Dumpling Heaven: Mai Xiang Yuan

I've never really liked Chinese dumplings as a kid, but very recently, I've developed a huge crush for dumplings, dumplings, dumplings! So I came here for my second anniversary with my boyfriend M for lunch, and wow-oh-wow.

 Located on St-Laurent street in Chinatown, near the upstairs anime shop, Mai Xiang Yuan is really an amazing little niche. Although the restaurant is small, a hole in the wall, essentially, they've done very well with what they had. The decor is very homey, and the personal touches are so cute.

A strand of chilli peppers and garlic! Plastic though :(

 The restaurant was empty except for one other person when we arrived, due to the fact that lunchtime was nearly over. We were seated and quickly served tea, in adorable teaware no less, not the plain white teacups you usually get at Chinese places.

We ordered, as the lunch menu is small but had good variety. There were some side dishes / appetizers, mostly Asian salads. Dumpling choices included pork, beef, lamb and shrimp dumplings, all with different vegetable fillings, and a single choice of vegetarian dumplings.Each order is 6.49$ - 9.99$, and contains 15 dumplings, boiled or fried.

There is a counter at the back of the restaurant with glass windows, and you could see the Chinese ladies working together, making everything the moment you order. They are quite a lively bunch, and they seem to have a lot of fun working there.

M had the curry beef & onion, fried, for 7.99$. Don't let the dry appearance fool you, the fillings were quite juicy! They didn't really have that much curry flavour, but tasty regardless. 

I got lamb & onion, boiled, for 9.49$. To be honest, I have never had round dumplings so they were quite a surprise! When I picked one up, I could see a little bit of soup making the bottom sag -- the sign of a good dumpling! These were soooo fresh and tasty... I must try their other lamb options!

Oh, their dumpling condiments included chilli oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. I thought the soy sauce was too light, as when I eat dumplings at home, I use the darkest kind, so I wasn't too used to the very mild flavor here. I guess the silver lining is that it didn't overwhelm the flavor of the tasty fillings!

Seriously, if you love (or even just mildly like) dumplings, please come here. Thank me later.

1084 rue St-Laurent, 
(515) 875-1888

Chocolate and Crepes: Cacao 70

As I sip my mug of homemade hot chocolate, I can't help but remember my most recent trip to the famous Cacao 70. Okay, I am lying through my teeth -- I totally made my drink while reminiscing about that restaurant, and I already went once this week!

Often known as Montreal's only chocolate bar (which is a damn lie because helloooo, Juliette et Chocolat, anyone?), it is located on St-Catherine, close to the Atwater metro station. The decor is great, nice woody tones with a fresh and discreet atmosphere. It must be a good place to study, as every time I come here, someone is on a laptop with a table full of schoolwork, quietly sipping a hot chocolate. It is also a good place to hang out among friends!

Voilà, jars of wafers, biscotti and other goodies. Behind that counter is the open kitchen. And see all those bottles up on the shelf? For an extra kick in your crepe/fondue/drink.

Here is a bookshelf if you want to just relax with a hot drink or some ice cream ♥

The service here is good; the waiters are nice (and cute). I must note that the restaurant is small, so getting a waiter's attention is very easy. 

Now to the actual food! I wasn't hungry this time, so I just got one of their Vintage hot chocolates for 6.75$, with dark chocolate, my favorite!

It came as 1/3 of melted chocolate in a little cup, with a bottle of hot milk. Pour and stir till it's well metled, and you get...

Yummy! Just the right thickness and perfectly smooth. There was enough milk for 1 and 1/2 cups, and I thoroughly enjoyed every spoonful. It was a nice thing to try, but I wouldn't spend 6.75$ on milk and melted chocolate again.

J had A Glass of Ice Cold Milk, for 2.50$. He commented that it was not that cold. 

A different J ordered the Feel Good About Yourself pressed crepe for 12.75$. I have previously tried this crepe, and I remember being impressed! Stuffed with tomato, turkey, swiss cheese and mushrooms, it has the right dry-to-moist ratio, and comes with a salad. 

Here is my boyfriend M's order. The House Special crepe at 12.00$, stuffed with spinach, parsley, chicken, mayo and cheddar. He actually only ate half of it, donating the other half to me because I startedto get hungry after my hot chocolate. It was very good, I'd say even the best salty meal on their menu, since I have a profound love for spinach and grilled chicken. 

I also highly recommend their Choc-Nut Waffle (13.50$), the Strawberry & Cheesecake Crepe (13.50$), and their Grilled Tuna Sandwich (7.00$). Their chocolate pizzas are essentially thin pizza dough with melted chocolate slathered all over, so make sure you really love chocolate if you want to try that out. They also have fancy ice cream cups and speciality hot cocoa for 9.25$.

All in all, if you haven't been here yet, you must try it out!

2087 rue Ste-Catherine West

H3H 1M6

(514) 933-1688

Cider-Glazed Root Vegetables

I've always thought rutabagas were turnips when I saw them in the grocery store, and I never even knew the term "rutabaga" until a week ago. Curious of how to cook it and how it would taste like, I bravely purchased one while it was on sale, and it sat in my fridge for a good week before I decided I ought to eat it, lest it gets bad quickly.

Source: The Golden Table

During the same grocery trip, I also got some sweet potatoes, and I thought, 'Hey, I know a recipe that would be good for these!' I actually found it quite a while back, and never had any cider (the juice, not the alcohol) to make it with, nor more than two kinds of root vegetable; I usually only have potatoes and carrots on hand. 

So I tried it out with rutabaga, sweet potato and carrot, and it was quite interesting. Here is the recipe I adapted.

Before baking. The after picture looks exactly the same.

Cider-Glazed Root Vegetables (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 large rutabaga
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 large carrot
- 2/3 cup apple cider (the dark juice)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- pinch of salt & pepper
- cinnamon to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Peel vegetables if necessary, cut into 1-inch chunks.
3. Combine cider, sugar and salt in a bowl, mix until the sugar dissolves.
4. Pour liquid into baking dish and add vegetables in a single layer. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Uncover and sprinkle on cinnamon. I used 3 pinches. Stir vegetables.
6. Cover again and bake for 30 minutes
7. Serve hot or cold.

When I tried this, I actually made a mistake -- the original recipe calls for baking it uncovered after the first stirring. This is why I did not get a glaze, but it was very tasty regardless. If you want to try the original recipe, then simply uncover the dish and bake in 10 minutes intervals three times, stirring between each interval.

Rutabagas are quite different from what I expected. I thought it would have the same texture as cooked daikon radish, but it was actually potato-y and had a strong taste. I don't like it that much, but it's not bad either.

I know people would normally eat this king of thing as a side-dish, but the sweetness makes it a delicious, healthy dessert! Vegetables for dessert... It was yummy cold as well, and I kept it for 4 days before finishing it all. A great treat!

Stay tuned, a restaurant review is coming up next time!

Lele of Many Occupations

At home, no matter what I'm doing, there's always one little twerp who keeps an eye on me, coming up for a petting session every so often, or following me around the house to make sure I don't get lost in the garage or the living room. Despite being an incredibly social (and silly) dog, Lele also has a pensieve, thoughtful side. Who would have guessed?

I usually keep the back door open when I'm at home. The dogs come and go as they please, and they are usually chilling out in the backyard, unless the weather is nasty. I often find Lele in his favourite spot: the middle of the yard. 

Yes, he always sits like this. Gazing thoughtfully at different corners of the yard, pondering the great mysteries of life and the vastness of the universe... and new foods he can steal from me...

He also likes to stay on the balcony, since he gets a better view. A good way to keep an eye on the fences, so squirrels and birds cannot invade the fortress! Those damn squirrels... 

After the rain.

Not only is Lele a philosopher and a vigilant guard, he is also a sports dog. His favourite game is Ball. He excels at playing ball, someone should sponsor him in a match against Bear.

Lele's got the ball!

He... er... dribbles!

He scores?

 And he also likes to play with his bone plush. It is squeaky. Squeaky is nice.

Happy Lele is happy.

Lunch at Peel Pub

Thursdays are not very good days for me, but one thing I can look forward to is the lunch. Last year, I lunched here at Peel Pub nearly every Thursday for a semester -- thus is the miracle of school schedules matching up. This has got to be the restaurant I frequented the most during school so far, and I barely even drink. I don't understand why there aren't more students here during the day (I know, the nights are packed).

Obviously, you don't expect good service at a pub. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how nice our waitress was to us -- I honestly expected the brisk and grumpy lady who didn't smile much. And if you are a student, don't forget to bring your ID! They do check.

Their daily specials are all below 10$, and they give you more than enough food. Fantastic for students! In fact, they now serve a warm, sweet roll if you order a meal, and I couldn't stop eating mine!

As usual, I got the Thursday rib steak for 9.99$. I've been craving that steak for a while now, and it did not disappoint. 8 ounces of meaty goodness. I ordered it rare (a change from the medium-rare I always got here), and it was not very evenly grilled, but the steak is thin so I expected no miracles. It's pub food, and for the price it was great.

I apologize for the pictures; I took them with my phone.

My friend Y ordered the lasagna for 7.99$. The waitress came back after a while, saying they had no more meat lasagna, but he was happy to take the vegetarian one. It came looking quite delicious. All that heavenly cheese... I know what I'm getting next time!

Although we didn't get any drinks this time, I feel obliged to tell you that they have 99 cents shooters on Thursdays, but you need to buy them in sets of 4. I have tried lots of them and they are very tasty! Especially the Pearl Harbor and the Beam Me Up Scottie~

Stay tuned!

1196, rue Peel 
(514) 844-7296

Korean BBQ: Seoul Chako

I recently became infatuated with all the wonders of Korean cuisine, and a great way to indulge my cravings is Korean BBQ! Seoul Chako is located on St-Catherine street, very close to Concordia University and a short walk from McGill University as well. It must be popular among hungry students like us! I went there for lunch with friends -- on weekdays, it is only 13.99$, with a reasonable selection of food.

 When we got in, we were quickly ushered to our seats -- some of our friends had already gotten two tables. The waitress was rather rude to us -- not trying to be mean, but rather like an annoyed cafeteria lady snapping at little kids. But hey, you go to all-you-can-eat for the quantity of food, not the service.

The restaurant itself is very pretty -- the some of the lights change colour! Beware though... the booth sofas are not real sofas... the seats are made of wood, and no cushioning either.

Each order has 2-4 servings, depending on how much you think a serving is. Make sure you don't overorder! 

That white rectangular thing is calamari. I didn't like it, but the person who ordered them thought they were fine, so maybe unseasoned calamari is just not for me. 

Mushrooms! They are so good and juicy -- I ate so many slices! 

Other than that, I liked the short ribs and the chicken. I also ordered the fish fillet. They were white, and I have no idea what kind of fish. I find that they were too salty. 

Their side dishes included popcorn chicken which were awesome! There was also fried dumplings, fried scallops that may have been fake (tasted crabby), edamame, some sushi rolls that my friends said were mediocre... 

Of course, they also had kimchi, which I really liked. I am a bit picky about kimchi, I need just the right amount of tang and spiciness. 

Oh, and I tried their green salad. Do yourself a favor. Don't order it. I got a clump of iceberg lettuce center; they didn't even bother separating the leaves, two cucumber slices and a slice of tomato -- slathered with a nasty yellow dressing that had the consistency of sriracha sauce. Ugh. 

At the end of the meal, we had ice cream! I personally have a profound love of all things green tea flavoured, and I found their matcha ice cream to be superb and creamy. The mango was also very good, the favorite among my friends. 

There was a nice surprise at the end: They gave us 10% discount! I assume it was because we were obviously students. 

It was a lot of fun! I would like to go for dinner -- althought not anytime soon. Want to try the expanded menu, with ox tongue, pumpkin and sweet potato...

Until next time, stay tuned to Munchow, and happy munching!

1824, Ste-Catherine West

H3H 1M1

Homemade Buckwheat Crepes

With all my visits to Chez Cora and Cacao 70, I've learnt that if there's one thing I love, it's a good crepe. I like the grainy texture of buckwheat crepes most of all, and I find that the woody taste contributes wonderfully to a good crepe. So I bought a pouch of buckwheat a couple of days ago, and sought to make my very own crepes.

My first attempt a couple of days ago was a dud. I had mixed the batter according to a recipe, heated up my frying pan, but when it came to making the first crepe, I realized just how hungry I was -- and dumped the whole bowl of batter into the pan. Oh, by the way, that batter was supposed to make 4 crepes.

Crepe or bread?

So, although delicious, my spinach-cheddar crepe was as thick as a slice of bread. However, the amazing taste brought back memories of chilly Tuesday mornings at Chez Cora among friends.

Today, I attempted to make crepes again! This time, I was just as hungry, but I have learned the virtue of patience. Although I didn't follow a recipe (I mixed milk, egg, buckwheat and flour until the batter was goopy enough), my intuition served me well! I made 3 beautiful crepes and one pancake I quickly gobbled down.

I also grilled a chicken breast and some eggplant slices, and spread them out on a crepe along with cheddar cheese and Sriracha sauce. Then I covered the whole thing with another crepe, and put it in an oven to warm up.





When the cheese had melted, I cut up some oranges to garnish, and added a generous dollop of hummus to the crepe, because hummus is the king of spreads and condiments.

Tada!

It was a fantastic dinner! Wonderful, thin crepes sandwiching tender chicken and soft, light eggplant, with melted cheese and the tang of sriracha. Yum! I would totally make this meal again!

Bear and Lele begging for some chicken

Greetings and Chows

Hello!

I'm a perpetually hungry lover of food, living in the beautiful, multi-cultural city of Montreal. Its huge variety of restaurants, cafés, and everything in between is sure to please every tastebud, and I aim to take complete advantage! 

I am also learning to cook, and this blog will also document my many cooking adventures and disasters. 

As you might have guessed, the name Munchow is my food-yearning way of saying Montreal. Get it? Get it? But if this pun is too lame for you, I have another trick up my sleeve! 

Chow chows!

Behold, my two accomplices!

This is Bearbear. She is 4 years old, a sweet affectionate chow once you get to know her. But if she doesn't know you, she will barkbarkbark till you go away! She's really got the classic Chow suspicion of strangers.

Bear likes to sleep by the door like a true guard dog. When she is bored, she finds little screws, paperclips and the such to nibble on, which scares me to death because I am paranoid that she will choke on them.

She says hi!

This beautiful dog is Lele. He is 3 years old. He might have good looks, but not the brains. Guess who has trouble learning tricks... Silly or not, he is a very social dog and absolutely loves people. He is always interested in what I'm doing, and often comes up for pats and attention.

Lele likes dog toys! He has a very special bone-shaped plush that squeaks when he bites it right, and if you want his attention, you just need to pick it up, and he'll trot over to grab it! He also likes to relax outside, whether it's day or night.


Now, you have met us all! I hope we'll have a good adventure together!

Stay tuned, and buh-bye.