Chowhound's Latest » Quebec (including Montreal)

Grains of paradise

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:52:13 GMT

There's a description in the link above from Épices du cru. I swapped "en" for "fr" in the URL to quickly go to the English version since their language switcher just brings you back to the homepage: http://www.epicesdecru.com/en/store.view.php?item_id=147&cid=

Best cafes to study all day at?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:10:15 GMT

Yes it looks like the facade has been patched up and that side of the structure is open again.

Rosalie - Pizza

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:47:36 GMT

i've heard it's not really good. hearsay but i'd never go to a restaurant just because they have a woodfired oven.... they need to hire someone that knows how to make a decent pizza again.... personal opinion....

Best birthday BYOB?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:43:01 GMT

Not a recco since I've never eaten there, but Bitoque -- www.bitoque.ca -- would meet a lot of your criteria. And you could take along some of the great QPR Portuguese wines on offer at the SAQ (e.g. the red 2008 Vinho regional Estremadura from Quinta de Bons-Ventos @ $12.10).

Cupcake Camp - Sunday, Nov. 22

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:13:11 GMT

Ha! thanks for the photo link. Some of those cupcakes were very very cute!

Dining around the W Hotel

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:47:53 GMT

If you're willing to walk about 1.5 km, Decca 77 is not too far and has a great prix fixe www.decca77.com http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&source=hp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=0,0,8506953092094332618&fb=1&hq=W+Hotel&hnear=Square+Victoria+Montreal&gl=ca&daddr=901+Rue+Du+Square-Victoria,+Montr%C3%A9al,+QC+H2Z&geocode=4523890082982710103,45.501886,-73.562181&ei=2usNS7DRKcHVlAeigPWOBA&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=directions-to&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQngIwAA

Restaurant Openings - 2009

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:04:37 GMT

MBCo on Stanley just reopened after an almost 2-3 month hiatus. i've never been there though. anyone with some feedback?

GREAT RESTAURANT OUTSIDE OF MONTREAL

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:23:34 GMT

I recently had the pleasure of eating at Le Jardins Sauvage for a birthday dinner and really liked it. It's located in L'Epiphanie and is about 45 min away. The concept is basically one of foraging ingredients from the local forests to use in the dishes. The regular 5 course meal is $75 dollars (tax included) so its more of a special occasion place (for me anyways) but the food was really good when we went. Also it's a BYOW restaurant. Here is the website in case this might interest you: http://www.jardinssauvages.com/index.php?nom=accueil Outside the restaurant they have a wonderful little river and surprisingly extensive hiking trails through the forest. I think the longer trail is around 7km.

Lunch at Nhu Y today :)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:02:54 GMT

Glad you enjoyed it - every time we've been we've liked it very much. Even the "less authentic" lunch specials are very good. It is still economical, and a byow. Between Castelnau and du Parc métro stations.

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:36:36 GMT

We have Chobani here in Toronto. What do you guys think of Akhavan's house yogurts? I found a really enjoyable 4% version labeled 'Akhavan Dairy Foods' in an Iranian supermarket here, and I suspect that it comes from your local marché.

Anyone know where I can get me some almond paste?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:51:28 GMT

It just occurred to me that Le Maitre Chocolatier make their own almond paste for their chocolates, so may want to see if they will sell you some.

Salon Passion Chocolat

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:46:13 GMT

I was at Le Maitre Chocolatier the next day, and they made me try a new truffle - half chocolate and half foie gras. I loved the texture (it was super smooth), but am still undecided on the taste - I want more foie gras in it.

Where's the best burger in Montreal

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:17:57 GMT

went to try picks today, and i've got to say, out of the many burger places i've been to in southern california, this place is pretty much up there with some of the best i've had. ordered a kimchi steakburger with mozzarella and a side of fries. bun was perfect consistency, thickness and flavor, toppings were fresh and crisp, bulgogi itself was greatly marinaded and the kimchi was wonderful. overall a great, fresh and cheap burger! the fries weren't too bad themselves, and i got loads for $2 but i probably will pass on it next time in favor of trying a kogo!

Dining for 1 in Montreal?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:57:16 GMT

You could go somewhere where you could eat at the bar like Leméac, L'Express, Au Pied de Cochon, La Fabrique and many more.

Stopped in a Avesta Tonight.

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:18:02 GMT

I love the manti there. They have such an interesting texture with the tiny dumplings and the creamy sauce. This place is one of my favorites around concordia.

Stopped in at Mozza tonight

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:38:01 GMT

For some reason the site didn't open for me (just as well) which is why I didn't remember that I had asked it before.

Frite Alors

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:37:34 GMT

the same on google chrome

Downtown student restaurants

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:22:52 GMT

Been trying to find good food around McGill for 4 years now on a grad student budget, and here are my additions/corrections =D: Sushi: Osaka on Park (De Bleury) and Sherbrooke - Inexpensive and, if you know what to order, decent, especially by Montreal Sushi Standards (MSS's). Pizza: McGill Pizza - If you order it fresh, it's actually quite good. Lebanese: Medina, in the cathedral food court - You get EPIC portions and the cabbage salad and chicken are, in my opinion, better than Boustan. They don't grill the pita, but I get the plate, so yeah. Chinese: Walk to Guy and Sherbrook and hit up Cuisine Szechuan - Best Chinese I have had, period. Get the spicy peanut tofu and the dumplings in spicy soup (back page).

BYOW Restaurants

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:07:34 GMT

that link is terrific, but if you're at all interested in sushi than let me suggest Yukkai and Uchi (amazing sushi and byob)!

Update on the BYOW scene?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:05:34 GMT

if you haven't given Monsieur B yet then you're in for a treat! Same concept as Les Infidele, O Thym or Les Heritiers but it is the newest! Delicious, a little more high end than Les Inf and OThym. Just had a birthday dinner there and it was perfect. The ambience is dark, cozy yet trendy and you most certainly need a reservation because it is intimate just like the others. The table d'hote runs about $45, but you can easily order off the menu if you don't want to spring for that much. Personally, any meal from those restaurants are completely worth it; especially, if it's celebratory!

Road trip and Food trip in Quebec...

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:23:08 GMT

Please let me know where to have a good French meal... Also where to have a good smoked meat sandwich. Thanks You All

Knives and L’Émouleur

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:55:36 GMT

Stopped in to visit with Guillaume at L'Emouleur today. Even though I wasn't in the market for a knife, he was quite informative and willing to talk about the knives he has available, which is a great collection; nothing else in Montreal is even close if you want a good knife. BTW, his proper web site is www.emouleur.com I've attached some pictures of his knives... not the best pics as I took them with my phone.

What's The Best Montreal Area Dim Sum Joint, Right Now?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:34:33 GMT

I find them immensely better when first outta the kitchen. After a few rounds of the room, they cool and get a bit limp. Kind of like the whole fried shrimp. They are different than your garden variety smelts found in seafood restos (or the JTM corner fry-up), thats why I think 'capelin'. But again, it is a member of the smelt family...splitting fins, I know. Ate at Ruby Rouge this past weekend (our standard go-to dim sum...but I've been trying to get out to St. Laurent...ah Cartierville). They seem to be building up their side table service. Don't get to dim sum as much as in the past, but I believe they started with a single steam table off to the side. Now another whole steam table, plus a regular tabletop offering sweets and other items (pickled pigsfoot/jellyfish, etc), and a kind of self-serve steamer basket area next to it all. New trend? They seem to have been doing this in NY for awhile, but its another feature that adds some variety.

Burger DE ville - NDG ( Westminster)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:43:33 GMT

Despite the subject line, don't say it is in NDG, by the way. Those Montreal Westers might raise a stink if they hear you!

Any Swedish restaurants in Montreal?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:24:00 GMT

not restaurant but chef: Rene Pankalla Caterer 156 St-Zotique East, Montreal 514 - 277-5122

Wheelchair accessible within wheeling distance - downtown

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:14:02 GMT

Looking for lunch ideas downtown, near Crescent & Ste. Catherine. Only catch is that is must have wheelchair access and be not too far. Food type doesn't really matter as long as it isn't solely seafood.

best $10.....

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:10:17 GMT

abu elias (733 Cote Vertu) got 1/2 kilo mixed platter for 18.00$ , recommended by the cashier lady, as a lot for 2 people. came with 2 large pitas/ 5 mixed brochette =small/ hummus/ onions/ garlicky stuff conclusion: did not like it at all, here is why 1.the condiments are not enough to make 2 large/3-4 small sandwhiches 2. the brochettes <5 inches, very small pieces. 3. no turnip/green salad that usually isi n the sandwiches. TIP: get only the sandwiches as recommended here. for the fvalue/taste 18.00$ will get about 4 sandwiches. or look up emerilcantcook 's post here who recommends some dish, which was not available to me on friday eve.

ur olive oil brands

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:56:51 GMT

repliers-thanks i have concluded to try grape seed oil for everyday use which is about $5/litre or canola oil - close in mono fats to olive oil. mild enough/high smoking point to brown onions for curries at high temp & simmer them for 1/2 hr. sometimes. will try some of the finer brands of oils : Italian/Greek/Portuguese/Lebanese/ Spanish for salads, drizzling/grilling veges....... ( i have been enlightened as a newbie.) :-P

Best cheese?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:17:02 GMT

They had it at the Loblaw's on Parc and Jean Talon two weeks ago as well.

Korean BBQ in Montreal [split from Restaurant Openings 2009]

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:44:14 GMT

I've heard that Korean restos often use kiwi as a meat tenderizer, does anyone know off-hand if this holds true for any of the places mentioned? I'm seriously allergic to it, so I have to be hyper-vigilant about asking...

Where did you eat this week ?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:38:50 GMT

You know, it's not half bad if you're on a budget, can eat a lot and don't mind waiting. Always better to make several smaller orders than the largest they allow, because of the wait time. The AYCE menu is smaller than the regular one of course, here's a link: http://www.sushimoushi.ca/our_menu.php I'm not usually a fan of weird or cooked rolls, but tried the ones my sister insisted we order and they were good for that style.

Restaurant Closings - 2009

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:28:13 GMT

Make that Dec. 15.

18th birthday

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:36:21 GMT

Yes, but at those places they'd be going to see a particular band.

Where did "Curry House" Ben go?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:52:00 GMT

I was there tonight and the place looked great. The food was fabulous as usual. Ben hasn't lost his touch. The place was very crowded for a Sunday so I hope more and more people find out about his new digs. He also added a few new items on the menu. I had a fish curry, very tasty.

Maison Kam Fung Report

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:41:49 GMT

I ate here last night, I heard quite a few recommendations for it on the board. Overall, I wan't impressed, I doubt I will return, mainly because there's so many other places to try in that area. I had there wonton soup as someone else mentioned, I found the broth to be one of the nicer ones, I've had. I had stuffed snow crab claws, which were mainly minced shrimp and a bit of crab which was battered in puffed rice and served with a sweet/sour sauce. I had there barbecue duck, which was fine. Skin was nice, but the meat not overly juicy. Also had there cantonese chow mein, which was quite bad, noodles were mushy, and there was way too much cornstarch sauce, and really saturated with oil. I'm not too concerned with my weight, so I like fatty food, but too much veg oil just doesn't add anything. One thing that has annoyed me about "chinese" restaurants in Mtl, is how many serve Pad thai. Why do most of the chinese restaurants have to serve every type of asian food. Pick one cuisine and do it well. And those damn peanut butter sauce dumplings, are disgusting. I think that's a Montreal thing. I saw some Hunan restaurant up the alley from KF, can't wait to check it out.

Best SAQ in Montreal (plateau-ish) for American (USA) wines ?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:44:29 GMT

That's great. Thanks for the insight!

Good news for Montreal chiliheads! Cuisine Szechuan

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:03:09 GMT

"The spiciness was fierce--this was the only truly spicy dish we had: most likely, as other posters said, they thought we couldn't handle spicy food as we all look westerners, but they didn't tone down the dish that was on the chinese-only menu!" I think there are a few dishes that can't be toned down, maybe because there's a key component made in large batches. A couple of weeks ago we ordered the tofu flower with beef in Szechuan sauce and were warned it was very spicy. We said "great!" and were rewarded with good heat levels in the other dishes. (The legendary green beans and the twice-cooked pork.) The tofu and beef was one of those things that got hotter as time went on. This was also the first time I've ordered twice-cooked pork and not had the server try to dissuade me by saying "oh, it's mostly fat..." I also have to say the ma po tofu is out of this world, especially when the spice is cranked up to high.

Cocoa Locale cakes?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:26:00 GMT

I saw that too! Poor Reema! Get your flu shots everyone!

Why no quality wines at deps?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:55:21 GMT

At about the same price as Fuzion, Giacondi Nero d'Avola is quite decent plonk (though of course it is plonk). I love the Château Pajzos's Tokaji (Furmint) - guess it really depends on our taste. A cheapo white that I find fine for bulkish purposes is the Citra Chardonnay - on sale for $8,65 a litre until tomorrow. But I'm not talking chowish, of course. There is also a Hungarian Riesling in a litre bottle for just over $10 - so that is under $10 a bottle (750ml). It is very hard to find - they do carry it at SAQ Beaubien but you have to ask for it - it is kept in the backstore. Riesling Jaszberenyi 2008 Code SAQ : 00000836 CUP : 05998815 733273

Anancy - Jamaican on Somerled

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:21:07 GMT

I've had some very yummy things at Anancy, including the jerk chicken platter, the curry chicken, and the jerk chicken wrap... but the service can sometimes be super slow, and the sweet-potato fries have always come out cold.

Montreal birthday dinner... for a vegetarian!?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:59:34 GMT

Thanks for the help. I have also been directed to try Kitchenette. The online menu seemed to have several vegetarian options.

Who makes the best sandwiches in town?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:36:36 GMT

Not necessarily the best, but a decent grilled cheese can be had at Indigo Cafe, believe it or not. They give you a choice of breads, but the multigrain is my favourite - and it's really inexpensive, too (around $2.00).

Help with Quebec City restaurants for a family duing Christmas

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:22:27 GMT

On the subject of cipaille, it struck me one day, whilst reading Patrick O'Brian, that cipaille is simply 'sea pie' ... it's a British naval dish that came back with the Québécois men who went to sea. Which makes the dish even more interesting in my eyes.

Cocktails in Montreal

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:27:10 GMT

I heard that the drinks were good at Joe Beef, but my Lemon Drop Martini wasn't exactly what I had in mind the other night. Not quite sweet enough....

Poivre Noir in Trois Rivieres

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:40:47 GMT

Has anyone been? Wanted a nice romantic resto for my birthday, but i don't want to leave my newborn with a sitter so it has to be close to family in trois rivieres. thanks

Loose tea shops

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:16:10 GMT

The noir in verdun has both, but i have not been inside that shop. I really like the teas at salon de the on st sulpice a block away from the basillica. They are more green tea/oolong centered but i found them far more knowledgeable than Camellia Sinensis. But, i should not say that as i was only at Camellia Sinensis only once and the service i got might have been a fluke.

Liberté Baltic yogurt?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:23:40 GMT

Marche Lobo on Parc / Milton carries Baltic and Greek and the usual kinds. the 500g of the regular flavor is 2.29$. It's only the 6 grain type that is above 3$ Selection varies by week.

Restaurant delivery suggestions for Montreal (Old Montreal)?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:55:38 GMT

i work in the old montreal area and we get lots of food delivered. Here are a list of restaurants that i see often coming in: - Beniaminos (sp?) - Mandy express http://www.mandysxp.com/ - Amir - Souvlaki George - Anything on Carte Express (http://alce.dtsc.net/) - I *think* boustan delivers to here (my coworker did that once)

Restaurant in Rivière des Prairies for 50th anniversary

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:21:51 GMT

Thank you. Someone at work also recommended it. I'll check it out as well.