New Montreal Restaurant Thread

[Agrippa]

Boustan... blech!

I'm surprised Boustan hasn't been shut down by health inspectors. Stopped going there two or three years ago when I ordered a shawarma and saw the chef/cook/cashier pound all the ingredients with his bare hands into the pita and then take my $20 with the same bare hands... and then carry on making other people's meals! Who knows what he did before making my dinner?

I was too hungry to say something and/or not eat it, but never again!

 

[EagerBeaver]

I'm surprised Boustan hasn't been shut down by health inspectors. Stopped going there two or three years ago when I ordered a shawarma and saw the chef/cook/cashier pound all the ingredients with his bare hands into the pita and then take my $20 with the same bare hands... and then carry on making other people's meals! Who knows what he did before making my dinner?

I was too hungry to say something and/or not eat it, but never again!

This is not the norm. I have been there at least 12 times and they always have a guy on the cash register who is not touching the food. In fact, the owner who makes shawarma never touches the food, because there is no need to - he loads the pocket up with veggies and meat using a pair of tongs while holding the pocket in a wrapping.

It's a family owned restaurant and you probably caught them when they were on vacation and their cousin Vinnie was running the place. Bad timing by you.

The owner/operator is a young guy who usually wears a New York Yankees baseball cap. He is a huge fan of the Yankees probably in his early 30s or so. Various other relatives assist in running the operation. During the busy times when I have been there for lunch with a line out the door, it would actually be impossible to operate the place with one person both making food and cashing out. In any event, the experience you have described I have not seen.

 

[Special K]

The owner/operator is a young guy who usually wears a New York Yankees baseball cap. He is a huge fan of the Yankees probably in his early 30s or so. Various other relatives assist in running the operation. During the busy times when I have been there for lunch with a line out the door, it would actually be impossible to operate the place with one person both making food and cashing out. In any event, the experience you have described I have not seen.

Beav, I believe this is the owners son. The owner is a gentleman named Imad who is in his 50's I'd say, balding with a moustache, usually works beginning about 4pm until they close around 4am.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Beav, I believe this is the owners son. The owner is a gentleman named Imad who is in his 50's I'd say, balding with a moustache, usually works beginning about 4pm until they close around 4am.

If what you say about the owner is true, K, he certainly is no Yankee fan.

 

[smuler]

Knowing that I would be coming up , after I read EB's list of questions...

I cross referenced that list with Yelp, (where I have always had good luck with wherever I travel ).

Here is Boustan's thread on Yelp :

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/restaurant-boustan-montreal


Yelp also mentions a place on St Catherine's called Basha :

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/basha-restau...-fwrhN1DUK4ziHxMBsFw/src:search/query:boustan


Any thoughts on them ?


Best Regards


Smuler

 

[EagerBeaver]

Yelp also mentions a place on St Catherine's called Basha :

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/basha-restau...-fwrhN1DUK4ziHxMBsFw/src:search/query:boustan


Any thoughts on them ?


Best Regards


Smuler

Smuler,

That's the place in the Complex Desjardins Food Court, below the Hyatt. Not as good as Boustan but serving the same kind of food. Certainly a shorter walk if you are staying at the Hyatt.

 

[Agrippa]

This is not the norm. I have been there at least 12 times and they always have a guy on the cash register who is not touching the food. In fact, the owner who makes shawarma never touches the food, because there is no need to - he loads the pocket up with veggies and meat using a pair of tongs while holding the pocket in a wrapping.

It's a family owned restaurant and you probably caught them when they were on vacation and their cousin Vinnie was running the place. Bad timing by you.

The owner/operator is a young guy who usually wears a New York Yankees baseball cap. He is a huge fan of the Yankees probably in his early 30s or so. Various other relatives assist in running the operation. During the busy times when I have been there for lunch with a line out the door, it would actually be impossible to operate the place with one person both making food and cashing out. In any event, the experience you have described I have not seen.

Yeah, all it was was bad timing, shame on me. Not shame on the guy who worked around 3am some random night and had a moustache and was bald who served me... funny that this sounds like a description of the owner.

Whatever; it's your problem if you want to poison yourself on contaminated food, uncooked meat, dirty razor blades, STDs...

 

[Agrippa]

Basha

[...]

Yelp also mentions a place on St Catherine's called Basha :

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/basha-restau...-fwrhN1DUK4ziHxMBsFw/src:search/query:boustan


Any thoughts on them ?


Best Regards


Smuler

I think Basha one of the better places to get Lebanese food in Montreal. The location I always go to is the one on Ste-Catherine near McGill College (across from Place Montreal Trust). Because of the high volume of traffic at that location, it appears to me that new food is constantly being prepared and is therefore fresh. Though, they have multiple locations all over town.

Avoid the location, also on Ste-Catherine, a few blocks West--the one where it looks like you are ascending into a cave... beats me how they came up with that one--I have seen that location being singled out in the paper for health code violations.

Also, avoid Amir! Everything they serve is soggy and are prepared with the wrong proportions of ingredients.

 

[AllOverHer]

I think Basha one of the better places to get Lebanese food in Montreal. The location I always go to is the one on Ste-Catherine near McGill College (across from Place Montreal Trust). Because of the high volume of traffic at that location, it appears to me that new food is constantly being prepared and is therefore fresh. Though, they have multiple locations all over town.

Avoid the location, also on Ste-Catherine, a few blocks West--the one where it looks like you are ascending into a cave... beats me how they came up with that one--I have seen that location being singled out in the paper for health code violations.

Also, avoid Amir! Everything they serve is soggy and are prepared with the wrong proportions of ingredients.

My worst experiences with lebanese food was in Ottawa.

Unfortunately most places now cut on quality of the products to save $$$. can you blame them? Otherwise they would close down.

When you go in a place that is busy chances are that you will get FRESHly cooked food but the ingredients will be questionnable.

Amir used to be good but the quality sucks big time now. Basha I never liked their food.

Is there hope for a genuine quality lebanese fast food in Montreal? WOuld love to discover a new place when I come to Montreal next week.

I crave my amir days from 15 years ago on maisonneuve boul. Now I just avoid it!

 

[protagoras]

Daou

AllOverHer

My favorite pick when it comes to Lebanese food is Daou. Even if it was already mentionned on this thread a couple of years ago, I think it's time to mention it another time. After all, tere's so many new posters that may be not aware of this restaurant.

http://restomontreal.ca/restaurants/index.php?section=viewresto&resto_id=1432

I can say the same thing for Alep, a Syrian restaurant, on Jean-Talon, just in front of Le Marché Jean-Talon.

 

[AllOverHer]

AllOverHer

My favorite pick when it comes to Lebanese food is Daou. Even if it was already mentionned on this thread a couple of years ago, I think it's time to mention it another time. After all, tere's so many new posters that may be not aware of this restaurant.

http://restomontreal.ca/restaurants/index.php?section=viewresto&resto_id=1432

I can say the same thing for Alep, a Syrian restaurant, on Jean-Talon, just in front of Le Marché Jean-Talon.

Thanks Pro,
Daou is in another league indeed but they are not a fast food place and they are not downtown. I wonder why? I've been to both location. The one in St-Laurent is more upscale like la sirene restaurant on acadie and the one on, I think, fallon is more family style. I wonder if the prices are the same at both locations? It's been a while that I haven't been there. might just stop there next week.

 

[CLAVIE]

Jap sushi

Does someone tell me where I could find a good sushi resto in Montreal plz ?


except like this one :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvmOsGkXRH4

 

[Franklin's Tower]

Bishoku on Bishop.

Slightly above casual but always good...

 

[ck_nj]

Does someone tell me where I could find a good sushi resto in Montreal plz ?


except like this one :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvmOsGkXRH4

I reviewed Sho-Dan on page 21 of this thread back in 2006. I loved it there!

Click here for the review.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Sushi

I don't know if Mikasa is back in business after one of their customers was crushed to death by falling concrete from the Marriott Residence Inn, but it is my favorite sushi resto in Montreal. Next best is Isakaya on Parc.

 

[Special K]

Anybody like good BBQ, try Mesquite!!

On a recent excursion to the North a friend of mine asked me if I liked BBQ grub to which I replied "like a pig in shit!" She took me to a place on Decarie just at the border of downtown and NDG called Mesquite. I wish I discovered this place years ago!!

We went for lunch around 1pm and it wasn't all that busy. Waitress was very attentive as well as attractive. My friend ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork plate with fries for $9.95 and I ordered the 1/2 rack BBQ Pork Ribs with onion strings for $15.95. They offered 3 different sauces, one was called a Dr. Pepper which the waitress recommended and I thoroughly enjoyed, they also had a very hot Chipotle type of sauce as well as a 3rd which I can't recall. The ribs were some of the best I've had and we have some great rib places in the Boston area. Very tasty, fall off the bone type and the 1/2 rack was just enough. My friends dish which I also tried was also very very good.

I liked the place so much that I went back a couple days later by myself and had to try one of the signature burgers. Now I still don't think the burgers in Montreal taste as good as here in the States but at the very least, Mesquites were above average to very good. They cook to order!!! If I wanted it bloody sopping I could have had it bloody sopping but I decided to go with the medium rare. I chose the "Caliente Burger" which consisted of 8oz mix of choice beef chuck and brisket with roasted peppers, guacamole, pepper jack cheese and salsa fresco on top. I got mine sans guac though and a side of the onion strings which are also very good. Overall I highly recommend Mesquite and will definitely be back again on future trips. I hear their breakfast is amazing as well!!

Not sure if links are allowed here now or what but go to mesquite.ca for the full menu.

 

[Mod 8]

Hello SK,

There is no problem with posting links to restaurant web sites in this thread. In fact, I would encourage their posting.

M8

 

[benxxx]

damn K! now i'm hungry...LOL

 

[EagerBeaver]

M Brgr

Since SK mentioned burgers here is a review from my recent trip in early July 2009 on M Brgr:

http://www.mbrgr.com/press_downloads/eng_menu.pdf

I decided to try m brgr on 2025 Drummond on the recommendation of Techman and one other local who said it is the destination of the true burger conneisseur. I must report that the burger I had was very good and possibly one of the best I have had in Montreal, but certainly not worth the price tag. I paid $18 plus tax for the house burger with mozzerella, bacon and grilled onions (the only thing you get with the burger is a tomato slice and a Moishes pickle, everything else is extra), and a side order of cole slaw. The burger was very tasty and came cooked medium. Overall a good dining experience but since most people will not be willing to invest $20 or more in a burger meal I cannot recommend it.

The wait staff is very young and attractive, as were most of the customers, surprisingly. It is a very trendy place but not sure whether it will succeed long term even with its downtown location where it can cater to tourists.

 

[EagerBeaver]

been there 3x since i live around the corner.
1st time was a tad above average, a 6.
2nd & 3rd time were below average, a 4. dry burger, bun wasn't fresh, wilted lettuce, soggy pickle.

will never return.

john,

You are holding them to a high standard which is completely fair given the prices they are charging for their burgers. But when you say below average, below average compared to what? This is a very high end burger place, and the only other restaurant I have been to which is an equally high end place is Mechant Bouef in Old Montreal. So we have maybe two burger joints in this very high end category. If you are comparing with MB, that's fair, but if you are comparing to Burger King, we are talking about $15 burgers vs. $4 and less burgers.

I would agree that a better value burger can be had many other places, most notably Winnies. But I think m brgr is competing against places like Mechant Bouef.

That being said, I doubt I would go back to either of these places because their burgers are not good enough to justify the dramatic increase in price over a place like Winnies.