i just spent two glorious weeks travelling the world! well, not exactly. between having had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted recently and trying to save money, i decided to turn my two weeks of vacation into a food-filled staycation. this doesn’t mean that i didn’t get to see the world. in my opinion, food is a central part of any culture. so what better way is there to explore the planet than by eating your way through it?
there are many advantages to staying in town for your vacation. you don’t lose any days to jet lag and you don’t have to worry about lost luggage or bed bugs. best of all, you get to hang out with your friends and at the end of the day, sleep in your own bed. also, without an itinerary limited by time and geography, i was able to crisscross the world with stops in ten countries.
please note that these are not full reviews, but a short account of my experiences during my staycation.
day 1: greece
first stop, greece! i check into marven’s for some taverna-style food. this small restaurant can be loud and crowded at times, but the food is well worth it. the portions are large and perfect for family-style eating. i suggest that you bring a friend and share the calamari platter. it comes with a fresh greek salad and some thick-cut fries, each served on their own main-sized plate. the calamari at marven’s are my favourite. the batter is crispy and the squid is firm without being rubbery. a squirt of lemon is all you really need. if you don’t think this will be enough food, you can start off your meal with the pikilia plate, a sampler of dips and appetizers.
marven’s: 880, avenue ball. 514.277.3625
to read more about marven’s, click here.
day 2: india
after digesting the mountain of food eaten in greece, i jetted off to india. for this solo leg of my trip, i indulged in a thali at curry & naan. the compartmentalized plate gives a little bit of everything to satisfy the greedy palate. samplings of tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and vegetable curry of the day are served with pappadum, naan, rice, and a salad. everything on the plate has a subtly different level of spicing, making for a nice symphony of tastes. the thalis are also available in lamb curry and vegetarian versions. to wash everything down, a sweet mango lassi will give you a complete experience and is also ideal for cooling down the palate.
curry & naan: 989, rue jean-talon ouest. 514.271.6000
for a detailed account of my adventure in solo dining at curry & naan, click here.
day 3: china
after my solo adventure in india, i hopped over to neighbouring china for some soup dumplings at qing hua. now these aren’t like the xiao long bao from shanghai that people commonly and mistakenly refer to as soup dumplings. whereas xiao long bao are more like mantou or buns (although with a more translucent and less fluffy skin), the offerings here are more dumpling-style. available with a variety of fillings, the dumplings can be ordered boiled, steamed, or pan-fried. my favourite are the steamed lamb & coriander dumplings. although small, it is not recommended to pop a whole dumpling into your mouth because hidden inside the delicate packets is hot soup. taking a small bite to let the steam escape first is probably the best course of action. also, be warned that the beautifully thin dumpling skin has one major flaw: its delicateness can result in hot soup squirting sideways onto a stranger when you take a bite out of it. the dumplings come 15 to an order, which can easily be devoured by one hungry person or shared between two people for a light lunch. to start your meal, they serve complimentary bowls of miso soup and tea. for a little something out of the ordinary, try the cold potato salad appetizer.
qing hua: 1676, avenue lincoln. 438.288.5366
day 4: el salvador
next, i made a beeline for the warmer climes of central america for some pupusas from los planes. these thick corn tortillas, stuffed with various of fillings, are handmade to order. i have a preference for the cheese & loroco pupusas, but on this occasion i also ordered one stuffed with cheese & chicharron. both were good, but i am still partial to the pungent and tangy taste of the loroco, a vine flower bud. top your pupusas with curtido, a pickled cabbage salad, and tomato sauce for a delicious meld of flavours. for less than $10 a variety of combos are available. they include two pupusas, a drink, and a side/dessert. i chose one that included horchata for my drink and fried ripe plantains for dessert.
los planes: 531, rue bélanger. 514.277.3678
day 5: australia
after a brief stop in el salvador, i headed down under for some aussie tucker at ta aka tourtière australienne. many aussie treats await you at this little shop. eat your hot australian pies in house or on the go. also available are frozen ones to stock your freezer with. favourites of mine include the steak & cheese pie, the potato top, and the lamb roganjosh pie. the pie crusts are flaky and buttery and the fillings are generous. an interesting discovery: if you top the steak & cheese pie with ketchup, it will taste like a delicious cheeseburger. there are a few choices for dessert, but the timtam tiramisu is, in my humble opinion, the way to go.
ta: 4520, avenue du parc. 514.277.7437
www.ta-pies.com
day 6: pakistan
next, i decided to explore more of south-east asia and paid sana a visit for a taste of pakistan. this restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall with loud patrons and sometimes not-so-friendly staff. go for the food, not the decor or the ambiance. there are rumours that they serve the city’s best butter chicken and my pakistani friend swears by this place. the butter chicken is indeed delicious. the meat is abundant and appears to be shredded after being cooked on the bone, retaining it’s flavour and moistness. the sauce is creamy without being heavily so. far from being bland, the butter chicken is served with a a little heat to it. for something a little less common, try the haleem, a dish made of beef and lentils that is cooked for hours. its colour and slimy, almost paste-like consistency can be a turnoff, but the taste makes up for any aesthetic shortcomings. although they may have spices in common, the haleem and butter chicken have completely different tastes. these tongue-tickling flavours are a welcome change from the one-note offerings of many indian and pakistani restaurants in the city.
sana: 655, rue jarry ouest. 514.274.2220
day 7: peru
after eating a lot of meat, i take a trip to peru, via melchorita, for the jalea especial. this fried seafood platter included pieces of fish, shrimp, calamari, and yuca. i quite enjoyed this mountain of food, although my enthusiasm was slightly dampened by the soggy calamari. meant for two people, my two friends and i couldn’t finish it all. although i’m not a big fan of very sweet drinks, i found that a can of inca cola was a surprisingly perfect accompaniment for the fried food.
melchorita: 7901, rue st-dominique. 514.382.2129
day 8: england
next up, i head to england for afternoon tea at le maître chocolatier. here, finger sandwiches, scones, and mignardises are served with your choice of tea. out of all the offerings the buttery apricot scones and jams were the best; everything else had an ordinary quality to them. it was also a little expensive for what it was. the tea room is fancier than the majority of places i frequent and is eerily quiet. being an experience that is unusual for me, i felt a little out of place. although it was an interesting afternoon, an outing for tea is probably not in the cards for me in the near future. maybe there are better tea services in the city. any suggestions are welcome.
le maître chocolatier: 1612, rue sherbrooke ouest. 514.544.9475
www.lemaitrechocolatier.ca
day 9: france
after the dainty finger sandwiches in england, i take a short ride through the chunnel to france for something more substantial at le gargantua pantagruel. this french & italian restaurant/bistro offers a mixed grill platter of gargantuan proportions. bring your appetite because on this plate you will find perfectly grilled shrimp, chorizo sausages, steaks, filets, chicken, potatoes, and tomatoes. i’m not sure if the components will vary with availability, but one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a lot of good food. if you like good wine with your meat, feel free to bring your own because the restaurant has a byow license.
le gargantua pantagruel: 2151, rue fleury est. 514.388.2772
www.restaurantgargantua.ca
day 10: canada
as my vacation comes to an end, i head back to canada for a meal at meatmarket. my friend and i decide to eat family-style although our meal wasn’t meant to be eaten that way. we don’t care, we like to share. the meatmarket poutine was composed of a mix of potato and sweet potato fries, some aged cheddar, and a sauce that was a little heavy on the herbs. although it was good, i was quite disappointed that the poutine was topped with shredded cheese instead of fresh cheese curds. i’m a poutine purist and i need my curds! the rib steak was cooked to a juicy medium with beautiful grill marks. it was served with fries, a rustic coleslaw, the house bbq sauce, and a harissa mayonnaise. after sharing the meal, we both left satisfied but not uncomfortably full. a good end to a trip around the world.
** unfortunately, meatmarket has closed its doors **
so there you have it! a trip around the world without leaving town or spending the big bucks. i can’t wait until my next vacation to do it all over again, but with a different list of restaurants. i welcome any suggestions for my next staycation.
* these are not full reviews, but a short account of my experiences during my vacation. *