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| - What's that!? A dimsum restaurant in Montreal that's worth talking about? Get out of here! But we finally have an alternative for dimsum other than Kam Fung or Ruby Rouge; an alternative with a slight modern twist (read fancier and more expensive.
As we entered the restaurant, I was in awe! The setting is surprisingly beautiful: modern look, chair covers, fancy plates and huge windows (the fireworks will be partially visible in the summertime I believe). I am sure this restaurant will be a very popular spot for upcoming weddings.
Unlike the other places, there are no old Chinese women who barely speak English pushing carts between tables. Instead, younger waitresses take down your order and bring them to you as they come right off the kitchen.
The food was in general very good. Some of the dishes had a modern twist to it. For example, they had a rice noodle roll stuffed with Kobe beef. Another dumpling had a touch of truffle oil.
However, the service was seriously lacking. I'd even say it was horrendous! Spilled water (on my friend), spilled sauce (on my other friend's jacket), a batch of dumpling still raw, etc. The waitress just showed my friend the way to the bathroom to clean his jacket. The worst is that they took so long to bring some of our food that we gave up and asked for the bill even though there was still 1/4 of our order still to go. I think all of us left still a bit hungry but we didn't care at this point. We complained to management only to receive some meager apologies.
For any other restaurant, I'd suggest NOT to go based on the horrible service. However, I really want this restaurant to succeed. Yes it's a bit more expensive but I don't really mind: you pay for the fancier setting! The food is good enough that I'll go back for sure. I believe that le Cristal Chinois is a good addition to the Chinatown scene: a breath of fresh air!
PS: Please note that we went there on New Year's Day. Not only was it a very busy day but they had been opened for only 2 weeks. So the service may have improved by then.
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