Montreal Ethnics Eats

[Vinfidel]

continuing this thread here since it is not really aproppriate there

--

I agree with Lesley about homegrown Montreal chefs but must vehemently disagree with Vinfidel about the lack of great ethnic eats in the city.

Do you really live in Montreal? I wonder.

Ruth poses a great question: does a city need to have great ethnic food to be a great food city?

Fortunately in Montreal, we need not concern ourselves with this dilemma. As someone with extensive world travel experience, I speak not as someone who has never left the city. I can devour an ethereal goat roti, wonderful falafel, superb empanada, delectable bowl of pho and authentic lamb korma all within several blocks of each other on Victoria Ave.

And that is one street Vinfidel. Where do you hang out? Westmount?

Yes, I was the field producer for an episode of Bourdain's No Reservations set in Montreal and the province of Quebec as a whole. We shot the episode two weeks ago. I hardly see the relevance, but there it is.

←

yes I live in Montreal sensorial why would you doubt this

and i do not hang out in westmount i live in the plateau

you are apparently a world-class traveler so please tell me all these great places that are as good as your travels. i am searching specifically for goat roti so i would love to hear that. falafel? this i also have see to believe. pho no doubt is popular here but i dont care for it so i have no knowledge. tell me great sushi, yakitori, gyoza, korean,iranian. if it exist i will be very happy man.

i am not arguing that the food may be OK by local standards for sure even basha has good lebanese food by some stndard - it is not GREAT

with a big population of immigrants here it should be GREAT. we have a lot of moroccan here but is there great moroccan food? please do not say EL MOROCCO.

[carswell]

I'm astounded by Sensorial's claim and put off by his condescending tone.

I can think of only one ethnic cuisine that isn't done better elsewhere in North America: Lebanese/Syrian.

Chinese, Indian? Montreal doesn't have a single outstanding restaurant. Toronto, Vancouver, New York and San Francisco have many and at all price levels. Vietnamese? There is no Porte inclinée. Thai? We've got nothing approaching a Lotus of Siam. Central European? Spanish? Indonesian? Japanese? Korean? Ethiopian? German? North African? A few restos rise above mediorcre. South American? Central American? Don't make me laugh. Do we even have a Scandinavian restaurant? an Austrian restaurant? And, yes, I really live in this city.

I'll concede him Uighur. Provided we limit ourselves to Canada, that is. As far as I know, we're Uighur central.

OK. We're pretty good on high-end Italian. Too bad it's so bloody expensive. And maybe you could make a case for Portuguese and Greek, though if you did, I couldn't refute it because I have little experience of those cuisines in restos outside this city.

But, really.

Which is not to say the situation isn't improving. Places like Au Cyclo give cause for hope. Still. In an as-yet unposted reply to sf&m in his sticky thread subthread, I wrote "For me, if something has to be pinned, I'd just as soon it be threads on local ethnic restaurants and markets, the link in the city's gastronomic chain that most needs strengthening." I stand by that statement.

Edited December 1, 2005 by carswell (log)

[carswell]

falafel?

←

Am willing to bet he's referring to Chez Benny, a few doors east of the Snowdon metro. It's the real thing and worth a detour.

[Vinfidel]

carswell - please tell me the best lebanese food i did not yet found one. i ate at ALEP (syrian mountain food) near MJT it was quite good, not greAt but i hope to try it again soon to confirm. i have a real problem finding a good falafel with the right texture, i like the homemade style with crunchy outside and softer but chewy insides like in israel

[Vinfidel]

ok thanks i will check out this place

[carswell]

carswell - please tell me the best lebanese food i did not yet found one. i ate at ALEP (syrian mountain food) near MJT  it was quite good, not greAt but i hope to try it again soon to confirm.

←

I've had some great meals at Alep and Le Petit Alep in the last year. Aux Lilas (5570 du Parc, 514 271-1453) has a homespun charm. Daou (519 Faillon, 514 276-8310) is variable but can be very good. The warm and comforting Rumi (5198 Hutchison, 514 490-1999) is Sufi but has some Lebanese and Syrian-influenced dishes. A knowledgeable correspondent has strongly recommended Al Mostafa, on the south side of Jean-Talon, between Casgrain and St-Laurent, as one of the best shawarma joints, but I have yet to drop by.

Part of our claim to fame rests on the quality of the city's Lebanese pastries. Pâtisserie Mahrouse (1010 de Liège West near L'Acadie, 514 279-1629) is said to be the best and I see no reason to disagree. Run by the brother of Mahrouse's owner, Pâtisserie Dorée on Dudemaine is also worth a visit.

i have a real problem finding a good falafel with the right texture, i like the homemade style with crunchy outside and softer but chewy insides like in israel.

Besides Chez Benny, someone here (the ever-reliable dutchrusk?) recommended Jerusalem in the Cavendish Mall as offering the genuine article.

[Vinfidel]

daou i have been to many many times, i find the food very good especially the grilled fish. lacking is the hummous and other spreads and salads, even the rice is not great.

rumi i had one mediocre meal but i like the atmosphere

jerusalem i go to all the time it is next to CAPLAN DUVAL where i go to get stuff for cooking. the falafel there is homemade but the texture is not there. they have excellent salads

al mostafa i will check out, i can eat schawarma each day no problem!