These soups will help you get through the remaining cold winter days, comfort you on a tough day, or satisfy your craving for more complex flavors!
In this article, we introduce you to Montreal restaurants that are offering unique soups outside the typically known classics.
Have fun discovering them!
Thai Soups
Owned by the same owners, these three locations prepare excellent traditional Thai meals. At Pamika, enjoy the Tom Yum or Tom Kha with seafood. If you want to discover a variety of Thai soups, Mae Sri is an excellent choice for that. Equally delicious vegetarian options are available. In both menus, you will find the level of spice so you can select your food according to the degree of spiciness you can tolerate!
Thailand has a wide variety of soups that you will find on every street corner. Thaïlande Restaurant on the Plateau Mont-Royal offers a wide selection of traditional dishes served in a typical Thai kitchen décor! Enjoy your meal sitting on the floor on purple and gold pillows. You have the option to order à la carte or to be guided by the dishes in table d'hôte. As for soups, we recommend you to try the Tum Kha which is with galanga (Thai ginger) and coconut milk, or the Kaeng Jeud Woun Sen, a soup of vermicelli and vegetables. Book your next traditional Thai evening online!
Vietnamese soups (other than Pho)
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If you're interested in learning more about uncensored, home-cooked Vietnamese culinary diversity, we strongly suggest you check out Pasthyme/Michelle Vo's social media. It all started with the desire to share her mom's recipes and heritage. They are the only ones to offer many of these soups in Montreal and are truly unique in both the generosity of the bowls and the ingredients used. Every Sunday, you can receive your meal at home (Montreal area). A must for anyone who wants to discover another facet of Vietnamese cuisine. In the spring of 2022, Michelle will partner with Vien Man Cao Tran (former manager for Otto) to open An Choi Plaza. More details are to come on this project, but we expect tasty dishes, superior quality in the choice of ingredients, and a nice friendly atmosphere.
If you feel like discovering a variety of Vietnamese dishes, 123 DZO in Laval is the place to go. Offering the traditional pho soup, they also have on their menu several dishes and tapas that are found in the street food of Vietnam. During the winter season, you can find the excellent Bun Rieu soup which is made of tomatoes, crabs, and pork. Add some hot oil to it and you have perfect comfort food for cold days. Follow their social media to find out when the soup returns to their menu!
Chinese Soups
This Brossard restaurant uses high-quality ingredients at affordable prices throughout its menu. Customize each of your soups according to your preferences by selecting your soup base (fish or chicken), garnishes, noodles/rice, and a beverage to accompany it. Fish bases include the original, ginkgo and pepper, tomato and pumpkin, and more. For chicken lovers, choose from spicy Sichuan, tan tan, or the original. With a wide selection of toppings, noodles, and sides, every visit can be different. Don't leave without trying one of their traditional boba, the perfect balance to accompany these comforting meals!
Specialized in Dim Sum, Yin Ji Chang Fen Montreal also offers excellent soups that will make you feel better at all times: congees. What is congee? It is a more or less fluid porridge made of milled rice and sometimes rice water, both fermented. On the menu, several options of this soup are possible such as pork, seafood, preserved egg, pork pudding, pork kidney, or pork liver. Otherwise, a simpler classic, but so good, try their chicken soup! Stop by if you are on Sainte-Catherine in Guy-Concordia or have them deliver!
Lan Zhou Noodles is a must in Chinatown in terms of authentic Chinese soups. The noodles are entirely prepared on the spot by experts. When you order, you can choose the width of your noodles according to your taste. The most famous dish on the menu is the Lan Zhou beef noodle special, which comes in a beef broth and is topped with vegetables and thinly sliced beef. Vegetarian options are available as well as other varieties of noodle dishes. Then, choose the level of spiciness you desire and you're looking at a comforting bowl.
Another place to visit in Chinatown is Noodle Factory. Making their noodles and dumplings on the spot, they prepare exquisite specialties from Sichuan, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Apart from all the noodle and dumpling dishes, enjoy their excellent soups. Among our favorites: the pork & vegetable soup noodle, the black pepper beef soup noodle, or the vegetarian soup noodle. Have it delivered, pick it up to go, or eat in when possible.
Japanese soups (other than Ramen)
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Noren on Rachel Street West is reminiscent of small restaurants found in Japan. The menu changes every week with new dishes depending on what's available at the market. With only 10 seats, the place is quickly filled and the atmosphere is intimate. Apart from the various soups offered from time to time, there are two continuous options on the menu: a miso soup with root vegetables. The other item is not a soup, but a Japanese stew that is just as comforting: oden. Prepared with daikon radish, goboten fish paste, beef, and shirataki noodles. Whether you want to eat in, deliver or take away, this place is a must for Japanese cuisine in Montreal.
Makoto Restaurant offers a menu celebrating Korean and Japanese cuisine. These two cultures often coexist together and this place does it justice wonderfully. The Japanese selection includes Oden-Tang which is a fish cake soup. Otherwise, opt for one of the delicious udon soups prepared in soy and vegetable broth. On the Korean side, it is a spicy pork bone soup that you can find. The portions are generous, the flavors authentic and all at an affordable price. Don't hesitate, to reserve online.
Yen Japanese Cuisine offers a wide selection of Japanese dishes in the heart of downtown Montreal. Not only do they serve very good quality sushi, but they also offer many traditional Japanese dishes. Try one of their Shiru miso soups with a choice of salmon or seaweed, spicy or not. You also have the option of opting for miso or dashi soba noodle bases with a protein like crispy tofu, teriyaki chicken, beef, or salmon. Whether you know Japanese cuisine or not, the staff will be happy to explain the different variations. Reserve online or try the experience at home by choosing delivery or take-out.
Korean Soups
Whether you are a beginner or advanced in your discovery of authentic Korean cuisine, La Maison de Séoul is a place to visit. Located in Lasalle, they not only offer Korean pogos, bibimbap, and fried chicken, but also excellent soups. You can eat 5 different soups with the option of protein and have a spicy version or not. Pictured is the Jjamppong soup and it is with seafood and vegetables. Otherwise, stop your choice for kimchi soup or Naejang Tang made with beef broth with tripe, bean sprouts, spinach, and mushrooms. Korean food is tasty and so comforting.
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Ms. Bong opened Montreal's first Korean restaurant in 1988, offering authentic cuisine to the Korean immigrant population. She has hosted actors and diplomats on tour in Canada at her restaurant. After selling her first restaurant, she opened Chez Bong with her children in 2003. Coming from Gwangju, the gastronomic capital of Korea, she was trained in the kitchen by several local chefs before coming to Canada. When you visit her, they suggest one of the Jjigaes or the Mandoo Kook (wonton soup with rice cakes). They also offer ready-to-eat dishes if you want to enjoy them at home.
If you want to eat at MoonSikdang, Saint-Lambert is the place to go! Opened in 2021, the chef-owner worked for several years as a chef at Marriott in Seoul. With a strict ethic, all dishes served are healthy and fresh, everything is prepared and cooked on site. The spicy tofu soup and tteokbbokki are a must-try when you go. At the same time, try the individual BBQ portions, Korean pancakes, or ginmari (fried Korean seaweed spring rolls filled with potato noodles). A succulent Korean flavored destination on the South Shore.
Other Asian countries / Fusion cuisine
Laotian restaurant full of charm in the Saint-Henri district, the chef-owner Natassia invites us to discover her native cuisine. Several dishes are offered with or without meat, which allows you to combine the two options in the same meal. Whether it is for the à la carte menu or the discovery menu, we leave the table having traveled. The food is made to be shared among the guests by combining several plates in the center of the table. In terms of soups, one can enjoy the Khao Poon soup made with red curry, lemongrass, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, padaek, ngoc nam, somen noodles, coleslaw, and crispy onions. In summer, the terrace is charming with lights and vegetation. Remember to reserve your place before coming and let yourself be guided by the recommendations of the team!
Koi Noodle Bar offers a wide variety of Asian dishes. From their famous bubble tea, banh mi, ramen, pho soup, sweet potato plum fries, and a Tokyo Shoyu soup. Consisting of chicken broth, grilled teriyaki chicken, pickled egg, bamboo shoots, corn, kikurage mushrooms, green onions, and nori leaf. One order will convince you, they are also famous for their various ramen.
The mix of cultures and cuisines is an incredible richness that we have in Montreal. It is possible to explore a new dish, restaurant, and variation every day.
More and more recognized internationally for its culinary diversity, Montreal is a jewel that you can never get enough of when it comes to food. Don't hesitate to explore the different restaurants in your neighborhood, who knows what you might discover!
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