Brit & Chips

Brit & Chips

433 Rue Mcgill

Montreal QC, H2Y 2H1

http://www.britandchips.com

I have always been a fan of dinner parties, having friends over for food and wine, but the aftermath is always a dread. So I thought, why not just invite all these friends to a restaurant and save me the hassle of cleaning up afters. And I did - in the name of Gastronome+Al, a couple of us gathered at Brit & Chips in Old Montreal for a night of the good old Fish & Chips. Prior to the event I have not been to B&C, and I had no clue with regards to the size of the establishment and how many people it could fit. As you can imagine, having 17 hungry souls at the same time was a nightmare for the staff. However, everyone was busy catching up with each other, making new friends, and basically just enjoying the night. So the event turn out to be a success, and a nice start to many other Gastronome+Al Foodscapades to come..

Cod in Burgundy Lion Batter $11

Tandoori Popcorn Shrimps $6

Spicy Whitebait $4

Verdict

8/10

Fish & Chips were made to almost perfection. The Aussies and Brits who were present were all pleasantly delighted by the quality and freshness of the fish fritters. Prices are really reasonable for the portions that you get. Plus, no extra charges for tomato and tartar sauce! My only complain would be the size of the establishment - well the place got so crowded at one point that the waiter had to politely ask us to give up our seats, and it was a Thursday night! Perfect place if you want to do a take out and not having to wait for a seat. But overall, I was glad that I left the place with my cravings satisfied and not having to smell like fish and oil.

Le Cartet

Le Cartet

106 McGill Rue
Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5

This post should have been up since January, but I have been procrastinating since and I realised that it would not be of justice if I do not write a review on Le Cartet. So I decided to bring my beloved Ms A. out for brunch before she was bound for Africa, and to our disappointment breakfast (on a weekday) is being served till 11am, and I guess that us (melbournians) are just too used to having all-day brekkie available practically everywhere. Still, we decided to settle for lunch and Ms A. was glad that she was able to pick up some local produce for her families back home down under after her meal, and made me promise that I will head back to Le Cartet for brunch (which I haven't!)

Soy Latte - Le Cartet serves illy Coffee

Pea Soup

Pork sandwich with apples

Beef stew with assorted vegetables

Verdict

7/10

Lunch was overall good, and service staff were really friendly and helpful in explaining the daily specials. Ms A's pork sandwich in particular was simply delectable - the acidity from the apple complimented the pork perfectly, and the dish as a whole was really well balanced in terms of the combination of flavours. I am not exactly a fan of the coffee served at Le Cartet, it was good, but not fantastic. Overall, a really nice establishment and one that I would love to check out soon for brunch, as promised!

L'Avenue

L'Avenue

922 Ave Du Mont-Royal E
Montreal, QC H2J 1X2

Known to many as the most popular brunch spot on the Plateau, patrons to L'Avenue over the weekend would have to wait in line for at least a minimum of 20 minutes! This establishment in Montreal has an extensive brunch menu, packed with calorie-rich dishes - from the classic eggs benedict to a three egg omelette. I just had to find out for myself why this restaurant has been able to make people come back for more.

Quirky interiors with huge mirrors

absolutely packed during the weekend!

Soy latte in a bowl

French Toast with ham, cheddar, poached eggs, with hollandaise sauce and maple syrup drizzled all over!

Fruit kebab that comes with most meals

L'Avenue's famous potatoes!

Verdict

8/10

Portions are huge, and meals are reasonably priced. I find good value dining at L'Avenue for brunch if you are famished in the morning/afternoon and need something that could put you back to sleep. My only complaint would be the loud music that is being played in the restaurant - its almost like you have to compete with the sound level in the restaurant in order to have a conversation with someone. Other than that, definitely a 'must-try' brunch spot in Montreal if you have spare time to wait for an available spot.

La Maison Bulgogi

La Maison Bulgogi

2127 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest

(Corner Rue Chomedey)

My love affair with Korean food started when I was a teenager --- I was hooked onto Korean drama series (yes, the melodramatic ones especially), and the food being featured in those shows were just mouthwatering. Studying in Melbourne for the past three years kind of spoilt me in a way, for there were so many awesome Korean restaurants scattered across the city, and my cravings for a hearty beef bulgogi in the "cold" Melbourne winter was always satisfied. Then I got to Montreal, and guess what, it appears that Korean food is such a rarity here, and I have been apprehensive in trying out some of these places (due to the bad reviews), but I finally succumbed to my cravings, and man, I was (partially) satisfied during my trip down to La Maison Bulgogi.

Korean appetizers, usually complimentary with your meal at the restaurant

Korean kimchi, almost a staple in Korean cuisine and one of my favourite dishes

Ja Jyang Myun - Handmade noodles with minced pork, black bean sauce and cucumber batons

Jap Chae - Potato glass noodles with beef and assorted vegetables

Spicy Kimchi & Pork Stew

Dolsul Bimbibap - Rice in hot stone bowl with assorted vegetables, beef and egg

Verdict

6.5/10

This meal definitely satisfied my craving for Korean food ever since I got to Montreal. The best dish of the meal would have to be the Bimbibap. The chilli sauce paste that one is suppose to mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients just brings the entire dish together as a whole. The Jap Chae was most disappointing, as the glass noodles were stuck together and clumpy. What really surprised me most was the fact that all of the service staff, even the chef included, were communicating in Chinese Mandarin, and outside the restaurant were articles on how the owner of the restaurant (a Korean herself), claimed that the restaurant serves authentic Korean food. Well I guess at the end of the day as long as it tastes similar to the real deal, it doesn't really matter does it? Overall OK food, will probably good back when I have my sudden craving for Korean food again.