Elements is one of several new restaurants populating downtown Winnipeg. The eatery, with its strong focus on local ingredients and from-scratch cooking, is located inside the new Richardson College for the Environment and Science at the University of Winnipeg.
Elements Address: 599 Portage Avenue Phone: 204-786-9237 Website: www.facebook.com/Elementstherestaurant Neighbourhood: Downtown
Eating at Elements makes you feel smarter.
And that’s not just because it’s located inside the University of Winnipeg’s new Richardson College for the Environment and Science building.
At this relaxed, yet polished eatery, fresh, locally sourced and often organic ingredients are transformed into from-scratch, globally influenced dishes that don't drag you down.
The menu inside the West End breakfast, lunch and dinner spot is a healthy hodge podge of breakfast favourites and some new twists—salads, ramen noodle bowls, burgers, sandwiches, soups, steak and local fish.
Everything, except ketchup, mayonnaise and some mustard, is made in house.
"It's all about clean flavours and quality ingredients," says executive chef Ben Kramer, who helms the 83-seat eatery which opened in fall 2011.
Those quality ingredients are front and centre in the vegetarian ramen - a noodle bowl stocked to the brim with julienne carrots, choy, and strips of crisp seaweed paper in a light, sesame-infused broth. (The ramen is available at breakfast, topped with a slow-cooked egg and house-made back bacon, or with pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu.)
Meanwhile, the lunch taco plate is a sloppy, hand-held feast with grilled chicken, bright and bold pickled slaw and a splash of vibrant cilantro lime cream sandwiched in authentic corn tortillas.
"We let the ingredients speak for themselves. We don't want to overcomplicate the food with too many ingredients," says Kramer, who is committed to knowing his food suppliers, local producers and farmers personally.
Located on the main floor, Elements is owned and operated by Diversity Foods, the food services arm of the University of Winnipeg.
