I love oysters! What better place to eat oysters than Maestro SVP?
Maestro is known for serving many kinds of oysters. However, they don’t come in cheap…well, oysters aren’t cheap to begin with…
I found the decor to be super cool. Makes me want to do the same thing for my wall, but finding such a oyster size would be the tough part.
To start off the evening, we had an appetizer of a variety of oysters…I do not remember where they are from exactly…
Some tasted very grassy. Like as if I was tasting grass from the park. Some tasted extremely salty, due to the fact they were closer to the ocean (pacific if I remembered correctly). The ones that I liked taste like those that are normally served from other restaurants. I guess I am no exotic oyster eater.
Freshness were not a problem at all!
And then we had cooked oysters, which I find it as a waste!! Oysters should be eaten raw for full impact! Once cooked, they are no different than mussels, I personally find. Anyway, the way Maestro SVP handled their oysters requires some acknowledgement. Why? The cooked oysters are very tasty! The cheese they incorporated to different oysters is very unique. However, this is also the downside. Oyster taste is usually very thin. Once covered with cheese, the taste of oysters really dissipates. Also, although they used oysters from different areas, it’s nearly impossible to tell. All I can taste it’s the different cheese they used. It’s quite a pity to waste such a delicate and delicious taste like this. I sincerely believe the best way to enjoy oysters is to eat them raw!
Obviously, just eating a few oysters cannot make me full, so I went ahead to order something more substantive. I had shrimps and risotto. The shrimps were huge, very meaty! And the risotto had nothing special to offer. A nice decent dish, but for the price…not so much anymore. I would price for 22$ max for this dish, but guess what was the price? 32$!!! for such a normal flavored dish…
We also ordered bruschetta, which came in late…Despite that, this bruschetta is heavenly! Can you actually believe that? It’s the best bruschetta I’ve ever eaten. I do not know is it because the previous meal was so unimpressive, that this one just totally made it up for me. But I’ve never eaten bruschetta on a spongy/soft bread! It was quite enjoyable.
And to finish our supper, we had oysters as dessert. Fine combination! I never expected to eat oysters this way, but it is such an obvious combination! The light taste of oyster merge with a sorbet with a hint of sparkling wine flavor. Just perfect! It was so light and divine! A must try!
To be fair, Maestro SVP should really be judged for their oysters, i mean it’s their specialty, and the main reason why people go there. No doubt that their oysters are high quality. As for cooked ones, yes they are tasty but I suggest to go for raw instead. And definitely order that oyster dessert!
It’s a pho restaurant but why would I go there for their dessert? Sure, they offer some good pho, but it’s not as interesting as their dessert.
Pho Zen is an option when craving for pho in the south shore. But, be warned, their pricing is higher than other places.
Imperial rolls. First though: they are small! Generally tasty and crispy but greasy, but it’s always like this in other viet restaurants too…
Mong and pork, I believe. The pork was especially well done. A hint of burnt edges to add the crisp in the meat.
Pho. The broth was good, but not memorable (not that it’s bad, just easily replaceable). I was disappointed that my meats were 99% cooked when the bowl was brought to me… I usually like my beef bloody and see it cook in the broth in font of my eyes.
Now, this is what makes Pho Zen likeable! It serves sticky rice with coconut milk as dessert!!! I looooove sticky rice, especially in the form of dessert. I don’t see this dessert served anywhere in Montreal. Now, this may not be a dessert for everyone… but if you are just like me, that miss the good black rice with coconut milk and mango from Hong Kong Thai restaurant, I guess this dessert comes as close as that!
Pho Zen, please don’t stop serving this dessert…and please a version of this with black rice!
Frite Alors! brings in so much memories! It used to be my biggest wishlist restaurant to go. A cool restaurant to eat at because it put so much focus on fries. That was old times…
After all these years, I came back to Frite Alors for some late night food because Mr.Butter was hungry…
I don’t know if I am going to too many fancy and clean places lately, I find Frite Alors! on st-denis a bit worn-out. The place looks a bit dirty too. It’s missing that trendy fast food vibe. Tintin drawings are gone too.
Because I wasn’t hungry, I only nibbled on Mr.Butter fries. Well, that’s all it matters right?! FRIES.
I don’t recall what burger Mr.Butter ordered….. but look at this damn picture I took….
It looks yummy!!! But I really wasn’t hungry to take a bite. According to Mr.Butter, it was good. He wasn’t savoring it like it’s heaven though.
As for me, I can only talk about the fries…Marketed as Belgium fries… Is it better? The fries are plainly normal. They aren’t bad, but they aren’t “GOOD FRIES!”. What makes these fries to almost “GOOD FRIES” was a push from the sauces. Frite Alors! offers a variety of sauce to eat your fries with. We chose Frite Alors! and Mexican. I may be incorrect with the Mexican sauce, but that doesn’t matter because Frite Alors was so good that you can forget about the other ones. Frite Alors sauce is made with mayo, harissa and garlic! I can taste the slight spiciness of harissa, which I like!
I felt a bit guilty. Eating fries and then dip it with mayo… when I wasn’t even hungry. But the sauce was quite addictive.
Frite Alors! has once been one of the my wishlist restaurant…it is no more. I don’t even think it’ll come across my mind if I didn’t pass right in front of it.
I went to Cartel last year and was greatly disappointed. Recently, I received an invitation from Cartel’s chef/owner to try out Cartel again. He said my experience on Cartel might change if I give it another try, especially when the location has been changed. I was awed by his approach, showing that customer’s opinion matters to him.
At first, I was very worried about this invitation because I was afraid how I would tackle the review. I was afraid that I had to compromise my honesty once accepting the invitation. However, the owner did not give me any pressure at all. I was doing my own thing and he would check at our table once in a while. So rest assured, my review is not biased.
And here goes my second experience at Cartel. Almost 180 degree turn around! It was what I had hoped to experience the very first time I visited Cartel.
New location.
This is definitely a drastic change. It’s no longer on Crescent. It’s on Fairmount, close to st-laurent. Which I find the neighborhood is much more suitable for the restaurant’s concept. I did wish that Cartel could show something different on Crescent, but it just isn’t fitted for the crowd. As the sun went down, the restaurant just got more and more livelier. It seemed like Cartel has already gained popularity around the corner!
Because it has changed location, the decor of the restaurant is changed as well. I find it much more aesthetically pleasant and representative to the concept. It’s casual dining with a hint of chicness. With the lights resembling lanterns, it almost felt I was actually on the street in some asian country. I only wished it added a few more red “lantern-like” light hanging on the ceiling to emphasize on the concept. But i guess that could be overwhelming.
One big like is that their tables are designed for groups. This means I could easily come with a group of 6 and more people without any problem!
Another thing that I find it quite a unique experience is their bathroom! I didn’t take any picture…but you will understand what I mean if you go to the ladies room. I really like the door’s concept.
Nothing pretentious. But it’s still a nice place to drink and dine with your friends.
If some of you have read my old reviews, I am very picky when it comes to…serving water. I expect water to be the first thing to be served within the 5 minutes I get seated. Well… Cartel did not meet that. I had to ask for water after they had served my drinks, shown below. ok…diva rant is over.
Asian Pear
I remembered I wasn’t impressed with the drinks last year. Drastic change! This asian pear…I love it SO MUCH. No exaggeration. It was sweet, very fruity, just like the name says!
The drink is made of sake, orgeat syrup, lime juice, pear nectar and ginger beer. I think most girls would love this drink.
Old Fashioned
Mr.Butter ordered Old Fashioned. It was STRONG. I tasted bourbon alright! Mr. Butter was satisfied with the drink.
Tacos – Camarones del Diablo – Porc Grille
So, the day we went was Tuesday. What does that mean?! TACO DAY! 2$ taco as long you purchase a drink. Indeed, the tacos are small. But! I assure you, they fill you up very quickly. To be honest, I was 75% full when I ate my third taco… just to let an idea of how filling it was. And so was Mr.Butter. And, in case you don’t know, we don’t eat very little.
Camarones del Diablo – the taco on the left.
Meaty shrimps. Another reason why it’s filling! This taco was warned by the chef that it’s REAL spicy. Well, I didn’t believe him, because when people tell me it’s real spicy, it’s just a bit spicy for me ( I love spicy food, remember?) I have to give him credits that he was speaking the truth. This taco is spicy. Just spicy enough for me to handle it, without suffocating and killing my taste-buds that I wouldn’t be able to taste any flavor anymore. I adored this taco, way better than anticipated. The ingredients were screaming fresh and light. No grease at all. This is my favorite taco of all the ones I tried in the evening.
Grilled pork – the taco on the right.
This has to be my least like tacos of the bunch. Why? I find the pork way too stiff. The meat was getting stuck to my teeth too! The chef did mention that the pork was local but that did nothing to me… it would if it wasn’t so hard. Aside from the pork, lychee was one of the ingredients of the taco. I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t actually written in the menu. The lychee added nothing to the taco. Why? Their sweetness was near to none. I could only taste it just eating it by itself. The problem here is that the lychee is from cans. Fresh lychees would be a different story, but then the wallet would bring a lot of more issues… Another thing, it could be that I ate the other taco first and left this taco sat a bit, this taco became a bit soggy…so little warning, either eat your tacos fast or have it come one by one.
Taco de Mole
This taco was with chicken. I can’t exactly depict the taste of it. It was something new. I preferred this one over the Grilled pork one for sure. However, this one was one greasy taco… Other than that, it tasted decently good.
Taco Baja Fried Fish
This fish taco was recommended by the waitress and chef. It was light. So light that Mr.Butter had trouble tasting the fish. That wasn’t an issue for me though. However, I don’t see the “punch” of the taco. I would go for Camornes del diablo!
Basil Mojito – Dark and Stormy
Second round of drinks. I was VERY tempted to re-order the Asian pear. But it’s the occasion to try new things. Mr.Butter ordered the Dark and Stormy while I ordered the Basil Mojito, as suggested by the waitress.
Basil Mojito
The mojito isn’t very strong here. Highly infused of sweet lime juice. It is a very girly sweet drink, obviously the reason why I like it…
Dark and Stormy
A drink I would normally order because I still can’t find a place served it better than Blizzart. I shied away from it this time because last year I had one in Cartel and I wasn’t impressed at all. Mr.Butter still ordered it in pure curiosity if it improved. Well, it was sweet…maybe a bit too sweet for a dark and stormy…But it’s still missing a something something from Blizzart.
Lobster roll
Mr.Butter really wanted to try the lobster roll because last time, they weren’t available. The lobster was meaty! They aren’t being cheap with the portion at all. Mr.Butter said that it was better than the average lobster roll, but cannot be compared with the one he had in Maine. He loved how he could taste the butter on the lobster…go figure how come he’s named after butter…
As for me, I don’t see the appeal of lobster roll as I find the bread conceals too much of the lobster’s fresh and light taste. I find there are better ways to bring out the flavors of lobsters…therefore, I am not one to judge lobster roll…
However, I can definitely judge the fries served beside the lobster roll because I am a total fries junkie! or…expert. lol. The fries have improved so much. I remembered they used to be thicker and much more soggier, which results greasier. Not good at all! Not the case anymore! Their fries are addictive! They are julienne cut! Thinner and crispier! But too salty! Remove the salt and I’ll approve!
Arroz verde
In the menu, there are many meals that aren’t full blown menu – just like the concept says, street food! However, Arroz verde is one of the exception.
At this point of the evening, I was completely full. Not hungry at all. It’s when you’re not hungry that you know if the food is good or not. Because if you are full and still want to continue eating it, it’s because that thing is damn good. Arroz verde fits that description.
Arroz verde is a peruvian dish, where it has cilantro rices and a choice of meat. In our case, we had a duck leg. And you see those orange things? They are sweet potatoes! YUM! You squeeze the lime into the rice. And mix the rice with all the goodies in the dish, let it be the sweet potatoes, pieces of onion, bits of the duck leg…sums to GOODNESS.
I have to emphasize on the duck leg. This is how we should all cook duck leg! Or duck meat in general… The skin was crisp! Yet, the meat was not overcooked that it was mushy. The meat was nicely defined into pieces. The best way I can explain it is that the meat kept its form in perfection – if that makes sense at all.
I was full and I kept eating this! This portion is generous! There was so much rice. This meal is good for 2 normal people. Good for 4-6 people if you are ordering other stuff.
It could be a bit greasy, but that could be ignored at how great it tasted. The dish did get a bit heavy eventually, which is why i suggest to share…
Highly suggested dish!!
Churros
You know how girls are, before we even get to order, we are already checking out what’s for dessert. Well, I saw no dessert on the menu! I was sad at first but sort of glad in the end because I was so full. But guess what! The chef let us know that there was churro for dessert! I love churro, how can i refuse!
The churros served here was spanish style. I don’t know what’s the main difference from other churros… I think I have only eaten american style churros…you know, from DisneyWorld and other parts of United States.
What’s different here from what I am accustomed to is that we dip the churros in the chocolate. The chocolate wasn’t that sweet, so no need to worry about how sweet it would get. However, what I usually like about churro is their crispness and intense cinnamon flavor. Although the churro was very nicely made, it was too thick to my own liking and lacks cinnamon. So in the end, it just tasted like a fried plain dough shaped like a churro, ready to be dipped in chocolate…
I did not enjoy it very much.
All in all, I already recommended some of my friends to check out Cartel. It has definitely changed a lot, which I am grateful of. It would be somewhere I would bring my group of friends, just not a place for 2 people. The price of the menu is very reasonable. Cartel surely brings something new to the table in Montreal’s restoration. Looking for street food? But can’t find any off from Montreal’s street? Cartel can fix that!
Kazu was in my list to try since 2 years ago. But I was hoping the hype would die down so I wouldn’t need to wait outside…well guess what? The hype never disappeared!
I waited for 45 minutes on a chilly winter evening. Remember to bring pleasant companion…or the wait will be painful.
What I like about Kazu is that the staff is very knowledgeable and everyone is 100% aware of what is happening. There is so much chemistry between every staff. All I could notice it’s how harmonious they are working together. Constant flow. And Kazu would always has a smile on his face. It’s quite endearing.
Because Mr. Butter didn’t warn me that we were going to Kazu, I couldn’t do research on the MUST ORDER dishes…so I wasn’t prepared and frankly a bit stressed because I didn’t want to “lag” the flow of the restaurant.
And, we ended up with good stuff! That goes to say, maybe there isn’t any bad dishes in Kazu!
Pork Cheek
The tortilla was warm. The pork cheek tastes like any kind of hummus spreading. It was good.
Yuzu tasted like a sweeter kind of normal lemonade. I enjoyed the drink very much. I especially like the yuzu pieces on the bottom of the drink. A must try!
Buta-Don – 48 hours pork bowl
I would think a marinated pork for 48 would taste heavy. But this isn’t true. I can’t quite tell apart from pork marinated overnight. Not a dish to try. Nothing special. It could be that I eat similar pork done like that at home already.
Soup
We weren’t aware that their ramen is only served during lunch time. Because of the long wait outside, all we wanted was a good bowl of hot ramen. But i guess a soup would fix it. This soup was good with all the vegetables. However, I wouldn’t say it was special. But it was good.
Tuna sashimi
Ok – there’s a funny story behind this dish. Quite embarrassing one. You see how there’s 2 spoons on the actual dish? Not only that, I was also offered a fork and a knife when they served me the dish. So I was quite confused the purpose of the metal spoon placed on the fish. Mr. Butter said the metal spoon was for the soya sauce. So I went ahead and used my knife and gently cut the tuna sashimi. And Kazu noticed my very special way to eat the tuna and took the leap and taught me that the spoon is to scrape the meat off the tuna bone. OOOOOOOOOOOH! I laughed embarrassingly. And he was so amused the rest of the night…
Anyway! Back to the dish review. This is quite an original way to eat tuna sashimi! Albeit there wasn’t a lot of meat in that bone, I enjoyed the unique presentation of the dish and experience to eat tuna sashimi.
Grilled chicken cartilage
If I remembered correctly, this is chicken cartilage. Or some other animal cartilage then! The sauce is delicious. I believe it’s teriyaki sauce, I may be wrong…or just another kind of Japanese barbecue sauce.
Home-made ice cream
I think this was the winner of the evening. The home-made ice cream is heavenly. So smooth. We had rum on the left and wasabi on the right. I really liked the rum! The flavor was especially tasty on the bottom. I can only imagine how this ice cream would be perfect for this summer.
Overall, I can definitely see the appeal of Kazu. But I still don’t understand why would this restaurant earned this much of a hype because there are many restaurants just as good as Kazu. Maybe it’s the people working there that won all our hearts. To say that Kazu is like a Izayaka in Japan, I have to strongly disagree. It’s a nice reproduction but definitely not the same. Should you try Kazu? Yes for the experience. As for the food goes, it’s good like many other places.
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