I found much that was worthy of mention, from excellent restaurants to a killer food market. However, I didn't take many photos of these extracurricular activities as I chose more to relax and savor the food. I still want to rave about them though, to provide some recommendations for anyone traveling to Quebec and Montreal.
The menu was extensive, including lots of intriguing selections, and includes much sushi, which you can get with brown rice instead of white if you so desire. We ordered some sushi, all which was fresh, large and delicious. The tamago, the omelet, was especially tasty, one of the best I have had. The organic salmon sashimi was also very good. For hot dishes, the fried calamari was some of the best I have tasted, small and tender rectangular pieces with a delightfully crisp batter. The sweet potato fries came with a curry-like dipping sauce topped by thin slices of foie gras. The crisp, plump fries went well with the dipping sauce and the foie was heavenly. A large bowl of mussels were prepared in a savory Sake broth, and they were addictive. Everything we ate was fantastic.
I was disappointed with the tiny number of Sakes on their wine list, and the only one that appealed to me cost over $600, which is not within reach of my wallet. The list though had a superb collection of wines, albeit pricey which is a common issue with most restaurants in Montreal. The wines came from all over the world, and included plenty of quirky and interesting wines. Wine lovers will certainly love perusing this list and will be sure to find something of interest. We ordered a Priorat white wine and an Austrian Blaufrankisch, both which I enjoyed.
Service was impressive, including the sommelier. We had to send back the first wine we ordered as it was flawed, and the sommelier took it right back without question. The food was reasonably priced and we left the restaurant very satisfied. Kaizen receives a strong recommendation.
Adam had never had poutine before so this was his opportunity to taste this decadent and fattening dish. A Poutine Virgin. We all, including Adam, enjoyed the poutine, while sitting looking out over the St. Lawrence River and you can see our view at the top of this post. A perfect way to start the morning.
There was a tiny stall selling Dragon Beard Candy, a candy supposedly once reserved for only the Emperor. It is essentially strands of sugar surrounding a mixture of nuts, sesame seeds, coconut, chocolate, and sugar. The candy is made by hand, where a disk of corn starch and sugar is pulled continually until you get many thin strands. When completed, the candy resembles an insect cocoon and has some of the stickiness and texture of cotton candy. The inner mixture is very pleasant, a melange of sweet flavors and textures. A must stop in Chinatown for this unique treat.
One evening, we sought out a place for a late dinner and we were nearly overwhelmed by the myriad choices. We sought a place that wasn't a tourist trap, a place where locals dined. After some consideration, we selected Keung Kee Restaurant, which was hidden away on a second floor and it turned out to be a winner.
It is a medium-sized spot, with plenty of large round tables, with lazy susans, for big parties. It isn't fancy or elegant, more just a serviceable restaurant. The menu, which is in both Chinese and English, is lengthy and the dishes are reasonably priced, nearly everything under $15. The choices include Thai, Chinese and Americanized-Chinese dishes, a variety from Chow Mein to Jellyfish, from Thai Style Fried Shrimp to Pork Chop with Peking Sauce.
The Deep Fried Wontons ($4.25) were crunchy, filled with shrimp and quite tasty with a sweet sauce for dipping. A nice way to start our meal. The Fried Rice Noodles with Beef ($8.95) consisted of a large dish of flat noodles, with lots of tender beef and veggies, topped by a delicious brown gravy. The Half Crispy Chicken ($10.95) was exactly that, with moist meat covered by crisp and tasty skin. That skin was addictive! The BBQ Pork ($9.95) was a large dish of thin sliced BBQ pork, tender and tasty. The dishes seemed fresher than you get at some places, and the flavors were balanced. Definitely a place food lovers should check out.
Another evening, we went to Chinatown just for soup dumplings! While driving through Chinatown, I saw a large sign for the soup dumplings and knew I had to check it out. We went to Qing Hua Dumpling and were almost disappointed. They were preparing to close for the evening, but we convinced them to stay open for just a bit longer so we could have some soup dumplings. We didn't even really get to peruse the menu. We ordered a couple of basic pork soup dumplings, and our server recommended we also order lamb and coriander soup dumplings.
It seems their menu doesn't offer much beyond dumplings, though they have several varieties, including chicken, lamb, and uni. The dumplings were excellent, with a savory broth and plenty of nicely spiced meat. The lamb dumplings were a different style than the pork, but it seemed more a cosmetic issue than anything else. They filled my need and I would return again another time to try more of their soup dumplings. An uni soup dumpling sounds intriguing.
I had a great time in the La Fromagerie Hamel, a cheese and gourmet food shop, and I purchased numerous local Quebec cheeses. In other shops, I bought wine to take home and a crusty baguette to eat while walking around. I probably could have spent much more money here and filled my trunk with plenty of foods to take home. A must visit for any food and wine lover.
