Located in the heart of the plateau in Montreal, Kitano Shokudo is a cozy and delightful Japanese restaurant that serves you quality handmade dishes, amazing unique sakes and wines as well remarkable service. This amazing bistro gives you a Japanese experience that you won’t want to miss!
At Chef Hiroshi Kitano’s Plateau restaurant, precise technique meets inventive twists on classic Japanese dishes. Made with top-tier local and Japanese ingredients, the fresh fish donburi and chirashi bowls stand out as some of the city's finest, while dishes like the uni carbonara, which weave in French and Italian influences, leave a lasting impression.
Patrons describe Kitano Shokudo as a tiny, intimate spot with a warm, minimalist vibe where fresh sashimi and carefully executed Japanese dishes take center stage. Standout items include duck mazemen, uni mezemen, chirashi and miso bowls, with sashimi praised for exceptional freshness, though some feel the ramen is overpriced and the broth underwhelming for the price. The two person operation can make service feel uneven or a little distant, even as when staff are present the service is friendly and attentive. Despite this, it is hailed by many as one of the best Japanese spots in Montreal outside Japan, thanks to quality, presentation and a lively atmosphere. Reservations are recommended because the space is tiny, and the overall tone is that the food justifies a visit for those seeking authentic, ingredient driven Japanese cuisine.
A cute little place that I've passed by a dozen times on Mont Royal & never noticed, until a friend in the neighbourhood said we had to try it, his favorite Japanese restaurant in Montreal. We had the sashimi for two (very fresh & tasty, although a little lacking on presentation), & the brussel sprouts smothered (in a good way) in a soy-balsamic sauce. Then we had the wild boar mapo-tofu, very good although the portions were small. Having a little more atmosphere & a friendlier vibe would contribute a lot to this place.
The best meal I had in Montreal. We couldn't get reservations online so showed up when they opened & were able to get seats, it filled up soon after. We got the ramen, curry & a salad & even though it sounds simple, the flavors were so balanced & delicious. It's not a super fancy place but the quality of the ingredients & food was on par with or better than a lot of fine dining places. So happy to have tried this place!
Le meilleur restaurant japonais de Montréal. Thats it . Thats the review!!!!! Réservation absolument conseillée le soir parce que le restaurant est très fréquenté mais possibilité de venir se régaler le midi sans reservation. Je recommande absolument & je reviendrais
Petit restaurant de l'avenue Mont-Royal très sympathique. Nourriture exceptionnelle, dont un pétoncle que je me souviendrait toute ma vie. Belle sélection de saké & bon conseil de notre serveuse. N'oubliez pas de réserver à l'avance, car c'est toujours plein.
Very cozy & small restaurant with a chill vibe. Service was on the slower side as there was only one waiter. The food was however pretty good. My favourite dishes were the duck mazeman & the crab mazeman. The duck was very crispy & fall off the bone tender. The noodles mixed with the egg made it very rich & delicious. The crab mazeman had a hint of spicy & the ikura complimented the dish well. It tasted very seafoody & it was a generous portion of crab. Was dissaponted with the chicken wings as it tasted pretty bland (special of the week). The Brussels sprouts were good but nothing out of the ordinary. Would come again for the mazeman & to try out their chirashi.
This is in my Top 3 favorite restaurants in Montreal. I can just go here & chill, grab my favorite ramen (Ikura Mazimen) & a Shrimp Burger with Japanese Sea Urchin sauce. I've tried most things on the menu & they're all good, but those 2 are my favorite. Can't go wrong with any of the desserts either- from the sorbet to the chocolate ice cream to the cookie to the thai black tea ice cream... last time I literally got both ice creams & the chocolate chip cookie- I was dipping the cookie in both ice creams & enjoying them. Hiroshi is a fantastic chef, one of a kind. I pretty much feel like I'm going to a friend's house & they're just cooking me up whatever they have in the kitchen. Alongside Moccione, this is my fav restaurant.
May 15, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Food was definitely unique & the vibe of the restaurant was nice. However, I feel that, at this price point, service was lacking (we stood around for a fair while before being seated; water wasn't refilled until we asked; no tissue to dry hands in the toilets). I unfortunately wouldn't return, though it's still an experience.
Oh my goodness, let me just tell you about my experience at this restaurant! So, I went there with a friend for the first time on Tuesday, & it was absolutely incredible. We were greeted by Sam, who made us feel so welcome. He recommended this delicious blond Japanese imported beer for me, & my friend had Sake, & let me tell you, they paired perfectly with everything we ordered. Speaking of the food, it was out of this world. We had the Tako Salad, Uni & bone marrow mezamen, the snow crab mezamen, & the Shoyu Ramen. Each dish was so exciting & incredibly delicious. The ingredients were all perfectly balanced & you could really taste each individual flavor. & let's talk about the ambiance - the musique, vibe, & overall ambiance were just spot on. It felt like I was visiting a dear friend. The service was impeccable, & I felt so at ease. As someone who's a bit of an introvert & can be shy, it's not always easy for me to feel comfortable everywhere, but this place just had such a cozy & welcoming atmosphere. Now, here's the best part - I loved it so much that I went back solo on Thursday. I actually booked a table just an hour after I left on Tuesday, that's how much I was daydreaming about going back. & let me tell you, it did not disappoint. This time, I sat at the bar & had the pleasure of chatting with the person sitting next to me. He had actually traveled all the way from the Laurentide just to dine here, & I totally get why. It's just that amazing. So yeah, needless to say, I'm one happy customer & I can't wait to go back again & again.
The food was incredible. We had the cod croquette, maguro don, duck mazemen & pudding with a bit of sake. Everything was delicious, better than any croquette, duck or tuna we've ever had before. I just can't possibly emphasize enough how much I recommend it. The atmosphere was nice, pretty chill, the tables were quite close to each other but it's pretty common in such restaurants. No loud music which we really appreciated. The service was nice although they lacked professionalism. For example, they'll let you wait more than 10min (without apologizing for the wait) if you're polite & wait in the entrance to get seated, even if they saw you. I learnt from the people who came after us that you have to come in & stand in the middle of the way, only then will they happily seat you right away..
Sooooo expensive. Restaurants in Montreal need to consider their price list if they don't want local people to stop going out. Unless this restaurant targets tourists who are willing to pay 20$ for 3 sushi s. But I'll definitely pass.
