A few years ago, when I first started to pay attention to the restaurant scene here in Montreal, fusion was the big ‘hip’ trend. The idea of merging multiple types of cuisine into something familiar and yet different. Over the past few years however, we have seen more and more a trend back towards restaurants with a clear essence – French, Italian, ‘Canadian’ but with a focus on fresh local ingredients to sustain that approach. In the end though, every cuisine is a fusion of many – that is the nature of how food evolves between countries and through new cultures immigrating into existing ones. That is what creates more particular fusions – blends of styles that one does not necessarily see as co-existing but do. Tiradito is an example of this.
Located on Bleury St below Rene Levesque, Tiradito is a blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine known as Nikkei. Turns out there is a huge Japanese population in Peru which has lead to this blend of using Japanese technique with péruvien ingredients. Chef Marcel Larrea first opened up this restaurant a few years ago to much acclaim – as much for its interesting cuisine as for its unique approach in terms of service. All seating is around a center bar and the service is done by the kitchen staff itself whose individual stations are located in view behind the bar. The service is slightly less personable as a result at times since when your ‘waiter’ ‘s station is busy, they don’t have time to really follow-up with you but otherwise, it is a cool approach as you see the kitchen prepping your food as you dine which I have always enjoyed to see.
Since this is a Peruvian restaurant, Pisco is a strong component to the cocktail menu. if you love a Pisco sour, you will be well served here. Outside of that, there have some fun options. I opted for the El Vato – White rum, chartreuse, pineapple, sesame, scotch and kaffir lime. Nice presentation and balance – the hint of sesame smokiness is a nice touch on top of the sweetness.
The menu is a mix of sharing-sized plates – vegetarian, meat and fish. We grabbed a few different options to try different parts of the menu. First up, the scallop à la chalaca served with red onions, red chilies, hondashi and ginger. Very bright and vibrant – acidity and sweetness to pair with the nice scallops.
Next up, we ordered the spicy calamari served with salsa criolla. The calamari were nice and plump. The batter was crisp and not too thick either so the natural flavour of the calamari came through. The spicy mayo and the onion salsa were nice compliments to add. Honestly one of the better fried calamari dishes I have had in a while.
The Papa Rellena – a ball of potato and beef deep fried and served with a sweet chili sauce – was a completely new discovery for me and one I enjoyed a lot. Nice crunch on the outside, good flavour in the filling and the sauce provided a nice bit of both heat and sweet to the dish.
The yucca fries were a hit as well – good crunch and tender interior. Very flavourful and a good compliment to the rest of the meal.
Lastly, I love duck so I had to try the duck anticucho – duck marinated in aji panka, cumin and roasted paprika and roasted on skewers. Sadly this was the dish that impressed the least. The duck itself was cooked nicely – very tender but compared to the rest of the dishes, this one lacked punch.
Tiradito was an experience we really enjoyed. The food was great – very flavourful and fresh – with a nice decor, fun vibe and good music all around. I can definitely see why the reviews have been so positive since its opening. I may not have known about Nikkei Cuisine prior to this experience but I definitely know I am a fan now.
Cheers!
Tiradito
1076 Bleury
514 866 6776
Ramblings from the Complex Mind of a 30 Something 
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