OT: Your Best Under The Radar Restaurants In Montreal

[Runner77]

I've been wanting to start this thread ever since I had heard a report last year, about how Town and Country magazine had contacted award-winning American journalist and food writer, Alan Richman.

T&C mandated Richman to write a piece about his choice for the US city featuring the best restaurants.

Richman shocked the editors of T&C, with this:

Asked to name the best restaurant city in America—meaning the United States—I offered the only reasonable answer: Montreal, a city with the culture, the cooks, the restaurants, the provisions, and the hospitality.

best restaurants in Montreal, Canada

The story was picked up by local media. I heard it as a radio news item and saw this in print:

Montreal is such a destination for good food that it wins the honour without even being part of the United States.

This past August 10th, Montreal's own Jay Baruchel was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live. I PVRed the show and saved it. Baruchel told Kimmel how he moved to Toronto for work reasons and then Kimmel asked:

Kimmel: Do you miss Montreal?
Baruchel: Oh constantly, constantly. Specifically, the food. Mostly.
Kimmel: If I lived in Montreal, I would never stop eating, I'd eat in my sleep. I'd be eating constantly.
Baruchel: That's what we constantly do.
Kimmel: Great food out there!
Baruchel: Yes, it's terrible! You can't go to a bad restaurant in that city.

So ... since we have so many great restaurants, there is really no point in targeting the best known ones or the most expensive.

Would be curious to know what are some of your under-the-radar go-to restaurants, neighborhood finds, your menu favorites, how affordable and why. Please don't limit yourselves to Montreal. Also include Laval and the South Shore.

Thanks in advance, looking forward to your suggestions.

Click to read more...

 

[vokiel]

Stash Café (Old Port/Mids) - Polish comfort food, some Jazz ambiance some evenings.
Chez Su (Verdun/High) - Turkish highend, Su is an amazing chef.
Amelia's (Downtown/Low-Mids) - Used to be Amelio's, daughter renamed it to Amelia's
Titanic (Old Port/Mids) - They've been there forever and apparently guests had to wash the dishes back in the days.
Marché De La Villette (Old Port/Low-Mids) - Les hosties de français font des bons sandwichs.
Villa Wellington (Verdun/Mids) - Peruvian, normally huge plates, best beef heart I've had in this city.
Takara (Downtown/Mids) - Not too high end sushi, it's hard to get a bad experience there.
Sakura (Downtown/Mids) - Decent just like Takara.
Molivos (Downtown/High) - Fish the greek way, the service at Molivos is an experience.
Brits & Chip (Old Port/Low) - Fish & Chip and it's pretty good.
Santa-Lucia (Downtown/Low) - Wood fired pizza oven
Les Soeurs Grises (Old Port/Low-Mids) - It's a micro-brewerie, but the food is pretty good
Le Boucan (Griffin Town/Mids) - Southern style ribs
Black Strap BBQ (Verdun/Low-Mids) - Southern style ribs. I prefer Le Boucan, great brisket though.
Burgundy Lion (Griffin Town/Low-Mids) - The Fish & Chip owner has a pub with an amazing scotch collection.

-> Any Boustan... duh..

 

[Runner77]

Stash Café (Old Port/Mids), Chez Su (Verdun/High), Amelia's (Downtown/Low-Mids), Titanic (Old Port/Mids), Marché De La Villette (Old Port/Low-Mids), Villa Wellington (Verdun/Mids), Takara (Downtown/Mids), Sakura (Downtown/Mids), Molivos (Downtown/High), Brits & Chip (Old Port/Low), Santa-Lucia (Downtown/Low), Les Soeurs Grises (Old Port/Low-Mids), Le Boucan (Griffin Town/Mids), Black Strap BBQ (Verdun/Low-Mids), Burgundy Lion (Griffin Town/Low-Mids)

-> Any Boustan... duh..

Thanks for your list.

Love Boustan but be wary of the one in Laval -- not all Boustans are created equal. It used to be amazing when it was corporately operated. It has since seen a couple of franchisees and the latest hasn't been at the same standard as when corporate ownership was directly running it. I'm a huge Boustan fan but have had to avoid the Laval location.

If you're in RDP for some reason, I've heard great things about Restaurant Samara, 8250 Boulevard Maurice-Duplessis, Montréal, QC H1E 3A3. I'm told it's better than Boustan. It's unfortunate they're only in RDP.

 

[The Price is Right]

Best Greek Restaurant is called Parthenon on Van Horne!! Really underrated

 

[Kriss E]

Tripolis in Parc Ex is a great cheap greek place.
Les Voligeurs in Laval, my go to delivery spot whenever I stay with my folks.
Cocktail Antabli for crepes.
Al-Taib for 4am pizza.
Kam Shing in Laval, great salt and pepper schrimp, and chinese food.
Arouch, hands down best manouches.
I never go for cheap sushi, when it's raw stuff, I just don't take a chance.
Hot Dog decarie, an institution.

I love Montreal food, it's true, so much good stuff. I actually am usually disappointed with the high end restaurants in Mtl. The Rib'n'Reef style places. Considering we can get such cool and good places at cheap price that whenever I go to these fancier spots, I get disappointed.

As silly as it may sound, aside from craving my lebanese food and mom's home cooked meals, what I miss the most is my freaking chicken fingers from St-Hubert. Nothing compares to that over here in HK.
Not that I'm knocking on HK, it's a great foodie place as well.

 

[Runner77]

Kam Shing in Laval, great salt and pepper schrimp, and chinese food.

I've been there many times. Kam Shing in Laval is on my regular rotation (I prefer it to the one in Cote des neiges). Easy parking. It's not the highest end food but it's pretty good quality, affordable and the portions are ample.

My usual lineup:
Hot & Sour Soup
Crispy rolls
Peanut butter dumplings
General Tao or Orange Beef
Sauteed vegetables and oversized shrimp over crispy noodles.

They'll bring you a pitcher of water with ice, if you ask. It'll avoid having to flag down the waiter constantly. And definitely get your tea pot from the start of the meal, complements your food throughout. Enjoy.

As silly as it may sound, aside from craving my lebanese food and mom's home cooked meals, what I miss the most is my freaking chicken fingers from St-Hubert. Nothing compares to that over here in HK.
Not that I'm knocking on HK, it's a great foodie place as well.

What I omitted from my opening post is how Baruchel was craving for St-Hubert BBQ. He didn't mention the chicken fingers, though. I haven't been in years but now that you've mentioned chicken fingers, going to give them a shot sometime.

 

[Kriss E]

I've been there many times. Kam Shing in Laval is on my regular rotation (I prefer it to the one in Cote des neiges). Easy parking.
It's not the highest end food but it's pretty good quality and the portions are ample.
My usual lineup:

Hot & Sour Soup
Crispy rolls
Peanut butter dumplings
General Tao or Orange Beef
Sauteed vegetables and oversized shrimp over crispy noodles.

They'll bring you a pitcher of water with ice, if you ask. It'll avoid having to flag down the waiter constantly. And definitely get your tea pot from the start of the meal, complements your food throughout. Enjoy.

The best PB dumplings I've had is probably at Jardin de Pekin in the West Island. It is a while ago though so maybe my memory is playing tricks, but from what I remember they were seriously good.
At Kam Shing, General Toa, PB Chicken, Salt and Pepper schrimp. Definitely always have those three.

What I omitted from my opening post is how Baruchel was craving for St-Hubert BBQ. He didn't mention the chicken fingers, though. I haven't been in years but now that you've mentioned chicken fingers, going to give them a shot sometime.

St-Hubert is just a local fast food spot, but man, it's seriously good.

 

[MisterNoItAll]

Aux Vivres
Green Panther
Copper Branch
57 Cals (Laval)

 

[G0bias]

Been to the Kam Shing on Cote-des-Neiges a couple times, good bang for your buck.

Speaking of underrated asian spots, well maybe not so under the radar anymore. Big in Japan on the Main(Plateau). Great spot if you're in the area and just looking to grab a late bite.
Small place, great food and service is fast. Open till late and servings are huge. Crispy pork, spicy ramen, Tori chicken and straight sake, pretty much my go-to every time. Their bar next door is pretty chill too.

 

[habtastic]

I'm experiencing a Pavlovian effect reading this thread.

Luckily, I'm coming home for American Thanksgiving and very eager to dive into my 'go-to's, although good to read about a few that I didn't know.

On my list for next weekend:
- Boustan
- La Banquise
- St. Hubert
- Au pied de cochon (got res)
- MBurger

I will say, however, that I grew up on Kam Shing and Maison de Kam @ Côtes des Neiges. EXACTLY as Runner77 described. Dat General Tao tho...

Gonna be gaining at least 5 lbs on this trip, including the $50 worth of beer I'm gonna drink at the game (Sabres). I'm part of the problem. I got those tickets awhile ago. You all know the rest of the story.

 

[habtastic]

[MOD]

I'll also admit that because I'm gonna get hammered on St. Laurent, I will very likely be getting some form of trio at Belle Pro.

 

[WinterLion]

Seriously though, I'm not impressed with our food choices so far. Montreal is a great city for food, and I like Boustan as much as the next dude....but c'mon.

There is a great Korean place in NDG on Cavendish. It is a bit of a hidden gem. Great Indian places all over Park X, but they have gotten very pricey. Try some of the places up on Jarry...they are cheaper less busy and just as good! Montreal still fails for pizza many places... but I do love Amelio's especially the white pizza with extra tomato sauce...

Is there a great hidden pizza place I should know about?

 

[WinterLion]

apparently there is a great Lebanese place in st Henri... probably expensive though...

 

[habtastic]

Oh wait. Forgot the obvious. Schwartz's.

I agree that the places (I) named are well frequented. I'm coming from the angle that I haven't been home in a year, so I gotta hit the highlights.

 

[DAChampion]

Having lived in six different cities and travelled all over the world I can tell you that there's great food everywhere.

Montreal has great food, and so does Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Victoria, Vancouver, Baltimore, New York, Columbus, Zurich, Stockholm, etc etc etc. In general there's been a blossoming of high quality foods in independent restaurants in the past 5, 10, 20 years.

Anyway, what I liked when I lived there ...

Patisserie belge (since closed)
Premiere Moisson (inferior, but still open)
Boustan
Trattoria Santa Lucia
Real Bagel, St-Viateur Bagel (lol)
Juliette et Chocolat
Queue de Cheval

But really, go to Berri Uqam metro, walk out the st-denis exit, and walk and you'll see lots of great food.

 

[Inkling]

Snowdon Deli
Tuck Shop
Olive & Gourmando
Has Cote-St-Luc BBQ re-opened yet?

 

[DAChampion]

I neglected to mention this place in the old port:

Restaurant Venice
Français

Go there really hungry, and order two-plus meals.

 

[Mrb1p]

Icehouse for Texmex
Rockwood
Foiegwa
Noodle Factory for chinese
Comptoir 21
Blackstrap BBQ
Boucan
Taco Victor
Adamo for Pizza

 

[Adam Michaels]

Mythos on Park Avenue. The closest you'll get to experiencing Greece here in Montreal. Very intimate setting, brick walls, band playing, people dancing, great food. The best thing to do in these places if you're a group of people is to not order a plate for yourself. Get a bunch of side dishes and share them with your friends/family. Instead of eating one meal, you get to enjoy many of their amazing menu items.

 

[vokiel]

People asking for highend choices:

Garde-Manger (Old Port/Very High) - Best meal I've ever had in a Montreal restaurant.
Restaurant Meson (Jarry/High-Very High) - I had Iberico there, amazing.
Moises (Plateau/High-Very High) - Get your pepper aged steak blue.. It's crazy tender.
Le Pied de Cochon (Plateau/High-Very High) - Just one appetizer per person & 1 main course for 2 is enough.
Solmar (Old Port/Very High) - Went once for my birth day, I've never been able to get the same flavors again.
Gibbies (Old Port/High-Very High) - For the atmosphere and the coffee after the meal, otherwise I'd pick Moises over it any day.
La Queue de Cheval (Downtown/Mids-Very High) - Not the same as it used to be, but it's still quality. Again I'd pick Moises over it any day.

My To Eat list
Helena (Old Port/Very High) - Apparently used to be the chef at Solmar.
Le Jellyfish (Old Port/High-Very High) - The chef there won Chop Canada with some crazy sauce.
Ma Grosse Truie Chérie (Plateau/Mids-High) - Cause the name is awesome.

I have more ...

Best Greek Restaurant is called Parthenon on Van Horne!! Really underrated

Gonna have to add it to my to eat list, thanks.

 

[vokiel]

Thanks for your list.

Love Boustan but be wary of the one in Laval -- not all Boustans are created equal. It used to be amazing when it was corporately operated. It has since seen a couple of franchisees and the latest hasn't been at the same standard as when corporate ownership was directly running it. I'm a huge Boustan fan but have had to avoid the Laval location.

If you're in RDP for some reason, I've heard great things about Restaurant Samara, 8250 Boulevard Maurice-Duplessis, Montréal, QC H1E 3A3. I'm told it's better than Boustan. It's unfortunate they're only in RDP.

I see, I assumed they were all the same, because the one that just opened in Verdun is good. Well I don't see too many differences with the shop on Crescent.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I also really like V.I.P. on Clark and René-Levesque in Chinatown. I haven't been there in a while, but their Won-Ton soup is to die for, their garlic shrimp and general tao are delicious. Their decor is old and ugly, but their food is real good.

 

[Frenchy]

Great thread , i'm adding it to the stickies so that it will be easy to find.
I'm sure it will help a lot of tourists for when they visit Montreal.

 

[vokiel]

Chez Boss & Fils (Verdun/Mids-High) - Birth day meal, it was really good.
Piquillio (Verdun/Mids-High) - Brunched there when it's opened in the weekends
Les Délices De L'Ile Maurice (Verdun/Low-Mids) - Just when you don't feel like cooking, this is comfort food
Parisa (Verdun/Mids) - Went there several times, good Persian comfort food I'd say.
Augusto Al Gusto (Verdun/Mids) - Mexican/Central America, same owners as Villa Wellington I believe.
Café Juicy Lotus (NDG/Low-Mids) - Vegan counter, the best vegetarian/vegan option I've ever been to.
Biiru (Downtown/Mids-High) - Japanese Izakaya food. (iow tapas)
Kinka (Downtown/Mids) - Japanese Izakaya, cocktails..
Yokato Yokabai (Plateau/Mids) - Ramen, Sake, Beer... Rich broth.
Kinton (Downtown/Low-Mids) - Ramen, Sake, Beer... Also on the rich broth side of things.
Sumo Ramen (China Town/Low) - If I have to chose my Ramen place, I go there. Good broth, great service, nothing fancy.
Gia Ba (NDG/Mids) - Certified closest to authentic by Chinese interns we hired at our company. Very good.
Pushap (Ville St-Laurent/Very Low) - Eat like Indians do, really good flavors in metal trays.
Pucapuca (Plateau/Low-Mids) - I've not been there in 10+ years, but I bet it's still very good Peruvian food.

 

[Runner77]

For burgers, sometimes you have to go off the beaten path a little. Someone suggested Cafe Ciociaro on Langelier in St-Leonard. I dismissed it initially, until I happened to be in the area and did a pit stop. And man was I surprised:

It's hands down the best burger I ever had and I've tried quite a few. All the ingredients complement each other so well in what is a juicy combo of angus beef heaven. For those who doubt me, try it.

Also, the place has a machine imported from Italy that produces Antonelli cafe crema:

And, they also have a high end espresso machine.

Hours are very flexible, every day til 3:00 AM.

8868, boul. Langelier Montreal, QC, H1P 3C8 Anjou-St-Léonard (514) 324-3700

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

You're maybe 20-30 minutes from downtown, in regular traffic. Service is quick and friendly. Not the most modern façade but you're really paying for what's on your dish and it's affordable. Fries also yummy. They even have draft beer. Enjoy.