Ethnic brunch places?

[karela]

Has anyone got any recommendations for ethnic restaurants that serve breakfast or brunch? I am going through a phase where I am finding bacon and eggs a bit ho-hum.

Specifically I was thinking Mexican or other Latin American, but once I started writing about it I started to get hungry and thought I may as well broaden this thread rather than posting another one later!

[unlaced]

Over the weekend we tried to the brunch at both Kaza Maza and at Su (we were on the hunt for the best soujuk + eggs dish in town)

Quite simply, Kaza Maza was the real standout, particularly in terms of value for money. The eggs and soujuk dish was delicious, although we felt it could have been enhanced by some yogurt on the side, to add a little moisture as it dried out slightly over time (the pan was served sizzling hot) Their signature dish of fattet hummus - warm whole chickpeas with tahini and yogurt, on grilled/fried pita with pine nuts and pistachios was quite different from what I expected but utterly delicious! Sharing these two dishes between two was perfect, as they were both very generous in size, and may have been too much of the same thing for one person.

The taste and quality of the ingredients at Su was high, and they had a few side dishes that weren't featured at Kaza Maza (eg kaymak and honey) however, the value for money was very poor. Main breakfast dishes are between $10 and $14, and you are encourage to take the full brunch for $22 which includes one of the main dishes, plus olives, dried fruit and nuts, the kaymak, tomato and cucumber salad, homemade tartinade and jams, and some borek (but does not include tea or coffee, unlike Kaza Maza). All of this was delicious however the serving side was very small eg 2 olives per person. I had seen photos on some local blogs that indicated a more generous spread, but we were definitely disappointed with the quantity to price ratio. There was also a large differential in the size of the mains - my eggs with lamb meatballs and chickpea stew was a generous serve, but every other person at our table took the eggs and soujuk which was just a small pan of eggs and soujuk. It was about a third of the size of the similar dish served at Kaza Maza, and yet $2 more expensive. We went to the new Benelux afterwards for beers and I think a few people in our group were seriously considering getting a snack!

Kaza Maza for brunch? Highly recommended
Su for brunch? Only if you are a light eater and don't mind a $20+ brunch.

[hungryann]

Thanks for the report. Very timely for me ( see thread brunch questions). Have you ever tried Rumi? How does it compare to KM and Su?

[unlaced]

I have not been to Rumi but my boyfriend has (specifically to try the soujuk again!) His ranking is
1. Kaza Maza
2. Rumi
3. Su
I should note that he is really dislikes places that are poor value for money, hence why he ranked Su the lowest.

[spectraversa]

I have been to Rumi for brunch, and its good, they do a classic turkish breakfast there thats decent. I have never been to KM for brunch (didnt know they did it!) but I love their dinner fare, and can imagine that their brunch would be awesome as well. And I prefer dinner at KM to Rumi any day of the week.

[alinemramos]

There's also Julieta Cuisine Latine (67 Beaubien Est) which is supposed to serve a very good Latin American-inspired brunch, but I haven't tried it yet. Anyone?

[kpzoo]

I've been, it was very good. Portions on the smaller side, but I enjoyed it.

[carfreeinla]

Liked the brunch very much but I had "dinner menu envy" staring at the offerings and wishing that they were available when I was dining.

[kpzoo]

Their dinner is really lovely. I posted a review and some pics in this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/830924

[spectraversa]

Its good, if a bit on the empty side. There dishes are fresh and interesting and the service is friendly. It is located next door to vieu velo though, who's eggs benedict (B.A.B) is kind of irresistible to me though...

[finefoodie55]

Kaza Maza on Park Ave C/O Villeneuve has a lovely Syrian Brunch.Great Fattouch,Kebbe ect served with Syrian Coffee (similar to Turkish).Worth a try.

[williej]

Byblos...Iranian brunch on Laurier East.

[alyson7777]

I had a great brunch recently at Rumis (corner Hutchison and Fairmount). They make amazing Shakshuka-mine came with Merguez and olives. Their Kibbeh is perfectly spiced. They have interesting omelletes with sujuk or dates and Akawi cheese. Great atmosphere too! http://restaurantrumi.com/menu/brunch/

[luism]

Since this thread has been revived, let me chip in.

Chipotle & Jalapeño (1481 Amherst) serves brunch on weekends - quite good.

Also, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Madre (2931 Masson), quite possibly my favorite brunch in town. Only on Sundays, though.

[foodie8]

I really wanted to like Chipotle & Jalapeño, but the sound of the microwave going off every minute drove me insane!

[AndresMTL]

Su (Turkish)
5145 Wellington St Verdun

We went 3 weeks ago and had one of the best Sunday brunches ever. Kind of pricy ($60 for 2, including tips) but worth the while: Different kind of eggs (with or wthout emat and sausages), special milk-coffee-grains warm beverages, natural juices, different nuts and several Turkish cheeses and jams.

Easy to park on Wellington.

Hope this helps.

Andres

[kpzoo]

Great roundup of "Montreal's Best Ethnic Brunches" -

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog...

I want to try ALL of these!

[Shattered]

Nice find! Thanks for posting.

[PadmeSkywalker]

Itacate has a Latin America breakfast http://www.itacate.ca/

[kpzoo]

I went to Itacate for brunch today and was very pleased. I had a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, refried beans, cheese, tomatoes, peppers & onions, with a small bowl of pico de gallo on the side. It was extremely tasty and beautifully presented on a plate with a drizzle of crema. I tried Mexican coffee for the first time, pre-sweetened with cane sugar. I asked for milk but the waiter wanted me to try it without first, as it's not supposed to be drunk with milk. It was nicely cinnamon scented - but a bit too sweet for my palate, which is used to sugar-less coffee. My friend had an enormous salad of lettuce and avocado. (It normally comes with carrots & almonds, but she asked for both to be held back.) She also tried horchata for the first time, and enjoyed it. It looked very creamy and thick and I definitely will have that next time. Our meals were $8.50 each, taxes included - a great deal.

The place was cheerily decorated with gorgeous bright fabrics and artwork, the service was very friendly and attentive, and I can't wait to go back for supper.

[kpzoo]

This was reported elsewhere but since I've revived this thread - just a follow-up to say that Itacate no longer serves brunch, sadly.

[The Chemist]

People like Senzala for a Brazilian brunch.

I have never understood why anyone goes to Byblos for brunch... it's subjective of course but I was really disappointed.

[SourberryLily]

Homemade jams, persian bread and kuku sound like heaven to me but it is indeed subjective. You have to like this sort of cuisine. In the category of persian breakfast, they do it well.

If you go there expecting to have pancakes or eggs and bacon, you'd be dissapointed.

[spectraversa]

Sablo Kafe - St Dominque and St Zotique. Great mediteranian, turkish inspired, breakfast and very reasonable.
Rumi's - good breakfasts - again turkish and persian inspired. Similar to Sablo, but bigger portions and more expensive. In Outremont.

-----
Sablo Kafe
50 Rue Saint-Zotique E, Montreal, QC H2S1K6, CA

Rumi
5198 Rue Hutchison, Outremont, QC H2V4A9, CA

[wilmagrace]

here is menu from rumi
http://restaurantrumi.com/en/menu/bru...

[hungryann]

Hi spectraversa,
Can you describe some brunch offerings of Sablo? I can't find very much on the web.

[spectraversa]

Sadly, Sablo has been closed for some time. :(

[Mr F]

El Chalateco (520 Beaubien East, 514-272-5585), makes a nice Salvadoran breakfast. Pupusas are excellent too (probably available at breakfast time, not completely sure).

[hungryann]

There's a place across from Abu Elias that serves a lebanese breakfast. IIRC the name is Baladi.

[panpam]

Also... Chinese dim sum. Kam Fung, Chez Chine and Ruby Rouge are popular places to go in Chinatown.

[kpzoo]

Byblos (Persian) - 1499 avenue Laurier Est

Le Coin du Mexique (Mexican) - 2474 Rue Jean-Talon E (near Iberville)

I also recall a similar thread in the past, let me search for it...

EDIT: couldn't quickly find the link but here's another place I remembered:

Coin Méchoui (Egyptian)
72, boul. St-Jean-Baptiste - Local 123
Châteauguay
Tel.: [phone]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4700...

[carswell]

Don't forget Kaza Maza! www.kazamaza.ca

[TheSnowpea]

We were at Marché Central today around noon and I spotted Senzala on L'Acadie nearby, so we decided to give it a try. They serve brunch both Saturday and Sunday.

He got the feijoeda (a smidge overpriced at 17$) - smoky black beans with chorizo and other bits of meat, which came in a clay cazuela, along with potato wedges, garlicky collard greens, polenta, breadcrumbs, and a few slices of grapefruit on the side.

I got the ovos gratinés "tropical" -- poached eggs atop an avocado in a tomato sauce and gratinéed cheddar (13.50$ or so), also served in a cazuela, and a variety of sliced fruit on the side, including pithaya, and bit of bread. Brunch comes with a flute of OJ and a bottomless cup of coffee. It was tasty, filling. We'd go again, should we find ourselves in the area.

We also shared a mango batida, which was like a thick lassi made with coconut instead of milk.

Senzala does not look like much outside, but it is in a nice large space with a funky, modern decor. They have a full bar, so you can also get a caipirinha or a caipiroska, if so inclined.

www.senzala.com

[kpzoo]

Thanks for the report - sounds good! Do you know if this place is related to the Senzala on Bernard (not sure if it's still there).

[TheSnowpea]

I wondered about that: the website only lists one address. It certainly has a more grandiose vibe than the one on Bernard.

[neetzer]

There is also another Latin-American place La Carreta (Salvadorian) which does a Sunday brunch. I have always meant to try this place. Maybe someone can tell us how and if it compares to Senzala at all.