The first time I heard about LOV was about a year ago before I became vegan. At that time, I was not enticed by the whole hype. “Best restaurant for Instagram photos”, that was the title it was known for. I thought it was a gimmick and would not last long.
A year after, it is still popular among Montrealers. It even opened another location in Downtown and another one in the planning in Laval. This place must be more than just the looks.
On a Saturday evening, at 6:30PM, the place was half filled already. A reservation is highly suggested.
The menu offers a great array of food, mostly casual at a fair price. We had chosen a 4 dishes in total, actually there other good contenders (but 2 people can only eat this much).
Kale Mac’n’Cheese
It never occurred to me that adding kale to mac’n’cheese is such a good idea. The kale tones down the creaminess of the dish. Mr.Butter enjoyed this dish in the beginning, but as he ate more, he enjoyed less. It was odd. He thought the sauce was too heavy while I found the sauce was perfect.
Kimchi Fries
We loved this. The tang in the sauce (the aioli sauce) was delightful! I really have to find the recipe. This is a must order.
Big LOV Burger
Mr.Butter was very disappointed by the burger and I understood why. The bottom bun was soggy by the time it arrived on our table. And the patty was mushy. There was no “bite” to it. One thing I want to point out is that the burger smells like a burger coming from McDonald’s. Maybe it’s the smell of pickle?
Gnocchi di casa
Surprisingly, this must had been the best gnocchi I’ve had tasted at a restaurant. The consistency is how I like it, soft but with a bit of chew. The hemp-basil pesto was a great reminiscent of my own basil pesto I make at home, equally as delicious.
LOV is a very versatile eatery. It can be chic but yet casual. I also believe that non-vegans would enjoy the food just as much as vegans (excluding the burgers of course). I would like to return here to try other dishes!
Sushi Momo wins the most popular vegan restaurant in Montreal area title. Every single time someone asks for a vegan restaurant, Sushi Momo is at least suggested once. Vegans even confirmed that non-vegans love that place too.
Toque has been on my dining checklist for the longest time, since high school. Can you believe that? Why would a teenager even think of fine dining? I guess I am meant to be a foodie! I remembered I was touring Montreal for educational purpose, of course, and my geography teacher talked about Toque as some prestigious place to dine, one you cannot wear normal clothes – they have to be fancy. Ever since then, I promised myself that once I become successful, I would go buy a fancy dress and dine there with my friends. I am now the definition of success according to my teenage self.
Sometimes I forget that Indian cuisine is very vegan friendly. It is most likely because my favorite Indian dish is (was?) curry with some type of meat. I may about to change that.
Mon Ami caught a virus and it is spreading everywhere. The crowd is joyful and now can have their fried chicken craving satisfied at their nearest neighborhood – no more crazy drive to Monkland (shudders just thinking about Decarie and all the recent configuration around there).
For the first month after its opening, Mon Ami (Brossard) was packed. The parking lot did not have enough spots to accommodate the number of customers. Fortunately, it is next to a residential area, so parking can be found easily. Every time we drove by, we saw a line up so it discouraged us to join the crowd. One day, we decided to go early, at 5pm on a Saturday and there were only a few tables left and within 30 minutes, all seats were taken and a line formed right away. It was crazy.
The ultimate question is…Did I cheat to have a taste of their friend chicken? (Yes readers, I have become a vegan since June 2017 – although I do permit myself to cheat occasionally, mainly dairy because they are hidden everywhere.) Nope. I did not feel like it. So I ordered a kimchi stew (mind you there was some seafood in it, insignificant traces, but I usually give it to Mr.Butter). And Mr.Butter wanted to try what else Mon Ami has to offer in terms of chicken dishes, so he had chicken and cheese.
What a letdown. I have never tasted such a bland kimchi stew in my life. It was so watery with barely any flavors, like water down pepper paste. Some say “well what did you expect? Mon ami is known for their fried chicken!” Well, why would they serve other stuff in the menu? And first and foremost, I did not know kimchi stew can fail! Now I know better…
As for the cheese chicken, it looked so “normal”. It was simply pepper paste chicken and poor load of cheese on top of it. Nothing eye opening. The chicken was not even battered and deep fried. It didn’t look appetizing either. I would think I would be tempted to try. No urge at all. Mr.Butter said “it’s okay”.
I personally find Mon Ami (main branch on Somerled) serving better food than this. Overhyped for all these new locations? Perhaps. I will not be going back anytime soon at the Brossard location.
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