Every neighbourhood likes to have things they call their own; the corner deep that’s run by a cute family, the big fat stray cat that everyone seems to feed and that guy who reserves parking spot on the street with a folding chair after digging his car out after a snowstorm. But none of these will ever measure up to the one thing that every neighbourhood loves to call their own, their “restaurant du quartier.” I visited Luciano Trattoria – located in Petit-Partie – one afternoon for lunch with a friend who was moving to China. She was back in town packing up the rest of her apartment before the big move and needed to fill an Italian meal void she’d been having ever since she went to China.
Dear West island,
I know we’ve had our differences in the past, and by differences, I mean me making fun of you for various reasons like, being a baron wasteland of decent food, or acting like the North Korean hermit borough of Montreal for living in a bubble being ruled under the greasy fist of the Sauce Boss and considering anything past Ikea as “downtown”. Ok, wait, I take that back, there are some good restaurants in the West island but those places are rarer than an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers that’s worth watching. But today I’m reaching out to you with a congratulatory handshake of peace. Why? Because you’ve finally entered the pho game with a worthy contender and you probably don’t even know it.
There are particular dishes and meals that I crave at certain times of year; light ceviches and hearty salads in the summer and soul soothing bowls of soup noodles in winter. One of my favourite things to eat when the temperature dips low is hot pot or Asian fondue. A shallow pot filled with flavourful broth surrounded by a tableful of little dishes waiting to be cooked. Hot pot is a great meal for a group of people but what happens when you’re just one person? Sure you can still hot pot, but the ritual isn’t the same – plus it’s more expensive and with all the left over ingredients, you’ll probably be hot potting for the rest of the week. That’s why you need to try my recipe for Sukiyaki For One featuring konjac noodles from nuPasta.