restaurant review

Mei Restaurant: Their soup dumplings are…

Mei Restaurant: Their soup dumplings are…

Mei restaurant garnered a good reputation on their soup dumplings and as well  as being one of the most authentic place in Montreal to serve Chinese street food / tapas. I never had these kinds of street food in China so it is difficult for me to compare its authenticity, but I was indeed curious to try!

 

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Braised soya beef

It was exactly how the menu suggested it. Simply braised soya beef. Nothing more. We walk away from mediocrity.

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Chinese crispy crepe

This was one of the most looking forward dish and became the most disappointing one of the night. It was flavourless. Although the texture was well conceived, it couldn’t make up for lack of taste.

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Homemade noodles

It was all bad news until this warm noodle was brought to our table. The sloppiness of the noodles was intended. So expect it. The firm yet elastic characteristic of the noodles made it a winner. A must order!

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Pork and cabbage soup dumplings (or simply xiao long bao)

The form of the dumplings were not perfect. But that’s me being picky. The dough was a bit thicker than the average ones, but it didn’t bother me at all as it increased the elasticity of the dumpling wrapper. The content was good as well, but it could have been more juicy. But it was still lacking if I had to compare to Toronto’s standards. This has to do it as it is better options in the Montreal market so far.

Mei restaurant has its charm, but if service is what you highly demand, this may not be the place. I definitely would come back when ever my soup dumpling craving is tingling.

Mei Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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Tiffany’s: Posh ambiance for a simple breakfast

Tiffany’s: Posh ambiance for a simple breakfast

What I always noticed driving on Decarie was this luxurious furniture shop that I don’t think I can afford anything anytime soon. Who knew beside it was a posh family restaurant, Tiffany’s.

Describing it posh might be overdoing it. But that was exactly how I felt when I set foot inside the restaurant. I sensed the clientele was all from upper middle class. Hard wood, granite like texture tables, strong deep red. With all these elements combined, how could I not interpret it as posh!

But not to be mistaken, the menu is reasonable although not the most affordable.

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Decarie Special

Served with corned beef, 2 eggs, and potato latkas. The corned beef was delicious, just as good as Breakfast’s club. The potato latkas was crispy but not enough for me to get addicted.

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Healthy barries

And of course, I had to order a waffle based breakfast. This was especially healthy, blueberries, almond, honey and yogurt! The waffle was good, but I wouldn’t say it was up to my taste. It was like a cross of pancake and waffle. The batter was so fluffy for a waffle. Yet, the lightly crisp shell and grid pattern forming deep pockets disguised it as a waffle. I liked it but was not fond of it.

Tiffany’s breakfast is not my top picks. But, if I want a satisfactory breakfast and I am around Decarie, I would think of Tiffany’s. Not to mention, their fries are amazing!

Tiffanys on Urbanspoon

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Restaurante y Pupuserias Dona Maria: Much enjoyed pupusas

My first pupusas were at Los Planes; they were something new to my foodepedia, interesting but I was hoping it could be more. Dona Maria was able to deliver just that.

I ordered 2, one with cheese and the other with pork.

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Look at the yummy cheese. I really find pupusas are perfect late night snacks. Guilty high caloric food. So good.

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It just becomes that much better when paired with fermented cabbage and their stinging hot sauce. I let the tomato sauce aside as those 2 ingredients were more than enough to make the pupusas so delicious.

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I also tried their enchiladas ( crossing finger I got the right name, but I think it is right). You would think they are pasta! Nope! It is exactly what you see. If I can describe it, it’s like a twisted version of guacamole meets breakfast and nacho-ish. It was surprisingly tasty. But, I quickly grew tired of its taste. I wouldn’t say it applied to everyone though.

I’m so glad my friends stumbled on this Latin American eatery. I’m fond of pupusas!

 

Restaurante y Pupusería Doña María on Urbanspoon

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Fusion Asiatique Sante: Spicy and tasty red curry coconut milk vermicelli soup

I recently got introduced to this precious eatery just beside Cote Vertu Metro. Its interior doesn’t catch much attention, which is exactly why I have to talk about it!

Fusion Asiatique Sante specializes vietnamese noodle soups. Apparently, it advertises itself as MSG free. It might be true from my experience…

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I had Beef Special pho, which is basically a bit of everything. The soup base wasn’t rich in flavor, a bit too light for my liking, which is why I believe that the MSG free statement is true.

This wasn’t remarkable, but the next soup is exactly why I am so excited to share.
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This is a red curry coconut milk vermicelli soup. It was so rich and so spicy. It isn’t for those can only take spicy food lightly. The soup base was everything that made it so perfect. I cannot wait to come back and have this instead!

 

Metro down? Cold? Stuck in a storm? No problem, Fusion Asiatique Sante can warm you up!

 

Fusion Asiatique Sante on Urbanspoon

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Main Deli Steak House: Yummy deli!

Main Deli Steak House: Yummy deli!

A bit more than year ago, I had my first fresh Schwartz’s deli…and if you ask me what I thought of it, I can’t recall much. It says much, right?

This comes to the difference in Main Deli Steak House, which is just a few meters away on the opposite side of the street. I had it last week, and I still remember how much I liked the smoked meat sandwich. It could be because it is still fresh in my mind since it’s only a week ago and not a whopping 1.5 year ago…My point is, Main could be just as good as Schwartz, but somehow left out by the crowd.

I felt very nostalgic once I sat down. The ambiance strongly felt like restaurants back in the ends, where I was only a few years old kid…Nothing fancy. Nothing like nowadays where it’s either industrial, vintage, glamour or modern themed.

 

Before I jump right into the deli, I ordered the curious “latkas”, wondering what it could be.

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This is my first ever consumed latkas. My impression was a thicker version of a hashbrown. I quite like it. It wasn’t delicious, but very addictive. Although it was burnt on the sides, it still tasted good and crunchy. I could see the oil, but my throat and tongue were not affected at all!

And could you see the side dishes? It was crazy how many things came with the the ribs! Fries, sausage and liver! Except for the fries, the sausage was a plain hot dog sausage and the liver is not my kind of food. I liked the fries as they weren’t sandy.

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The star! This deli was simply good. The meat had interesting texture that Schwartz did not have. It was tender and very nicely smoked. Perfect for the days I feel like a carnivore. In some parts, there were too many black peppers, but that I could forgive as the meat itself was nice enough to justify its flaw.

The salad was good as well. It was sour enough to boost my appetite!

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Here comes the big disappointment, not mine since I ordered the deli… These ribs were almost awful. It was tender,but the sauce was horrible. It was thick and too much was poured onto the ribs. It has a sweet taste and something more that I can’t describe. It was just a strange taste… It was very difficult to swallow the ribs…The sauce was just too overwhelming.

If you passed by Schwartz, give Main a go instead! The smoke meat sandwich is delicious and it’s only about 5$!

 

Main Deli Steak House on Urbanspoon

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