Shockingly, surprisingly, delicious Asian cuisine in an exceptional restaurant.
Easily my best meal in Montreal, East offers a phenomenal dining/drinking experience. The atmosphere is fun and fabulous, the service was exemplary, the drinks were perfection, and I was truly shocked and surprised at how delicious the food was in this non-traditional Asian restaurant. I started with the Peking Duck Bao - two large bao crunchy and umami and well spiced. Then moved on to the Spicy Tartar Maki - enormous and delicious with lots of fresh fish flavor. My only complaint is that the maki were too large leaving you the choice of biting through nori or overstuffing your face.
The drinks were in fact beyond perfection. The Green Lantern was an herbaceous sake delight and the East a vibrant balance of flavor and texture (I ordered mine light on the syrup to contain the sweetness - your mileage may vary). The bartender was a delight - not only providing prompt, friendly, efficient service but also discussing the options and techniques available to a good mixologist. And the atmosphere was both welcoming and entertaining - if I didn't have other places to be I could have hung out here all evening.
It isn't often I get to sing a song of unrelenting praise. Dining at East offered me such an opportunity.