My first time with Romados.

I normally get my Portuguese chicken fix from Jano. Since we were only picking up our meal, we decided to veer from our usual destination and head to the much-hyped Romados.

Going in, its decor is nothing special; just a typical pick-up joint, which seats a douzaine people.

But after ordering from the pick-up line, you automatically see what the fuss is all about.

For $7.99, we ordered a half-chicken meal, served with fries and a salad.

The fries are the best I’ve eaten, and that’s coming from someone who’s not a fan of fries in general. The spices they put on there were heavenly.

And the chicken… Going in, you can see whole chickens roasting over the charcoal grill, turning and marinating one another with their juices. Add some of Romados’ secret hot sauce and you’re good to go!

Finally, complete your order with a desert from their homemade pastry counter.

It’s definitely worth the detour if you’re in the Plateau area.

Where:
Rotisserie Romados
115 Rachel East
Montreal, QC
(514) 849-1803

Rotisserie Romados on Urbanspoon

Fried dumplings from Mon Nam offer some late night goodness for my tummy.

Mon Nan Village in Montreal’s Chinatown is open daily until 4:00AM.

While major cities like Toronto are overflowing with these types of restaurants, Montreal is still an inexperienced rookie when it comes to Korean BBQ joints.

With their all-you-can-eat formula, however, Korean restaurants are becoming increasingly popular with both food lovers and people looking for comforting food to combat Montreal’s cold weather.

It was not my first time at a Korean restaurant – I had been to a cute family-run place called Miga on the Plateau – but it was my first with the all-can-eat BBQ fare.

There are a few places called Restaurant 5000 ans in the city. However, I am unsure if they are all affiliated. There are two in Notre-Dame-de-Grace – one on Sherbrooke West, the other on Monkland – another in the Latin Quarter on Ste-Catherine St. West, and finally, there is one Downtown, also on Ste-Catherine West, which is the one I visited.

Pretty understated, the restaurant is located in the basement of a building in the Concordia area. One can barely see the name of the restaurant, as the facade only boasts a sign that says “Restaurant Coréen et Japonais”.

When you go in, you are greeted with the smell of BBQ fumes – literally! Wooden picnic tables offer a rustic and casual ambiance. Great for an evening with friends!

If you decide to try the all-you-can-eat formula, it will cost you a very reasonable $21.95. This includes a tasty green salad (the dressing was amazing!), miso soup, meat (lamb, chicken, pork and beef), vegetables (onions and mushrooms) and, for desert, green tea ice cream. You can order all these items over and over and over, until your stomach can’t take it anymore!

To cook the food, the waiters brings you a hot plate with a gas burner. There is no real grilling area set on the table, but the hot plate does the job.

The food was very good. Favourites included the salad, with its ginger/sesame dressing, and the beef, which was very well marinated. The pork was the least popular meat on our table because it was full of fat.

The menu is varied, not only all-you-can-eat. There is a variety of items that two can share, for less than $30. More so, two of our friends are vegetarians and managed to find something that fit their taste.

A must try – if you don’t intend to go out afterwards! You will smell like BBQ.

Where:
Restaurant 5000 ans
2176 Ste-Catherine West
Montreal, QC
(514)932-7565

Service:
Our waiters were very friendly. All our requests were met with a smile and they were most accommodating. A friend brought her 2 year-old-son and they were very attentive and let him wander around and explore. They even treated him to a bowl of blueberries!

Note:
On the night we went, the heating system was not working (it was -20 outside and it’s a basement restaurant!); there was only some plugged heating devices next to the tables where people were eating. Luckily, we all had warm sweaters.The ventilation system was also horrible, as you could see a cloud of smoke in the restaurant. I’m unsure if this is a recurrent problem or not, but it proves problematic, especially during Montreal winters.