Piment 2, a Reboot of Le Piment Rouge, Spices Up Old Montreal

Call it a resurrection, of sorts. More than two years after Le Piment Rouge's shutter in the historic Windsor building downtown, the once-storied Chinese restaurant has been reborn as Piment 2. The Old Montreal newcomer, which opened quietly in December, may lack the grandeur of the original, but many of Le Piment Rouge's menu hallmarks are present and accounted for — indeed, management writes that "Piment 2 inherits the legacy of Le Piment Rouge."

A spokesperson for Piment 2 added today, however, that some notable menu changes are imminent; the restaurant plans to broaden its focus away from familiar Chinese-Canadian classics to include more Chinese-style snacks "from Mongolia to Hong Kong." In the meantime, some of Le Piment Rouge's old powerbroker clients are enjoying the quasi-revival. "We have a lot of bankers and lawyers here in Old Montreal. Our lunch service has done pretty well so far." Eater has reached out to Le Piment Rouge's owners, the Mah family, for further comment. Update, January 11: Piment 2 is a joint venture co-owned by Le Piment Rouge's Hazel and Chuck Mah, the former confirms.

Status: Piment 2, 201 Saint-Jacques Ouest, corner Saint-François-Xavier, (514) 849-8668, open weekdays for lunch and dinner, and weekends for dinner.

Piment 2 Menu