Downtown Buzz News from the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone SPOTLIGHT Human Bean Coffee and Tea


Human Bean Coffee and Tea Located at Cityplace, 333 St. Mary Av- enue


leaf teas. “Coffee is a social kind of drink,” says


F


owner Romalda Wildeman. “I want the customer to feel valued


when they come here. Tere’s a snobbery in coffee that I don’t enjoy. You’ll find a very human aspect to us.” Tis human touch started its tenure at Te Forks Market, where Human Bean


SPOTLIGHT


Greenish E


Greenish Located at 354 Portage Avenue, 2nd Level


ven though it doesn’t come naturally, the owners of Greenish make a point to know all of their regular custom-


ers by name. “We immigrated here so all of the names


are hard to pronounce. We practice,” laughs Euijun Cha, the chef and owner of the health-conscious Korean and Japanese cuisine-focused restaurant, Greenish. Since opening in July 2017, Cha and


his wife, Yunggi Yoon, have reinvented the restaurant space on the second level at 354 Portage Ave. Cha worked in the former café located there, and along with his carpentry-trained wife, renovated the space to include more earthy woods to complement their health-forward menu. At lunch, Greenish is known for its am-


bitious salads which require no sacrifices on the part of the consumer – a generous albacore tuna salad is topped with juicy mango, avocado, cabbage and a refreshing chili lime dressing. A roasted beet, quinoa and candied pecan-topped salad is an alternative if you like a good sweet and sa- voury salad. All of the dressings and sauces are homemade at Greenish – so there are really no imitators for their distinct tastes. While it does provide a cozy array of


tables for diners, the convenient, skywalk- adjacent restaurant also offers a showcase of prepared sushi, sashimi and salad dishes for takeout (Cha notes there’s a f lux of Hydro workers that make their way from the nearby skywalk – perhaps


or over 23 years, Human Bean Coffee & Tea has been infusing personal connection into its lattes and loose


operated for 22 years. “Tat was my home. I really loved that


place,” says Wildeman. “My lease came up and they were going in a different direc- tion… but then I got a call from Cityplace.” Wildeman was drawn to staying in the


area where she had built so many relation- ships and a devoted following. “I built the majority of my clientele


through the downtown. I was always part of that,” says Wildeman. “When Cityplace called I said, ‘hey, I’d still be in the down- town area.’” Human Bean now calls a vibrant loca-


tion next to the Graham Avenue entrance home, with open sightlines to passersby


on either floor – pivotal to converting on so much of the downtown traffic making its way through Cityplace as a thoroughfare. Human Bean also has welcoming seat-


ing, charging stations and Wi-Fi access – the only place besides the food court to camp out – which play host to business meetings and students and professionals working through lunch. Along with fresh-made salads and


sandwiches for a casual bite, or sweets and delicacies made-in-house or sourced from local bakeries, Human Bean has an exceptional list of coffee and tea offer- ings – a standout in a new wave of coffee culture.


“We have close to 70 items on our


menu,” says Wildeman, citing robust tea latte selections, smoothies and loose teas stemming from all over the world. “Peo- ple are being minimalistic in the coffee industry – they’ll have five items on the menu, and that’s it. “I’m not going to tell you what to drink.


Everyone has their own palates… I’ll let you choose.” Wildeman fondly references a customer


who allows his green tea to steep all day before sipping. “It’s against everything people say about tea – but I can only edu- cate. Who am I to say it’s wrong? Tat’s his warm and fuzzy.”


the most convenient way to arrive at their restaurant). If you have time to sit down, there’s an


elaborate sushi menu for rolls prepared fresh – or, you can enjoy specialty interna- tional dishes like bulgogi, sundubu (Korean stew), ramen or takoyaki (like a Japanese croquette). Perhaps most excitingly, Greenish is known for impressing with its homemade


kimchi – a must-try for anyone who can take the pickled heat. In the mornings, Greenish capitalizes on


its convenient location for downtown com- muters and offers breakfast sandwiches (including a bargain for a smoked salmon bagel and small coffee for just over $5). As a way of competing with the many


coffee shops in the nearby vicinity, Green- ish offers hand-drip coffee and espresso


downtownwinnipegbiz.com (204) 958-4640


info@downtownwinnipegbiz.com 426 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0C9 April 2018 www.smartbizwpg.com Smart Biz 9


drinks, all made fresh per serving. (Before joining forces with her husband, Yoon worked as a barista and mastered the per- fect latte.) While the pair has plans to continue


with further renovations to the space and introduce new dishes to the menu, they are thrilled with reception since opening. “We probably know 100 names already. We’re very happy,” says Cha.


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