There’s a day during the year that I looked forward to the most. On par with Christmas day and my birthday – not for gifts and spending time with family –because more importantly, my parents let me skip school and I didn’t have to put in the extra effort and pretend to be sick. Chinese New Year is a particular important time of year for Chinese – traditionally the celebration lasts for 15 days – the first three days at statutory holidays in China where the country literally grinds to a halt where everyone is spending time with loved ones. Though we might not celebrate communism in the west, we do celebrate Chinese New Year, so if you’re down to party like it’s 4712, here are some things you need to know.
Category:
Food
Sushi restaurants in Montreal are a dime a dozen. Seems like every neighbourhood has their own local sushi joint where everyone gets their nigiri and maki fixes and lightning jolts of omega-3s straight to their veins. Sure, you’re not going to meet P.K. Subban or pay for your meal with your next car or mortgage payment, you might even end up paying with your gastrointestinal tract for having raw fish that’s prepared on a hot line next to fiery wok pushing out general taos and pad Thais. Don’t get me wrong, these polar opposites are rare and chances are your go-to spot probably satiates any sushi cravings you may have adequately, celebrityless and hygienically. I recently hit up Kaiji in Villeray, a spot I’ve been to once before and promised myself to visit again if I were ever in the area.
One of the least represented cuisines in NDG/Westmount is Thai. Why? A question that will stand the test of time along with “why isn’t there any pho in the area?” and “why is it only here that people feel the entitlement to cross the street diagonally?” along with the classic, “why is there a Lululemon uniform for old ladies in NDG/Westmount?” I recently went to try and answer these age old questions starting with the lack of Thai food representation in the area. I noticed this place a while back and was skeptical, Pick Thai – located on de Maisoneuve and Northcliffe, across from the Vendome Metro station and in the shadow of the new super duper hospital, I was skeptical but impressed. Skeptical because it was the first of its kind, the one to try and set precedence to say that this area needs a taste of the Southeast and impressed for exactly the same reasons.