Food Review: Au Pain D'oré (Montreal)

This is one of my favorite things about the french: boulangeries.  Their multitude of buttery pastries are so inviting and so sweet. My all-time favorite (classic) are croissants. 

 Just north of Rue Ste. Catherine on Rue Peel is this bakery called Au Pain Doré.   

My trip into Ste. Catherine led me to this very inviting shop. The retail stores hadn't opened yet and so I opted to indulge my stomach with a sweet breakfast.  I walked in and was immediately overcome by the bakeries sweet aroma.  One of the staff gave me a smile and asked what I would like. I looked around and the choices were endless. Like always, I looked towards the palmiers and croissants. However seeing my indecisive visage, one of the staff starting suggesting some options.  My eyes fell upon these adorable tartlettes made of maple. Having never seen or heard of these tartlette érable, I decided to change it up and try something more Quebécois.

Seeing that I ordered something that could possibly be very sweet, I added a cappuccino to help balance the sweetness.  I paid at the cashier and they packed my tartlette in a paper bag and then told me to go upstairs to get my cappuccino.  Upstairs was the café area.

My first bite in the tartlette érable was a very pleasant surprise. The maple was not overwhelmingly sweet but a perfect amount of sweet and buttery texture. I loved everything from the crust to the filling. The cappuccino was another thing. It was extremely bitter. The roast tasted as though it was burnt and after forcing myself to drink a few sips, I had to stop. I tried pairing it with my tartlette to use that sweetness with the capuccino but to no avail. =0( All in all, it was probably the worst capuccino I've had.

Rating it 2.2/5 stars 

This is a great place for casual and/or business meetings and/or coffee dates.

Poutine Review: La Banquise (Montreal)

When you're in Montreal, you cannot miss having at least ONE meal/snack to grab a poutine. But, where to go? Are they all the same? Which one is the best?

I have yet to try enough to make that decision, so let's just see how this place goes out. First off, this place is fairly large. Big interior and they have a patio section during the warmer days. They are open 24 hours and 7 days a week. 

I've tried a total of two poutines in the last year. The first one was the 3 amigos ($8, reg size). This poutine contains three different types of meats.  The second was called Elvis ($11.50, large size). This one had ground beef, mushrooms and green peppers.

Both were very delicious. The 3 amigos was good after a night out with the girls. It was filling. The Elvis was great for sharing. The Elvis tasted very hearty and did not have that greasy feeling. The gravy was thick and not too salty. Overall, yummy poutines.

The large Elvis was more than enough for 2. We almost didn't finish, but then caught a second wind and polished Mr. Elvis off. 

Love this place; ;love the selection, love the hours and if you are a poutine lover, this is the place to be because they have a large menu to choose from. They also offer other foods, alcohol and a dessert menu.

Who is this good for? Hanging out with friends, a casual date. It's not fancy but a place to chill out.

Rating it 3/5 stars

Dessert Review: Juliette et Chocolat (Montreal)

A Girl and her chocolate, Juliette et Chocolat on Rue Saint Laurent.

After a day in Mont-Royal, walking through Prince Arthur Street led us straight to a very lovely place that delighted in its main pleasure, chocolate. 

The place was already half packed and it was around 4:30pm on a Thursday. Good sign. After much walking, this was the perfect place to sit down, recharge our gadgets and enjoy some creamy chocolate treats. Our waiter was very busy and we received a mediocre service, but when he waited on us, he was a delight. The menu was so big, we could not decide. However, our waiter told us that they have some of the desserts on display. We hurried to see all the goodies. At the end, I ordered the Hazelnut Praline Petit Pot ($4.25) and my friend ordered the Cranberry Pistachio Brownie ($4.50). 

My petit pot was divine. It was light, fluffy and oh so creamy. I wanted to savour it for as long as I can, but after my first bite I couldn't stop. The accompaniment of the hazelnut only enhanced the whole experience.

I had a bite of my friends' brownie and it wasn't bad. I never would have thought to add cranberries to a brownie, but it was good. The brownies' texture was very dense, but the taste itself was good.

Now, I just wish we had a restaurant just like Juliette et Chocolat in Toronto. Also,  they have an extensive food menu as well.

Rating it 3/5 stars

Dinner Review: Oyster Shack (Montreal)

Tucked between Rue Ste. Catherine and Boulevard Réne-Lésvesque on Bishop Street was this little shack, that is Oyster Shack.

This low-lit nautical style restaurant gives off the impression that you are at sea and on a date.  The staff appeared to be very laid back while keeping up a smiley image and giving good customer service.  

After not much debate, my friend and I decided on a bowl of clam chowder ($8), Cajun shrimp Cesar salad ($11.99) and a crab cake ($9.99).

While the service was good, the food became a bad attack. The only dish that felt right in my mouth was the creamy clam chowder.  The Cajun shrimp Cesar salad was half and half.  The Cajun shrimp was well seasoned but the Cesar salad was soggy and lifeless. And lastly, the crab cake. Oh how I was looking forward to munching down on the very popular crab cakes that my mom always dreams about. To my surprise, the texture was nothing I had ever tasted in a crab cake. The cake itself was big (mind you there was only one piece) but there was no density.

To me, the cake was a flop, literally. If this is the style of the Quebecois, then nothing more can be said. Cutting into the cake, the texture was soft and mushy. When I bite into it, the meat tasted not completely cooked and with very liquid sauce. The side salsa did not help to enhance the crab cake but instead created more mush.  It goes without saying, we could not finish this particular dish.

Rating it 1.5/5 stars 

Coffee Review: Les Cafés Équitasse

Continuing on our trek through Old Montreal, we stopped by Les Cafés Équitasse to recharge with an espresso-based drink.

Looking like any ordinary cafe, we walked to find the mass space this cafe entertained. There were two floors. 

Jumping right into the customer service, I must say it was pretty bad. Although it was a slow day (afternoon on a weekday), the staff actually mentioned to us that she would rather us not sit upstairs. Did I hear that right? So, she asked us not to sit upstairs, but why? Well, it seemed like she did not want to go upstairs or else she would have to do her job and go upstairs to clean up the tables. Out of curiosity, I checked the upstairs and I found one patron and few messy tables.

Onto the coffee. I ordered a white chocolate latte. Not being as good as what I had in Toronto, I would say it still passed, but barely. 

Overall, my experience here was so-so. 

Rating 1.7/5 stars.

Food Review: Le Gros Jambon Diner

Nestled inside the streets of Old Montreal on rue Notre-Dame, this quaint diner called Le Gros Jambon was our perfect oasis after trekking all over town to find the 'right' place for lunch.

It was close to 2:30pm, when we arrived, so the place was empty.

Although the seats were empty, the staff was another thing. The manager named Shawn greeted us with a bright smile and told us to sit anywhere. Once we glossed through the very unique decorum, we were told that under the table each bar stool had it's own hook. What an interesting idea! With my handbag and shopping bags in hand, I hooked them there and freed my hands with relief. Not only did we feel much at home (letting down our bags) but they also had a coat rack in the back by the washrooms. So far, my impression of this place was good.

My friend and I were beyond starving and everything looked good. They had everything from sandwiches and burgers to Mac n Cheese, Hot Dogs and Grilled Cheese. Before we could make a decision, Shawn came over to have a little chat with us. He was very pleasant and let us in on the food and the origin of the place. The top 2 must-eats were their Captain Crunch Monte Cristo Sandwich and the Coca Cola Burger. He told us with much passion of its exquisite homemade ingredients will fit our tastebuds.

The burger was sensational. Wow! Double Wow! Triple Wow!  My first bite in most burgers are usually great (cause I love burgers), however every bite dented into this coca cola burger was absolutely divine. This was the first time I ever had a burger that had a butter-like cream sauce for taste with just hint of sweetness that came from the coca cola. The secret was their homemade mayo. There was also an element of crunch that came from their thinly slice and deep-fried pickles. The bun was light and not too dense and homemade.  I think I fell in love! This is my kind of burger.

The second must-have item is the Captain Crunch Monte Cristo sandwich. It's called Captain Crunch because they use it to batter and deep fry their homemade bread.  Between the bread were slices of cured lamb ham. The meat was very tender. To top it off, they had sweet tasting beans. In one bite, you need to to put everything in your mouth to really get the full experience of the sandwich. In all honesty, I didn't think it would be that good, but once it hit my tongue and down my throat, my taste buds were jumping up and down with excitement. That was one good sandwich. My only pet peeve was it's size. Being wandering-ly hungry, the Monte Cristo made have only filled half our stomachs. But the taste definitely made up for it.

But this was not the end of our experience at Le Gros Jambon. Oh no! Shawn enticed us with one of their homemade white chocolate chip cookies from their desserts' table in the front of the store.

The cookie was big and big! I wouldn't say that it was the best I ever had, but it tasted good. 

We got to chat a little more with the restaurant manager and he seemed like a really fun guy and boss. Their service was good and some more. I thoroughly enjoyed the way he showed his love and dedication to his work. 

The unexpected and much appreciated trip to Le Gros Jambon was just as much delight to our trip to Montreal and for our stomachs. 

Rating it 5/5