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Elements
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Sandwiches Canadian (New), Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches [Edit]
599 Portage AveWinnipeg, MB R3B 2G3
(204) 786-9237
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
2 reviews for Elements
2 reviews in English
-
Review from DineoutGal A.
Winnipeg, MB
11/6/2011 5 photos
I love this building - I call it the "period table of elements" building but it's' really the U of W's Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex. This is a beautiful building that is part of the U of W's renewal in this not so great area. A new restaurant called "Elements" (how fitting), opened at the end of Oct '11 on the main level which serves up fairly priced and ethnically diverse meals with a focus on locally sourced products, organic ingredients and fair-trade practices. Also this project is a joint venture between the U of W's Community Renewal Corporation and SEED Winnipeg - trains and employs people from the surrounding community who may face barriers to meaningful work. What's not to love about a concept like this?
This place serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a very eclectic and diverse menu. There's things like spicy bacon caramel popcorn, pan fried dumplings, baked mac and cheese, pork ribs, 3 step ramen, sablefish, smoked tofu, grilled chicken sandwich.
For lunch I had the tacos ($9), you get two tacos and there is a choice of shrimp, chicken and pinto beans. I asked for one pinto bean and one chicken. It's a little pricey for tacos but I got a lot of chicken. Both had good flavours but could use more spices. Salsa was made in house and the tortilla didn't collapse despite all the ingredients.
I went back for dinner and tried their small cheese plate ($9), you get 3 - 1 ounce portions of blue cheese, goat cheese and brie with pickled vegetables and grilled bread. It was a beautiful plate with such vibrant colour and I love pickled veggies! The cheeses were good though I would prefer a hard cheese as opposed to the goat cheese in that selection.
I had the beef entree ($19) - striploin with a housemade sauce, wilted greens, baby potatoes and a warm carrot salad. The steak was quite tough for a striploin and even though I ordered a medium rare steak it came quite rare. I didn't ask them to cook it further because the meat would only get more tough if it cooked more. A mediocre meal but at $19, I am not going to complain. The sides were okay and cooked properly but lacked in flavour. The best part of the dish was the housemade steak sauce - tasted like a mixture of harissa and horseradish. Very tastey sauce!
It's a licensed eatery with a bar on the other side as well as coffee options.
The decor is airy with lots of light and serves to be a good casual eatery at breakfast and lunch. For a dinner atmosphere, it didn't feel very cozy or inviting. I know, this is a university place that is trying to cater to a diverse group so it can't be too formal. Service was good though the actually food delivery time was a tad slow considering how few diners there were. It's a new eatery so there are things to work on but overall it's a great contribution to the area. I like their concept and the fair prices. I hope they do well attracting patrons other than students and staff. I think some better signage would help bring non U of W patrons.
Open:
Mon-Thurs: 7am - 9 pm
Fri: 7am - 11pm
Sat: 9am - 11pm
Sun 9am - 4pm -
Review from Carson M.
Winnipeg, MB
11/9/2011
Went today for the first time and was not impressed.
Service was indifferent from the get-go. I had to wait with my lunch partner for several minutes before any of the wait staff even acknowledged our presence. Even a bit of eye contact can go a long way; I understand you may be busy but let me know you know I'm standing there. Service after that was friendly but inattentive.
I order the ramen--a beef, rice noodle, and "hot and sour" dish that featured tough, over-cooked beef and a broth that lacked both of its namesake flavours. I appreciate that they were trying--the kale in particular was a nice touch--but the dish lacked flavour overall and was served lukewarm.
My friend ordered the tomato soup, which I believe was the daily--it was also cold. The coffee was excellent.
At these prices the service should be better and the food simply must be. Cannot recommend until they make some changes.
