5000 ans on monkland: sizzle sizzle

i was looking forward to trying a mexican place on monkland, only to arrive and find it closed.  starving, my cousin and i decided to backtrack a couple of blocks and sample some korean food instead.  5000 ans on monkland is one of three restaurants in a rapidly expanding group.  i have been to the original location on st-denis before and quite enjoyed the food.  since we were foiled in our mission for comida mexicana, korean seemed like a good second choice.

as we sat down, the waitress brought us complementary cold tea in a big food container, the kind people would use to store cereal.  the cold tea was welcome because even though the little semi-basement restaurant had a portable air conditioner and fan going, the space was divided into little cubicle-like dining areas.  this offered some privacy, but also prevented us from benefitting from the cool air.

the menu offered many things, including a page that was written in korean only.  what got my attention was the korean bbq, featured prominently on the first page.  the other duo in our little cubicle was grilling away and the aromas were enticing.  the menu featured a korean bbq for 2 that came with soup, salad, veggies, kalbi, and a bibimbap. this is a good option if you want variety for a low price, but be warned that you have to cook your own food.  first on the table were small bowls of soup.  the clear broth had a delicate flavour imparted by green onions and crunchy bean sprouts.  a perfectly light soup for a warm summer evening.  the salad with sesame dressing came next.  fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce and slices of radishes topped with sesame seeds and a slightly sweet sesame dressing.  there aren’t many ways a salad can stand out other than fresh ingredients and a good dressing, but the lack of iceberg lettuce made it so much better for me.

before i had even finished my soup or made a dent in the salad, the waitress arrived with a tabletop grill and a plate of raw meat and vegetables.  she quickly placed some vegetables around the edge of the grill and meat in the middle to start us off.  the kalbi, marinated beef short ribs, cooked quickly.  the sweet marinade was finger-licking good, but the beef was sometimes tender and sometimes chewy, depending on the piece you get.  we also lost one short rib because it was all fat. the blubber was good for seasoning the grill but not so much for eating. the vegetables consisted mainly of button mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage and onions. they were nothing spectacular and they took some time to cook while sitting on the periphery of the grill.  i could have gone without them, but they did add a bit of variety to the meal, not to mention a bit of flavouring if you cook them in the middle of the grill.

as the first batch of beef was still cooking and i was still tackling my soup and salad, the waitress came to the table with the dolsot bibimbap.  this very hot stone bowl filled with rice, beef strips, vegetables, a raw egg, and hot sauce was sizzling away.  all you have to do is stir everything and it cooks in the bowl.  if you do it just right, you can end up with the much sought-after crunchy layer of rice on the bottom.  the bibimbap was good.  the beef strips might have been a tad thin, but for me this dish is all about the rice.  the raw egg and red sauce made for a deliciously sticky orange mess of rice and veggies.  the hot sauce added a nice piquant touch without being tongue-numbing.  you could still taste the different flavours.

for dessert, there was only one choice: green tea ice cream with dagwa.  the green tea ice cream tasted like all the others i’ve had.  nothing special other than not being freezer burned.  the dagwa came in the form of a packet of little cookies.  according to the menu, these are usually served with dessert as a sign of hospitality.  our cookies had a subtle coconut flavour and was both sweet and salty.  when you use them to scoop some ice cream, the contrast in flavours and textures is simply addictive.

next time i pay them a visit, i’ll try other korean specialties such as pa-jeon (korean-style pancake), japchae (cold noodle dish), or plum liquor. i also plan on enquiring about the dishes on the korean-only page.  if they’re anything like a chinese restaurant, they keep the good stuff encrypted in unfamiliar characters.

from reading this, it may seem that everything came to the table at once, but i also spent a lot of time taking pictures.  so if the grill ended up on the table while i was still sipping soup and eating salad, it was my own fault.  i spent way too much time trying to capture the perfect shot.  ah, the joys of amateur photography!

5000 ans
5737, ave monkland
montréal, québec
H4A 1E7
T: 514.489.7565

payment methods: cash, debit, credit cards

hours (as posted on their door):
mon to sat 11:30 – 23h
closed sundays