SNAPSHOTS | MONTREAL 2019 | DAY 1

Going to Montreal in the middle of February was probably not the smartest decision I've ever made, but who knew this winter would be the year of the polar vortex? I guess I had this romantic notion in my head of exploring old architecture dusted with snowflakes. (Classic expectations vs. reality.) Despite the bone-chilling cold, I also don't regret my decision one bit. Montreal is an amazing vibrant city with an equally amazing food scene.

(Plus, we're Canadian. We can handle the cold.)

We flew early on a Saturday with a short hour layover in Ottawa. I was really nervous that we would miss our connection because so many other flights were delayed but we made it without a hitch. 

From the airport, we took an Uber to our home for the next week.

Our Airbnb was located directly across the street from the Montreal Convention Centre. It was a great location as you're within easy walking distance of the metro, Old Montreal, Chinatown, and downtown.

We settled in while waiting for MH to arrive from Toronto at Central Station. It was great that my week off coincided with reading week so she was able to join us on our trip! 

It wasn't too long after that we all headed out for dinner. Because it was our first night in Montreal, we didn't stray too far and walked over to Chinatown. What did we eat?

Tacos of course.

Yes, nestled in between the Chinese grocery stores and the Chinese restaurants one would expect to find in Chinatown, you have La Capital Tacos. It was packed on a Saturday night but we were able to get seats without too much of a wait.

I loved that they paid homage to their neighbourhood with a lucky cat, only, dressed in a luchador mask.

And can we talk about the Chinese plates? So kitschy, so cute.

We started with some guacamole ($4.00 for a small), served with house tortilla chips. The guacamole was still chunky with some fresh pico de gallo on top. A small is definitely small, but because we had so much other food to tackle, it was perfect enough for us to share and nibble on. 

MH got the vegan tinga tacos ($12.00) with tofu skin, tinga seasoning, cashew cream, coriander, and a side of beans. According to MH, the tacos were delicious -- and super filling! (Yes, vegan food can be filling.)

Because everything on the menu sounded delightful (coupled with the fact that we were starving and Air Canada no longer provides you with snacks!!!), I may have over-ordered. But what else is new?

The pirata quesadilla ($6.00) has a strip of grilled ribeye with melty cheese and coriander in a crispy griddled flour tortilla. The garlic and jalapeno sauce on the side was surprisingly fresh and light, which helped to cut the oiliness of the cheese. In terms of value though, I would probably skip the quesadilla next time and just go straight for the tacos!

All taco orders come three to a plate on corn tortillas. Our first tacos were the pastor ($10.00) with marinated pork, diced onions, coriander, grilled pineapple, and a side of avocado sauce. This was LT's favourite of the night. I found the pork to be a bit dry, but it was flavourful and had a lot of crispy bits from the grill that gave texture and smokiness to the tacos.

Our final item was the Rosarito ($12.50) with beer-battered shrimp, red cabbage, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, and avocado sauce. It has all the makings of a classic fish taco, but with shrimp subbed in for protein. The batter was a little sweet, fried lightly to golden brown. It was a nice contrast in textures, especially paired with the creaminess of the chipotle mayo and avocado sauce.

 

We almost had to be rolled back home, but it was a good first impression of what Montreal had to offer.

Bonne nuit! Fin!

- CT