I’ve been away for a while, so I'd say I am due for a good long post, no?
Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the lovely city of Montreal a couple of times. I had some worthwhile eating experiences there, so I’d like to share some of my finds with you:
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| Savoury Crepe for Breakfast |
105, Rachel W Street
Montreal, Quebec
H2W 1G4
If you are up for a special eating experience, visit Crudessence. This is the first raw vegan restaurant in Quebec, and everything on the menu is also gluten-free. I’ve been there for breakfast on two occasions and have had the pleasure of trying two delicious savoury crepes that were stuffed with fresh sprouts and greens, plus slathered with macadamia or almond ricotta. Scrumptious! I’ve also had their homemade Key lime pie, made with cocoa butter and fresh limes in a macadamia-coconut crust. Very satisfying on a hot day. Highly recommended!
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| Thai Bowl and Bombay Banana Smoothie |
4631 boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, Quebec
H2T 1R2
Following the veggie theme, I present you: Aux Vivres. This is another vegan restaurant that has a very good selection of gluten-free offerings, all conveniently marked on the menu. On my first visit, I had a Dragon Bowl, which was a big bushel of fresh steamed veggies over brown rice, covered in tangy ginger dragon sauce. On my next visit, I tried the Thai Bowl, which included more of them fresh steamed veggies plus marinated carrots and raddish, peanuts and grilled tofu covered with a yummy peanut sauce. Mmm! Oh, and I had a Bombay Banana smoothie too. It tasted like a chai latte mixed with bananas! Awesome!
La crêperie du marché
Following the veggie theme, I present you: Aux Vivres. This is another vegan restaurant that has a very good selection of gluten-free offerings, all conveniently marked on the menu. On my first visit, I had a Dragon Bowl, which was a big bushel of fresh steamed veggies over brown rice, covered in tangy ginger dragon sauce. On my next visit, I tried the Thai Bowl, which included more of them fresh steamed veggies plus marinated carrots and raddish, peanuts and grilled tofu covered with a yummy peanut sauce. Mmm! Oh, and I had a Bombay Banana smoothie too. It tasted like a chai latte mixed with bananas! Awesome!
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| Me: Longing for crepes... |
7070, Henri-Julien Street
Montréal, Quebec
(Marché Jean-Talon)
This was a surprise find that made my day. As it so happens, this little crêperie makes gluten-free buckwheat crepes, fresh to order. I had a savoury vegetarian one followed by a sweet one filled with bananas and maple butter. The maple butter one was truly to die for!
Zero 8
1735 St-Denis Street
Montreal, Quebec
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1735 St-Denis Street
Montreal, Quebec
H2X 3K4
This restaurant has a pretty interesting concept –all of its offerings are 100% free of the top 8 allergens, which includes gluten! So, everything on the menu is gluten-free. Yey! For dinner, my friend had the Olive Oil + Parsley Tagliatelle, and I had a veggie sandwich with fries and a side of curry mayo. My sandwich and fries were flavourful, and the bread tasty, though it seemed underbaked to me. My dinner date seemed to enjoy his pasta, but complained about the fact that only plain button mushrooms were used, rather than a more flavourful variety. Overall, the food was good, though perhaps a bit overpriced for the quality. We didn’t get the chance to try the desserts, but they looked very appetizing, and I do believe they would be worth a second visit!
This restaurant has a pretty interesting concept –all of its offerings are 100% free of the top 8 allergens, which includes gluten! So, everything on the menu is gluten-free. Yey! For dinner, my friend had the Olive Oil + Parsley Tagliatelle, and I had a veggie sandwich with fries and a side of curry mayo. My sandwich and fries were flavourful, and the bread tasty, though it seemed underbaked to me. My dinner date seemed to enjoy his pasta, but complained about the fact that only plain button mushrooms were used, rather than a more flavourful variety. Overall, the food was good, though perhaps a bit overpriced for the quality. We didn’t get the chance to try the desserts, but they looked very appetizing, and I do believe they would be worth a second visit!
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| Late-night candy production |
This was another little surprise, which I found in Chinatown: Dragon's Beard! A delicacy made with LOTS of sugar, cornstarch, peanuts and more sugar. I don't recall the exact address, but wander down rue de la Gauchetiere at night, and you can't miss it!
Wishing you the happiest of travels!
Dino
