Tag: food

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Student Life

Bringing the aroma back into your life

Press photo
Press photo

Step into Peter Bahlawanian’s spice and tea shop, Spice Station, in NDG and you will be instantly greeted by sunset-orange coloured walls and rows upon rows of jars. The atmosphere is both calming and welcoming, with Bahlawanian sitting perched on a stool at the back of the shop, ready to give tips or swap recipes with a customer.

“I opened this shop two years ago,” said Bahlawanian, indicating the spice jars. “I have four shops in total: two in Montreal and two in Los Angeles. We do everything here: custom-blends, tisanes, salts, peppers, powders, sugars, culinary herbs, you name it.”

For Bahlawanian, the art of his craft lies in the allure of the aromas. “I have a great nose, and in this business you need a great nose. I travel a lot, picking up spices that I like here and there. Today, I have about 65 vendors from all around the world.”

It all began with passion.

“Learning about spices was a hobby of mine, but one day I decided my career was too stressful and I wanted a more laid-back, zen profession,” said the owner.

Once he gave up his job as a film producer in Los Angeles, Bahlawanian returned to his hometown of Montreal and began exploring the world of spices and tea.

“I am Armenian and I grew up with my two grandmothers living in my house. One day one grandmother would cook, the other day the other would put on the kitchen apron,” said Bahlawanian. “As for tea, I have always drunk it. My father used to work for the tea company Red Rose, and I guess I just love tea. It is a natural passion of mine.”

Bahlawanian takes the food industry seriously.

“I have only three employees at this shop and I take the time to train them really well. My employees are foodies, people who like to investigate and try new recipes out.”

Among the most interesting spices, Bahlawanian sells Biryani powders, beet powders, Himalayan pink salt, sweet onion chili sugar, paella spices, lime fresco salt, spicy rum junk and an assortment of tisanes such as witches’ brew.

“We cater to all kinds of cooks here. We have specialty spices for the cooks who know what to do, but we also have custom-made blends for cooks who are unsure about marrying certain powders. For those kinds of cooks, for example, we have a blend called Pasta Basta. You simply add a few tablespoons of this to your sauce, made of say onions, garlic and tomatoes, and there you have it,” said Bahlawanian. “We also have harissa, a Moroccan-based blend which is perfect for rice and couscous dishes.”

When asked which shop fares best out of all four, Bahlawanian paused before replying: “I would say that Montreal is actually more competitive than Los Angeles. In Montreal, the foodie industry is way more advanced. With the exception of New York, the United States has only high-end restaurants and no real specialty spice shops. But things are slowly changing even in the United States. With the Internet and TV food shows on the rise, more and more people are trying out recipes at home.”

Although Bahlawanian experienced bad luck in his opening year, the business is now thriving.

“The next-door restaurant, called Lucille’s, had a fire only one month after I opened up the shop. The entire corner was shut off, and this drove customers away from the business. But then things picked up when the corner re-opened,” explained Bahlawanian.

When asked about his secret to success, Bahlawanian smiled. “I have a motto: no advertisement. That’s right. I believe in a grass-roots business, where I bring something unique to the community and word gets around. Back in Los Angeles, I got so much free press that I didn’t even need to worry about advertising: we were covered by the Food and Wine magazine, Oprah Magazine, the LA Magazine, The LA Times, The New Yorker, The Huffington Post, etc.,” listed Bahlawanian.

Bahlawanian enjoys the NDG environment as a working milieu. “I always knew I wanted to open up a shop on Monkland Avenue because it is a market street and because it is a strong community. I strongly value that: a community,” said Bahlawanian.

To discover more about the Spice Station visit 5610, Monkland Avenue in NDG.

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Student Life

Concordia addresses a myriad of sustainability issues

The organizers of Sustainability Concordia. Press photo.

According to external coordinator at Sustainable Concordia, Gabriela Polanco, our university is doing its part. Big time.

“We are dedicated at Concordia to push ourselves, to reduce food waste, and to raise awareness about food sustainability,” says Polanco. Having completed a BA in spanish literature combined with a minor in sustainability and diversity, Polanco is currently finishing her master’s degree at the University of Ottawa.

Since the University of Ottawa demonstrates a fair amount of skepticism about the people’s behaviour toward the planet, Polanco kept her foot in the door by joining Sustainable Concordia, which she describes as “full of energy.”

“Sustainable Concordia has been rather misunderstood by some people – is it a club or an organization? It’s both,” Polanco points out. “Although we are a student-driven organization, we have faculty members involved. We partner up with organizations like Food Coalition, Climate Justice, the John Molson Sustainability Group. We include as many voices as we can.” Although Sustainability Concordia was kick-started by students concerned about recycling (or, rather, the lack thereof), now the organization is open to all kinds of possibilities related to sustainability.

“Sustainability is so broad,” says Polanco. “We address a myriad of issues.”

The Montreal Community Security map, a project sparked by Sustainability Concordia, was brought forth in order to face the issue of clean eating and environmentalism.

“That is a very cool project,” Polanco explains. “We created a map of places nearby where students can go, places like farms, cafés or restaurants, where local and organic food is promoted. As such, we give power to people who feel that taking care of the environment is important. The map is currently at its preliminary stage but we are developing it. Students can also add places to the map,” she says.

On the organization’s agenda this year is changing the governmental structure at Concordia.

“Sustainability issues have been student-driven,” says Polanco. “That needs to change. We are discussing with the higher levels of administration so that they are also involved in the meetings we are having. We have three priorities this semester: coming up with a policy for the long-term, climate change, and food-related issues.”

Among all, Sustainable Concordia’s main focus is on food security and management.

“We want to reduce waste, make sure that we use plastic that is recyclable, and we are negotiating with Chartwells, which is a large food company that feeds our students.”

Polanco highlights that Chartwells needs to change its habits when it comes to food quality, proposing alternatives for students.

“Ultimately, we want to cooperate with Chartwells, but so far we have set up the Hive café above the library and we are promoting local food and when I say local food, I mean within walking distance.”

“No one is imposing a lifestyle here,” says Polanco. “We are simply encouraging students to go to city farms, go to workshops we give on growing plants and vegetables, that kind of thing. We set up a greenhouse which became a huge project, for instance.”

Polanco believes leading a responsible, food-sustainable lifestyle is not a radical step that will zap your wallet. “Eating local and organic food does not have to be expensive,” says Polanco, “We want to demystify that notion. It is not a radical change.”

With World Food Day quickly approaching on Oct. 16., the question remains: what will you be eating?

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Student Life

You are what you eat, and then some

The season of early morning commutes and late night studying is around the corner and once it gets started, personal health and well-being are pushed further down the list of priorities. How can we think about eating right when there are three essays and an oral presentation due before we make it to week two? Enter Concordia’s Health Services, here to make your life a tad easier when it comes to all things health-related.

“[Students] can come into health services where we have a lot of reliable, evidence-based information [to] find out more about what is healthy eating,” said Concordia Health Services health promotion specialist Gabriella Szabo. “That’s a great place to start.”

Instead of starting mid-semester or waiting until New Year’s to get healthy, make a pledge to start right now. Easier said than done, probably, but you might be surprised how easy it is to stay on track once you have the right amount of commitment.

“We don’t have to only want it, we have to want to want it,” said Szabo. “If the person wants to eat healthier, they need to build that commitment to that goal of eating healthier and it needs to be really important [to them].”

The Health Services website has tools and guides including booklets on living well, customizable plans and lists of food resources in Montreal. In addition to that, Szabo recommends taking a look at Canada’s Food Guide for more information. Throughout the year Concordia students can also participate in workshops discussing eating well, working out, stress management and other health-related topics.

To live a healthy lifestyle you won’t have to start stuffing your face with kale smoothies or start substituting an apple for a burger. There’s room for all kinds of food, including junk food,it all depends on portion control and balance.

“There’s no such thing as good food or bad food, there are just foods you should choose more of and some you should choose less of,” said Szabo.

Plant foods such as fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list of what we should choose most of. It just happens to be that these foods are easily portable for an on-the-go snack and are usually mess-free and perfect for class.

“If you already eat lots of fruits and vegetables then that’s great keep doing that and if you don’t, then one goal to set for yourself might be ‘I might introduce one new fruit or vegetable into my diet every week,’” said Szabo.

If you’re one to run out the door without bringing a lunch and find yourself exposed to the temptations of fast-food utopia, we’ve got you covered. Concordia has healthy eating options right on campus: the People’s Potato on the seventh floor of the Hall building, and the Loyola Luncheon which has free vegetarian lunches every day in the Hive. If you want to stock up on discount-priced fruits and veggies you can check out the Good Food Box.

We’ve all had to fight the desire to face-plant on our desk and take a nap, but if you avoid skipping meals this will help with alertness. However it’s about more than just food intake, there are several other factors that play a part in our performance in or outside of school.

“Getting enough sleep and enough physical activity regularly is so important because it gets the blood flowing and it gets the oxygen going to the brain which helps us stay awake,” said Szabo.

There’s no doubt it’s hard getting started, but with the right mindset to complete goals, nothing is unattainable.

“We need to build our commitment, make a plan and track it,” said Szabo. “So if we ever get off track we can get right back on.”

For more information about what is offered at Concordia’s Health Services, visit http://concordia.ca/students/health.html

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Student Life

A juicy body takes on a whole new meaning

Photo from Flickr.

We live in a world of trends, and besides fashion, dieting may be the biggest fad that people adopt. Celebrity diets always catch our attention and, this past year, one in particular has become controversial.

Photo from Flickr.

During the summer, my family and I tried the latest health trend, “juicing” which is a diet that restricts you to consuming only vegetable and fruit juices and water for anywhere between a few days to a few weeks.

Now, before I continue, I must say juicing is expensive and involves a certain amount of dedication to truly benefit from this detox diet. While the first two days may seem easy, expect a lack of energy and some time in the washroom on the third day and a sense of desperation by the fourth or fifth day.

We’re all guilty of following a fad diet at one moment in time. We all want change and we want it fast. Some believe juicing isn’t the easiest or safest way to lose weight or start a healthier lifestyle, nor is it fit for everyone.

“It can be very dangerous. If you have certain illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, for example,” said dietitian and co-author of Complete Arthritis Health Diet Guide and Cookbook, Kim Arrey. “It can affect your electrolyte balance which can unbalance your whole system. Some people get diarrhea and become very dehydrated.”

However, if done properly, juicing can be very beneficial. The Huffington Post recently published an article that stated juicing may ward off Alzheimer’s and lower blood pressure because of the disease-fighting chemicals in the juice of the fruits and vegetables. During this past summer, my brother received The Juicing Bible recipe book that offers a juice to help for just about every disease or virus, including HIV.

Yet, not everyone can just jump into a seven to 30 day juice fast and stick to it, nor is it healthy for everyone. If you’d like to give it a try, start with replacing one meal a day with a juice. Not only will it help you lose that extra winter weight before bathing suit season, but it will help you meet your daily dose of fruits and vegetables in one drink. The great thing about juicing is that you can incorporate produce that are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that you wouldn’t normally eat as a snack, like kale and ginger.

Although it does take less energy to digest your fruits and vegetables in liquid form, you lose some of the nutrient benefits of the skin and the fiber from the pulp. It is also recommended to blend your own juices or visiting a juice bar rather than purchasing bottled juices that could contain higher sugar levels, defeating the whole purpose of a detox diet.

Arrey suggests that if juicing is done for a short period of time, maybe three days, it can actually help break old habits and lead to new, healthier ones. Juicing is controversial but with a thumb up from your doctor, incorporating at least one juice a day into your diet and monitoring the difference is worth a try.

If you choose to include juicing in your daily diet, investing in a juicer may be the best option. While centrifugal juicers are the cheapest and most common option, the high speed grinding and straining may generate heat and reduce the amount of enzymes. A masticating juicer “chews” your fruits and vegetables, which is a better option if you plan to include leafy greens in the mix. You would, however, need to chop your produce into smaller bits because a masticating juicer has a smaller mouth and takes a little longer to grind the ingredients. The ideal (but most expensive) type of juicer is a triturating juicer. It may run slower but it preserves the most nutrients and extracts the most juice of your produce.

 

 

 

Here’s some cool recipes to try!

Beet Retreat:

1 beet

3 celery sticks

A cup of watermelon

1 cucumber

½ pineapple

 

Green Machine:

½ bag of kale

Celery

Cucumber

4 green apples

½ a pineapple

 

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Student Life

Into the city of blinding lights

(Photo Madelayne Hajek)

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris, as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

None other than the infamous Ernest Hemingway spoke those words about Paris, where he spent many years alongside the likes of

(Photo Madelayne Hajek)

Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, roaming the streets and writing what we know today as works of artistic genius. Hemingway held Paris on a pedestal and immersed himself in its charm.

There isn’t a place quite like Paris. Whether your reason to visit is the cafés, the art or the history, it’s the Parisian charm that seduces you to stay. Sadly, most of us don’t have the funds or the time to grab a quick six hour flight. Fortunately for us, we live in a city that has been described as very European and is filled with numerous quaint cafés and bistros that can satisfy your cultural needs.

La Croissanterie Figaro has encompassed the Parisian charm and established it into a miniature café in the Mile End of Montreal. Upon entry, you’re immediately enthralled by the smell of fresh croissants au beurre, a stereotypical parisian tune resembling the one from Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, antique furniture and Renaissance-style statuettes.

I felt like I was transported to Paris in the 1920s. Surprisingly, to my immediate displeasure, there was no Hemingway or Fitzgerald glaring at me from the dark corners of the room.

Figaro describes itself as “un petit coin perdu de Paris,” which translates to “a little lost corner of Paris,” summing up the place perfectly.

La Croissanterie Figaro has quite a long history. It was initially a house before it was transformed into a boutique in the early ‘20s, and then a candy store. It went through many changes as it was passed from one owner to another over the years, from a bakery to a type of fast-food joint. It was only in 1991, when Al Charmant took over the business, that it became the elegant and charming bistro that it is today. Interestingly enough, the ancient oven that was installed when it was known as a hippy bakery in the ‘80s is still visible in the bistro today, adding to its compelling glamour.

To complete the look, every waitress and waiter speaks in a thick Parisian accent, a nice prerequisite to working in this bistro and something I did not expect. The menu is kept small and simple; the desserts and the petit dejeuner, as well as their dynamite coffees, are the heart of it. In the summer, a terrace is set up along the sidewalk, where one can enjoy the sights of one of Montreal’s oldest neighbourhoods.

French writer Honoré de Balzac once said that “whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant.” So to add a bit of charm to your day, a venture to this little slice of Paris they call La Croissanterie Figaro, is something we can do to get closer to the elegance we so desperately desire.

 

La Croissanterie Figaro is located on 5200 Hutchison St. in Outremont.

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Student Life

Tale of two tea rooms II

totem tea and spice (Photo Sara Baron-Goodman)

Totem Tea and Spice will surely add a kick to your day

Sara Baron-Goodman

It was a blustery winter afternoon when a handwritten chalkboard sign beckoned me into Totem Tea and Spice, promising hot apple caramel tea lattes. It’s been a beautiful love affair ever since.

The shop is located just a few blocks away from Concordia’s Loyola campus. Radiating warmth, the homey café is an instant mood lifter.

At the end of February, owner Julie Pederson moved the small walk-up, one-room shop to its new location at street level. The vibe is like a modern English tea room — white paint with grey and exposed brick accents, eclectic frames scattered on the walls and teacups hanging from the light fixtures that Pederson made herself.

Totem Tea and Spice (Photo Sara Baron-Goodman)

A handful of tables provide sit down room for a good number of customers, but the space is usually quiet, inviting easy conversation or a good atmosphere to get some work done.

The shop is an expansion of Pederson’s online business of the same variety.

“I wanted a space to be able to grow a local clientele and interact with customers,” she said.

Pederson keeps everything in the shop close to home: all the teas are organic and everything is from local Canadian suppliers.

“That’s something that’s very important to me,” she said. “My customers look for healthy options.”

The new space is bigger, brighter and offers up an improved menu. In addition to tea and tarts, customers can now enjoy fresh sandwiches, soups, cookies and cakes. To boot, the menu is vegetarian friendly; I chowed down on a fresh vegetable and avocado sandwich with a red pepper spread and was wholly satisfied.

Lunch specials are served up daily, and revolve around a hearty vegetarian soup and savory scone, accompanied of course by your choice of tea.

Most importantly, of course, is the seemingly endless selection of 65 loose leaf teas to choose from, each with a cute quirky name. My personal favorite would have to be the Karma Sutra, a floral and chai blend that’s delicate and warms you up from the inside out.

For my fellow chocoholics, I recommend the Red Velvet, a tea that channels the flavours of the classic cake. There’s also the Cocoa Chanel and the Caramel Latte, which are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Totem Tea and Spice is located on 51 Westminster Ave. N. (Photo Sara Baron-Goodman)

For the health conscious, sip on one of the more holistic organic teas, which boast properties from helping digestion to curing the common cold.

As far as snacks go, the Melting Moment cookies are sure to live up to their name. The orange blossom butter dough pairs decadently with a creamy lemon zest filling that makes my mouth water just thinking of it.

Totem also offers a selection of 100 spices to take home. Packaged neatly in gift sets with or without the loose leaf teas, there are salts for barbeque, baking and everything in between. The Java Love Rub, made with coffee beans, is a customer favourite that pairs well with red meats and chicken.

All the teas and treats are available to enjoy in house or to take home. For the latter option, infuser mugs and teapots come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you can steep your favorite tea wherever you are.

To top it off, Totem is very student friendly; a full meal of a sandwich and tea latte is only $7. A tea alone is $2.50, while a latte goes for $3.50. Everyone from the Royal West Academy boys to the older women who frequent the yoga studio upstairs seem to love this place. Honestly, there’s very little not to love.

Totem Tea and Spice is located on 51 Westminster Ave. N.

 

Teas and scones will warm the cold soul

Saturn De Los Angeles

As I walked up Parc Ave. on a mild and foggy Friday night, I saw nightclub warriors revelling in their little bubble on the left and students hanging out on the street enjoying each others’ company on the right.

Desperate for a hot drink, I soon discovered this cozy little lounge right at the corner. I walked inside already drenched from the flakey snow melting on my scalp.

The macarons and cupcakes are also a popular staple. Macarons go for $1.75 each. There’s also the option of purchasing a box of six for almost $10 or 10 for $15. (Photo Natalia Lara Diaz-Berrio)

A young lady greeted me, enthusiastically offering a pot of delicious Kyoto Cherry flavoured tea to warm my soul.

I couldn’t resist. I gave in and poured myself a cup. At the moment I took that first sip, I was in heaven.

“We’re a tea shop, and a tea [accessory] shop, and a lounge.” said François Philibert, manager of CHAÏ T’ Lounge.

CHAÏ T’ has been in business since the beginning of last fall and operates as an extension of its more bistro-oriented café called El Mundo. Both establishments have the same owner.

The lounge is full during evenings and weekends with the majority of customers coming from McGill University. There’s also a good blend of tourists, local folks and tea aficionados.

“French people are more used to classic teas than the English people, “ said Philibert. “I see [the French] ask for green tea, but the English order more flavoured ones.”

There is a huge selection of tea available ranging from traditional to flavoured, such as the chocolate mint and a vanilla and grenadine flavoured black tea called the Monas blend. (Photo Natalia Lara Diaz-Berrio)

There is a huge selection of tea available ranging from traditional to flavoured, such as the chocolate mint and a vanilla and grenadine flavoured black tea called the Monas blend. Genmaicha, a green tea with roasted rice, is a staff favourite. Kyoto Cherry and Long Island Strawberry are recommended picks.

A tea pot will cost you $3.99 and will give you four to five cups. You can get an extra refill of hot water for a $1.

The macarons and cupcakes are also a popular staple. Macarons go for $1.75 each. There’s also the option of purchasing a box of six for almost $10 or 10 for $15. Each cupcake will cost you $3.49, while you can get a box of six at nearly $20. But don’t let the prices fool you. They’re absolutely filling — and addictive.

They even have locally made scones from a baker in the West Island. What goes better with tea than freshly made scones? Red Velvet cupcakes also grab a lot of attention. There are also S’More and Oreo flavoured variants as well.

Philibert is preparing a new menu for the summer by creating concoctions with naturally flavoured bubble tea (iced cold tea with tapioca bubbles) and tea soda (steeped tea with sparking water).

Philibert explained that it is important to him that CHAÏ T’ Lounge stand out. “There are four coffee shops on the same corner . . . but we wanted something different. Tea [shops] are getting interesting and getting more popular. We thought at the beginning to make it [as such], but we wanted to be a place to relax and study.”

His passion for tea is something that grabs people’s attention, and it is something that he’ll continue to do as CHAÏ T’ Lounge reaches its first year of operation in September.

 

CHAÏ T’ Lounge is located on 3506 Parc Ave.

Categories
Student Life

Cheese lovers rejoice

Cheese Festival - by Writer
The seventh edition of Montreal’s Festival of Our Cheeses came back with a bang after a one-year hiatus. The event, free of charge, welcomed hundreds of visitors enthusiastically rejoicing in the deliciousness and pungent smell of Quebec cheese. (Photo Anne-Darla Lucia D.)

The term foodie is widely considered to be an informal way to describe food and drink aficionados—and Montreal is just crawling with them. Although society attempts to shove us all under the same banner, take note, there are sub-categories and we are not all the same. Some enjoy seafood over meat, some beer over wine and others, the best kind, cheese over anything and everything.

Needless to say, as cheese lovers, we can sometimes feel like a fairly marginal group lost in a large culinary world. However, on Feb. 20 at Place Desjardins, in light of Montreal’s four day Festival of Our Cheeses, I discovered that we are far from being alone.

The seventh edition of Montreal’s Festival of Our Cheeses came back with a bang after a one-year hiatus. The event, free of charge, welcomed hundreds of visitors enthusiastically rejoicing in the deliciousness and pungent smell of Quebec cheese.

The festival’s atmosphere was vibrant and bustling. Visitors and producers alike seemed genuinely excited and happy to be a part of the event. Cheese producers were standing behind their designated booths in their signature “Fromages d’ici” aprons and hats with large welcoming smiles.

“It’s a really fun and convivial event,” said Francis Boivin, a representative for Fromagerie Île-aux-Grue, after he jokingly asked his wife of 40 years if he could have permission to speak with me.

Although the festival is similar to a trade show, the joyful and talkative cheese artisans were neither aggressive nor seemingly competing with each other to push sales.

“Most of us are actually friends here,” said Christian Barrette, founder and producer of Le Fromage Au Village. “Cheese producers in Quebec are part of a very small community and many of us share the same distributors. Because of this, you quickly learn that it’s in everyone’s interest to cooperate. At the festival we joke around with each other. It’s a lot of fun.”

The event, I quickly learned, meant much more to these small cheese producers than simply having fun. Montreal’s Festival of Our Cheeses actually provides regional cheese producers with the rare opportunity to gain visibility and interact with people outside their predominantly rural communities.

“If it weren’t for Fromages d’ici organizing the event and inviting us here, as a small cheese company, we could never afford to be an exhibitor at a festival this size,” said Hélène Lessard, Barrette’s wife and business partner.

Benoit Robitaille, a die hard cheese fan, has been coming to the festival every single year since it began.

Aside from his love of cheese, the main reason he keeps coming back is to show support to small Quebec producers like Barrette and Lessard. “I find it deplorable that supermarkets offer very few Québécois products,” he said. “Because we really have some of the best cheeses here.”

In between talking to producers, visitors and making pit stops at the wine & cider booths to cleanse my palate, I tried every single cheese at the festival. The best ones, in my opinion, were “fleurs d’ail”, a firm cheese with garlic flower seasoning by Le Fromage au Village and La Famille Migneron’s “la tomme d’elles”, a firm surfaced cheese made with sheep’s milk.

All in all, if you love cheese, make sure not to miss next year’s festival. It was delightful and quite an experience for my taste buds.

Categories
Student Life

Hot Pot hits the spot

Photo by Andrea Sun
Photo by Andrea Sun

Can’t decide between fondue, Chinese food, or a scalding winter soup? It’s time to stop by Chinatown for the all-you-can-eatery Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot.

Never heard of it before?

Here’s the down low: gather two to four friends, order a personal pot of broth, say ‘yes’ when they ask if you want platters of raw lamb and beef, and then load up your plates at the buffet. When you get back to the table, bring your soup to a boil with the magnetized hot plate built into the tabletop and start cooking everything you can get your chopsticks on! It’s an outing of guaranteed amusement.

For anyone less talented in the kitchen, there’s no need to fret. Sure it’s all about timing to get the perfectly tender slice of meat, but no matter how long something soaks in this marvelous broth, it is bound to taste delicious.

The soup bases come in original herbal broth, spicy, half-and-half (with a divider down the middle of the pot to enjoy both original and spicy), and vegetarian mushroom to add a veggie-friendly option. Unless you have a numb tongue or a high tolerance for spicy food, it is highly recommended to get either original or half-and-half. The spicy broth alone has enough ladle-fulls of chili peppers to render your esophagus molten before a single bite reaches your stomach.

There’s a vast array of tastes to be tried at the buffet, such as fresh greens (spinach, bok choy, watercress), mushrooms, root vegetables, tofu, dumplings and noodles. Dinner also includes seafood options like shrimp, fish and calamari.

Two complaints would be that the plastic curtains hanging in front of the food to keep it “fresh” are a little on the sketchy side, and the labels on the containers rarely match what’s inside leaving a lot of mouthfuls up to guesswork.

That aside, the desserts are surprisingly good, so save some room if possible for their mini whipped-cream pies, macaroons and tubs of mysterious ice cream flavours.

In all, the place has a cute semi-formal, semi-kitsch look to it, with tall booths for privacy, and tables for two with a single hot plate in the middle to share. K-Pop’s lively background beat, along with the matching music videos on plasma screens provide entertainment when mouths are too full for conversation.

The ever-polite staff may not be the most talkative, but they are considerate and extremely quick, and will even top-off your broth if they notice your soup level is getting low.

Considering it’s an all-you-can-eat, the price is very reasonable. Lunch is $15, and though dinner is noticeably more expensive at $25, it is because of the seafood that is offered only in the evening. Soft drinks and juices are included in the price.

Little Sheep closes after lunch at 3 p.m. and then reopens later for dinner. For anyone who doesn’t have cash on them, that’s fine as debit and credit are accepted.

While Little Sheep’s hot pot does deviate from its authentic Mongolian origins, this evolved Chinatown specialty is arguably the best of its kind in Montreal. Perfect for a casual date or a no-occasion outing with friends.

 

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is located on 50 de la Gauchetière St. W.

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Student Life

Drool your heart out at Diablos BBQ

Smokehouse Diablo BBQ is located at 1693A Saint-Denis St.

Watching the program Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network has been torturous, featuring Southern-style restaurants I could only dream of one day trying — that is until I discovered Diablos BBQ.

Diablos BBQ is located at 1693A Saint-Denis St.

Once I walked into what felt like a western movie, I knew this joint was worthy of its smokehouse title. Diablos BBQ welcomes you with swinging saloon doors and lures you in with the most wonderful barbecue aroma that fills your lungs and seduces your gut. The room is warm and inviting, filled with western memorabilia of wagon wheels, red velvet curtains, antique lanterns, recycled church pews, walls decorated with handguns and photos of confederate soldiers plus a lonely wooden armadillo you’ll most likely invite to join you during your meal.

“We just try and make it as authentic as possible, everything that we do, we want it to have a rustic, very authentic and nostalgic feel to it,” said co-owner Richard Escaravage.

Escaravage and his two partners, Jason and Raphaël , have been friends for 20 years before they decided to take a chance and introduce a little Southern love to our cold city. During a road trip two years ago with some friends, Escaravage and Jason headed to Texas where they fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Wondering why such an authentic smoky, spicy, and sweet flavour didn’t exist back home, they decided to take matters into their own hands and bring a taste of Texas back home with them.

Presented with the perfect location in the Latin Quarter and the opportunity to buy equipment, including a smoker all the way from Tennessee, Escaravage and Jason opened Diablos BBQ and invited Raphaël to join in on the fun. With no real culinary background, Jason travelled to New Orleans and Texas to learn from the locals and dived right in.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously, we’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re taking comfort food to a whole new level and putting a twist on traditional barbecue and Southern dishes,” said Raphaël.

Drooling over the thought of anything smoked, sauced and battered, I couldn’t help myself from inviting friends to tag along and try as much as we could from the menu. We began our evening with the bite-size popcorn shrimp, their infamous fried pickles that were sliced, fried like chips and absolutely delicious and, to our humourous regret, the breaded jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese. Although we were warned of their level of spiciness, our egos got the best us and led us to a torturous moment of sweat and tears.

Thankfully, Diablos BBQ offers an impressive cocktail menu to help cool off a heated tongue. From tweaked classic cocktails in mason jars, to margaritas served with an upside-down beer in a monster-size glass, to some of Escaravage’s homemade concoctions inspired by his travels, there is a drink for any taste.

Impressed with the starters, we had high expectations for the main dishes priced between $12.95 and $25.05. We were definitely not let down. The pulled pork sandwich was perfectly smoked and tender, served with a side of traditional coleslaw and the best corn bread I have ever had. The poutine was a combination of white and sweet potato fries and topped with smoked gravy, a signature dish. The star of the joint were the pork ribs, smoked with hickory wood and covered with their homemade barbecue sauce that was a perfect balance between saltiness and sweetness; we just couldn’t resists asking for some on the side for our fries and corn bread.

What threw me over the edge was their sixth deadly sin burger, a burger that won fourth place during Burger Week. It’s so special and exclusive it’s not even on the menu; it’s the kind of thing you just have to know about. One of Jason’s creations, the burger is an eight ounce triple A beef patty topped with provolone cheese, house-smoked bacon, smoked tomato ketchup and cucumber radish relish (all homemade, of course.) All that is then put into a grilled pretzel bun and flash fried. Are you drooling yet?

Always with the need to satisfy their customers and keep things interesting, Diablos BBQ offers seasonal food and cocktail menus and has recently included a hangover breakfast. I’m talking about waffles with a side of fried chicken.

The best part about Diablos BBQ (aside from its succulent menu) is the party ambiance and diverse clientele. From tattooed rockers, to students, to suits everyone is there to enjoy the food, chug the drinks, hum to the rockabilly music and party with the owners.

“This is a place where you know you could come and relax, eat, fill your gut and be amongst like-minded people,” said Raphaël. “On the weekends it’s a party. So if you scream and yell and have a good time, that’s what it’s about, and we’ll join in with you!”

Diablos BBQ is located at 1693A Saint-Denis St.

Categories
Student Life

Coffee on wheels hits the streets

Dispatch Coffee Truck - Photo Courtesy of Dispatch Coffee
Dispatch Coffee Truck – Photo Courtesy of Dispatch Coffee

Like most university students I have come to thrive on coffee. Whether I’m trying to survive a painstakingly long class, pulling an all-nighter or battling the odd hangover, I am always on the lookout for a great cup of coffee that will keep me going through all of my endeavors. So when I heard about the latest addition to the Montreal coffee scene, I knew I had to check it out.

Starting December 1, Dispatch Coffee is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “grabbing a quick cup of coffee.” The company is taking a new spin on the food truck idea with a unique mobile espresso bar concept. The truck will be serving high quality, delicious coffee, baked goods and catering services. There will be an array of coffee beans from around North America, including Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters from Calgary, and Montreal-based Kittel Compagnie de café. Different roasters will be featured during different seasons to ensure the best beans are available year-round.

Dispatch Coffee is a refreshing new company, in more ways than one. From their original idea of making the comforting ambiance of a cafe mobile to their sensational and interactive website, Dispatch Coffee is creating quite a buzz in Montreal. But what makes Dispatch Coffee so special? The company focuses heavily on the quality of their products. They only source beans that have been roasted and farmed with intense care to maintain quality control. Along with quality, the experience itself is reason enough to try Dispatch Coffee because there is a particular novelty to a mobile espresso bar.

The idea for the mobile espresso bar came bloomed from Chrissy Durcak, owner of Dispatch Coffee. She had worked at cafes for a few years and this summer while she was delivering coffee she had the neat idea for a mobile espresso bar.

Not only can you get a delicious cup of coffee on the go, Dispatch Coffee also offers a selection of pastries from talented local pastry chefs. The pairing of coffee and baked goods is a classic idea, but Dispatch Coffee tries to keep their products creative, local, and exciting. While the entire menu is mouth watering, Durcak recommends the speculoos cookie coupled with an espresso.

This winter, Dispatch Coffee will have a pop-up shop cafe, keeping their employees and customers warm during the harsh Montreal winter. The truck will be parked indoors at the Nomad Nation and there will be signs pointing to its location. Dispatch Coffee is also looking to expand their locations this Spring so stay tuned and watch out for their truck!

Whether you love coffee or need coffee, be sure to check out this new and one of a kind addition to the Montreal coffee scene.

 

As of December 1, Dispatch Coffee will be located on 129 Van Horne Ave. until further notice.

Categories
Student Life

The best of Montreal’s midnight snack options

Joe's Panini

Big in Japan

Big In Japan restaurant

Sara Baron-Goodman
Staff writer

Conveniently nestled on the nightlife stretch of St-Laurent, Big in Japan is the perfect post-party eatery.

Japanese food usually insinuates sushi, but the menu at Big in Japan features an entirely different take on the culture’s cuisine. Featuring about 15 options for late-night diners. I would categorize the food as Asian pub fare meets Eat St.

I ordered the barbecue pork steamed buns, for $12. It consisted of a pork filet and Japanese cucumber slivers sandwiched between a sticky bun, drenched with a sweet and salty hoisin-type sauce. A small but very spicy Kimchi salad came in a bowl on the side. The sandwich was that perfect combination of sweet and hearty, an anchor for a stomach churning in a sea of tequila.

The late night menu also features a huge meal-sized bowl of ramen soup with a myriad of vegetables, pork, and a hard-boiled egg floating in it, as well as several meat and rice plates, Japanese style sandwiches, and tuna tartare, none of which cost more than $13.

The restaurant also offers an extensive daytime menu, and has a decent selection of beers and sake. The house beer was nice and light, and the Sayuri sake was extremely smooth, though much stronger than I expected.

Big in Japan is open daily until 3 a.m., to eat in or take out and is located on 3723 St-Laurent Blvd.

 

Boustan

George Menexis

Flickr image

Opinion editor

There isn’t enough one can say about good food — think about how happy it makes you feel. I’m here to praise one of the greatest culinary legacies in Montreal. A place that stays open for our late, grumbling appetites or our drunken snacking. He’s created a name for himself in the city, and all citizens should thank him for his epic shish taouk in that little hole in the wall on Crescent St. I’m talking about Boustan, of course.

Boustan was owned by none other than Imad Smaidi, known to his customers as the infamous Mr. Boustan, for 25 years. He recently sold his establishment to George and Peter Hatzis. At the time, I was extremely worried that this change might alter the mouth-watering quality of Boustan’s food. However, the new owners have managed to beautifully preserve the Boustan legacy. Sometimes, I can still imagine Mr. Boustan cutting up the meat in the back.

What makes this place so great is that it serves some of the most delicious Middle Eastern food in Montreal. The shish taouk, the shawarmas, and the delicious, always glistening, golden garlic potatoes are all spectacular. It is the king of restaurants and I say you haven’t really eaten until you’ve eaten there at least once.

Boustan is located on 9832 Crescent St.

 

Joe’s Panini

George Menexis
Opinions editor

Joe’s Panini

Although it may not live up to the Boustan legacy, there is another restaurant, only a few blocks away, that has also created a name for itself serving Montrealers some of the best paninis in the city. Joe’s Panini is the place I’m talking about. This may sound far-fetched, but as a Montrealer with a voracious appetite, I’m saying with a lot of confidence that you aren’t a true Montrealer until you’ve had Joe’s paninis in the wee hours of the morning.

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Joe’s Panini takes the words ‘late-night fix’ to an entirely different level. No matter what time of day, you’re sure to always have a small line-up upon arrival. That’s fine, because you’ll need a few minutes to decide on which of the countless paninis to try, all written down on a blackboard above the counter. For your first time, don’t think twice; you must have the Philly cheese sub. Needless to say, all of the other ones are absolutely delightful as well; the spicy-rib panini, the spicy chicken, the egg salad panini, are all great and cost $5.50.

Joe’s Panini serves up sandwiches like none else. It’s no wonder it’s been around for 35 years, etching its name in Montreal’s restauranting scene. It too has become a legacy, and has provided Montrealers with the opportunity to have some of these delicious sandwiches everyday. Joe’s Panini, Montrealers thank you.

Joe’s Panini is located on 1404 Drummond St.

 

 

Categories
Student Life

Discover local homemade jellies and jam

Preservation Society. Photo by Stephanie La Leggia
Preservation Society. Photo by Stephanie La Leggia

The scent is unique outside Camilla Ingr’s little shop in the Mile End: warm lemon, sharp ginger, traces of honey and hints of bourbon. The soothing aroma trails from her cozy headquarters. Inside, Ingr gently stirs the unusually scented liquid in a large pot. She’s making Rhume Rx, one of the many preservatives sold at Preservation Society.

Originally from Alberta, Ingr moved to Quebec to study pastry making at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec. For about 10 years she switched between working as a pastry chef and playing keyboard in a band. During this time Ingr also taught herself how to make jams, jellies, marmalades, chutneys and pickles.

A little over a year ago, while Ingr was working at her friend’s restaurant making $12 an hour, she discovered her band had broken up, leaving her with a decision to make.

“It was either going to be a pastry chef or [making preservatives]. This afforded a better schedule, it was a little cheaper to start up and was something getting a lot of interest in the press, so I thought I’d take that as a sign,” she said, periodically stirring her warming concoction.

Ingr found a small space she’d share with private wine importer La QV and started her one-woman business.

All of Ingr’s recipes are her own creations. Her products range from sweet pink grapefruit and honey marmalade to salty wasabi green beans. “I think the jam ‘Fall Sweater’ has to be one of the most popular. It’s hand picked Quebec apples and pears in St-Ambroise pumpkin ale caramel, with orange and spices,” said Ingr. “I actually ran out of it this year. I only like to use the Flemish Beauty pears from Quebec so I have to wait until those are back in season.”

The ideas for Ingr’s recipes come from her favourite foods and flavours. “I worked at a lot of fancy restaurants where they do molecular gastronomy. I like taking one flavor and transforming it into another substance. Like, I have Caesar Celery, Piña Colada Marmalade, and Margarita Marmalade. Apparently I like to make cocktails,” said Ingr with a laugh.

Besides citrus fruits and sugar, all ingredients in Preservation Society products are local. If Ingr isn’t buying fruits and vegetables at the Jean Talon market, she picks them herself at Quebec farms. She also uses locally produced eggs, Quebec honey and St-Ambroise beer.

“People are intrigued. It’s a new product, so people don’t know it that well, but the response has been good,” said Lindsay Davis, owner of Fait Ici on Notre-Dame West St. It’s one of the nine locations that sell Preservation Society products. “I think her products are so special because of her story and the way she combines flavours to make jams you can’t find anywhere else.”

Davis and Ingr are in the process of discussing holding canning workshops at Fait Ici in the near future. Ingr already hosts workshops at her own location twice a month.

Each black-capped jar has a brown, vintage style label which Ingr individually sticks on every jar and stamps with the product name, batch number and date. On her own, Ingr makes approximately 200 jars a week.

Ingr will be sharing her Preservation Society products at the Holiday Puces POP Fair from Dec. 14 to Dec. 16.

 

Preservation Society is located on 29 Beaubien Rd. East.

 

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