Tag: food war

Warming up the semester with Kafein’s hot chocolate

Original home-style cocoa is the only way to go

Marta Barnes
Staff writer

Sure, we’re having a warm spell now, but on these damp and drafty January days, what’s better than curling up with some cocoa? And, more importantly, where’s the best place for a cozy mug or two?
In terms of proximity, Kafein is hard to beat. A mere stone’s throw from the Sir George Williams campus, this favourite student sanctuary is right across from the library building.
Kafein is of course known to Concordians as a place to jack-up on caffeine between classes, but the hot chocolate is worth more than some consideration. It may not come in the gourmet range of flavours offered at other cafés, but its modest choice between hazelnut, caramel and good, old-fashioned is plenty.
After ordering, there’s time to admire the décor. Upstairs is a spread of café tables and chairs, excellent for anything between a quick chat with friends or a study session. The basement is set up as a lounge surrounded by red walls and crushed velvet chairs, creating a more relaxed and intimate place to laze and enjoy the DJ’s house music mix.
The hot chocolate itself is served in a fat glass with cocoa powdered on top. It’s not so much hot as it is warm, and it has a vaguely granular texture, but it sure tastes homemade. The caramel-flavoured hot chocolate sounds promising, but is in fact disappointing and does not taste like what you would expect. The hazelnut is indeed quite nutty. Surprisingly the best is the regular cocoa, which unlike the others, seems to be made with a dark chocolate base. Its thick, soul-warming richness puts it a cut above the rest. For the fair price of $3.75 per glass, there’s no excuse not to go. Winter’s never been more bearable.

Rating: B

Kafein is located on 1429 Bishop St.

 

This sweet pick-me-up in the winter is all we need
Au Festin de Babette does simplicity right

Caroline Crawford
Contributor

School has officially begun. We’re all in need of a little mood lifter to get us through the day; a pick-me-up to help us battle through.
One of Montreal’s hot spots to fill your need for a sinfully delicious drink is Au Festin de Babette, a quaint, French country-style café. From the moment you enter, the aroma of chocolate fills your lungs and warms your heart. Blackboard menus and French posters, such as vintage chocolate advertisements, decorate the room, giving it a cozy charm.
Considering they specialize in chocolate, I had no choice but to try at least one of their assorted hot chocolates. After some reflection, I concluded that Le Babette and Le Dalmatien are two of the best hot chocolates I have had. You know a hot chocolate is good when your eyes go wide and your only response is your head nodding as your lips leave the rim of the mug.
Le Dalmatien brings you that very reaction. Made of white chocolate and 55 per cent Belgian chocolate, it was a purely decadent, smooth, velvety drink, which resembled a melted Lindt chocolate bar; a taste that left me with a smile.
Le Babette is a rich combination of 55 per cent Belgian chocolate, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. The mix of flavours burst onto your palette, allowing you to taste and enjoy every single spice.
The presentation was simple. There was no whipped cream, just dollops of frothed milk on le Babette, allowing you to indulge in their specialty — chocolate. In my opinion, simplicity is best.
Prices range from $8.50 to $12 for food and $4 to $7 for drinks. A little pricy for the hot chocolate, but the quality is unbeatable.

Rating: A-

Au Festin de Babette is located on 4085 St-Denis St.

 

Forget Romeo, Juliette’s true love is chocolate

This Montreal chain promises quality…and they deliver

Caroline Crawford
Contributor

With four different locations, Juliette et Chocolat is one staple in Montreal that people will recommend when you need that chocolate fix. The feel of each location is fast paced and busy.  As you walk in, you hear the buzz of conversations, see the assortments of desserts and chocolates, and most importantly, smell the chocolate. It’s a distinct smell that is hard to ignore and easy to like.
Although a little expensive, with prices ranging from $4.95 to $14.95 for food and $3.50 to $7.95 for drinks, there is no denying the excellent quality.
They have a variety of chocolate drinks, making it very difficult to decide on just one. Although overwhelmed, I finally chose the “Grandma’s style hot chocolate” with dark semi-sweet chocolate, described as “for real chocoholics, extra thick and chocolaty.”
They were not exaggerating. Not knowing what to expect, I was served a small bowl accompanied by a small pourer that would normally be filled with milk. Lucky for me, it was filled with chocolate.
I poured it in my bowl, took a sip and shocked my taste buds. It was pure chocolate; an incredibly thick and indulgent drink that should be had alone and with caution.
The portion size given was a lot for drinking pure chocolate, resulting in leaving half of the pourer full. Although delicious, it definitely could have used more milk, which they do offer in the classic style hot chocolate and the Grandma’s style with extra milk.
Personally, despite the deliciousness and quality of food and chocolate, I find Juliette et Chocolat a little pricey and overrated, but I will leave it up to you decide how much chocolate you can handle.

Rating: B+

Juliette et Chocolat is located on 1615 St-Denis St., 3600 St-Laurent St. and 377 Laurier Ave. W.

For obsessive Asian foodies like myself, pho is nothing short of a legendary classic. In Vietnam and all over Southeast Asia, this soup is

served day and night in bustling noodle houses right off the street. The enticing aroma of cinnamon, braised beef, and Asian basil floats in the air from several blocks away, irresistibly drawing you in for one of the most multi-dimensional comfort foods out there. It’s the balanced combination of textures, flavors and temperatures that truly make this soup a godly elixir. The broth is by far, the ultimate telltale sign of a good pho. Traditional Vietnamese folk swear by their mother’s broth, claiming their family recipe, often kept secret, is the best. The broth of pho takes a minimum of 24 hours to make and is generally done by boiling down beef bones, oxtail, charred ginger and onion, along with a myriad of spices including star anise, coriander seed, cinnamon, clove, and black cardamom. This week, two Montreal pho houses go to war.  May the best bowl win.

 

Round 1: Pho Tây Hô

My first round of pho tasting was at Pho Tây Hô. I decided to bring a friend along, who is also an Asian food aficionado that certainly knows her pho. As we approached the restaurant, we instantly could smell that signature smell of Vietnamese goodness. We each ordered a full pho of rare beef, well done flank, tripe and tendons. Within minutes, our bowls arrived along with the side plate of bean sprouts, lime wedges, and Asian basil. Unfortunately, just by looking at our bowls, we knew that we were going to be disappointed. First, the beef resting atop our bowls was not pinkish, but fully cooked. The beef is supposed to be rare, so that with a flip of chopsticks, the meat cooks in the steaming soup. Also, the broth was missing that signature glossy golden layer of fat with visible bubbles. Regardless, we dug in. Right away we looked at each other and knew that the broth had been cut with stock, a big no-no! It was opaque, lacking fragrance, and had an unusual greenish tinge to it. Perhaps passable for the average Joe, but not for us pho-enthusiasts. The noodles were obviously store-bought and lacked the silkiness of homemade ones, but sadly that is to be expected since few places make their own noodles nowadays. Glancing around at other pho diners, we noticed that every bowl was different. The color of the broth and cook of the meats greatly varied from bowl to bowl, a trait of unfortunate inconsistency. Perhaps if we had gotten another serving it would have been better, but who knows. Pho Tây Hô had friendly service, good green tea and was overall a good experience, but loses serious points for their pho skills.

 

Grade: B-

 

Round 2: Pho Lien 

Next comes, Pho Lien. This small, yet incredibly busy restaurant has a loyal client base, Asian and Caucasian alike. Very often will they have lineups going all the way up the block. I hadn’t been in a while, so I invited a friend for a bowl on a chilly day. I ordered the usual pho with all the trimmings, and my friend chose the beef meatballs. Steaming bowls arrived at our table almost instantly, as did a grin on my face. Everything was right about this pho. Unlike the pho at Pho Tây Hô, this one had a distinct golden layer of fat bubbles; the broth was clear and smelled of star anise and braised beef. The meat was delicately resting atop a generous amount of coriander and scallions, and was very thinly sliced. To my delight, the beef was perfectly rare. The noodles were perfectly chewy and fresh, pairing excellently with the meats and the coriander, thus creating that textural experience that’s key to a good pho. Also, the tripe in this bowl was very nicely cooked, as were the tendons and fatty flank (melt in your mouth delicious). The soup was very fragrant and beefy, but to my taste, lacked depth and that hint of sweetness. However, all the flavours were there and ended up being a delight.

 

Grade: A

 

Winner:

Without a shadow of a doubt, Pho Lien takes the win. Pho Tây Hô is decent, but lacks the traditional rustic aspect that makes this dish so special. There are hundreds of Vietnamese places in Montreal, but an authentic, solid pho is hard to come by. The winner of this food war is definitely pho real.

 

Pho Tây Hô is located on 6414 St-Denis St.

Pho Lien is located on 5703 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.