restaurant review

Ben & Florentine – Saint-Laurent: Another breakfast restaurant chain?

I think I am so late in the game to eat at Ben & Florentine. Can you blame me? Breakfast club is all I need. Ok. I really need to stop mentioning Breakfast Club over and over…. I’mma overhype that place.

Back to Ben & Florentine. This restaurant was suggested many times but every time I refused to try it. Well this time, I was up for it. Just have to see what’s so good about this place!

Well….?

I can see the appeal – family-oriented, affordable price, and good food.

I definitely wouldn’t say it’s THE place to go for breakfast. But because it’s so accessible and affordable, it’s a very convenient place.

Breakfast poutine

Breakfast poutine

This picture doesn’t look appetizing right? Well guess what? it was delicious! Homemade potatoes with cheddar and hollandaise sauce.

 

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A closer look. The hollandaise sauce didn’t make it heavy at all. The potatoes were excellent.

 

Banana and strawberry waffles

Banana and strawberry waffles

The waffles was in the thinner side and weren’t crunchy. And the batter tasted too much cinnamon.

Chicken pesto panini

Chicken pesto panini

I was reeled into the panini menu through their mass advertising all over in the restaurant. But sadly, the panini was more soggy than freshly grilled. But it still tasted good just lack of texture. The fries served with the panini are like Mcdonald’s, which is a good thing (I LOVE Mcdonald’s fries!) Oh and, they put a spice on the fries that makes them so much tastier.

If anyone wants to go to Ben & Florentine, I wouldn’t say no, no more.

Ben & Florentine on Urbanspoon

 

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Eggsquis Brossard: Just not like Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club is ALWAYS my number one place to go for breakfast! But sadly, it wasn’t open on Boxing day, so I had to resort to Eggsquis.

I have gone to Eggsquis a few times the past few years and every time, it served decent breakfast. I think anyone who likes traditional home ambiance would love this place. As for me…I’m just a real loyal customer of Breakfast club.

Eggs benedict

Eggs benedict

Mr. Butter wasn’t happy with his eggs benedict. From the sight at it, I think the eggs were too cooked?

Omelette

Omelette

I ordered an omelette and I was pleasantly satisfied. It wasn’t something fancy or extraordinary. Just a simple omelette and that was what I was seeking for.

Strawberry and banana waffles

My mom had the waffles. It cannot be compared with Breakfast Club’s waffles! But it was still good.

Nothing to complain about their service and food quality. But it’s just missing something to appeal to me just like Breakfast Club does!
Eggsquis on Urbanspoon

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Nocochi: Maybe the right gift for St-Valentine’s day?

Searching for something simple? And your girl likes to drink tea?  And your girl is trying to lose weight? Well, maybe Nocochi has the right gift!

ok- lol I’m being sort of sexist…it doesn’t have to be the guy giving a gift to the girl on Valentine’s gift. But I’m just trying to have a nice cool way to introduce Nocochi.

 

Nocochi is a great place where you like to take your time and have a sip of tea and chit chat with your friend. Or, you can simply buy some of their delicacy to home!

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These tiny pastries are expensive. But every single one of them is unique.  They aren’t for everyone. Some of them do not taste much. But it’s just the perfect balance for tea. My favorite would be the one the round white one where it has a hint of white chocolate.

 

Nocochi on Urbanspoon

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5000 ans: Good Bibimbap

5000 ans is a Korean restaurant I heard often about but never got the chance to try it until recently.

This place is very cozy but very HOT. So hot that I had to tell the staff to lower the heat – I was at the point of sweating…

Anyway. I will keep this review short and sweet. Why? Not much to say…it’s passable food… I wasn’t very impressed. I only found their Bibimbap good.

Note…They don’t really serve side dish for free…which is a bummer.

 

Salad

Salad

 

Udon

Udon

 

Korean seafood pancake

Korean seafood pancake

Not recommended at all. This might be one of the worst korean pancake I had…

Bibimbap

Bibimbap

A dish I truly enjoyed.

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Not sure of this dish….i’m thinking it’s Galbi but it doesn’t look thick enough to be galbi though…

They actually come to help you cook the meat – which is something I don’t really like…cuz then I have to eat the meat all at once… I want to cook one by one! so i can enjoy one by one!

Bulgogi

Bulgogi

Can’t really screw up a Bulgogi can you? This bulgogi tasted like any other decent bulgogi…

I’m really searching for a good Korean restaurant in Montreal that serves homey authentic dishes (the unusual ones, not the usual Bulgogi, bibimbap…jachae….) Any suggestion?

 

5000 Ans on Urbanspoon

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Kan Bai: Delicious Szechuan food on Ste-Catherine

I am real difficult when it comes to Chinese restaurant in Montreal. They are usually filled with MSG and oil that I get a stomach ache afterwards. However, Kan Bai picked my curiosity when I saw that they are known for their spicy dishes. You know I am IN when it’s spicy food!

Just let me warn you – most of the dishes of this place is spicy. BUT they won’t kill you. But then again…i eat real spicy…

The day I visited Kan Bai, it was packed. But lucky enough, there was one table left for us!

I had a real hard time to choose what to order!  I like to point out that our dish came real fast. Almost faster than McDonald’s

But we finally chose…

 

This is not ordered! It is served to us once we sat down. I really enjoyed this side dish! It greatly reminds me of the times when I went to China where they would always serve salty peanuts. No fear – that red pepper is fooling you. Not spicy at all.

 

Sizzling spicy lamb

Sizzling spicy lamb

This sizzling spicy lamb was good! However, I wasn’t amazed. If you love lamb, you can order this dish. If not, skip it for other more original dish!

 

Chilli pepper fish soup

Chilli pepper fish soup

The most intriguing dish of the evening! I spotted that every table ordered this so I couldn’t stand to miss out this famous dish, can I? Looking at all those chilli pepper! I was almost scared that it might be too spicy. But disappointedly, it was just a bit spicy. The amount of oil that this “soup” has is really terrifying. But I am really surprised that I can’t taste the oil at all. (According to my mom, real Szechuan food has lots of oil and you cannot taste the oil – therefore I am taking for her words and claim that this place serves authentic Szechuan food because honestly, I never encountered any authentic Szechuan food). Also, I couldn’t believe how generous they are with this dish; The quantity of fish in there seems endless! This dish something I would recommend, not because of their exploding flavours, but because of the “rarity” that it could be found elsewhere.

 

Fried lotus root

Fried lotus root

This IS my favorite dish of the evening. I have to admit that lotus root has a weak spot in my tummy, so I may be biased… On the other hand, I never tried to eat lotus root cooked this way: fried. It was real interesting. It almost like I’m eating french fries except with tons of fibers. Maybe it’s the heavy handed salt that makes the dish real addictive. Again, the oil is real apparent but I couldn’t taste it. To say the least, A MUST TRY.

 

Pork

Pork

Ok – my caption for this dish is real lame…but at least it describes what kind of meat it is! I seriously don’t know what this dish is called…but it’s a dish that all Chinese families, or even if I could say, all asian families are familiar with. Why? It’s something that my grandma (or for some people, their dad, or mom) would cook! I am real scared with those thick fats in the pork meat. But again, it’s what makes the dish so delicious. I had to refrain myself from eating too many. It is real savory and what’s unique is that they pair the pork with potatoes. Something I don’t see my grandma would do. This dish can get real scary after it cools down, you can see all the fat deposits coagulated in the sauce. Urgh. Not a nice scene. If you want a nice dish for the winter weather, this is the one!

 

Verdict of Kan Bai?

I want to go back! I really want to try more of their dishes as they have a lot more to offer on their menu. Important suggestion, go with at least 4 people in order to maximize your options.

 

Restaurant KanBai on Urbanspoon

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