April Round Up

Pho Bac 97
I went for lunch on a weekend, walking down the main, through a pretty seedy area and out the other side to Chinatown.  There's 1 block with a lot of great noodle restaurants, need to go back and try Nudo and Pho bang New York.

I mistakenly ordered a bowl of pho with tripe in it, I tried but I just can't get to grips with the consistency.  Pretty certain I'm not alone in that so won't beat myself up.  I left the tripe but the beef, the noodles, broth and accompaniments were exactly what I needed.  Available in 3 sizes, I went medium and it's pretty big.  The prawn summer rolls were great too.  Free green tea is given on arrival.  Really liked it and will be back.  Lots of people came and went, it's very popular, relaxed and great for a quick cheap bite to eat, I paid $13.

Hof Kelsten
I've been here a couple of times, it's primarily a bakery selling loaves, pastries and good coffee but they also have a sandwich and soup menu, and on weekends a few brunch selections on a handwritten menu.  I really liked my Challah French toast with bacon, poached egg and maple syrup.  Really really good.  I want to get back down there and try the salmon sandwich and matzo soup of which I hear very good things.

Osteria Venti
Early in the month, I dragged some work buddies round the corner from work to this trattoria on St Paul.  Pasta dishes were the highlight, they have an enormous chalkboard listing cheeses and charcuterie, I've just realised I lied completely in my last post claiming not to have had any local cheese in Montreal, I have had cheese, we shared the cheeseboard for afters here.  Can't have been that great, I completely forgot.  We shared the charcuterie board to start, the focaccia with olive oil was excellent.

My squid ink seafood pasta was really lovely, massive massive prawn.  Can't remember how much we paid, wasn't expensive, drank a couple of bottles of decent red.  Pasta was the highlight.

Lawrence (brunch)
I've mentioned these guys before, they are responsible for the best sandwich I've ever eaten.  I went for brunch with a monster hangover and they sorted me out.  I had the full english and a pot of tea.  There was even bubble and squeak!  Only gripe is the bowl type plate which makes it hard to manouvre things around and that there wasn't a hash brown, because their presence is always welcome.  Can't wait to get back there for dinner.  Brunch was less than $20, no booze.

Pho Bac 97
1016 Boulevard St-Laurent 
Chinatown
8.5/10

 

Hof Kelsten
4524 Saint Laurent Blvd  
Plateau
8.5/10



Osteria Venti
372 St-Paul Ouest
Old Montreal
7/10



Lawrence
5201 Blvd St-Laurent
Plateau
9/10


 
p.s. A really really great thing about Montreal is that late night eating is encouraged.  Many establishments offering a special late menu post 10pm, it's bloody brilliant.  They're also trialing some bars opening until 6am this summer, excellent timing!

Cay Tre, Soho

London's 'phô mile' has sprawled west and now diners in Soho can sample what is considered to be the finest Vietnamese food London has to offer. A branch of Cay Tre has opened on Dean Street.

I went one lunchtime a week or so after the launch and found the restaurant fairly quiet and the food excellent.

Their prawn summer rolls, Goûi cuoán, are the best I've sampled, served with toasted peanuts and chicken liver sauce. A generous serving for £4.50, alternative fillings are pork, beef or mackerel.


The honey and five spice roast chicken, Gaø roâ ti, was succulent, as meat cooked on the bone tends to be. The meat was a little scarce but the marinade delicious and the skin perfectly crisp from the roasting. Again, reasonably priced at £9.


The Goûi boø ñu ñuû thòt boø khoâ, sesame cured beef and papaya salad was hot and fresh as only Vietnamese dishes can be. A salad that leaves you feeling like you've eaten a decent meal whilst still being light and healthy and only £7.


One regrettable negative in that I found the service somewhat lacklustre. Our order of rice was forgotten and food, drinks and bill were all very slow to materialize. It was still early days though and I'll certainly return regularly from here on regardless. The menu is full of gems and consists of exciting dishes with many varied ingredients, you could dine out here for weeks and not get bored. Also, I need my regular fill of phô and now won't have to travel more than 5 minutes from the office to find the best in town!

Cay Tre
44 Dean Street
Soho
7/10

Viet Grill

I love the little strip of Vietnamese restaurants along Kingsland Road in Shoreditch and came to the realisation that I hadn't visited any of them for yonks when an email regarding the relaunch of Viet Grill popped up in my inbox.

Along I went with Thomas on a dull Thursday evening, there's nothing quite like a Vietnamese feast to inject some zing into your day. It being a healthier and fresher version of Chinese cuisine. Perfect for trying to beat the January bulge.

I asked for the recommended chef special dishes, eliminating the difficulty of choosing from the extensive new menu. The wine list too has had a revamp with the help of wine aficionado and 'champion of the ordinary wine-drinker' (I guess that would be me?) Malcolm Gluck. We went for the Hunawihr Gewurztraminer Reserve d’Alsace 2007 which I cannot get enough of since first sampling some before Christmas.

First up came the mango salad, which is far more interesting than it sounds and comes from the recommended chef's special section of the menu.


The flavours were vibrant and fresh, a nice chili kick, julienned vegetables and fried crispy bits of squid made for a lovely amalgamation of flavours and textures. Very enjoyable and a great start to the meal.

The second starter was the beef vinh. A charcoal grilled skewer of rolled beef served with a fermented soy dressing and a side salad. The meat was perfectly cooked and wonderfully charred with a fabulous flavour. I would not have ordered either of these dishes had I chosen for myself but both were great.

Main courses again whilst perhaps not what I might have selected myself wowed us and I am now a catfish convert. Slow cooked catfish with a caramelised fish sauce served prettily in a clay pot which was set ablaze once it was placed down on the table, you can just about make out the blue flame to the bottom left of the bowl.


The fish itself was very meaty in texture, I've never had catfish before and am now a firm fan. The sauce was sticky and rich, perfect poured liberally over the sticky rice side dishes.

The second main course was the quail curry with aubergine and okra. The curry sauce was rather fruity and sweet, something well suited to my palate but I think perhaps a bit too sweet for some. I loved it though and again the sauce was excellent with the rice.


We also sampled the wokked bo xoi greens with garlic and rice wine which were quite excellent. Crunchy and packed full of flavour with so much garlic.


We were pretty full but decided to sample a dessert between us, the banana fritters which were better than the usual, this place is not about pudding though. We both also had Vietnamese coffee which again is very sweet due to the condensed milk. Thomas reminisced about his days in Australia where he often ate Vietnamese and I dreamed about when I will visit far afield places and experience the real deal for myself.

The menu is varied and remarkable value for money, they serve excellent Ph ò and Bò cu n bánh tráng, beef which is cooked at the table before you. Service throughout was very attentive and food was delivered swiftly. The same guys also run Cafe Tre and I will definitely return when that oh so familiar craving for Vietnamese hits, Viet Grill is head and shoulders above it's competitors on the same strip and I highly recommend it.

I dined as a guest of Viet Grill and received a complimentary meal with a bottle of wine

Viet Grill
58 Kingsland Road, E2