Ice House Montreal

Posted By Jennifer Ho Sep 23 2011 · 2 comments · Dining Out

Pulled Pork Taco With Chicarones, Pickled Watermelon, Dr. Pepper Sauce and Coriander

Way back when I first heard the La Iguana was closing, I was sad to see one of the few good Mexican restaurants in Montreal go. But now, with the opening of Ice House in its stead (literally in the exact same location) I think I may have found something even better!Only a block away from all the action on St. Laurent street, Roy is surprisingly quiet which is actually kind of nice for a more intimate dinner on a hot summer night. The place has barstools, wooden benches, convenient napkin dispensers (no cutlery given!) and an eclectic sense of decoration, with for example, a mounted rabbit with antlers attached just by the cash.

Our lovely waitress started us off with a pitcher of watermelon, cream soda and tequila. It was amazing! I love watermelon and made it a point to get dishes with the fruit in it – sort of like a last goodbye to the summer. So we had the popcorn shrimp to start. Drizzled with lime, the dish is a nice prelude to the meal – it’s relatively light and is very tasty. We then had the pulled pork taco with chicharones (fried pork rinds), pickled watermelon, Dr. Pepper sauce and coriander and the red fish taco with pineapple salsa, black beans, chipotle and jack. Still feeling a little hungry, we opted for the grilled chicken taco with watermelon salsa, guacamole and grilled corn. Mm, mm, mm. The pulled pork was great, with the pieces all juicy and tender, not short of bursting and falling out of my tortilla. Don’t worry, I scooped it all up and put it right back in. The fish taco was flaky and had a good amount of black beans in it, giving it a heavier taste though markedly less filling than the pork. Finally, the grilled chicken taco. I think that one was my favorite. It was just right, with a touch of sweetness from the watermelon and substance from the meat.

Overall, I loved the place! Service was very timely, friendly and informative. Definitely heading back here sometime in the near future. Try to take advantage of the outdoor terrasse while the weather is still on our side.

*A note about the pitchers – beware! While they do taste delicious and are definitely worth it, be careful about the price. Ours cost $40 dollars and we didn’t realize it until we got the bill. So just make sure you’re fully on board with paying the steeper price before you get it.