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| - We chanced upon this place almost by luck, and what a find it was! Ikanos serves "Modern Greek Cuisine", which is to say Greek-inspired French food. That might sound weird, but the food is fantastic. This is a perfect location for a date. The portions are small and a tad on the pricey side, but for fans of tapas, dim sum or sushi you will appreciate the quality and marvelous flavours of the dishes and the ease of sharing with someone special.
Located in Old Montreal, the place has a modern loft look and feel. Staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The wine list is weighted with quality Greek wines and may be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with that terroir, so don't be afraid ask Eric for assistance. He helped us choose a terrific bottle. How terrific? We ordered a second, that's how good it was.
The grilled octopus is fantastic - full of flavor and tender, not rubbery. The grilled shrimps are marvelous - perfectly cooked, and the creamy polenta cakes help sop up the juices. The grilled whole shrimp are (do you see a pattern here?) fabulous - juicy, falvourful, it's hard not to lick the plate. In a night of high note after high note, it's hard to pick the highest, but it might have been the seared scallops - nicely flavoured, perfectly seared, I must confess that I finally relented and licked the plate. I don't care, it was that good, the heck with table manners. The snow crab salad was a gastronomic exercise in floral beauty - perfumed by the melon and light. The rabbit was expertly cooked so it retained it's moisture and tenderness while perfectly accompanied by the morels. The olive oil cake and the chocolate cremeux verged on excess (did the second bottle of wine have anything to do with that?) but they were so good it was impossible to stop.
People looking for traditional Greek food of souvlaki and keftedes will be disappointed. Here traditional Greek food is a starting point for elevating the palate and the dining experience like the Acropolis soars above Athens.
Opa!
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