Review: Dessert Sinsations

505 St. Mary Avenue
(204) 284-4661

I have found Winnipeg’s best burger.

You can eat it, too, at Dessert Sinsations. It’s their portabella mushroom white cheddar beef burger, as pictured above. Sure, I’ve liked other burgers in the past - any version of the burgers at Johnny G’s in the Exchange, my mom’s own homemade patty, fatboys at George’s and Mrs. Mike’s and VJ’s, the vegan incarnations at Boon - but nothing - nothing - compared once I bit into this baby.

It’s not your average greasy burger off the grill. There’s been no unnecessary pressing of the patty, no pool of grease dripping off the side. The burger is pure, thick, juicy perfection, smothered with sharp, aged white cheddar, and topped with earthy strips of grilled portabella. Bouncy lettuce and thick slices of onion and tomato add a touch of freshness. A fluffy onion kaiser is just the finishing touch. Add a side of sweet potato fries (a mix, really) and call it a day.

Oh, there are desserts, too. Good, large portions that make the prices seem more reasonable than Baked Expectations.

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April 16, 2007

After our lovely supper at Asahi, we headed over to Dessert Sinsations to satisfy our sweet tooth(s). Luckily, it also happens to be CiaoWinnipeg’s ChocolateFest, and so, we chose two of their chocolate specials to share: the Rolo torte and the Chocolate Amaretto cheesecake. Both were exceedingly decadent, and I am happy that Colleen and I decided to share the slice of torte.

The slice of torte was more generous than that of the cheesecake and the multiple layers of chocolate goodness presented a challenge. The layers of chocolate cake nearest to the cream were moist and tasty, but the outer layers were just a tad dry. The layer of chocolate ganache was heavenly but quickly became too much for our tastebuds, especially in combination with the equally rich icing. The Rolo bits were lovely to come across and the drizzle of caramel over the plate provided a nice dipping sauce for the drier pieces of cake.

Colleen indulged in a Long Island Iced Tea for $3.95 (the day’s special), while our ChocolateFest specials were $5 a slice. We enjoyed ourselves and the lovely service (she didn’t charge us the minimum $5/person since it was fairly slow) and vowed to return to have a meal. The table next to us had a mound of French fries that smelled heavenly.

Reader Review submitted by Eve Dutton:

I had appetizers at Dessert Sinsations on Saturday night and it was amazing. I had the sunflower hummus and artichoke dips with grilled flatbreads, and my companion enjoyed the French onion soup. The hummus was amazing—nutty, smooth, flavourful, and rich. The artichoke dip was lovely, very creamy, and avoided the all-too-common trap of being either overcooked (too dry) or underdone (too watery).

For dessert I indulged in the mandarin cheesecake, which was deliciously fragrant and studded with juicy mandarin segments, while my dinner partner relished the Crispy Crunch cheesecake. We both found it impossible to finish our desserts—I would definitely recommend sharing if you are planning to have dinner first.