Beyond Fusion
by Christine Hanlon
Just like the feathers of the bird for which his restaurant is named, Chef Ed Lam’s culinary talents are on full display at Peacock Kitchen & Drinks. Take this dish as one example: panko-crusted soft-shell crab, emerging from a crab bisque on which floats a scallop cloud, expertly foamed and set. This main was preceded by a starter beyond compare: a delicate disk of mochi flatbread, deep fried to create a crisp exterior, topped with toro blue fin tartare, ponzu and little stars of pickled daikon. That taste you won’t forget comes from kazimi wasabi, which uses both roots and stems of rare, authentic Japanese hon-wasabi for a complex herbal flavour and subtle heat.
Going that extra mile is Lam’s signature.
He makes a point of sourcing exclusive ingredients directly from Asia, with orders coming in weekly from suppliers in Japan, Singapore and beyond. As such, his ever-changing menu – this was his third since he opened – is based on the Asian seasonal model.
We enjoyed grilled Taiwanese cauliflower, a vegan satay sauce, cauliflower puree and chili crisps: transforming what might be mistaken for a lowly vegetable into an unforgettable sensation. Creating just the right flavour profiles is an art. That deft touch was evidential in the pairing of raw oysters with tangy Filipino Pinakurat sauce.
This is a chef at the top of his game.
Many Winnipeggers were surprised when Lam closed his wildly popular Yujiro Japanese restaurant after 13 successful years. But the chef needed something more. A journey that began by watching countless hours of online Japanese cooking shows – and literally holding up a measuring cup to a fuzzy screen to compare measurements – evolved into being mentored by some of Winnipeg’s top chefs on classic French and Italian cuisine. Yearning to bring some of that skill into his kitchen, Lam reopened the restaurant as Peacock in January 2026.
His playground; our delight. During our visit, we savoured sumptuous pickerel and ricotta ravioli in Béarnaise sauce, dashi tomato and herb oil, accompanied by morels, ingeniously stuffed with a snow crab mousse that firms upon cooking. Then there was an eponymous Peaco-Peaco half chicken, with spring salad and piri piri sauce.
This is fusion at its best, and aficionados of fine food have certainly taken notice.
For the first three months, the dining room was booked a month ahead and the buzz continued to spread. But patrons weren’t the only ones to appreciate the inspired layering of flavours and the adventurous combinations of ingredients and textures. Like Yujiro, Peacock immediately earned a spot on the list of Canada’s 100 best restaurants.
Now into his fourth menu, Lam continues to challenge himself, creating ingenious and beautifully-presented dishes that delight all the senses. As the regional winner of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party in 2022, he is part of this year’s All-Star Invitational – taking place on October 7, 2026, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. If you don’t catch him there, you can savour his latest creations in Peacock’s chic new dining room!
