The Farsides recently introduced their new delivery menu featuring Hat Yai fried chicken. Hat Yai chicken originates from the Souther Thai town of Hat Yai that is located next to the Malaysian border. I remember fondly having this Thai fried chicken in night markets in Southeast Asia. The chicken is usually served with a generous scoop of deep fried shallots with a side of sticky rice. I haven’t been able to find anyone who makes Thai style friend chicken in Montreal, so when The Farsides hit me up and wanted to send me a sample of their new delivery and takeout menu, I was excited to accept the offer.
old port
I’ll be the first to say that sometimes it’s hard to find a place to eat in Montreal. Crazy right? No. I say it’s hard to find a place to eat not because of the scarcity of options, but the sheer amount of places to choose from. I’ve eaten at over 400 restaurants in Montreal (past and present, opened or now closed) and have reviewed over 300 of them. It’s easy to overlook places that may not be too obvious and that you’ve become stomach blind to. Spots where you’ve casually passed but never considered eating at. I’m guilty of this many times over – especially in the Old Port. But I made it a personal goal of mine to find those diamonds peppered within the tourist trap coals. This week I checked out the new menu at Verses Bistro.
Picture a dimly lit alley steps away from the hustle and bustle of a typical Tokyo street. Along a row of wooden doors sits a hidden oasis of food and drink where locals congregate and strangers make new friends. A mix of J-pop and Japanese oldies fill the air and ride a smoke scented draft wafting from the kitchen. Small bites of fried goodies and raw seafood, pepper the tables and glimmers and random lights are caught on the edges of cocktail glasses. This is Hanzo Izakaya. Owned and operated by the same team that brought to you Escondites, biirū, La Habanera, Kao Lua, and Gokudo, Hanzo Izakaya is Tokyo at night where wisps of neon lights creep in through noren curtains inviting you into a familiar place for a drink.