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I've been criticized in the past for attempting and succeeding in dining on Chinese food in the strangest of places (like Dim Sum in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale). This is especially true since I'm from Vancouver, which sports some of the best Chinese food in the world. However, there are times I want to put that claim to the test and more importantly, I just need some comfort food to break up the monotony of eating the same stuff night-after-night. This was the case as we decided to eat a classic Cantonese dinner at Keung Kee in Montreal.
Since the kiddies were dying for some Peking Duck, we got the 3-course deal. It started with the requisite roasted skin with crepes and accompaniments. They served it in an almost Beijing-style with plenty of meat attached to the skin. There was a mix of crispy portions as well as softer pieces. I found that the fat was not well-rendered and/or it was the type of duck with a thicker layer of fat to begin with. I found the crepes to be fantastic as they were thin, slightly chewy and not dried out. For the second course, we got the Duck Bone Soup with mustard greens and tofu. Either we were homesick and wanted some Chinese soup or this was actually quite good. Whatever the case, it was balanced and flavourful with plenty of ingredients including a decent amount of meat on the bones.
The third course was something unfamiliar to us as we normally we would expect a duck lettuce wrap. Rather, we got Stir-Fried Shredded Duck with bean sprouts and green peppers. Strange as it was to us, the dish was pretty good. There was a good amount of tender duck to go with the crunchy sprouts and peppers. The dish was well-seasoned, but due to the sprouts, the dish was water-logged. The same could be said about the Gai Lan with Beef as there was a considerable amount of moisture on the bottom of the plate. Despite this, the gai lan was crunchy, tender and vibrant. As for the beef slices, there was lots of it. The texture ranged from tender to a bit chewy.
Much to the delight of Costanza's oldest son, we also had the Peking Pork Chops which are his fave. Although the colour was on the paler side, the sauce was nicely tangy and purposefully sweet. The viscosity was just right, but there could've been less sauce. The pork chops were plentiful and fairly tender with a meaty chew. I would've liked to see them more tenderized, but they were still fine. To my son's delight, we got the Shrimp and Eggs as he loves mixing it into white rice. He loved it so much, he must've had 4 bowls of rice. The dish was actually quite good with more shrimp than eggs. Large with a meaty snap, the shrimp were cooked just enough while the scrambled eggs were tender and fluffy.
To go in a healthier direction, we also got a Steamed Whole Tilapia with green onions, ginger and cilantro. As much as I'm not a huge fan of the mushiness of tilapia in general, this one was prepared properly. Not only was it fresh (it was a live fish), the meat was fairly flaky and buttery. The sweetened soy was balanced and not too salty. Our last dish was the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with garlic (trying to get more greens into our diet). This was subjected to enough wok-heat where there was very little moisture while the pea shoots remained crunchy and vibrant. There was a good amount of garlic as well as seasoning. When we were done, it was pretty much agreed upon that the meal was solid. I'm pretty sure the fact we hadn't eaten a Chinese dinner in 3 weeks had something to do with it too.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Solid eats
- Decent portions
The Bad:
- Service, what service?
- A bit run-down
After our lunch at Olive + Gourmando, we proceeded to walk east towards the heart of Old Montreal (or the most touristy part that is). Costanza spotted Crêperie Chez Suzette at the mouth of Rue Saint Paul E. There and then he wanted crepes, it didn't matter if he was hungry or not and if the place was any good either. Well, after a quick internet search, it was determined that we would walk further East and try a generally higher-rated spot in Muru Crêpe.
We were able to catch them before they closed and got a few to share. My son only had the J'Adore featuring Nutella, chocolate syrup and whipped cream on his radar. He absolutely didn't want to share (which he really didn't either). The part I was able to wrestle from him was really good. The crepe was thin, pillowy soft while still showing some chewiness and elasticity. It was mildly sweet by itself and a whole lot sweeter with the Nutella and chocolate. Costanza's older son went for the Merci Beaucoup which was a simple crepe topped with butter, sugar, maple syrup and whipped cream. However, simple sometimes means better and this was no exception. Hence, the light aforementioned texture of the crepe was highlighted. The flavours were aromatic due to the butter and maple syrup and surprisingly not overly sweet.
For my daughter, she did a 180 from her usual choice of sweet things and went for a savoury crepe being the Savoyarde with mozzarella cheese, bacon, potato and creme fraiche. This was a bit more substantial (as well as the price) with plenty of filling that was ooey gooey with cheese and the saltiness of bacon. As much as this was enjoyable and good, I found the sweet crepe not the best match for the savoury ingredients. The side of fries were fantastic though being super crispy. Lastly, Costanza had the prettiest plate with the Coup de Foudre sporting a bevy of fresh strawberries, sugar, strawberry syrup and whipped cream. This was light and also not overly sweet. However, the crepe in this one was a bit chewier, possibly due to less liquid ingredients. Ultimately, we were satisfied and thought the extra walking was worth it. So much so, Costanza returned a few days after!
The Good:
- Thin crepes that were texturally on-point
- Decent service
- Flavours were appealing
The Bad:
- Sweet crepe didn't really go with the savoury ingredients
In addition to congee, wonton noodles and dim sum, there are a few other things we crave while on vacation. One in particular is Chinese baked buns and pastries. Call it another one of our comfort foods, but really, we need BBQ Pork Buns to survive! As much as our kids enjoy hamburgers, pasta and grilled cheese sammies, they still have some Asian left in them... LOL... So before our day in Old Montreal, we sauntered over to Pâtisserie Harmonie which was in nearby Chinatown.
We did indeed get BBQ Pork Buns since that is one of the standards that all Chinese bakeries are judged. Well, they surprisingly passed with flying colours. Fairly large in size and exhibiting a good filling-to-bun ratio, this ate well. The pork was lean and the sauce was balanced. I found the bun to be light and airy while not dry. This was more than decent. It goes without saying that the Custard Bun shared the same qualities. The picture doesn't show it, but the bun was equally airy. It got squashed as we were ripping it apart. Inside, the custard filling was a bit meager though. It wasn't too sweet and could've been lighter.
Another bun we just could not leave without was the Pineapple Bun. Again, there are no pineapples used to make this, rather, the crispy sugar topping "looks" like the outside of a pineapple. Like the other 2 previous buns, this was also good. As evidenced in the picture, the topping was uniform and covered the entire bun. It was medium-thickness and crispy. With the same airy bun, this impressed the kiddies (as well as the adults).
Onto something other than buns, I decided to try their Sponge Cake. It was more or less a typical version which was neither very airy nor too dense. It was lightly sweet and eggy. Moving onto something more robust, I also got some of the Walnut Cake which was predictably more dense and a little more sweet. It was "wetter" too, but not in a bad way. This was pretty filling compared to the sponge cake. Overall, we thought the things we tried at Pâtisserie Harmonie to be more than serviceable. In fact, we thought they were above-average and comparable to Vancouver/Richmond. A real nice find in Chinatown and close to our hotel!
The Good:
- Soft and airy buns
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent selection
The Bad:
- I thought the buns were better than the cakes (not the whole cakes because we didn't try them)
Posts
I've been criticized in the past for attempting and succeeding in dining on Chinese food in the strangest of places (like Dim Sum in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale). This is especially true since I'm from Vancouver, which sports some of the best Chinese food in the world. However, there are times I want to put that claim to the test and more importantly, I just need some comfort food to break up the monotony of eating the same stuff night-after-night. This was the case as we decided to eat a classic Cantonese dinner at Keung Kee in Montreal.
Since the kiddies were dying for some Peking Duck, we got the 3-course deal. It started with the requisite roasted skin with crepes and accompaniments. They served it in an almost Beijing-style with plenty of meat attached to the skin. There was a mix of crispy portions as well as softer pieces. I found that the fat was not well-rendered and/or it was the type of duck with a thicker layer of fat to begin with. I found the crepes to be fantastic as they were thin, slightly chewy and not dried out. For the second course, we got the Duck Bone Soup with mustard greens and tofu. Either we were homesick and wanted some Chinese soup or this was actually quite good. Whatever the case, it was balanced and flavourful with plenty of ingredients including a decent amount of meat on the bones.
The third course was something unfamiliar to us as we normally we would expect a duck lettuce wrap. Rather, we got Stir-Fried Shredded Duck with bean sprouts and green peppers. Strange as it was to us, the dish was pretty good. There was a good amount of tender duck to go with the crunchy sprouts and peppers. The dish was well-seasoned, but due to the sprouts, the dish was water-logged. The same could be said about the Gai Lan with Beef as there was a considerable amount of moisture on the bottom of the plate. Despite this, the gai lan was crunchy, tender and vibrant. As for the beef slices, there was lots of it. The texture ranged from tender to a bit chewy.
Much to the delight of Costanza's oldest son, we also had the Peking Pork Chops which are his fave. Although the colour was on the paler side, the sauce was nicely tangy and purposefully sweet. The viscosity was just right, but there could've been less sauce. The pork chops were plentiful and fairly tender with a meaty chew. I would've liked to see them more tenderized, but they were still fine. To my son's delight, we got the Shrimp and Eggs as he loves mixing it into white rice. He loved it so much, he must've had 4 bowls of rice. The dish was actually quite good with more shrimp than eggs. Large with a meaty snap, the shrimp were cooked just enough while the scrambled eggs were tender and fluffy.
To go in a healthier direction, we also got a Steamed Whole Tilapia with green onions, ginger and cilantro. As much as I'm not a huge fan of the mushiness of tilapia in general, this one was prepared properly. Not only was it fresh (it was a live fish), the meat was fairly flaky and buttery. The sweetened soy was balanced and not too salty. Our last dish was the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with garlic (trying to get more greens into our diet). This was subjected to enough wok-heat where there was very little moisture while the pea shoots remained crunchy and vibrant. There was a good amount of garlic as well as seasoning. When we were done, it was pretty much agreed upon that the meal was solid. I'm pretty sure the fact we hadn't eaten a Chinese dinner in 3 weeks had something to do with it too.
