Category Postcards from Montreal

Need ideas for a trip to Montreal this summer? Feasting at Van Horne Avenue’s Damas is like a magical night in a sultan’s tent. You’ll be charmed by this Syrian restaurant’s opulent but modern décor, attentive staff, and lively ambiance but it’s the food that will blow your mind. Damas serves the best middle eastern food that we have ever tasted – and that’s coming from my husband’s family (who have Syrian roots and have eaten middle eastern across the globe).

You come to Damas to eat, so come hungry. Order the tasting menu, a traditional Syrian mezze of small plates; Damas makes it an outstanding gastronomical experience. The chef will surprise you with his choice of course after course of little works of art: refined, traditional recipes with creative touches that will leave you swooning.  Here are a few instagram photos of the tasting menu we enjoyed recently with our brother and sister-in-law. Sorry the photos don’t do the food justice – I was too busy enjoying the food and conversation to focus.

Cold mezzes started with fattouch salad, finely chopped so that every bite was a medley of flavour: romaine lettuce, radish, tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper, and mint, topped with grilled pita and crimson pomegranate seeds, in traditional lemon vinaigrette spiked with Aleppo pepper and sumac. Isn’t beet mutabbal (a puree of roasted beets and nutty tahina paste) so pretty? Mouhammara is seductive dip of roasted sweet red peppers, nuts, tomato, lemon, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo pepper. I have a recipe for mouhammara on my blog but I wish I knew how Damas makes theirs divine. The hummus is silky smooth and dead-on delicious, the best hummus I have ever tasted. With house-baked pita, served warm and puffy. I should note that this photo shows the portions I put on my plate and not how the chef plated them.

Oh my god…the best hummus, fattouche, and muhamarra I have ever tasted. And the kibbeh nayeh phenomenal.

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:05pm PDT

The Arabs have an even better version of steak tartar, called kibbé nayyé: finely minced, top-quality raw beef with bulgur and seven spices. Damas stuffs theirs with mouhammara, mint, and pine nuts, and garnishes with shaved onions and house-made chili puree. A real delicacy.

Kibbeh nayeh… phenomenal

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:07pm PDT

But we are just getting started. Next in line are succulent proteins grilled over an open charcoal fire.

#youcametodamasyouareheretoeat #syriancuisine #montreal #chargrilled #tastingmenu

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 4:38pm PDT

I’ve never been a fan of octopus but Damas chargrills it and serves it with a chickpea salad. My son will be happy to know I now love octopus.

Grilled octopus salad with cilantro puree

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:22pm PDT

Chargrilled sea bass on a pool of tarator (a sauce made from ground sesame paste, garlic, lemon, and cumin) is already my favourite fish meal but Damas blows it out of the water. Tarator sauce is easy to make at home and pairs especially well with grilled fish but also chicken or beef. I have a recipe for it on my blog (my husband’s family calls it tahina).

Chargrilled Sea bass on a bed of tahina…okay it's already my fave meal but #damas blows it out of the water

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:40pm PDT

The totally unexpected fillet mignon of veal was fabulous: deglazed with lemon, garlic, and Aleppo pepper. Served with confit tomatoes and tiny cubes of crisp potatoes.

Filet mignon of veal. Fabulous

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:46pm PDT

Lamb chops were dusted with seven spices and chargrilled to sheer perfection, as soft as butter. Served on a drizzle of baba ghannouj (smoky, grilled eggplant mashed with ground sesame paste, lemon, and garlic).

Rack of lamb.. .okay i just can't speak so outstanding. #wheninmontrealcometodamask. The best middle eastern. The lamb is like butter.

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 5:48pm PDT

Dessert is not included in the tasting menu but don’t miss the orange blossom baklava ice cream: rich vanilla ice cream perfumed with orange blossom water and spiked with chunks of sticky sweet baklava….heavenly.  And the fresh mint tea is so fresh and minty.

Mint tea how it is mint to be

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 6:17pm PDT

Gorgeous glass lanterns are strung across the ceilings. Click the link to the Damas website to see photos of their beautiful interior.

Beautiful ambiance

A post shared by Olive (@olive_to_eat) on Jul 6, 2016 at 6:04pm PDT

There is an outdoor terrace, two rooms, and a bar beside the charcoal grill (which is entertaining in cooler weather but a bit too toasty in the summer). Make reservations well in advance; this place has earned its popularity. The tasting menu is available for entire table only. It’s expensive but so worth it. Make Damas your special night out.

Restaurant Damas
1201 Ave. Van Horne
Montreal, QC   H2V 1K4

Telephone: 514-439-5435
http://www.restaurant-damas.com/

Fêting the holidays at Montreal’s iconic L’Express. Bustling, Parisian-style bistro. Elbow-to-elbow with casual French chic. Service attentive and gracious.

Thoughtful gestures like extra virgin olive oil, dijon, and big jars of petits cornichons on every table. You’d be a fool not to indulge in the baguette.

Classic French bistro food done beautifully, with a wine list to match. Raw oysters. Chèvre chaud – warm goat cheese with mixed greens and endive.

Ile flottante au caramel – an island of soft meringue in a hard caramel shell, floating in a pool of crème anglaise. Garnished with an almond biscuit. Ooh là là.

As vibrant today as it has been since it opened in 1980 and ushered in the revival of rue St. Denis. Still my favourite Montreal hangout.

Restaurant L’Express
3927 rue Saint-Denis
Montréal, QC

Telephone: 514-845-5333

Website: http://restaurantlexpress.com/en/

When in Montreal, we love to gather with family at Restaurant Solémer & Poissonnerie. An abundance of meze dishes get passed around our table (small servings of Lebanese appetizers, salads, and seafood) and wine flows freely. We work our way toward grilled meats or grilled or fried fish that we choose from the wide selection of fresh fish available in the attached fish market. Often the restaurant treats our family to sweet, juicy watermelon to finish our meal (we are regulars here).

Treasures from the sea, prepared Mediterranean-style: Calamari, deep-fried, light and crispy. Smoky-sweet Grilled Octopus, dressed in lemon, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Shrimps Provencal (lemon, garlic butter, and coriander).

Best Fattouche I have ever had: fresh, crisp vegetables, ripe tomato, and crunchy pita, dressed in a well-balanced vinaigrette brightened with lemon, sumac, and a punch of garlic. They’ve got my number. My son’s favourite, Kebbe Nayeh: Lebanese-style Steak Tartare (fresh, minced raw beef mixed with bulgur, puréed onion, and a touch of spice) served with fresh mint, olive oil, and raw onion for scooping. My husband says it puts Steak Tartare to shame.

Grilled Shish Kebab: tender yet oh so flavourful, marinated filet mignon. Served with really good fries, julienned vegetables, and tomato-brushed pita. Flavourful Brown Rice with Nuts. Fried Basa personally selected from the fish market: delicately flavoured white fish in light, crispy coating. Served with deep-fried pita.

Don’t forget the Tarator Sauce (ground sesame seed sauce, also known as Tahina), Hummus (puréed chickpeas, sesame paste, lemon, garlic) and Baba Ghannouj (smoky, grilled eggplant mashed with sesame paste, lemon, garlic).