Lao Beijing Restaurant

[skunkbunny]

Think it's on Cote des Neiges. anyone?

[carswell]

Any idea where on CDN, skunkbunny? I walked the length of the boulevard from Queen Mary to Plaza CDN a couple of weeks ago and don't recall seeing anything similar. Also, searching the keywords Lao, Laos and Beijing on Canada411.com turns up nada in the 'hood. Closest match is Ban Lao Thai on Décarie in VSL, a fine resto but probably not what you're looking for.

[hellokitty70]

Yes, it is on Cote des Neiges but I cannot remember the exact address. I will get back to you on the exact address. This restaurant is closed on Monday and it is located on the basement level. It is a small restaurant and usually very crowded during weekend.

[skunkbunny]

It is on CDN just up the hill from Cote St Catherine, across from the church. It's downstairs (sous sol level) under a hair dressing/beauty place. White sign, red letters, the "lao" is the chinese chr for "old", nothing to do with the country Laos.

It was completely full when I went by yesterday at lunchtime... Hellokitty70.. have you been?

Any idea where on CDN, skunkbunny? I walked the length of the boulevard from Queen Mary to Plaza CDN a couple of weeks ago and don't recall seeing anything similar. Also, searching the keywords Lao, Laos and Beijing on Canada411.com turns up nada in the 'hood. Closest match is Ban Lao Thai on Décarie in VSL, a fine resto but probably not what you're looking for.

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[hellokitty70]

It is on CDN just up the hill from Cote St Catherine, across from the church. It's downstairs (sous sol level) under a hair dressing/beauty place. White sign, red letters, the "lao" is the chinese chr for "old", nothing to do with the country Laos.

It was completely full when I went by yesterday at lunchtime... Hellokitty70.. have you been?

Any idea where on CDN, skunkbunny? I walked the length of the boulevard from Queen Mary to Plaza CDN a couple of weeks ago and don't recall seeing anything similar. Also, searching the keywords Lao, Laos and Beijing on Canada411.com turns up nada in the 'hood. Closest match is Ban Lao Thai on Décarie in VSL, a fine resto but probably not what you're looking for.

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Yes I have been there for dinner several times. It was at the intersection of St Kelvin and Cote des Neiges. I had their hot pot once, it was enough for 5 people. They served with Tofu, vegetables, fish balls, meat balls, shrimps and thin slice of lamb. The lamd was very fresh and they served 2 big plate of lamb. This kind of Hot pot was very popular in HK and asian country. Always crowded with people speaking Mandarin. I talked to the owner once and he was from China. I found their portions was pretty big and I like their cold dishes.

[hellokitty70]

Here is the address:

Restaurant Lao Beijing

5619A Cote-des-Neiges

Tel 514-731-8978

Edited July 16, 2005 by hellokitty70 (log)

[carswell]

Thanks for the heads-up, skunkbunny. Have now been to Lao Beijing twice, both times in the evening, once by myself and once with some friends.

The good news: as hellokitty70 mentions, the cold dishes are first rate. In fact, one, the lanières de concombre aux plusieurs saveurs, is worth a special trip. (My attempt at deconstruction pegged some of the flavours as black beans, cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, chile and dark vinegar; I think the cukes, unpeeled and unseeded, may have been Lebanese or kirby, and they were probably parsteamed or parboiled before being chilled and sauced.) Also good was a house salad, di la pi (or something similar), that involved wide (soy?) noodles, various julienned vegetables, bits of salt pork and a mild dressing. It comes to the table composed in a large bowl; the diners mix it themselves.

The stir-fried dishes are less impressive. The silky bean curd in the ma po tofu cubes was excellent and the spicy sauce fine, neither greasy or oily, but the green peas were of the frozen variety. While the shrimp with vegetables was loaded with quarter-size crustacians, none were peeled (I ate them that way but the kids refused and complained bitterly about having to shell them). Chicken with chile paste was spicy but somehow bland. Fish with vinegar and sugar (as distinct from sweet and sour fish, which is also on the menu) was the best of the bunch: succulent breaded morsels with vegetables in a sauce neither too sharp or sweet.

The menu features a number of exotic dishes like jellyfish salad, mutton with cumin and stir-fried pork intestine strips, beef tripe and pork liver. Will have to wait until I visit with more adventurous palates than my friends' before sampling them. Oddly, when we ordered one of the more off-the-beaten-path dishes, the Lao Beijing marmite (this must be the hotpot hellokitty70 refers to), the waitress strongly advised against it, saying it was for Chinese palates; that was enough to have the kids announcing they wanted nothing to do with it, so we followed her advice and ordered the chicken.

Dishes we saw delivered to other tables included a wow-inducing Chinese fondue and a Flintstonian plate piled with huge bones.

Servings are big; almost everyone leaves with a doggy bag. Prices are small; if you drink tea instead of beer, you'll be hard pressed to spend more than $20 including tax and tip. A lunchtime special (soup, small selection of mains, rice and tea, IIRC) is $6.

The place is small (maximum capacity around 35, I'd guess) and in a semi-basement, though brightly lit and clean. A TV plays a DVD of Chinese acrobats and comedians, who at one point did an all-male Swan Lake (Beijing opera?). On my first visit, I was the only non-Chinese. They also do a brisk take-out trade. Service is smiling and friendly though the staff speak little English and less French.