I once wrote an article or Tourism Montreal about the different kinds of Chinese cuisines available in Montreal. FYI, there are eight regional cuisines in China: Lu (Shandong), Chuan (Szechuan), Hui (Anhui), Yue (Guangdong), Min (Fujian), Xiang (Hunan), Su (Jiangsu), and Zhe (Zhejiang). There are similarities among these different cooking styles, but they are all unique. What differentiates them from each other are the regional ingredients, geography, climate and history. Don’t forget, China is huge. We’re lucky to have so many Chinese restaurants in Montreal that represent many of these cooking styles. Beijing, Kam Fung for Cantonese, Gia Ba and Hong Mere for Szechuan, Nouilles Lan Zhou and Delice Oriental for Jiangsu – to name a few. I recently found a restaurant that serves a dish that’s not often found anywhere. Sorry, I take that back, not found anywhere at all. Period. I checked out Chez Yanna for their Toisanese duck.
Ville St. Laurent
Montreal has some great Chinese restaurants, this we know. But did you know that we have different restaurants that serve very specific and regional cuisines? There are considered to be eight regional cuisines in China. The cooking styles are familiar but very distinct and differ from each other. Some of my favourites are Beijing, Mon Nan, and Kam Fung for Cantonese, Hong Mere and Gia ba for Sichuan, and Nouilles Lanzhou and Delice Oriental for Jiangsu. I recently went to a small local spot for some delicious Taiwanese food. Although not part of China, Taiwanese is indigenously Chinese and the food shares many of the same qualities. I visited Maison Mignon to get my fix of Taiwanese comfort food.
Do you think you can handle spicy foods? That’s cute, because no, no you can’t. I’ve bragged about it in the past that I can eat spicy foods. When given the chance and am able to choose the level of spiciness in a dish, I’ll forego “very spicy” and ask for “ETHNIC SPICY”. I once went to an Indian spot in Cote des Neiges and the waiter asked me how spicy I wanted my food. I told him to make it as spicy as he would eat it. He asked me THREE TIMES if I was sure, and I told him THREE TIMES that I was. I regretted it 20 seconds after I took my first bite. This was the first time I made this mistake. The second time I made the mistake of ordering ultra super spicy, was at the newly opened all you can eat Chinese hot pot spot in Ville Saint-Laurent, Première Fondue.