Review: Hecho en Mexico

(blurry from the iphone, but you get the idea!)

Authentic Mexican is hard to find in Montreal (and Australia for that matter!) Not having been to Mexico though, maybe I am not really qualified to say what is authentic, but I know the best Mexican I've eaten was as I was road tripping around California. A new Mexican place, Hecho en Mexico (Made in Mexico) opened up recently down the road from me, and I couldn't wait to try it!

I have been there twice now - the first visit was amazing and I couldn't believe how good it was. We had the place to ourselves, had a lovely chat with the owners and chef (though in broken French, since they didn't really speak English) and the food was outstanding and exceptional value. We had quesadillas (with black beans and feta, see the first photo), a salad (mango and what I think was jicama, dressed with lemon, so refreshing), the lamb (cooked in leaves for hours, meltingly soft, though a small portion), the steak "burritos" and then flan (the second photo, it blends into the plate!). Oh, and horchata! That was as part of a table d'hote, of which there was a 13/15/18 dollar option

The second visit the menu had changed so that there were starters and mains. The prices had increased and the restaurant was full. We waited a long time for our food, though the chips and salsa kept us going. The food was delicious still, but there seemed to be an issue with portion size and perhaps advising people on ordering. We had the quesadillas again, and the beef tartare. The tartare portion, for a starter, was *huge* (at least 200g of meat) and it would have been better if the waiter has advised us to share it. Again, our mains were delicious - steak tacos, and then an enchilada dish with mole sauce and (supposedly) chicken. It came with bacon instead, which really made the dish too rich. It was also a big portion and whilst I loved the mole sauce, the flavours became a little bit to same-y after awhile (so much so that I couldn't finish it, something I rarely do!) The quality of the food was still good, but we realised we needed to change our ordering strategy on the next visit.

I should note too, both times we have been served tortilla chips and salsa when we were seated (and we received extra salsa and chips on request)!

It is a family run small business and there are definitely some issues with the service (on our second visit we were given the wrong bill twice - both times it was a cheaper bill. If we had been less honest they would have lost money and I am sure they can't afford to do that early on) The food definitely makes up for it though!
I would definitely encourage people to visit, just go with a bit of a gentle attitude!


Hecho en Mexico
4816 Rue Wellington
Verdun QC

Review: Cafe Souvenir

Ahh, brunch! One of my favourite meals of the weekend (you just can't do brunch on a weekday can you?) Our regular place in Montreal is Cafe Souvenir, in Outremont. Consistently excellent food and, though they modified their menu and increased their prices recently, still damn good value!

In this picture you can see a recent feast - I had a friend visiting from London and we went a little crazy ordering all of our favourites! Pictured in the foreground is an omelette with bacon, spinach and brie, with baguette on the side, homemade confiture (jam) to the left and a small bowl of fresh fruit. The bacon in these omelettes is amazing - they cook it before adding it to the eggs, so it is nice and crispy - delicious! They are also served straight from the pan at the table, a nice touch!

Another favourite - pain dore (French toast) which is served with little bottles of real maple syrup at no extra charge. This is actually a rarity in Montreal which is unbelievable given than Quebec produces about 80% of the world's maple syrup. For our visitor we also ordered a side of feves au lard, Quebec-style baked beans. I have never liked British-style tinned baked beans, but fèves au lard are completely different - meaty, smokey with a touch of sweetness. Yum!

Also recommended: the breakfast burrito, the Mandarin Melba (yogurt, granola, mandarin slices and berry coulis), the Niçoise salad and the sweet potato fries that can be ordered with the hamburgers.

Brunch at Cafe Souvenir is served until 4pm. Around 1pm there is often a line up, though, if you are willing to sacrifice the terrasse, you can normally score a table inside.

Cafe Souvenir
1261 Avenue Bernard
Outremont, QC H2V 1V8
www.cafesouvenir.com/