Critic: Montreal’s Best Thai Restaurant Could Be Pick in NDG

— This week in reviews, Montreal Gazette critic Lesley Chesterman is amoureuse de somewhat low-key NDG Thai restaurant Pick — a glowing review seems to draw parallels between this neighbourhood favourite and famed Las Vegas Thai restaurant Lotus of Siam. It’s very unassuming on the outside but a little swanky on the inside, making Chesterman worried that: “when the surroundings are too posh, the food will be generic.” That’s certainly not the case — chef Vilay Douangpanya turns it out on every dish, with Chesterman wishing she could eat there every week. Salads — one with mango, peanuts, lime, and chili; another with filet mignon, onion, mint, red pepper and chili paste, mix hot and cool flavours with flair. A red duck curry is “rich and sensual”, but the green curry, replete with green chilies and Thai basil is the top dish. On the desserts, kao neo mamuang — a mango, sticky rice, coconut milk dish is also stellar. A neat and affordable wine list is a plus, leading to one of Chesterman’s best reviews so far this year — three stars. [Montreal Gazette]

Rosewood

— Meanwhile, Journal de Montréal critic Thierry Daraize is in Old Montreal at Rosewood, known for burgers, cocktails, being part-owned by Quebec rock star Jonas, and for strange promotional videos with dick jokes. He’s warmly approving of the mixed bag bar-resto-pub-club, deeming it “without pretension” and reasonable priced. Daraize doesn’t go in heavily on the burgers, although he finds the one mini-burger he grabs “simple and good”; his praise is saved more for a gnocchi special with braised, roast rabbit, confit cherry tomatoes, and rapini. Also good in the straight-down-the-line review is a not-overly-sweet brownie; that, in conjunction with Daraize’s appreciation of the live rock music at Rosewood the night of his visit gets three stars. [Le Journal de Montréal]

La Bête

— Lastly, it’s a Quebec City review week at Le Devoir, and Catherine Ferland is at Sainte-Foy steakhouse La Bête. The centrepiece, a six-ounce, 45-day aged Boston Prime with a prosciutto bordelaise sauce is “superb” in flavour, but there’s one hitch — while cooked rare as ordered, it’s a little tough to cut: Ferland writes that some brining might not go astray. But her partner’s burger is “magical”, and other less-meaty options like Ferland’s salad of spinach, radishes, edamame, beets, and jerky is succulent and in total harmony, so it’s good all up, if not as glowing as some of Ferland’s other recent write-ups. Three stars. [Le Devoir]

• There's so much to discover at Pick Thai [Montreal Gazette]
• Lotus of Siam [ELV]
• Cocktail musical [Le Journal de Montréal]
• Rosewood's Strange 30 Minute Film is Full of Dicks [EMTL]
• Dans l’antre de La Bête à Québec [Le Devoir]