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Kung Pao Chicken at the Keung Kee Restaurant in Montreal

Kung Pao Chicken at Keung Kee

Kung Pao Chicken at the Keung Kee Restaurant in Montreal

The Keung Kee Cantonese Restaurant has been a fixture in Montreal’s Chinatown for many years now. It is a rather nondescript place, on the of an old building, and was a bit shabby and not especially clean on my visit. I will say that the majority of the clientele were Asian, which generally speaks well of the food, but the Kung Pao Chicken turned out to be a good example of this a dish best not ordered in establishments specializing in Cantonese, rather than Sichuanese cuisine.

Broccoli Rabe – a.k.a. Rapini

In: Ingredients

Broccoli Rabe – a.k.a. Rapini

Sometime ago, I did a post featuring Broccolini and I described it as being something of a cross between Broccoli and the Chinese vegetable, Gai Lan. Broccoli Rabe, also known by the Italian name ‘Rapini’ is somewhat related to Broccoli, and shares some similarity to Gai Lan, but the taste profile is a little different.

Squid Grilled at the Izakaya Restaurant in Ottawa

Squid Grilled at Izakaya

In: Dim Sum Gallery

Squid Grilled at the Izakaya Restaurant in Ottawa

I previously posted a rather lukewarm review of the Gyoza at the Izakaya Restaurant in Ottawa. In the main, however, the dishes I was served at this once delightful (but now closed establishment) were mostly very good. Grilled Squid happens to be one of my favorite dishes and the version at Izakaya was not just excellent, it was one of the best I have ever had.

Japanese Eel Sauce

In: Ingredients

Japanese Eel Sauce

If you haven’t encountered Japanese Eel Sauce before, you may be wondering whether it is a sauce made *for* Eel dishes, or one made *from* Eels. Well, the short answer is… both. It is well worth trying though, and quite easy to find. Rest assured, it will not make any food you use it with taste ‘fishy’ in any way

Deep-fried Oysters at Salty’s

In: Notable Restaurant Dishes

The Deep-fried Oysters at Salty’s in Halifax

This little appetizer at Salty’s Seafood Restaurant in Halifax was billed as ‘New Orleans Style Fried Oysters’ and were a special on my visit for lunch. Salty’s is a waterfront pub serving a seafood menu and the food is decent if not especially high-end. Their deep-fried Oyster special was plated in a clever, if rather plain way, and the oysters themselves were well-cooked.

Korean Sweet Grilled Beef Ribs

In: Main Plates

Korean Sweet Grilled Beef Ribs

Recently, I posted a recipe for Spicy Korean Beef Ribs. The ribs you see pictured above are prepared in a very similar way but without the spicy Korean Gochujang Chili Paste to lend them fire. Here, the marinade is much milder and sweeter, but, in a slight twist from Korean tradition, replaces the more common Asian Pear with Apple Sauce. For the best results, these ribs should really be done on the barbecue, but for this recipe, and for convenience, these Ribs get ‘grilled’ in the oven under the broiler.

Scallop Xào Tuong at the Café Indochine in Ottawa

Scallop Xào Tuong at Café Indochine

In: Notable Restaurant Dishes

Scallop Xào Tuong at the Café Indochine in Ottawa

The very pretty dish you see pictured above was served to me at the now defunct Café Indochine in Ottawa. The place got some rather mixed reviews but I ate there a couple of times and found the service and the food to be quite good overall. Their Scallop Xào Tuong , which I had for lunch one day, turned out to be well prepared, and was quite delicious, but it was also a bit disappointing in one regard.

Clams with Wine and Basil

In: Little Plates

Clams with Wine and Basil

This recipe is somewhat similar to my Clams with Pork and Basil, except, of course, for the fact no ground Pork is used here. Both dishes use Basil along with small, hard-shell Clams, but the version with Pork is Asian in spirit and uses Rice Wine in the steaming medium, while the dish you see above is more Western and uses Butter and White Wine.

Shark Fin Soup at the Keung Kee Restaurant in Montreal

Shark Fin Soup at Keung Kee

In: Notable Restaurant Dishes

Shark Fin Soup at the Keung Kee Restaurant in Montreal

Please note: This post is partial republication of a review of the Keung Kee Restaurant in Montreal I posted some years ago.

Please, before you write, comment, or otherwise complain about me featuring Shark Fin in a culinary context, be assured that I am alive to the sustainability and other issues involving the fishery. At the time of my visit to Montreal, there appeared to be a movement toward a legislated moratorium on Shark Fin and so, before these disappeared (for ever, I thought), I purchased a whole Shark Fin to use at home with a view to writing about it, and I also tried the dish you see pictured above.

Bagoong Alamang Ribs

In: Little Plates

Bagoong Alamang Ribs

This very tasty little appetizer is prepared using a Bagoong Alamang, a Filipino fermented Shrimp Paste. Short Pork Rib sections are marinated in the paste for extra umami flavor, and then they are coated in a spicy batter and deep-fried. No dipping sauce is needed.