Luca

This is my second time on Grand Cayman. I came here last March to visit my old roomie, Rachie, who is from here (one of the 12 people that are actually FROM here), her husband Carl and their little one, Nini! One of the things I remembered the most fondly was Boozy Brunch. OK, 'remembered' is a big word. Basically, they give you mimosas until you drop. And I did drop. When we got home, I passed out on their beach for 2 hours and got a huge sunburn. It was like, 'what is that, a tomato? NO, it's Marie'. Ya. Anyhoot, I really wanted to do that again so we settled on Luca's!

Luca is located right on Seven Mile Beach, in a building that comprises of long and short term luxury condo rentals. We had a table indoors because it was oh-so-hawt, but the view from outside was just jaw dropping. Well, pretty much everywhere you go in Cayman has jaw dropping views. I wanna live here. I wanna live here so bad. But enough about my moving day. The restaurant is quite big inside and has a big terrasse as well. It's a bit on the dark side indoors, with lots of dark wood and dark ceilings. It's a good thing I was wearing my hot AND sexy (ya, that's right) dress because the hot girls started pouring in right after we were seated. I say 'it's a good thing' like I was gonna hit that or something. I wish. I. Wish. 

You get in and before even entering the restaurant, the dessert table is there to tease the hell outta you, and when you get in, dang, there is, wait for it, a plethora of platters filled with seafood (hello!!!) and breakfast fixings and fish and meat. Oh my! Basically, everything that is good on earth (except mr unaffordable lobster). I am MADE for all-you-can-eat buffets: I totally prep my stomach for it. You know, like the people that enter pie eating competitions? Like that. The stomach is a muscle, people! The trick is I eat a bit less the day before and in the morning, I'll eat maybe an egg and a fruit. That's it! You get there and you eat slowly so that your stomach doesn't fill up so quickly. Follow me. Trust in Marie.

As soon as my ass hit the chair, we were asked if we were going to go all the way (with the mimosas, not with the waitress). The answer to this question is yes. Always yes! Don't even think about it and just nod in the right direction for bottomless mimosas!

My first plate was...seafood! Just FYI, most of my plates were seafood. Why? Hello!!! I want to have my money's worth, I eat the expensive stuff. Sheesh! I put some crab legs in there, shrimp, mahi mahi ceviche, lobster salad, and a devilled egg, because I likes me a good devilled egg. I don't even know what to say about the crab: it's crab... it's the second to best piece of seafood you can eat. With butta. Oh, the butta! I had crab on every subsequent plate. The shrimp were good, you know, your normal shrimp. They had like 4 sauces to go along with the yummy shrimp. The lobster salad, although very flavourful, was a tad on the squishy side. Meh. Hey, at least I had like 3000 more things to choose from! The mahi mahi ceviche was damn good. DAMN good. Which is why I had it at least twice more. The flavours were right on and they weren't overpowering either. Very citrusy, which is what I like, Nay, love. The egg made me laugh because who makes devilled eggs this way? My friend Little Boo, that's who! I had to send her a picture. For all you non-makers of devilled eggs, you usually cut it the other way, so that the egg is longer and more stable on the plate. It was good but not the best.

Oysters!!!! As some of you know, I used to hate oysters. Ugh, just the thought of having something slimy go down my throat was enough to make me gag. It's a good thing those days are over and I am able to fully appreciate those bad boys. I've eaten some from the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean... and my next words were going to be 'but never from the Caribbean' (she says with a big smile) but my friend has assured me that they probs got em' from the States. Damn YOU Donald Trump! OK, he has nothing to do with this, but...any chance I get...#FUdonaldtrump Point is, they were oh-so-good and juicy and just briny enough. Mmmm, just add a bit of tabasco and lemon, and you've got yoself a partay!

The salmon tataki had some cumin on it and was rather sweet, but not too sweet. It was really good. This, coming from a girl who used to be an expert at tataki (yes, I am many things). The tuna with sesame was good but not as good as the one we used to prepare at Sushi Taxi.

The meat! They had a table with a rather good looking man, serving up manly meat. I'm not straight, I swear it! Anyhoot, I had the rack of lamb and the ribs. The beef Wellington wasn't ready yet. As soon as I got back to the table, Carl asked me why I had taken the really REALLY fatty ribs. My only answer was that it is automatic for me to have the ribs. I see ribs, I want to eat ribs. But they were on the fatty side and not uber tasty (my life is over!). The lamb saved the day: juicy, tender, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. I was pacing myself so I had only taken one piece but man, I could've gone for at least another 4 (or 8). I saw someone bring the beef Wellington (not pictured) to the table and I may (or may not) have tripped, trying to get there faster. I gots to say, it was very good. BUT the dough around it was a tad on the undercooked side. 

The duck carpaccio. It was really really good. With a bit of sweet mango on top, this hit the spot. You know, THE spot. Nothin' else to say but YUM!

Not pictured is the beef carpaccio, with some wasabi butta, man! That butter made the dish, and then some!

The winners for me were the craaaaaaab (mmmm, put some clarified butta on that sh*t) and the mahi mahi ceviche. Mahi mahi is not a fish with much flavour, so koodos for making it so damn tasty!

Let's not forget dessert. As you can attest, I did not go overboard (taps herself on the shoulder). I had a tiny lemon tart (how tiny can one be?), which had just the right amount of lemon without being too tart, the sweet brownie with crunchy chocolate on top, the cheese cake with soft berry mousse that was just melt-in-your-mouth awesome and the meringue pop on a stick that was just so cute! Well, it was good too: crunchy and sweet as a meringue should be!

Service was 150% on par the whole way. We got seated in a second, got water and drinks in a minute. Our mimosas were filled every couple minutes which made for a very happy (and drunk) Marie. We could hear them opening prosecco bottles left and right. That is the sound of heaven, right there. They took our plates away as soon as they were empty. Now THAT's service, my friends!

And now, the scores!

Food: 8.5
Service: 9.5

I really want to say that I'll be back but, let's face it, I don't live here. Sadly. And with roughly 115$CAD (including tip) a pop, I can only do one boozy brunch per visit. Last time was at Agua, this time at Luca's, next, we're heading to the Ritz baby!

Le Festin du Capitaine

I was invited to The Captain's Boil seafood boil battle. Not sure how I like the word 'boil', but let's skip that part. I invited ma gurl Bridge whom we will call boo. Because, she's ma boo, god damn it! Ya, we're tight like that. Get over it!

The premise of the bb or dsouble b as I like to call it is this: four Montreal chefs battle for the best seafood boil. Did you say seafood? I'm there! There was chef JC from Presto Gourmet (catering), chef Christ from Le Petit Creux (they serve everything from poutine to burgers to soup to dessert), chef Denis from pub Brewskey (in marché Bonsecours, where beer is the main ingredient!) and chef Victor from Tacos Victor (tacos, hello! ceviche, hello!!!). Btw, Victor had brought his cute kids!! And every dang time I said something inappropriate (or innapropes as we like to say) to Boo, he would pass by and look all shocked, and then she would make me feel bad about it. I must have said *fuck* at least three times around him. Way to ruin a childhood, Marie. WAY. To. Go.

The chefs had 45 minutes to prepare their boils (this word is not getting any better), so in the mean time, the hostess announced something that both made boo and I very happy. More than happy actually. I'd go more for 'ecstatic'. This is how it was announced: 'so that you have something to do while the chefs are cooking, we will be serving lobster. Excuse me, WHAT? Oh ma GAWD. I jumped on that sh*t faster than a cheetah jumps on its prey. Ya. I'm that quick.

Ah, the lobster: my ALL TIME favourite food. My mom once told me that when we use to head to Maine in the summer time when we were young'uns, she just wasn't able to be as fast as my sister and I when it came to breaking and eating those bad boys. I've been known to win lobster eating contests here and there and I owe it all to my mom. Merci, maman. Merci. Anyway. They served us half a`*huge mother freaking* lobster each with some spicy cajun style fries and we were in heaven. It was big. It was buterry. It was garlicky. It was awesome. They had provided bibs and gloves to eat the heavenly creatures but boo and I just went at it. Our table was full of carcasses in no time and we almost had butter dripping from our mouths. And then, an opportunity came along: the boys beside us had trouble cracking one of their HUGE claws. I said 'why do I go to the gym?' and then I spent 4 minutes trying AND successfully getting that meat out of that claw. It was my finest moment. Ever.

Back to the contest...

1st dish: Ceviche by chef Victor. Mussels and shrimp. Full of flavour and very fresh. There was also a nice sweet side to it which made it that much better.

2nd dish: 'Around the world' by Chef Denis. This was a bit odd. First bite was way too sweet and then it was way too spicy. Rice was overcooked and the temperature wasn't right. The clam was good though, and the shitake were meaty and effin awesome.

3rd dish: Somewhat of a paella by chef JC. The risotto was largely overcooked and the flavours just weren't there. The mussel was also way too huge. That sh*t kind of creeps me out. Seriously, even giants would have found this creature big. Alright, that made next to no sense.

4th dish: Louisiana seafood boil by chef Christ. Seafood, potatoes and corn; what else would a girl want? Well, these girls didn't really want them potatoes, but still. A bunch of spices including curry were in there and it was delightful. Delightful I say! Oh, and there was also a crab leg in there. Hello! The mussel had taken on all that awesome flavourin' and the corn was cooked to perfection. At some point, the spices became a bit too much for Bridge and I but it was still a great dish.

The winner (drum roll please): the 4th dish! We both LOVED chef Victor's ceviche but didn't find it as original as Christ's dish.

Service was... busy. We got there and got a great welcome. It's always nice to say that you are 'Eating Out Montreal' and guest. That will NEVER get old. We sat down, got some drinks and were told to mingle a bit before the real shiz started happening. It took everything in their power to get us extra napkins (we ravaged that lobster) and it took a while for us to get our second round of beverages. Yes. I AM demanding. All in all, it was good service. One really, REALLY bad thing they did was throw AWAY that big ass lobster claw I broke free from the shell when the guys were absent from their table. I mean, who DOES that? The answer is no one. NO one. It was all smiles though, which is always better!

And now, the scores!

Food: 8
Service: 9

Will I go back? Of their actual menu, we only got a taste of the lobster and that probably costs a gazillion dsollars. PLUS, a restaurant called the Captain's Boil isn't that appetizing to me. But hey, who knows, when I get rich and I feel like a having a little seafood snack, I might pass by :)

Haru Hana

If you haven't noticed, I'm part Asian. OK, I'm not. But I swear my great great great great GREAT grand mother was half Asian. OK, that's a lie too. I'm sure I was Asian in another life. You know. My friend Jer from the real Asian persuasion said we should hit up Haru Hana, this Korean resto in the village. And when Jer says we should try a place, I'm always in. You hear that Jer, always. Cue creepy music.

Haru Hana is a tiny restaurant on Maisonneuve right next to Berri Uqàm metro station. It's a good thing I had the address because I would have missed it fo shizzle. It's a very modest place, with two workers, a small counter, some shaky fake wooden tables that seated  around 23 and mix matched chairs. The menu was written on a black board on the wall although they also gave us the paper one. Hey, it's nice to have options. Every time someone would open the door, I'd brace myself for the cold because they didn't have that thang most Montreal (read: Québec. Nay, anything from here to the north pole) have when they don't have a second door. Somewhat of an indoor abris Tempo sorta thang. THAT was lacking. Brrrr. You know when you just can't warm up? That's how I felt. But enough about my body temperature.

They brought us hot water, which was nice considering it was -8000 outside (and inside :p). At some point during the meal I would have preferred some cold water though. Anyhoot, we were warmly (haha) welcomed by a very nice waitress/possible owner/possible cook. I'm somehwat of a creature of habit so I just had to have me the bibimbap. Jer also chose a little somethin' for us to eat before. I never question his decisions when it comes to Asian food. Well, except when he wants to order body parts and such. That's a no. I just can't do urine tasting(kidney) and/or cartilage. I just can't.

Pajeon: Korean savoury pancake with seafood and green onions. It was kind of crêpe-y, dough-y, egg-y, omelet-y. I really liked it but Jer said that usually, it is less dough-y and that this one was a tad undercooked. It should've been golden brown instead of light yellow. Listen to Jer. He knows. I really liked the onions in there and I could taste the mussels but the rest of the seafood was kind of lost on me. Just didn't taste it. The simple soya based sauce was lovely and I could have drank it all. But that's just not good table manners. I found it just fluffy enough and quite tasty! But Jer was right, it should've been cooked a bit more.

Ah, kimchi, my love. Last year, I made my own kimchi (cause I'm cool like that) and I have to toot my own horn here by saying that it was deeeee-licious!!! Well, obviously, this one was better, but gimme a break, it was my first try! This kimchi was amazing. It was fermented goodness! Just spicy enough, it went very well with every bite of my bibimbap!

Le bibimbap. First thought was that they served it in a cold bowl. Oh no. No. It should always be served in a steaming hot bowl. I loved the pickled veggies, the egg was just cooked right for my taste, and the rice was also perfect. The red peppers, I didn't necessarily care for and the meat was a bit tasteless. Seasoning people, seasoning. All in all, I've had better bibimbaps.

Service was nice. As soon as I entered, I got water and menus. She also brought us a pitcher (of hot water...) and took down our order quite quickly. She did not check to see if we liked it and only asked at the end of our meal.

And now, the 악곡! Yes, that's score in Korean. Sheesh! (Hopefully, it's the right kinda score...)

Food: 6.5

Service: 6.5

Many more Asian restos in Montreal! You know where I'm going with this...

MKT

Recently, I, as, hum hum, the 3rd most read restaurant blogger (I's GOTTA toot my own horn people!) in Montreal, am getting treated very generously by some restaurants. And no one is happier than I am.... well my guests are pretty effin happy too!

This time, it was MKT on Metcalfe. I had never heard of this place and when I looked at the menu, I wasn't too too excited, to be honest: a Mediterranean restaurant with a simple looking menu but with a big chef behind it. Basically, I got there with absolutely no expectations.

MKT is located on a second floor of a building on Metcalfe close to Sherbrooke. We almost missed it. Maybe we should get better glasses, I dunno. When we got in, I got hit with the whiteness of it all. It really didn't fit my type of decor that I like to see in a restaurant. Everything white, big light fixtures, pastels, wine bottles adorning the walls. The open kitchen in the back seemed to move a lot, which was cool. And having known that I knew someone working there (ps: good job K!!!), I'd gone and say hey! There were only older people but when 8 o'clock came, the younguns came a-flowin' and the atmosphere became more... hip, I believe is the word I'm looking for. The tables were marble and there were about 80 seats in the house. And the music. Don't even get me started on the music! I think that at some point, they put on Much Music Dance Mix 94. Totes serious. At least it was good for a laugh. 

Anyhoot, the maître d' pretty much welcomed us with open arms to... take our jackets :) It was then decided that we were to taste many things on the menu, but with smaller portions. Perfect. This way, we pretty much get to taste the best damn things on there. Oh, and did I mention that the wine/drinks for miss J and I were flowin' all night. No? Well, I just needed an excuse to say that. Drinks. All. Night. Long. 

Mozarella di buffala. I loves me some cheese! I found it a bit on the cold side but it was still awesome in ma mouth. It was soft and just salty enough. The little salsa on top was full of flavour: tomato, olive, basil, more herbal goodness. Just dipping the [homemade] bread in that freakin' awesome olive oil was well worth it! Speaking of the bread, although warm and nicely textured (does that word make sense?), it felt like day old bread. But still. The dipping.

Crab and shrimp cake. Or should I say heaven cake? Yes, we're going with heaven cake. Crevettes de 'matane', pretty much fresh out of the water and for once, real crab! REAL crab people! They were put together to form the awesomeness cake. Mmmmyes. Shrimp: fresh. Crab: oh so fresh. Apple on top was, well, come on. Apple soooo fits with both that it was just a given. The whole thing was brought together by an herb yogourt. Yes. It made it that much tastier and smooth IN my mouth. The hot sauce was hotter than Sriracha! Dsamn! But it also fit really well with the dish. To be honest, it reminded me of my trips to Ogunquit with my mom and my sis when I was young. Cue the crying. Oh and the croutons were perfect. I ate it in 8 seconds. 

Octopus. A couple years ago, before I started this blogging venture, I would not have been caught dead with octopus on my plate (much less in my mouth). But hey, I grew (but not really... still need a step ladder) and my taste buds got, well, better. More refined I should say. White bean purée, white beans, parsley, veggies. The octopus might have been the BEST I've ever tasted. Cooked to freaking perfection and seasoned just well. It's a fine line when you're cooking octopus, just like calamari: a second less or a second too much and it's elastic city. Mama don't like elastics. The puree was smooth and a bit tart, which fit well with the taste of the grilled octopus. Who knew that octopus and white beans would go so well together. SO good. I would like some more right now please. Parsley added freshness to the dish which was nice; made it feel lighter.

Quail with smoked paprika. Yes AND mother f*ckin' yes. Although quail is a tiny bird that I usually dislike nibbling at... I mean it's bones and more little bones. This one was tasty and every little bite of it was oh-so-good. It was grilled which is a flavour profile that I absolutely love. The salad right under it was simple yet lovely and fresh. Carrots, raw onions (which J and I loooove cause we're awesome like dat), and some fennel. Fennel, I have a harder time with. I'm just not a fennel person, but this one was actually good. Everything was seasoned just perfectly and my mouth loved it. The balsamic went really well with the charred-iness (new word alert!) of the quail. 

Gnocchi with provolone and smoked pancetta in a rosé tomato sauce. The gnocchi literally melted in my mouth. It was oh-so-cheesy and well, shiiiiit, I want some right now! It was herbal and tender and smooth and all that jazz. I couldn't really taste the pancetta though. I could see it, but I couldn't taste it. Damn you, taste buds!

Bouillabaisse. Clams? Yes. Mussels? Yes. Shrimp? Oh, hells yes! Basically, this is my heaven. Perfectly cooked fish and seafood in a somewhat spicy and herbal tomato broth. The salmon melted in my mouth and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. And I KNOW shrimp, people! The mussels were perfect and juicy and oh so yummy. The clams were a tad disappointing, with a slightly plasticy feel. The scallops were a tad overcooked but hey, I like my scallops raw or just slightly charred, so I think I'm just being difficult here. The potatoes were too much for me. In my defense, I'd just had an 18 course dinner. OK, not 18. but close. J usually can't stand even slightly spicy stuff and she liked the hell out of this so that counts for 100 points. 

Yes AND yes! Wow, just looking at this, I can taste it again in my mouth. And I must go back. Uh, bebye. Damn it. This was A-mazeballz. Just awesome. Wonderful, really! The semifreddo was a bit crunchy and so creamy and the berries were so fresh and such a perfect match. The hazelnut ice cream felt like the nuts had just been pick from the freakin' tree. There was a bit of mint and lemon to make the whole thing even better and get those flavours IN-MY-MOUTH. The textures on this plate were just lovely and the plate was as good lookin' as the others.

Service was just plain wow. The maître d' took care of us from beginning to end and the waiters/busboys were oh-so-there for us. We actually felt like we were queens. Yes, QUEENS. Our water glasses were always full, our alcoholic beverages, always refilled (just the way we like it!) and the plates were described very well, every time. The last plate took a bit of time to hit our table, compared to the other ones but I think that was the only thing, really. The wine service was perfect, the way they put the plates in front of us was perfect. The everything was perfect. Damn I love it when shiz is perfect!

And now, the scores!

 

Food: 9

Service: 9.5

 

Seriously, one of the best experiences I've had in a restaurant in a LONG time. I urge everyone I know to go. Oh, just dso it!

Taverne Magnan

I hadn't seen my mom in more than two weeks (WHAT?, that's a long time for us!). So when my bro came back to town after a 2 month trip, they came by my place and we decided to walk 5 minutes to Taverne Magnan. Many friends have been there and told me good things so I was excited to go.

This place has a tiny grocery store-ish type of place with products they've transformed within the restaurant, which is very cool.... and they are not that expensive which is even cooler :)

But we were there to eat lunch, not buy lunch for home. We got a very warm welcome by a waitress with a huge smile. Always nice! Got a table right away: also very nice! The place feels vibrant... people talking, cheering... with many tv's with sports games and news. Note: doesn't seem like much of a tavern :p

My mom and I shared a pulled pork sandwich. Let's start with the fries... obviously store bought. Meh. Why oh why? I hate that! The sandwich itself was very juicy...a bit TOO juicy, as in dripping from mouth, but still very tasty. All the right flavors were there! Also, it was HUGE!!!

I had the beef tartare. The flavors were alright but the pieces were too big and uneven. I'm not a fan of uneven big ass pieces when I eat tartare. When you have to chew every bite for 2 minutes... it means the pieces are TOO big!

My bro had the hamburger. Very cute and original plate, I must say! There was homemade relish that was just delicious and the meat was nice and juicy. Again, with the frozen fries. Damn it! But all in all, it was a very good burger.

 

Service was very good at first but at some point, we needed to remind our waitress that we needed more water and napkins (that darn sandwich!). So that kind of got annoying and it was surprising because the wait staff seemed very efficient.

 

And now, the scores!

 

Food: 6.5

Service: 6.5

 

I heard lots of good things about this place so I guess I'll have to go back and NOT eat tartare :p