Chef Anita Feng Opens a Spicy New Takeout Counter and Grocery Store in La Petite-Patrie

LA PETITE-PATRIE — After months of buzzy pop-ups and a series of compelling restaurant collaborations, Anita Yue Ming Feng (former chef-owner of defunct dumpling eatery Trilogie) has promoted her pandemic-era undertaking J’ai Feng into a standalone venture. Starting today, J’ai Feng is operating as a takeout counter and grocery store on Beaubien Street, just east of Saint-Laurent. Expect shelves lined with jars of her raved-over chili oil (pictured above), pickles, and imported Chinese goods, plus a takeout menu highlighting regional Chinese cuisine, with an emphasis on Sichuan cooking. Though one can sample her creations on-site, there’s only room for four diners in the pint-sized space. Read more about J’ai Feng’s new home here.

J’ai Feng is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 43 Beaubien East.

MILE END — Avenue du Parc’s dining scene just got a boost with the addition of a new West Indian sandwich shop called Lucki Delite. A concise menu posted to the restaurant’s Instagram account shows four sandwich options, all served on coco bread and filled with either jerk chicken, jerk squash, barbecue pork ribs, or fried fish. Sides include a few salads (cucumber, mango, or tamarin) and patties (spicy beef or veg). Lucki Delite takes over the space that, until this past summer, housed Guyanese restaurant Cuisine Caraibe Delite, with which it shares the tail end of its name.

Lucki Delite is open Wednesday to Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 pm., and on Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 4816 Avenue du Parc.

LITTLE ITALY — Borrowing its name from a mountain on the border of Calabria and Basilicata in Southern Italy, Osteria Pollino (in the former Café Via Dante) is churning out dishes typical of the region. The menu changes weekly but has so far included busiate (a long spirally pasta) with a lamb ragu, parsley cavatelli with clams and pepperoncini peppers, and a savoury cannoli filled with shrimp, calamari, and scallops.

Osteria Pollino is open for lunch (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Tuesday to Friday and dinner (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) Tuesday to Saturday at 251 Rue Dante.

SHAUGHNESSY VILLAGE — DaDashi, a new downtown restaurant and bar, is serving “modern” Korean cuisine and cocktails into the early morning. It takes over the Sainte-Catherine Street space that once belonged to Mon Ami Pocha, another Korean restaurant, and before that, Vietnamese Eatery Saigon VIP.

DaDashi is open from 5 p.m. until late Wednesday to Monday at 1850 Sainte-Catherine Street West.

VERDUN — Grilled cheese sandwiches with international twists are the focus at Verdun Street’s new café La Base. One incorporates a Balkan cheese called Kashkaval, another is a play on the French croque monsieur, and a third gets spiked with a “secret sauce inspired by Korean street food,” its online menu reads. On Sundays, pancakes join the line-up for a brunch offering, and on Fridays and Saturdays, La Base stays open until 10 p.m., with wines and cocktails on offer.

La Base is open Monday to Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays, from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 5898 Verdun Street.