The Best Baklava in Montreal?

[axone]

Hi, I recently discover an excellent Turkish pastries store in North Montreal who had the best baklava I ever tasted. The name of the place is Pâtisserie Cicek, located at 3656 Fleury E.

Wonder what other place people may suggest for the best baklava in Montreal?

Hope we get a nice list of location!

Axone

[rwarren]

Wow what a drool-worthy thread! For sheer variety may i suggest Marché Adonis in Place Vertu, I was killing time a few months ago before a movie and I was just floored by their huge pastry counter with about 10 different kinds including a sugar free version. maybe it's a good thing the place is an hour and a half from home.

Oh and in 2009 I learned how to make my own. Time consuming, expensive, and very clove-y, but fun :)

(At the produce show this week I picked up a recipe card for Blueberry Baklava. Yes I shuddered at the idea too. But I might try making it someday.)

[SourberryLily]

They indeed have a huge pastry counter. I did not try their baklavas but i did have some mamool cookies (some date and some nuts filling. They were delicious.

[Lowe Arthorbit]

patisserie villeray on villeray makes only baklava as far as I can tell. I have enjoyed more than my share of their products.

[SnackHappy]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who likes this place.

[ramielarja]

I have a sweet tooth and the best baklawa in Montreal is at Pâtisserie Au Blé D'Or, 4701, boul Saint-Jean, Dollard-des-Ormeaux!

It's always fresh and the best tasting one is what the Chef calls "Pistachio Besma"! Yum....

[restoprestige]

Absolutely love Elounda's Baklava!!

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Elounda
1818 Blvd Cote Vertu, Montreal, QC H2Y, CA

[notdoneeating]

My favourite is from Samos, a little greek bakery on St. Laurent. soooo good!

[axone]

Thank you all!

Took some time to go out and try a few of the names metionned in here. Yes, Akhavan baklava's are great!

I am still more favorable to Pâtisserie Cicek on Fleury East (Turkish), but again, probably because of a personal taste. I like it more when the rose water taste is less predominate.

Still have to complete the list of names you sent.

Happy Norouz to our Persian friends!

Cheers,
Axone

[maj54us]

Here's one more discovery B-SWEET on Acadie.

Patisserie Et Boulangerie B Sweet
9500, boul de l'Acadie, Montréal, QC H4N 1L8
514-389-4007

After I went next door to NOSTOS Souvlaki, I had a sweet tooth craving. I was never attracted to that place on Acadie, Actually not one single restaurant on l'Acadie attracted me. One must try before passing judgment.

I went in and asked for a couple of Baklava, the one that have a rectangular shape. One day we should identify them. I tried their rectangular shaped one. Their portion is much smaller in size like a mini version compared to the one at mahrouse.

Anyway I didn't expect anything unusual. As I took a bite of the first one, I freaked as it was the most amazing feeling I ever had. This was the most delicate and fluffy piece of sweet I ever had. It was like eating air. I liked so much that I can't wait to go back and try it again, hoping it wasn't a lucky moment and they're always like this.

[SourberryLily]

As they still open? Last year i almost had an anxiety attack when i saw them all boarded up (literally, boards on the windows. Was it just renovations?

I love Bsweet for it's Maamoul and other cookies. Their gelato are really good too.

[westaust]

There was a fire sometime last year either a Bsweet or one of it's neighbor hence the boarding.

[SnackHappy]

I seem to remember someone saying the place next door had been firebombed.

EDIT: Here's a CBC online article about it: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montrea...

[hungryann]

When their baklava is fresh it's very good, but more than a few times I have gotten stale, dry pieces.

[maj54us]

Nothing like fresh off course. Then we should ask for baking hours a the different spots.

[maj54us]

stopped for a quick sweet tooth rush a B-Sweet and sadly the 4 rectangle pieces I had weren't up to par this time. They weren't good this time. It wasn't fresh of the oven :( ohh well! I'll figure out their baking hours and stop accordingly if in the area.

[hungryann]

Yup, been there many times with them! I've given up. I just go elsewhere.

[axone]

Thanks to all for your recommendations!

I should have differentiate between the Middle-Eastern and Greek style!

What surprised me about Cicek, the Turkish style, is that I didn't find the usual "rose syrup" taste I don't like about Middle-East style.

Now, I have to go out there and taste all those recommendations!

Axone

[markiank]

i'm probably a little late on this thread, but my favorite baklava was actually from the bakery counter of akhavan supermarket, the massive iranian place in NDG on sherbrooke. seriously good, i made the mistake of buying it before i did the rest of my shopping, i ate it all before i was done.

anyone else had it?

[Peaches to Poutine]

Yes! My husband and I bought a mixed tray of baklava there one time and it was all we could do to not consume the entire thing when we got home that evening.

[tah1234]

Glad to hear I am not the only one! I confess I sometimes stop at Akhavan on my way home from work just to get baklava and it often doesn't make it home (depending on the number of red lights).

[Moedelestrie]

Excellent baklava and not sticky sweet definitely my favourite but probably not the overwhelming sweetness that many look for in their baklava. Persian food is different but I personally am partial to it..

[maj54us]

Do they make their own Baklavah?
So far what I have learned about this gift from the gods is that the greek use honey and that the lebanese use sugar. What is the twist of the Iraniian? A history if baklavah is needed ;)

I must also warn to stay away from the baklavah of patisserie andalos on Lebeau. They are obviously made like in a factory and not by hand. I tried one lasrt time I was there and part of the dow wasn't even cooked. I dared ask for another one and it was the same. that's it, I'll stick to kaybay food and lebanese pizza there.

[SourberryLily]

Wikipedia to the rescue!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baklava

Iranians use honey to sweeten it and sometimes rose water, but not always. Actually, the Turks are the baklava kings, not really the greeks. Nowadays, pretty much every middle eastern land makes these and the versions are quite similar, despite what people say.

Nowadays, the variations are not so much related to the culture then to the cook who makes them. Cultures are so mixed in with each other (actually, most of my family are Turkish & iranian marriages) that you can't really say what is an authentic iranian baklava.

[inibble]

Rumi Grill on Saint-Laurent by Mont-Royal. They are buttery, flaky, and delicious. The pieces are just too small...but that doesn't stop me going back for more!

-----
Rumi
5198 Rue Hutchison, Outremont, QC H2V4A9, CA

[mainsqueeze]

Mahrouse is far and away the best I've had as far as middle-eastern style goes. For Greek style, my favourite is Picadilly bakery on Ogilvy street. They have chocolate covered baklava if you are looking for true decadence.

[hungryann]

Patisserie St Laurent, a greek pastry shop in VSL has the freshest tasting baklava ever; if you're not a purist, he also does a chocolate dipped mini version that is out of this world!

[RhondaB]

I totally agree. Checked them out this week & after I bought various baklawa, the kind gentleman (owner I presume) starting filling a box with other baklawa that I did not buy - at no charge!!! He also let me taste their chocolate bite sized baklawa & OMG, it was incredible. Granted not for purists ... but you got to taste them and once you do, it's hard to stop stuffing them in your mouth. I walked away with 4 of each - dark chocolate, milk chocolate & white chocolate. I found their baklawa to be considerably moister than the baklawa I tried from Amal Bohsali & didn't have the rosewater taste that is offputting to me. Patisserie & Chocolaterie St-Laurent, located at 1767 Grenet, right next to the litle cop shop 514.744.2828.

[maj54us]

thanks for the 411 will try them pretty soon.

[hungryann]

The owner is the sweetest guy ever; I once went around 6pm and he had already closed. He was getting in his car but when he saw me, he came back and opened the store just for me!!!!! He always gives extra samples also and hence why I am addicted to all his goodies! I have no control over the chocolate covered ones.

[hungryann]

He also makes excellent made to order birthday cakes.

[kimberleyblue]

I went here the other day after reading this, and am I ever happy I did. It's the perfect baklava! So sweet, so syrupy, so decadent. Best I've had in Montreal!

I'm not a fan of the arabic version, as I do love all the syrup and sweetness...this definitely is the version I adore. $10 for a pan of the stuff, so it's priced nicely too.

[hungryann]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I also enjoy the syrupiness, I find the arabic version sometimes too dry.

[SourberryLily]

I just went on friday. I hadn<t seen this post but the same happened. I wanted to pay but my debit card isn't the new type with the chip and his machine couldn't take it. I had no cash so he told me just to come back and pay another day. What a sweet man! I felt a little bad but he insisted.

The baklavas were amazing. I liked the triangle ones best, flaky and plenty of syrup. I returned today to pay and picked up some cookies. The apple pie was really tempting, anybody tried it?

I guess he knew that i would be back for more ;-)

[Fabulous1977]

I tend to prefer the arabic baklavas because they are not dripping in syrup. Sometimes greek baklavas are so sweet they make my teeth hurt.

However, Im really tempted to try this place now.

[kpzoo]

Incredible Lebanese baklava at Amal Bohsali in St-Laurent. (1420 Sauvé West)

Also see this thread from some years back - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/98671

[maj54us]

My favorite one is

Pâtisserie Mahrouse
1010, rue de Liège O, Montréal, QC H3N 1B8
514-279-1629

[SourberryLily]

Mahrouse of course :)

[carolilas]

I love the baklava from Afroditi Bakery on St-Roch!

[NickinMtl]

I would definitely recommend Afroditi at St-Roch/Champagneur for baklavas. I lived right next to it for 3 years, and I would go buy a huge pack of baklavas that probably weighted 2 pounds for 15$. They are extremely sirupy, so beware. People at work were very disappointed when I stopped bringing them after I moved. Worth a try for sure! And Afroditi has much else to offer, although not everything is that good.