The Cosmopolitan Blog

I went to FondueMentale for the 3rd time in 5 years, and it was great, as always. But i wanted to write a review this time, because i found the perfect combination of dishes to order. We were 4 people and went for dinner on a Friday night. It is recommended to make a reservation.

When you walk in, the restaurant is very quaint, you have to walk up a few steps and pull an old heavy door. The romantic atmosphere can be felt as soon as you walk in, with wood and candlelight visible from the entrance foyer. There are stairs that lead to the upstairs level, but we were seated one the first floor (I’ve been upstairs before, it’s nice too, more of a modern feel whereas here below, it feels nice and retro).

Fondue is originally a swiss dish that comes in very different varieties, but the 1 common thing is that it’s about putting a piece of something onto a long fork and placing it into a pot of a boiling liquid and leaving it there for a little while.

There is the cheese fondue where you put bread into liquid melted boiling swiss cheese. There’s Chinoise and Bourguignonne ones where u put raw meat into either boiling oil (bourguignonne) or broth (chinoise) to cook your meat. then there’s the ever fabulous chocolate fondue for desert.

So, at Fondue Mentale you can choose any one you like, there have different variations on each. And of course, if there are many of you, you can each take something different for a variety of samples. But what i really recommend you should do it take the menus, you have to be a minimum of 2 people for each menu though.

L’ aventure is the cheapest, at $29 per person, and there’s also La Romantique at $33 per person. We were four people, so we took one of each. For starters, you get a cheese fondue (a smaller portion), but still it’s a very filling dish, and we puposely ended up leaving a little at the bottom of the pot, to save place for the rest of the food. The good thing is, since we get 2 portions of Cheese Fondue (since we had 2 menus), we had a different type of cheese in each fondue.

Then came the fondue Chinoise, where we got dishes of raw beef and chicken (L’ Aventure) and a dish of raw beef, chicken, shrimp, salmon and calamari (La Romantique), that you have to place at the end of your long fork (you get 2 forks per person so you can be more productive)…

Of course, I made sure to tell my dinner companions that, when i was in Switzerland, i had been taught that the rule for fondues was: if a piece drops off your fork (i.e. you pull your fork out of the pot and there’s nothing attached to it), you have to pay a penalty… and the penalty can be anything from kissing your neighbor to handing over a piece of food in penalty

Oh! and rule no2 (way more important if you care about your tummy): with cheese fondue, NEVER drink ice water while eating the fondue, because then the melted cheese solifies in yuor tummy and well, not good! So, ice with no water (small sips only, otherwise effect will be the same, and you’ll be full by the 4th bite) or better yet, a nice bottle of white wine (always good to use this as an opportunity to try a german or swiss wine).

Desert was a fruit fondue, perfect end, a little pot of hot melted chocolate and a plate full of cut up fruit to dip into it. FABULOUS!

Anyway, so, conclusion: for this restaurant, my tips are: go with a group, be adventurous, come hunry, stay away from too much water, stay close to lots of wine, and find a way to maximize the different dishes you end up with. The menus are GREAT ideas because they are designed for maximum sampling. HAPPY FONDU-ING!

FondueMentale is located at 4325 Saint-Denis (between Marie-Anne and Rachel) – (514) 499-1446 – http://www.fonduementale.com/ – open from 5.30 to 10pm (weekdays) and until 11.30pm (weekends).

This is my no1 favorite place. Period. The fact that this Iranian / Persian restaurant’s main clientèle are all Persian should tell you something: it’s not a tourist trap or a hyped up commercial venture. It’s a hole-in-the-wall place, but just walking in makes you so hungry, the smells coming from this family-run restaurant and kitchen are amazing… The menu has all the essentials. It’s hearty, large portions, perfection!! …and it’s so cheap, you have a complete meal for $10!! (and i’ve taken some home for lunch the next day, cuz i had too much on my plate).

it’s like going home to your mom’s for dinner (and i’m not even Persian!!)

The rice is so savorful, with the saffron and melted butter, i’ve not tasted anything like this before in any other Iranian restaurant. The dish you MUST try is the Crazy Chicken (seriously, that’s what it’s called). Ask for the boneless version. It’s grilled, but has saffron and lemon and it’s so moist it melts in your mouth. When they ask you if you want soup or salad to start (yes, it comes with every main course), say soup, regardless of if it’s summer. I’m not a big soup fan, but this is SO good. It’s very hearty and thicker than your average soup, but it has lentils and noodles, and a hint of vinegar and it’s so tasty, it’s really, like the best comfort food you could get.

I’m so lucky to have this place next door to me.

Edit – 16 July 08: Thanks to my loyal readers for pointing out the lack of an address… DUH!… Here it is:
820 Avenue Atwater – Montréal, QC – Tel: (514) 933-0933.

You’ll spend on average $10-$16 per person. There are soft drinks, but no alcohol, and you can’t BYOB. They take cash only, i believe. You can also order take out, and if you ask nicely, they’ll call a cab for you and deliver it to your place (you pay for the taxi, obviously).

Miso has only been in existence for about 2-3 years now, but has become a popular eatery. Even though it’s across the road from a more famous and more expensive sushi place, what sets Miso aside is the fact that it really delivers on its claim of offering Fusion Asian food.

The Food
They have an extensive sushi menu, with a choice of preset platters as well as an a la carte mix-and-match where you can pick your favorites. Their sushi chef is extremely creative and talented, and it’s worth considering sitting at the sushi bar if it’s sushi you came for, and order some of Miso’s own sushi creations… or even ask the chef to create a plate for you.

The creativity goes all the way down to the dishware, the plates themselves have very different shapes, one in particular, designed to increase the romance of a tête-à-tête, the plate is in the shape of a curved bridge that goes from one end of the table to the other.

For those not interested in sushi, there is an extensive Asian menu with all the classics like Chicken with Peanut Sauce or Fried Calamari. This is what makes this a great place for large groups, because of the extensive types of Asian cuisines, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese… something for everyone!

So that’s the good news. The bad news is that, having been a regular since the restaurant’s opening 2-3 years ago, I find that their success has gone to their head a bit. As an example, the Peanut Chicken (one of my favorite dishes, even know, their peanut sauce is truly divine) used to be priced at a reasonable $15 or so, and as now increased to closer to $20, BUT with a reduced portion size. Another example is the fact that they used to give you a free bowl of edamame (soybeans boiled whole in their green pod and served with salt) as you sat down, but now, you have to order it and pay for it as an appetizer.

On a side note, I highly recommend their tiramisu, but beware, it has nothing to do with a real tiramisu, yet it’s a chocoltey minty piece of heaven!

About the Service
Service is great, has never disappointed me in the 6-10 times I’ve been there. On Fridays and Saturdays, the sushi might take a little while to get there, especially if they chef has to get creative, but the atmosphere is enjoyable enough that you won’t get bored. Ordering from the regular menu is really quick.

More Info
Drinks-wise, their wine list is extensive, but i recommend their warm sake, the large portion is VERY large, an entire bottle for a reasonable (not cheap) price. For those in the area, you can order online straight from their website (so, no delivery charge), they just call you to confirm your method of payment. I live close by and got my sushi platter in under 25 minutes on a weekday evening.

Prices: $30-$45 per person, excluding taxes and tip, more for specialty sushi.

Hours: Sat-Sun: 11:00am-3:00pm, Mon-Fri: 11:00am-2:30pm, Sun-Wed: 5:00pm-10:00pm, Thu-Sat: 5:00pm-11:00pm – Terrace available during the summer months.
4000, rue Ste-Catherine O corner Atwater, Montreal, Québec H3Z 1P1 (Westmount)
514-908-6476 Tel.: 514.908.6476
www.restaurantmiso.com – info@restaurantmiso.com

For now, I’ve settled in Montreal, and it’s a food lover’s heaven… It’s got the best of London and New York at a much more reasonable price. There’s trendy, there’s fast, there’s slow, there’s I-go-there-to-be-seen, there’s ugly, there’s delicious and not so delicious. There’s every cuisine you can dream of, and generally, there’s very, very good service… Most Montreal waiters haven’t yet discovered that they work in a trendy enough city that they can have some attitude ssshhh, don’t tell them.

So I’m gonna post my restaurant reviews here, although I do usually have them published other places too… I’ll place the links as I get them.

If you’ve been to one of the restaurants I’ve reviewed and you agree with my review, then great, let me know. But if you don’t agree, then PLEASE tell me, there’s nothing I want more than a reason to go back to a restaurant to prove you wrong!! I’m kidding….