The Chemist's Profile
New Bostonian's wish list
By sweet Pho I mean that some places seem to add a large amount of sugar to the broth, resulting in a sweet flavor that seems to increase you get towards the bottom of the bowl. For me, this really ruins Pho.
New Bostonian's wish list
Totally. I was just hoping for some quick suggestions on a multitude of topics. As for the sushi, let's not say perfect then... let's just say good for the price =D As is, I want to spend $25 on a few rolls and a few nigiri of above average quality for the city.
signs of Spring? sorrel? ramps? fresh green almonds? chervil? mache? morels?
Morels are usually in late April or early May after a heavy rain IIRC.
First Soft Shell Crabs Sighting
Thanks to both of you. I know what I am having for dinner.
First Soft Shell Crabs Sighting
What's a good way to cook these? I am guessing battered and deep fried but is there a more home kitchen friendly approach?
New Bostonian's wish list
Hey Boston hounds,
I just moved here from Montreal and I need some help to quickly find substitutes for my favorites. I appreciate all of your help!
Some caveats: I am centered in Cambridge but will travel within maybe an hour biking distance for food. I'm not rich and am not interested in super fancy food (which I prefer to tackle in my own kitchen). What I really want are things which are generally better for the price in restaurants. Without further ado:
1) Decent inexpensive Sushi. Firstly, IS there good sushi in this city? This is one area that Montreal sorely lacks in, so I would be glad to find the opposite here. I prefer simple and classic sushi. Perfect fish, perfect rice. I am not interested in super dragon kraken rolls which are deep friend and topped with foie.
2) Indian Thali. Should be cheap and large, preferably with butter chicken.
3) Burger. Nothing fancy here. Just an awesome burger. I hear there is a place across from Harvard which makes a good one. Lemme know.
4) Szechuan. It should be authentic and covered in those little red chilies. No general Tao, thanks! =D
5) Pho. Generally, I like to avoid very sweet pho.
6) Mexican. Tacos, pastor, etc.
7) Banh Mi.
Any and all suggestions are most appreciated!
Thanks!
Hungarian food in Montreal? Or other central European
That's odd. I go to both often and always prefer just about everything at Euro Deli. Perhaps it was an off day?
Brit and Chips
Despite being on an island, we are pretty inland. In many cases, fish which has been flash frozen on the boat and maintained at a decent temperature is far superior to supposed 'fresh' fish. Can't really hold this against them. If the fish is dry, this is probably due to preparation.
Afrodiziac restaurant
I have wanted to try this place for a LONG time. Do let us know.
Is there good Japanese in Montreal to compare with New York? Juni has good fish, but the Omikase is questionable
There is a great new Ramen place int he Faubourg. You can find it by the sound of the chef whacking the table with the dough.
Anything Open today? (Mon, Jan. 2)
I've been asked to find a place for food today. Can't be picky as most things are closed. Any suggestions for somewhere in the downtown or surrounding burrows which is certainly open tonight?
Indian for tonight?
Don't eat at Le Taj, ever. Anywhere on Jean Talon O. is preferable. I like Moti Mahal, although it's uneven.
Hungarian food in Montreal? Or other central European
Euro Deli Battory is the best polish food that we have found in Montreal. They also sell groceries and videos.
Hungarian food in Montreal? Or other central European
I just wish it were busier. Maybe not the best location for them. Have you tried Euro Deli Battory up on St. V?
Kombucha
I want to revive this post and see if anyone has any new info. I want to begin making Kombucha along with making beer (which is so much fun). So yeah, same question as the OP, just 3-4 years later.
I know that Crudessence still makes and sells it but it's close to $4 a bottle (400 mL or so) which is a bit ridiculous. Also, they claim that their Kombucha contains no chemicals, which makes their product the worlds most expensive vacuum.
If anyone has a baby they can donate me, that would also be great!
Thanks!
New Yorker seeks BEST EATS in Montreal for friend's birthday
The attitude that many people have towards food seems to me to be very French. Long lunches on terraces and all that. Or maybe that's just the way that I live.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
Good idea. Will do this next time. Although the sushi and service this time didn't really inspire return visits.
New Yorker seeks BEST EATS in Montreal for friend's birthday
Standard disclaimer: If you want to get the most out of this trip, try to maximize on the things that are done best in this city: Typically, that's nothing asian and nothing that's too fancy or too pricey. Where Montreal excels is in small, neighborhood bistros and lately in the restos following the lead of (and sometimes surpassing) APdC.
For poutine, I would recommend Patati Patata a million times over La Banquise, which is the standard suggestion. It's not much more than a lunch counter but this is, in my opinion, the quintessential Montreal eatery and really captures the feel of the city.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
We were charged by item off the a la carte menu which is, in no way, what an Omakase is supposed to be. The only differance to the a la carte menu was that we were charged full price for the 3 half rolls. So yeah, even price wise, we would have been better off just ordering way too little of the most boring items (I suppose that we could have argued this point and had them reduce the bill but by this point, hungry and annoyed, we just decided to cut our losses). Again, not what an Omakase is supposed to be. At first, we just assumed that this was an 'appetizer' portion before the neat things came and were shocked to find that, nope, that's all that we are getting. We confirmed that they understood our order (they had).
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
Sometimes when you order Omakase, they ask you if there is anything specific that you like or don't like. The waiter didn't inquire and I like to make sure that I get a bit of uni whenever I go to Jun i, so I inquired if it was available. Other than that, I let them handle it. Mistake.
It wasn't just that the choices that were made for us were obviously silly, it was also the amount we received. Basically, we got what an amount which a single average diner would order, after more than an hour of waiting and watching both sushi and cooked items leave the kitchen to tables which arrive 30 minutes after us.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
Yes, you are putting yourself in their hands when you order Omakase. It varies from place to place what you would get. Generally, it's supposed to be the chef's discretion. Sometimes, it's like a degustation menu sampling things from both the kitchen and raw bar. Sometimes it's what the chef thinks is particularly good at that time. This was different. Literally just a few standard rolls (half rolls actually, although we were charged for full rolls) and a few other standards. Cucumber roll? Is this what the chef thinks best exemplifies his skill?
Thought that I would add this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omakase
Notice the part about being surprised. Well, we were certainly surprised.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
We didn't expect to choose anything. I know what Omakase is. However, we expected more than a tiny amount of most basic items after a prolonged wait, especially based off of how previous people disturbed their omakase experience at Jun i.
I don't claim that their sushi is always average. I know that it can be quite good. Last night though, from rolls to nigiri, they were performing significantly lower than what you would expect at Furusato, for example.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
Yes. They told us to order more Sushi. After waiting an hour for the first order, this offer was not taken very seriously.
I should specify, for 3 people, we received: 3 half rolls (charged for full rolls), 4 pieces of nigiri, and 6 pieces of sashimi.
We went out for pizza instead of waiting another hour.
Do NOT order omakase at Jun i
Just came back from Jun i. I hate giving a negative recommendation about anything but I want to spare people the same experience that my group had tonight. The three of us wanted to celebrate and decided to hit up Jun i for omakase, something that we had heard was well worth it. We've each been to Jun i before and found it pricey but well worth it.
After being informed that our first two choices of seafood were not available (I always order uni or surf clam) and then waiting more than an hour (and seeing many many plates go out to tables that had arrived WELL after us), our first and ONLY course arrives. Basically, we got an order of assorted sushi. There were 3 rolls, 4 nigiri, and 6 pieces of sashimi. This was the sum total for the 3 of us. Nothing special either, more or less the first items on the menu. One of the maki was a cucumber roll, for example. This privilege wasn't inexpensive or even divisible by 3, for that matter. I found this odd particularly as the main chef was working tonight.
The sushi we received was okay but not much better than average for Montreal. The best part of the meal was the beer which the server claimed was brewed specially from DDC.
Anywho, just a heads up. If you go to Jun i, order for yourself and don't go the Omakase route.
Favorite meals to eat at the jean talon and atwater markets?
Step out of Jean-Talon and hit up Hung Phat for the best Vietnamese sub in the city.
Tall order - 18 for lunch around McGill
That is a great suggestion. I will propose this to the group. Thanks!
