We decided to forego the desserts, which I’m told are delicious, for a quick stop at Juliette & Chocolat nearby. Yessir, his 2nd foray into the world of raw fish, after the crudo at Impasto. My son even took a bite and declared his approval. The more-than-generous portion of fish proved deliciously spicy and I inhaled all. My tataki was served in a large bowl, accompanied by a huge serving of arugula salad on a bed of sticky rice. Mom ate part of the salad, also good though a bit too salty. My son ate the chicken and bread, rejected the spicy kimchi and ignored the edamame salad. The kid’s sandwich looked nothing like a McChicken, oh surprise (not!), with its big chunks of chicken, what looked like Japanese kewpie mayo and homemade kimchi in a big submarine-style bread. I did get to taste 1-2 spoonfuls and, while the soup looks fairly nondescript in its melamine bowl, it was both delicate and savoury. When your son slurps a whole bowl of miso soup with bits of floating tofu and arugula, you just sit and watch with a feeling of total achievement. Kiddo was so famished he claimed ownership. Without warning, a bowl of miso soup landed in front of me. I got raised eyebrows and smile-free service for the remainder of the lunch… In a show of typical misplaced humour, I asked the waiter if the fried chicken sandwich was their take on a McChicken.
Kiddo asked for fried chicken, while the waiter recommended the tuna tataki, a lunch crowd favourite or so I was told. The lunch with its ramen soups, fried foods and budda dogs serves up basic fare. Kiddo was dancing in his seat all through. Big in Japan swings more grungy, with its lunch soundtrack devoted to the likes of Elvis and Dirty Dancing. In fact, not too long ago, I blogged here about a very enjoyable evening at Old Montreal’s Kyo Restaurant. The menu reflects the current Japanese tavern or izakaya trend that is storming Montreal. Formica tables with their stools welded to the ground provide the typical fast-food look, while red-leather banquettes in the back, beyond the open kitchen, scream retro lounge kitsch.
It seems that Big in Japan took over the digs of defunct Pistol club, according to buddy Gildas Meneu from Voir magazine. to 3 a.m.I can thank the recent election for the opportunity at last to drag kiddo to a Japanese fast-food joint I’ve been dying to try for, what, 4 years? When my son’s school was turned into a polling station for the day, I took a chance and treated him to a lunch on Montreal’s Main at Big in Japan. Big Japan's bar is open every day from 5 p.m. So you might have to hop over to the restaurant and its quirky diner vibe to calm bigger appetites.īig in Japan's restaurant stays open late until 3 a.m. There's not much in the way of food at Big in Japan Bar, save orders of kimchi, tuna takaki, pecans and kimchi salsa with chips. The only problem here is the bar even further removed from an authentic izakaya than Big in Japan's restaurant. The ambiance is bewitching, candles flickering from multiple angles against a ceiling peppered with suspended whiskey bottles. And the drinks are elegant, from the joint's list of premium Manhattans to my favorite, nigori sake, a cloudy, almost creamy variety of the typically translucent rice beverage. However Big in Japan's bar, the one up the street neighboring greasy spoon extraordinaire Patati Patata, gets a steady stream of high praise. Yet Big in Japan didn't claim it was an izakaya, suggesting it was at best inspired by the Japanese pub concept when it first opened in 2010, serving edamame, chicken wings, ramen soups, and assorted crispy fried meats, tofu and fish.Īnd ever since Big in Japan made it into an episode of Anthony Bourdain's "The Layover," it's become a household name on the Montreal foodie map, this in spite of wildly inconsistent reviews.
Big in Japan's restaurant on the Main, not to be confused with its tealight-diffused bar by the same name also on the Main but four blocks north, is one of the first izakayas to pop up in Montreal.
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