SubscribeDINNER October 31, 2008
Pakistani cuisine is, unsurprisingly for those of you with maps or history books, quite similar to the cuisine of northern India. And since Punjab cuisine through an East London lens was how most of us were likely introduced to Indian food, the Pakistani menu at Halal 786, with its kormas, jalfrezis, biryanis and chicken tikka masala, will seem familiar to many.
Jean-Talon east of Parc is mecca for Indian food, Montreal’s little Brick Lane if you will, and while I have sampled the wares of quite a few of its restaurateurs, there always seems to be someplace new to try. Housed on the second floor of a nondescript building, the first thing that strikes you about Halal 786 is the nautical theme–almost as if you had walked into a New England fisherman’s hut and found an Indian cooking class in full swing.
The room is, apart from the nets, brass lanterns and other flotsam and jetsam, sparsely utilitarian which may be explained by the brisk take-out business which seems to out perform walk-in dining by a wide margin. Staff are very friendly and helpful, a front of house sign that is often the reflection of a well run kitchen.
While most of the menu looks typically northern Indian, some common dishes are available with beef instead of lamb or goat and others, like the hallem and nihari that are prepared as weekend specials are, while not exclusively Pakistani, perhaps more typical of its cuisine. There is also a selection of BBQ dishes including the Lahori fish fry, a tilapia slathered in a vinegary chili rub and grilled to perfection, which was carried by our table shortly after we ordered, and made we strongly consider whether I would be able to eat another dish.
Off to the races. The biryani is honest fare. A couple of nice pieces of lightly fried upper chicken thigh and a big hunk of bay leaf and cardamon pod are signs of a dish made with some care. The consistency is nice as is the raita served alongside but the dish is so underseasoned that the raita is pointless. A beef jalfrezi has the same strengths and weaknesses. Nicely cut onions and peppers and well cooked beef make for a dish that looks to be a cut above the slop served in a lot of Indian joints, but one taste of this dish (which is intended to be fiery) and the mild, metallic taste turns anticipation into disappointment.
The high point of the meal is the channa masala, that ubiquitous dish of chickpeas stewed with fried onions, garlic and spices, which is spicy and devilishly tasty. It might be the best I have had in the city and I could come back just to get another order.
Halal 786 is definitely a cut above average but based on this meal, it won’t make it into my hall of fame. Still, this is Indian (okay, Pakistani) food made the right way and I can’t help but thinking that if I had put on my best faux-Indian accent and ordered over the phone, I might have received the hot and spicy treatment that I so badly wanted. In any event, I will definitely be giving it another shot, if only to get my hands on that Lahore fish fry.
Cost: Approximately $30 with tip. Not bad.
Halal 786
768 Jean-Talon West
514.270.0786
http://www.786halalrestaurant.com
