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| - Hotel Herman is no doubt Mile End's most exciting new restaurant.
Art Deco accents successfully blend with the industrial décor, creating an awesome modern metally-woodsy feel that still conveys a warm atmosphere. The departure from the usual "rustic" - or, fake-old - décor is welcome, and the long horse-shoe bar is wonderfully reminiscent of Paris. Take a seat.
Not a hotel but just as welcoming, the service at Herman is professional, friendly and relaxed. And no dinky rules about having to eat to drink - do as you will and no one will stop you. Nice!
We started with a New York Sour - a whiskey sour with red wine. Delish. The portions are small, so we ordered a couple plates per person. First, we had the carrot salad with buttermilk cheese. It was good, certainly beautifully plated, but unexciting.
Next, we had the oyster mushroom salad with sweet onion puree, snails, and garlic chips. It was amazing! The mushrooms were flavourful and the snails were tender and buttery without being heavy. The pan-fried halibut with fennel and dill was also delicious. The different flavours complemented each other perfectly.
We ended with the Manjari chocolate dessert that was paired with cinnamon creme, sponge toffee and sea buckthorns (the red berry on top). Without being too cochon, the dark chocolate dessert was totally satisfying. The berries added a nice freshness, and the sponge toffee reminded us of our childhoods, in a good way.
All in all? Hotel Herman is a winner, and unpretentious about it. The team from Salle à Manger did great - they succeeded in offering something slightly different than what's already been done in a neighborhood that's home to a million restaurants. High five, guys.
Photos: http://www.belledenuitmontreal.com/2012/08/21/hotel-herman/
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