Archive | Resto Reviews RSS feed for this section

Restaurante Helena

12 Aug

Restaurante Helena is a Portuguese style place located in old Montreal that opened at the end of June. I was looking for a nice restaurant to go enjoy a nice meal with a friend prior to the fireworks in the old port, so we gave it a shot.

20120809-104333.jpg

20120809-104406.jpg

20120812-211106.jpg

The menu is a combination of tapas style plates or classic entrees and mains. We chose to stick to the tapas options. First up, we had the cod croquettes with a piri piri aioli. Simple but perfectly done. The croquettes had a good crisp to them without the fish in the middle being overdone. The aioli was a great compliment with just the right level of spice without overpowering the fish.

20120812-211925.jpg

Next up, clams with chorizo, corn and Sao Jorge cheese. A nice light dish where the extra elements didn’t take anyway from the key ingredient here, the clams.

20120812-212504.jpg

Following the clams, we got the tempura shrimp with bisque sauce following with the plat of grilled octopus, squid and chorizo. Both were very executed and delicious. The standouts of note here were the bisque sauce and the grilled squid.

20120812-212856.jpg

20120812-212930.jpg

All in all, the food was wonderful and perfectly in keeping with what you would want looking for a good Portuguese meal. As with most tapas plates, you always wish you could have more on the plat, but that comes with the territory. The wine options were relatively plentiful – with the caveat that II don’t know much about Portuguese wines. We asked our waiter for his opinion and the choices he made for us were wonderful. I will note here however that it actually took our waiter about 45 minutes to actually come take our orders after bringing us our wine. Because of our discussion at the table, we didn’t actually notice until about 30 minutes. Given we weren’t really in a hurry, this didn’t bother us in the least but I feel like I need to mention this anyway.

Helena was a pleasant discovery and given its proximity to old Montreal, another great option for people heading to the old port. Anyone looking for a good portuguese place would be wise to check it out.

Cheers!

Helena
438 McGill
514 878 1555

Restaurant Helena on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , ,

Lawrence

15 Jul

Following the successful brunch at the Sparrow, I went a couple of weeks later to its nearby neighbor, Lawrence. This restaurant is situated right on the corner of St-Laurent and Fairmount in the Mile End district of Montreal. It has a more minimalist and clean look compared to the Sparrow. It is a also a smaller locale so when it is busy (as it was on the Saturday morning I was there with a friend), the noise level gets a little high. Regardless, it has a great look and fits in nicely with the style of the neighborhood.

The menu falls into the more traditional trappings of brunch but with a strong British style. Tea and coffee is served in traditional china cups and the classic British breakfast is a staple of the menu. However, I chose to go a different way.

20120715-124854.jpg

That glorious sandwich you see before you is Lawrence’s take of a breakfast sandwich but frankly it is more like a breakfast burger. A perfectly cooked pork patty topped with an egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato and in between a wonderful breakfast roll, this was a delight to enjoy. In the background of the image, you can sort of make out what my friend had: French toast with strawberries, rhubarb and fresh whipped cream. Simple but perfectly done – the candied rhubarb in particular was to die for. There were no sides with either dish which was perfectly acceptable given the portion size of the french toast. As for the sandwich, a size would have been appreciated but that was my choice given what was coming next.

20120715-125358.jpg

I’ll admit it… I am a sucker for doughnuts. Especially when there are made fresh to order. I had been told that I needed to order these bad boys and boy did they not disappoint. Lawrence offers a choice of 3 fillings: chocolate, english cream and lemon. I ordered one of each and all 3 were superb. A nice crispy exterior with a warm soft interior… Clearly the cooks know what they are doing. This would be the must try item for everyone who gives Lawrence a try.

All in all, this was a wonderful brunch experience that I would highly recommend. A bit more traditional but perfectly executed from start to finish. So next time you feel like enjoying a nice weekend morning in the mild end and plateau areas of Montreal, gives this place a look. Don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Cheers!

Lawrence
5201 Saint-Laurent (corner Fairmount)
514 503 1070

Lawrence on Urbanspoon

Tags: , ,

The Sparrow

12 Jul

If there is one element of the Montreal food scene that I have truly ignored in my time living in the city, it is proper breakfast or brunch places. Based on my readings online, I have clearly been missing out on some fantastic options and as such, decided to remedy the situation. About a month or so ago, I started along this path by visiting The Sparrow on St-Laurent (near Maguire) in the Mild End district of the city with a friend.

20120712-223334.jpg

Now, under normal circumstances, The Sparrow is a British gastropub which I clearly need to visit during evenings hours. The place has a great look and feel. The music selection during our meal was an amazing eclectic mix of soul, old rock, jazz which I hummed along to throughout the meal. The service was also quite quick and efficient despite the crowded restaurant (We arrived at opening hence the empty picture above… It filled up rather quickly afterwards) If you check the hours at the door, you would have no idea that they even do breakfast/brunch on weekends… It’s not listed! However, they do amazingly creative and delicious fare.

20120712-224839.jpg

What you see before you is house smoked pork, eggs, apple sauce, house made tater-tots and the most legitimate biscuit I’ve ever had outside of the southern US. Add to that a side of chorizo sausage & a bourbon lemonade and you get a sense of the kind of food this pub serves up. My friend, on her end, ordered eggs benedict prepared superbly with asparagus and which used biscuits as a replacement for the English muffins. Across the board, the food was quite delicious.

If you’re looking for a fun and slightly different take of the typical breakfast/ brunch meal, The Sparrow is great choice to try. Note that they only take cash, so be prepared accordingly.

Cheers!

The Sparrow
5322 St-Laurent (near Maguire)
514 507 1642

The Sparrow on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , ,

Joe Beef

8 Jul

Let’s start my reviews with a bang.

For the event of my convocation last month, I was provided with the choice of any restaurant in Montreal to celebrate. I didn’t need to give it much thought – Joe Beef was the only choice for me.
For the uninitiated, Joe Beef is currently considered probably the center of the Montreal food scene and has been receiving universal praise from many famous chefs worldwide. The geniuses behind this restaurant are Frederic Morin and David McMillan – two well known chefs here in the city. They opened this gem in the Little Burgundy neighborhood of the city which is now an up and coming area but wasn’t at the time they first opened up. The restaurant has an amazingly cool but unpretentious vibe. We got lucky and had a reservation in the backyard surrounded by the garden where they grow their own vegetables and herbs. Nothing quite like seeing the cooks come pick items fresh to use in their dishes.

20120708-224246.jpg

20120708-224719.jpg

Now for the meal… Decadent doesn’t begin to describe it. Do not come here except a light meal. Everything is big, rich and meaty. The entree course provided us with fresh oysters from New Brunswick which were to die for. Nothing fancy but just perfect.

20120708-225116.jpg

The other element of the entree course was truly the star of the show. KFC has the double down sandwich so Joe Beef decided to crank it up a couple of notches and provides us with the Foie Gras Double Down. It is exactly what it sounds like and simply the greatest thing I have never eaten… 2 pieces of fried Foie Gras with house smoked bacon and aged cheddar in between. I cannot possibly convey the experience other than to say you MUST try this.. Just don’t tell your doctor afterwards.

20120708-225715.jpg

The next course brought me Lobster sausage in a clam bake. Very good but after the previous course, it just didn’t wow as much as I had hoped. Then again, I’m not sure how anything could really followed that double down. The one thing I forget to photograph was the side that came with this course – house fries tossed in garlic butter and Parmesan. That’s right…. Garlic butter. They were as amazing as you think they would be.

20120708-230222.jpg

The dessert course was their version of a baked potato – made of chocolate covered hard meringue, ice cream, mint and candied fruits. Very creative and quite good as well.

20120708-230605.jpg

All in all, this was an amazing culinary experience that I will never forget. It is a pricy meal but worth every penny. If anyone asks me what is THE experience to try when in Montreal, Joe Beef is it.

Cheers!

Joe Beef
2491 Notre Dame West
514 935 6504

Joe Beef on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , ,

Newer Entries →