On its travels from its original home on a seedy stretch of St-Laurent to a short dalliance next to a strip club on Ste. Catherine and finally to its current home in Mile End, one thing has always remained true: Nonya makes great food at low prices. While Nonya may be the most prominent Indonesian eatery in the city it is not a household name. Which is a shame because this restaurant, and the cuisine in which it specializes, is well worth getting to know better.

Chef Martin Picard has become the golden boy of Quebec cuisine by reinventing upscale versions of  proletarian Quebec classics such as poutine and pig's feet. The order of the day at APDC is excess, with no dish that can't be improved by the addition of a thick slice of foie gras and no seafood platter too gargantuan to serve. In going down this road ADPC has broken new ground in promoting a market cuisine that is truly Quebecois and, in the process, become almost iconic in the minds of local foodies, many of whom might eat a napkin if Mr. Picard mopped his brow with it.

DNA was recommended to me by an alert reader as another Old Montreal option with a decent three course lunch set menu for $25ish. DNA, of course, used to be California Dreams, a restaurant that will only be missed for the cruel hilarity of a visit there. When I ate at California Dreams we had to dodge police officers and a disgruntled ex-employee at the front door and were given expensive mixed drinks that we had not ordered while enduring the cheerful mania of an owner overseeing the death throes of her restaurant. The highlight of the night was a waiter tripping while bringing a platter of food up the stairs and the amazing crash of the dishes on the hardwood floor that reverberated through the restaurant (because it was basically empty).

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.

I used to eat at Reservoir quite a bit. I would nip in for pint and one of the perfectly sized little appetizers like tartare salmon 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.

Reservoir has made the transition from a popular micro-brewery and bar to a legitimate bistro of sorts. While, particularly in the evening, it still boasts a bar atmosphere, the quality of the food and an ever expanding that deftly weaves together divergent culinary traditions have made the food a bigger draw than the drinks, particularly at brunch. On this Sunday morning, with light pouring in through the high windows facing the street and neatly set tables Reservoir looks more restaurant than bar.

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.

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.

Stuck with a serious hankering for Korean food and with my erstwhile Korean food guide In stranded in Halifax, the JJ and I set off for long time favourite Hwang Kum with Qbert and her D'Artagan. In had described Hwang Kum's cuisine as Korean food with a certain "like my mum used to make" quality and the number of  (people who to all appearances were) Koreans tucking into bibimbap seemed to support that statement. After spending a few days in Seoul last month (the city, not the restaurant), I felt more able to navigate the menu and the tabletop grill.

Next on the list of new pizzerias to have opened up in the JTM area just in time for summer is Vinizza, which bills itself as an enoteca/pizzeria. The wood burning oven is prominently displayed near the entrance of this new establishment on the corner of Jean-Talon and Casgrain backing into the northwest corner of the market. The space has been completely redone with ochre offset by dark wood and rustic stone floors. The best thing about the re-designed space is all the windows opening up on Casgrain which are great for people watching.