The current Manitoba wildfire situation could affect your travel plans. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Peg City Grub | Tourism Winnipeg

  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Summer Top 50
    • Winnipeg Guides
    • Top 10s
    • Only in the Peg
    • Family Fun
    • Free Activities
    • Attractions
    • Performing Arts
    • Shopping
    • Nightlife
    • Tours
    • Recreation
    • Spectator Sports
    • Spas
    • Architecture & Design
    • 2SLGBTQ+
  • Places to Stay
    • Hotels
    • Campgrounds
    • Hostels
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • Best Eats
    • Peg City Grub
    • Breweries / Distilleries
    • Food Trucks
    • Patios
  • Festivals & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Live Music
    • Annual Festivals & Events
    • Submit an Event
  • Plan Your Trip
    • Welcome to Winnipeg
    • Neighbourhoods
    • About Winnipeg
    • Getting Around
    • Travel Information
    • Publications & Maps
    • Moving Here
    • Manitoba Day Trips
    • Summer
  • Deals & Passes
    • Winnipeg Attractions Pass
  • Contact Us
Build an Itinerary
  • Home
  • Eat & Drink
  • Peg City Grub
New & Notable: The Merchant Kitchen - Powerful Korean fried chicken with succulent Garlic & Soy sauce

Powerful Korean fried chicken with succulent Garlic & Soy sauce

New & Notable: The Merchant Kitchen

By: Mike Green // May 11, 2015 // Diner, Food Tours

There are many things that make The Merchant Kitchen cool.

For starters, it features a massive rooster mural (by local artist Pat Lazo) which overlooks a stately open kitchen, the dining room is filled with purposely worn wooden tables featuring red accents in glassware and chairs, while the crisp white bar beckons you to come enjoy some handmade cocktails.

It also features an airy, unisex bathroom where you could find yourself washing hands in the city's slickest bathtub-style sink beside a member of the opposite sex (ooh la la).

And if that isn't enough, The Merchant shares a door with downtown's hippest new hotel, the Alt, and is mere steps from the MTS Centre, pretty much guaranteeing it to become the hottest new dining and drinking spot downtown.

Every detail in The Merchant Kitchen screams cool (PCG)
Every detail in The Merchant Kitchen screams cool (PCG)

With all that being said, it should also thrive because the menu is lively and eclectic, celebrating the sweet, sour and spicy flavours of the hawker carts and street foods of Asia and Latin America.

The restaurant is by the same folks behind the popular, always consistent Pizzeria Gusto in River Heights -- including owner Bobby Mottallo and a group of investors who have been in the works on the space for a number of years -- and executive chef Eric Lee.

Head chef Eric Lee and sous chef Sam Broesky (PCG)
Executive chef Eric Lee and sous chef Sam Broesky share a laugh in the open kitchen (PCG)

It just officially opened on Friday (May 8), although a couple hundred people did get a preview of their food at the grand opening party for the Alt two weeks ago, where the canapés received enthusiastic thumbs ups -- especially the kimchi lettuce wraps which happily feature on the menu (more on that to come).

The drinks list, crafted by Toronto-based Robin Kaufman -- one of Canada's top bartenders -- features jaunty takes on standards which you would normally sip when you are on vacation in hot climates.

Tuna tacos (PCG)
Tuna tacos with charred jalapeño salsa and asian coleslaw (PCG)

The Tokyo Drift ($9), which features watermelon, sake, gin and star anise syrup served in a slender highball glass, is accurately described on the menu as "refreshing and complex, but very crushable," while their dark and stormy ($10) mixes Chinese five-spice with dark rum, ginger beer and lime. Our favourite was the Margarita Picante ($12), which is sweet, spicy and smoky via some jalapeño-infused agave and a touch of Laphroaig scotch.

For food, we had to start with the Kimchi Lettuce Wraps ($16), which my friend and food writer from Calgary Dan Clapson had aptly described as such at the Alt party:

"It's sort of hard to describe how good this kimchi and prawn salad wrap was tonight so just picture when Rachael Leigh Cook took off her glasses and let her hair down in She's All That and we all realized she was actually a beautiful young lady! That moment is this salad wrap."

Shrimp and kimchi lettuce wraps (PCG)
Shrimp and kimchi lettuce wraps (PCG)

While I can't really beat that description (elevated lettuce wraps will now always make me think of Freddie Prinze, Jr. films), I should elaborate that the kimchi is pungent and just spicy enough as to not overpower the crispy prawns, while altogether one bite brings big flavours while providing multiple textures. And, unlike Rachael Leigh Cook's career, these wraps will surely have more staying power (sorry, I had to).

The menu is actually quite large and lends itself to sharing, although you could be selfish (or simply be having lunch by yourself at the bar) and enjoy one of several sandwiches, including the king of all sandwiches, that of course being a Bahn Mi ($15), or a Tokyo Dog ($12) whose ingredients, including kewpie mayo and toasted nori is a sure tip of the hat to Vancouver's Japadog franchise. They also have soupy bowls like ramen ($14) and tortilla soup ($15) and a selection of sexy sounding salads.

Fried green beans with arbol chiles, preserved mustard stems, and ginger along with a gochugaru-spiced popcorn (PCG)
Fried green beans with arbol chiles, preserved mustard stems, and ginger along with a gochugaru-spiced popcorn (PCG)

We were in a sharing mood so we went with the Dry Fried Green Beans ($12) -- which were spicy and crunchy and are just begging to be washed down with a cold beer, and the Thai Style Wings ($14) -- which came with a tangy salted mango and mint sauce.

We also ate our way through two of the tacos, with the Carnitas ($10 for 3, featuring queso fresco and pickled red onion) being a real standout, while the Tuna ($15 for 3) also gets points for freshness and vibrancy.

The braised pork shoulder in the carnitas tacos is so juicy and flavourful that I was willing to keep my elbows up, like Charles Barkley pulling down a rebound, to guard my wife from getting to the final taco after we each had one. (We were then informed that you can always add an additional taco to the platter so you both get two, which will come in handy next time around).

Carnitas tacos (PCG)
Carnitas tacos (PCG)

There are also share plates for groups like the Korean Fried Chicken (10 pieces, brined and served with garlic chili sauce and soy syrup for $44) which I will surely be back for soon -- perhaps even this week for lunch if some people want to join me.

The Merchant Kitchen is located at 311 Portage Ave (although the door is technically on Donald St., right beside the entrance to the Alt Hotel).

It is open from lunch to late night.

Back

Become a
Winnipeg Insider

Subscribe to our blog
for more great content

+No Thanks

More Inspiration

 
Raw Bar Oyster Co makes sustainable shellfish the centre of your event

May 22

 
Three Winnipeg restaurants make Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2025

May 6

 
Winnipeg's top authentic tacos for 2025

May 1

Visitor Information

21 Forks Market Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R3C 4T7
1 855 PEG CITY (734-2489)

Newsletter Sign-up
  • Leisure
  • Meetings & Conventions
  • Travel Trade
  • Sport Tourism
  • Media
  • Site Map
  • Industry
  • About Us
  • Français
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Visitor's Guide

Visitor's Guide

Discover the best of Winnipeg.

Download Now

Economic Development Winnipeg acknowledges that we are located in Treaty One Territory, the home and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), and Dakota peoples, and in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Our drinking water comes from Shoal Lake, in Treaty Three Territory.

© 2025 Tourism Winnipeg

logo - Economic Development Winnipeg
logo - Tourism Winnipeg