09 November 2005

montreal restaurant review 1.0

going through my stacks of business cards and matchboxes offers me a glimpse into my love affair with food, and how it's changed since i've moved from the west coast to montreal.

i was raised by foodies, spoiled absolutely rotten by food. i must admit, unfortunately, that i did take it for granted, and did not appreciate it at certain times. i feel like this is criminal, because there are so many more who deserved my place at those tables. i have never starved, i have never been without. i'm almost ashamed of my gluttonous past...

since leaving seattle (my birthtown) i have begun to collect new sweet and savory memories of a more appreciative sort. good meals are now most often a result of excellent company, not just an excellent sous chef.

in montreal, service is very different from seattle (and perhaps generally the west coast). i could write an essay on this, but for the moment i'll leave that be. on with the review!

in no particular order (except how they appeared in my stack of business cards)

:TEHRAN
persian

5065 Boul. de Maisonneuve O. (at Grey)
514 488 0400
Metro Vendome

excellent persian food. prices have risen since another persian restaurant (can't remember the name) opened downtown. a bit less casual. no strollers sign on the door (...). i ate the kafta plate i believe, and enjoyed some of the koresht and tadik my friend had, both of which were not on the standard menu.

:CHEZ BONG
korean

B-(as in basement level) 1021 St Laurent, H2Z 1J4
514 396 7779
Metro St Laurent
Chinatown

good solid korean food, home style. assortment of grillades (bulgogi, kalbi...), soups and stews and appetizers. i have only seen 3 cold side dishes: the standard milder variety of kim chi, beansprouts and pickled radish. their dol sat bibim bap is great.

:RISTORANTE SPAGGIO'S
italian

6680 rue Sherbrooke E, H1N 1C9
514 251 1001
(this is the one i go to)

1940 Boul. St Martin O, Laval, H7S 1M9
450 978 7440

3689 Boul. St Jean, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, H9G 1X1
514 624 5353

nice generic italian at really affordable prices. their portions on certain items is rather overwhelming. i pretty much always get the tuna rare in a mushrrom sauce. i always have left overs.

:RESTAURANT BERLIN
german

101 rue Fairmount O, H2T 2M4
514 270 3000
Open Tuesdays through Sundays 17h-23h

awesome german food. a selection of schnitzels, from standards like weinerschnitzel, ones piled with mushrooms to three cordons: cordon bleu, cordon rouge & cordon vert. they also have a chefs plate for the indecisive which samples the sausages on the menu, a cordon bleu and a roulade. prices are around 15$ and up. all dishes come with sides and a great house salad. some of the main courses come with a shot of apple schnapps. extensive german beer list.

:BYBLOS
persian

1499 Laurier E, H2J 1H8
514 523 9396
Metro Laurier

nice relaxed cafe atmosphere. sunday night they serve the national dish "the dizzy," which is a great stew one drinks the broth of before making a spread out of the remaining ingredients. on a sunday night we always go for a side plate of the creamiest feta ever, a dizzy and one of the nightly specials. i have never been dissappointed. the owners are friendly and welcoming, and the after meal tea and plump date are a great way to finish it all up.

:SPIRITE LOUNGE
vegetarian

1201 Ontario E, H2L 1R5
514 522 5353

my favorite vegetarian meal in montreal. they serve a two course set meal that includes a soup and a crepe filled with a mix of veggies and legumes with usually two different purees on top. the decor is intensly saturated and pays homage to the glitter of aluminum. they practice a philosophy of not letting food go to waste and therefore require you finish your entrie meal before ordering dessert. if you don't finish dessert you will be banned form the restaurant... my dear love thinks this is food extremism, but recently enjoyed one of their meals. the portions are generally petite and their cocktails are pretty darn good. students enjoy a discount.

:TONG POR
chinese, vietnamese and thai

43 de la Gauchetiere E, H2X 1P4
514 393 9975

behold, my chinese half finds great solace in this chinatown restaurant. i can't explain what makes some chinese resto's my favorites, but this one has become just that. the salt and pepper fish is extra tasty, and they will cook items not found on the menu. the staff is extremely helpful and good natured, and the prices seem to get cheaper the more frequently you go ;)

:MIKADO
japanese

368 Laurier O, H2V 2K7
514 279 4809

5515 Monkland, H4A 1C8
514 369 3659

And another one (not listed on the business card i have) on St Denis in the Quartier Latin
Metro Berri UQAM

great cuisine. good for a night out with anyone who appreciates or wants to try sushi since it's neither too humble nor too hip for anyone. nightly specials and non sushi dishes available.

:ZEN YA
japanese

(I'm not looking at the business card, but) St Catherine O, upstairs, east of the Bay.
Metro Place des Arts or Mcgill

some of the best meals i've had in montreal have been here. must enjoy trendiness, because you may not be comfortable otherwise in the dim lighting and dark decor. service is excellent, prices are decent and the sake toro sushi is amazing... they only have one type of hot sake available, but they do have a very full bar (watch the prices there). i find making reservations for friday and saturday nights is a wise choice.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home