Across from the Jewish General lies Pho Lien, offering one of the city’s best bowls of pho. The large, hearty portions of soup are the main draw, but the vermicelli noodle dishes and other menu options are impressive supporting actors.

Representing cuisine found on the border of Thailand and Cambodia, Tuk Tuk does the Thai standards (green curry, pad thai, etc.) well, but the Cambodian-leaning plates such as amok (fish in hot stew with rice) deliver something truly memorable.

This all-vegetarian Indian restaurant is legendary when it comes to cheap eats in Montreal. While most come for the thali platters of rice and curry with fried or baked bread, diners can also take home a pound of Indian sweets for obscenely low prices.

One of the oldest establishments in Montreal’s sturdy Caribbean community serves up a variety of honest and spicy dishes that consistently keeps people coming back for more. Curries wrapped in warm, flaky roti are the staple and are a true bundle of joy. Gluten-free options include curry plates or jerk chicken.

Detractors might say it only draws a crowd due to its status as a roadside attraction, with a large, orange dome alongside the Decarie, but the Orange Julep is still a reliable casse-croûte, with some of the best poutine in town. Also worth considering: hot dogs, and the diner's eponymous orange drink to wash it all down.

As though being an incredibly diverse neighbourhood for restaurants wasn’t enough, CDN is also home to good incarnations of cuisines typically found in Montreal. Duc de Lorraine’s an exceedingly popular French pastry and sandwich shop that claims hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

The CDN borough features a small concentration of Filipino restaurants, and Cuisine de Manille is a surefire bet, serving the likes of pancit bihon, bopis, and adobos since 2003. Available via DoorDash seven days a week.

Located directly across from the Côte-Sainte-Catherine metro station, Sen Vàng is an excellent bet for Tonkinese soup, chicken and rice (or vermicelli) dishes, and fried spring rolls. During the first wave of the pandemic, the owners pivoted to offer classic banh mi sandwiches for the first time. Closed Wednesdays.

The descriptor "institution" might get thrown around flippantly, but this decades-old Jewish deli really is one. Its breakfast menu is comprehensive, but the smoked meat is the big drawcard. Whether or not it's better than tourist magnet Schwartz's is a matter of personal preference, but at Snowdon you won't have to wait in line.

Jerk chicken and oxtail curry are two of the big specialties at Trinidadian resto Tropical Paradise, alongside more common options like roti, doubles, and patties.

A Korean restaurant known for its cheap takes on classic dishes, Jumak is a steady place to go for all kinds of cup bap, seafood pancakes, and spicy kimchi jigae soups. Particular recommendations are the eggplant dumplings and beef and kimchi bibimbap.

A Greek grill house done right. Yia Sou sticks to classics, dishing up grilled meat and seafood, and gyro, with a finesse that draws crowds from CDN and beyond.