SAF Seeks Laksa for Good Times, Companionship
If anyone knows of a Malaysian restaurant in Montreal, please email me at thepublicineffectual@gmail.com.
There was Nanthas for a while there but I found it curious that he'd overlooked curry laksa on the menu. When I asked him if he could make it special-like, he said he did once but people "complained because of the smell" which makes no sense to me. Idiot customers who complain a Malaysian restaurant smells like delicious Malaysian food ought to make themselves useful and BE food. Aaargh.
Its simple fare: yummy creamy curry soup with rice vermicelli; add a few hokkien noodles for colour, a smattering of bean sprouts for texture and prawn or chicken, as you like. The fried tofu soaks up the juice only to explode in your mouth and its customary to add just a small dob of spicy sambal on top for love. Ohhhhh.
Curry laksa can be found in just about any food court in Sydney these days. Its easy to get used to being so indulged. The food court in Chifley Square (beautiful office building that Tiffanys and Max Mara also call home; the site of many a battle in the Matrix) gives its upscale clientele bibs to wear as not to spoil any bespoke shirts with evidence of lunchtime slurping. Anywhere else, you're on your own. It is my mood enhancer of choice.
Not suitable for those with heart abnormalities and first dates. Ideal for anyone else who likes to their food to make them break into a sweat.
posted by Oblivia @ 4:25 PM
15 Comments:
I sent your entry to another fellow malaysian of Montreal. Steph http://unadorned.org/dandruff/
There's unfortunately no malaysian restaurant in Montreal. Nonya which became an unfortunate trendy place of Montreal has some indonesian dishes, but nothing as Laksa.
Though you might find sometimes Laksa Pasta in Chinatown.
Karl - http://www.la-grange.net/
Yeah, I've tried the laksa paste and it will _almost_ do it, in a pinch. I was wondering myself today why I don't just make it and its partly because I've tried a few times and its never quite right. It doesn't bother me if the pasta sauce I made isn't quite as I wanted it to be but it matters with laksa.
Its also the sociability of it that I miss as well...running out for lunch and *swooning* over a hot bowl of something you know you'll live to regret, that kind of thing.
For me, laksa is the 'flagship' of malaysian cuisine - which I love - and makes me miss the places where its plentiful. Home.
Is Nonya still open? I drove by it a few weeks ago, but it didn't seem to exist anymore. Granted, I was paying more attention to the road, trying not to hit the hookers and the bikers.
Yeah, Nonya is open but its moved. Its now on St. Catherine St, across from the cinema. Its moved to a lounge/resto/bar concept - its not for regular folk like us. I imagine the "hookers and bikers" observation still applies only within the walls itself...
Besides, they don't have laksa on the menu anymore. I've already been in and checked...
Now that's a crying shame, since it was such a nice, little-known and fairly cheap hole-in-the-wall.
I have written two comments about Nonya:
http://www.la-grange.net/2004/04/16#nonya
http://www.la-grange.net/2004/06/06#nonya
Karl
Hi Karl, thanks for the links. All the accents are all messed up on my browser...
Yes I will fix that when I'm back I have messed up the month of April 2004 three days ago. I'll have to wait to be back in Montreal to fix it with my backup. :)
so only in a few days, I'm coming back on Sept 23.
Live from the department of PR of Nonya :p
Nonya on Ste Catherine has closed. I knew itwill not work. I have to call the owner, she might tell me more. They will reopen on Bernard Av and St Urbain in November. I hope in a small place with more charm that this pseudo crescent boring type place ont Ste Cath.
Karl
Karl, you are waaaay knitted into this whole scene.
No real surprise re: Nonya. Glad they're coming up to the 'hood though. Now, if we could only get a Korean restaurant up here, I would only ever have to leave the imaginary perimeter to go to the airport.
Oblivia,
Have you tried the new korean restaurant on Sainte-Catherine, after Faubourg, not very far from the King of Noodles. I went there just before to go to Japan, 3 weeks ago.
As I'm not a specialist of Korean food, I would be happy to have your opinion. Another Korean woman has recommended me in this evening another restaurant in NDG. The name is Seoul.
And btw do you know? Korea Voice Of Montreal. I guess you do. Stupid me.
http://vokomtl.new21.org/
Cow, I think I have been to the one you're talking about and I think its owned by the same guy who owns Nagoya in Old Montreal. The food was pretty good as I remember it but I haven't been there for ages. Is it on the north side of the street?
I quite like this place in St. Henri called Quatre Saisons, although I find its sort of dingy. The hospital green walls are a particular turn off but the food is good and the staff quite friendly.
Thanks for the link to VoK!
no it's the south side of the street, it's quite new. :) We should go there with Boris and Nika. You could give us an expert opinion ;)
I don't know Nagoya in old montreal, more to discover.
Cow - South side, never been. Worth checking out though because its just on the verge of my imaginary perimeter. My stomach is very grateful for the plethora of international students in that concordia ghetto. If only the mcgill ghetto was as interesting...
B: I went to a place in NDG but goddamit, I can't remember the name. Been to the one on Queen Mary remember liking it very much.
I should warn you, I'm no expert as far as Korean food is concerned.
http://www.la-grange.net/2004/10/29.html
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