The Cosmopolitan Blog

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).

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….