West Island Best Kept Secrets

[ios94]

I know West Island doesn't have too much to offer in the way of good eats, but can we start a list of places. From butchers to restaurants, bread, etc...

I learned about Shahib on here, that has been pretty good.

The sausages at Bearnoise (sp) on St Charles are very good and I picked up some Polish sausages at this place on Pierrefonds yesterday, that will be dinner tonight.

Spicy Island is good too for jerk chicken and roti's.

Anyone else care to add?

Best Chinese, Greek, Italian, pizza?

Thanks

[ios94]

A couple of updates for the WI; Bombay Grill 21 is no more, unfortunate as I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was quite good as hungryann mentioned. It's now called, Kebab something or other. That location is obviously cursed.

The Portuguese place is called, Les 3 Maria and is "opening soon".

Pitaya Maya is now open.

[jonhall]

The location to Bombay 21 has been more restaurants than I care to remember. The owner should cut his losses and turn it into something else.

[hungryann]

I'm so annoyed re: Bombay 21. I was planning to go Thursday to try their buffet lunch. I think my new policy for eating in Indian restaurants in the WI will be to give it 6 months before trying any new restaurant that has opened. I have been disappointed one too many times by great indian restaurants closing unexpectedly.

[SourberryLily]

Anybody tried Pitaya Maya?

[Zalbar]

Not yet, I don't wanna be the guinea pig :P

[SourberryLily]

Such pessimism! I hope it's good, or at least decent. We need a good mexican restaurant in the area.

If anybody goes please let us know :)

[catroast]

i hope they don't have spherical mounds of rice

[SourberryLily]

Why? what's the shape got to do with anything?

[ios94]

Not yet, but there are a couple of reviews on some other sites. Seems to be pricey (as I would have expected).

[Ruthie789]

Any restaurant in that location will be expensive, high rent.

[ios94]

I know, that's why I said I expected high prices.

[zen_ca68]

Went there last night, and the food was very good. Authentic - the servings were not monstrous as in other restaurants, and the salsas (3 varieties that come with your nachos at the beginning) were homemade and delicious. I had the Sopa de Tortilla (fantastic) and I had the chicken quesadilla. Tortillas were handmade - and nice serving size. You actually leave the restaurant feeling full without feeling sick to your stomach. Just how all of us should feel after eating. Will definitely be back when I visit Montreal!

[ios94]

Pitaya Maya - for starters they need to work on their tomatillo sauce that they seem to douse everything in, it is way too salty and corn starchy. Tortilla soup was very good, they make theirs thicker than other places. Beef tacos were ok (although not sure of the quality of the beef) and the tortillas came out on the cold side. Chicken enchilladas were fine but again I would prefer a more pure tomatillo sauce. Rice was horrible. Thinned out filet of beef was again doused with the same sauce as the enchilladas so you couldn't really taste the beef (again quality was meh). Contrarty to the review above I felt really stuffed (the bad kind of stuffed due to too much salt and corn starch). Side sauces were very good. Wait staff doesn't seem to have too much experience but we personally had no problem with service.

Les 3 Marias - Pros: They use hardwood charcoal. Cons: They need to find another chicken supplier, 1/4 leg had minimal meat on it. Drumstick was pretty much non existant. It's got potential if they use good chicken as the taste was there for a few bites I had. Fries were undercooked but would have been really good if left in for another minute or two.

I'll give both these places another chance in the near future. Hopefully they get their kinks out.

[hungryann]

I just had some takeout from the newly opened Bombay Grill 21 on Sources and I was impressed. It was recommended to us from our Indian friends. The samosa, chicken tikka and butter chicken were very good and held up well even a few hours after the pick-up with some gentle reheating.

[ios94]

Driving on Sources yesterday I noticed a new Portuguese place, I think the sign said, "Grillades & Marché", located next to Aryana.

[SourberryLily]

interesting! did it look like takeout counter or a sit down restaurant?

[ios94]

I couldn't tell, I'll check it out in the coming days. BTW, that Polish charcuterie next door makes some nice smoked meaty products.

[Zalbar]

Wait, wut wut? I only know Warta on Pierrefonds blvd. and la Bernoise on st-charles. What's this polish place called?

[ios94]

It's called Charcuterie M.D. and it's right next to the Jean Coutu on Sources just north of Pierrefonds. I only tried a kielbasa type product but it was very good, much thinner than your typical kielbasa, no idea if it has another name but was told it was made in house. We'll be going back to try other products.

Bernoise IMO is definitely tops in the WI, if not the city for their Debreziner type sausages and yes Warta is very good as well. There are quite a few very good Eastern European sausage stores in the WI; Zagreb on Sunnydale is quite good too, it's owned and operated by a very nice Romanian couple and they make their sausages in house. There's also a large Russian store (Marche Euro Mix) on Pierrefonds near Akhavan, lots of European products and sausages (no clue if they smoke their own) but decent too. Avoid the sausage place in Marche de l'Ouest it's sub par, there are way too many good choices in the area to be frequenting this place and IIRC more expensive too.

[ios94]

It seems the name of the new Mexican place is, Pitaya Maya, http://pitayamaya.com/en/. There's no menu posted yet, anyone know when they plan on opening?

[Zalbar]

Wow, that place screams airport lounge dining...

[vvvalerie]

"we pretend to give away the perfect dining experience"

...Huh?

I'll still try it anyway when it opens.. but it doesn't look very promising!

[catroast]

i think it is the same owner has zenya and karma
this guy i strying everything, except making good food
the restaurant design is so ostentatious. what's with the non matching chairs

[vvvalerie]

I emailed the restaurant and I got a reply that they hope to be open by the end of December, but it isn't for sure yet because they are still trying to find certain suppliers. Guess we will see if it's the same owner!

[ios94]

According to their website they are opening on Jan 30th.

[mtlcowgirl]

Another example of vendors trying to cut corners by doing their own translation instead of hiring a professional, I guess.

[zen_ca68]

Went there last night and it was fantastic!!! They opened on Jan. 31-2013. Friendly service, good food. Had the Sopa de Tortilla was authentic and delicious.

[ios94]

Saveurs Thai on Pierrefonds 1 block east of St Jean, I have been driving by this place since it opened a couple of years ago and was always hesitant to try it. Well, we've been missing out because we recently tried it and it was excellent.

[hungryann]

Good thai in the WI??? Details please! To what restaurant in the city is it comparable to?

[ios94]

http://www.saveursthai.ca/index.html

Can't speak on the authenticity of the plates but we enjoyed it. We usually go to Phayathai on Laurier, maybe not quite at that level but everything was fresh and the pepper sauce in their dishes was spot on.

[hungryann]

The menu is a combination of some thai dishes (though not classic) with Cambodian and vietnamese thrown in as well as some Chinese for good measure. I suspect the kitchen/owners are Cambodian and they offer their interpretation of the classic dishes from neighboring countries but this doesn't mean it's not good. I may try it if I have a craving although there aren't many curries on the menu which is what I enjoy most in thai food.

[skwongmontreal]

Hey did anyone add Katoreya and Aryana? Got referred to these places by others on chowhound and both were great!

[fredmir]

Bought 2 Multigrain bagels when place opened up - never had such a tasteless bagel - plus it was not fresh Will continue buying my bagels on Sources and Marche Ouest - their bagels are not tasteless....

[catroast]

are the multigrains actually fresher at the other two shops? at the original st viateur and at fairmount, the specialty bagels (non-poppy or sesame) are made less often and are not as good.

[fredmir]

buying Multigrain or other bagels - the dough is not tasteless and hard as a rock - has a nice taste - was really upset paying 75 /Cents each and eating only l/2 bagel - they should try the bagels on sources and March ouest to see what a good bagels tastes like -

[catroast]

you should tell them. one would think st-viateur would know enough to not have that problem. hopefully that misstep won't be the norm. i have to say that both those other bagel shops are not even half as good as the mile end bagel shops.

[fredmir]

The bagel bakery on sources won No. 1 and in Marche Ouest they came in No.2 for excellent bagels in contest that was had for Best Bagels - think ones like the name St. Viateurakery downtown much better - guess its because they use only wood oven ..

[catroast]

who were the judges and who sponsored this contest? if you say ric peterson of cjad then you lose all credibility.

[fredmir]

It was a contest in the The West Island Chronicle

[catroast]

do you actually take bagel-offs seriously? anyways this is besides the point. I hope that the WI St Viateur steps it up but it's a bit insane to suggest that they do not know how to make montreal style bagels. THEY INVENTED THEM.

[fredmir]

Fairmount Bagel Invented Bagel, they been around alot longer than St. Viateur Bagel.

[catroast]

Chaim Seligman was a co-founder of St Viateur bagels, so it is safe to say that St Viateur has an important place in the institutional status of bagels in montreal.

In fact, Seligman was selling bagels from the back of a cart long before the current Fairmount location was opened.

[fredmir]

Fairmount started in 1919
History of the Montreal bagel
http://fairmountbagel.com/eng/index.htm

[catroast]

Its current location opened during the late 40s. If I'm not mistaken, Fairmount bagels was a back alley operation before then. Chaim Seligman was also selling bagels on the street during the late 10s early 20s. There was eventually a split within the Fairmount clan and one of them opened Viateur with Seligman in the 50s. It is historically inaccurate to claim that the Montreal bagel originate exclusively with Fairmount bagels - although it is true that the physical location is older.

[fredmir]

Fairmount Bagel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmount_Bagel
St-Viateur Bagel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St-Viate...

[catroast]

In the interest of fairness, I'll add that I prefer Fairmount over St-Viateur, but there's no doubt bagels started with the founder of viateur.

[fredmir]

Tyoe error - think ones like the name St. Viateur Bakery downtown much better - guess its because they use only wood oven ..

[ios94]

Grrrr, I kind of figured they wouldn't be like the original without the 100% wood oven. I'll try them out either way, yah the place in Marche de l'ouest isn't too bad.

[ios94]

I just tried them out, regular sesame ones were fine they just lacked that woody taste from the original location which is of course key but IMO much better than the ones at Marche de l'ouest. It must be noted that the bagel taste test that Fredmir is referring to was only for bagels shops in the WI, hence why St Viateur or Fairmount didn't win (as it took place a few years ago).

[catroast]

Speculatively, maybe the WI bakeries make multigrain bagels more often because there is a greater demand for them in the WI then what Viateur is normally used to?

[ios94]

St Viateur Bagel is now open in DDO. (as mentioned earlier this year half way up this thread)

Tecumseh St. at Brunswick Blvd

http://westislandgazette.com/news/sto...

Seems they got some sort of hybrid oven where they can still use 20% wood.

[ios94]

The old Karma location on St Jean which then turned into Zento Japanese (did anyone ever try it) is now turning into a Mexican restaurant.

[melgreen]

I noticed this as well, anyone know any details?

[Zalbar]

No idea but happy to hear.

Happiness will be complete if it's actual mexican, and not mexican-american.

[fredmir]

It`s going to be a California Mexico Resturant

[vvvalerie]

Any idea when it's going to open?

[jonhall]

Anyone know if this place is open yet? Would have made the drive for dinner tonight if anyone can confirm if it's open.

[ios94]

Nope, was driving by earlier today still papered up with signs saying, "opening soon".

[melgreen]

their website is up and running and their sign just went up this week...still not sure when its opening
http://pitayamaya.com/en/

[catroast]

I tried Zento. There were some creative sushi rolls but the rice was odd. Their sizzling teriyaki plates were very good and the meat well seasoned. The decor and building was ostentatious but interesting. I went to Maiko des Sources last night and it was terrible. First, the decor looks tired, despite it being a relatively new restaurant. In my opinion, the food was unacceptable. The rice was obviously pre-made and refrigerated. We shared one of those sizzling sirloin teriyaki plates and the meat was unseasoned and bland. The sauce probably came from a bottle. The four of us ordered coffee afterwards and it was undoubtedly a reheated pot of stale coffee. The waiter was not surprised that we complained. The service was also terrible. The waiter looked pissed off and was annoyed when we asked him for anything. It was a complete flop and $150 with tax for 4 people (incl. 3 glasses of wine). We'd have returned to Zento but it's gone.

[Ruthie789]

Although far, my understanding is there are other franchises in the Montreal area, one being in Ile Perrot.

[ios94]

Looks like another Caribbean joint has entered the area taking over the spot of the Mexican place (previously Spicy Island) location on Gouin. I believe it's called Jamaican Jerk Center if I read correctly, there was a temporary sign up front but I'm not quite sure if they were open for business yet as I was driving by.

Also down the street, the Hatian take out place has re-opened under new ownership, not as good as the guy before put passable I guess.

[ios94]

Gazette piece on Abou Abed;

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/S...

Also, Jamaican Jerk Center is operated by the same family that run Spicy Island previously in that same location.

[Andria]

Baraka Grillade/BBQ Sur Charbon has been open right beside Mourelatos on Saint Jean for about seven months. I dropped in for the first time yesterday and had a small Shish Taouk brochette on pita and a small filet mignon pita. I got both sandwiches with their creamy hummus ans spicy marinated eggplant. Hands down, this is the best Shish Taouk I have ever had! Both the chicken and the filet mignon were extremely tasty and tender. Much tastier than my previous favorite, Abu Elias! I was so impressed that I went back today and ordered their whole spatchcock marinated chicken. It was excellent too. Everything is made fresh to order, so it is a good idea to order ahead, allowing one hour for the whole chicken. I didn't try the potatoes or rice, but they looked very tasty. This place was also very clean. Super friendly owner and staff and excellent value for the money. In fact, why cool chicken at home... their family deals are a great deal. This is my new favorite place.

[ios94]

Thanks for the report Andria, I posted about this place in the WI Take Out thread last Sept when it first opened but I never got around to trying it. I'll have to try it and compare to it to my favourite WI Shish Taouk, "Boucherie et BBQ Abou Abed" (Pierrefonds/Gouin) which is right up there with Abu Elias.

[JedZ]

I have tried both Abou Abed and Baraka Grillade now. I will give a slight advantage to Abou Abed - simply because the sandwiches are a bit tastier, and a bit more inexpensive.

But I have to give props to Baraka Grillade for:
- a decent decor (Abou Abed has none)...
- lots of enthusiasm. These guys are selling an excellent product with commitment and enthusiasm. You do not leave without them asking how you liked your food. (At Abou Abed...not so much!)

[maj54us]

can't wait to have a job in the WE
as a 411 for those looking for the place

Boucherie et BBQ Abou Abed
11495, boul Gouin O Roxboro, QC H8Y 1X7
[phone]

Restaurant Baraka Bbq
4933, boul Saint-Jean, Pierrefonds, QC H9H 2A9
514-624-0050

[Zalbar]

Just a funny thing to note. Baraka buys all their meat from Abou Abed. :)

Met the owner there when I was picking up a couple of sandwiches for me and my coworkers. It's great to see people so passionate about their work. My compliments to both places.

[Gregoso]

Just want to add to the love for Baraka. I was actually not a fan of the sandwiches when we first went - I tried both the beef and chicken, and was unsure if I would try it again. Since then we have given it another shot, except we have been ordering the chicken 'family' meal (a whole chicken, generous portion of potatoes / rice / fries [your choice], garlic sauce, hummus, pita) and it is fantastic.

The chicken is beautifully marinated. The hummus is delicious. I am a huge fan of the garlic potatoes - spicy, garlicky, and a perfect accompaniment. My biggest complaint is the green salad, which appears to be your basic bagged salad with some cesar / ranch hybrid on top. Order the fattoush instead, which is well seasoned and as fresh as it can be this time of year.
And the meal is a good value - 20$, or 25$ if you add a medium fattoush. Awesome price to quality ratio.

[PierreGuy]

I have tried Baraka and I find thier food is great when its fresh off the grill. You have to be careful about taking the chicken in the warmer.
The last time I was there they served me chicken from the warmer and it was vwery dry. The place is not very busy so the chicken must stay there for a while.

[jim2]

Our first visit as a family.Great food and super service on Saturday evening. A 10 minute wait for a seats for 3. Portions are big and most seem to leave with a doggie bag. We had a plate of Lasagna, Salmon and Mussels. Everything was good. Salads were nice. The salad dressings were not overbearing. Recommended..

-----
Del Friscos Restaurant Lounge
3237 Boul Des Sources, Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, QC H9B1Z6, CA

[ios94]

Carribean Tasty Treats reviewed in the Gazette.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/f...

I agree with Musgrave, very tender goat and the rice was done properly. Their roti was on the dry side though but very fresh. Have not got around to trying their Jerk chicken. IIRC the father told me their patties are from Mr. Patty but we would need to confirm as this was back in Nov just after they opened.

Pleasant family runs the show and yes lower the TV please.

[Haggisboy]

A fellow Chowhounder, Troy Mercury, alerted me to a new Jamaican resto that recently opened on blvd des Sources in DDO, pretty much next door to Bagel de l'Ouest. He couldn't remember the name of the place and said they are so new they don't yet have a sign up. He did, however, order take out and was raving about how terrific the food was. Anybody know about this place? I will e-mail TM and see if I can prod him to post his review.

[ios94]

Sweet, never noticed anything. I will try to make a stop this weekend.

[ios94]

It's called Carribean Tasty Treats.

http://caribtastytreats.com/

[ios94]

Good news bad news.

St. Viateur is opening a location in DDO, bad news is they can't use a wood burning oven.

http://www.westislandgazette.com/news...

[fredmir]

any idea where they be opening??

[kpzoo]

The article said they're not releasing details until they've signed a lease.

[Fabulous1977]

After hearing all of the CJAD staff boast about how GOOD Riccardo' is, my bf and I decided to try it out and we were very disappointed.

Has anyone had a better experience than me?

[SourberryLily]

I went there twice for lunch and i really enjoyed it. The service was friendly and professional, the sauces were really good ( i forgot what i had but it was a spicy tomato base sauce). the desert was nice, though they told me they have it brought in every day by another shop.

The prices, also, were not expensive. Only thing i would say is the restaurant is quite small so I would be weary of going on a friday lunchtime.

Is it earth shattering, knock your socks off good? No. But i liked it and would definitely return.

[kpzoo]

I've been there for dinner several times (not my choice) and found it really mediocre. Over-salted, over-sauced pasta. Hubby said pizza tasted more cardboardy than frozen versions. The service is pleasant, that's about it.

[Haggisboy]

If I'm not mistaken, my former stepdaughter is a server there. I'll have to double check with the ex. Might be able to get some inside info on the place.

[ios94]

It seems that the Parc Ex pastry shop Afroditi will be setting up shop at the Mourelatos WI location.

http://westislandgazette.com/business...

[hungryann]

Mourelatos Wi closed down?

[kpzoo]

Looks like they opened a stall within the Mourelatos store itself: "Afroditi, established in 1971, is thrilled to undertake this new venture, and will have a dedicated kiosk, showcased front & centre in the supermarket"

[morebubbles]

On Sunday I was pleasantly surprised to find Afroditi in the Mourelatos store, just past the front entrance. They have a nice counter, with lots of cakes and pastries. Of course I didn't resist. A great addition to the neighbourhood.

[JedZ]

I drove to Bombay Choupati yesterday only to find it closed. A sign on the door announces they are re-opening June 22. I know they usually go to India in the winter for 6 weeks, but this closing is unexpected. I need my butter chicken and Masala dosa!

[ios94]

"Boucherie et BBQ Abou Abed" on Gouin a couple of blocks east of Sources (in a small strip mall a few blocks away from Bombay Choupati) is pretty good. It's quite similar to Abu Elias on Cote Vertu, in that they are a butcher/take out place with their meats being fresh and going straight on the charcol once you order . Their sandwiches are slightly off par compared to Abu Elias but still very tasty and fresh, unfortunately they don't serve garlic potatoes. :(

They also make their own burger patties to take home for your own BBQ'ng, they were pretty good and nicely seasoned with middle eastern spices (although a touch on the salty side). The ones I bought were already made and in their fridge display but if I'm not mistaken it looks like they will mix up the beef patties right in front of you and ask you what spices you want, that is what one customer seemed to be doing (they were speaking Arabic, so I can't confirm).

[ios94]

Does anyone know what is going on with Bombay Choupati? They are still closed, maybe I'll drive up to the door and see if there's a message.

[BLM]

Maybe there are also off, for the contruction holiday.

[ios94]

Bombay Choupati is open again.

[ios94]

I found another decent Indian/Pakistani resto in the WI, "Chef Akbar" is on Pierrefonds Blvd west of St Jean in the same strip mall as Marche Akhavan. It's run by a couple, the owner (his actual name is Akbar) used to work at Moti Mahal in India. The ingredients taste very very fresh which in turn gave our dishes a lot of flavor. We tried the Lamb Rogan Gosh, Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Biryani all were great and the added plus was that the place seemed much cleaner than a number of other Indian restaurants in the city. I've had better naan but it was still ok. We'll be throwing this place on rotation with Bombay Choupati.

[Haggisboy]

I think what you may have thought was burger patties being custom made on the spot at Abu-Abed was them actually making batches of custom tartars for raw meat sandwiches.

http://twitpic.com/46v01s

http://www.midnightpoutine.ca/food/20...

[ios94]

Quite possibly, although what I bought were burger patties that they had prepared. What's the deal with these tartars anyway from a food safety perspective, I'm pleading ignorance on this one. I saw some guy chow down a huge serving of tartar at Abu Elias once.

I posted that twitpic as well from Zimmern the other day, he was at Abu Elias.

[MikeyMadness]

There's a new patisserie\boulangerie on Pierrefonds Blvd between St. John's & St. Charles called Maison Mallet. Nice place with a few chairs and tables inside and out, but it really is best for take out as space is limited. The owner (the one I've met) is very friendly and there's always something new to try and everything has been delightful. The pastry tart shells in the various desserts I've tried is amongst the best I have ever eaten.

From the impressive meringue's right at the door front to the pastries, breads and the desserts, ooh the desserts, if you're nearby, I would definitely recommend stopping by and making up your own mind. I think you'll like it. They've got a good selection, fanciful to rustic.

They have a facebook page if you'd like to look before dropping by: http://bit.ly/a7AMQp

Maison Mallet, 15749 Pierrefonds Blvd, Pierrefonds, QC, H9H 3X6

[Haggisboy]

Hey thanks for this. This is right in my area and I had no idea they existed. I will definitely be checking them out. The place looks amazing judging by the photos.

[BLM]

Thanks, keep us updated what's new & interesting foodwise in the West Island. The Montreal food press generally doesn't cover this area of town.

[ios94]

Thanks Mikeymadness for the suggestion, I went last night before the game to sample a few things. Their baguette was decent (better than Premiere Moisson), although ever since trying Mamie Clafoutis a few weeks ago I don't know if there's anything that comes close. Their italian style pizza (tried the bacon, mushroom with bechemel sauce) was fantastic, the dough was excellent (Too bad I didn't know about this place last week when I was looking for this type of pizza). I also sampled their Royale pastry which was quite good. I will be back in the future.

[BLM]

Could you elaborate on how good is the jerk chicken at Spicy Island? I might trek to the West Island tomorrow. I'm attracted to Spicy Island's jerk chicken as it's grilled.

[ios94]

I can't say I've had Jerk Chicken all over the city (mind you I grill my own), but it's better than Curry House. Very tender and moist, very good flavour. I guess better than mine too :)

[ios94]

Finally made it to Dolce Vita, wow...some nice flavours especially for those who like a lot of other "fillers" in their ice creams, i.e brownies, cookies, chocolate, etc...

[melgreen]

Spicy Island Closed down for a while but it is now reopened on pierrefonds blvd near sources (across the street from Mcdonalds) amazing jerk chicken and roti.

[moh]

I have had several good meals at Andrea Ristorante bar a vin (3194 Boul. St. joseph). It is close to the water, and has a lovely terrasse. It is one of those red sauce Italian places, and although I normally can't stand red sauce places, this one is pretty good.

The calamari is very light and nicely fried. The roasted marinated vegetables are very flavourful. Pasta dishes are competently made, and the portions are huge. I am very fond of their spaghetti carbonara. This is an insanely rich pasta dish made with cream, eggs, parmesan cheese and pancetta, you can feel your arteries clogging as you consume it, but boy is it good. Hubbie had penne with sausage and a spicy tomato sauce. He said it was good, but not really special in any way.

Wine list is not bad, the prices are fair for restaurant prices. We had a lovely wine last night, a Tuscan red called Badiola 2007, blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. It was a good match for the red pastas and meats, but not so good with the carbonara. Still, I enjoyed drinking it.

I wouldn't make a special trip to go to this place, but I never hesitate to return. The atmosphere is great, service is very good, you have a nice view of the water, the food is filling and reasonably priced and pretty tasty. The whole package is very appealing. I don't know if it can count as a secret, the place seems pretty popular, it is always busy when we go. But I thought it deserves mention.

[hungryann]

Thanks for mentioning this, as I love spaghetti carbonara but find that it is often not made well in most restaurants here. I gave up ordering it and just make it at home when the craving hits. I will check it out if I am in the area anytime soon.

[MartinSLR]

http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-349073-Best-of-the-West-goes-green.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-347040-Best-Sweet-Treat.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-343900-Best-of-the-east.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-342013-Poutine-the-pedal-to-the-metal.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-335651-Pizza-mania-takes-over.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-334980-Weighing-in-on-best-burger.html
http://www.westislandchronicle.com/ar...

etc.

[ios94]

Oooppss....Shahi Palace is what I originally meant, Shaib is alright too.

Anyone ever tried that Portuguese place on Sources across from Shahi Palace, I think it's called Rico's, any good?

[daimon4]

Rico's is meh...the sushi place (Tokyo) near Shahi Palace is quite good. Bombay Choupati is the best indian in the area in my book but Shahi Palace does great take away chicken rolls. To my mind the best kept secret is Adelia espresso bar (just off the sources exit of the 20).

[ios94]

If you like a good Montreal style pizza (done by Greeks), then go to McBay on Sources in Centennial Plaza strip mall. Not over done with the toppings but the sauce and the dough is the way I like it. I have tried Pizza Nikos a few years ago and wasn't impressed.

[hungryann]

Pizza Nikos is not good. I will give your rec a try. I also like Pizza Mory on Sources; quite good for a 2 for 1 place and I love the sesame seeds on the crust.

[ios94]

I used to go to Bombay Chapouti a few years ago (and alwyas enjoyed it as many do in here) but have not tried it since moving to the area as we gave Shahi Palace the opportunity a handful of times.

Well BC didn't disappoint, if anything it tasted even better than I remembered, their dishes are prepared the way I like them with a lot of sauce I guess Shahi is more Pakistani style, if only their dishes weren't as dry. BC will be the place from now on.

[hungryann]

It's a pity you didn't try the short-lived Shalimar. It was Pakistani but their dishes were saucy and delicious. I still mourn its loss along with Delhi Bombay and Masala Mantram.

[hungryann]

Best Indian/Pakistani: Bombay Choupati, Shahi Palace

[hanklin]

Maybe not a secret, but very good and very, very consistent

Ristorante Scarolies Pasta Emporium
950 boulevard St-Jean
POINTE-CLAIRE QC H9R 5N8
Tel: [phone]
www.scarolies.com

What ever you do stay the heck away from La Sirene on the West Island.

[ios94]

Maybe "best kept secret" was the wrong choice of words....let's say..."Best of West Island"

[fredmir]

Nina on St Charles in Pierrefonds

[hungryann]

Poissonnerie du Marche on Sources for clam chowder and fish&chips.
Pizza Mory
Marche Singh for indian groceries
If I think of anything else I will post again.

[superbossmom]

Chalet Thai in the village of Ste Anne de Bellevue is an all-time favorite of mine.

[kpzoo]

My two fave places are:

Dejeuner Cosmopolitain - fabulous breakfast/brunch & good lunch
Shahi Palace - great Indian - I dream of their channa bhatura

Also check out these previous threads:

West Island Restaurants
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/551526

West Island Recommendations
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/623503

[ochado]

There's also a great sushi place called Ai Kawa: http://www.aikawa.ca/

And further west, you've got a great Gelato parlor:
La Dolce Vita
3776 Saint-Charles Blvd.
Kirkland

As well as a nice café that serves good food for breakfast & lunch:
Café Maurizio
http://www.mauriziocafe.com/

[Em24]

I second Dolce Vita for ice cream. Bad surroundings (mall parking!) but great flavours!

[wattacetti]

Ai Kawa's sake offerings revolve around generic orange-label Hakutsuru?

[RhondaB]

Second Cafe Mauritzio, was there yesterday for breakfast (M-F early bird $4.95 bacon&eggs&+avg.toast&coffee) & others had nice looking omelettes on nicely garnished plates. Menu is not too big but with enough options & an Italian influence to suit all tastes. Did I mention that the bacon was fresh & crisp & done right? And the bonus was a latte that was surprisingly just about as good as Anthony's or CIG's. Defintely worth a 2nd look.