Tag: restaurant

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Student Life

La Habanera: A place transporting Tabarnacos to Cuba

Photo by Shakti Langlois Ortega

Trendy Cuban restaurant is serving mucho mojitos and impressive dishes

Quebecers love Cuba. It is a known fact. According to the Toronto Star, 1.2 million Canadians travel to Cuba, annually.  The link between our province and the beloved communist state is so prominent that Cubans affectionately call us “Tabarnacos” and “Jean Coutus.”

That connection is what the staff at La Habanera restaurant wanted to bring to Montreal. “We wanted to create a nice vibe from Cuba,” manager Louis-Philippe Rouleau told The Concordian.  Rouleau said the idea was to create “something that you couldn’t get in Montreal.”

Photo by Shakti Langlois Ortega

La Habanera is unique. Inspired by the vibrant colours of Cuban culture, the restaurant’s DIY-style décor is probably the most charming aspect of the downtown restaurant. Its vintage look recreates the antique charm of Old Havana. About 30 tables occupy the small space, and along the back wall sits a  turquoise banquette. Dozens of strategically scattered picture frames filled with vintage Cuban portraits, maps and photos cover the walls, giving the space a relaxed feel. Some may even consider it the perfect Instagram-worthy backdrop to any photo.

Walking into La Habanera feels like stepping into a closet-sized version of Cuba. If you are up to it, you can even test your Spanish skills with the staff, since most of them speak it fluently.

No Cuban-inspired restaurant would be complete without a salsa playlist and this place offers one that will have you dancing in your seat. If you dare, get up between bites and show off your dance moves.

Although delicious and beautifully prepared, the food served at La Habanera is nothing like the typical food found in traditional Cuban households. On the menu, you will find a variety of creative and tasteful small, tapas-style plates inspired by authentic Cuban ingredients, such as plantain and seafood. The restaurant basically takes traditional ingredients to make non-traditional or gourmet dishes.

Plantain cups filled with rum, coconut, and garlic dulce de leche shrimps. Photo by Shakti Langlois Ortega

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, rum, coconut and garlic dulce de leche shrimps served in plantain cups, is a perfect example of that.

To recreate the open and heart-warming Cuban atmosphere and experience, La Habanera encourages clients to order several plates to share. The spot also offers a special tasting menu for groups, which is a surprise menu picked and designed by the chefs.

You can seat yourself either at the beautiful turquoise banquette, in one of the cozy diner-style booths or at the bar, while a bartender concocts one of the spot’s exotic house cocktails, like the Bloody Maria Con Lychee. The drink translates to a cherry tomato and lychee Bloody Mary.

With more than 20 different types of rum, the Cuban liquor of choice, La Habanera offers an exclusive selection of mouth-watering mojitos made with fresh fruits and herbs.

Designed for millennials, with its trendy yet unpretentious vibe, La Habanera can be your go-to spot for anything from a promising Tinder date to an unforgettable birthday dinner.

La Habanera is the latest restaurant from a team of people who are also behind Montreal’s Mexican restaurants La Cerveceria and Escondite, and the Japanese fusion spot, Biiru. The team will also opening a Hawaiian poke takeout restaurant soon.

La Habanera is located at 1216 Avenue Union, Montréal, QC H3B 3C4.

The spot is open Tuesday to Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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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

Loosen your tie and grab a stool

What do you get when you add homemade Coca-Cola mayonnaise, fried pickles and caramelized onions into a steamy hamburger?

A whole lot of flavour in one succulent bite.

Le Gros Jambon is not what you’d expect. Do not be fooled by its nondescript exterior and shabby interior, where its attempt at a pastoral ambiance is rather poor. The gloomy, dimly-lit room is tight and narrow; backless stools are lined along the far right side, facing a white wall of colourful photographs of small children playing and eating sweets.

Our party of four was forced to sit along the counter facing the open kitchen due to the lack of seating options. Evidently, the place was not a spot to sit and enjoy dinner with friends. Yet, with the combination of classic oldies playing in the background, friendly staff, and charismatic chef Ryan Dixon, the old diner vibe started to grow on me.

The menu had an array of original choices and creative combinations. Some of the diners’ favourites include their smoked meat pizza, fish tacos, and their hot dogs—a Gros Jambon creation of buns stuffed with the choice of either bacon and cucumber, chili, smoked meat or one of their specialties, like fried shrimp. Other tasteful options are their sandwiches of pulled pork, rib or the lobster roll. If you’re in for something a little different, I would suggest trying their duck or lobster macaroni and cheese. Their grilled cheese sandwiches also come with a choice of four cheeses, bacon, duck, smoked meat or lobster.

The shrimp hot dog had a great blend of flavours. A reasonable portion of miniature breaded shrimp were jammed into a steamy bun coated with ranch sauce and topped with fresh coleslaw. It was enjoyable and spiced just right.

Le Gros Jambon offers a number of burgers such as the ham and cheese, crab, vegetarian, and their famous Coca-Cola burger—a burger that should automatically be added to your bucket list!

The lobster macaroni and cheese alone is a good enough reason to return. The noodles and chunks of lobster were covered in a creamy lobster sauce and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. It was a tough platter to beat.

Unfortunately, the lobster grilled cheese was disappointing, for it was too rich with butter and cheese.

The food is reasonably priced however, considering its location in Montreal’s Old Port. The platters range from $8-18 per person; though the cost of extra sides and toppings could have been better.

Open since last November, the diner also shares owners with French restaurant L’Orignal, located on the corner of Notre-Dame and St. Alexis.

“We get a lot of business people during the lunch rush,” said Vincent Koronkiewicz, one of the diner’s regular workers. “Breakfast and brunch on weekends are also very busy. We have a whole different menu with specialty dishes, […] but it’s not the best place for large groups since we don’t hold seats or make reservations,” he said.

To those who enjoy a good casual dining experience, Le Gros Jambon makes for a great pit stop.

 

Le Gros Jambon is located on 286 Notre-Dame St. W.

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Student Life

L’atelier d’Argentine – Old Montreal’s newest “must”

In a cosmopolitan city such as ours, we are being spoilt for choice when it comes to where to eat and drink. Montreal had not hosted a truly unique Argentinian restaurant until a group of passionate restaurateurs opened l’Atelier d’Argentine in the Old Port last month.

A true reflection of Buenos Aires’ vibrant, yet unpretentious restaurant and lounge scene, l’Atelier d’Argentine proves to be an exciting new destination for Montrealers and tourists alike.

In as little a month, the restaurant has become a popular destination whether it is for a casual dinner, a weekend brunch, or a night out. Although the restaurant is currently in the process of hiring an executive chef, l’Atelier d’Argentine’s staff were humbled by the opportunity to work with Argentinian chef Natalia Machado, who developed the menu for the restaurant.

With its contemporary yet genuine cuisine, l’Atelier d’Argentine’s signature dishes feature Argentinian classics such as lamb, beef and seafood, all with a modern twist.

Aside from its affordable and generous cuisine, l’Atelier d’Argentine seems to have already become a preferred destination for Happy Hour, late-night dinners and partygoers.

The restaurant holds a weekly Thursday night party called Besame (“kiss me” in Spanish) to DJ music coupled with the percussion sets of Drum-Addiction.

Offering no reason to leave early, The nightly ‘happy’ Buenos Aires Hours begin at 10:30 p.m., offering a selection of entrées and main courses served for the low price of $22.50.

My personal favourites happen to be on that list: the buñuelos de espinaca (spinach and Fontina cheese fritters accompanied by a roasted garlic mustard for dipping), the gazpacho (a beet, raspberry, cucumber and tomato gastric soup served cold) and the vacio (grilled flank steak with the restaurant’s famous chimichurri & criolla sauce).

It may not be on the Buenos Aires Hours menu, but an absolute must is the mouth-watering risotto de calabaza (a ristotto made with kabocha pumpkin, arugula, goat cheese and roasted tomato). What else could a girl ask for?

Whatever you taste, l’Atelier d’Argentine is ready to cater to your needs with a wide selection of Argentinian wines, an array of Argentinian and domestic beers and an exciting list of signature cocktails such as the Fernando (Fernet Branca and cola), a classic in Buenos Aires, and the Cogote (rye whisky, root beer, and bitters).

If you find yourself in the area before noon, don’t despair. What’s better than brunch filled with anecdotes from the night before? Brunch in the Old Port with a view of the river! With an open concept, L’Atelier Argentine has glass doors, large windows and original light fixtures, creating a comfortable and trendy environment.

The brunch menu blends in perfectly with the restaurant’s omnipresent mix of modern and authentic culinary and decorative elements. I recommend the frittata (an open face goat cheese and smoked ham omelet served with a watercress salad) and the tarta de queso y puerros (a leek and goat cheese quiche served with an heirloom tomato and onion salad).

With its unique and diversified offering, and casual yet trendy concept, l’Atelier d’Argentine is a refreshing new destination in Old Montreal.  On this note, whether you are more of a brunch, lunch or late-night dinner type, l’Atelier d’Argentine will show you how it’s done… in Buenos Aires!

 

L’Atelier d’Argentine is located at 355 Marguerite-d’Youville, in the Old Port. 

 View map.

www.atelierargentine.com

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Student Life

The Iron Chef does it again

It pretty much goes without saying that any Montreal foodie, or anybody that lives in Montreal for that matter, has heard of celebrity chef Chuck Hughes and his legendary restaurant, Garde Manger. 

Garde Manger is a small and unassuming restaurant located in Montreal’s Old Port. Unless you knew what you were looking for, you would never know that the restaurant with no obvious signage was one that belonged to Hughes.
The restaurant itself has a very cool and hip atmosphere, and although you may think that this would be a perfect spot for an intimate date due to the fact that the restaurant itself can only hold a handful of tables, think again. It is a very loud mix of music, talking, and sounds coming from the kitchen which is open for everyone to see.

Don’t expect them to hand you a menu either. The dishes that are available are marked on a blackboard that is hung up on the wall and the menu itself changes daily depending on what is most fresh and in season. The only items that consistently maintain a spot on the blackboard are their signature dishes such as the lobster poutine – a dish Hughes prepared while he was on the show, Iron Chef – and the deep-fried Mars bar.

The music playing was upbeat and classic, everything from Otis Redding to Sublime played in the three-and-a-half hours that we spent at the restaurant.

Now on to the food… I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a meal as much as I did at Garde Manger. It is worth the month long wait needed to get a reservation as well as every penny of the gigantic bill that was presented to us at the end of the night.

As a group, we decided that we would all get something different. By the end of the night we must have tried about 90 per cent of the menu. We all unanimously agreed that the highlights of the meal were the lobster poutine, the seafood platter and the short ribs.

The seafood platter basically took up the entire table and was filled with some of the freshest seafood available in Montreal. The poutine lived up to all of our expectations; it was delicious and worthy of being the restaurant’s signature dish.

The drinks aren’t cheap – but they sure are strong. A drink will set you back anywhere from $13-15, but they are worth it. The drink menu offers a variety of exotic and cool drinks. On this particular night, I tried a cucumber vodka soda which was surprisingly refreshing and very appetizing.

Garde Manger is a good place to have dinner with friends or even to go and hangout at night. The music is great, there’s an inviting ambiance and the service is fantastic. Plus, there’s a chance you may just bump into Hughes himself.

Garde Manger is located at 408, Rue Saint-François-Xavier in the Old Port of Montreal.

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Bar & Boeuf brings the charm

As soon as I entered the door of Bar & Boeuf, I ran face first into a white curtain hung from the ceiling that is used to block the winter winds from sneaking in as diners enter. I thought for a moment that maybe I had entered the wrong building, but then the host untangled me from the long white monster and welcomed my boyfriend and I to Bar & Boeuf, leading us to our table.
This table was located next to the busy bar, which was a bit inconvenient because we were constantly being bumped by the 40-year-old cougars flirting with young men right next to us, sloshing their fruity drinks and getting rowdy. It was entertaining to watch, but annoying to deal with when you just want to have a romantic dinner.
The music was mostly made up of lounge music and it was a little loud, presumably to drown out the horrible cliché pickup lines being pronounced beside us. But overall, the music went well with the decor and I was able to speak and hear without having to read anyone’s lips.
The decor was modern and refreshing―a splash of pink lighting from the high ceilings shined down on the white furnishing and looked very classy. The crowd at Bar & Boeuf were in their 30s, and my boyfriend and I were evidently the youngest guests at the restaurant.
Once we got situated we received the menu. We were feeling fancy, probably from the illusion the restaurant gives you of being a trendy couple in a CSI: Miami episode, so we each ordered a martini. The lychee martini I ordered had the perfect sweet and exotic taste without the bite, and my boyfriend ordered the extra fruity festive martini, receiving an eyebrow lift from our waiter.
We ordered our dinner and unfortunately had to wait for a very long time to receive it. Since we were starving, we persuaded our waiter to scurry back and forth with warm bread and water refills, to keep us from running out and getting a Big Mac instead.
For dinner, I ordered the suckling pig with iced parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnip, and I was not disappointed with my choice. The tender smoked meat of the pig in a delicious rich gravy sauce was perfectly complimented by the sweet potatoes and the crunch of the parsnips and the turnip. The presentation was flawless and not only a feast to the mouth, but to the eye as well. My only complaint is that the portion was rather small and, though it did not leave me still famished afterwards, I felt like I would have asked for seconds if I could.
My boyfriend ordered the Arctic char, which of course I stuck a fork in and then immediately regretted my decision, wishing I had ordered it instead. The fish is served with späetzle (tiny little German noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs and milk, which often replace potatoes or rice), beets and pork. I thought the fish and pork would be a bizarre combination, but I was mistaken since the taste of the späetzle and the beets created the perfect harmony between the two. The beets added a smooth sweet flavour and a romantic red colour to the dish, and the buttery taste of the späetzle melts in your mouth with every bite of the light Arctic char.
The bill for this meal was pretty pricey, but the genius engineering of the dishes proved it to be worth every penny. Bar & Boeuf even has a Valentine’s Day menu, so bring your special someone to experience the pink and white decor and mouth-watering dishes for themselves.

Bar & Boeuf is located at 500 McGill St. For more information, please visit www.baretboeuf.com.

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