Restaurant Closures - 2008
It was suggested in a posting that we should start new threads for Restaurant Closures & Restaurant Openings as it was getting unwielding. I'll start one for Restaurant Closures in 2008. Noticed that Pho Bang Montreal restaurant in CDN has now closed. Had wanted to try their Vietnamese spicy soup. Wanted to get more suggestions for specifically Vietnamese spicy soup in Montreal by starting a topic, but got zero suggestions so far.
BLM
Jan 04, 2008 08:02PM
What, you mean they moved then closed already? Their Cochincninese spicy soup was amazing. That's really too bad, because although Pho Lien does good soup, their bun bo noodles are often soggy.
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I didn't know they had moved earlier. Just know, I wanted to check out Pho Bang Montreal for first time yesterday(I had seen the establishment before, but never went in), but it was empty(the 'Pho Bang Montreal' sign still displayed outside).
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I just did a search of Pho Bang Montreal on Canada411.ca, & it shows there's a Pho Bang Montreal at 9920 St-Laurent(didn't know about this location). So there was two Pho Bang Montreal locations, & now there's just one?
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Shows me what I know. Just called up Pho Bang Montreal on St-Laurent blvd. They moved from CDN to their current St-Laurent blvd location 2 months ago. Headed there for their Cochininese spicy soup this afternoon.
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OK, now I'm doubting my own sanity. In Chinatown, on St.Laurent near Viger, is Pho Bang New York. I had always thought they were branch #1 and branch #2 was on CDN, right next to the mega McDo. Both have been in those 2 locations for years. The CDN one closed while I was out of town, and I understood they relocated to somewhere else on CDN.
It may well be after all these years, the two were never related, and I blindly assumed they were without paying enough attention to the actual name. Weird, huh?
For what it's worth, the cochinchinese soup at both was (is?) identical.
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The relocated Pho Bang New York, is now on St-Laurent & Sauve. Thanks for you telling me this morning, that they moved.
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It's Pho Bang Montreal on St-Laurent and Sauve.
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Yes. They moved to this new location two months ago.
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So how was the soup?
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I'm withholding judgement until I make a revisit probably next week. The server misheard/misunderstood when I ordered spicy soup(he only heard 'soup' & initally gave me their pho special... & so on), that I'm giving them a benefit of the doubt, by trying the spicy soup again soon.
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ok, after hearing this story and emerilcantcook's story about the soup at pho lam, I'm beginning to feel that we all need to take Vietnamese lessons. In fact, I think that would be a great course: Food Speak, a course that covers some of the major languages and how to use them in restaurants. I'd sign up in a minute (although I have already managed some of the basics in Korean, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, I do need lots of help in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, etc.) We could have a second course on products in ethnic food markets.
Of course, this would take away some of the excitement ("did you order this? No, I thought you did... What is it anyway? Could it be a chicken butt (Pope's nose..) How about pig lips? Woah that's an odd texture.... ")
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Great idea...sign me up! LOL
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I'll do the food translation if you pay for my meal :)
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Just wanted to say. Finally tried the Cochinese spicy soup at Pho Bang Montreal under proper conditions(now sure what I tried on the first visit there, after the waiter misheard what I ordered), & it was absolutely terrific. The best Cochinese spicy soup by far I've ever tasted.
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Hooray! Isn't it superb?
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So this spicy soup is not bun bo hue? Frankly I've never seen a spicy soup on a Vietnamese menu that wasn't bun bo hue. Could you desrcribe what this soup is you're looking for?
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If you are speaking to me. What I got eventually at Pho Bang Montreal(I can't remember how it's listed on the menu, maybe 'Cochincninese spicy soup) after I cleared things up, that I wanted their Vietnamese spicy soup(I might of said Cochincninese spicy soup after the bomobob posting), was so below my expectations that I can't really describe in words. It tasted like Vietnamese Pho soup, that was slightly spiked with the broth of their spicy soup & they added one beef bone, & tried to pass it off as their Vietnamese spicy soup(I was so so so... disappointed). My thinking, the Vietnamese Pho soup that they originally gave me by mistake, after the waiter misheard me, they didn't want to throw it away & take a total loss on it.
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To bring this thread back on track note that Zen on Sherbrooke Street (in the Omni Hotel) will close its doors on February 28th.
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Haven't been in years and years. I remember the duck as being very good and not much else.
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Another pioneer of "tuxedo Chinese" has closed its doors. Le Chrysantheme (a.k.a. Chrysanthemum) on Crescent has closed up shop but is survived by L'Orchidee de Chine on Peel (same owners).
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Has anyone seen any activity on the premises of the former McDonald's at the corner of Mont-Royal and avenue du Parc?
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Driving past it, stopped at the light, nothing seems to be happening. Just the brown papering of the windows.
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Ail Y'ail Y'ail closed.
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Damn! Never got to try them. :(
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That is sad! Wonder why?
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You know, that stretch of St. Laurent is hard to make work if you are a business. Not as much foot traffic as there is south of Duluth. Wandering home, I never see a lot of people in that area, and I never saw a lot of people in Ail Y'ail Y'ail. I never went in there because it always looked pretty dead...
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A fellow fan mused yesterday that maybe Al had closed temporarily to go on vacation or for an acting gig. Nope. Walked by the locale last night. Except for the ghost of the name on the window, the place has been pretty much emptied out and a big À LOUER sign is prominently displayed. Bummer. Best wishes to Al, wherever he's ended up.
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Le Cartet in Old Montreal is closed for renovations. Reopening March 2008.
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Any truth to the rumour that Delfino, the sweet little seafood resto on Lajoie in Outremont, has thrown in the towel?
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Well their phone number is disconnected(I tried calling their number earlier today).
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It looks like Spaghettata on Laurier might be down for the count. Windows are papered up and voice mailbox is full.
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Really? Wow, that place has been there forever. Well, at least since 1987, my only time there.
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On that other board, occasional Chowhound Maltoni reports that Delfino's owner says the restaurant is moving to St-Laurent Blvd. Whew!
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That is nice, but I liked that place as a leafy, quiet place to take my elderly mum, as a treat. I very much associated it with Outremont.
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Del Verde in TMR
Drove by about 2 weeks ago saw a bankruptcy notice on the door.
Was pretty good and one of the few go-tos in TMR.
Too bad.
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Café Vasco da Gama on Bernard is papered over with a construction permit in the window. - no idea if it is renovations or a new place is moving in, but it is closed.
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Saffron on Ste Catherine at St. Mathieu looks dark - curtains drawn, furniture in disarray....
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Recalling this through the fog of early morning, but an item on Daybreak's newscast said the developer who bought the property that includes the iconic Ben's Deli has applied for a demolition permit. If approved, the demolition could happen as early as this spring.
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Yes, but apparently there is already organized opposition from an international group dedicated to preserving art deco buildings.
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Boston Chowhound here. Wife and I stayed at Le Cantlie last week (accomodations bought at a charity auction). Ben's still has all the signage and decor it did when I last visited several years ago. Looks like nothing still has been touched.The new developer hasn't exactly stripped the building's exterior.
On another note, Ripples on St. Laurent opposite Schwartz's remained closed, but looks like new fixtures may have been shipped in. May have been just too early for what seems to remain a seasonal business, despite what their website claims.
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I saw some people doing some work inside Ripples last week, so hopefully they will open soon.
24 hr Falafel place on the corner of Pins seems to be closed. Signs were also taken off.
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Ripples has re-opened. I was there briefly early last night.
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The 24hr falafel place used to be Mickey Beignes.
Anyone remember that? After getting soused at Bifteck or Phoenix or some other dive, you would stumble into the place for late-night carbs.
Of course, everyone smoked everywhere back then, so your donut came out tasting of tar and nicotine.
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Ah, Beignes Mickey. There's a name from the past. I remember they had to change their name or logo at some point.
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Walking back to the car after dinner in Chinatown, we noticed that Restaurant Uyghur has closed. All the signs have been taken down and there's a note in the door, but it was in Chinese.
We were very sad because despite its imperfections, the place was unique and had some truly delicious dishes. Where will I get my Iron Plate Kebab fix, now?
I feel I might have to move to East Turkestan.
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That's a shame. Though i have never been the place with more than two tables of paying customers. Oh Uyghur, I never had the chance to get to know you!
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Dang! I didn't get there either! Does anyone read Chinese? Any chance the sign says "we're moving"?
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Adding my voice to the rising chorus of "Damn, I missed that one!" What a shame.
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Bummer, really! Yes it had imperfections, but since it was the only remaining example of the cuisine in the city, I thought they would be able to get away with just being OK. I guess this wasn't enough for the others, because when we ate there or just passed by, the place was always deserted.
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Another one bites the dust. The Le Commensal resto at 5199 Côte-des-Neiges is shuttered. No tears shed here. That leaves two outlets on the island. Wonder what their chances for survival are.
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Le Commensal seems to be concentrating far more on prepared vegetarian foods for supermarkets and shops than on their initial cafeteria operation.
I remember the original Commensal eons ago; much more interesting back then. It is rather expensive now for what it is.
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I don't know the name of the place but the restaurant that was just beside Olive & Gourmando on St-Paul has brown paper windows as of this morning.
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The restaurant name is Rose Blanche. East Europe food. Bad food, bad service, bad decor... it was time. Hopefully, the place will be replaced with something better...
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I moved my offices to St-Paul Street a year ago and cannot remember ever seeing anyone eating there.
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East European? Someone else called it French:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/393476
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Obviously someone doesn't know that a bouillabaisse made with dill and a goulash are not French at all!
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Le Commensal is owned by the Fondation Chagnon, basically the largest philanthropic organisation in Canada. André Chagnon's vision for the Commensal is to have it move into institutional food service (e.g. hospitals and schools). He can afford to throw lots of money at it until he finds a concept that he's happy with.
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The space is being renovated as a Première Moisson outlet. The owners of ExoFruits, which has been the 'hood's main vendor of PM breads, and Au Pain Doré, located right across the street, must be delighted.
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I ate at Rose Blanche a few weeks after it opened, wienershnitzel, good enough. I never saw it full or busy any time I passed by last summer...... it just never took off.
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