montreal x resto la banquise

poutine with bacon & merguez

you can't go to canada without having poutine, right ? and so we went, during our last few hours in montreal. resto la banquise won out upon the recommendation of a brave soul who's tested poutine perhaps in all of canada, and declared this location the best. the restaurant itself is lovely -- we sat outside in the most charming patio. and oh, the poutine -- bacon, merguez, slightly melted cheese curds atop some pretty good fries. a great snack, yes. but a meal of choice, not necessarily so for me. we couldn't get past a few forkfuls, despite what some might deem a masterpiece. luckily, i can appreciate poutine in its other variations -- in fact, shopsin's has a killer version -- but perhaps it isn't the best meal to end with on a multi-day food marathon. rather, this is what you start off with.


resto la banquise, 994 rachel est, montreal, qc

montreal x au pied de cochon

cromesquis de foie gras


salade de bleu, pommes, endives


langue de bison à l'estragon


duck in a can

"it's like driving down hollywood boulevard naked, wearing a cowboy hat and holding a white castle hamburger in one hand, having sex with two hookers while listening to zz top. total trash. [and i love it.]" ANTHONY BOURDAIN

...something like that. it was excessive in so many ways -- the explosion of the liquid foie gras in your mouth, the presentation of the duck in a can, the many visits from our waiters, but still, it was an enjoyable experience. surprisingly, among all the delectable pork dishes, the dish i loved the most was utterly devoid of it. the salade de bleu, pommes, endives was perfectly fresh, alternating between the crisp of the endive, with the soft and even slightly sweet pungent taste of the bleu, the subtle tart of the pommes and the tang of the vinaigrette i remember making as a child living in france. i savored every bite i had and took half of it home. it was still just as good the next day, though i can't say the same for the duck in a can. some things, it turns out, are meant to be experienced at the restaurant, and the restaurant alone. :)

au pied de cochon, 536 avenue duluth est, montreal, qc

montreal x dragon beard candy

dragon beard candy

we passed by bonbons a la barbe de dragon and couldn't resist the idea of eating sweet dragon beard for 75 cents a pop. we'd bought two already prepared pieces to try our very first time, but upon devouring the sugary, peanuty confection wrapped in thin white wisps, we had to buy two more. the store owner seemed so pleased to see us again he offered to make us fresh ones. it was a wonderful sight to see -- nothing short of a tiny magic show just for us.





52 rue de la gauchetière ouest, montreal, qc

montreal x pho bang new york

pho tai gau sach

the chinatown in montreal has a number of pho restaurants next to one another (more than i can say for new york), so we looked for the busiest one. pho bang new york it was. the bowls here are large and noodles ample, though a bit on the thick and starchy side. the broth lacked the depth that one always hopes to find in pho, but i'm optimistic that canada houses an amazing bowl of pho somewhere. i'll just have to come back and keep looking. ;)

pho bang new york, 1001 st laurent, montreal, qc

montreal x rotisserie romados

1/4 cuisse

portuguese rotisserie chicken in canada ? sure. especially if it's golden-brown on the outside, and moist and succulent on the inside. romados serves theirs with a spicy kick, a pile of salt & pepper fries, and a tasty salad that makes you think it'll all be okay, cause you're eating your vegetables. there were no seats open sadly, so we made like another customer and ate standing up. with our hands.

rotisserie romados, 115 rue rachel est, montreal, qc

montreal x schwartz

medium smoked meat sandwich

oh my goodness. i have to say, i'm fond of katz back at home, but i am smitten with schwartz's medium smoked meat sandwich. moist, juicy, tender, melt-in-your mouth good. just the right portion to leave you wanting more which is probably why the sour pickles hit the spot just so. get the cherry cola and you've got yourself one of the best meals in montreal.

schwartz, 3895 st laurent, montreal, qc