Good Cheap Eats

jersey13 · May 14, 2003

One thing I love about Montreal is that it seems to really run the gamut for good food both in terms of quality and price. By that I mean that cheap doesn't necessarily equal crap. :smile: It's not that I can't appreciate the high end offerings (I LOVE a great meal), it's more like I can seldom afford them. Also, I tend to think of them as special treats when I go out of town or out of the country, so even when I do go up the scale, it's usually in another city(go ahead, slap my hand :wink: ).

All this being said, where are the best cheap eats in this city? Let's say $15 and under and it can be anything from a great burger to a bucket of mussels(I'm not fussy). Let's hear them!

identifiler · May 15, 2003

it's not a cheap eat per say, but I am always amazed at the work and the final tab of a lunch at Soy on St-Laurent street. They have a great lunch package. That's a pretty good thread to consider.

jersey13 · May 15, 2003

Thanks Identifiler. Good deals around town......that works for me. I imagine Soy is a Japanese haunt?

I love Japanese food. WiSushi out near me has a good lunch special too. Can't get enough sushi!

grill-it · May 15, 2003

There's certainly no shortage of inexpensive food in Montreal! :biggrin:

I think I mentioned this place in the Pizza thread, probably 'cause I have been so many times as a student - the Rotisserie Italien on St-Catherine by du Fort. It's a charming little place: service at the counter, cheap Italian house wine, tasty pizza, nice pastas (that are not overcooked) and a really great tomato sauce. A couple can dine with wine and a nice espresson for under 30$. Thumbs up for cheap!

grill-it · May 15, 2003

Oh, and another place I like for lunch is Brodino on St-Viateur, just soups & sandwiches, and quite inexpensive to boot!

Although, i haven't been in a while - but they used to have a variety of soups, alternating from time to time. Nice thick fresh bread on the sandwiches as I recall...

Edited May 15, 2003 by grill-it (log)

fireweed · May 15, 2003

Au Pied de Cochon delivers a meal sized poutine for $5.75. Add a pint of cider and you have an easy 'under $15" ....!

jokhm · May 15, 2003

One of my favourites is Mon Nan (sometimes referred to Mon Nan Village..). Its a small and unoriginal looking Cantonese place in Chinatown on Clark, just above La Gauchetiere. If you are a fan of this kind of food, you cannot beat the value, and the quality is great too. I've sampled so many of these places, usually the places are super dirty a la VIP, which happens to be right across the street). Another bonus is that I can easily head there after 1am, which is often quite convenient. They have a mixed sea-food platter with cuttlefish, squid and shrimp in a salt and pepper batter; quite tasty. Also try their honey-spicy beef. Good stuff. Not always consistent however. Most of those I know from Hong kong who know their food seem to prefer this place, and I think I understand now too.

Joel

Big Grga · May 15, 2003

It's true, Montreal has to be one the best restaurant cities in North America, value-wise.

Here are a few places I discovered recently:

- Iris (50 Jarry East) - Salvadorian. Great pupusas, including one with chicken, which you won't find in too many pupuserias in Montreal. Good service and no giant-screen TV to bug you.

- Al Tarbouche (740 Cote-Vertu). Opened last week by my Lebanese neighbor, and man, he can make a mean kefta. Don't be put off by the location (in the Montpellier shopping centre), it's all home-made and very tasty.

- Jolee (5495 Victoria) - Sri Lankan. Go there for the masala dosa, a sort of pancake filled with vegetables and served with chutney. Slow but friendly service, and the prices will make you laugh (less than $10 per person, tax included).

jersey13 · May 15, 2003

Those sound wonderful Big Gra. I love little places with good ethnic home cooking. After Friday night practicesy waterpolo teammates and I would sometimes go to a Tibetan place on Ontario just west of St. Denis. It's a little hole in the wall, so blink and you'll miss it. I think it's actually called The Tibetan but my memory for these things is like seive. :raz: They were cheap and the food was terrific and filling. It's very cozy in there,too.

Another post-practice haunt: Across the street le Pellerin serves a great bucket of Mussels with Fries. Service can be slow and uneven but I LOVE mussels.

Edited May 15, 2003 by jersey13 (log)

identifiler · May 15, 2003

Jersey, Soy is more a mix of chin/philipino type food. It's quite nice, cramalised salmon in rice paper, ginger pork dumplings... etc... The menu is set up so you can pick a main dish, add a soup, veggie and steamed rice to it. Add a tsin tao for lunch... maybe not under 15$ but around that.

I second la rotisserie italienne, altougha bit getto in looks, it truly is one of my best cheap eats stop when in the Ouest.

I remember also some pasta house on Mont Royal, looks more like a market than a restaurant. One of those places where the sauce and the pasta are individualy served.. something like "la maison de la pasta" or other...

eat2much · May 15, 2003

Let us not forget the goodies at the Jean Talon market in the summertime. I love the merguez from L'Olivier (with spicy sauce) for $2 and then a few stalls down to the lady who makes crepes and you've had a great snack for about $5.00.

Also Romados on Rachel for their chicken take out (love the fries).

Best inexpensive Asian cuisine (imho) is Papaye Vert on Bernard for Vietnames haute cuisine.

grill-it · May 15, 2003

I second Papaye Verte - very good. And next door too, Vaudeville, i think has a pretty good steak frites for 14$ approx. I have a feeling they're open for brunch on Sundays, but I have never been. :smile:

On the asian front, has anyone been to Tampopo? It's just off of Mont-Royal, pretty close to Mentana. You sit on cushions on the floor - kind of quaint - food yummy too.

jersey13 · May 15, 2003

Also on the Asian fron, I can't forget one of my favs, Chez Lien. I go to the one on the west Island mostly but they have different branches. I believe it's a family ruin deal and the food is well prepared and consistent. The one in Lasalle had a different menu to the one near me and it was terrific.

jokhm · May 15, 2003

hmm Jolee... I pick up all my indian produce and spices at their adjacent grocery place. Only ate there once and came away with a terrible stomach ache. Maybe I wasn't used to their food, but I do eat Indian all the time. I'll have to go back... see what happens this time.

If you are looking for cheap Indian.. by far the most authentic is Pushap on Paré and Mountain-sights. I think the family owns another one in Dollard. This place is vegetarian, family owned and you could not feel more welcome here. Expect to pay about $8-9 for a full meal with Chana samosas/pakoras dessert and tea... after tax and tip. I'm there all the time.

Also next to the Jolee place on Victoria is one of the greatest all around traditional Vietnamese places I've been to called Hoai Huong. Excellent soups (although maybe not as good as Pho Bac on St. Laurent) and beautiful full platters. Very cheap as well.

Joel

riboflavinjoe · May 15, 2003

ive sampled both papaye verte, and au cyclo, and au cyclo gets my vote.

both of these places make great vietnamese food at a relatively low cost (its, a bit more than a pho joint), but au cyclo takes the cake in terms of ambience.

at cyclo, i took the shredded chicken salad with fresh herbs and nuts, and it was flawless. a bit of a small portion for the 4 dollars i spent on it, but still, of the highest quality only. and the carmelised fish in a hot pot, was also outstanding, sweet, garlicky. the ambience at au cyclo is beautiful. la papaye verte, i felt like i was sitting in on everyone elses conversation.

i like KAM SHING for cheap eats, on van horne, near victoria. i like to order the "fried noodle char siu" which is just wonderful. a huge plate of fried noodles with fresh bok choy, broccoli, and other veggies, pork, and a wicked sauce, for about 7 dollars... mmmm...

mimijun · May 16, 2003

Hi !

For those who likes Iranian food, check out TEHRAN 5065 de Maisonneuve W. Vendôme Westmoun(Quebec) 514-488-0400 .

I also really like "la Papaye Verte"

Mimijun

eat2much · May 16, 2003

another good deal in the take-out vein, is Marche Adonis on Sauve. They have great produce as well as prepared foods. Buy a large bag of their shish-taouk as well as a couple of containers of hummus, babaganoush, and stuffed vine leaves (don't forget the fresh pita) and you've got a b.bq. from heaven :smile:

Edited May 16, 2003 by eat2much (log)

noda · May 18, 2003

(first-time poster, whee!)

Figured this is a good thread for a neat brand-new Italian restaurant just across the street that I checked out tonight: Guido & ... erm... Guido & Angelina I think. It cost me $18 (+ tip) for a beer, a third of a tasty salad (split it with company) with arugula 'n stuff, and a big, tasty pizza. Food was good, waitors were... well, okay, the waitors are new (it's been open for 3 days, what do you expect) but ours was very friendly. It's got a bright, open, friendly atmosphere.

It's in the AMC (Atwater and St. Catherines)

jersey13 · May 18, 2003

(first-time poster, whee!)

Welcome aboard! :smile:

ExCentriX · May 30, 2003

Don't know who could help me, but I have been going through every post trying to find this suggestion on this "greasy chicken sandwich" that I read awhile ago. I believe he said it was somewhere on St-Laurent, or somewhere close to Park. I don't really recall exactly all the details, but I have been wanting to try it ever since I read it. Does anyone recall reading it? Thanks

SteveW · May 30, 2003

ExCentrix, it was recommended by Guru, & the name of the Portuguese establisment is called Ramados, located on Rachel street(just a little east of St-Laurent).

-------------

Steve

ExCentriX · May 30, 2003

Hey Steve,

That was it! :wink: I suppose it got your attention too? I have been craving for something unhealthy lately. Thanks for the info!

gus_tatory · June 30, 2003

great thread!

ExCentrix, they also have an *awesome* bbq chicken sandwich at Coco Rico (st-laurent south of napoleon)--ask for extra sauce and "spice".

i am partial to the empanadas (fried, not baked) from (name of place?) on rachel, south side, in the 1st block east of st-laurent.

any day that chicken noodle is the soup of the day at La Cabane (across from Coco Rico), order two bowls! reaal chicken-y tasting...

the tomato-blue cheese soup at Chez Jose (Duluth and Drolet) rocks my world!

green-tea and chai ice cream at Ripples (across from Coco Rico) is astonishing. i could go on and on and on...

gus :biggrin:

BlueSky · July 9, 2003

Hello I am new in this forum too.

I went to Montreal for the first time during Grand Prix weekend and totally fell in love with the city and its food.

Being of Chinese origin, I decided to try Chinese food there, among other things . And I was very pleased with the quality and prices.

We went to a small eating place on St.Catherine called Roi de Noueilles (Is that the correct spelling? It's supposed to mean King of Noodles). Each dish was $5-9. A really good deal. Their stir-fried eggplant was good. And the Thai noodle soup was also quite good, though far from being authentic.

We also had dim sum at Tong Por (or something like that in China Town.) The selection was good, but it was the price that knocked me off. We ordered so many things and it only came to less than $20 per person.

This might sound funny. But I think the satisfaction I got from the meals at these two places is not much less than what I got from my dinner at Nuance the following night. (Don't get me wrong, Nuance was really excellent.) I guess satisfaction is a function of the expectations you have for a place. And of course, I am partial to Chinese food.

Walnuts · July 9, 2003

another good deal in the take-out vein, is Marche Adonis on Sauve. They have great produce as well as prepared foods. Buy a large bag of their shish-taouk as well as a couple of containers of hummus, babaganoush, and stuffed vine leaves (don't forget the fresh pita) and you've got a b.bq. from heaven

Adonis is no question a great stop before any BBQ. My personal favorite on the BBQ are their Marinated Quail. :raz:

Ask the butcher for Bastourma. They have it in the back. Excellent.

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