A full review of our April trip to Tokyo has been completed and is posted  at  link in the Food Travel section. I am falling behind in the Food Travel section and may skip forward to Zurich before finishing capsule reviews for Beijing, Seoul and Singapore…hopefully soon.

DINNER June 15, 2008

Le Latini is damned close to being an iconic Montreal restaurant. It is a mainstay that has been around for years with a reputation for serving up  top Northern Italian with prices to match.  My own view is that it is generally over-rated, so I’ll admit to a little bit of a preconceived notion of what I was getting into. Recently, I wrote  ”the food may sometimes not live up to its reputation, but when they get it right it is gorgeous. Sadly, at the prices they charge, they don’t get it right frequently enough and the erratic service only adds to the impression that eating here is not a value proposition.” Time to test that hypothesis. Continue Reading…

BRUNCH June 15, 2008

I used to eat at Reservoir quite a bit. I would nip in for pint and one of the perfectly sized little appetizers like salmon tartare or a gourmet sandwich featuring the likes of braised pork and aged cheddar. On weekends I liked to pop by for one of the most innovative and affordable brunch menus in the city. Looking back on it, I’m not sure how Reservoir went from a regular haunt to a place I hadn’t frequented in over a year but I think a bit of menu fatigue may have set in, particularly with the brunch menu which, though extremely tasty, I had eaten through twice. Continue Reading…

DINNER May 30, 2008

I eat lunch at Holder occasionally and have found it be generally solid although rarely spectacular French bistro fare. Every once in a while I hear from someone who describes the food at Holder as  insipid and, to be honest, I have always assumed these people were just overly dramatic. That is, until a group of friends went for dinner on a busy Friday night. Holder is the picture of the sumptuous brasserie: high ceilings, mirrors, flowing red drapes, copper fixtures, yellow walls and polished wood aplenty. Dimly lit with a trendy crowd, this is one of the few places in Old Montreal with atmosphere after 5pm. Continue Reading…

LUNCH May 29, 2008

Chef Daniel Vezina is as big as they come in Quebec City. His restaurant, Laurie Raphael, has long been regarded as one of the best in the province and a must-stop for foodies. So it is surprising that the opening of his second restaurant (also Laurie Raphael) here in Montreal has created so little buzz to date.

Charged with the task of mentoring another young mind and armed with an expense account meal, Protege 2008 and I slid into Laurie Raphael in the Hotel Germain for lunch. While the owners may boast about the “made in Québec” environment highlighted by the contemporary design of ultra-chic Jean-Pierre Viau, to my untrained eye it looks like turning the former breakfast nook of the Hotel Germain into an upscale restaurant was an uphill battle. A little, as the old expression goes, like putting lipstick on a pig, but the result in this case is as good as one could hope. A floral pattern detracts from the low ceiling and hanging mobiles obscure the lobby below. But is that naff leafy patterned carpet a holdover from the breakfast nook days or part of the design? Continue Reading…