Bar St-Denis

So far on this trip to Montreal, we were pretty impressed with the pricing of tasting menus.  At Mastard, it was only $90.00 for 5 courses (we had the 7 course option for $120.00), we felt it was reasonable considering the food quality and all the accolades.  We were a little less impressed with the price at Cabaret L'Enfer where we felt there wasn't enough food for $165.00, despite being delicious.  Now we head to another restaurant on St. Denis in Bar St. Denis.  They have a tasting menu for only $85.00 per person.  So that's what we had! 

Starting our meal, we had the Little Neck Clams sitting in Tabouleh with bulgur.  These clams were not little at all as they were thicc and plump.  They had a bit of a sweet chew, which was not troublesome.  Each one sat on a bed of fresh tabouleh that was bright and a bit peppery.  There some quality EVOO as well as some tangy lemon juice.  We also found some bulgur as well which provided a firm texture.

Next was the Raw Fluke topped with some crispy puffed rice.  This was also an excellent dish with tender slices of fluke that were almost buttery.  The puffed rice served two purposes.  First, it was nutty and aromatic.  Second, it was the necessary crispiness to contrast the soft texture of the fluke.  With some Quebec ginger, we had some real brightness as well as a slight spiciness.  Again, quality EVOO helped with the overall texture.

We were presented with one of the biggest portions of Veal Tartare I've even had.  It was easily double the size of the one we had at lunch.  This featured supremely fresh meat that had a vibrant colour and taste.  It was buttery soft and had the requisite condiments including plenty of shallots.  On top, we found a drizzle of EVOO as well as white anchovies and Arbequina olives.  This was served with a wonderful fluffy bread.

With the pungency of raw button mushrooms, we got the full smell of the them before it hit the table.  It was a complex contrast to the Matsutake mixed with lemon, cream and tarragon.  We had the textural contrast with the sliced thin button mushrooms that were spongy while the matsutake were chewier while taking on the acidity of the lemon while combined with creaminess and brightness of the tarragon.  Unassuming to look at but utterly delicious.

Our favourite item was the Spaghettoni with pesto and tomato.  With a stunningly deep green colour, the promise of basil was fulfilled.  Even when mixed with the tomato coated spaghettoni, the dish was extremely basil-forward.  Super herbaceous and bright, the pasta was just plain delicious.  It was firmly al dente with a good chew to it.  Some crunch on the top provided another texture to the dish.

Onto our biggest dish, we had the Guinea Fowl Ballotine wrapped in cabbage.  It featured white meat on the outer layer which held the minced dark meat inside.  Right in the middle, we found the barely cooked livers.  This was a contrast of textures of the fowl while also highlighting the different flavours.  It went from mild (white meat) to pungent (livers).  The sherry sauce was extremely gelatinous and a bit salty due to the aggressive cook down.  However, it completely help flavour the dish.

For dessert, we were served the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was deeply rich in sweetness.  So smoky and caramelized, it was full-flavoured.  It really didn't need the butterscotch, but it needed the moisture.  I'm normally a STP fan since it is so sweet, but I liked this, it was more complex in flavour and I ate it without sopping up the sauce.  Overall, the meal at Bar St. Denis was quite good.  I thought the amount of food was just right and we didn't go away hungry.  Fairly intense flavours to go along fresh ingredients.  

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Energetic vibe
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Impactful also straddles a fine line as the sherry sauce was rather salty and the butterscotch was very sweet

Kitano Shokudo

So here we go with another restaurant in Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list in Kitano Shokudo.  From the outside, it wasn't very apparent what we were looking at.  Walking in, you would still be a bit confused with all the eclectic items from DJ equipment with records to a print of Monarch butterflies.  Formerly Otto Bistro, this small Japanese restaurant is run by Chef Hiroshi Kitano.  Sure, the menu features supremely high-quality sashimi that you can also get on top of rice in a chirashi don or maguro (bluefin) don, but there are some fusion dishes that are equally as good.  We stopped by for lunch to see what it was all about.

Starting with the 8-piece Sashimi, we were treated to 2 each of the Bluefin Akami, Ora King Salmon, Hotate and Shima Aji.  It might sound like an easy way of describing the sashimi as excellent, but it really was.  The quality of the fish was top-notch and served at the right temperature.  Cuts were precise and presented in the right size.   I particularly enjoyed the scallop as it was buttery soft and super sweet. 

As if you weren't eating enough bluefin these days (should stop because high-mercury levels), we had the Bluefin Futomaki.  This thing featured a thin layer of soy rice and equal amounts of akami and chutoro.  This thing was stuffed full of bluefin and well, need I really have to say it was delicious?  The picture itself tells the whole story.  Supremely sweet with the taste of the sea and also that classic soft texture with the chutoro being fatty and buttery.  Just a bit of real wasabi and a dab of soy was enough.

We tried 3 of their noodle dishes including the Duck Confit Mazemen.  It featured a massive duck leg that had the crispiest skin.  Nicely salted too.  I thought the duck meat was trending towards the drier side, but it was still quite good and not overly seasoned.  The al dente noodles were great and the combination of dashi and onsen egg made for a smoky, silky and aromatic flavour profile.  The wealth of green onion and red onions wasn't really my thing, but it did add brightness and some sharpness.

The most fusion dish of the bunch was the Mushroom "Pasta" as it combined sauteed mixed mushrooms, butter and chives with an egg yolk.  There was pecorino as well, but we opted for it to be on the side because it can be pretty overwhelming.  This was delicious with the earthiness of the mushrooms and silkiness of the butter.   Extra creaminess was thanks to the free-range egg yolk.  Al dente with a nice bite, the noodles were fully seasoned by the components.  After I added in the pecorino, there was a nutty saltiness which as brightened up by the ample chives.

Our last noodle was the Shoyu Ramen with chicken, clam and fish broth.  Really nice sweetness with certain silkiness from the slow and long cook of the chicken.  I noticed there was quite a bit of umaminess to the broth due to the combination of components.  Once again, the noodles were beautifully chewy and held up until the end.  We found a beautiful runny seasoned egg along with a few slices of medium-rare duck breast.

We ended off our meal with 2 scoops of Sorbet including Passionfruit and Strawberry.  These were really refreshing and quite creamy despite it being all ice.  Flavours were pretty natural-tasting and the sweetness was measured.  Great finish to a solid meal that featured high-quality ingredients that were honoured in their preparation.  Although I've had better in Vancouver, it is still a nice little spot in Montreal that offers delicious eats at a reasonable price.

The Good:

- High-quality and fresh ingredients

- Carefully-prepared

- Quaint

The Bad:

- Enjoyed it, but I've had better though

 

Bar Asra

As much as I try to keep up-to-date with all of the new restaurants in town, there are a bunch I completely miss.  It can be due to a variety of factors, such as limited promotion whether it be through traditional means or social media.  Also, the place might have not received much coverage from the usual outlets in town.  Well, the one great thing about being asked to check a restaurant out is that I actually get to learn about them.  The most recent one is Bar Asra located in the original Vij's.  This place has a unique decor and vibe.  Rather low-key and relaxed.  Led by Executive Chefs Kanwardeep Ahluwalia and Baldeep Singh, they have crafted a menu this is global but with West Coast connections.  Nice place to grab a drink and some eats.

We ended up getting 3 appetizers to share including the West Coast Crab Cakes.  This came with good-sized crab cakes that were crispy on the outside.  Inside, the amount of crab was more so than filler, hence, it was fluffy and almost crumbly.  This was paired with a sauce gribiche that was creamy and tangy.  Rounding out the compliments, we found avocado mousse and tomatillo salsa.  I thought the mousse added creaminess and colour, but the salsa was probably not needed as the gribiche was already doing the heavy lifting.

Based on first impressions, we didn't know what to think about the Black Garlic Chicken Skewers.  They were certainly black and didn't seem all that appealing.  However, we were very wrong as the white meat chicken was actually rather moist while the flavour emanating from the black garlic ash, yogurt and ginger was full of depth.  We got rich sweetness as well as tanginess and a bit of earthiness.  Some lemon aioli on the plate added creaminess with a touch of acidity.

Shockingly, my favourite item of the meal was the Sweet & Sour Pork Belly.  Normally, I would stay far away from this dish (as this is not a Chinese restaurant), but they did a fantastic job with their version.  First of all, the pork belly had a good mix of meat and just a bit of fat.  The pieces were crispy while tender.  It sat on a bed of chunky pineapple salsa which added a brightness and sweet tanginess to the dish.  However, it was the glaze that did the trick here.  It was lightly sweet, plenty tangy and had the right viscosity.  Super delicious!

Another delicious offering was the Bacon & Mussels Hot Pot.  Good portion size here where all of the large mussels were open and tasted fresh.  A bit creamy and full of depth, the tomato broth was mild with hits of smoked bacon and garlic.  I liked how it had tomato flavour without being too tangy.  The grilled sourdough was crunchy and charred, while helping to soak up all of the tasty broth.  We got an extra order of the bread too!

Our other main dish was the CAB NY Striploin prepared medium-rare.  It was as such and super tender.  The herb compound butter added a silky herb finish to each bite.  I would've liked a bit more char on the steak, but it didn't make or break the dish.  Possibly cleaner plating would've enhanced the dish more so as well.  We added foraged mushrooms ($7 surcharge) and it was a good move as they were buttery and had a nice texture.  Moreover, we also got the charred broccolini ($7 surcharge) and they were definitely smoky while still having a crunch.

Couldn't do without the cocktails, so we had 3 of them and one mocktail.  From left-to-right, we had the Yuzual Please, The Devil Drinks Margarita, Taking the Pisco and Peachy Clean.  Some really dangerous drinks here as they were fruity and went down easy.  The easiest was the Yuzual Please which was bright and citrusy.  There was some spice to the Margarita and definite red wine vibes.  The Pisco had hits of apple and rhubarb but wasn't just fruity as the tequila was still at the forefront.  Lastly, the Peachy Clean was floral and sweet, but at the same time, had elements that made it taste not like a mocktail.

Onto dessert, we had the Dubai Chocolate Bar surrounded by fried vermicelli noodles and dulce de leche.  The bar itself was what Dubai Chocolate is about.  Smooth and silky with pistachio with chocolate ganache, there was also a definite crunch and nuttiness.  It was sweet, but not as sweet as some other versions I've had.  Overall, the meal we had at Bar Asra was a good one and portions were not lacking.  Cool cocktails and a relaxed vibe in a restaurant that seems more Main Street than South Granville, but welcomed as it is something different in the neighbourhood.

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Some great flavours

- Great portion sizes

- Relaxed vibe with tasty cocktails

 

The Bad:

- Plating could be re-imagined 

 

Niwa

Recently, Air Canada released its list of the best new restaurants in Canada.  One of the places mentioned is Niwa out on a strip of great restaurants on Powell Street near Victoria Drive.  After great meals at other nominated restaurants such as Le Violon, Elem, June, Linny's and Pancée, I was excited to check out Niwa.  Viv and I went to celebrate her birthday with their Chef's Menu for a reasonable $85.00.

Our meal began with a few snacks including Assorted Pickles, Seiglinde Potato Salad and Country-Style Berkshire Pork Pâté.  These were pretty standard items in many tasting menus I've had as of late.  The pickled celery and radish were crunchy and punchy, but we thought the carrot was a bit bland.  Potato salad was creamy with crunchy onions and pops of roe.  Pate was firm with light meatiness.  It came with a small dollop of mustard and a slice of gherkin.  

One last snack was the Sablefish served as a cube of reconstituted meat.  It was fluffy and tender with a wasabi kick.  We added the Uni Shooter supplement and it was served with seaweed and ponzu.  For mine, it was bright and sweet, but Viv's was funky and not as fresh.  Our last supplemental dish was the Fife Bread.  It had a crunchy crust with a soft and chewy centre.  It was served with a squash compote that had sweet and earthy melon vibes along with a pork butter that was melty and baconesque.

Onto our next course, the Tofu Pocket was stuffed with mochi and mushrooms.  It sat in a dashi that was smoky and had the essence of dried orange peel.  We enjoyed the texture of the chewy tofu skin pocket, but the mochi in the middle was too soft and a bit slimy.  We would've liked to see it firmer.  As for the mushrooms, they were flavourful with a great texture.

We moved onto a salad of sorts with the Kohlrabi dressed in black vinegar and chili oil.  Combined with Asian pear, there was a mix of hard and soft crunch textures.  We had some natural sweetness, but with the black vinegar, it was the most dominant flavour.  There was a bit of spice for the chili oil, but it was muted.  This was fairly pleasant and light, where we were leading up to the next item.

That next item was our favourite dish of the meal, the Golden Eagle Sablefish.  Although we felt the dish could've been seasoned more aggressively, the overall execution was good.  Each large piece of sablefish was buttery and soft while barely cooked through.  The fish itself could've been salted more, but the preserved matsutake sauce had enough umami to make up for it.

As a side for the sablefish, we had the Crawford Farms Turnips with sweet onion.  This was quite good with soft turnips that still had a bite.  Of course there was some natural earthiness here and it was complimented by the fermented saltines of the miso on top.  Furthermore, the charred Ailsa Craig onions added both crunch and natural sweetness.

At this point, we thought our meal was over, but then came the Stewed Pork Shoulder Rice with seaweed.  This was a pretty rustic dish if you can imagine.  It was served over chewy sushi rice.  In general, this was a hearty and comforting item with tender and fatty pork.  Mixed in with the seaweed, scallions and chewy sushi rice, each bite was meaty and filling.

Finishing off the Chef's Menu, we were presented with the Brown Butter Ice Cream Puffs.  I enjoyed the creamy, nutty and sweet ice cream.  It was further enhanced by the Irish whiskey caramel which was pretty sweet.  The choux pastry was decent having an airiness to it while crispy on the outside. Overall, the Chef's Menu at Niwa was decent, but not particularly impressive compared to the other best new restaurants nominees (as per Air Canada) I've visited in 2025.  I do think the Chef's Menu is a good value though and I'm curious about the evolution of the restaurant as it moves into 2026.

The Good:

- Fairly good value

- Attentive service

- Nice atmosphere

The Bad:

- Food is decent but not memorable

- Pretty dark in there

Elem

Remember the last time I was at Elem?  If you guessed May, you are correct!  Now if you can also recall, I was dining at Elem almost monthly after they opened in late 2024.  So why the huge gap in between visits?  Well, if you haven't already heard, Viv broke her leg in July and that put everything on hold.  Also, I had gone to Montreal in October and had to do a detox after ripping through the best that they had.  So here we are back at Elem, now a Michelin-recommended restaurant and also appearing on Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list.

Like all of our meals at Elem, we got the Rye Bread.  This time around, they were accompanied by an apple butter topped with grated Szechuan pepper.  This resulted in a creamy and naturally sweet butter that had a slight bite.  It was ever-so-subtle though, so it wasn't numbing or spicy.  As for the rye, it was at its soft fluffy best with a slightly crispy exterior that was sweet.  Inside, there was still a slight chew. 

Of course we'd get some cocktails right?  These were quite interesting with the Hot Pot Whiskey Sour.  This really did taste like Chinese hot pot with the earthiness and spice.  We also got some extra tanginess from the kalamansi.  Their version of a Mai Tai featured 3 types of rum, which made it boozy but it was slightly tempered by the passionfruit granita and pistachio orgeat.

Our appetizers began with the Chicory Salad that was quite bountiful in size.  It was truly an appetizer as the coronation grape vinaigrette was super bright and tangy.  It helped balance out the bitterness from the crisp radicchio.  Nice crunch and aromatics from the walnuts and creaminess from the ricotta salata.  Although it might've seemed like a small detail, the plump blueberries added a fruity sweetness to the mix.

Onto a new item that is going to replace the Chicory Salad on the menu, we had the Futsu Squash with forno beets.  Chef Vish decided to employ little-used ingredients for this creation.  Not overly popular, the futsu squash was full of umami that resulted in an earthy sweetness.  It was tender, yet still had some firmness.  These were topped with tender slices of forno beets that were lightly sweet, but not overly earthy.  We found chunks of buffalo mozzarella and pickled walnuts as well.  The slices of fennel added extra crunch and aroma.  Finally, they used the whey from the mozzarella to create a vinaigrette.

We mourned the loss of the crab toast but were delighted to see the Prawn Toast as its replacement.  Light, almost fluffy and slightly rare, the diced prawn was super delicate and sweet.  It was topped with sesame and seared until crispy and aromatic.  Sitting on the same milk bread, it was lightly toasted.  Hence, it remained slightly crispy despite half-immersed in a tom yum sauce.  Combined with some Indian spices including cumin, the tom yum was earthy and tangy.  We got the lemongrass beyond the cumin.

Staying with the veggie theme of this meal (as we got a lot of that), we had the Delicata Squash that was halved and roasted.  Hence, the sweetness was coaxed out of the squash from the heat.  This was further enhanced by the quince glaze, which was balanced off by the ample pine nuts.  Underneath, we found a creamy mornay sauce.

Second round of cocktails consisted of the Tamarind & Mango Agua Fresca with a fruit popsicle.  Yes, this was a mocktail, but a tasty one at that.  Definitely refreshing but at the same time with body, the tamarind was prominent in taste and appearance.  The other cocktail was the Hinojo consisting of tequila, amartillado sherry and fennel.  Yep, another fairly strong concoction but balanced.  The tequila was at the forefront but the fennel added that licorice aroma.

We've had almost every version of the fried rice at Elem and although we have enjoyed them all, the current iteration was probably the best.  Interestingly, it happened to be the Mushroom Fried Rice and yes, there was no meat in it.  Despite that, it was very mushroom forward with impactful pieces of mushroom and a considerable amount of mushroom XO.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and firm with caramelization.  Nice crunch from the veggies and fluffiness from the egg.

The feature of the night happened to be the Argentinian Chili Risotto and yes, we got that too.  Just like the other risottos we've had here, this was expertly prepared.  Spreading nicely on the plate, the aborio rice was firm, but cooked through.  There was enough moisture and cheesiness without being intrusive.  The natural sweetness and umaminess of the Argentinian prawn came though.  Nice addition of acidity from the lemon and yes, it had spice from the chili and sambal.

Our meat dish of the night was the Wagyu Bavette in a crying tiger sauce.  Prepared mostly rare, the meat was juicy and possibly a touch chewy.  We would've preferred medium-rare or even medium in this application.  No matter, as it was still plenty chewable and best of all, it sat in a delicious sauce.  The combination of briny fish sauce, tangy lime juice and sweet tamarind really helped bring this dish alive.  Of course the plethora of herbs just put the flavours over-the-top.

To go with this, we had the Cabbage, that was roasted and topped with sesame pangrattato.  Nice aromatic and nutty crunch from that to go with the charred eggplant puree.  With some anchovies, we got some light salty brininess to provide some punch to an otherwise mild dish.  The cabbage itself was tender but not mushy.  We detected some cumin that gave the dish plenty of earthiness.

As for the sweet stuff, we were presented with a bonus bite in the Beet Ice Cream.  This was super smooth with a balanced sweetness.  We got the natural flavours of the beets including a hint of earthiness.  Really delicious.  We also had the Chocolate Tart with pumpkin gelato.  The tart itself was creamy and rich, while not being heavy.  It was semi-sweet with a balancing bitterness.  Underneath, the coffee foam added some extra flavour. 

When I asked for the bill, we were presented with some sweet bites (as they always do) in Passionfruit & Apple Jellies.  They were not too sweet and had a nice light gelatin texture to it.   Once again, it was a fine meal at Elem.  We still mourn the loss of the iconic Crab Toast and possibly the Bavette Steak could've been a bit more tender, but overall, the dishes we had were well-executed with thoughtful flavours.  Can't wait for my next visit!

The Good:

- Beautiful dining space

- Excellent service

- Worthy eats

The Bad:

- Wish the Crab Toast was still around...

- Steak could've been more tender