Kum Koon Garden
257 King St.

Kum Koon Garden, located on King Street in Winnipeg’s Chinatown, is a great place to try some adventurous food.

The décor leaves a lot to be desired - the simple table settings and florescent lighting give it that “social hall” feel.

I sat at a table between a family whose children ran freely through the restaurant, and a group who played loud music for each other on their smart phones.

The vibe is casual and family friendly, maybe not the best choice for date night.

The restaurant is well known for its dim sum and already has many positive customer reviews online, so I decided to sample their lesser known dinner menu.

My friend and I decided to order a couple of “safe favourites,” something “noodle-y” and then something that sounded unusual to us.

We ended up with deep fried wontons, lotus leaf wraps, seafood chow mein with crunchy noodles and winter melon soup with mixed meats.

“ I ordered the medium soup and would recommend you do the same, unless you are planning to feed a small village.

Each item was around $15 and the portions were beyond generous.

I ordered the medium soup and would recommend you do the same, unless you are planning to feed a small village.

The lotus leaf wraps were the best I’ve ever tasted, the deep fried wontons were nicely done and the soup wasn’t nearly as odd as it sounded.

Thanks to Google, I now know that a winter melon is in fact a kind of squash.

Thanks to Kum Koon Garden, I know that it tastes pretty great in a soup.

The chow mein wasn’t anything to write home about, but overall I was happy with everything I ordered and equally happy to enjoy substantial leftovers the next day.

The service was a bit slow and not necessarily friendly, but not rude either.

The relaxed atmosphere made it a good place to unwind with a friend after work.

The large portions and fair prices make it a great way to have an exotic dining experience on a budget.

However, a warning to those who go for dim sum: the prices aren’t always well advertised, so it’s best to bring an experienced dim sum buddy with you.

It can be easy to get seduced by all the nice looking dishes on shiny carts, but you might end up with an equally big shiny lunch bill.

Published in Volume 67, Number 22 of The Uniter (March 6, 2013)