Montreal Round 4

Almost a whole month in Montreal. Lucky me. This trip was pretty chill with a bachelor party and friend’s wedding thrown in for good measure.

Vladimir Poutine
Village au Pied-du-Courant
Mon Ami
Ruby Rouge
Kampaï Garden
Ma Poule Mouillée
La Banquise
Schwartz’s
Dieu du Ciel
L’Avenue
Au Kouign Amann
La Boîte aux Huîtres
Kem CoBa
Wilensky
Le Sainte-Elisabeth
Nouilles de Lan Zhou
Le Passé Composé
Terrasse St-Ambroise
Tacos Frida
Dalla Rose
Café Melbourne
Hof Kelsten
Coco Rico
Le Mondial De La Biere
Pho Bac 97
Ripples
Grillade Da Silva
Boustan
Pho Do Thi
Ichigo Ichie
Olive et Gourmando
Dunn’s Famous
Souvlaki Bar
Agrikol
Le Saint-Bock
Cuisine AuntDai
Garage Cafe
Maison du Nord
Cacao 70
Mango Bay
Café Bazin
Crèmerie Meu Meu
Otto Bistro
Patisserie Efes
Afroditi
Pasta da Panza
Rockaberry
Cuisine Szechuan
Typhoon Lounge
Schnitzelhaus
Tomasan Ramen
Street Art

Vladimir Poutine

After getting our shop on downtown, we were in desperate need of a snack. We decided to check out Vladimir Poutine, which is connected to Le Cinq (this used to Club 1234).

Sign welcoming you in.

Outside menu.

We dropped in on a Friday afternoon (around 4:45pm). We sat outside on the patio which was perfect for a summer day. Service is friendly and they brought us out a jug of water after we asked for one.

The menu is split into appetizers, to share, poutines, burgers, desserts and beverages.

Poutines are a bit pricey and come in two sizes options.

Cousin treated herself to a drink while we waited for our poutines.

Mussolini ($10.00 small)
Homemade Italian sausage, cheese and fries. Gravy wasn’t as rich as the rasputin. The poutine was decent but the bottom fries get really soggy from the gravy.

Rasputin ($12.00 small)
Smoked meat, beef confit, crispy onions, Russian dressing, cheese and fries. We got the Russian dressing on the side as my cousin is allergic to egg.

Tasty! Sliced beets was an interesting addition. The gravy was extremely rich and buttery but I can’t say I was a big of a fan of the overly fatty smoked meat.

There’s cheaper and better quality poutine to be had in town. Decent but not on my go to list.

Vladimir Poutine
http://www.vladimirpoutinemtl.com/
1234A Rue de la Montagne
Montreal, QC
(514) 395-1111

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Village au Pied-du-Courant

We were in the area so we decided to check out Village au Pied-du-Courant.

Only open from June 1 to September 15, Thursdays to Sunday.

They’ve changed a few things up from last year but essentially, it’s still the same.

Hammocks if you can manage to snag one.

Cool DJ area.

Lots of fun art pieces and tons of seating to chill/hang out.

Cheap beer and shots if you want to get the night started early.

Bars all over the area along with food trucks.

If you’re in the hood, it’s worth a visit.

Village au Pied-du-Courant
https://www.aupiedducourant.ca
2100 Rue Notre-Dame E
Montréal, QC
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Mon Ami

We were famished after a busy day so we decided to check out a Korean place, Mon Ami, for a late night dinner. It’s BYOB! They have several locations around the city. Interesting that the other Somerled location specializes in Korean BBQ.

Chicken wing deals yo.

Hours. Note that they’re closed between 2:00pm to 4:00pm for break.

We dropped in on a Friday evening (around 9:00pm). The place wasn’t too busy so we were able to grab seats right away. There’s three tables on their patio that looked like a perfect spot for an evening meal.

The menu is split into KFC (three kinds), meals/soup/noodles, lunch and dessert.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

Banchan
We got five side dishes; kimchi, coleslaw, seaweed salad, pickled radish and daikon.

Seaweed salad was my favourite.

Kimbap (#41) ($6.99)
Korean style sushi. Pretty decent.

Japchae (#52) ($9.99)
This was a pretty small portion of noodles.

Fried chicken (#1) ($12.49 half)
There were 5 pieces of KFC in our basket. Lightly fried, not greasy and moist, tender chicken.

Good but it was plain; I’d get it with a sauce next time.

Bulgogi (#22) ($15.99)
It comes with a side of rice. The beef was super flavourful and oh so tender.

Bulgogi dolsot bibimbap (#23) ($12.99)
We got the fried egg on the side.

The hot stone bibimbap was great. Nice and crispy rice. Add the gojumchang to taste.

Spicy pork dolsot bibimbap (#23) ($11.99)
First one was so good we ordered another one with spicy pork.

Solid comfort style Korean eats.

Mon Ami
http://www.restomonami.com/
6290 Avenue Somerled
Montreal, QC
(514) 439-2580

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Ruby Rouge

Surprisingly, I’ve never been to Ruby Rouge before but it’s located inside and upstairs in a plaza in Chinatown.

Lobster special advertised on the doors when you first walk in.

We dropped in Saturday evening (around 8:30pm). The inside is massive; Chinese banquet style. We were a group of 8 but they took us without delay. Place was not busy at all.

The menu is in typical Chinese style. Service was rough; we asked and double, triple checked about an allergy and they gave the okay that everything was fine. First dish they brought out had peanuts in it. No apologies or anything. Unacceptable.

Click here to see the dinner menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).

Trip #1
House soup

Rice

Shanghai noodles
Meh. Noodles lacked texture.

Duck with taro in coconut milk
This was pretty different. Duck was tasty.

Sweet and sour chicken
Wasn’t a fan. Sauce was too sweet.

Honey garlic spare ribs
Pleasant texture to the ribs.

Five spice bean curd with tendon and beef
Five spice is prominent and up in your face but I liked it.

Steamed chicken with bok choy

Gai lan

Black fungus with pork

Beef chow fun
We always get this dish. Much more satisfying than the Shanghai noodles.

Salted pepper pork chops
This was legit. Good spicy heat to the pork chops.

Snow peas with mushrooms and chicken

Oranges and fortune cookies
Always refreshing to get orange slices at the end.

Trip #2
We came on a Sunday afternoon for dim sum. What a change, the place was packed to the brim. Prices were decent; most were around the $3.75 mark. There’s also a few dishes you can order off a small menu (click 1 and 2).

Lo bak goh

Seafood dumplings

Shrimp vegetable dumpling

Beef, beef tripe and potatoes

Beef cheung fun

Ha cheung fun

Fu jok guen

Curry beef tendon
Love tendon. This had a great texture and tasty sauce.

Shrimp tofu

Fung jeow
Purely a texture thing. Always find chicken feet too fatty.

Wo guk

Standard Chinese food. Nothing stands out for dinner but dim sum is better.

Ruby Rouge
http://www.restaurantrubyrouge.com/
1008 Rue Clark
Montreal, QC
(514) 390-8828

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Kampaï Garden

The cousins wanted to go out so we decided to check out Kampai Garden. Apparently, Nina Dobrev was in there chilling somewhere.

We were able to get onto the guestlist but the line wasn’t even that bad for a Saturday night. Surprising because it’s normally packed.

It’s a hip spot and the place is huge. Place was bumping all night long.

Shots are cheap ($4.00) but they tasted watered down. Cousins were not pleased about that. Especially because they ordered a shit ton.

I had a Shock Top beer. Their on tap options were unfortunate.

Kampaï Garden
https://www.kampaigarden.com/
1616 Rue Sainte-Catherine O
Montreal, QC
(514) 379-6161

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Ma Poule Mouillée

Been to MPM a few more times since my original review so I decided an update as in order. It’s a great spot to grab food and head over to Parc Lafontaine.

Chickens on the grilllllllllllll. Sexy.

We dropped in on a Sunday afternoon (around 2:00pm) and it was busy. We lucked out and snagged two tables at their patio outside.

The menu is up on the walls; the menu du jour is a nice change up!

They had four options this time (calamari, mixed combo, beef brochette and salmon). Click here to see the takeout menu (1 and 2).

Pastries and NATAS are in the back part of MPM.

Prices are pretty reasonable.

They also had some Portugeuse buns and bread.

You can also buy their piri piri sauce for home.

Trip #1
Tony alves (#1) ($15.00)
Whole chicken. We got it spicy. A little greasy but overall, pretty good.

Grilled calamari ($15.00)
This took forever to come out and it was a really small portion. Quite oily but not bad. Probably not worth the price point. Stick with the chicken.

A salada matilde (#10) ($9.00 large)
A large salad without the chicken. The best part was the homemade honey Dijon sauce.

Bon, les Portugais font de la poutine ($14.00 large)
Poutine with São Jorge cheese, chicken and grilled sausage. This was the best out of three poutines we ate (the other two were from La Banquise).

Good fries, good cheese and tender meats. A small ($9.00) seems more reasonable.

2x Le p’tit talbot (#5) ($6.00)
Chicken sandwich for my cousin’s road trip home.

J’adore mon choriço (#7) ($12.00)
An entire grilled sausage. They put spicy sauce on this as well.

Good flavour and well spiced.

Pain grand-mère ($4.00 for 12)
My aunt bought a dozen Portuguese buns for home.

Natas ($1.50), coconut tart ($1.50), peach tart ($2.30) and almond tart ($2.30)
Had to get my nata fix in! Still so good and creamy. Other tarts hit the spot.

Trip #2
Le p’tit talbot (#5) ($6.00)
Decided to try the chicken sandwich ourselves. Surprisingly good. Chicken went perfectly with the bun. It’s also a perfect size to share.

Bon, les Portugais font de la poutine ($9.00 small)
Small is much more manageable but it was still a stretch to finish between two.

Good but this is more poutine than I ate while I lived in the city.

2x Natas ($1.50 each)
Still as good and creamy as last time. Always have to get one.

Always come back to MPM to satisfy my Portuguese cravings.

Ma Poule Mouillée
http://mapoulemouillee.ca/
969 Rue Rachel Est
Montreal, QC
(514) 522-5175

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La Banquise

It’s been years since my last visit to La Banquise but one of my cousins was obsessed with checking them out. It’s nearby to Ma Poule Mouillée.

We dropped in on a Sunday afternoon (around 2:00pm). Still blows my mind that this place is open 24/7 and has a bouncer at night.

There’s more than 30 types of poutines available but they also have burgers, hot dogs, salads, breakfast, desserts and drinks. They even have their own beer.

La trois viande ($16.00 large)
Ground beef, pepperoni and bacon. This was really salty.

La Rachel ($14.40 large)
Green peppers, mushroom and onions. The cheese curds are nice and squeaky. I liked this one better than the three meats.

Obviously, this place is beloved for its poutine but I’ve never been a big fan of La Banquise.

La Banquise
http://www.labanquise.com/
994 Rue Rachel E
Montreal, QC
(514) 525-2415

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Schwartz’s

I used to live right by Schwartz’s so I always walked passed the never ending queue of people lining up for them. Doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, it’s always busy. They’ve been around since 1928 (celebrating their 90th anniversary)!

Hours.

Cash only.

We dropped in on a Monday evening (around 9:00pm). No line but it was busy inside. We grabbed a table in the back and put in our orders right away.

The menu is up on the walls: sandwiches (smoked meat, turkey and salami), side orders and larger plates.

Simple and small. No frills, you know?

They also have some merch and spices that you can buy at the cashier.

Dill pickle ($2.35)
We got one pickle to share. Good crunchy texture.

2x Smoked meat sandwich ($9.95)
You choose what type of meat you want (lean, medium and fatty). We both went with medium as you get the best of both worlds.

They pile up the smoked meat along with mustard slathered on the bread. Satisfying.

It’s still as good as my last visit. Reliable, reasonably priced and an iconic institution in Montreal.

Schwartz’s
http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/
3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 842-4813

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Dieu du Ciel

I had a friend in town visiting that likes beer so obviously, I had to take her to one of the OG spots. DDC is a classic and I’ve been here many times.

We dropped in on a late Monday evening and the place was packed! I shouldn’t be surprised but almost all the tables were full and it was 10:00pm.

Cool that you can see what’s in development and what’s almost ready to drink.

The beers available is up on the walls. One in the front and another in the back.

5x Degustation ($2.50 each)
We decided to share and sample five different beers. My favourite was the raspberry sour wheat (#6) while my friend enjoyed the Belgian hibiscus wheat (#7). We also tried the imperial coffee stout (#17), lime and juniper berry white beer (#14) and cocoa & vanilla stout (#5).

Dieu du Ciel
http://dieuduciel.com/en/
29 avenue Laurier Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 490-9555

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L’Avenue

I’ve never been a huge brunch person but i finally made it out to super duber popular L’Avenue. They have a second location in St. Henri.

Hours.

We dropped in on a Tuesday morning (10:30am) and were seated almost immediately. Timed it perfectly because by the time we left, the line was huge. Servers are friendly and our waiter was fantastic. Constantly refilled our drinks and made sure we were well taken care of.

The menu has so many options: coffees, milkshakes, exotic juices (aka. fresh smoothies), teas, freshly squeezed classics, complete breakfast, omelettes/famous eggs, pancakes/French toast, eggs benedict, sandwiches, salads and burgers.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).

Make sure you check out the washrooms. I don’t think I’ve ever recommended one before.

A little glow in the dark action.

Coffee ($1.50) – cheap and free refills.

Mango, pineapple + lychee ($7.77)
It’s a massive drink so be smart and share. The fruit was fresh and thick. A bit hard to suck up with the paper straws but you get used to it eventually.

The indecisive ($17.77)
2 free range eggs with a side of fruit skewer, grilled breakfast potatoes and choice of bread (we went with brown bread).

We also picked our two savoury (bacon and homemade sausage with herbs) and one sweet (pecan pie French toast).

The French toast was bomb! That caramel butter on top was unbelievable. Potatoes were excellently seasoned. The egg, bacon and sausage were pretty standard.

Definitely understand why this place is so popular. Come early otherwise be prepared to wait in line.

L’Avenue
http://restolavenue.ca/
922 Avenue du Mont-Royal E
Montreal, QC
(514) 523-8780

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Au Kouign Amann

If I’m in the Mont Royal neighbourhood, I always make a point to stop into Au Kouign Amann. I almost missed it this time as they’ve changed the signage.

Hours.

Menu is pretty much the same with the slightest hike in prices.

Closeup of a few pastries and sausage rolls.

Everything always looks so good, not to mention smells heavenly.

Kouign amann ($2.18)
Buttery, flaky goodness. Seriously, one piece is the perfect amount.

Can’t get enough of their kouign amann’s. Amazing.

Au Kouign Amann
https://www.facebook.com/Au-Kouign-Amann
316 Avenue du Mont-Royal E
Montréal, QC
(514) 845-8813

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La Boîte aux Huîtres

While roaming around JTM, we spotted La Boîte aux Huîtres. It’s located on the north east side of the market.

We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 1:15pm). There’s more than a dozen different types of oysters to choose from.

They even have tasting platters ($30.00 for a dozen).

A bit random but you have to pay inside first then bring the receipt out to the oyster shucker.

Buck a shuck is every Tuesday. For us, the special was malpèques.

Mignonette
This was actually tasty. I normally like my oysters plain but this was a good addition.

Dozen malpèques ($1.00 each)
Couple of these were huge! They tasted pretty fresh but a few had bits of shell in them. The horseradish was freshly grated and came with a few slices of lemon.

Decent but I’d only come on a Tuesday for their buck a shuck special

La Boîte aux Huîtres
https://www.laboiteauxhuitres.ca/
7070 Avenue Henri Julien
Montreal, QC
(514) 277-7575

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Kem CoBa

Kem CoBa never disappoints. I always make sure to come for a visit (or two) every time I’m back in town. Their homemade soft serve is the best! They even opened up a second location (Tétreaultville).

I’m still surprised that they only open till 8:00pm. Especially given there’s always a line whenever I go. Luckily, the line moves quickly. Once, the line was around the corner but only took 15 minutes.

Flavours they had in the case this time around.

Dulce de leche and pear sorbet ($4.57)
Both were fantastic but the pear sorbet was off the charts.

I want this again so badly.

La bien-aimée ($4.57)
Almond ice cream and sour cherry sorbet. Almond was fantastic but somewhat overpowered the sour cher! Sour cherry was subtle but still delicious.

I can say with confidence that Kem CoBa is my favourite place in the city for ice cream.

Kem CoBa
https://kemcoba.com
60 Avenue Fairmount Ouest
Montréal, QC
(514) 419-1699

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Wilensky

I’ve passed by Wilensky’s so many times but have never stopped in for a sandwich. They’ve been doing their thing since 1932.

Outside menu.

We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 3:00pm). The inside is the definition of old school. There’s about 10 wiggling counter stools.

The vintage panini presses that they use to cook the sandwiches look well used.

The menu is up behind the counter; Wilensky special, hot dogs, cold sandwiches, egg cream soda, soft drinks, milkshakes and other drinks.

Almost nothing has changed about this place. Don’t even think about asking for the special to be made a different way.

Only 12 cents when it debuted. Crazy.

Wilensky special with Swiss cheese ($4.53)
Sandwich made with beef salami and bologna with mustard and grilled on a roll.

It’s a perfect snack. Bun is nicely grilled.

It’s worth a try. Cash only and no tipping necessary.

Wilensky
http://top2000.ca/wilenskys/index.htm
34 Avenue Fairmount Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 271-0247

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Le Sainte-Elisabeth

Always take newbies to one of my favourite drinking spots in the city.

Hours are insane. 3:00pm to 3:00am every single day.

We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon. Basically, the calm before the storm. Nice to have the place to ourselves for a little bit.

First time I’ve ever seen a menu here.

All day happy hour on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday is from 3:00pm to 8:00pm (summertime).

Boreale ($4.50 pint)
Happy hour special. Nothing really special about Boreale but it’s cheap at least.

Creemore premium lager ($4.50 pint)
Their other happy hour special. This one was a bit tastier than the Boreale.

Love Sainte-Elisabeth for the chill vibes and beautiful terrasse.

Le Sainte-Elisabeth
https://www.facebook.com/Pub-Le-Sainte-Elisabeth/
1412 Rue Sainte-Elisabeth
Montreal, QC
(514) 286-4302

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Nouilles de Lan Zhou

Came back for a second round with Cbear to try their hand pulled noodles again.

Hours.

Outside menu.

As always, you can watch them making the noodles out front. Looks like a massive dollop of dough.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).

Lan Zhou special beef noodles combo ($10.97 small)

Noodle with homemade pork sauce ($10.99)
Noodles are homemade and good toothsome texture. Crazy amount in one bowl (this was a medium). The minced pork was way too salty.

Still a solid spot in my books to get hand pulled noodles.

Nouilles de Lan Zhou
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nouilles-De-Lan-Zhou/
1006 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montréal, QC
(514) 800-2959

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Le Passé Composé

Second brunch in a row (a rarity for me) was at La Passé Composé. Never been here before but it’s close to Le Red Tiger.

We dropped in on a Wednesday morning (around 10:30am) and the place was busy. The place is quite spacious inside and the terrace is even bigger. Lots of cute picnic tables outside.

The menu is split into menu of the week, classics, poached eggs, omelettes, lunch, grilled cheese, sweet eats, kid’s corner and sides. Interesting/random that they had ramen on the menu.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4) and drinks (1 and 2).

Potage ($6.00)
Cream of celery root and maple syrup. Served with croutons. The croutons were way too toasted.

The soup was creamy and rich but a bit too heavy.

The plus que parfait ($21.00)
Homemade gnocchis, wild mushrooms, cipollini onions, arugula, padano cheese and two sunny side eggs. Served with fresh fruit and a toasted baguette.

The fresh fruit was excellent, especially the small spiced mango pudding.

The gnocchi were pillowy soft. The mix of onions, arugula, mushroom and eggs worked surprisingly well. Everything was tasty and the flavours worked harmoniously. Not sure if I could eat a whole plate to myself but sharing this was perfect.

Good brunch spot but this isn’t a place you come to every weekend. A bit too pricey for my blood.

Le Passé Composé
http://www.bistropassecompose.com/
1310 Boulevard de Maisonneuve E
Montreal, QC
(514) 524-6663

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Terrasse St-Ambroise

I’ve never been to Terrase St-Ambroise but bought a LivingSocial deal years ago (remember the coupon craze?) and never used it. Well, we decided to check it out for some day drinking.

Hours. Odd that they’re closed on Sunday.

We dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon (around 4:00pm). The terrasse is huge with picnic tables and tables all over the place.

The view of the silos in the background is breathtaking.

Loved how they had two beanie bag tossing games you could play.

Close up of the beer taps.

The menu is behind the counter. Beer, cider and wine for drinks.

Snacks, pizzas, burgers and hot dogs make up the small selection of food.

Palette de dégustation ($12.00 for 6)
We went with abricot (apricot), cream ale, framboise (raspberry), stout, IPA tangerine and IPA pamplemousse (grapefruit).

The apricot and raspberry were the best.

Did not enjoy the cream ale or stout; both were incredibly bland and generic. Liked how you could actually taste the grapefruit in the IPA. Decent beers but they lack depth and uniqueness.

Come for the chill relaxing terrasse away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Just expect very generic tasting beers.

Terrasse St-Ambroise
http://mcauslan.com/
5080 Rue Saint-Ambroise
Montreal, QC
(514) 939-3060

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Tacos Frida

We were meeting up with M for dinner and let her choose the spot: Mexican! She picked Tacos Frida, which I’ve never been to. It’s close by to two other Mexican places (Victor Tacos and Le Tequila Bar) so lots of competition nearby.

Hours.

Special advertised outside.

Breakfast and brunch options too.

We dropped in on an early Wednesday evening (around 6:15pm). The place wasn’t too busy but by 7:00pm, it was packed.

The inside is cutely decorated and even has a mini grocery aisle for you to buy some Mexican goodies (chips, tortillas, candies, etc.).

The menu is limited but that’s good. Starters, tacos & quesadillas, specials, breakfast/brunch (only till 3:00pm), traditional, dessert and drinks. They also have a taco combo and plate of the day combo that seemed best bang for your buck. Tacos themselves are decently priced ($2.75 to $3.50 per taco).

Click here to see the menu (1, 2 and 3).

Service was very friendly, patient and genuine. They were on the ball while things were slow but once it got busy, it was hard to even get our water refilled. You need to go up to the counter to pay.

Paloma ($10.00)
M’s cocktail made from tequila and grapefruit soda with salt around the rim.

Sauces
They bring over two containers (roja and verde) of sauces. Both were tasty. Red sauce had a slight more heat to it.

Promo FRIDA! ($10.89)
M went with two mushroom and one cochinita taco.

She said the cochinita was decent (but a tad dry). Her preference was the mushroom tacos.

Promo FRIDA! ($10.89)
The taco combo comes with a small tortilla soup which had bits of avocado and sour cream. Good but a tad salty.

We opted for the carnitas, chorizo and nopales tacos. First time trying grilled cactus; not too shabby (they look like green beans).

The chorizo was tender and flavourful. Carnitas were also tasty but the meat was dry.

Plate of the day ($12.00)
You choose your meat (cochinita) with tortillas, salad, black beans, rice and guacamole. Good presentation but again, the marinated pork was dry.

Guacamole was fantastic along with the salad. Unfortunately, the black beans were incredibly salty. Blah.

Decent Mexican food but I need to try the other taco spots in St. Henri to compare.

Tacos Frida
https://www.tacosfridamtl.ca/
4350 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 316-3255

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Dalla Rose

Dalla Rose is right up there as one of my favourite ice cream spots in town. They always have unique homemade ice cream and vegan options. They’re located next door to Rustique (with La Diperie directly across the street from them).

Hours.

I’ve been several times and have somehow missed the rush each time. Winning.

Prices are still super reasonable ($3.45 single, $4.75 double and $5.87 triple).

There’s usually 9-10 flavours available but they seem to continuously change. We tried a couple samples.

Super good; the ice cream has a creamy texture and you can tell top quality ingredients are used.

Cookies always look fresh.

Pints all looked good, especially the corn!

Coco-lime kaffir & lemongrass, Moroccan chocolate mint, walnut ($5.87 triple)
The kaffir and lemongrass was vegan and unreal. Tasted exactly like both these Asian herbs. Fantastic. Chocolate mint was also top notch. The walnut flavour had real walnut pieces but messy.

DR is another spot that I’ll keep on coming back to again and again.

Dalla Rose
http://www.dallarose.ca/
4609 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 846-1555

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Café Melbourne

We wanted to grab a coffee after walking around the Mural Festival. I suggested we check out Cafe Melbourne as I’ve never been before. It’s close to Hof Kostein.

We dropped in on a Thursday afternoon (around 1:00pm). The inside is chic but with a very laid back vibe to it.

Coffee and some merchandise available for sale.

Brunch menu.

Fresh bread, potentially from Hof.

If you walk to the back, they have a very chic terrasse set up.

Those elementary school chairs are all the rage these days.

The menu is small (basically brunch options) with coffee.

Flat white ($4.00)
C thought there wasn’t enough caffeine in it but she prefers regular coffee.

I had a sip and thought it was decent.

Would come back to try their brunch.

Café Melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/melbcafe/
4615 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC

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Hof Kelsten

Good ‘ol Hof Kelstein. Love this place as you can see from my first visit.

Hours.

We dropped in for a quick pit stop. We weren’t too hungry so we ended up only getting one thing to share. The breads always look fantastic and smell even better.

Chocolate babka front and centre. Guess how much for one?

$15.00. Looked pretty scrumptious. Too bad you can’t buy them by the slice.

Couple more small pastries and buns.

Coffee beans from Parlor Coffee in Brooklyn.

The menu is split into bread, pastries, sandwiches and brunch.

Still need to try out their brunch one of these days.

Bialis ($1.75)
Love the chewy, satisfying texture. The sprinkle of salt on top balances out the sweet grilled onions nicely.

Great quality and a chill, relaxing spot.

Hof Kelsten
https://hofkelsten.com/
4524 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 649-7991

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Coco Rico

I have my favourite places in town for Portugeuse chicken so it’s hard to impress me. We decided to give Coco Rico a shot after picking up some groceries. It’s right next door to Schwartz’s.

Chickens on the roaster.

Chickens ready to be eaten.

I read that their ribs were also supposed to be good.

Natas. You know we had to try them.

The menu is up behind the counter: roasted potato, roasted chicken, pork ribs, chicken wings, sandwiches, super plate specials and combos.

Spicy half chicken ($6.29)
We were making dinner at home so we decided to grab half a chicken as our protein. Wasn’t spicy at all but it sure was greasy.

Meat was dry and overcooked. Sadly, this wasn’t even close to real Portugeuse chicken.

2x Natas ($1.50 each)
Always need to try the natas. These weren’t flaky or creamy. Instead, it was almost too sweet. Not up to par for my standards.

Don’t get how this place is so highly rated. Put the extra effort in and walk/BIXI to the other Portuguese places on Rachel. You’ll be much more satisfied.

Coco Rico
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coco-Rico/
3907 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 849-5554

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Le Mondial de la Biere

Second year in the row that I’ve been in town for Montreal Beer Festival!

This is totally not worth a toonie but my friends wanted to try out the breathalyser.

She blew this at the end of the night. Winning?

Le Mondial De La Biere
http://festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/
1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montréal, QC
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Pho Bac 97

We needed some food after a few hours at Montreal Beer Festival so we headed over to Chinatown. I wanted pho so we went to one of the few places still open, Pho Bac 97.

We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 9:30pm). The place got a crazy last minute rush then died off again. It’s located a few doors down from Nouilles de Lan Zhou.

The menu is split into appetizers, pho, rice vermicelli, rice (grilled and sautéed), combos and dessert. For the pho, you choose between three sizes (small, medium and XL).

Click here to see the menu (1, 2 and 3).

Goi cuon (#1) ($4.50)
Shrimp and vegetable spring rolls. It would have been decent except they used cheap quality, shredded lettuce that tasted off.

Bun bo xao sa (hoac ga) (#24) ($11.50)
Beef sautéed with lemongrass on vermicelli and salad. Looked pretty typical but CC enjoyed it.

Com ga nuong (#26) ($13.00)
Grilled chicken, rice and salad. Cbear didn’t even touch the salad but I don’t blame her. Grilled chicken and rice looked super plain.

Bun bo hue (#16) ($10.50 medium)
The broth was incredibly salty. 100% MSG. Not much depth or spiciness to their BBH. Super disappointing.

Too many better places in Chinatown to waste a meal here.

Pho Bac 97
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-Pho-Bac-Inc/
1016 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 393-8116

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Ripples

I’ve never been to Ripples but I have walked and BIXI’ed by it a million times. It’s directly across the street from Coco Rico.

Sign outside.

We dropped in on a Friday (around 5:00pm) and just missed the rush. The inside is tiny and cramped; you can’t even see all the flavours if people are in the way. There were about 32 or so flavours.

The menu is behind the counter: soft serve, homemade hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, milkshakes, blizzards, sundaes, slushes and drinks.

They also had a variety of pints right in the front freezer.

There’s a limit of two samples per person. Lame!

Kulfi and chai tea ($4.79)
The waffle cone ($1.00) was solid. We settled on kulfi ($0.30 extra) (a blend of cardamom and mixed nuts) and chai tea (black tea with masala chai spice blend). Real nuts inside the kulfi was great.

Only other place I’ve had this flavour was from Crème Glacée Bo-Bec. Personally, I preferred the chai tea.

This isn’t my favourite ice cream spot in the city but it was a good first visit.

Ripples
https://www.ripplesicecream.com/
3880 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 842-1697

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Grillade Da Silva

For our first meal with the bachelor crew, I was in charge of picking a place. I decided to keep it simple and picked a spot nearby: Grillade Da Silva, a Portuguese spot.

We dropped in on a Friday evening (around 6:00pm) with a group of 15. Even though we had no reservations, they were able to fit us on four separate tables. Service was friendly although our waitress had zero faith in us finishing all the food we ordered.

Whole chicken ($36.00)
Pricey for a whole chicken but portion size was good to share between four people. Most pieces were juicy but some of the white breast and thigh pieces were quite dry.

It came with a massive plate of rice (tasty) and salad (healthy but pretty plain).

Calamari ($16.00)
Presentation was beautiful and the grilled calamari was excellent, especially the sauce. Only complaint was it’s small size.

Febras ($14.00)
Marinated and grilled pork loin with fries and salad. Totally worth the price point. Pork loins looked like they’d be a tad dry but they weren’t at all. Moist and a slight kick to the sauce slathered on top.

It hit the spot for our group but with all the other amazing (and cheaper) Portuguese spots in town, this wouldn’t be on my must return list.

Grillade Da Silva
https://www.facebook.com/Grillades-Da-Silva/
926 Rue Sainte-Catherine
Montreal, QC
(514) 282-9090

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Boustan

Boustan on Crescent is a classic that needs no introduction. The amount of Boustan’s in Montreal and the surrounding burbs is crazy. Expanded like crazy; I see them everywhere now. This location is the OG, since 1986.

I’ve been several times during my university days but for my most recent trip, we dropped in twice. Both times were at night; once at 3:00am and the other around midnight. The quality seemed better in the wee hours. But you’ll be waiting in line for much longer.

The menu is straightforward; pitas and platter options. The hours are amazing. Open every day till 4:00am! What more could you want?

2x Chicken pita ($5.65)
We got the same thing both trips. First time, our shawarma was delicious. Second time around, it was super salty. Love how they crisp and toast up the pitas. To be honest, I can’t complain too much; it’s dirt cheap and open insanely late.

The perfect late night spot to spot to get your late night cravings in. Come after clubbing or wandering around downtown. Realistically, this place tastes better the drunker/hungrier you are.

Boustan
http://boustan.ca/
2020 Rue Crescent
Montreal, QC
(514) 843-3194

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Pho Do Thi

After a long and late night out with the boys, we were in desperate need of food, any food. Someone came up with the brilliant idea to get pho so we decided to try Pho Do Thi with a group of 11. It’s located in between Soupesoup and Restaurant Le Tpe Food.

We dropped in on a Saturday (around 12:45pm). Lucky, there’s tons of room so we had no trouble grabbing three seperate tables for our group. Service is slow and oddly, they don’t have chopsticks or spoons on the table. You have to ask for them.

The menu is a concise two pages: appetizers, pho and lunch express options.

Pho dac biet (S1) ($11.50 large)
Rare beef, well done flank, soft tendon, beef balls and tripe. Broth had good flavour and depth.

I must have been starving because I devoured the noodles and could have ate more, which never happens.

Bun bo hue (S7) ($12.00 large)
Spicy beef noodle soup. One buddy at our table decided to try their BBH. I didn’t have a taste but it looked good.

Solid Vietnamese spot. Stick to the pho options.

Pho Do Thi
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-Pho-DO-Thi/
1238 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC
(514) 842-2961

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Ichigo Ichie

We were starving after being out all day at Grand Prix and the casino. The crew wanted ramen so we Ubered all the way over to Ichigo Ichie/Yokato Yokabai. They share the same digs but we ended up being sat on the Ichigo Ichie side.

We dropped in on a Sunday evening (around 8:00pm) and put our group of 15 on the wait list. There was no chance we’d get seated together so we split up our group to increase our chances/lessen our wait time.

The place was bumping and the crowd a fun mix of students and young professionals. Didn’t realize the place was so big; if you walk down the stairs, there’s even more seating. Service is friendly, young and enthusiastic. Makes for a fun, vibrant ambience.

The menu is izakaya style; appetizers, salad, cold, hot, fried, noodle & rice and dessert.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3 and 4). There’s a separate ramen menu from the YY side; pick your broth, toppings, noodles and extras.

A bit odd that you can’t order thick noodles after 6:00pm.

For the ramen, they bring out a set of four condiments; garlic, sesame seeds, pickled ginger and chili oil.

Premium select Gekkeikan sake haiku (~$36.00)
I can’t remember exactly how much this bottle cost. Surprisingly, for a Gekkeikan, it was decently smooth. Good to share between four.

Tonkotsu ($14.50)
For my bowl, I opted for the cha shu and thin noodles. Kept it simple and traditional to see how their ramen is in purest form. My buddies pretty much did the same too. Verdict: very, very close to what you get in Japan.

Broth was fantastic; rich, hearty with good depth and flavour. Noodles had a satisfying toothsome bite. Everyone devoured their bowls.

Easily the best ramen I’ve had in Montreal.

Ichigo Ichie
http://www.ichigoichie.ca/
360 Rue Rachel E
Montreal, QC
(514) 282-0009

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Olive et Gourmando

It’s been a few years since my last visit to Olive et Gourmando so I decided to take C with me for brunch. They’re still as popular as ever, perhaps even more so.

We dropped in on a Sunday (around 11:00am) and had to wait 15 minutes for a table to open up. The inside is open air and has a lively, vibrant vibe to it.

If you don’t want to eat a meal here, grabbing a pastry or two is worth a quick pitstop.

There’s three separate menus for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Seems a little excessive with an overlap of some items.

Click here for breakfast menu (1, 2, 3, and 4 and lunch menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

The Mr. Miami ($14.95)
Smoked beef brisket, grilled red onion, cilantro pesto mayo, havarti, pineapple and jalapeño salsa.

The sandwich was okay but there was no wow factor.

Tartine ($18.00)
House ricotta, cucumber, roasted squash, Asian pear, nuts and a herbs & honey + lemon + Aleppo pear dressing. This was impressive. The combo of flavours worked wonders.

O&G is still a classic spot in the Old Port.

Olive et Gourmando
http://oliveetgourmando.com/
351 Rue Saint-Paul O
Montreal, QC
(514) 350-1083

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Dunn’s Famous

Dunn’s Famous is one of the few places in town that are open 24/7. I’ve never been until my buddy’s bachelor party! They’re located next door to Dominion Square Tavern with two other locations in town.

We dropped in on a Monday (around 2:30am) and it was surprisingly busy. Our waitress was friendly and helpful for our massive group of 12.

The menu is huge but I only had eyes on their smoked meat options. It’s a given that you need to try their speciality!

Click here to see part of the menu (1, 2, 3 and 4).

Le petit combo ($14.50)
Small sandwich served on rye bread with fresh cut fries, coleslaw and dill. Small is an understatement; this was filling.

The sandwich was hefty with generous slices of smoked meat. Tender, fatty goodness; perfect after a late night out.

The coleslaw was refreshing but the dill pickle was bad.

The fries were okay but needed more time in the deep fryer.

Smoked meat fried rice ($14.00)
A fusion dish. There was smoked meat, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and onions topped with diced tomatoes and shallots. I found the smoked meat was diced too small. But the tomatoes were refreshing to the palate. Decent!

Solid late night downtown spot to grab food. Stick with the smoked meat sandwiches.

Dunn’s Famous
http://www.dunnsfamous.com/
1249 Rue Metcalfe
Montreal, QC
(514) 395-1927

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Souvlaki Bar

We were in the Cavendish area looking for a new place to eat. Not much options in the area so we decided to try Souvlaki Bar. It’s close to Place Vertu Mall.

We dropped in on a Monday afternoon (around 2:30pm) for a late lunch. We sat outside on the patio; it’s close to the road so not the nicest views. They also don’t have enough umbrellas if you’re wanting some shade. Odd.

The inside is very modern and has several seating areas. The decor is on point (as the kids say) yet still has some elements of Greek in it.

The menu is split into appetizers, salads, potatoes, specialties, meat shovels, chef plates, mini pitas and desserts. They have $2.00 mini pitas on Thursday.

Dip platter ($17.95) and calamaria ($15.95)
Taramosalata, kopanisti and tzatziki. It came with a basket of fresh, warm pitas. For the price, I didn’t think it was worth it. Tzatziki was boring. The other two were better but pretty routine.

Fried squid served with mustard mayo and lemon wedges. The sauce was great with the calamari. The calamari itself was lightly fried and had a good batter.

3x Mini pitas ($11.95)
We got two pork and one chicken. Chicken was a tad dry but the size was perfect for sharing. Pork was much better.

Greek potatoes ($4.95)
Roasted potatoes with olive oil, lemon and oregano. Excellent, tender and well seasoned.

Full chicken ($19.95)
Greek style grilled chicken with lemon, EVOO, salt and pepper. It takes 20 minutes to cook. You only get the chicken so you have to order any sides you want on its own.

Chicken was moist and had good flavour. Simple spices but well executed.

Overall, decent Greek food but nothing really stood out for us.

Souvlaki Bar
http://souvlakibar.ca/
3310 Boulevard de la Côte Vertu
Montreal, QC
(514) 379-3798

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Agrikol

Second trip to Agrikol; this time to try out their food for dinner.

We sat outside in the back. Different vibe but still fun. Sadly, the bartender wasn’t there.

This time around, it wasn’t as busy. Seems the hype has died down. FYI: their food menu inside is different than outside. Outside is tapas, inside is larger plates.

The food and drink menu seems to be pretty similar to my last visit.

They also own the store front next door. Looks like a dance/cocktail bar: Ti Agrikol.

We accidentally wandered in thinking we could exit out. Oops.

Trip #2
Dark and stormy ($11.00)
This is the alcoholic version of the ginger beer. Didn’t like this as much. Too much ice and the alcohol didn’t add much to the drink. Sad.

Florita rhum sour ($12.00)
Cbear tried something different.

Barbancourt & pineapple ribs ($12.00)
You only get three dinky ribs but they were tender and tasty. Still, for the price, it’s not worth it.

Grilled octopus ($14.00)
Not sure why but the price is wrong on the chalkboard menu ($16.00). The portion is incredulously small. It didn’t help that the octopus was over salted. Super overpriced.

Fried plantains ($6.00)
Plantains were lightly salted. Good satisfying texture.

Rice and beans ($6.00)
Happy that they give you at least a decent portion. Rice and beans was solid.

Good drinks, fun vibes and excellent service. Not sure if I’d come back again for the food but the drinks are still enjoyable.

Agrikol
http://agrikol.ca/
1844 Rue Amherst
Montreal, QC
(514) 903-6707

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Le Saint-Bock

After dinner, we were looking for a close place to grab a drink so we decided to head to Le Saint-Bock. I’ve only been here once but tried a few samples at Montreal Beer Festival.

We dropped in on a Tuesday evening (around 8:45pm) and the outdoor terrasse was packed. We went inside where there was a plethora of seats available. There’s also tons of TV’s inside to watch the game.

The beer menu is annoyingly only on screens but there is a food menu that they bring to the table. There’s 44 different beers and ciders on tap. Service is pretty spotty.

Click here to see the food menu (1, 2 and 3).

CID original (#25) ($7.83) and triple brett chardo (#14) ($7.83)
Pretty basic cider, nothing special about this one. Triple aux Bretts Fût De Chardonnay was more interesting.

Small mac & cheese ($9.00)
This came out piping hot. Don’t touch the pan! Creamy and oozy.

LSB beers aren’t the best but aren’t the worst either.

Le Saint-Bock
http://www.saintbock.com/
1749 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC
(514) 680-8052

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Cuisine AuntDai

I!m always looking for new places to try in Chinatown. Cuisine AuntDai, which specializes in Sichuan food, was next on the list. It’s located upstairs of SAJ Mahal.

We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 6:30pm). The inside is nicer than your typical Chinese spot. Heck, they even have a massive upstairs area (which was completely empty).

The menu is a mix of authentic and Canadianized Chinese food. There’s appetizers, main dishes, vegetarian, rice and noodles, desserts and drinks. There’s also a few pages of handwritten specials; rabbit with Sichuan chili sauce sounded good.

Click here to see the full menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12). Also, check out their website: someone (maybe Aunt Dai?) wrote a description/review on almost every dish they make. An entertaining read 😉

2x Tea ($0.99) – lame that they charge you for tea.

2x Steamed rice ($1.49 each)

Twice-cooked pork ($12.99)
Pork, green pepper, garlic and Sichuan peppercorns. This was a tad spicy and oily but tasty. Liked the mix of vegetables (carrots, onions and green peppers). Pork was slightly fatty but cooked excellently.

Cabbage stir-fry ($9.99)
I was a bit skeptical to order cabbage but it was simple, tender and tasty.

Mapo tofu ($10.99)
Tofu, beef and parsley. This came out much later than the other two dishes. Tofu was tender but there was no heat or numbness to this dish. The one I had at Délice Oriental was better.

Good but oily food.

Cuisine AuntDai
http://www.auntdai.com/
1448 Rue Saint Mathieu
Montreal, QC
(514) 935-1067

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Garage Cafe

Out with the fam jam, we were in Verdun looking for a place to grab lunch. I’ve never been to Garage Cafe but apparently, they’ve been multiple times. No idea why.

We dropped in on a Friday afternoon (around 1:00pm). The place was busy. Couple tables on the sidewalk but oddly, there’s not enough umbrella shade to cover them all. We didn’t find our waitress friendly or helpful.

The menu is extremely generic: appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, pastas, grilled meats, kids menu and dessert. They also had a table d’hôte which we all ended up choosing.

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11).

Green tea
Tea at the end of our meal.

Green salad
Boring. Dressing was a thousand island.

Tomato soup
Better than the salad. You could taste the vinegar mixed in with the tomatoes.

Cod fish Portuguese style ($18.00)
With pilaf rice and vegetables. No idea how this was labelled as Portuguese style.

Easily the BLANDEST fish I’ve ever been served. No flavour whatsoever. Our waitress said it was grilled; definitely wasn’t. Just awful.

Penne ($17.00)
Sautéed with oil, prosciutto, red onion and dried tomato. Nothing special about this dish. You could make this better at home. Overpriced.

Pizza ($13.00)
Pepperoni, artichoke, red onion, pepper and mushrooms. At least you can tell they make the dough.

Burger ($13.00)
Cheddar, mushrooms and bacon with a side of fries. It was okay.

I had a bite and would have liked the meat to be cooked less.

Dessert
This came out practically frozen. Pure sugar gluttony. Think like Dairy Queen cake but a thousand times worse. Gross.

No clue why this place is popular. Found the food bland, boring and generic.

Garage Cafe
http://www.bistrogaragecafe.com/
275 Hickson Rue
Verdun, QC
(514) 768-4630

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Maison du Nord

Nothing changes about Maison du Nord every time I go, which makes me love it even more. I have no idea how the prices stay the same. It’s sooooooo cheap.

Noodles with vegetables in scallion oil (#14) ($6.99)
I’ve had this dish a few times. This visit, it was actually quite oily. The noodles weren’t as toothsome as I remembered.

Spicy noodle with cucumber and beef (#13) ($6.99)
This dish has the best of both worlds. Refreshing cucumbers, a touch of spice and springy noodles.

Pork and cabbage (#25) ($8.99 large)

They were out of the dumplings we wanted so we settled on boiled pork and cabbage. You get 20 dumplings in a large order. Strange that it didn’t come with a sauce but we made our own with the condiments on the table.

Still satisfying and always more than enough food.

Maison du Nord
https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Maison-Du-Nord-Restaurant/
2130 Rue Saint-Mathieu
Montréal, QC
(514) 670-3188

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Cacao 70

After checking out some live music, we wanted a late night spot for dessert. I’ve never been to Cacao 70 even though it’s blown up recently and expanded all over Canada (Vancouver and Edmonton). It’s located beside Mon Ami.

Hours are great. Open till midnight Friday and Saturday nights!

Couple posters outside.

We dropped in on a Friday (around 10:30pm) to find it decently busy. Love how late it’s open till! The perfect place to cap of your night or to bring a date. The exposed brick and chic decor fits the ambiance perfectly.

There’s a food menu but really, you should be focusing all your attention on the desserts. There’s an abundance of options, mostly chocolate oriented, including cakes, fondue, drinks, crepes, ice cream, sweet pizzas and dessert platters. The platters are meant to be shared ($12.50 to $31.95)!

Click here to see the full menu (1, 2 and 3).

Chocolate envy ($15.50)
Quarter of a 12″ pizza with chocolate marshmallow, chocolate brownie bites, chocolate wafer, whipped cream and chocolate fondue.

My favourite was the pizza. Cut a bite, add some ice cream and dip into the fondue.

Will need to come back to try their dipped soft serve ice cream.

Cacao 70
http://cacao70.com/en
2087 Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 933-1688

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Mango Bay

Before checking out a theatre show, the family decided to eat at Mango Bay for dinner. They’ve been a few times to get their Caribbean fix. It’s located upstairs on the second floor, above N sur Mackay and next door to Garage Beirut.

Their sign is randomly inside.

We dropped in on a Saturday evening (around 6:00pm) with a group of 11. No one was there yet. The inside looks like it’s been converted from an old apartment. There’s only one waitress and she was slooooow. She did continuously bring out water jugs for us but go up to pay when you’re ready to leave, it’ll be faster.

The menu is split into appetizers, salads, seafood, main courses, house specialties, burgers & wraps, roti, table d’hote and desserts. Their house specialties (like jerk chicken and curry goat) are pricey ($19.95).

Click here to see the full menu (1, 2, 3 and 4).

Stew chicken ($12.95)
Chicken slowly cooked in a rich homemade gravy. I went with the stewed chicken; tender but salty.

Rice and peas were dry and a tad bland. Best thing was the plantains (sweet and tender) and the carrots.

Negril chicken ($14.49)
Char grilled chicken breast marinated and cooked in a sweet and spicy Caribbean spice. One relative found it “spicy”.

Curry goat roti ($10.49)
My mom went with the goat; tasty and with a good bite. Oddly, they put in pieces that have bones in it. Roti itself was strangely dry.

Grilled salmon ($19.95)
Char grilled salmon seasoned with Caribbean spices.

Didn’t find anything special about MB. Pricey for what you get, especially with so many other quality spots nearby.

Mango Bay
https://www.facebook.com/mangobayresto/
#201, 1236 Rue MacKay
Montreal, QC
(514) 875-7082

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Café Bazin

I’ve never heard about Café Bazin until I read about them on Montreal Eater. I was meeting up with Cbear in the NDG area so this was a perfect spot to check out. It’s located right beside Park.

We dropped in on a Monday afternoon (around 1:30pm). Couldn’t believe how consistently busy it was in here! There’s 6 counter seats and 6 small tables; almost every spot was full.

The menu is small but there’s a food, pastry/dessert and small plate/drink menu.

Coffee menu is up behind the counter.

A couple pastries and desserts were out on display.

Service was quite good although I would like them to leave a jug of water for the table.

2016 Vins de pays de Gascogne ($7.50)
Cbear wanted a glass of white. She went with this one, which she said wasn’t bad.

Latte ($4.25)
She also got a coffee at the end of our meal.

Croque-monsieur ($15.00)
This came with a delicious green salad. The lemon acidity of the sauce was delightful and refreshing.

The sandwich was lightly toasted. Good but simple.

Fish of the day ($21.00)
Pan seared sea bream with potatoes, green beans and pine nuts. This was excellent. The sea bream was full of flavour and oh so tender. The pine nuts added a bit of a crunchy element.

Tout choco ($7.00)
All chocolate for this dessert; rich (but not over the top), nutty (almonds) and decadent. They were kind enough to split the dessert in half for us. Perfect way to end our meal.

Café Bazin is a bit pricier but the quality is there. Need to come back to try their pastries next time.

Café Bazin
http://cafebazin.business.site/
380 Avenue Victoria
Westmount, QC
(438) 387-3070

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Crèmerie Meu Meu

For our second dessert of the night, we decided to try Crèmerie Meu Meu. Somehow, I’ve never been before but they’re known for their frozen custard ice cream.

Hours.

Outside menu.

We dropped in on a Wednesday evening (around 8:00pm). The inside is a small and there’s nowhere to sit there are a few benches right outside. The two scoopers were friendly and let us try a few samples.

There’s quite a few options to choose from: frozen custard, sorbet, soya ice cream, soft serve, milk/soya/yoghurt shakes and sundaes.

Ice cream flavours are abundant.

There was a ton of cool flavours. Their sorbet options are bomb!

We sampled the tamarind (so good) and lulo.

Lychee and pistachio ($6.25 two scoops)
The lychee tasted exactly like lychee but the texture wasn’t what you expect from a sorbet. It was clumpy and not smooth. The pistachio frozen custard was creamy and heavy but I liked it.

Another solid ice cream shop to add to the rotation!

Crèmerie Meu Meu
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cremerie-Meu-Meu/
4458, Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC
(514) 288-5889

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Otto Bistro

I’d randomly spotted Otto Bistro while walking along Mont Royal and made a mental note to check it out. Their sister restaurant, Otto Yakitori Izakaya, is fantastic so I was hoping for the same level at Bistro Otto. They specialize in larger plates.

Sign outside.

We dropped in on a Wednesday evening (around 7:00pm) and it was pretty empty. The inside is beautifully decorated and quaint with a mix of tables, high tables and bar seats. There’s about 32 seats.

There was a special and regular/drink menu.

The main menu is split into soups, salads, appetizers, main plates and desserts. Click here to see the menu (1 and 2).

Kalso salad ($8.00)
5 types of seaweed, thin sliced cabbage, sea bacon and ponzu.

Beautiful presentation and interesting mix of textures. The cabbage was great.

Arctic char tartare ($16.00)
Scallions, shallots, leaves, beated poached egg and beet chips. This seemed more like poke than a tartare to me but the arctic char was fresh and well balanced.

It had a great citrusy sauce. The “leaves” on top tasted similar to alfalfa sprouts.

Spicy ikuramen ($20.00)
Salmon roe, spicy ramen noodles, tofu, coriander, fried shallots, sansho peppers and sesame. Way overpriced for a bowl of ramen but the noodles had a pleasant bite and the spice level was absolutely perfect.

We didn’t realize it was a soupless ramen but that made it easier to share. However, the bowl was missing something. It didn’t have enough substance to it. The salmon roe won’t fill you up.

Good quality but a bit too steep for my blood. Can’t justify paying $20.00 for ramen ($24.00 for their most popular uni mazesoba dish)!

Otto Bistro
https://www.facebook.com/BistroOtto.Montreal/
143 Avenue du Mont-Royal E
Montreal, QC
(438) 383-4700

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Patisserie Efes

Apparently, my aunt had heard of Patisserie Efes before but I can’t say I have. They specialize in Turkish dessert and have been around since 2000. They’re located close to mainstay Afroditi.

Hours.

We dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon (around 5:15pm). The inside is small but there’s five small tables to sit at and enjoy your goodies.

There was one worker, friendly enough but she didn’t know what ingredients were in their products. Er…

There’s a couple different pastry cases to check out. Sausage rolls, simit, Turkish delight candies, baklava, cookies, etc.

Closeup of their baklava selection. Everything looked soooooo good.

They don’t have any prices or labels up.

Beef sausage roll ($2.50)
We ate this right inside as it was still hot and fresh. Had a flaky, buttery exterior.

Chicken sausage roll ($2.50)
Had this the next day. Warmed it up in the toaster oven.

Not as good as the beef one.

Vegetable sausage roll ($2.50)
There was spinach and feta inside.

This was the worst one out of the three. Skip it.

Baklava ($12.40)
It’s $20.00/kg so we decided to get a box to go. We asked for a mixture of baklava.

I have to say they all looked glorious from the display case. Taste wise, it wasn’t too sweet and we enjoyed the variety of pieces. Somehow the box lasted a few days!.

We enjoyed everything we bought from Patisserie Efre. Gladly would come back to try more things.

Patisserie Efes
http://canadaefes.com/
689 Rue Saint-Roch
Montreal, QC
(514) 495-6535

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Afroditi

It’s been awhile since my last trip to Afroditi. They specialize in Greek desserts. Can’t believe they’ve been around since 1971.

Hours.

Crazy that they’ve been open for over 40 years!

Cakes prices.

We dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon (around 5:00pm) and it was nice to see it wasn’t too busy.

The inside is spacious and has everything imaginable. There’s baklava, cakes, pies, sausage rolls, cookies, bread, cannolis, pastries, etc. Take your time and browse around.

They still have no labels or price tags; quite annoying. We had to ask what each type of cake was and the worker wasn’t helpful; she responded with curt, short replies.

Coconut and macadamia nut cake ($32.00)
A coconut base with a layer of whipped cream (legit), chocolate and topped with macadamia nuts. Light but will still satisfy your sweet tooth.

We would have liked to see more prominence in the macadamia flavour.

Afroditi is still a solid place in my books.

Afroditi
https://www.facebook.com/AfroditiBakery/
756 Rue Saint-Roch
Montreal, QC
(514) 274-5302

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Pasta da Panza

Seems like going to Laval is becoming an annual thing when I meet up with Em. I have zero knowledge on good food spots in this ‘hood but I searched and found Pasta da Panza, a small Italian shop that makes fresh pasta. They are big in the catering biz.

Hours.

We dropped in on an early Thursday evening (around 6:15pm) and were the only ones there. It’s a cute spot with two small tables outside and room for about 24 people. Our waitress was super friendly and let us know all our options. It’s pretty cool that you can watch the chef make your pasta from scratch.

The menu is short and sweet. You choose the type of pasta (7 fresh and 6 stuffed), sauce (11 options) and any additional toppings. Easy peasy.

Click here to see the menu (1 and 2).

Guess what! They have a loyalty card program. Buy 10, get a free pasta.

Condiments
They dropped off some Parmesan and a tasty spicy chili pepper jar.

Focaccia
A couple pieces of focaccia to whet our appetite while we waited. Save some to dip with the sauces.

Pappardelle rosée ($13.00)
The rosée cream sauce was fantastic. Perfect balance of cream, tomato and Parmesan.

The pappardelle had a nice bite to it.

Pasta alla norma ($10.99)
This was their special of the day. Tagliatelle with eggplant and tomato in a light tomato based sauce.

This was good but unfortunately, oversalted. Would have liked it to be more al dente; a tad too soft.

Solid Italian find and pretty reasonable prices for fresh pasta.

Pasta da Panza
http://www.pastadapanzamenu.ca/
3825 Boulevard Saint-Martin O
Laval, QC
(450) 934-8765

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Rockaberry

Em wanted her after dinner dessert so we made the drive over to Rockaberry. They specialize in pies and cheesecakes. There’s a crazy amount of locations these days.

Hours.

We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 7:30pm). The inside is huge but the terrasse out front is better. Service was fine; our waiter brought waters and checked on us a few times.

The menu is bigger than I expected but pretty generic for a meal. Honestly, the only reason to come here is for dessert. All about dem pies.

A slice is expensive! My eyes almost popped out when I saw the price. Getting a whole pie to go is more reasonable ($16.00 to 30.00). Click here for the menu (1 and 2).

Toblerone cheese ($7.75)
Layer of cream cheese, white chocolate cake, toblerone and chocolate cake with chocolate icing on top. Honestly, I’m not a huge cheesecake fan so I thought it was just okay. Pretty ordinary.

Blueberry pie
My aunt brought home a pie. Pretty good!

Seems like a popular dessert spot to chill in Laval. I’d only come back to get a full pie.

Rockaberry
http://www.rockaberry.ca/
1810 Boulevard Saint-Martin O
Laval, QC
(450) 681-6883

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Cuisine Szechuan

After tennis, we were hungry and ready to eat some szechuan food. I’ve never been to Cuisine Szechuan even though I used to live so close. It’s next door to Porchetta.

Hours.

We dropped in on a Saturday afternoon (around noon) and were the first customers. Always a good sign when you see mainlanders. Our server was great and came by frequently to refill our waters.

The menu is huge with soup, cold and hot appetizers, meats (chicken, pork, beef, fish, seafood and other), vegetables, noodles & rice, lunch specials and a chef’s menu. Massive.

Rice ($6.00 medium)
Always ridiculous when you have to have pay for rice. This was good enough for two.

Tofu flower & sliced halibut in chili pepper szechuan peppercorn broth (#75) ($14.99)
Soft, tender fish but the broth lacked that spicy numbness that I crave with Szechuan.

I did like all the soft pieces of tofu swimming around.

Yu xiang eggplant with dou ban jiang (#97) ($9.99)
We weren’t expecting the sauce to be sweet. Lucky, we shared this dish. Decent but a little one dimensional.

Stir fried green beans with chilis and ground pork (#102) ($10.99)
Normally, I love green beans but CS’s version was salty. Much too liberal with the salt.

Decent Szechuan food but

Cuisine Szechuan
http://www.cuisineszechuanmenu.ca/
2350 Rue Guy
Montreal, QC
(514) 933-5041

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Typhoon Lounge

Last meet up with Cbear. She wanted to go for a drink and picked Typhoon Lounge in trendy Monkland.

We dropped in on a Sunday afternoon and sat outside on their terrasse. The weather was beautiful for a bit but then turned a complete 180. Huge rainstorm so we had to run inside to keep dry.

The menu is small and generic; appetizers, burgers, house plates, salads and desserts.

They also had a summer drink menu (1, 2 and 3).

They had a few daily specials. Tuesday tequila and tacos ($3.00) sounds like fun.

Berry breeze sangria ($29.00 pitcher)

Raspberry vodka, strawberry nectar, grapefruit, cranberry, orange, berries & lemon and red wine. Honestly, I’ve never been impressed with any sangria’s I’ve had when going out. This was okay but way too icy.

A fun place to people watch outside and grab a drink.

Typhoon Lounge
http://www.typhoon.ca/
5752 Avenue de Monkland
Montreal, QC
(514) 482-4448

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Schnitzelhaus

My aunt wanted to randomly check out St. Anne-de-Bellevue so we drove in and were looking for a place to eat along the canal. We spotted Schnitzelhaus and lucky for us, they were open on a Monday (as they normally aren’t).

We dropped in on a Monday afternoon (around 2:00pm). It only had a few tables occupied; everyone was sitting on their terrasse which overlooks the water. Cute miniature German flags were hung up as decor.

The menu is simple with appetizers, salads, mains (schnitzels), kids menu, tasty snacks and dessert. All the mains come with your choice of either fries or spätzle. I still can’t believe they let us order off the kids menu!

Click here to see the menu (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11).

Our server was very good although we had an issue with one of the dishes that took some time to rectify. They had ran out of asparagus with the schnitzel hollandaise dish but the chef didn’t want to replace the missing vegetable until my aunt inquired about it. In the end, they took a few dollars off the regular price.

House salad
This came with our two mains. Nothing much worth mentioning other than it’s worth $3.99 on the menu. WTF.

Schnitzel ($8.95)
Breaded pork meat fries. It’s a smaller piece than the normal schnitzel main but you can’t beat the price. It also came with a side of mayo.

The breading was light but needed the sauce for some oomph.

Wienerle ($7.95)
One german sausage with spätzle. I was expecting a better quality sausage but that wasn’t the case. Can’t complain too much as it’s from the kids menu.

The spätzle had bread crumbs sprinkled on top; again, pretty plain in flavour.

Schnitzel hollandaise ($21.49)
Breaded pork meat with asparagus and hollandaise sauce.

No asparagus obviously.

Schweinel haxen ($23.99)
Pork knuckles with sauerkraut and brown sauce. The pork knuckle was massive!

The meat was tender but fatty. Perfect to share but not sure if you’d want to eat this all to yourself. The sauerkraut had a nice sour acidity to it.

Decent German for the area. I’d try the currywurst if I were to come back again.

Schnitzelhaus
https://www.facebook.com/Schnitzelhaus/
132 Rue Sainte-Anne
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC
(514) 457-0598
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Tomasan Ramen

While driving through Chinatown, I spotted Tomasan Ramen’s sign advertising that they had just opened up. The next day M wanted to go for ramen so I suggested we give them a try. They’re located a few doors down from Nouilles de Lan Zhou.

We dropped in on a Monday (around 5:00pm) for an early dinner. Not many tables were occupied but tons of people were stopping to peer inside.

The inside is completely new with sake inspired decor. My favourite was the octopus mural along one of the walls. I also appreciated the self serve unlimited tea.

The menu is the same as Ichigo Ichie. You get a piece of paper and check off the broth (either tonkotsu or shoyu), meat, toppings and extras. There was also sides, poke bowls and dessert.

I don’t get why this is a common thing in Montreal’s ramen scene…

Condiments
There’s chopped garlic, pickled radish, chili oil and pepper/salt. We both added a generous amount of garlic into our bowls. Trust me, you’ll need it.

Tonkotsu ($12.95)
I got mine with sha-shu (pork belly), more green onions and one piece of seaweed. The broth was a huge disappointment. It wasn’t creamy, lacked depth and didn’t have any real flavour.

Noodles are supposedly handmade but they didn’t have any spring or bite to them. The only good with my bowl was the sha-shu, which had a slight delicious roasted flavour. Good fat to meat ratio.

Tonkotsu ($12.95)
M added an extra half egg ($0.75) and corn ($0.75). She also went with the chicken teriyaki, which I think is poorly labelled. It was super tender, almost like it had been cooked sous vide style. The soft boiled egg was actually good too.

It just opened so hopefully they’ll improve their broth game. Nothing about their ramen would make me come back. Go to Ichigo Ichie instead.

Tomasan Ramen
https://www.tomasanramen.com/
988 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
(514) 430-5688

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Street Art

Keeping with tradition, here’s some more cool street art I discovered and a few other random things I stumbled upon. First up, some outdoor open-sky art gallery in the Gay Village called Blanc.