New Montreal Restaurant Thread
- Thread starter EagerBeaver
- Start date
Rosalie on de la Montagne
SK,
It's a nice place to have lunch on a warm sunny day. There are a couple of hotties working there. But I agree, it's way overpriced and there is nothing outstanding on their menu (I usually stick to the chicken salad). For that type of food, you're better off going to Wienstein & Gavino's on Crescent.
GG
Special K said:
SK,
It's a nice place to have lunch on a warm sunny day. There are a couple of hotties working there. But I agree, it's way overpriced and there is nothing outstanding on their menu (I usually stick to the chicken salad). For that type of food, you're better off going to Wienstein & Gavino's on Crescent.
GG
Chef,
Where do you go if you want to eat lunch on a nice terrasse downtown? There are not that many reasonably priced places except on St-Denis street.
GG
Where do you go if you want to eat lunch on a nice terrasse downtown? There are not that many reasonably priced places except on St-Denis street.
GG
General Gonad said:
GG,
Agreed - but then I don't live in Montreal, so don't have the problem often. A couple of weeks ago I had lunch at a bistro on McGill College, next to Sushi Shop. It was forgettable; there are very few restaurants that can get something as basic as salad dressing right - most are too vinegary and have the salad swimming in the stuff. And....it's so easy to get right !
I have to try Europea for lunch one of these days, per your recommendation. I have only had dinner there.
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Some quick reviews:
Casa Grecque (Prince Arthur): I recently had lunch on the terrace of this Greek restauant with Doc Holliday, and it was excellent. Holliday had a little surf and turf action - filet mignon and shrimp - while I dined on spanakopita (spinach pie with feta cheese) and the souvlaki platter. Very good Greek food at a reasonable price.
Sho Dan (Metcalf): Recently enjoyed a nice dinner here. This is a stylish, trendy, somewhat expensive Japanese restaurant that is serving very good cuisine. I had the house salad, gyoza (fried pork dumplings), and several orders of rolled sushi, including Futomaki and Nega Hamachi. I also had a very interesting, red hued plum wine served with my dinner.
Casa Grecque (Prince Arthur): I recently had lunch on the terrace of this Greek restauant with Doc Holliday, and it was excellent. Holliday had a little surf and turf action - filet mignon and shrimp - while I dined on spanakopita (spinach pie with feta cheese) and the souvlaki platter. Very good Greek food at a reasonable price.
Sho Dan (Metcalf): Recently enjoyed a nice dinner here. This is a stylish, trendy, somewhat expensive Japanese restaurant that is serving very good cuisine. I had the house salad, gyoza (fried pork dumplings), and several orders of rolled sushi, including Futomaki and Nega Hamachi. I also had a very interesting, red hued plum wine served with my dinner.
What a lifesaver
Ironic you posted that EB! I was just about to ask for a recommendation for a good Japanese restaurant. Was it the set up where the chef slices dices and cooks right in front of you while you sit around a large grill or was it more of a sushi bar set up? I prefer where I can sit and watch the chef prepare the sushi. Was Sukiyaki on the menu? Any other sure things for Japanese in Montreal?
Ironic you posted that EB! I was just about to ask for a recommendation for a good Japanese restaurant. Was it the set up where the chef slices dices and cooks right in front of you while you sit around a large grill or was it more of a sushi bar set up? I prefer where I can sit and watch the chef prepare the sushi. Was Sukiyaki on the menu? Any other sure things for Japanese in Montreal?
HonestAbe said:
HonestAbe,
The only Japanese restaurant that has a chef slicing in front of you is Beni Hana on Decarie. But I haven't been there in years. There may be others but I do not know them.
I recently had a great experience at the other Sho Dan (on Rene-Levesque). They have several amazing dishes but if you go try the "tuna flower" plate, it's incredible. In fact, their sushi and sashimi is top notch, second to none. Nowadays, I am more into sushi/sashimi because I like eating light when it gets warm like this.
GG
Honest Abe,
The Sho Dan on Metcalf (1 block south of Hotel Omni, on the west side of Metcalf) has three tiers, a lower level (with a centrally located sushi bar), a mezzanine level (where there appears to be some areas where you can sit in wells in the traditional Japanese style), and an upper level where the restrooms are located and there are other tables, some of which look down on the lower level.
If you are looking for the "hibachi" style where the chef stir fries your meal in front of you as you watch, the place to go is Toyo on Crescent. The food there is good, but a bit overpriced.
Sho Dan is more of an upscale traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. And although I did not notice it one way or the other, I would be shocked if sukiyaki is not on the menu there.
I also like Mikasa on Peel (for sushi only, their traditional fare is not as good). Katsura on rue de la Montagne is highly rated, but I did not enjoy it as much as Sho Dan or Mikasa.
I saw a number of highly attractive, young Asian women while I was dining at Sho Dan. This past Saturday night the place was packed.
The Sho Dan on Metcalf (1 block south of Hotel Omni, on the west side of Metcalf) has three tiers, a lower level (with a centrally located sushi bar), a mezzanine level (where there appears to be some areas where you can sit in wells in the traditional Japanese style), and an upper level where the restrooms are located and there are other tables, some of which look down on the lower level.
If you are looking for the "hibachi" style where the chef stir fries your meal in front of you as you watch, the place to go is Toyo on Crescent. The food there is good, but a bit overpriced.
Sho Dan is more of an upscale traditional Japanese sushi restaurant. And although I did not notice it one way or the other, I would be shocked if sukiyaki is not on the menu there.
I also like Mikasa on Peel (for sushi only, their traditional fare is not as good). Katsura on rue de la Montagne is highly rated, but I did not enjoy it as much as Sho Dan or Mikasa.
I saw a number of highly attractive, young Asian women while I was dining at Sho Dan. This past Saturday night the place was packed.
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A bit off-region
EB,
This is geographically displaced, but appropriate here. If ever you're in Toronto go to a sushi place downtown called "Fune". Rather novel here: the sushi bar is a large oval table with a cut-out in the middle, where the chefs are. Around the oval is a moat that carries dishes of sushi that float by. You just take what you want, and they count the plates at the end - a different plate for a different price. I enjoyed it, but ended up spending too much - it was on the expensive side.
Addendum: on one occasion, just prior to my heading to Montreal for an overnight trip, I went out for dim sum. The fortune cookie I had at the end of the meal stated simply, "Have fun tonight".
EB,
This is geographically displaced, but appropriate here. If ever you're in Toronto go to a sushi place downtown called "Fune". Rather novel here: the sushi bar is a large oval table with a cut-out in the middle, where the chefs are. Around the oval is a moat that carries dishes of sushi that float by. You just take what you want, and they count the plates at the end - a different plate for a different price. I enjoyed it, but ended up spending too much - it was on the expensive side.
Addendum: on one occasion, just prior to my heading to Montreal for an overnight trip, I went out for dim sum. The fortune cookie I had at the end of the meal stated simply, "Have fun tonight".
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chef,
Floating sushi!!! Now that is an interesting concept. In what kind of dishes are the sushi carried as they sail through this moat? I assume they are seaworthy dishes designed according to appropriate nautical standards.
One other noteworthy culinary experience I had this past week: Stripper Lover joined me for breakfast at Reuben's. Although the breakfast we had was otherwise ordinary (in fact SL complained bitterly because his scrambled eggs looked like a chopped up omelette, the sign of a lazy chef who isn't cooking the eggs fresh), we decided to share a side dish of Jewish potato latkes which were very good. They were served with sour cream and applesauce. It's been a long time since I had latkes - I think the last time I had them was at Moishe's about a year ago - but the ones we had at Reubens were quite good.
Floating sushi!!! Now that is an interesting concept. In what kind of dishes are the sushi carried as they sail through this moat? I assume they are seaworthy dishes designed according to appropriate nautical standards.
One other noteworthy culinary experience I had this past week: Stripper Lover joined me for breakfast at Reuben's. Although the breakfast we had was otherwise ordinary (in fact SL complained bitterly because his scrambled eggs looked like a chopped up omelette, the sign of a lazy chef who isn't cooking the eggs fresh), we decided to share a side dish of Jewish potato latkes which were very good. They were served with sour cream and applesauce. It's been a long time since I had latkes - I think the last time I had them was at Moishe's about a year ago - but the ones we had at Reubens were quite good.
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EagerBeaver said:chef,
Floating sushi!!! Now that is an interesting concept. In what kind of dishes are the sushi carried as they sail through this moat? I assume they are seaworthy dishes designed according to appropriate nautical standards.
................
EB,
They were sitting magestically in standard small plates that were carried on leakproof barges that were built to nautical standard SB101.2, Annex A (for the curious, the "SB" stands for "Sushi Barge"). These standards were ratified in Geneva. Okay, enough of this nonsense.......
Seriously, I enjoyed the experince, but unfortunately I was dining alone.
EagerBeaver said:
The eggs could well have been cooked fresh, but on high heat, so that you get "planes" of eggs. Have you ever had scrambled egg cooked correcty, i.e. whisked while being cooked gently in a water bath ? It makes a world of difference (fluffy eggs), and enobles the humble egg. I like to add green onions and diced ham at the end, so they are warmed through. One of these days I'd like to try chorizo or merguez instead of ham; should be interesting for brunch.
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Review - Club Chasse et Peche
Saturday night I booked at table for two at Club Chasse et Peche. It is located in the building that once housed the BEST restaurant I have ever eaten at - Le Fadeau. So, expectations were high.
On entering...the decor has been changed drastically. Instead of chalk-coloured walls as before......all black, dungeon-like. We did not like that. But the servers were very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable.
The menu was brief, as I like it: about 8 appetizers, 8 mains, and 8 desserts.
We started off with oysters done 3 ways: naked; with creme fraiche and salmon (I think) eggs; and warm with arugula, chorizo, and cheddar. When I initially heard the description of the third one, I shuddered, but the waiter assured me that most customers prefer them that way. They were Raspberry Point oysters from PEI. The bare oyster was not bad; the second was okay, the third we really enjoyed, to the extent that we ordered more, done just that way. While waiting for them to be delivered I wondered whether I was tasting any of the oyster at all in that configuration. Tasting them again confirmed that the oyster was just adding texture to the dish; the taste of chorizo and cheddar was overpowering. All the same, enjoyed the taste.
My dinner companion had the surf and turf - lobster and veal sweetbreads. The lobster was cooked right but the sauce had no taste; the sweetbreads were deep fried (recipe to lose the creamy texture)...and yes, the creamy texture was lost. The sauce was an overpowering reduction. My main course - sucking pig risotto with shaved foie gras - was wonderful....a very assertive, delicious flavour.
We shared a plate of 4 vegetables: carrots, potatoes, sea asparagus, and one other I can't remember. They were all done really well.
Cheese was cow's milk, sheep's milk (both from Quebec, I think), and Bleu D'Auvergne. They were good.
My companion had chestnuts with maple ice cream for dessert; it was good (I love marrons glacees, which is what this reminded me of). I had nougat glacees served on top of chilled tomatoes ! The tomatoes really worked in the dessert.
Conclusion: A really nice restaurant, but some misses. I think I prefer the table d'hote at Europea, where you get served a number of very small plates.
Saturday night I booked at table for two at Club Chasse et Peche. It is located in the building that once housed the BEST restaurant I have ever eaten at - Le Fadeau. So, expectations were high.
On entering...the decor has been changed drastically. Instead of chalk-coloured walls as before......all black, dungeon-like. We did not like that. But the servers were very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable.
The menu was brief, as I like it: about 8 appetizers, 8 mains, and 8 desserts.
We started off with oysters done 3 ways: naked; with creme fraiche and salmon (I think) eggs; and warm with arugula, chorizo, and cheddar. When I initially heard the description of the third one, I shuddered, but the waiter assured me that most customers prefer them that way. They were Raspberry Point oysters from PEI. The bare oyster was not bad; the second was okay, the third we really enjoyed, to the extent that we ordered more, done just that way. While waiting for them to be delivered I wondered whether I was tasting any of the oyster at all in that configuration. Tasting them again confirmed that the oyster was just adding texture to the dish; the taste of chorizo and cheddar was overpowering. All the same, enjoyed the taste.
My dinner companion had the surf and turf - lobster and veal sweetbreads. The lobster was cooked right but the sauce had no taste; the sweetbreads were deep fried (recipe to lose the creamy texture)...and yes, the creamy texture was lost. The sauce was an overpowering reduction. My main course - sucking pig risotto with shaved foie gras - was wonderful....a very assertive, delicious flavour.
We shared a plate of 4 vegetables: carrots, potatoes, sea asparagus, and one other I can't remember. They were all done really well.
Cheese was cow's milk, sheep's milk (both from Quebec, I think), and Bleu D'Auvergne. They were good.
My companion had chestnuts with maple ice cream for dessert; it was good (I love marrons glacees, which is what this reminded me of). I had nougat glacees served on top of chilled tomatoes ! The tomatoes really worked in the dessert.
Conclusion: A really nice restaurant, but some misses. I think I prefer the table d'hote at Europea, where you get served a number of very small plates.
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chef said:
I eat scrambled eggs quite often, and I like to prepare them whisked with evaporated milk, which keeps them moist. I eat them with apple-cured bacon, which must be cooked on a very low heat or else it tends to burn.
Au Pied De Cochon
Can anyone comment on this restaurant Au Pied De Cochon, 536 Duluth East in Montreal. Will be meeting some friends here soon and would like to know if there are any not to be missed dishes.
Can anyone comment on this restaurant Au Pied De Cochon, 536 Duluth East in Montreal. Will be meeting some friends here soon and would like to know if there are any not to be missed dishes.
man in the middle said:
You should have done a search; I posted on this place before.
Do NOT miss the "cromesqui" appetizer - hot, liquid foie gras; $3 a pop. The tomato tart is very nice. Don't miss the "Lapin Royale" if they have it - rabbit stuffed with foie gras, for two, but if you have it, take it easy on the appetizers as it's large. Don't go for the duck confit - I'm still looking for a place in Montreal that does it right.
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