Had wanted to try this place for a while, but even the good reviews I'd read couldn't draw me up to the Plateau during the brutally cold first two months of 2015. We finally ventured out tonight and were not disappointed.
Re reservations, we called this afternoon and got the recorded message that we should email, which we did. We got a call back about half an hour later offering us a 6pm or 8.30pm table for 2. There was in fact quite a lot of space when we got there at 8.30, with a free table for 6, and several tables for 2. The restaurant was in fact maybe 70% full.
I liked the decor, which I found simple and tasteful. I particularly liked that they have hooks for your coats, especially since I had been saying just a couple of days previously that I don't understand why all Montreal cafés and restaurants don't have cloakrooms/coat hooks.
And so to the food: We tried the papaya salad and pork buns for starters, and followed with the lemongrass ribs and the catch of the day, which was grilled arctic char served with a coconut milk and curry sauce and accompanied by sweet potato noodles and shredded daikon.
The papaya salad was good but not as spicy as Satay Brothers. The pork buns were really good. I loved that they were black (from squid ink), and the sauce on the pork was excellent. It was a typical Asian taste that I find hard to describe - a touch of sweetness and a tad of sourness, with neither taste overwhelming the other. And there was just the right amount so that it was succulent, risked oozing from the bun, but didn't make it soggy.
The arctic char was really, really good. I expected way more sauce, but in fact there was really just a touch to set the perfectly grilled fish off. The noodles and daikon had the a couple of Thai Basil leaves on top, but I felt that they would have been better shredded and mixed in. It was just missing a little something to make it an excellent dish.
The lemongrass ribs had been slow-cooked sous vide (vacuum cooked) and the meat (a good amount of it) fell off the bone easily and completely. They were a nice change from barbecue or spicy flavours, fresh and tangy in taste. They were served, or rather, decorated with a few slices of vegetables and edamame in a lemony sauce.
We washed it all down with beer. I tried the Bia Hoi on draft (they also have Boreale and a selection of imported bottles of Asian beer). The Bia Hoi is a lager with a nice golden colour and fine bubbles. I'd expected something more German in style so it was a nice surprise.
The service: We were a tad late and the restaurant called me to see whether they should wait for us or could give our table away. I didn't think anything of it till I got there and found there were plenty of tables. :-/ We were served with water quickly and got our menus shortly after, but I had to ask what the catch of the day was. The waiter was friendly and the service was prompt.
The bill was very reasonable at just under $75 for two.