Creperie Tournesol

The Rating:

2 Fat Buddhas: Delicious crepes in a cute setting

Good value servings

The Review:

This creperie is a little out of the way from pretty much anywhere, but if you're looking for a good lunch (or dinner) in the Laurentides, then it's a great place to drop by. We headed by once for a small lunch, and another time with the whole family contingent and a handful of kids.

The restaurant is cosy and friendly, and by consequence warm and comfortable on a cold winter day. The centrepiece of the place is the crepe hotplate which takes pride of place in the dining room, allowing all to gazde in wonder at the crepe-making process. This is a great attraction for the kids, who seem to be mesmerised by that sort of thing. The decor is nice bare wood and rather kitschy lace curtains, with an odd collection of eggs hanging from the roof by the cashier. Makes for the atmosphere of a mountain or country cottage, which is nice.

As expected, the crepes are the mainstay of the menu, although there are some other options such as soups and salads. The crepes are Bretonne-style—large, very thin, and folded over to enclose the filling. There are many options for fillings (combinations of cheese, ham, bacon, mushrooms, asparagus, egg, and others) and two types of crepe: buckwheat (for savoury) and froment (for sweet). The crepes are cooked expertly and are delicious. We found that they can be a little dry in the mouth with a lot of the filling combinations, so including the bechamel sauce is recommended. Or douse your crepe in maple syrup. That works too. Either way it's still delicious.

The service is friendly, but we found that even on a slowish day it can take quite some time for the crepes to come to the table, since there is only one crepe chef, and they can only cook one crepe at a time. So if there are a few orders before yours it can certainly take some time. At least there is entertainment in watching while you wait, and trying to pick which is your order. We found it timely to order dessert crepes as the main course crepes arrived. But don't go overboard! No-one in our group could finish 2 whole crepes themselves, so share either your main or dessert crepe.

This is a nice place for a family lunch, or just a casual bite, but only when you have a bit of time to spare. Worth the wait, though, for the delicious crepes. We'll be going back again when we're next in the Laurentians.

5825 Boul Labelle RR 1, Val-Morin, Laurentides
(819) 322-1401
Closed Monday and Tuesday

La Banquise

The Rating:

2 Fat Buddhas: A wide selection of good poutine

Cheap and generous servings

The Review:

Amid looks of shock and horror at the amount of time we had spent in Montreal without visiting La Banquise, our friends directed us to this popular resto in answer to our question "So, where should we go for poutine?". La Banquise was the unanimous reply for the best poutine in Montreal.

Some of our readers (if, indeed, there are any readers at all) will not know what poutine is, so let us start with a brief description. It is a comfort food, a Quebec tradition, and reasonably unhealthy. Take one serve fries, add fresh cheese curds, top with gravy. Fairly simple, and our Australian friends will say "Hey, that's just chips and gravy with some cheese thrown in". Too true. Those from Adelaide will be asking "Yes, but how does it compare with a BBQ AB?".

La Banquise is a bright and cheery place tucked away next to Parc La Fontaine on Rachel. A Yellow facade and ornate logo open into a smallish restaurant that is a cross between a fish'n'chip takeaway and a diner. Some good music is in the air as hip, bohemian waiting staff lead you to artistically laquered tables. The place is open 24 hours and appears to be always busy.

Poutine is the order of the day, and there is a range of some 20-plus varieties to choose from, as well as a selection of burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs, but to be honest, we're here for poutine. The classic poutine should be had for any first-time poutiner, as it demonstrates all the hallmarks of good poutine: crisp, fresh fries, chewy and tasty cheese curds, and the right amount of suitably tasty gravy. The regular size is enough for most, the large is for hungry people who can put it away. Prices are reasonable, with regular sizes ranging from $6 to $9 or so, and larges $8 to $12 or so.

Some would argue that adding any more to this combination is an abomination on the good name of poutine. Some would argue that poutine has no good name to begin with. To those people I say "Bah humbug". La Banquise does a good job of adding to poutine, but I think it is down to the eater to choose wisely. I, for one, would avoid the chicken and peas, but I applaud the bacon, the mushroom, the sausage, bacon, and onion (which was like a hot dog with the lot and fries, all on one plate), and, on a cold day, the kamikaze—a mix of hot sausage, chillis, and tobasco that had only a mild tingle of warmth to my palate. I think my preference is towards the simpler poutines, less crowded by add-ons on top.

So we've added it to our gourmand's tour of Montreal for visiting friends—now it's Fairmount Bagels for 24-hour, delicious bagelly goodness, Schwartz's for the best smoked meat in town in an unforgettable atmosphere, and now La Banquise for the best poutine at any time of day (and let's face it, poutine is, by definition, a late-night, rather drunken stomach filler).

http://www.restolabanquise.com/
994 Rachel Est, Plateau
No credit cards

Meatmarket

The Rating:

2 Fat Buddhas: Interesting, generous, delicious sandwiches

A good price for a great sandwich

The Review:

On another lunchtime jaunt, we wandered up to this cute little eatery in the Plateau, ironically enough, suggested to us by a vegan friend. The place is small but not cramped, with a clean modern finish, and a selection of local artwork on the walls available for sale. We'd taken advantage of sending an advance party who had placed our orders for us, so the service was very quick—in fact, we even required a hurry-up call, as the service was faster than we were.

The lunchtime menu has quite an interesting selection of sandwiches, although rumour has it that the burger is award-winning. We were disappointed to find out burgers are on the evening menu only. Nevertheless, the sandwiches, as well as being intriguingly named, offer a good selection of meaty and vegetarian, each with a tasty combination of fresh ingredients.

The sandwiches were a very generous size, and bursting with fillings. They were accompanied by a serve of shoestring fries—both normal and sweet potatoes. Very well done indeed. The sandwiches had the perfect combination of flavours, and were fresh and tasty.

Best of all, the sandwiches are well priced at under $10. This is a place I recommend for lunches, and will certainly be going back to try again in the evening to test out the burgers, and maybe even hit the wine and cocktail lists.

http://www.meatmarketfood.com
4415 Blvd. Saint-Laurent, Plateau

Laurie Raphael

Our Rating:

Innovative combinations of delicious flavours that tantalise the tastebuds

Very expensive, but then we did get the full degustation menu with matching wines

The Review:

Having heard rave reviews of Laurie Raphael in Quebec City, with their molecular gastronomy and innovative cuisine, we were soon off in search of the Montreal restaurant of the same name, also under the supervision of executive chef Daniel Vezina.

It's a cute little restaurant on the second floor of Hotel Germain in the downtown area. Despite being fully booked on the Saturday night, the place was empty on the Sunday, and we were one of only two tables in the place. It is nicely decorated with a modern twist, and strings of plates hanging from the ceiling that are irresistible to play with. We quite liked the window into the kitchen, where usually there would be an amount of hustle and bustle, but on our quiet night, it looked very calm and under control.

We started, as always, with a dry martini, which passed the test, as we pondered over the interesting menu. Lots of intriguing food combinations, and delicious-sounding dishes. In the end, for ease and a wide selection, we settled on the full seven-course degustation menu with, of course, matching wines.

We started with a progression of shellfish: a scallop, an oyster, and a clam, all au naturel, each with a different fruit-inspired vinaigrette, including strawberry and mango. Delicious combination with a nice acidic bite, well washed down with a sweetish white wine. Next up was soft-shell crab, perfectly cooked with a crispy coating that highlighted the soft creamy flesh, and the slightly chewy shell. This was followed by a creamy piece of foie gras, also accompanied by a seasonal fruit vinaigrette, this time strawberries and rhubarb. These highlighted the silky softness of the foie gras against the sweetness of the sauce.

We moved onto the meat courses and the red wine selection. A melting, slow cooked piece of pork belly with a layer of crispy skin came with a soft red wine from Spain, I think. this was followed by our beloved lamb, with a sweet layer of glaze onto the perfectly cooked cut.

The cheese course was something a little different—a grilled cheese sandwich, with rich brioche, and a hearty matured cheddar. Something simple, but really bringing out the full flavour of the cheese. This was followed by the richest of rich chocolate cakes with a mousse and vodka jelly. Perfectly matched against a delicate dessert wine. The perfect finishing touch to a very filling menu.

We were very impressed with the quality of the food, and the innovative combinations used that really brought out the important flavours. I don't think that it is really a fully molecular gastronomy menu in the full complexity of those techniques, but the food was still extremely good. The wines were well-matched, and the service was adequate.

It was, however, prohibitively expensive, and that is the main reason we would probably not go back (unless someone else is paying). But if you can afford it (or find a sponsor), it is certainly one to try out.

http://www.laurieraphael.com/
2050, rue Mansfield, Montreal centre-ville

Decca 77

Our Rating:
Time and again this restaurant has delivered food of a high calibre

With a $35 prix fixe 3-course option ($25 at lunch), this is great value

The Review:

A recent return trip to Decca 77 has given us an opportunity to update our review listings with this great find. It has an excellent location in Centre-Ville, amidst the action, and right near the Bell Centre (beware when the hockey's on...). The interior is an achievement in design, with a soaring ceiling, interesting use of features and lights, and warm woods giving a welcoming, um, welcome.

As we are wont to do, we ordered our usual "apero"—dry martinis: one gin with a twist of lemon, the other vodka with olives. Good examples of each were proffered, always a good sign of quality in our books. In fact, even better, one time we went to Decca 77, and the vodka martini was a little sub-par. We were discussing this, and the attentive staff overheard. Horrified, a new martini was promptly delivered, which was a much improved replacement.

Refreshments imbibed, we launched into the menus to see what new options were available. As always, the prix fixe was irresistible, with choices including fresh seafood, beef, lamb, and delicious-sounding desserts. While there are many more options à la carte, the selection and value for money of the prix fixe cannot be beaten for us. Our courses selected, it was onto the wine list.

There is an extensive and impressive wine list, and perhaps this is where Decca 77 makes a lot of their money—you won't be finding many bottles under $50, if any. Noting our perusal of the wine list, the sommelier materialised at our side to assist in our decision. We were happy, and a little surprised, to find this position held by a fellow Australian, and with that we launched into a discussion of oeneological variations within Australia, and what global wines we could begin tasting to lead us from our favoured homegrown wines to more local varieties. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable. A couple of more reasonably priced wines matched to our selected meals were chosen, and, well, the guy knows what he's talking about.

We should probably get onto the food now. The prix fixe includes 3 courses, each of which has 4 options to choose from. With a couple of fellow diners, we were able to sample most of these dishes, and there was not a disappointment between them.

For entrée, our first dish was the somewhat ubiquitous (and this is not necessarily a bad thing) seared scallop, served simply with a delicious sauce and salad. The scallop was crisp on the outside and mouthwateringly tender on the inside, melting away in a suffusion of fresh taste. Excellent. The other entrée that made it to our table was the beef tartare. Again this was fresh and delicious, with a gentle mix of fresh herbs and capers lifting the silkiness of the beef.

We leapt like Australians at the opportunity to have lamb—it's such a staple at home, and yet so difficult and expensive to buy here. On the menu were 2 lamb options, and both were among our selections. First was a lamb saddle, roasted to perfection and served with a chickpea sauce and roast vegetables. The lamb was fresh, tender, and brought back memories of home. The other lamb option was a novel "burger". This was a tall stack of a fresh tomato and lettuce atop a light burger of lamb with fresh herbs. The burger was intriguingly light, I can't think of another word for it. None of the normal heaviness of lamb, but all of the flavour. With this came a parsnip chips, a great accompaniment. On the non-Australian side of the table, roasted fillet of Tilapia was the dish of the moment, the fish with a plain crisp golden-brown crust, and meltingly flavourful inside.

Already with satisfied tastebuds and stomach, it was time for dessert. Firstly was a trio of profiteroles, each with a different filling: butterscotch, white chocolate, and dark chocolate, each with matching sauce. The profiteroles were light and fluffy, the filling rich and decadent. Across the table was a banana marmalade, which was a uniquely textured and banana-rich dessert. There was also a rich, yet light on the palate, chocolate option, which did not last long enough for a thorough analysis.

This was yet another great and varied meal, with very fresh produce presented in interesting and diverse fashions. The service was attentive and helpful, our courses appearing in a timely fashion, all our needs attended to, and with many a tolerant smile at our conversing in French.

One of the best parts about the prix fixe menu at Decca 77 is that it changes every week to include seasonal produce and the chefs' latest inspirations. So that means it is perfectly reasonable to go every week to taste the newest dishes. Isn't it?


http://www.decca77.com
1077 Drummond, Montreal
Closed Sundays

Maison Kam Fung

Our Rating:

2 Fat Buddhas: Authentic Chinese cuisine in a traditionally hectic restaurant

A big meal for a good price

The Review:

It seems that the only place we've really been to for Chinese food in Montreal is this one, La Maison Kam Fung, hidden away upstairs in the heart of Chinatown. Why is that? Well, mainly because that's where our Chinese relatives recommended as the best such restaurant in town.

It's a very busy place, on the upper floor in La Place de la Quartier, just up from the corner of La Gauchetiere and St Urbain. If you arrive at peak times, which seems to be just about any time anyone would normally want to eat, you may end up waiting some time on the benches in the corridor, unless you have a reservation—in which case you may not have to wait quite as long. It's a big dining room, crammed with tables for large family gatherings, and a few smaller ones in between. The waiting staff zip along the walkways, so watch where you walk. This is authentic Chinese restaurant. You can tell by the population of Chinese diners who frequent the place. Despite the size, it is not overly noisy, and the atmosphere is one in which you can sit back and people-watch.

The service is quick and relatively friendly (for a hectic chinese restaurant). We've been on a number of occassions for dim sum. The selection and freshness of the dishes is great. All the traditional dishes, as well as a few different ones. All well-prepared and hot when they arrive at the table via trolley.

Dinner here is also very good, and we highly recommend the Peking Duck and Lobster set menu. The duck is brought out on display after you order, then whisked away to be carved in the kitchen. The lobster is generously sized and nicely presented, and this is all accompanied by a good selection of fish, vegetable, and meat dishes. It's well priced, and it is rare that, even with our big appetites, we can actually finish off the entire selection.

This is our regular haunt for Chinese cuisine, and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future.


1111 St-Urbain, Chinatown, Montreal

Coco Rico

Our Rating:

2 Fat Buddhas: Tasty rotisserie chicken and ribs on the run

A filling plate of meat and potatoes for under $10

The Review:

With a gruelling night of music at Osheaga ahead, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat on the way at the recommended Coco Rico on St Laurent. It's a bright, little place on the corner with Napolean, the front windows filled with the large rotisserie ovens stacked with chickens. There's a simple service counter along one side, and a bar with stools running along the mirrored wall opposite.

We were greeted by a cheery face behind the glass counter front, which made it terribly difficult for either of us to hear what the other was saying. For a good sampling of the fare we ordered the chicken and ribs combo, the roast pork will have to wait for another night. A good pile of roast potatoes, a quarter of a chicken, and couple of meaty pork ribs definitely filled the plate out. We settled in on a couple of stools, watching the passing crowd come for their dose of chicken at the counter.

Where to begin? Potato first... Not too bad, well cooked, chilli dusting. Nice. Then into the chicken. The tender, succulent meat was no match for my plastic cutlery, although the foam plate did suffer at my unwieldy hacking. The chicken almost fell apart with my prying, leaving me with a collection of juicy meat. Quite flavoursome. Unlike many other rotisserie chickens, this did not have that greasy mouthfeel, or leave a pool of oil on the plate. This I attribute to the amount of fat that comes showering off the chickens in the rotisserie—if you sit in the right spot as the sun is setting, it shines through the glistening diamonds of fat like a sparkling waterfall in the rotisserie. Quite impressive.

Onto one of the meaty rib duo next. Again, tender enough to yield to my plastic cutlery, although much easier to tackle hands-on. Also quite juicy and delicious, with a good coating of sauce. Again, not oily or greasy, but certainly not dry.

Belly full of meat and potatoes, washed down with a can of drink, set me back just over $11 all up. A satisfying, quick, meaty meal. I may not recommend the venue or the menu for a romantic date or business dinner, but if you're after a quick and tasty meal (or some roast chickens, ribs, or potatoes to take home), I'd give this place a whirl. I think we'll be heading back when we're in the area before (or after) a night out.


3907 Blvd St Laurent, Plateau