What food can you eat every day and not get sick of? Let it be known, I love pho. So much so that I’m on a perpetual quest to find Montreal’s best bowl of pho (Montreal’s Best Pho). I’ve eaten over 50 bowls from 50 different restaurants, it’s a claim that I’m both proud of and a bit scared of, as I’m sure I’ve eaten my weight in fatty tendon, tripe and M.S.G. But my sacrifice is for the greater good, to find the city’s best bowl of pho – the “dac biet” more specifically. My journey takes me newly opened Pho Mymy in The Plateau.
Mile-end/Plateau Mont-Royal
The Plateau is undoubtedly one of the city’s most colorful neighborhoods. Vintage shops, cute cafes, and restaurants specializing in any kind of cuisine you can image… except for Korean. For the longest time, the Plateau had no love for bi bim bap, pajeon or japchae. Why? Who knows. But recently, a little spot called Hoya on Mont Royal and the corner of Henri-Julien just helped the Plateau diversify its eatery options and turning up the gochujang heat while doing so.
I’m on the never-ending quest to find the epitome of comfort food. Dishes and meals that not only put a smile on your face but also evoke childhood memories and transport you back to a place and time where “mortgage” and “income tax” were strange words you heard your parents say. I grew up with juicy dumplings, chewy noodles in flavorful broths and smoked meat sandwiches. I’m sure my comfort foods differ from your creamy mac and cheese, slow-cooked smokey chili or fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Although our definitions are different, we can all agree that the warm fuzzies are the same when it comes to seeking familiar dishes and foods for comfort. I recently hit up this new local neighborhood spot Paradis BBQ located in the plateau for “comfort food”.