This restaurant is where I had one of the greatest meal I ate recently. This vietnamese restaurant is very different from its counterparts. Most vietnamese restaurants either serve the traditional tokenese soup or an assortment of brochettes. This restaurants has a wider variety of dishes, some seem to be influenced by thai or even french cuisine. The table d'hôte menu (16$ which is very reasonable) offers a choice of soups, entrées and main dishes. The tomato and crab soup was surprising. Altough the odor was pungent (probable from the fish broth), its content was varied : pieces of tomato, papaya chips, mushrooms, crab and various finely sliced vegetables. The taste is difficult to describe, maybe a little too much line vinegar, so it wasn't the best part of the meal although it was't bad at all, just ... interesting. The entrée, on the other hand, of grilled mussels was absolutely superb! The mussels were moist and tender and had a smokey taste from the grill. They were sitting on top of an excellent salad made up of a variety of finely sliced vegetables, the salad itself was laying in a light vinaigrette and everything was sprinkled with crushed peanuts. This was by far the best mussels I ever tasted and the best presentation. The main dish of grilled Lotte (fish) on a papaya salad was as good and as well presented. The fish was marinated and grilled on charcoal, it was also on top of a variety of finely sliced vegetables, but different from the previous dish. It was also served with a small bowl of rice, some dipping sauce for the fish and papaya chips. One could say that the taste from the grill overpowered the taste of the fish but I liked it a lot, the variety of tastes, textures and smells made it an exceptional dish. I also tasted the chicken in peanut sauce with crispy spinach, which is a dish usually found in thai or schezuan cuisine, and it was as good. The emphasis is put on presentation and, as you noticed from the review, variety. The decor is sober and simple but elegant as is the service. This is one restaurant not to be missed in Montreal.
P.S. Altough not officially part of the city of Montreal (Outremont is on the other side of the street), it is still considered to be part of Outremont.
Date of review : Between 1993 and 2005