Montreal Events: Kyozon Official Launch

Kyozon

A Kaiten on Crescent.

1458 Rue Crescent. Montréal, QC H3G

I'm all about restaurants experimenting with new concepts and aiming to set themselves apart from the pack. The launch of Kyozon last week demonstrated the restaurants first strides towards becoming Montreal's latest trend-setter, and I liked what I saw!

Kyozon Exterior

The official launch party at Kyozon's seriously impressive Crescent location was a blast! Sushi circulated on their unique Kaiten (conveyor belt), attendees sipped on original cocktails, and the media buzzed about this booming new restaurant and bar. Everyone was having a great time, and although the restaurant is two floors and very spacious, it was packed the entire night!

Sushi Kaiten

Shojo Sour

Sushi

I didn't stray too far from the Kaiten and grabbed plenty of sushi before it whizzed by, while sipping my Shojo Sour (a striking green cocktail crafted with Bombay Sapphire, Midori, fresh lime, simple syrup, sesame oil, and egg white). Other snacks were passed around including their popcorn shrimp with sriracha cream, salt and pepper fried calamari, and the cutest and most delicious little desserts- mini passion fruit panna cottas.

Popcorn Shrimp with Sriracha Cream

The restaurant is changing the game a little. A HUGE bar is the main feature you will notice upon entrance, though the entire space is visually stunning. The décor feels traditional and rooted in Asian culture, but still exudes modern and trendy vibes all around. Above the bar, canisters with Japanese symbols line the walls all the way to the ceiling and directly opposite lies the DJ booth. From the second floor, you could look straight-down onto the bar and admire the bartenders shaking up one of their many delicious creations. The second floor is also where you will find the Kaiten (extremely popular all over Japan and beginning to pop-up in the UK and other parts of the world), an all new concept in the Montreal restaurant landscape! A fun way to eat "tapas-style" and try a little bit of everything.

The rest of the menu mimics the décor: the items are based on traditional Asian street-food, but most have a modern twist.

Overall, the night was fun and delicious, but I was mainly struck by Kyozon's gorgeous design and the fact that no detail was overlooked in the planning of its (definitely) GRAND opening.

Best of luck to the Kyozon team, and congratulations on the launch of a cool new MTL spot!

Mind, Taste, Love.

Restaurant Review: Rosewood

Rosewood 

Rock N' Rosewood

60 Saint Jacques St, Montreal QC H2Y1L2

A down-to-earth supper club serving some mean burgers to the sound of great music- that is how I would describe Rosewood Pub & Restaurant. Nothing over-the-top, or pretentious here! Just good food, good music, and friendly staff. "Dope" as my friend put it best!

Rosewood Exterior

It is no surprise then that the restaurant is owned by Quebec rockstar Jonas, who teamed up with next door neighbour Joverse owners to create this laid-back, yet rockin' space. 

The music is catchy, the burgers exotic, and cocktails colourful. If you're looking for the perfect night out with some friends, or a casual date night in the Old Port, you need to make your way here. The décor is simple- wooden tables, leather benches, decorative pillows, and red lighting- creating an atmosphere that perfectly complements the cool music and menu. Also, glasses are adorned with the signature Rosewood Rose. It's all in the details, right?!

What we ordered

• Yellowfin Tuna Burger: Triple AAA red tuna, sesame seeds, avocado, tempura, spicy mayo, tomato, and iceberg lettuce 
• Bangkok Burger: Shrimp, gojuchang mayo, napa cabbage, and hoisin sauce
• Le Massif: Charlevoix lamb, foie gras mayo, cheese, sautéed chanterelles, porc belly, and romaine lettuce
• French fries

All burgers are served with their house popcorn, and all necessary condiments are on the table (including Sriracha- SCORE!).

Yellowfin Burger

Bangkok Burger

Le Massif Burger

Fries

And for you health nuts- Don't stay home! They have some salads on the menu too and a veggie burger made with black beans and quinoa.

The favourite cocktail at our table was the Watermelon Spritz, but their cocktail menu has a bunch of fun options to choose from- Bourbonade anyone?!

Cheers!

Watermelon Spritz

To top it all off, dessert of course! What better way to end a meal than with a key lime pie piled high with Chantilly whipped cream and toasted coconut. NOTHING. Though their sundaes looked pretty epic too... A girl can only devour so much in one awesome night.

Key Lime Tart

For a night out packed with music, great food, good atmosphere, all in one of the most beautiful areas of our city, rock n' roll over to Rosewood!

Reservations: Large space (two floors), but it filled up a little later on, so always better off reserving!
Date night: As long as you don't mind eating burgers on a date! (Wait, why would you?) & expect loud music- this is not the place for you if you're looking for a quiet date spot.
What I wore: Waxy forest green jeans, white tee, silk bomber, and leather booties.

The damage: $$

Stay in the know: Lunch Monday-Friday & weekend brunch

Mind, Taste, Love.

Restaurant Review: Anabel Bar et Vin

Anabel

Your Fall go-to restaurant.

• 361 Bernard Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H2V 1T6

3 words come to mind when thinking about my most recent visit to Anabel Bar et Vin: Quirky, Comforting, and Original.

Quirky: the ambience- turquoise walls, classic black and white floors, and wooden tables. It sounds like a lot of mix & match, but somehow it works creating a cozy and striking restaurant interior. You won't mind sticking around for a while, especially with the perfect playlist they have on in the background.

Restaurant interior (taken from Facebook page)

Comforting: the menu items. I would say Anabel serves modern comfort food. From a lobster french toast to a grilled pork chop with rapini, turnips, and horseradish. You will definitely leave feeling warm & satisfied (especially if you ordered a bottle of wine from their extensive list).

Original: all around. Their menu, presentation, and décor are all pretty refreshing in a restaurant scene where I'm getting used to seeing a lot of the same. They tend to do things a little differently here.

On top of everything, the staff are friendly, the cocktail list is creative, and though the menu is small, you will want to try everything on it! Plus they take a seasonal approach meaning the menu changes with each season based on market-fresh ingredients. I believe this week they are rolling out their Fall menu and I am excited to see what that entails! I would imagine the perfect combo of ingredients to keep us warm here in Montreal.

What we ordered (The menu is changing this week- not sure if any of these will remain, but they were so good that I want to share anyways!):

Drinks

• The London Pact: My personal favourite. Pimms, cucumber, mint, lemon, and some other ingredients I can't remember- but so delicious! A little taste of London.
• The Anabel Julep: Mint, Orangina, bourbon, and some other ingredients- my lesser favourite of the two.

London Pact

Appetizers

• Salmon tartare: Unique and delicious. Marinated cucumbers, pomegranate seeds, lemon oil, french radish, and salmon tartare piled atop prawn crackers and served with a tangy sauce.
• Lobster french toast: Their take on the classic lobster roll. Lobster salad stacked on a thick slice of savoury french toast with a homemade bacon marmalade and homemade potato chips.
• Pan-fried gnocchi: Cozy. Pan-fried gnocchi with pancetta and peas in a crab sauce drizzled with truffle oil.
• Tomato salad: So simple, but sooo good. Market-fresh heirloom tomatoes with coriander and homemade croutons topped with an impressive fried poached egg.

Salmon Tartare

Lobster French Toast

Gnocchi

Tomato Salad

Fried Poached Egg

Main

• Halibut: Warm. Halibut served with clams, mushrooms, and swiss chard in a carrot butter sauce.

Halibut

Dessert

• Fried Oreos: BETTER than any I've had before. Deep-fried oreos served with ice cream and a shot of milk.

Fried Oreo Platter

Fried Oreo

See what I mean!? Charming restaurant, on a charming street. Couldn't imagine a cozier place to spend an autumn Saturday night.

Reservations: Yes.
Date night: Most definitely.
What I wore: leather leggings, buttoned-up denim shirt, chunky necklace under the collar, leather jacket, and booties (Can't believe it's layering season already!).

The damage: $$$

Stay in the know: Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Bonus: $1 oysters on Thursday's. 

Mind, Taste, Love.

Lifestyle: M Salon Official Launch Party

M Salon Official Launch Party

The Ultimate GNO.

1332 Notre Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC , H3C 1K7

One of my favourite neighbourhoods in Montreal is Griffintown. I don't live in the area, but I try to make my way there as often as possible to bike by the canal, grab a coffee, or try the latest trendy restaurant. So I was really excited when I received an invite to the official launch of Griffintown's latest (and only) nail and beauty salon - M Salon. This project was started by two brothers, Laurent and Arie Benchetrit when they discovered that this up-and-coming neighbourhood had a serious gap in the market. Realizing that no nail salons existed within a short walking distance, these two took it upon themselves to start their own- but it turned into much more than that. M Salon offers a wide range of services including: manicures, pedicures, waxing, haircuts, blowouts, highlights, extensions, threading, and custom MENicures (who says men can't have nice nails too?). The salon also goes hand-in-hand with the brothers' own line of nail polish, Maniglam.

Now let's talk launch party. The brand new modern black & white space was the ideal backdrop for the event, which later moved outside to the salon's very own outdoor terrace. Sushi provided by Ryu, Oyster's from Mother Shuckers, cookies by Shticks (YUM), mojitos, Fafa Khan dj-ing, flash tattoos, pop-up shop by New Social Class, and of course MANIS by M Salon! Truly the perfect girls night and a first glance into this wonderful (and glam!) new salon, which I will definitely be visiting again in the near future! To top it all off, the space is beautifully decorated.

Oyster Bar

Shticks

Here's some more info so you can stay in the know!
Hours:
Monday- CLOSED
Tuesday- 11-6
Wednesday- 11-7
Thursday- 11-8
Friday- 11-7
Saturday- 10-6
Sunday- 12-5

Services:
-Manis
-Pedis
-Waxing
-Haircuts
-Blowouts
-Highlights
-Extensions
-Threading
-MENicures
-Spray tan

BONUS:

-Free Wine & fancy coffee
-Music
-Open in the evenings during the week- definitely a plus!

Specials:

Wednesday - $45 mani-pedi

Sunday - $25 shellac mani

Tuesday - either or a combo of the above specials

Blowouts - $30

More info: http://www.m-salon.ca/

Just ONE more reason to love this MTL neighbourhood. You should go!

Mind, Taste, Love.

Restaurant Review: La Bêtise

La Bêtise

Stupidly delicious.

6015 St-Hubert, Montreal, H2S 2L8

Since this is Montreal, we know that La Bêtise literally translates to "Stupidity" or "Nonsense" in English (...ok fine, I google translated.)- so it's only fitting that at this resto they don't take themselves too seriously...it is all about eating, drinking, and having a good time. Having been around for 4 years already, I have clearly been missing out on this spot-   until now. And now it's your turn to get to know the tiny and trendy La Bêtise.

Food & Drink Menus

Firstly, you should know that they don't do things conventionally here. They add their own asian-fusion twist to some of your classic favs (mac and cheese, poutines, tartares, and more). So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find a rustic/western décor right down to the cow-print upholstered chairs and wooden slab menus. The menu has lots of tapas options, but for those of you who aren't into sharing your food (I have my days...), don't fret, there is also a table d'hôte. In honour of Le Burger Week, an additional menu-item was the "Heart Attack Burger". I opted to go for tapas instead. Their drink menu is equally impressive- LOVED the clear sangria and christmas mojito (very generous portions as well).

Christmas Mojito (Left) & Clear Sangria (Right)

We ordered 5 different tapas....the max amount we deemed socially acceptable for two people: crab bites (yum), classic salmon tartare (DELICIOUS- they ran out of their truffle oil salmon tartare, but we were happy to have this one in its place), lamb and ginger raviolis (more of a dumpling, but also really good...I love the addition of ginger), fish tacos (definitely good, but not as memorable as the other tapas), and the general tao poutine (unique and inventive dish, a tad sweet for me...but I still enjoyed every bite).

Crab Bites

Classic Salmon Tartare

Lamb & Ginger Ravioli

Fish Tacos

General Tao Poutine

Whether it's for cocktails and tartare with the girls, burgers and beer with the boys, or date night, DEFINITELY trek out (a little off the beaten path) to La Bêtise!

Reservations: Yes.
Date night: Date night, girls night, boys night, good for all occasions! 
What I wore: Leggings, blouse, and a silk bomber

The damage: $$

Stay in the know: Sundays closed for dinner, but opened for brunch

Bonus: $1 oysters on Monday's (starting @ 5pm), Tuesday ladies night (free salmon tartare if you spend $12+)

Mind, Taste, Love.