Discovering Montreal through its food

Montréal and food. I had no idea this combination would be so potent. After a terrific Montréal food tour and other foodie discoveries, I was convinced… this awesome Canadian city is a foodie’s dream!

A Montréal food tour that showcases the city’s diversity

A great way to get yourself acquainted with the diversity of Montréal’s foodie scene is to join the Flavours of the Main walking food tour. It was one of the highlights of my stay in Montréal. This food tour, organised by Fitz & Follwell, kicks off in Chinatown and continues along Boulevard St. Laurent.

Wing Noodles

Our lovely guide, Leah, greeted us with a big smile before taking us to our first stop: Wing Noodles. Wing Noodles is somewhat of an institution in Montréal, producing all sorts of noodles (fresh and dried), dumpling wrappers and fortune cookies! Whilst there, we learned about the fascinating history of the Wing family and the origins of their business.

Mr. Chin’s Dragon Beard Candy

We then continued to another Montréal institution: Mr. Chin’s Dragon Beard Candy. Mr. Chin wasn’t there that day but his wife gave us a fantastic demonstration of how dragon beard candy is made. The candy itself is a dream for anyone with a sweet tooth!

My Cup of Tea

Our next stop was the perfect way to wash down those sugars: a tea-tasting at My Cup of Tea! This tea shop stores a wide variety of Chinese teas and our host described the character and health benefits of each tea with great passion.

Banh Mi Cao Thang

After a very insightful tea-tasting, it was time for more food! Leah guided us to a Banh Mi Cao Thang, a Vietnamese eatery, where we ordered some delicious Vienamese pork baguettes. It was a delight to experience and chat with the local Asian population, and share their enthusiasm for food! Leah was terrific as a guide – I love it when tour guides really know the people and their stories, and can share all sorts of anecdotes and little insights with their visitors.

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Poutine… of course!

We continued our tour along Boulevard St. Laurent and soon left the Chinatown district. It was time, I guess, for something more substantial. Waiting for us was Quebéc’s most famous dish: poutine!

So what’s poutine, you might ask? In its basic form, it’s french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. There are also versions which contain bacon, beef, poultry or seafood. We had the classic version. Montréalers swear that poutine is the perfect cure for hangovers! It looked horrific but that first, tentative bite was unforgettable. French fries, crisp on the outside, drenched in a rich gravy and buried under melted cheese curd – it was stunning!! I dug in for more! Leah was visibly amused by us first-timers!

Boulevard St. Laurent

We followed Leah as she led us further up Boulevard St. Laurent. Along the way, it’s impossible not to notice the influence of the many immigrants (Chinese, Vietnamese, Jews, Portuguese, Lebanese, Greeks, Italians, Spaniards and the list goes on) who have made Montréal their home. Many of them have been here for generations. I couldn’t help but wonder about their stories; the family photos that hang in their stores only served to pique my curiosity even more.

La Librairie Espagnole

Our next stop was a truly unique place: La Librairie Espagnole. Owned by a Spanish family for generations, the Librairie is a food deli that also sells all sorts of Spanish products, books and shoes! We were welcomed with open arms and big smiles, and soon after, we were treated to a gorgeous platter of murcia cheese with quince paste (membrillo). I’m a big fan of Spanish cuisine so this store was a little paradise for me. The many cheeses, cured meats and sausages sent my senses into overdrive! I loved this store!

Charcuterie Hongroise

By this time, we were wondering how we were going to continue – my stomach was starting to protest! Leah had different ideas. She showed us our next stop: the Charcuterie Hongroise. Opened by a Hungarian immigrant family in 1954, this store is another institution in Montréal. They specialise in home-made sausages and deli meats. I noticed their sausage and sauerkraut sandwiches and I sighed! They looked and smelled divine! I decided to try the spicy sausage anyway, without the bread and sauerkraut. Gosh, it was amazing! We chatted with the owner, who was quite a character, and had a good laugh with him.

Read about ways to experience the diversity of Montréal

Schwartz’s

We stumbled out of the Charcuterie in a great mood but with visibly bulging tummies! Leah cheered us on to our final stop, arguably the most famous deli in Montréal: Schwartz’s. There’s one thing you absolutely have to try here: the smoked meat sandwich. Imagine the look on my face when I laid my eyes on the sandwich! The meat was beautifully tender and the mustard topping was perfect, but I was done after two bites. I saved the rest for later.

The tour was terrific, thanks to Leah’s knowledge about the city, its history and the many little stories. It was clear that this was much more than just a food tour – along the way, we caught glimpses of the soul of the city through the eyes of its multi-ethnic citizens. I truly enjoyed it and will recommend this tour to anyone visiting Montréal. Don’t forget to go on an empty stomach!

More foodie discoveries

In the following days, inspired by this tour, I explored the various neighbourhoods of this wondrous city and looked out for more foodie treats, and I found many, many more! One little discovery I particularly enjoyed was the Porchetta kiosk at the Promenade du Vieux-Port.

There were also many other foodie delights at the Marché Jean Talon (Jean Talon Market). If you’re looking for a fabulous restaurant, you have to check out Joe Beef! Try the scallops and/or the succulent steaks.

Like me, you’ll soon discover that food and Montréal are a match made in heaven! Join a Montréal food tour and discover this amazing city through its food.

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Note: I was hosted in Montréal by the Canadian Tourism Commission and Tourism Montréal. All opinions expressed above are mine.