Bistro Nolah is, & will continue to be, a hidden gem in the West Island of Montreal.
Before I finally indulged myself & experienced its offerings, almost everyone I know was raving about it. "The best elevated cajun food in the city" they were saying....& to that statement: I wholeheartedly agree.
From the subtle ambience, to the genuine manners of the staff, this establishment has come to be one of my absolute favourites in "the West".
I ate there with my mom, who is mutually an eloquent woman with a refined taste. Not afraid to speak her mind, she is always honest about her outlook on a restaurant. To be clear, she also very much enjoyed the tastings & libations of Nolah.
Upon ordering our meal, we were graciously offered a New Orleans delicacy known as "a hushpuppy". A hushpuppy is a bite sized, savoury ball, made with a cornmeal-based batter; that is deep fried. Sometimes being overly dense & over-fried, they can be too chewy. To my surprise, these hushpuppies were absolutely crisp on the outside & had a perfectly tender interior.
For our appetizers, we ordered the Louisiana crab cakes & shrimp tacos. The shrimp tacos, although as delicious as anticipated, did not go beyond anything ordinary. The crab cakes however, were absolutely scrumptious. The fried cakes bursted with crab flavour, rightfully highlighting it as the hero ingredient of the dish. Served with a mildly spicy aioli & some corn niblets, every layered flavour & texture accentuated the flavour profile of the crab.
As for the entrées, we ordered the jambalaya & blackened catfish to share. Both dishes sang a sweet, melodic Louisiana song. They were truly delectable. The deconstruction of the jambalaya was innovative in presentation & made for a combination of different bites. This dish included all the familiar flavours of a jambalaya & enhanced every single one. It included jumbo shrimps, a tomato-based, dark roux, sauce with rice that was packed with creole herbs & spices. The added vegetables & micro-greens were unnecessary but provided the "fine dining" touch.
The blackened catfish simultaneously tickled our tastebuds & unquestionably transported us to the docks of New Orleans. A perfect blend of spices, alongside fresh sautéed vegetables & raw shaved radish, the balance within each & every ingredient was a perfect equilibrium. A truly authentic & grasping touch, on the fish, was the orange "Pontchartrain" sauce. I have never seen this sauce served with fish anywhere in Montreal. The name of the sauce derives from Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana & like the lake, the thick, buttery sauce, was teeming with fish.
To end such as stunning meal was an even more stunning dessert. The bread pudding, being a humbling & when done correctly: crowd pleasing dish, was luscious & delightful. Topped with fresh fruit & a Jack Daniels syrup, it was frankly hard not to finish. Simple, not simplistic, this is a staple in southern cuisine & was executed with such finesse & ease (as it should be).
Bistro Nolah is a distinct establishment & in all honesty, an exquisite restaurant that is recommended to anyone who loves cajun cuisine &/or looking to expand their culinary horizons.
Looking to fill a hunger that demanded quality food, we mutually decided to dine at Bistro Nolah. We had been there once before but only soon after it had initially opened & were curious to see how they had maintained or even surpassed the previously noted high standards.
Our meal started with an "Amuse-Bouche" of hush-puppies which had a delicious inside & really took off when paired with it's accompanied Chipotle Mayo. We then ordered drinks, absolutely delicious Mango Martini & a Nola Special Mix.
Appetizers came next with my wife ordering the Chef Choice Trio, Pork Belly - fried oysters- & Prosciutto wrapped cheese filled fig, & I the Pork Belly With Figs. We both now have new respect for Pork Belly. Absolutely delicious & tender & the reduction it came with was like icing on the cake. Her fried oysters were amazing & the Prosciutto wrapped & cheese filled fig was something I've never tried but will have to again as it was very tasty.
For our mains she had the seafood Risotto with seared salmon, jumbo shrimps & jumbo scallops & I ordered Shrimp & Grits. The Shrimp & Grits simply put was outstanding! Perfectly done jumbo shrimp with a Cajan seasoning & sauce on them & cheese infused Grits with tons of great flavors & perfectly cooked vegetables. My wife's Seafood Risotto was perfectly done in a creamy sauce with accompanying seafood done to perfection. The standout for me of her excellent dish was the tender & flavorful jumbo scallops seared perfectly.
For dessert we had the Beingets & the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Both are must haves & serve as a delicious end to an Excellent meal & dining experience.
All throughout our meal, the waiting staff were On Point & seemed very enthusiastic yet professional about what they were doing. The ambiance was light but relaxed & good for dining. Service overall was A+.
Bistro Nolah Impressed us as a great combination of great food, service & atmosphere. We will definitely be back with more friends.
I was looking forward to this experience having read all the amazing reviews on this website. Maybe because the reviews hyped it up so much, I was expecting greater things that did not materialize. Don't get me wrong, the food is really very good with lots of flavours, but I would not say it was totally mind blowing.
They start you off with the biscuits, which are good, but not fabulous. The hush puppies are very good with a delish jalapeno remoulade, but overly deep fried. The crab cakes really have a lot of crab meat but are also very deep fried. Our mains were also very good but we felt we did not get value for the price. We had the bread pudding which had a beautiful, luscious bourbon sauce & a real decadent chocolate torte. However, the caramelized pecans on the torte were burnt.
The ambiance is ok, but feels a little cafeteria-ish. Maybe table-cloths & different finished décor would help. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. It is good, although a bit over priced for what you get. Maybe it's not as mind-blowing for me as everyone else seems to think.
I went to Bistro Nolah with my son & had a great time. We started off with the trio appetizer & the fried oysters. I didn't care much for the fried oysters but the trio was amazing. There was scallop ceviche, which melted in your mouth, crab cake, & lastly, grits. I would have licked the bowl. It was that good.
For our mains we had the braised short rib, & my son had the cornish hen Both were very good.
I was very happy that I had finally tried this restaurant. When we left, my son who is 10yrs old looked at me, & said "Thanks Mom for bringing me here, it was great!!"
Happy eating!
