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October 28, 2010 7:19 pm

A Favourite Hidden Gem ~ Montreal Restaurant of the Week

For me there is only one feeling that trumps the excitement of a new restaurant find and that’s the anticipation of returning to one of my favourite spots.  The type of place where you know half of the dishes you are going to order before you even get there.  Where the simple expectation of what is about to arrive can make your day a happier place.  Zenya, a glorious Montreal Japanese restaurant, is one of those places.

Part of the magic is in its location.  You would never expect to find such a serene restaurant hidden up on the second floor of a busy St. Catherine street building, but there it is, right in the heart of the city.  Walk in and a sense of calmness takes over as beautiful dark wood surrounds you, and the low lighting with accent candles spread across the space provides a simply enchanting feeling.

I chat with David Lynch, charming and soft-spoken, this gentleman has been with Zenya from the start.  He guides me through the menu using his vast knowledge of dishes and pairings to find the perfect compliments to my must have favourites. I am ready to begin my traditional Japanese journey with a touch of flare.

Unbelievably luscious Chilean Sea Bass in miso and saki is introduced.  It is an absolute delight as the buttery texture mixed with a savoury/sweet glaze just melts in your mouth.  This is a dish dreams are made of, and my dreams have come true.

Galettes de Deux Saumons, delectably spicy fresh and smoked salmon tartar is placed on perfectly crunchy rice pancakes and served with a teriyaki emulsion.  I will officially be changing the name to ‘Marcella’s Galettes de Deux Saumons’ (though the owner doesn’t know it yet) because this is one dish I order over and over again.  The warmth of the crunchy pancake, the coolness of the tartar and the savoury flavour of the teriyaki emulsion make the taste buds dance.  It’s just that fabulous!

David then brings over the vegetables tempura. Gorgeously presented, they are light and crispy with the perfect amount of snap to each bite.

Out comes the sushi, the wonderful sushi…

Fantastic Kamikazi, filled with salmon, tempura, cucumber, avocado and spicy sauce is always a favourite and Zenya does it right. Delicious!

The Exotica, true to its name is filled with pineapple, shrimp, crab, avocado, cucumber, spicy sauce and tempura.  The addition of pineapple brought a pleasant pop to this already tasty combination.

One of the most interesting sushi for the evening was the River Maya, which combined spicy salmon, avocado, tempura, dried shiso and honey. The sweetness the honey added to the aromatic roll was sublime.

I was captivated as David presented us with the Bin Toro.  A gorgeous white tuna roll, Japanese basil, and shallots, all surrounded by a thin layer of crunchy tempura.  There was a remarkable freshness to this dish that was truly delightful.

I wasn’t leaving without sampling dessert. Green tea ice cream tempura was marvelously presented.  I took a moment to appreciate it before jumping in.  It was so delicious as the tempura batter joined with the ice cream creating a cold sweet crunch.  Yum!

Zenya knows how to make it all work together.  Combining flavours that stimulate the palate is not an easy thing to do, but they have it down pat.

If you’re ever looking for me, you know which gem I’ll be at.

As always, I can eat…

EatalianGirl

Posted on 28. Oct, 2010 by tracy

Tags: amazing food, best dishes montreal, delicious, dessert, dining adventure, dining montreal, dinner, dish crawl, eataliangirl, featured, japanese, montreal food scene, montreal foodie, restaurant of the week, Sushi, Tempura, Zenya