Kazu Montreal

Beef Carpaccio

Conveniently located in the Montreal core, Kazu montreal is a small Japanese eatery with a flair for the authentic. Wait lines are not uncommon – eager foodies show up a half an hour early to secure a spot.  After reading so many good reviews about the place, I decided to check it out last week for the first time with a friend. We arrived at 5:15 and managed to get in on the first seating, but just barely. I would suggest lining up between 5:00 – 5:10 if you want to get in for the early dinner set. After the first seating, you can expect to wait around 45 minutes to get in. Also, the prices are very reasonable – the most expensive item on the menu is $15!

To start, I had a traditional serving of plum wine. The waitress informed me that it was a drink best had either as an aperitif or as a digestif. Arriving in a tea cup, the purple colored liquid just hit the half  full mark; the taste is mostly sweet, with a punch of sourness. Following that, I had the yuzu, a citrus flavored cocktail served in a tall, cool glass – curled yuzu rinds garnished the cup. So refreshing! Definitely recommended for a hot day. The light, fizzy, vanilla-yogurt tasting calpico is another great option for the summer.

Onto the food! We ordered the amazingly cheap $2 chicken skins, served on two separate brochettes; roughly five tender pieces are placed on the skewers. The red tuna and salmon bowl was enthusiastically tossed by our waitress who noticed us taking our first bites straight from the top. The 48-hour pork, a house favorite, was served with candied ginger and a large portion of rice – I felt it could have done with a little less rice and a bit more pork. Finally, we had a finely pounded beef carpaccio – could not get enough of it. For dessert, we had the earl grey soft serve ice cream (tea leaves sprinkled on top) and the sake soft serve ice cream (comes in a tea cup resting in a small flat bowl, filled with a shot’s worth of sake), a lovely cold treat to finish off the meal.

Red Tuna and Salmon Bowl

Sidenote: I went back with my family a few days later, but this time, for lunch on a Sunday. Lineups aren’t as long so you can afford to show up five minutes before opening time and still get in without a problem. We ordered the shrimp burger (delicious pescetarian option – personal favorite), the sea bass (ours a little burnt), the ramen bowl (wonderfully done classic Japanese dish) and the 48-hour pork.

Hours:
Wednesday – Monday: 12:00 – 3:30, 5:30 – 9:00

Note: Kazu montreal is just across the street from cacao 70 which is great for chocolate heavy dessert 🙂

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