Surprise. I’m back. Life got exciting and I had to disconnect. It felt a lot nicer that I anticipated to disconnect, but I haven’t forgotten about you. Yes you! I’ve been eating (of course) and have found some great spots to share – also not so great spots that I can share as well. Anyways, all this to say, shoutout if you remember a time when burgers weren’t smashed. All the recent burger spots that have popped up in the city are serving smash burgers. Why? There was a time when I didn’t like them. Not only were they were basically devoid of meat, but they were tiny and I thought they were faddy and would phase out eventually. But with the sheer amount of smash burger spots, I can confidently say, they’re here to say. So instead of hating, I decided to embrace them. I’ve eaten good ones and even great ones, like this one I needed to share with you; Chez Simon Cantine Urbaine.
Food
The last time I had Mexican street food was several years ago when I was in Cancun. I ventured out of the resort and followed one of the employee’s suggestion of a taco stand right outside of a flea market. I was enticed by the sights and sizzling sounds of the greasy plancha and plastic plates wrapped in plastic produce bags serving delicious tortilla wrapped goodies. I pounded a couple of platefuls of tacos al pastor and nopales. I got sick, but it was worth it. Ever since then, despite the memories of the raging inferno of my gastrointestinal tract in Cancun, I have yearned for the taste of authentic tacos in Montreal. To be fair, there have been a few like Don Rigo, La Capital, Tacos & Tortas that can transport you. I’m happy to have found another to add to the list. This week I went to check out El Valiente Tacos & Snacks.
What’s your Montreal restaurant red flag? Word of mouth? Could it be a dirty washroom? Google reviews of 3 stars or less? Restaurants “reviewed” by influencers with “DM for COLLAB” in their bios? It’s tough finding diamonds int he rough without going to experience a place for myself. I recently discovered my Montreal restaurant GREEN flag. Something that someone else might deem as a red flag is something I actually appreciate. I asked the waitress for suggestions and not only did she suggest their specialty items, but literally told me to AVOID certain dishes on their menu. This week’s hidden gem, I venture into Little Maghreb for some awesome Chinese food at Restaurant Kim Jian.