Downtown Has a Fiery New Spanish Restaurant — and Other Openings to Know

DOWNTOWN — Check out this shiny new Spanish arrival downtown: Ibérica opened recently on Peel with a focus on Catalonian cuisine — including preserved fish, meaty croquettes, and a whole bunch of seafood done in a wood-fired grill that the restaurant had brought over from Barcelona (peep the menu online). Chef Marino Tavares is heading it up, and has ample experience with Mediterranean cuisine, having past experience at Doca and Café Ferreira over his 25-year career. The 90-seat restaurant has some sharp design from Zebulon Perron, too — take a look inside.

Ibérica/Supplied

VILLERAY/MILE-EX — Self-taught cook Shammy Chan has opened up her pan-east Asian counter Jiep Jiep on Jean-Talon at Waverly and her daily menus are almost unreasonably tantalizing — get a mix of rice and smaller plates for $8 to $11, and there has also been bibimbap, onigiri, spicy jigae, and mapo tofu. Read up on her plans to be an “in your face Asian restaurant” over here.

Jiep Jiep

HOCHELAGA — Restaurateurs Dominic Laflamme, Vincent Chatelais, and Nicolas Ficuciello have been strictly BYOB people with venues such as Le Quartier Général and État-Major — until now. Pizzeria Heirloom is their first restaurant to serve alcohol (affordably, no less!) and it’s open on Ontario East near Pie-IX, doing crispy Neapolitan-style pies. Take-out and lunch are options, too.

MILE END — Possibly fuelled by the sizeable Ubisoft lunch crowds, the Mile End section of St-Laurent is booming these days — Mirazu is the latest addition, right in near Il Miglio and Lawrence. It’s great to see a new Turkish restaurant on the scene, and here’s the options include doughy pafik, hummus with lamb, tomato-and-egg menemen, and lots of grilled meaty options.

Mirazu

PLATEAU — Very cute ‘80s-neon-inspired vegan bakery Dugout is now open on Duluth on the St-Dominique corner, across from brewpub Réservoir. Expect lots of fruit and dark chocolate ganache from a pro French patissier — Eater had the details back in December.

CÔTE-DES-NEIGES — Hybrid bookstore-restaurant Bistro Olivieri is back in action with an affordable French-leaning menu of grilled liver, beef bavette, chicken with grilled leeks and a wine sauce, and more.

MILE END — The former Cartel location on the prime corner of St-Urbain and Fairmount now houses a new restaurant — Koi is a slightly Japanese leaning spot but it’s pretty heavily pan-East/Southeast Asia, doing everything from ramen and okonomiyaki to papaya salad — peep the menu.

NDG — The Monkland strip has a new dumpling option with the no-nonsense name Dumpling Shop — expect a mix of jiaozi-style options in classic form (pork and cabbage, pork and chive), and a few newer creations like a curry beef or chicken filling.

DOWNTOWN — In other dumpling news, Plateau dumpling-maker Chinoiseries et Dumplings has added a second location on Sherbrooke West, between Mackay and Guy. Expect dumplings, of course, but also wonton soup and chow mein.

PLATEAU — OK, there’s triple dumpling news to report: here’s another purveyor of the meat-filled dough pockets now open — with possibly Disney inspiration, Mulan Dumpling is on the east end of Mont-Royal at Chambord.

• This Exciting Home-Style East Asian Spot is Coming to Mile Ex Soon [EMTL]
• Pizzeria Heirloom Is Coming to Improve Hochelaga’s Pizza Options [EMTL]
• Chinoiseries on Sherbrooke West [MontrealInfo]
• France-Trained Patissier is Setting Up a Plateau Vegan Bakery [EMTL]