food

Val, where do I go for a casual, inexpensive, but delicious dinner on a weeknight in Montreal?

~ valsbitsandbites ~ 4 Comments

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but somehow I’ve become the person my friends and family call/text/skype to ask questions that always begin with: “Val, where do I . . .” Maybe it’s because I’m often either extolling the virtues of a new eatery, boutique, fitness class, bikini waxer etc., or conversely, condemning one thing of another. Basically, I’m all about spreading the word – something my likely annoyed Twitter followers can attest to. Nevertheless, for the first weekly edition of “Val, where do I . . .”, the question is: where do I go for a casual, inexpensive, but delicious dinner on a weeknight in Montreal? Below are my top 5 picks in no particular order.

Hwang Kum
5908 Sherbrooke St. W., (at Clifton Ave.,), 514-487-1712, major cards accepted.
The best Korean I’ve had in the city to-date, Hwang Kum serves up classic dishes in a fuss-free environment. Try: Kimchi pancake, beef bibimbap, cold black noodles and barbequed marinated beef.

Perennial favourite bibimbap

Kaza Maza
4629 Parc Ave., 514-844-6292, major cards accepted.
Readers of Val’s Bites may recall the spat I got into with the owner concerning an overly smokey baba ganoush, however, said dish is the only thing I’ve tried at Kaza Maza that I didn’t positively adore. Plus, this Syrian and Lebanese restaurant features live music most nights of the week, and they do brunch too! Try: fattoush, hummus, mutabbal (a puree of roasted beets that is an absolute MUST), fried cheese cigars, lamb shank “friki”.

The incomparable mutabbal at Kaza Maza 

Bistro Isakaya
3469 Parc Ave., 514-845-8226, major cards accepted.
While the interior of this Japanese restaurant is nothing to get excited about, the food, particularly the fresher than fresh fish – is song and dance worthy. Rest assured I’ll give you the full scoop in Montreal Sushi Crisis Part II. Try: tuna cocktail, seaweed salad, Age-Nasu (fried eggplant in bonito broth), wild salmon sashimi, toro sashimi, Isakaya roll, soft shell crab roll, kamikaze roll.

Tuna cocktail at Isakaya 

Kazu
1862 Ste. Catherine St. W., 514-937-2333, cash and debit only. 
The line outside doesn’t lie: Kazu rocks. It’s so good in fact, you’ll forgot you’re practically sitting on top of your neighbour in this squishy Japanese pub, where there’s always something new and unusual to savour. Try: Beef Carpaccio, tuna and salmon bowl.

Pizzeria Magpie
16 Maguire St., 514-507-2900, major cards accepted.
A quadruple threat offering a cozy, but decidedly cool atmosphere, friendly service, affordable prices, and pizza from a wood burning oven that is sure to elicit bizarre, euphoric sounds. Meanwhile, carnivores can get their meat-on thanks to an on-site meat locker displaying house-cured charcuterie. Try: artichoke, spinach, Fontina and Parmesan cheese pizza; caramelized onion, black olive, ricotta and oregano pizza.

5 More Places that fit the bill: Laurier Gordon Ramsay, Icehouse, Maison India, Pizzeria Napoletana and Pho Lien

Picture says it all. 

I Love Lawrence

~ valsbitsandbites ~ 1 Comment
Not one to keep my mouth shut when a good thing comes along (unless it’s a designer sample sale and we’re the same size), I’ve decided to tell you just how much I enjoyed my meal at Lawrence Friday night. I had been once before in February, shortly after it had opened, and I was thoroughly impressed. To make sure it wasn’t just the novelty talking and Lawrence is indeed the real deal, and cuz I was craving some luxurious comfort food, I returned.
One of my favourite dishes EVER is fried soft shell crab. When it’s done right, like at Milos, it’s perfection, but unfortunately for me it often comes out tasting overly chewy, bland, or worse – soapy (strange, but true). At Lawrence, the fried soft shell crab was paired with radish and aioli ($15), a combination that sounded somewhat odd, but was everything but. The crunchiness of the radish played up the crunchiness of the scrumptious crab, while the zesty aioli added the exclamation point. The heirloom tomato, bread, and freshly marinated anchovy salad ($12) was equally memorable. I always say (yes, I quote myself), that there’s nothing better than a good tomato, and nothing worse than a bad tomato, and this salad was a case of GREAT tomato. 
Soft shell crab with radish and aioli
As my main I had a sirloin steak with turnips, dandelions and parsley ($28). Perfectly cooked, the meat was top notch. The turnips were a nice touch, and I liked how the parsley was served as a puree atop the steak. I did not, however, care for the tough dandelions – not worth the chewing effort. My friend also praised her roast striped bass accompanied by bass, leeks, carrots and smoked sausage ($25). Her comment about Lawrence providing a much needed breath of fresh air to the salmon tartar/beet and goat cheese salad laden Montreal restaurant scene, was also spot on. And that’s not having tried the grilled ox tongue (FYI the menu changes daily and is posted on Twitter)! For dessert, we opted for the strawberry and rhubarb shortcake ($7), that definitely goes down as one of the best I’ve ever devoured. 
Sirloin steak with turnips, parsley and dandelions
Last, but not least, I have to applaud Lawrence for nailing the gourmet food in a laid-back, unpretentious environment combo with such aplomb. Reminded me of another great restaurant, Tuck Shop. And kudos to the staff for treating me, and my equally young looking friend just as well as the more “adult” looking table beside ours. Can’t wait to try their brunch! 
Strawberry and rhubarb shortcake. Don’t you love the homey plates? 

A crack at Fabergé

~ valsbitsandbites ~ 1 Comment
It saddens me that my second post is pessimistic yet again, but why blog if you can’t be brutally honest? Today’s disappointment took place at Fabergé, a hip breakfast spot in the Mile-End that received top marks from me a little less than a year ago in Val’s Bites. My sister had bought two Living Social coupons there, and today we went to redeem the second one. She used the first one a few weeks ago, and left feeling pretty let down given my extensive praise of the place. Thinking it was just an “off day”, she brought me along today.
Alas, a fluke it was not. Perhaps they felt they didn’t have to “try” with us because we disclosed our coupon immediately and were getting our lunch half off? That, however, completely defeats the purpose of agreeing to partner with a coupon site, since the goal is to gain repeat customers who will recommend your business to all of their friends, or better yet ­– will write positively about it online.
The first alarm bell went off when I was informed they were out of grapefruits. Seriously? You serve breakfast and breakfast only, every day till 4 p.m. The second bell went up several decibels, when my egg-white omelet with spinach, chopped tomatoes and feta, appeared as a regular omelet with spinach, caramelized onions, feta and yellow peppers. Did I mention the restaurant was virtually empty? Meanwhile, the accompanying potatoes were undercooked and covered in paprika. Paprika, really? Across the table, my sister’s grilled-cheese was lacking in the “grilled” department, and either her French fries looked unappetizing, or I’ve suddenly developed self-control. Something tells me it’s the former. A Fabergé egg is something truly special, but today the restaurant failed to live up to its namesake. Hopefully the team will get crackin’ and Fabergé’s luster will be restored. 
Faberge’s house speciality: Eggs In a Nest featuring two fried eggs nestled in a hole carved out of baked cheese bread. (Taken October ’10 when everything was delish) 

Montreal Sushi Crisis Part I

~ valsbitsandbites ~ 3 Comments

For my inaugural blog post, I have decided to address a cause that’s dear to my heart – and stomach: the Montreal Sushi Crisis. The problem is as follows: our gourmet city is severely lacking in sushi that is both high in quality and affordable. This befuddles me, as there is no shortage of excellent chefs and fresh seafood in town. Anyone heard of La Mer Fish Market? The optimist in me wants to believe such a calamity can in fact be averted, and would like to affix a “pending” in front of “Montreal”, but recent experiences have been ominous.

Before I outline evidence to support my crisis theory, I would like to point out that Montreal has been blessed with at least one (to my knowledge) phenomenal Japanese/sushi restaurant. Situated on swanky Laurier St., Jun I’s selection of sushi, sashimi, appetizers and mains is as good – if not better – than some of New York’s finest establishments like Nobu, Sushi of Gari and Sushi Yasuda. The sashimi for two appetizer featuring five varieties of raw fish (including organic salmon!), each accompanied by a complimentary sauce, is edible gold thanks to the freshness of the fish and the flavour intense sauces. And it’s a crime to go without trying the Funny Maki roll. I don’t know if it’s the special sauce atop the roll, the fact it’s served warm, the combination of fried red tuna, green onion, avocado, white fish, and spicy salmon, or all the above (likely) – but the sensation is best described as a party in your mouth. Plus, the service is flawless and the ambiance casual with a drop of up-scale, making it the perfect destination for a date, Saturday night, or a birthday celebration. I write this partly because Jun I doesn’t exactly fall into the affordable category. Therefore, while it’s amazing, it does little to solve the dilemma at hand. To illustrate, five pieces of soft shell crab maki will set you back $14, while at Mikado up the street, it’s $8.60 for four pieces. 
The one and only Funny Maki roll at Jun I

Speaking of Mikado, I used to be a fan of their Monkland and Laurier locations (I have yet to try their St. Denis outlet), but the last two times I’ve eaten at both were major disappointments. If the raw fish in a maki roll lacks that ineffable fresh taste, then no amount of “exotic” fruits, tempura flakes, or sauce can salvage it, and the same goes without saying for sushi/sashimi. What’s more, Mikado falls on the pricier side of the affordability scale, meaning there is no excuse for lackluster fish.

Sho-dan on Metcalfe is in a similar price bracket as Mikado, and while I haven’t been in over a year (things change quickly in the restaurant world), I don’t remember being particularly impressed with the fare, nor the bill at the end. Once again, the optimist in me wants to give Shodan another shot, while the pessimist says to shell out the extra $10-15 and splurge on Jun I. Given the current state of affairs, the optimist may win this one.

All that being said, the greatest indicator that we are indeed in a crisis of epic proportions has been the decline of my go-to casual sushi restaurant Bishoku. The magic of Bishoku always lay in its affordable prices and homey atmosphere; the waitresses remembered your order, the chefs would cater to your whims (I want avocado in my spicy salmon roll and no tempura in the kamikaze kind of thing), and you could sit back, relax, and be out the door in time for the puck to drop at the neighboring Bell Centre. Of course the sushi was always tiptop and the apps and mains delicious, albeit uninventive. Bishoku’s lunch specials are also a force to be reckoned with – for $15 (taxes and tip included) you can get 12 pieces of maki, 1 hand-roll, soup, salad and dessert. While the specials still exist, a change in ownership and sushi chef has led to slow, unprofessional service, and the food, while still good, has been slightly off. The miso soup was simply too salty, and the rolls a little too mushy. I have been a regular at Bishoku since 2003, but my two experiences there this past July left me with a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended).

Bishoku lunch special (Maki Combo B)

Yet more proof these times are beleaguered, was a recent visit to Tokyo Sushi Bar in Old Montreal. Never mind that every roll seemed to have showered in tempura flakes, what passed for raw fish (could’ve been a stale jelly bean) surely predated Montreal’s sushi craze – in the ‘90’s.  

More a take-out place than a restaurant, don’t get me started on the travesty that is the Sushi Shop chain. Suffice to say it took nearly breaking a tooth on an avocado for me to never step foot in there again. Oh, and how come every roll tastes so sweet?

The good news (it does exist!) is after being closed for renovations, 5 Saisons Sushi has reopened. A BYOW, I wrote this place up for Val’s Bites almost two years ago, and every time I’ve been back since, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the bang for buck ratio. Also, my parents’ buddies at La Mer Fish Market, have been touting the virtues of Bistro Isakaya, a no frills Japanese spot on Parc Ave. The chef/owner is from Japan, and they know first-hand that he only buys the best stuff. It’s on my to-try list, along with Ginger, Sushi Yu Mi, Oishi Sushi and Kaizen (might be too $$). Somewhat apprehensive, I’ve heard good things about all the aforementioned restos from foodies I trust. Apparently Ginger is quite the “scene”, a.k.a. I have to do my hair before going. I’ll also return to Bishoku (fingers crossed), 5 Saisons and Shodan. I suppose I’m more of an optimist than anticipated. Before Montreal Sushi Crisis Part II is posted, I suggest you start saving and treat yourself, or someone you really like with a meal at Jun I. And don’t forget to comment and suggest places for me to try! 
Red Line roll at 5 Saisons with red tuna, mango, tobiko, fried onion and crab stick in soya bean leaf.