Le Méchant Mangeur

Brit and Chips in the old port of Montreal is a lot of the UK and a bit of Montreal. I’ve been several times and I can tell you that Brit and Chips really has something special in their batter. I only always order the fish n’ chips, but they do have more on the menu.

I have a hard time gravitating towards fish n’ chips in Montreal, so when I find a good one, I want to share. Deep fried fish is not easy to make and it’s not something you can eat everyday, so finding a good one is important. Brit and Chips takes it all a step further by adding something extra in their batter. They have a Guinness, maple syrup and an Orange Crush version, among others. The chips are heavy, and they load your basket, I have never been able to finish them.

Recently a few people have asked about fish n’ chips in Montreal, so here is my suggestion. Some gastropubs have some good fish n’ chips too, but Brit and Chips is just a bit special. I like a nice classic fish n’ chips as the fall weather kicks in, it reminds me of London.

The basket was about 12 bucks. P.S. It keeps you full for a while! Brit n’ Chips: 433 McGill, Montreal

http://www.facebook.com/LMMblog This is what happens when you group a bunch of food lover on one table.

Cluny Artbar Almost hidden in the Old Port of Montreal, Cluny Artbar is a great find. More than just a lunch spot, it offers a brilliant atmosphere. For the special of the day hot dish or a tasty sandwich, Cluny is brilliant. The venue itself is part of an art exhibition co-op, The Darling Foundry, found next door.

If you’re looking for a noteworthy and unique place to enjoy a tasty lunch with natural sunlight and thought-provoking art, Cluny Artbar is first-rate. I ordered a pineapple chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers and creamy spicy mayo. The bread was a bit too hard for me, but I was inspired as I ate. Not sure if it was the sandwich or the art, but either way, Cluny Artbar knows how to bring the art to your plate.

Sandwich was about 12 bucks.

Cluny Artbar: 257 Prince, corner William, Montreal; 514-866-1213

Resto Muvbox: The Lobster Box Imagine a recycled shipping cart converted into a delicious lobster roll making kitchen! Resto Muvbox is real and it’s in the Old Port of Montreal. A great place for a summer lunch or dinner. With the summer sun moving away, I would like to think this post is more of a “go before it snows” call. It’s been around, but I know enough people who havent experienced it yet.

The lobster roll is good. Muvbox is not stingy at all with their sandwich either, claws and tails are typically included. It’s more about the outting than the roll in my opinion, but it’s a fun and tasty place for a quick, quality lunch. Have a look at the whole menu here.

Imagine a Transformer making you lunch!

Resto Muvbox: Lobster Box, 360 Rue de la Commune West, Montreal. (Place du Génie on the Docks)

Kazu A beautiful thing in Montreal. Kazu serves izakaya type of food. Which in Japan is a popular type of place to eat and drink. I would just call it ‘genius’ food. Kazu is small, and you will end up waiting in a line to get it, but it’s worth it! As you walk in, you see parts of the menu scratched on scuffled papers across the walls. It really does play on on the izakaya vibe- you feel like you’re in a busy bar.

We went for lunch, so the menu was smaller, but it only made it easier to choose. As I stared onto the tables of others, I wanted one of every plate I saw. I end up ordering a few things, but my main dish was their chicken teriyaki burger. It was a gorgeous sight on my table. Kazu takes Japanese bar food a tad further and unsurprisingly adds a flavour of detail, especially in their presentation. You know that the meal you’re about to eat was prepared with pride. I took a bite, and fell in love.

If this place had a few TVs and was more of a secret, it would be heaven in Montreal for me. In the meantime, I’ll eat here before, in-between and after games. A must try! My burger was only 8 bucks. I wish Japan had ice hockey…

Kazu- 1862 Sainte-Catherine Street West

LE SMART BURGER Another burger, but this one is smart! Le Smart Burger is a downtown location made for Watch & Eat when the season starts up. They have two flat screens fixed on RDS and fresh home made burgers right off the grill.

It’s not the best burger in the city, or even the smartest. I was talking to Twitter before going and @mrlewburger compared it to Five Guys, while @Chris_Hanna said it was the best burger he ever had in a mall food court.

I hate it when the picture deceives the eater, and Le Smart Burger was not too bright in doing that. The burger looks incredible on paper, but not up to those standards in real life. I don’t judge a burger by it’s cover, so I devoured it with hope. It was a brie, caramelized onions, mushrooms and house sauce burger. A range of sides can be ordered with the burger. From fries to chilly, which is smart I guess.

In the end, the burger was a good snack. The beef is AAA Canadian, the patties are freshly ground, made daily and the restaurant itself was very comfortable. With 10 mins left to a 3-3 game vs. Boston on a Tuesday night after an evening class, Le Smart Burger might just fit the bill. The burger trio was about 10 bucks.

Le Smart Burger 896 Sherbrooke West

KONO PIZZA Re-inventing pizza [apparently]. Ever roll up your pizza and chow? I’ve been doing it for years. But guess what? You can get it pre-rolled! Kono Pizza is opening a location on St Catherine St. for August and I expect an inflated popularity for the first little while.

I had a Kono Pizza at Osheaga this weekend. It was decent enough to keep me satisfied for a few acts. They easily had the longest line up and were working really hard to serve everyone. I was impressed by their service.

It’s like you’re eating an ice cream cone, but it’s pizza instead. They only had two flavours at Osheaga, but you can get a range of flavours from their restaurant downtown, Montreal. I had a cheese and tomato Kono, it was simple and very cheesy. I thoroughly enjoyed eating it. Eating a Kono is clean and neat, you can walk and eat sans troubles. This is going to be a popular stop after watching the Habs at a bar or the Bell Centre.

http://konopizzacanada.com/ 1440 St Catherine St. O, Montreal, QC www.facebook.com/LMMblog

Le Bremner You won’t find a bar showing the game here, but you will find some great service and good food. Chuck Hughes’ Le Bremner is an authentic restaurant serving up fresh seafood. Almost hidden in the old port, you have to walk downstairs where you feel like it’s been there for decades. It’s the perfect setting for a few friends to chat the night away and share medium sized, overpriced plates of seafood.

We all shared the Parfait D’homard, Kimchee Snow Crab, Raw Albacore Tuna and Spicy Herded Shrimp Cocktail. Some better than others, but they all had an interesting and new flavour. For dessert we shared Jelly Doughnuts, Choco Ganache Pie, Tollhouse Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake. It could have been the unbearably hot and humid 40 degree weather, but we were literally fighting over the Jelly Doughnuts.

I say go because it’s unique and if you go soon enough, you might see super hero Chuck Hughes working the kitchen - which was cool to see.

We paid about 75 a person. Kimchee Snow Crab in the image. Le Bremner: 361 St. Paul East, Old Montreal.

If you’ve been, let me know what you thought!

“Sex, Rock and Lobster Rolls” - Chuck

LOS PLANES Have you ever had a pupusa? I was at Los Planes for El Salvadorian. A small and attractive restaurant on Bélanger, Montreal. The place smelled like nothing I’ve smelled before, it was so inviting I actually salivated. The menu was completely in Spanish, but the service was great and our waiter took his time with us. They had one TV playing the sounds of vuvuzelas. And without a doubt, they play the hockey games.

As the saying goes, when in El Salvador, do as Salvadorians do. So we ordered pupusas, their specialty. Pupusas are thick corn tortilla pancake like things that are typically stuffed with cheese, meat and fried beans. They had many options. You add curtido, a fermented and spicy cabbage salad and add some chili sauce to top it off. To me, it was the perfect thing next to the burger to watch a game. I felt brave eating it and it was so inexpensive (2.50 each), I wanted to keep ordering them. The pupusas were so different and tasty, I knew I was going to be back for more.

They only have one TV, and it’s not pretty. But they do show the game and the food there is worth not having any HD. Try their specialty drinks too. Let me know how it goes.

A woman I love inspired me to look for something different in Montreal. I’ve been looking for places to Watch & Eat for about a year. Last season was all about the main big kitchens showing the game. This up coming season, I’m looking for smaller and more diverse places. I’m searching for the gem that plays Montreal Canadiens games and has excellent food. Send me your suggestions please. THANKS!

LOS PLANES, 531 Bélanger E. Montreal