balance of bold and spicy.

Prairie Ink Restaurant & Bakery (opens in new window) | 1120 Grant Ave. (inside McNally Robinson Booksellers)

Prairie Ink is located inside McNally Robinson Books and is the perfect spot to catch up with friends and family. Taste their signature West African peanut soup, which is a fan favourite; their classic French onion soup, broiled to perfection with stringy mozzarella; or their house made seasonal soup made with local ingredients.

Resto Gare and Train Bar Bistro (opens in new window) | 630 Des Meurons St.

Resto Gare is a former circa-1913 train station repurposed into a French restaurant. Its main dining room has exposed wood beams and upholstered antique chairs, but we’d like to direct you to the red train cart dining room for a first-class retro setting where you can try their iconic classic French onion soup or their seasonal house made soup.

Saburo Kitchen (opens in new window) | Hargrave St. Market

Chef Ed Lam’s legendary ramen –– which helped propel his former restaurant Yujiro (which he recently reopened as Peacock (opens in new window), which considering this is a soup guide, must be cited as having an incredible crab bisque) to consecutive spots on the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list –– is still available at Saburo in Hargrave Street Market. Join the lunch or pre-concert/pre-game crowd in slurping up rich bowls like hakata, spicy miso chicken karaage, vegetarian and dan dan ramen. Be sure to get a bao or two, too.

Sassy Thai Restaurant (opens in new window) | 3311 Roblin Blvd.

Sassy Thai is a cozy restaurant in Charleswood. The chefs create delicious dishes based on their hometowns, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Order their signature dish khao soi which is a Northern Thai coconut curry soup with egg noodles, a crispy egg noodle nest and garnishes on top. You won’t regret it!

Soups, Sandwiches and More (opens in new window) | 428 Graham Ave.

This downtown location has a wide variety of homemade fresh daily soups inspired from around the world including cream soups, healthy choices, vegetarian options and traditional favourites. Order just the soup or make it a combo and pair it with a delicious sandwich.

Stoneworks Bistro (opens in new window) | 360 Main St.

Stoneworks Bistro offers three flavours of soup daily including flavours like Ham Carbonara, Chicken Noodle, Tikka Masala Chicken and more. Their signature Zuppa Toscana soup is the ultimate comfort food often served on Thursdays. They also offer takeaway containers of soup, so you can reheat it for a nice quick and easy dinner at home for the days when you don’t want to cook.

Thanh Huong Restaurant (opens in new window) | 534 Sargent Ave.

Located in the West End, Thanh Huong has been serving classic Vietnamese & Chinese cuisine since 1987. Order the satay beef soup which is full of flavour or get one off their extensive menu of noodle soups.