Cheers! Santé! Kampai! “When I say sake, you say bomb… SAKEEEEEE…” We’ve all said these things at one time or another. If you’re not Vietnamese (or drank with Vietnamese friends) I’m about to put you on to a new drinking toast. “1…2…3… Yo!” which roughly translates to “1,2,3 let’s go!” This toast is the namesake of the newly opened Vietnamese spot in Laval, 1,2,3, Dzo! A spot that is offering up legit street food eats and an authentic curb-side dining experience. Be honest, we’re all fans of street food and we’re fortunate enough in Montreal to have access to all kinds. From Japanese izakayas, to Korean indoor stalls, Chinese crepes and dumplings and Vietnamese pubs, we’re got them all, and now, we’ve got another.
street food
What goes through your mind when you think about the food scene in Outremont? Quiet cafes tucked away on the side streets, little bistros du quartier with casual terrasses that line the sidewalks. Hipster wine bars that serve “small plates to share”? Sure, that, but what if I told you that as of now, you can find fiery authentic Thai street food in Outremont? You’d think I’ve been taking too many summer fish sauce shots and crushing one too many noodle bowls. But it’s true. I recently hit up a new local hot spot that’s guaranteed to shock the vanilla neighbourhood with it’s spicy flavours and neon lights. I visited Tham Ma Da.
You know what the best part about food it? Sure, it’s tasty, it’s a basic necessity for living and existing, but it’s so much more powerful than that. Eat something bad and it can fuck up your day (in more ways than one), eat something delicious and you’re thinking about it for weeks, or in my case, years. When I was in Southeast Asia, I had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten and I reminisce about it all the time. Not being able to hop on a flight to southeast Asia as often as I would like relive some delicious food is tough, but I discovered a spot makes it a bit easier to curb those cravings. I’ve tried most places in the city in a desperate attempt to relive the experience but to no avail, until I finally hit up Mae Sri Comptoir Thai.