Chez Lévêque, Montreal

Chez Lévêque (year of birth: 1972) is one of the rare long-running restaurants of Montreal. It started with the name La Lucarne then was renamed Chez Lévêque and kept the name of Chez Lévêque ever since.

One interesting feature of their menu is the presence of a section dedicated to offal, which shows that they really care about genuine classic French cooking and not just focusing on what is easy to sell.

My dining companion did order: Homemade foie gras terrine (served with homemade brioche and pear ginger chutney) as well as Grilled whole royal sea bream  (Grilled whole fish, flambeed with pastis, steamed potatoes and vegetables). He was happy with both menu items (I had a taste of his Grilled sea bream, and indeed, the quality fresh  fish was  flawlessly cooked, the appealing fresh taste of the sea beautifully in evidence. Great sourcing).

 

I went on with:

–Quenelles de brochet, sauce nantua. Brochet is French for the freshwater pike fish. And Quenelles de brochet (pike quenelles) are basically pike dumplings, served sauced (with a crayfish sauce called sauce nantua) as a dish, famous in France’s commune of Nantua (where crayfish and pike abound) as well as in the city of Lyon. I do not think that you will easily find this classic at French restaurants in Montreal, therefore I was happy to see that Chez Lévêque offers this dish. This was the sort of quenelle that could only come from a good quenelle’s preparation (mix of the panade and the pike’s flesh). Timely poached quenelle with the expected perfect soft consistency. The sauce nantua tasted rich and delicious as it’s supposed to, its texture nicely creamy, its classic flavour profile at the fore. A good sauce nantua benefits from great quality ingredients and it’s exactly what happened here: the crayfish, the bechamel sauce, the butter, the cream were all of great quality. The pike, too, was of high quality. Good 7/10.

 

–Veal kidney madeira or mustard. Pan seared veal kidney. Choice of sauce: Mustard or Madeira. I did opt for the Mustard sauce. Quality mustard was used, the mustard sauce exquisite. Equally well made were the quality veal kidney, properly cooked rosé as per my request (which is the best doneness for veal kidney). In the old days, the traditional French veal kidney preparations were strong and very offal in flavour, and it was really an acquired taste. But this version is of the “easy to love” and “not of an acquired taste” sort, which makes it very accessible /easy to appreciate to all generations of diners, which is a great thing. The proper French technique and preparation were there, the relevant French flavour profile too, and the dish was tasty.  8/10.

 

–Île Flottante, basically a floating meringue with Crème Anglaise. This lovely French classic dessert was well executed with the quality fresh egg whites timely whipped, the floating meringue as beautifuly light as feather exactly as it should be, the intensity of the sweetness well judged and floating atop a good Crème Anglaise preparation (milk/egg yolks/vanilla/sugar). The genuine French flavor profile of this dessert, at the fore. As it should. It is rare that you will find Île Flottante at French restaurants in Montreal and when you find them, they are not always executed this well. 7.5/10

–Crêpes Suzette, guéridon service style (tableside service, if you prefer. Glad to see that this classic French traditional service is still possible at a French restaurant in Montreal). The sugar timely caramelized, the crêpes timely cooked, the proper classic French flavour profile was there and every single step of the classic French preparation and presentation was respected (flambéed tableside, etc). Loved the expressive grand Marnier and orange flavour (the sort of orange flavour that comes from superb quality oranges), exactly as it should. Fine enough. 6.5/10

Bottom line – Chez Lévêque is an institution that is not tired at all (even the interior design manages to be updated while keeping the classic French Brasserie feel at the fore) , which is, of course, something great. Instead it continues to cook food that tastes good, French classics  that do not feel dated at all (which, again and again, is something great), using well sourced ingredients. And  their “menu of the day” (à l’ardoise, to keep the theme of the classic French brasserie alive) sounded very inspired the evening we were there (we did not try them, on this specific meal, but their description were appealing). Chez Lévêque was good (tasty food, good service, nice ambience) and it is nice to see Classic French fares that are still properly executed in Montreal and that you do not see commonly elsewhere in town (for eg, offal, quenelle de brochet sauce nantua). French classics are lovely (I love it when I am in my mood of ‘I need my fix of andouillette, boudin, etc”), as always, and Chez Lévêque did age really well, indeed. Chez Lévêque. Addr: 1030 Av. Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2K8. https://chezleveque.ca/

Fondue Haidilao, Montreal

Haidilao 海底捞 is a famous Chinese hot pot chain present on several continents. In Canada, you will find several Haidilao in Ontario and British Columbia. This one in Montreal  opened earlier in 2024. And “Fondue” is French for hot pot (hence the mention of “Fondue” in their name, here in Montreal).  Founded in Jianyang (Sichuan province) in 1994, it’s apparently the world’s largest hot pot chain.

The broths I ordered:

-The tomato broth  (Clockwise, it is the lil guy in the top left corner in the picture above) is very popular, according to the relevant online accounts as well as what the waitstaff told me. And indeed, it was a very enjoyable broth and one which popularity I can dig: nice expressive fresh tomato flavour, using quality tomatoes. The seasoning well judged. The pieces of tomatoes that were in the broth not falling apart, which shows how they care for important details that make a broth better (I was, one day, at another hot pot place and the same tomato broth had its pieces of tomato that were falling apart and I was like “”damn…omg…those folks are brutal, Lol. Zero care. But here, at Haidilao it is 100% caring for the little details that makes the experience of the broth really top. Haidilao is a classy place offering a refined hot pot experience , therefore they would have not  missed details like these, as expected).

 

–Spicy Beef Tallow Soup Base – Well the SBT soup base, my friends, I know what to tell you about it, but there are things I will also not tell you: I will not give you my opinion about this broth as it would be meaningless to you (whether I liked it or not will make no difference for you, as you are not …me,  obviously…). All I can tell you is that, in life, you need to try the authentic stuff as well (which this broth is all about) and not just opting for what is easy to love (I am directing this statement to non Chinese palates). You are at a Chinese hot pot, therefore be consistent and try, on top of the other broths (you can pick many broths, anyways) a genuinely Chinese broth. I know this broth and I know what to think about it, and I purposely ordered it for the sake of this review and for the sake of respecting the tradition of the hot pot place I was dining at. Encouraging you to try it, which is what I am doing, is all I care about as it is important to experience with what’s proper to the place that you are dining at. The genuine flavour profile was there, the broth really well executed (as spicy as advertised, and yet never allowing the spiciness to kill its core flavour profile, which is exactly what you are looking for in a well executed broth) so when you will get to taste it, you will know how it should genuinely taste like. At what it is, at what it’s supposed to be, they did a great job.

 

–Thai Tom Yum Hot Pot. I was at a Chinese restaurant, not a Thai restaurant, therefore, naturally, and lucidly, I was not going to expect Haidilao to pull off the same kind of  Tom Yum flavour I would expect from a Thai restaurant. What mattered here is that the core Tom Yum Thai flavour profile was still respected and it was a lovely broth (with, at the fore, the expected nice fresh core aromas of what Tom Yum are packed with,  such as the appealing fragrance of  fresh lemongrass ) that I would order again when I go back to Haidilao Montreal. And between you and me, I know some Thai places in Montreal that do not even get their Tom Yum base this right. I enjoyed dipping some of the meat in both the tomato broth and the Thai Tom Yum broth (but of course, do not mix both broths together…that will  not be the idea of the century. Just dip the meat in one broth, then dip it again in the other broth).

The meat:

Marinated beef meat. I tried this …………knowing …….exactly …..what was going to happen…… – On a grill (for eg, at a Yakiniku or Kbbq spot), this would have been a HIT.  As a hot pot, Nah, not at all, nowhere near. I perfectly understand what Haidilao was doing here (the marinade is superb), BUT…………yeah, it’s superb for BBQ, not that ….superb…for hot pot. Well, at least, from my standpoint……………………………..;p as it’s popular (so I may be in the minority here. Try it and see for yourself. Taste is always subjective, as always ………….).

 

Beef oyster blade — Advertised as being crisp and tender and that was accurate. It’s one of the most popular choices of meat at hot pots, and for good reasons, therefore no need to go on and on with the obvious. It’s like a popular hot chick…do you need a PHD in human behavior psychology to understand why she is popular? No! Lol. So, same thing here. The Beef oyster blade is a hot pick.

 

AAA Boneless Beef Ribs. Advertised as “Rich, marbled and tender beef”. Well, that was not just a tease but a reality as well.  Another popular protein at hot pot restaurants. Another hot pick, which slogan already has all you need to know about it.

As always, Haidilao was a charm. BTW, I know I was succint in some of the food item descriptions, but if you are really interested to learn more about the menu items of Haiilao, then you will be happy to learn that on their web site, they have detailed information about their food items (even suggesting what to pair with your broths, etc). Take advantage of that, as few restaurants in the world have such an informative online presence.

 

Bottom line: I tried Haidilao once in the past and that was in Toronto. Somehow, I preferred the one of Toronto, but there’s no denying that Haidilao Montreal is really good and yep, easily one of the very best hot pot places in Montreal (and that is what matters, here). The place is new, clean, service is  superb, the sourcing of the ingredients is great and the broths are well prepared. I hope they do well and thrive in Montreal as they deserve that (they work so well). Haidilao is classy but relaxed, which is great. It seems like, in Montreal, the chains are doing way better than plenty of solo operations, these days………….a reminder that in life….nothing is set in concrete………..hahaha…………..

Monarque, Montreal

Founded in 2018, Monarque is widely known as one of the most popular restaurants of the recent years in Montreal.

Short story: I am a longtime fan of Chef Richard Bastien, one of my all time favourite Québécois Chefs, having tried his cooking at his original restaurant named Le Mitoyen (Laval).  I learned, with time, that his son (Chef Jérémie Bastien) was the Chef, here, at Monarque and was curious to try his son’s cooking as well.

Monarque has a “brasserie” (or bistrot, if you will – casual dining) as well as a “salle à manger” (dining room – I did not try this menu yet, but I’d guess that you can call it ‘fine dining’) menu. Before heading to the restaurant, I was perusing (online, on their web site) both menus and I was hoping that one would be more interesting than the other, but  they were both equally tempting.

For this first visit, I went with the “menu brasserie” (which the Monarque’s web site describes as “inspired by bistro classics” ).

They basically offer an updated take on French-inspired  bistrot food (I am talking about the “brasserie” menu, here,  as that is what I did opt for, this time, and that I am reviewing).

Gougères. Basically, gougères are French cheese puffs. An interesting piece of the history of gougères, as per Wikipedia, is that “”Earlier forms of gougère were more a stew than a pastry, including herbs, bacon, eggs, cheese, spices, and meat mixed with an animal’s blood, and prepared in a sheep’s stomach“”. Wow. That is something I would have never guessed, Lol. We learn everyday, indeed. There are several variants of gougères and this Le Monarque’s variant of the gougères that I was nibbling during that meal was one proper variant of gougères (proper pillowy interior, proper intensity of cheese flavour, properly light and fluffy). Here, the savory choux pastries were timely baked into crisp, exactly as it should. Not the gougères of my dreams (not the fault of the kitchen as they did everything that they had to do, and there was nothing faulty here, just the fault of the imperfect subjective nature of human’s normal/expected personal taste/preference. And I am human), but this was perfectly Alright.  6/10

 

–Bone marrow, Burgundy snails, red wine jus, persillade. I rarely order bone marrow at restaurants as I simply drop by my butcher shop and take some bone marrow and simply cook it at home when I need my fix of that (very simply, with salt. That is it). I use them also for my stews, sauces, etc. at home. But if a Chef seems to be willing to add a bit more to the bone marrow (the case here, as they are adding snails to the bone marrow), then I may order it at a restaurant. And if there’s a bit of storytelling behind it (the case here, as the Chef mentioned on instagram that this is his clin d’oeil to his time spent in burgundy), it is even better, hihihi. Joke aside, this was delicious, avoiding anything extraneous (sometimes Chefs fall into the trap of doing a bit too much with bone marrow, diminishing the enjoyment of the bone marrow, but here, that mistake was avoided ), both the red wine jus as well as persillade done exactly as it should, everything (persillade, etc) having their core flavour profiles at the fore, the red wine jus was flawless (I expect French-inspired restaurants to do great sauces. And great was that sauce). There is a limit to what bone marrow can be, but this was a very good work (not just good, but very good) around the bone marrow with superb flavours and some quality snails that were as great as they come. As mentioned earlier on, the Chef mentioned on Instagram that this is his clin d’oeil to his time spent in burgundy. Well, that was time well spent in burgundy, Chef! And you definitely know what to bring back home! This, by Montreal restaurant standards, was a superb work of the bone marrow.  8/10

 

–Fish and seafood bouillabaisse, saffron potatoes, rouille. I feel really bad when I need my fix of bouillabaisse in Montreal. I mean, we are in Montreal, for god sake, not in Marseille, Lol. It’s a dish that I refuse to cook at home for that very same aforementioned reason (we are not in Marseille). The reason I insist on that “we are not in Marseille” is justified by the fact that bouillabaisse is a stew that tastes authoritatively of its terroir: it’s not a joke, just taste a bouillabaisse in Marseille then taste it elsewhere outside of Provence. Not the same, Lol. Why? Les poissons de roche n’ont tout simplement pas le même goût car ce n’est pas le même habitat marin. Pas le même terroir , non plus (l’eau, les épices, les herbes, etc…tout cela joue un rôle prépondérant dans le goût et c’est pas la même  chose en dehors de Provence). So, I ordered this Bouillabaisse with the right expectation in the right place: Je suis à Montréal, et non à Marseille. That said, there’s not just one take on the Bouillabaisse, even in Provence you still have different takes on the Bouillabaisse (which is why I do not assess, to take an example, a bouillabaisse by, say, how thick or not it is. Because it is not its thickness that defines a bouillabaisse. It is its core flavour profile… ) , and this one was still flawlessly executed (the classic core flavour profile of saffron/fish broth at the fore, as it should), to be fair. The rouille equally properly executed. Some of the featuring items of this  bouillabaisse were  prawn, cod, mussels, monkfish, etc. All in all, this was a strong performance by Montreal Bouillabaisse  restaurant standards (precise technique, superb work of the textures and flavours, great timing of the cooking, timely served as well, superb ingredients, etc. – Those in the know call that kind of cooking “beautiful cooking”). 8.5/10

 

The desserts – I was curious about this stage of my meal at Monarque as some few food journalists (not all) seemed to have been slightly less impressed by their desserts at Monarque. The desserts here are good  and what I was enjoying did not lack of what those food journalists have missed. Far from that, actually. So either the Pastry team has fixed all the issues mentioned by those food journalists or those food journalists were  not  interested by what the kitchen was trying to convey (this is an important — and unfortunately widely overlooked — detail: let’s say a Pastry team is working on  their own  take of a Religieuse au chocolat, not the traditional Religieuse au chocolat, but their own contemporary  personal version of  the Religieuse au chocolat, and you order their Religieuse au chocolat with the expectation that you are …expecting … a traditional Religieuse au chocolat. Then you assess that Religieuse au chocolat  based on your expectation of what you know about a traditional Religieuse au chocolat…well, you did assess nothing here. Nothing!  ).

 

–Financier, pecan, maple ice cream.  First things first: this is not your typical /standard/common  almond based rectangular-shaped financier that abound in France (light golden exterior, crisp on the outside, buttery flavour on the inside, etc). This was more accurately a North American take on that. What it shared with its standard/common cousin of France is the soft and dense consistency on the inside. Here we have pecan, not almonds  (for a slightly richer and sweeter flavour) for an American twist to the financier. The American clin d’oeil continued with a pairing side of well made maple ice cream (really great). The beurre noisette technique (not the “hazelnut-flavoured butter” that its translation from French to English would suggest,  but the technique of browning the butter) is important, in the case of a financier, as it will, at the end, contribute to the flavour profile of the financier and the effect of that technique was felt here, well timed and mastered to good effect. A superb North American take on the financier (this is so familiar, to us, in North America, that some people may find it just normal/Ok. But I am the type of person who thinks that something is not just normal/just Ok …just because it’s familiar. Lol. For me, that is a nonsense. It can be familiar and crap. It can be familiar and good. It can be familiar and yet, great, etc. If it’s familiar and great, why should I hide that? Why putting down something that is well made just because…euh..oh…it is familiar. Lol. C’mon! That is absurd. So yeah, this dessert is  familiar to the North American in me, indeed, but it was well executed and I am not going to hide that). Superb. 8/10

Overall food rating, for this specific meal, by Montreal highest food restaurant standards: 8/10. Strong, strong  performance!

As a side note, this area where Monarque is located is starting to have couple of great restaurants: 4 mins walk away from Monarque, you have Le 409 which is simply one of the very best Indian restaurants in Montreal right now (I did a review on Le 409, review that you can find here), Holder (one of the best Brasserie of Montreal), the legendary steakhouse Moishes is now  in the vicinity (as we all know, Moishes is now owned by the Grandio Group, the group that also owns La Cage aux sports and was relocated in this area). And if, like me, you love old world architectures, then there are plenty of that all around.

 

Bottom line:  The restaurants linked to the Bastien continue to be great (Le Mitoyen stands out. I also had a standout meal recently at Leméac . And now this successful overall dining experience at Monarque).  It’s interesting, because I am a long time fan of Le Mitoyen and have always complained about the absence of international visibility on Le Mitoyen and people kept telling me that it’s because Le Mitoyen is in Laval, therefore not centrally located in Montreal, and I would reply …yeah, but L’Eau à la Bouche (now closed) was in Saint-Adèle (not in Montreal, too) and yet it had international visibility. So, I am glad to see that the Bastien finally have that International visibility they deserved since day one (I know that Leméac is already internationally renowned. And now that is the case  of Monarque as well). At once classic and contemporary, audacious (to open such a big restaurant at a time when plenty of other restaurants were closing, that take balls) and yet realistic (they do not take stupid risks and  their offerings cater to a big portion of the diners),  chic but not pretentious, vast and yet intimate, casual dining and fine dining, bar, bistrot and dining room, Monarque is many things. But where sometimes “many things” can be synonymous with  “confusion”, here, at Monarque,  “many things” work, “many things” make perfect sense. It is the sort of “many things” that I am perfectly fine with. Monarque Addr: 406 Rue Saint-Jacques, Montréal, QC H2Y 1S1. Phone (514) 875-3896. https://restaurantmonarque.ca/en/

Leméac, Montréal

Leméac (opened in 2001) is widely known, in well-versed circles, as one of the must-try  French-inspired Bistro-resto / Brasserie in Montreal (alongside the likes of L’Express, Chez Lévêque , etc. And if  Chez La Mère Michel did not close — even though they were technically not a Bistrot / Brasserie  — they would have been another must-try  on  that list, too).

I was “introduced” (so to speak) to Leméac, ages ago, by … “another restaurant”: the other restaurant was Le Mitoyen (Ste. Dorothée, Laval). I really liked Le Mitoyen and I have been there a few times. Then at some point, I learned that  Le Mitoyen’s Chef Richard Bastien had also a French restaurant in Outremont called Leméac and that it was regarded as one of the best in town. So, as a foodie I did what all foodies do, I went and tried Leméac. That was around 13 years ago, time freakin’ flies Lol…

So 13 years later, here I am. I was looking online at the Google ratings of Le Mitoyen and they are very high (they also have multiple diamonds from CAA Québec )  and Leméac is still considered as one of the best in Montreal.

The funny thing is that I did not have Leméac in mind, but, while going through some old books that I read for the last time …13 years ago, I found the restaurant bill of my last meal at Leméac in one of them. Then, yeah, that is how the idea of paying another visit to them arose.

As always, when I eat a meal, I try my best to remain as close as I can be to the genuine side of the cuisine of that meal. As an example, when I go to a French restaurant that is working hard to do justice to French cuisine, I am not going to start ordering a bottle of Coca Cola and ask if there is ketchup…do not get me wrong, I love Coca Cola  and I love ketchup, mais chaque chose en son temps, chaque chose à sa place….there will be a time for Coca Cola, there will be a time for ketchup and that time is not at a French restaurant. So, that same principle did apply, here, to what I ordered at Leméac: I am at a French restaurant, I did order typical French food items (what will show on my plate needs to sound like “boudin”, “rillette”,  “baba au rhum”, “Tian”, “Sauce gribiche”,  “Foie gras torchon”, etc.).

 

–Boudin maison et sauce au cidre, purée de céleri-rave. So, as mentioned earlier on, I used to go to Le Mitoyen (the other restaurant of one of the owners of Leméac, Chef Richard Bastien) and one dish I would order regularly there was Le Boudin. I liked so much Le Boudin of Le Mitoyen that I was curious to see how this one at Leméac would fare in comparison. As you will learn, later on, it fared really well. So, Boudin is blood pudding (although the French do also have Le Boudin Blanc which is not made of blood. Boudin blanc is essentially a sausage made of white meat) , which is basically pork blood in this case, pork fat, spices that you stuff in a casing and you poach in boiling water. Actually, there is a Leméac cookbook La cuisine bistrot du Café Leméac written by Chef Bastien himself (Éditions de l’Homme, 2006) and in that cookbook the ingredients that are used for the blood pudding recipe are:  soupe d’huile/ soupe de beurre/oignons hachés/ail/soupe de vinaigre de vin rouge/sang de porc/cou de porc haché/panne de porc/lard salé/mélange d’épices de type garam massala/pincée de piment d’Espelette / sel et poivre au moulin (essentially oil/butter/onion/garlic/red wine vinegar/pork blood/pork neck/leaf lard (panne de porc) –this is one of the many little details that  shows that they are focused on quality as leaf lard, which is the soft fat around the pig’s kidneys, is high quality lard/lard/mix of spices of garam massala type/espelette pepper/salt and pepper). He adds his own “restaurant quality” touch, a touch that adds great complementary complexity to their boudin (and that is exactly how the Boudin — I was enjoying  -felt) . This superb Boudin expressing its expected nutty, meaty and earthy taste sensations in superlative terms. The purée de céleri-rave as well as the sauce au cidre were also flawless (le truc des grandes ligues, quoi). Excellent. 9/10  (Ok, Ok…this was excellent and yari, yara…but I do not understand how a packed house —- it was so busy when I was there ——— could pull such excellent dish…in such busy conditions…and as you will see later on, the next dish was great too)

 

–Joues de veau braisées à la bourguignonne, topinambours et bettes à carde. The sauce à la bourguignonne (red wine with onions or shallots / and faithful to its original French recipe and taste) was as perfect as you will get it done in Montreal. The Joues de veau, utterly delicious and showcasing the pros of slow cooking (deep festive flavours, meat that you need to put in your mouth even if you were a vegetarian, Lol, etc). I looked around me and there were as many people as you can imagine at a market. I am not kidding. Leméac is a stud, hot person, attractive figure Lol. It attracts many people, I am not joking. Then I said, yeah, I am glad for you buddy…you know, I am not jealous of the success of others. I want the world to thrive. I am that kind of dude, ya know, the type of dude who just enjoys seeing the world thriving. But then, I said to myself, bud…still…you ain’t be in a position to impress me as …you are too busy, Lol. But Leméac fought back and said Beh…just watch me. Lol. And damn, Leméac was right! Strong, strong stuff by current Montreal restaurant standards (even the vegetables had superb crunch, superb taste — usually, in such a busy restaurant, there will be flaws…for eg, a vegetable not timely cooked or feeling tired, but here, Nah…it always felt freshly cooked, timely served…you know, the little details that most people overlook but that, at the end of the day, segregate great food from everything else….  ). There are plenty of ambitious tables out there that would benefit from learning one trick or two  from this superlative dish. 9/10

 

-Baba au rhum, chantilly, sorbet pamplemousse. They serve it with a properly lightly whipped chantilly cream and grapefruit sherbet.  One example of a benchmark Baba au rhum was the one I enjoyed at le Louis XV (Monte Carlo) in September 2013 (that was reviewed here). This one was not in that league, but it (the baba, itself) was still properly executed. That said,  I had to part ways with the companions of the baba through specific little technical details that took nothing away from the nice baba itself, but they still have to be addressed (objectively, they are not flaws, not at all, but I am human and as any other humans, I have my personal preference/personal taste): the grapefruit sorbet, I did not find it to complement this dessert well. Grapefruit is tart and that tartness, for my taste, did not accompany well the rest of this menu item. For me, it clashed. Instead of adding more pleasure. And I would need a more eventful /festive chantilly to start waxing lyrical about this food item. But again, that is me. That is my imperfect / subjective  palate doing the talk here. I am that kind of old school dude who loves rich flavours, Lol. No kidding. And you know, Leméac is 100% right, here, actually,  as a richer chantilly means a less healthy chantilly and the tartness is a contemporary companion in many desserts of that sort nowadays ). So take my input with a grain of salt as perhaps your subjective /imperfect palate will have a different appreciation of all of this  –   6.5/10

I have no recollection of what I thought of my meal 13 years ago, here, at Leméac, therefore I cannot compare this meal to that preceding event, but one thing I noticed, this time,  is how the menu at Leméac is designed to be very crowd-pleasing: tartare, crab cake, foie gras torchon, risotto, Mac’n cheese, Filet mignon de bœuf, Carré d’agneau, rib eye, Crème caramel, Crème brûlée, Profiteroles au chocolat, Mousse au chocolat, etc. If you bring a picky diner to Leméac and he cannot find something to his liking on Leméac’s menu, then no menu, no matter where he goes, will please him. I know that all restaurants are supposed to have menu items that please as many people at it is possible, as that is the purpose of running a restaurant after all, but Leméac’s menu does that better than what many of their peers, in town, are doing.

Additional information (as many people did ask for this, online):  as confirmed by my waiter, the late night prix-fixe menu does not exist anymore and it seems to have been like that for at least the past 4 years.

Being a passionate person by nature, I am ON when the kitchen is ON and that will show “plentifully” (in the high scores, in the whimsical comments, etc.) , Lol. On this meal, Leméac was ON, damn …. ON! And I believe that this review did justice to this beautiful meal. That said, I do not expect a kitchen to be that great all the time (we are humans, not robots).  If Leméac can do that regularly, then good for them and for their patrons

Overall food rating, for this specific meal, by Montreal highest food restaurant standards: 9/10. Near perfection. That was crazy.

Bottom line: Listen, Leméac should open a school on “how to cook great food no matter the conditions”. I mean, yeah, I know that it is the job of restaurants to cook great food no matter what (busy or not, etc), but that meal I just had at Leméac was still a surprisingly beautiful crazy performance as Leméac is big and bustling (plenty of tables, tons of people, super busy shift). Many people say that Leméac is TOP for Montreal. And I say, that, I do not not know Leméac (this meal  was just my 2nd visit in 13 years at Leméac ). I have no clue if they perform this well day in, day out. But if they do, then, for once, I agree with that crowd. Great service (Leméac is classy: you book a table as a solo diner, and they will assign a table to you as per your booking and as it should. There are plenty of restaurants that will force you to sit at the bar even if you did book a table as a solo diner, just to make more money as 2 persons can sit at that table that you did book as a solo diner. Also, my young waiter from France was a world class waiter)  , great sourcing of the ingredients and great wines, too. Coeur conquis!  I would, of course,  happily eat here again! Leméac. Addr: 1045 Av. Laurier O, Outremont, QC H2V 2L1. https://www.restaurantlemeac.com/

L’Express, Montreal

At the time of writing, L’Express is a 44 years old  (founded in 1980) classic French-inspired bistrot that does not need any introduction. Its impressive popularity (not just online) is quite exceptional for a classic restaurant in Montreal. Perhaps one of the best success stories of the restaurant business in Montreal.

Marie-Claude Lortie, one of the very rare food journalists that I respect (as argued elsewhere on the current blog, I find that she is one of the rare food journalists who, somehow, succeeds in narrating things exactly the way you and I will get to experience them at the restaurants that she reviews)  once wrote in this article “”Comme on le dit très justement sur le site web du restaurant, L’Express est un bistrot à l’américaine pour les Français et une table parfaitement française pour les Américains de passage.  “”. That sums up perfectly what I would have to tell you if you ask me to describe L’Express in one sentence.

I first ate at L’Express in 1995. I went  to L’Express 2,3 times in between 1995 and 1998. I stopped going there for a while as I moved far from where it is located.

Then in 2016, one of Québec’s most gifted Chefs, Jean-Francois Vachon,  decided to join l’Express (as per this article of La Presse). Québec, as I have repeated many times on this blog —here, here, and here —, is a Super Power of world class artists (Chefs, designers, painters, singers,  etc.). And Jean-Francois is a reminder of what I have just stated. Jean-Francois was already a star at a time when Québec was a real world class food destination (you know, the era of world class Chefs such as Anne Desjardins in the days of Restaurant L’eau à la bouche, Normand Laprise  of Restaurant Toqué! , Martin Juneau in his heyday  at La Montée de Lait, Martin Picard/Hughes Dufour in their prime at Au Pied de Cochon, Claude Pelletier in his prime at Club Chasse et Pêche, etc).

So, yeah, Jean-Francois is a  great Chef. I have always been a fan of Jean-Francois and have always tried his food wherever he worked (e.g., Club des Pins, M sur Masson — both  closed since a long time– as well as when he was at Thursday’s). As soon as I learned that he joined L’Express,  I went back to L’Express twice in 2016.

In 2016, I was so impressed by what Jean-Francois was cooking at L’Express that I was planning  to continue to eat there regularly, but then I found something stronger than food, way better than food, something or more accurately, a feeling…. called L.O.V.E in the city that never sleeps, a city that is far, very far from L’Express: Gotham city. And that is how I stopped going to L’Express.

Fast forward 8 years later, I was craving for some good old classic French fares and was curious to  see how they fare, these days.

Chicken liver pâté with pistachios. Basically, it is chicken liver that is cooked (pan-seared) and  seasoned (salt/pepper) —to which you can add onion and/or garlic — and that you smooth blend with fat (generally butter).  An interesting piece of the story of the pâté de foie de volaille  (chicken liver pâté) is that, it was known, to the older generations of French, as le pâté vert (the “green pâté”) because of the colour that it would take, at some point, later on in its evolution,  as a result of its eventual natural fat oxidation. Here, the texture of the pâté properly rendered, the taste as rich as it should. Well judged seasoning. In classic cooking, especially French classic cuisine, my mantra is “less is more”, therefore I prefer a plain chicken liver pâté, but for once, as it was the case here,  the extra taste sensation of the nutty accents of the pistachios was  not extraneous, it was certainly enjoyable and, indeed, a time and tested companion to a pâté (I find pistachio to be an even better companion to terrines, though). And btw, if you want to skip the pistachio and just enjoy the plain paté, that is not a problem at all: just move the pistachios away (they were not blended with the paté, they were just pieces of pistachios atop the paté).  Spread the pâté on your piece of pain baguette, eat that, then munch on the little pickles that they serve at your table and you have, right there, one typical “North American meet European” comforting snack. Good. 7/10 (on a side note: if one day, for a special occasion at home, you want to impress your beloved with a fancy/elaborate foie de volaille classic based dish, then look no further than this recipe of one of the greatest Chefs of all time, the late Paul Bocuse. The gâteau de foie de volaille de Mr Paul is  a fun and lovely recipe. And if you would like my recommendation for a straightforward recipe of mousse de foie de volaille, then I highly recommend this recipe of another one of my favourite Chefs of all time, Chef Jean-Paul Giroux).

 

Foie de veau à l’estragon / Calf liver with tarragon – In the offal world, these days, Calf liver is prized, because it is mild, tender, delicate. When I eat offal, these days, I realize how people are now lazy and just want things that are easy. Zero effort of appreciation (a p p r e c i a t i o n … as in appreciating the food the way it should be, which means the way it has always been). Zero effort for anything. Genuine traditional offal flavours were bold/strong/robust because the generation of diners who knew how to appreciate things for what they are … were able to appreciate the natural robust offal taste that came from an old beef or an old pork. You want to talk offal? That was offal! Listen people, if you do not like offal, just do something very extraordinary, something that is out of this world….JUST DO NOT EAT IT!!! Restaurants are feeding self-absorbed/spoiled/entitled babies nowadays, not real diners anymore. I laugh when I see people talking about offal nowadays…These days, people prefer the soft / not robust sort of offal of … tender, mild tasting young animals such as calves. Feed them with the rognons or liver of an old beef or old pork, something that has character…and many will start crying like babies, and will never touch at offal again, Lol. – … It’s surreal. I am telling you, at this rythm, elephants will be able, one day, to wear women’s heels and you will see rhinos taking a nap in a hammock. It’s really heading in the direction of that sort of absurdity….thanks to that mental disorder that is to insist on things being what you want them to be…instead of letting things be what they are. Anyways, it is what it is and calf’s offal is what sells nowadays. And it’s perfectly legit, indeed (again, my beef with people not wanting the genuine ol’  offal of an old animal takes nothing away from the fact that Calf liver is perfectly French and legit. My beef had to do with the fact that people are busy denaturing things…and that does not sit well with me). This was as good as your Foie de veau à l’estragon can taste and feel like, cuisson rosée  as per my request as that is, I find,  the best cuisson for liver (the cuisson was precise). The mild taste of the calf liver nicely lifted by the natural tang  of the tarragon.  Good. 7/10

 

 

Île Flottante is one of my all time favourite desserts, one of the great classic desserts of France. It’s basically a feather light meringue floating on a Crème Anglaise. Even in France, Île Flottante  are not always successfully executed (I remember, to take an example, an infuriatingly subpar Île Flottante at Café de Turin in Nice, France, one that I mentioned here — Café de Turin is legendary in Nice and they have  their strengths, indeed, but I could not believe that in France …the land of the Île Flottante …. such a subpar Île Flottante was allowed to leave a kitchen, Rfaol… ). One Île Flottante  against which I continue to assess all other Île Flottante is the one I had in 2013 at Bistrot Le Casse Noix  (Paris) and that was  reviewed  here. I do not know if Le Casse Noix’s Île Flottante is still as mesmerizing, all I know is that this one I was having, there, in 2013 is one that even the most difficult “experts” of the Île Flottante would have surrendered to. The sort of Île Flottante that would not have been out of place at a classic French 3 Michelin star restaurant. So spectacular that Ile flottante at Casse Noix was. There will always be better in life, such is the nature of life, indeed, but years later, and upon trying all sorts of  Île Flottante known for their supposedly superiority, I am still waiting for the next benchmark Île Flottante that will dethrone that Le Casse Noix 2013 Île Flottante.   Anyways, back to L’express’s Ile Flottante: it was certainly not in the league of the superlative one I had in 2013 at Le Casse Noix, but it had both its  Crème Anglaise (perfect texture of the drinking custard, properly luscious and creamy)  and beautifully generous mound of whipped meringue (firm and sealed to the touch, and yet as light as feather, exactly as it’s supposed to be)  that were technically properly rendered. That said, perhaps a bit less of the meringue and a bit more of the crème Anglaise would have been an improvement here. Also, I was missing a bit of the proper flavour profile that you generally get with an  Île Flottante. Still, this was  Ok / fine enough 6/10.

 

Bottom line: Yeah, the mention of the name of the restaurant in front of the sidewalk, at the entrance —picture above –  instead of featuring on a façade sign…I am telling you, L’express est un vrai petit taquin. Ok, first things first, I had a dream, the other day, the dream of a “renaissance” of Québécois classics such as, say, tourtière/cipaille/pouding chômeur/croustade aux pommes/ragoût de boulettes et de pattes de cochon/soupe aux pois, etc, here in Montreal, in the way that Martin Picard once made Québécois  classic cuisine not just the talk of the town, but the talk of the world as well (thanks, in part, to the international visibility made possible by the 3 televised visits of the late Anthony Bourdain at APDC). Québécois classics are genuinely delicious and would deserve to enjoy a revival in Montreal. And I thought that such a talented Chef like Jean-Francois can give that one a try. I think it’s about time that Québécois cuisine shines again in Montreal. Now back to our main topic, classic French cuisine from France, which is what L’Express takes inspiration from. So, regarding this recent meal at L’Express, I can’t say that it got close to the heights that I have experienced here in 2016, but L’Express continues to deserve its rank among the good classic French inspired restaurants of Montreal. And I would be curious to know how popular their Île Flottante is (when my Île Flottante was served, that caught the attention of the people on my left as well as those on my right and they all decided to order it right away…Lol. But please do not order theÎle Flottante at the last minute. Order it, before, which means when you start ordering your food. Anyways, the people on my right were Québécois  and I joked  “ouin, mon Île Flottante pogne en tabarouette” and we all had a good laugh. The couple on my left was from the USA, and they said ‘what is this cutie?? it’s so pretty‘ and I explained to them what it was.  I mean, yeah, that “dome” of caramel atop their Île Flottante is certainly quite a sight, I would guess). Superb service (at the same time classy, educated and friendly) and good selection of wines. L’Express. Addr: 3927 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M4. (514) 845-5333. https://restaurantlexpress.com/

Haitian restaurants in Montreal and surroundings

The first time I had Haitian food in my life, it was several decades ago.

There were things I liked from the get-go (for eg, their lambi sauce, fritaye, griot, bouillon, Haitian patty – for my taste, Haitian patty is the best of its kind, beating by leaps their African and  Caribbean competition), others I never quite understood the hype (mais moulu), some taste to acquire (légumes…omg, Haitian love cooking vegetables for a very very long time, Lol; Aranso), some quite familiar (lalo, poulet en sauce).

But all in all, I knew it was food that I would love,  the acquired taste stuff included. Because it’s food that is very flavour-forward. By now, after decades of rigorous familiarization with Haitian food, I love everything in Haitian cuisine (the acquired taste stuff, etc.).

So, the first thing I did, in my first 10 years of rigorous familiarization and study of Haitian food was to learn with those in the know. I remember posting ads on Kijiji or Lespac (I think Lespac does not exist anymore) asking Haitian mammies to help me educating my palate in Haitian cuisine. I am that kind of person: before I judge something, I do my homework (learning the right way, learning seriously, learning with those in the know). Then I judge. Which is why you will see me frowning when I see so-called food journalists being clueless about some of the food they write about.

Anyways, back to Haitian food. Exactly as with Indian food, it’s food that I hold near and dear to my heart, so you will not see me reviewing it regularly for the simple reason that it is food that I usually order to eat at home (there are still two reviews of Haitian restaurants that I did, on this blog, but they are in NY: La Caye and  Chloe’s  ) . You know, when you love a food so much, you prefer enjoying it in the comfort of home. That is what happened with Haitian food. And I am certainly not going to start doing a review on what I eat at home.

That said, I’ll keep updating the current post with my input on Haitian restaurants I would have tried in Montreal and surroundings:

First, there are currently no Haitian restaurants in Montreal of the dazzling level of Haitian food that  le Flamboyant, Riviere-des-Prairies (it closed several years ago) used to deliver. Le Flamboyant remains the best Haitian food I ever ate at a Haitian restaurant in Montreal. A close second, but less “casse-croute” and more “refined Haitian cuisine’ was ‘C’est si bon “, St Michel (they also closed years ago).

Now, my quick notes on the ones I have already tried and that are still opened:

–Fourchette Antillaise. Delicious and refined, for the most part (only their lambi failed to leave an impression, for me. It was not bad, but there are better Haitian lambi preparations in Montreal and surroundings, and cheaper as well). Can be pricier than their competition, though (so perhaps the buffet would be a good option).

–Marché Méli Mélo. A take-out counter. I particularly like their bouyon, but you cannot go wrong with any other food items.

–Sissi et Paul. It has been a while that I haven’t went back. But I liked them a lot. Good portions of food. Tasty food. I can’t remember anything that I did not like here. Nice service.

–Steve Anna is one of the OGs (it has been around forever). One of the first Haitian eateries that I have frequented, decades ago. They are rare, the OGs that survived, but Steve Anna is still around and still appreciated by Haitians of all generations. I was there recently, and indeed, it continues to be good, even though the portions of food used to be more generous I found. Their griot has also improved (it used to be more greasy, it used to feature way too much fat for the quantity of meat, etc. But now, the griot is fine, here. The griot has now the proper meat/fat ratio). They are now a proper restaurant (which was not the case, in the days, as it was essentially a take-out counter).

–Patisserie Suze. This is in Laval. It’s not a restaurant. Madame Suze bakes cakes (Patisserie is French for Pastry shop) . But she can bake Haitian patties (chicken, fish, beef, herring) , too. And they are good. But you need to call her and book in advance (she told me that calling 1 or 2 days in advance is fine).

There are Haitian restaurants that I tried and liked, but they do non Haitian cuisine as well (or mix Haitian cuisine with other influences), therefore I can’t include them in the current list (I’ll try to mention them elsewhere on this blog as part of a larger Haitian/International cuisine’s post). But I’ll keep the current post updated with any new relevant updates.

 

Casavant, Montreal

I do not dine out that much, anymore, these days, as I lost my passion for dining out (it’s just always way better when you cook at home, you control the quality and quantity of the food, it is way way cheaper, you get way more food Lol, and quite frankly — with a little bit of patience/heart/practice you will cook food that is far superior to what comes out from the kitchen of many restaurants. Trust yourself of that one.),  but my tight-knit network of local foodie contacts have strongly recommended  that I make an exception and that I  try  Casavant.

Casavant is marketed as a “brasserie”. For the most part, they are cooking French-inspired fares, with a contemporary twist of their own.

Casavant is considered, in well versed circles, as one of the current most exciting restaurants in town. On a personal note, I was delighted to learn that Ménard Dworkind architecture & design did work on the interior design of Casavant. I am a long time fan of architectures and interior design, and Ménard Dworkind’s work caught my attention since their beginning for their superb work of natural textures and ingenious use of light and colours. The interior of Casavant is pretty and thoughtful, indeed.

As it is the case with many restaurants in North America, these days, especially the new casual venues that are popular (the case of Casavant. Casavant is very popular, indeed), I think that you have a certain amount of time allotted  to you (for eg, I had 1.5hrs allotted to me, but that was without reservation as I just dropped by, and I was eating solo, therefore, if you are interested to go there and that such detail matters to you,  then simply ask them about the amount of time allotted to your party). As far as I am concerned, 1.5hrs was largely sufficient and fair for a solo diner. I do not know about Casavant, but just to give you an idea: on average, at many of those new restaurants that are popular, they may allow a party of 4 to stay for 2hrs, a party of 2 for 1h45, etc. In general, the expectation, for those  restaurants, is to reach a table turnover rate of 3 flips at lunch and dinner.

The food report:

PÉTONCLES FRAIS, CHORIZO DE PASCAL – A Surf and Turf combination of scallops and chorizo. Quality crudo (scallops of good quality), a reminder of how careful they are about their sourcing. The chorizo coming from a nearby boucherie called  Pascal Le Boucher, that also sells quality produce. The chorizo comes in the form of a  ‘crumble” of chorizo (so, if you are expecting big pieces of chorizo interlacing your pieces of scallops, then you did knock at the wrong  door…and frankly, big chunks of chorizo, in such a delicate dish, would have been a bad idea. They are professionals, so they know. Trust their process). The briny saltiness with a slightly sweet and buttery taste of the scallop responding well to the smoky flavor profile and spices of the chorizo. It’s a  time-tested combination of ingredients: seafood like scallops balance out the smoky heat of the chorizo with their freshness and slight sweetness. The green sauce (that you see on the picture) is quite thoughtful and worked really well: it is a blend of an oil of chives with a chorizo flavoured vinaigrette. Very good (the sauce and good sourcing of the crudo stood out, here).  8/10

 

BUCATINI CARBONARA –  Ah, the carbonara…one of the very first dishes of Italian cuisine that I learned to make, with only one firm demand: I’ll learn it from Italian Chefs, zero care about what Non Italians would have to say about it, hahaha. Can’t go wrong with the expected rich flavour of a comforting serving of carbonara.  Here, the cheese/egg yolk mix timely thickened and creamy as it should. Casavant is not Italian (it is Casavant, not Casavante), therefore, in the case of this dish, the approach to expectations was, naturally, not going to be the same I would have at an Italian restaurant. And indeed, they add their little Non traditional Italian touch to this dish, such as the addition of greens atop (which Italians do not do in Italy, usually). They used good eggs and good cheese, all keys to this good take, their take on the Carbonara. Good. 7/10

 

POIRE VIN CHAUD, CRÈME & AIRELLES – Red wine poached pear. In the first 3 years of my adult life, “Poire Vin Chaud” was the star dessert for me. The reason is that, all along my tender chilhood, ” Poires Belle Hélène” (basically poached pears with chocolate sauce) was one of my preferred desserts. When I became an adult, therefore was allowed to drink alcohol, the “boozy” cousin of the ” Poires Belle Hélène”, which is the “Poire Vin Chaud” replaced the “Poire Belle Hélène”. Now, the reason I was a massive fan of pear and chocolate in my tender childhood is that we used, in those days, to have access to pears and chocolate of an exceptional quality. A quality of Pears and Chocolate that is still considered as exceptional nowadays, even by high end dining standards in the West, especially for the pears (you can find good pears, you will have hard time finding exceptional pears). Anyways, I ordered this “Poire Vin chaud” for the nostalgia and my long time love for pears. But Casavant is an artist, he is FREE, he does not like boring stuff, so he does his own things his own way and he does it well: here, half of  the pear is served, using the very same technique you would use for  the classic poire vin chaud, with, on this specific evening,  the poire vin chaud being paired with some crème anglaise and some coconut flavours. So write this down: if someone tells you that pear, crème anglaise and coconut flavour are a bad combination, that person has a bad palate. If someone tells you that it is a logical and fun combination, then he has a good palate (well, when it’s done this well, I mean hahaha). Crème anglaise and coconut flavours blend deliciously well, indeed (in this particular case, the coconut flavour was at the fore during the first 2,3 seconds of the tasting, then the Crème anglaise carried on, which was a lovely sensation). Good 7/10

Bottom line – The very same tight-knit network of local foodie contacts who did recommend Casavant to me, has also recommended a new  Indonesian/Malaysian restaurant that I did try but that did really not impress me, therefore it took me a while to trust them about Casavant, but when I was eventually ready to test Casavant and got to try it, I had to concede that I should not have had any hesitation as  Casavant turned out to be charm (superb service, good food, great wines, superb ambience). And indeed, one of the better restaurants  in Montreal, right now. They take inspiration from the theme of a ‘brasserie’, they boot from there and do their own stuff, their own way, and they know what they are doing. I’ll call it, if you will, a contemporary North American brasserie. It was easy to see that they are having fun in that kitchen (the food was inspired) as well as in that dining room (the staff was uniformly educated/classy/Pro/fun/friendly/attentive) , which is always a blessing for us, the patrons. It’s fun to write about people who are fun. It is inspiring to write about people who are inspired. It was fun and inspiring to write about Casavant. I would happily eat here again! Casavant. Addr: 350 Rue de Castelnau East, Montréal, QC H2R 1P9. https://www.casavantmontreal.com/

 

 

Fuchun Soupe Dumpling, Montreal

 Fuchun first opened in 1995 in Shanghai (Soup Dumplings seem to have originated in 19th century Shanghai) and did well (at some point, according to one serious online account from Shanghai, Fu Chun Xiaolong  was even topping the charts of  Shanghai’s Jing’an District food scene, an important part of Shanghai) , there, so much so that they have expanded to Macau (2019), Tokyo (2020) then Montreal (in 2021).

 

Before I start my food report, just the usual relevant reality check: As usual, when I eat ethnic food outside of its country of origin, I use a very practical “spice” called …. common sense: food cannot and will not always taste exactly the same, especially when the country of origin is situated oceans and continents away from the country where that same food is cooked. Different soil, different water, different “terroir”, different palates to please. Cannot always be the same. Will not always  be the same!  You should always use that common sense  if you want to avoid delusions, trust yourself on that one, Lol. And always remember that a restaurant has a clientele to serve, obviously lol and …NOT our fantasies: for sure, most Chinese food in most North American cities will be…guess what…Americanized, obviously. So expect that. That said, there are still Chinese eateries in North America that do their best to be as genuine as it can be oceans and continents away from where it all started.

It is not easy to recommend a Chinese restaurant in Montreal, for so many reasons: first, if your knowledge of Chinese food is limited to fried rice, dim sum, chow mein, general tao  or other American Chinese dishes such as Beef and broccoli … OMG…please…please..Rfaol…well, you do not need me and I do not want to discuss Chinese food with you, Lol. For obvious reasons. Then, I find that too many people are not realistic enough (hence the previous paragraph). So, yeah, I hate it when people ask me to recommend Chinese food in Montreal as they always end up looking for the aforementioned dishes or confusing the Montreal Chinese restaurant scene with something else. Well, just keep in mind that Chinese food is a universe of food items that is as vast as China. Anyways……………………….

…Anyways, I’m seizing the opportunity of this review to  share with you  some of my current favourite /go-to Chinese eateries on Montreal: (1) Restaurant Chinatown Kim Fung for my fix of dim sum in Montreal. I did review it here, at some point. Listen, the dim sum of your dreams does not exist in Montreal. Point blank. As simple as that. And the KF in Brossard is a tad better. But this joint is always packed to the brim, so my guess is that their weak rating on google is justified by the babies who spend their time  crying when it comes to rating this joint on Google and yet, behind closed doors, they are very happy to eat there. You know…the same theme as the the theme of “the mistress” (she is not great looking enough to parade with, no one talks about her, but everyone look for her when they need real fun. So, just ordinary / casual human hypocrisy… (2)Nouilles de Lan Zhou – Well, this one leaves no room for hypocrisy, Lol. They are praised for what they do, and for a good reason. At whatever they are doing, Nouilles de Lan Zhou stands out in Montreal. If you expect better, then man up and go find it where it should be, but in YUL, NLZ is one of the better examples in  its category. (3)Kanbai. Kanbai, which I reviewed here had, at some point, two offshoots. One in Chinatown, which I found just Ok/nothing more. And another one that was near Guy Concordia (that one, as I explained in this review, was superb). (4)Keung Kee. KK is my dope. As explained elsewhere on this blog, I come from very humble background, so I do not care about looks, elegance, fancy stuff…all that crap. Which means I just go for soul satisfaction. That is it. Nothing else. As an eg, in NYC, I love Lechonera La Piraña…as explained here….but how can you recommend Lechonera La Piraña ? How? It’s such a laidback spot that connects with you or not …on a personal level, so you just need to go there and find out for yourself, Lol. Same logic for KK: I will not go out of my way to  recommend KK to you, Nah, I can’t do that, and I will not, but she is my “mistress”, she delivers joy/fun to my soul  and that’s all that matters to me. Just remember that you are not … me, Lol. Thank you. (5) Yin Ji Chang Fen and  (6) J’ai Feng  .

…As well as the latest updated  short list of Chinese eateries in Montreal that did not impress me (that one is fortunately short, thanks God!) : aunt dai, restaurant vip ,

Ok. Now the food report:

Pork soup dumplings – the taste was classic (nothing funky/extraneous) as expected, which is my preference (I do not mind the modern renditions of soup dumplings but I prefer the classic soup dumplings), with a tender meaty filling and a full-flavoured broth (a time-tested broth, obviously). These were a bit less “brothy” than their peers in town, therefore less messy. They were timely steamed. The skin is thicker than the skin of your other types of dumplings, which is a characteristic of soup dumplings (soup dumplings are, by design, thicker than, say, jiaozi, but then the Shanghainese dumplings are typically not as thin as, say, the ones of Hong-Kong) and yet still thin enough to allow the required proper /perfect/delicate sensation that it seems to dissolve as you bite, with the expected soft and fluffy texture (superb finesse in that texture, btw) in evidence. The authentic superb bold Porky meaty flavour that I was tasting is a taste that is not common under the roof of their competitors in Montreal. Easily some of the finest dumplings in Montreal. 8/10

 Spring rolls (vegetables and pork) – Spring rolls are the kind of food items that people tend to generally not assess properly (they either inaccurately assess most spring rolls as identical, then when they stumble upon one that is particularly fancy they will tell you that it is superior, Lol). I insist on what I just wrote, because the Spring rolls I was having, here, are exactly the sort of Spring rolls that many will confuse with your standard average Spring rolls in Montreal, but that would be as inaccurate as confusing a hill with a mountain. As it is typical of Shanghai-style spring rolls, these had cabbage in them among other classic stuffings (mushrooms, pork, etc). They had a genuinely Chinese flavour profile that, here, in Montreal, is missing in action at plenty of Chinese eateries. On top of the superb taste and the fact that it tasted more “Asian from Asia” than “Americanized Chinese”, there were plenty of other qualities to admire as well: freshly cooked, impeccable frying, flawless homemade wrapper, timely served, superb taste. These, to a properly educated palate and an eye for details were superior to most of the spring rolls you will get in Montreal. You just need to know the difference. 8/10

 

 Shanghai Style Soy Sauce Noodle, to which I did add some extra sesame and peanut butter paste (I strongly recommend that “extra”). Just don’t mix everything (the noodles, the extra sesame and peanut butter paste) at once from the get-go as I do not think that would be a good idea. Instead, eat a bit of the noodles without anything else (they are already great by themselves). Then try a bit of the noodles with the extra peanut butter paste and see how that fares to you. The noodles were tasty, the peanut butter paste equally delicious, the noodles timely cooked, the seasoning and sesame flavour well judged, the noodles responding really well to the beautifully controlled umami and savoury flavour of the soy sauce. Only the egg was just Ok, but at those sweet prices, expecting the egg of your dreams will just serve to expose how delusional you are, Rfaol. A lovely dish by Montreal Chinese current restaurant standards. 8/10.

 

Steamed chicken in Szechuan chili sauce. The genuine Szechuan chili sauce flavour profile at the fore, the heat not pushed to the extreme and that was perfectly fine. This was served intentionally cold with some sparse bites intentionally moderately warm, a fun taste sensation indeed. Good quality chicken, beautiful cooking (timing, seasoning of the big leagues) as it was the case with the other food items as well, great taste. They make good food look easy, Lol, which is always the sign of a great kitchen brigade. Again and again, some Top stuff, by Montreal Chinese restaurants standards. 8.5/10

Fu chun is the reminder that you can please other palates while remaining true to yourself —  I was, the other day, at a widely marketed relatively new Indonesian/Malaysian restaurant in Montreal and was shocked at how their food had more to do with Western food than anything remotely close to Indonesian/Malaysian food. Well, it was Malaysian/Indonesian on paper and in the concept, Lol, but at the end of the round,  I was not eating Indonesian/Malaysian food, I was eating Western fine dining. I love Western food, but for god sake, be yourself! Be what you say you are. Cook what you say you are cooking. Do not be afraid, Lol. And that’s the big problem of some ethnic restaurants: they are so afraid to disappoint that they stop being themselves. Fu Chun is the proof that you can be Authentic/Genuine and still be very accessible to others.

Overall food rating, for this specific meal, by Montreal highest food restaurant standards: 8/10. Strong, strong  performance!

 

Bottom line-  As authentic as your Shanghainese soup dumplings will get in town (to the clowns who compare all sort of soup dumplings as if there’s just one style of soup dumplings on earth…please educate yourself!  Learn to respect the diversity of soup dumplings and stop your senseless comparisons…). And indeed, some of the better freshly hand-made 小笼包 xiǎolóngbāo (soup dumpling) in Montreal. The numerous online accounts (of those in the know) suggesting that it is as genuine as the one in Shanghai is the cherry on the cake (and a good way to flip the bird at the supposedly so-called local food experts who apply themselves to ignore Fu Chun in Montreal in order to protect the other local soup dumpling houses…). If you know your sh**, not in fantasies but in real life, then you will know how superb Fu Chun is, for Montreal. If someone thinks that this is not authentic and great enough by Mtl standards, then that is coming from the same dude who, in his fantasies, thinks that he is in Shanghai, Lol. And even at that, he is failing as the taste, here, was more “genuine Asian” than Chinese American (which is what you are looking for). Fu Chun Mtl was superb: good and efficient service, superb food (for sure, they are a specialist of soup dumplings, and at that, they are superb, but what amazed me is that their non-dumpling food items were also well executed and tasted great). The food was actually affordable (relatively to what you get and pay for in Montreal, these days). I am happily adding Fuchun to the list of my go-to restaurants in Montreal. As long as Fuchun keeps their good standards, I’ll keep going back. Coeur conquis! I would happily eat here again! Long live Fuchun! Fu Chun. Addr: 1978 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1K5. URL: https://www.fuchuncanada.com/

Daldongnae Korean BBQ Montreal

Korean barbecue (고기구이) has evolved a lot in Montreal in the recent years. They are still not on a par with the Korean barbecue spots of  the USA, but the Kbbq standard in YUL has improved.

Daldongnae Korean BBQ has two locations in Montreal (many in Toronto), and I went to eat at their offshoot located at 1850 Saint-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal.

Before I start my food report, just the usual relevant reality check: As usual, when I eat ethnic food outside of its country of origin, I use a very practical “spice” called …. common sense: food cannot and will not always taste exactly the same, especially when the country of origin is situated oceans and continents away from the country where that same food is cooked. Different soil, different water, different “terroir”, different palates to please. Cannot always be the same. Will not always  be the same!  You should always use that common sense  if you want to avoid delusions, trust yourself on that one, Lol. And always remember that a restaurant has a clientele to serve, obviously lol and …NOT our fantasies: for sure, in a city like LA, with the important Korean community that LA has, the standard of their Kbbqs will be higher and different from your Kbbqs elsewhere across North America (especially in cities where the majority of the clientele is either not demanding in that regard or simply “casual” about it). So when you hear a dude who is telling you that this or that North American Kbbq is not Korean enough, the dude is most likely “tripping” and “frozen” in his “Kbbq fantasies” (I mean, if you really want the full genuine Korean experience like in South Korea, then be lucid and  just go to South Korea….do not expect what should not be expected where it should not be expected …)

One last note before we get to that food report: even though that has nothing to do with this review, if you find a great Jjamppong in YUL, please let me know. I doubt I can find a great Jjamppong in Montreal, but who knows? Anyways, let me know if you stumble upon a good one.

Ok, now the food report.

Some of the sides (banchan) and condiments:

–Steamed eggs. It is a popular belief that egg is just egg, but …. well, Nah. Not always and this was a reminder of just that: although Ok/fine enough, like most eggs at most Kbbqs in the nation, indeed, I still did not find this side of eggs to be as great as the side of steamed eggs at, say, a place like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in NYC (which I reviewed here. I know…I know…the food of that meal at KHDB did not impress me, I know…but the eggs of that very same meal at KHDB were superb in that they had a superb texture and were fun to munch on. In this genre, I do personally prefer a proper gyeran jjim, but again and again, do not get me wrong: this was still satisfying enough as you came to expect from steamed eggs in general.

–Corn cheese. Can’t go wrong with the comforting flavours of corn and cheese, indeed, but  for corn cheese at a South Korean eatery, I’d prefer something more elaborate as this specific corn cheese offering was a bit too “basic”, I found. That said, I know I am asking too much here, Lol, as it is a chain and not a solo operation, therefore it is more efficient for them to serve their corn cheese in such straightforward fashion. Satisfying enough. Eat it quickly, though, as it won’t take long before it starts looking like corn suffering from aridity, as you should expect, obviously…. And you do not want to get there.

–Kimchi 김치. Fine enough. It’s a chain, not a solo operation, therefore do not expect benchmark kimchi. But again, this was fine enough (properly/timely fermented, proper crunch, the genuine kimchi spicy, sour, and slightly tangy flavour profile is there ). My only problem is that, by default, they leave it cooking (on the picture above, it’s the little guy that is, clockwise, in between the corn and the egg), which is technically Ok (as you can eat your kimchi cold or hot), but cold kimchi is way better in the lettuce wrap (by far actually). So I quickly removed the kimchi from the warming side of the grill, and that was for the better……..

 

–Soybean paste stew. The base of doenjang (soybean paste) used to proper effect (the proper soybean paste based flavour at the fore, its umami present as it should). This was good, properly executed and tasting as South Korean and it can be.

 

–Pickled cucumber. Again, do not expect some benchmark pickling from a Kbbq chain. Expect that from a solo operation. With that said, Daldongnae Korean BBQ is a Kbbq chain of quality, therefore their pickling was still on point (adequate pickling technique, etc). And the relevant South Korean flavour profile was there (it was certainly not westernized, which is what you are looking for).

 

–Acorn jelly 도토리묵. Another typical South Korean side. Proper execution of  the Dotori-muk (adequate usage of acorn starch, genuine South Korean flavour profile to the pairing seasoning, the expected combined array of bitter/sweet/salty taste sensations at the fore).  The seasoning was actually really good, staying true to its origins and not trying to please non initiated palates, therefore having its  real identity at the fore. So, again and again, not westernized at all, which is a great thing.

 

–Ssamjang 쌈장, the little guy at the bottom in the above picture-  a fermented paste of soy beans to which onion, sesame oil, garlic, red chili paste, etc. are added. They make their own Ssamjang, which shows their seriousness about the quality control of what they serve. The genuine Ssamjang savoury/spicy/umami flavour profile properly expressed as it should and that’s all I am asking ethnic restaurants to do: do like Daldongnae, which means respect the core flavour profile of whatever you are offering. A properly executed Ssamjang.

-Dipping sauces. This is useful in adding more “fun” to your meat. Under this section, you will find combinations of  onion/sweet soya sauce, then  salt/pepper/sesame oil  as well as the typical Ssamjang. All logical /complementary choices of dipping sauces for meat at a Kbbq, with the Ssamjang expected contribution of multi tasting sensations through the sweet/spicy dimension of its gochujang component, savoury doenjan and further enhancement with onions, garlic, sesames, etc.

There were  more sides, such as a potato salad, bean sprouts with soya sauce, seaweed with hot sauce, all having fine taste.

(sides are unlimited as long as there is still meat on the table)

The meat:

You need a minimum of 2 orders. Pork and beef offered in several cuts. Good sourcing of the meat, although, at the end of the day, well … it’s just fine meat, so do not go there expecting the moon where that should not be expected (Daldongnae is not a specialist of meat, it is not a steakhouse, it is a Kbbq). They even have Wagyu for those who want to splurge even more. For the most part, they do not marinade their meat (the idea here, as per their facebook post in that regard, is for us to savour the meat as it is, without any interference from a marinade, etc), but you still have their beef hanging tender that is marinated in herbal seasonings and sesame oil. Depending on the context, I am actually a fan of not marinating the meat (for eg, at an Asador, or grilling a superb steak on charcoal at home, enjoying a dry-aged steak at a steakhouse etc), but as far as Kbbq goes, I personally prefer to marinate the meat  at a Kbbq (with a great marinade, a Kbbq style piece of meat is way more fun to eat), but that is their philosophy and I respect it.

As for the meat, today I ordered beef. But usually, my preferred meat at a Kbbq is  one that is popular with most Kbbq lovers: the samgyeopsal (pork belly). And they have it on their menu at Daldongnae Korean BBQ .

Vegan option available? They have a Vegan set.

As you may have noticed, I did not rate anything in this review (which I usually do for the sole constructive purpose of segregating the bad, the good, the excellent and the benchmark, etc.). That is because, in this specific case, it will convey nothing: in the USA, it makes sense, for me, to rate Kbbqs, because the competition is high and the Kbbq clientele very demanding, therefore I feel compelled to convey how I found a  Kbbq place like Dons Bogam , for example, to fare in comparison to a place like, say,  Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in NYC. In the hot Kbbq scene of Los Angeles (they have a large Korean community in LA),  that is even more pertinent (and of course, as always, it’s subjective). But there’s no Kbbq spot of a level of Dons Bogam in Montreal, and a Kbbq spot like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong would rank among the best in Montreal if they were in Montreal  (I was not impressed by my meal at  Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong  but it would still beat the majority of the Kbbqs in Montreal). In Montreal, there are just 2 or 3 Kbbq places that are better than their direct local competition, and the rest are uniformly just Ok, which makes it useless to start rating them (I’ll just tell you which ones are the better of them, and that will be all you need to know).

To immerse myself wholly in the complete Korean experience, I sipped some Soju. An interesting piece of the history of Soju is that, for a long time, different cities or regions of South Korea had their exclusive / dedicated manufacturers of Soju (as explained here). I did order the Jinro Chamisul Fresh. Distilled spirit from grain and filtered with charcoals . Those advertising the Jinro Chamisul Fresh like to say that it will never leave you with a hangover, and that is so true (well, for sure, if you want to to get there, it eventually will…Lol. But I know plenty of bottles of 360ml and less, with far less advertised level of alcohol, that will leave you with a hangover right from the 1st bottle, whereas this one does not. Lovely nice clean flavour, indeed.

For Montreal, Daldongnae Korean BBQ was really nice. That said, hopefully, one day, with time and a more demanding local Kbbq clientele, the Kbbq standard in Montreal will be as great as, say, the ones in the USA.

Bottom line: This is my  first time trying Daldongnae. I know that Daldongnae is present in Toronto, and I came close to try a Daldongnae during a recent trip to Toronto,  but I ended back at Arisu and Mapo on Bloor Street, two BBQ spots that I frequent when I am in Toronto. Here, in Montreal, I have already tried all the other Kbbq locations. For this first meal at Daldongnae, I did limit myself to the gogi-gui 고기구이 (grilled meat) and the usual pairing of banchan 반찬, but they have plenty of other food items available such as noodle soups, kimchi fried rice, bibimbap, salads, pancakes, beef tartare, etc. I devoured too much meat, therefore I was full, but next time I will go there, I will try their rolled omelette as it is a food item that I like a lot. For the most part, the banchan and condiments tasted of their respective  core flavour profiles, when and where need be (for eg, the Ssamjang, the seasoning of the acorn jelly, the Soybean paste stew had their original flavour profiles at the fore. As for the corn cheese, it was just straight corn and cheese, and not any specific South Korean dish based on corn and cheese, consequently no South Korean flavour profile was expected from their corn and cheese food item and that did apply to their steamed egg as well). It is not cheap, and it is not an AYCE, but it is a top tier Korean BBQ by Montreal standards. As Axl Rose once sang in the song November Rain  “…when I look into your eyes…I can see a love restrained…Darlin’ do not refrain“…hahaha…that one is  relevant, here..as, that is…actually…my sole advice to Daldongnae (as in, “”darling unleash your fun, unleash it, Lol”” …!!! in my mother tongue, French, we say “”Lâche ton fou, ma belle! Lâche ton fou! “”) Daldongnae Korean BBQ  Addr: 1850 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1M1, which is the one that I did visit. But you also have one, in Montreal, located at 1216 Bishop St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2E3. https://www.daldongnaebbq.com/

Indian restaurants in Montreal – My ratings, advice and short notes (Will keep updating this post with any new eatery I would have tried)

Indian food was one of the starring  cuisines of my childhood, therefore one of the very first cuisines I learned to cook and appreciate in all its intricacies. Indian cuisine is as vast as India, obviously, which means that, by Indian food, I am talking about the vast array of  regional Indian cuisines.

I rarely review Indian food for the simple reason that it’s food that I generally order for takeout (there’s an intimate relationship between me and Indian food that dates back from my tender childhood in that it is food that I love so much that I prefer eating it in the comfort of my home, no need of the bells and whistles of a restaurant when you love your food so deeply. That is how deep my love for Indian food happens to be. No kidding ) or simply cook at home.

You will notice that I tend to be partial to classic Indian cuisines, but that does not mean that I do not like creativity. As a matter of fact,  I also like the work of Chefs who bring new ideas to the table. As an example, I am a massive fan of Chef Miheer Shete (Curryish Tavern, Toronto) because of his creative approach of Indian cuisines.

The current blog was created decades ago, and yet, up until 2022, I think I reviewed an Indian restaurant only once on this blog (it was on Indian Accent NYC – And I did that review ONLY because my tight-knit network of close foodies have insisted that I review it and share my experience with them, which I figured would have been better shared on my blog for the sake of knowledge sharing), which always shock those who are aware of my decades long familiarity with Indian food. But that is now changing as, starting from 2023, you will see more and more reviews of Indian restaurants on my blog.

The best Indian food outside of India is, of course, in the UK. People tend to ignore that, for now, because it does not sound trendy…for now…but do not underestimate the standard of Indian food in East Africa (an article, on that, can be found here) as well.

To a certain degree,  you can find genuinely great Indian food  in New Jersey (USA) and Toronto (CAN).

But Montreal has never been that great, in that department. Still, since it is food that I love, I still go to Indian restaurants in Montreal when I feel too lazy to cook Indian food (or not in the mood for that).

Every time I order food from an Indian restaurant in Montreal, I will add my two cents here.

I have visited tons of Indian restaurants in Montreal across the years (I have tried every single Indian eatery in Montreal. It’s simple: as soon as there’s one opening, I try it, therefore I can’t always remember all of them, but when I do, I will come back here and update the current post accordingly.

Moving forward, if I happen to not order food for take out and dine at the eatery, you may see  a review of the meal on this blog (or not, depending on my mood). If I order food for takeout, I do not take pics (takeout food does not look good on photos). At the end of the day, I could not give two bullocks about pictures. as what matters  is what I have to convey.

IMPORTANT: The post date of the current post will remain unchanged (static). But the ratings/quick advice and opinions will be dynamic, which means that even though the current post was published on March 2023, if I visit (or visit again) a restaurant months or years later, that will be documented with its “last visited date” in the current post. The “last visited date” will be continuously adjusted to the …”last visited date”, obviously and the notes updated accordingly, if need be.

Also, expect lots of “not the best, not the worst” and “just Ok” , NOT because there is any shortage of synonyms, Lol…but because the performance at many Indian eateries in Montreal are exactly just that…”not the best, not the worst” and “just Ok”. One of the main issues (for us diners) is how inconsistent the dining scene is, sometimes: for eg, some of those eateries can be a tier 1 operation on a good day, and often a tier 3 one on many days. In such cases, I do not need to feel the urge to imagine what does not exist. And do not expect full detailed reviews as this post is not about that. The current post is a quick overview of my appreciation of the Indian restaurants that I would have tried and keep visiting in Montreal.

Last but not least, before I start my ratings and quick reviews, in the face of the growing ignorant (online) opinions and surreal expectations about food, we’ll go through a quick necessary reality check:

Reality check- As usual, when I eat ethnic food outside of its country of origin, I use a very practical “spice” called …. common sense: food cannot and will not always taste exactly the same, especially when the country of origin is situated oceans and continents away from the country where that same food is cooked. Different soil, different water, different “terroir”, different palates to please. Cannot always be the same. Will not always  be the same!  You should always use that common sense  if you want to avoid delusions, trust yourself on that one, Lol.

So, if you expect your Indian food to be as great, in Montreal, as it is in India or to compare with the far better Indian food in the UK, and/or, to some extent, to the better Indian food of  Toronto or New Jersey…do yourself a favour and fly to India, the UK, Toronto or New Jersey. That is the only way you will make sense.

Here are my ratings, advice and opinions on Indian restaurants that I visit in Montreal  (I will keep updating this post with any new eatery I would have tried, which means that the date of my visits at those restaurants will have nothing to do with the date that the current post has been published as the date of the post will remain unchanged )

–Flavours of India. 1024 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1T1. https://www.flavourindia.com/. Go there ONLY when it is busy (as an example, when it is busy at lunch, or on a friday/saturday evening). It’s not grand luxury, not fancy, not flashy, not trendy. They do not make lots of noise, but that does not stop them, in general, to deliver some decent Indian food in Montreal (by Montreal Indian restaurant standards, I mean). Nowadays, in Montreal, the local authorities do not allow Indian restaurants to have a proper traditional tandoori oven, and yet the Naan (bread) they do is really well made for a Naan that is not baked using a tandoori oven. One of my go-to Indian eateries in Montreal. What I like at Flavours of India is how consistent they are. One thing I do not like is their mango lassi. Last visited: Dec 2023 (as mentioned earlier on, the date I visit a restaurant has nothing to do with the published date of  the current post).

–Maison Indian Curry. 996 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1S8. http://www.maisonindiancurry.ca/menu.html. Around 7-8 years ago, this was one of my go-to Indian eateries in Montreal. In those days, they were consistently great. Then, around 2 years ago, I found  MIC not to be as great as it used to be. Not sure if that is because of their popularity, but some of the dishes felt “hurried” (done too quickly). I never went back, but it’s about time I visit them again and see if they fare better now. Last visited: Oct 2021

–Harry’s Curry Corner. 1263 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC H2S 1J1. https://harryscurrycorner.ca/ – At some point (around the summer of 2021, when they were located at 1418, Rue Cartier, Montreal QC H2K 4C7), HCC was pulling off some of the better Indian food in Montreal. In those days, every single dish was stellar. Even their Naan was a benchmark of its kind in Montreal (a rarity in Montreal, especially since more and more Indian restaurants are not allowed to use tandoori oven). It was also one of those  rare restaurants in Montreal where food dazzled even when it was not busy (for eg, outside of rush hours or on sleepy days)  because the Chef was  always there, cooking for real, cooking as you order. Then I heard that the eatery moved to 1263 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, with a different Chef. So I do not know how good it is, these days. I will visit them, under the tenure of the new Chef, and I’ll keep you posted. Last visited: Summer 2021

–Malhi Sweets. 880 Jarry St W, Montreal, Quebec H3N 1G9. https://www.malhisweets.ca/. Used to be one of my preferred restaurants in Montreal in  between 1998 – 2010. Then I did not find the food to be as great as it used to be. It started to get a bit pricier, too. I never went back since 2010, but who knows, perhaps they are now great again. So try it and let me know. Last visited: Oct 2010.

–Étoile des Indes (Star of India). 1806 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1M1. https://www.starofindiamontreal.com. Not the best, not the worst. Just some Ok Indian food. Not a go-to Indian eatery for me, but if I am in the area and there are no other options for Indian food available in the vicinity, then yeah…why not…I may perhaps pop by. BTW, the one on 5860 Sherbrooke St  is better imho.

–Foodine Restaurant – Indian Street Food & Thali. 4939 Queen Mary Rd, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1X4. I went back several times. It is one of the better Indian  restaurants, in Montreal, at what it does. Some of the better Gujarati flavor to be found, in Montreal, so far. Some of the highlights, for me, have been: premium thali, kathiyawadi thali, sahi paneer, dabeli, vada pav, vegetable biryani. They cook some good curries and the basundi was fine, indeed. Last visited: January 2024.

–Bombay Mahal. 1001 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1T2. https://www.restaurantbombaymahal.ca/en/. I had some decent dishes here, but also dishes that impressed less. But in general, I am not a fan (I found BM to be decent enough, but not great, although, these days, far better than Maison Indian Curry which is located nearby). Interestingly, when they launch a new project, it is always better than what they do at their original location: as an example, their sister eatery Bombay Mahal Thali on 1629 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1L8 (but now permanently closed) had food that tasted better, especially in the first 3 months of BMT. Last visited: Summer 2022

–Lakshana’s Chettinad South Indian Restaurant. 5623 Chem. de la Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal, QC H3T 1Y8. https://www.lakshanaschettinad.com/.
One of the better South Indian food in Montreal. They have enjoyed such a great success that they have several branches in town. But the only one I know is the one in Côte-des-Neiges. There are little flaws I noticed, across the years, such as a sambar that is sometimes a bit mushy for my taste, but in general the food tastes great (some of my favourite dishes at LC: Mendu vada, Masala dosa). Last visited: November 2023

–Le 409. Addr: 409 McGill St, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2G3. https://le409.com/. Easily one of the best Indian restaurants in town (great food, great service, etc.). Somehow, I was expecting something not genuinely Indian as per some of the online reviews, but that seemed to have come from people who are frozen in some “1980s Indian food and mood fantasies” and who, most likely, are  confusing “level of spice” with “proper flavour profile”. Or, who knows, perhaps Le 409 looks too pretty and that may have been a distraction, Rfaol. Jokes aside, what makes Indian food genuine is its flavour profile, not the fact that the level of heat of the spices is tongue-splitting/mouth -burning , and even at that game, le 409 is offering proper level of heat where it should be. In other words, for a lucid person who really knows Indian food for what it is and not for what his fantasies want it to be, le 409 is delivering proper Indian flavour profiles. I went back 2,3 times and I did a review at some point on them. That review can be found here. Last visited: February 2024.

–India Beau Village Restaurant. 640 Jarry St W, Montreal, Quebec H3N 1G2. https://indiabeauvillagemontreal.com. It used to be one of my go-to Indian places in Montreal. But on my last visit here, I did not find the food to be as great as it used to. Perhaps just an off day. I’ll give them another try, one of those days, to see if that last visit was just an accident, although I am not in a hurry to go back.  Last visited: Summer 2023.

–Chand Palace.  989 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1S9. The thali and their pulao rice are good, but at the end of the day, CP, as far as I am concerned, is just Ok (meaning not the best, not the worst). Last visited: Summer 2021

–Restaurant Gandhi. 230 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1Z9. Another restaurant that I would qualify as not the best, not the worst. Just Ok. And a bit pricey for the quantity of food, I found. But I ate there just once, and that was in 2017.  So my opinion is based on that single visit. Classy service. Last visited: April 2017

–Classic India Restaurant. 6914 Av. Querbes, Montréal, QC H3N 2B2. https://classicindiamontreal.com/. A humble looking pocket eatery offering pocket-friendly Indian food. Given their sweet spot prices, expecting the best Indian food in town to come  from them would be as delusional as it can be. As a cost-effective operation, CIR is hard to beat, in Montreal, these days. For the price, CIR is not bad at all (in my opinion, their curries are their strength and theirs are, actually, as good as at plenty of Montreal’s Indian restaurants charging crazy $$). I did a review of my most recent meal at CIR, review that you can find here. Last visited: January 2023.

–Thanjai Restaurant. 4759 Ave Van Horne, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1H8. https://thanjaigroup.com/. It’s a group of restaurants but it is satisfactory enough. The level of Indian food in Montreal is not strong, therefore a restaurant like Thanjai stands out easily. Indeed, among the better Indian eateries in Montreal. You can’t go wrong with most of their food (Their vadas, gulab kamun, kothu porotta, idlis, etc. are some of the better renditions you will find in Montreal). Last visited: January 2024

–Punjab Canteen. 5323 Queen Mary Rd, Montreal, Quebec H3X 4B1 – As authentically Punjabi as your flavours will get in Montreal (of course, they have fusion/other non traditional items as well, but the traditional items are as authentically Punjabi as it gets in Mtl). Even though they are known for their Chole bhature, rightly so, I have to say that pretty much everything was to my taste (for eg, the amritsari kulcha, etc.), across 3 visits , at the exception of the vegetarian biryani (I did not like that one at all). Another one of the better Indian eateries in Montreal. I never tried their other branches in Montreal and have always visited the one on Queen Mary Rd. Last visited: January 2024

–Darbar. 2027 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2T3. https://darbarmontreal.com/. Not bad at all, with actually couple of food items I genuinely liked (shahi paneer, baingan bharta, murgh pakora, garlic naan, dal makhani, tandoori chicken), and few others that did not impress me much (their biryani, for eg). I would not mind going back (I already did twice), which is a good thing. Last visited: November 2023

–Restaurant Singh. 890 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1S6 – I was not too happy with the naan (anyways, in Mtl, great naan is increasingly turning into a rarity), but the food was generally Ok (lamb kebab and chicken biryani were actually decent, the last time I went there). I would not mind going back to RS, at some point in the future.

–Bawarchi Indian Cuisine Montreal. 1249 Bishop St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2E2. Bawarchi is a restaurant chain but it has better byriani than what you will get at plenty of solo Indian operations in Montreal. This is, right now, one of the better byriani in Montreal. I ate there twice and I did a review on them, a review that you can find here. Last visited: January 2023.

–Le Taj. 2077 Stanley St, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1R7. https://www.restaurantletaj.com/.  Not the best (I had better Classic Indian food in Montreal), Not bad at all (there are certainly plenty of local classic Indian restaurants that are not as good as Le Taj), and actually pretty much decent at what it is doing when you consider the general standard of classic Indian restaurants in Montreal. A safe bet in the face of the reality of the classic Indian dining scene in Montreal. Good service. Last visited: January 2024.

Some restaurants that closed and that I dearly miss:  Nawab e punjab (7681 Newman Blvd, Lasalle, Quebec H8N 1X8), Palais de L’ Inde (None of the Palais de L’Inde currently opened in Montreal BUT the one that was on St Laurent Street, very close to the old Thai Grill / Corner Laurier. It was opened in the mid 1990s and closed since a long time. It was not a fancy place, and their competitors were busy putting them down online while they were busy cooking some of the most dazzling Indian food that Montreal ever had. One of the last few Indian restaurants that was allowed to use a traditional tandoori oven, and OMG they were using it to great effect as testified by the best Naan Montreal ever had).

Next on my  to-do list (they were all visited a long time ago, way too long for me to have a proper recollection of  my meals at those eateries, therefore I will visit them again and will update the current post accordingly) : Bombay Choupati (5011 Sources Blvd, Pierrefonds, Quebec H8Y 3E3), Masala Art (11612 Salaberry Blvd, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec H9B 2R8), Akshayapatra (4167 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J8), Jay Bhavani Vadapav (1224 Bishop St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2E3), Dosa Pointe (895 Rue Jean-Talon O, Montréal, QC H3N 1S7), Chez Dévi (1450 Crescent St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1R1),restaurant Didar (5987 Victoria Ave, Montreal, Quebec H3W 2R9), Royal Biryani Restaurant (1550 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1N1), Desi vibes bar and grill (4847 Sources Blvd, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Quebec H8Y 3C6), Maison ChaïShaï (2005 Bishop St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2E9), Bombay Chaat & Paan (1487 Rue MacDonald, Saint-Laurent, QC H4L 2A8), Madras Curry House (1242 Mackay St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2H4), Palais d’Ajit (4801 Rue de Verdun, Verdun, QC H4G 1N2),Hyderabadi Adda (4976 Queen Mary Rd, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1X2), Punjab Delight (1661 Dollard Ave, Lasalle, Quebec H8N 1T7), Plateau Indian Cuisine (930 Rue Roy E, Montréal, QC H2L 1E7), Shaan Tandoori (2550 Boul. Lapinière #101, Brossard, QC J4Z 2M2), Chennai Express (521 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1B2).

I’ll keep coming back with more. Stay tuned!