Jean-Talon Market Has A New Pop-Up Restaurant Space Just For Black & Indigenous Chefs

From Afro-Québécoise to Caribbean cuisine, food lovers will want to try this!
Jean-Talon Market Has A New Pop-Up Restaurant Space Just For Black & Indigenous Chefs
Reporter

Montreal's Jean-Talon Market has a new space dedicated specifically to restaurants with Black and Indigenous chefs

La Maison Onyx is a pop-up that will run between July and October, giving marginalized chefs a stage to showcase their culinary expertise. Up first is Saint-Henri's Tropikàl Restobar, a Caribbean and Afro-Latin restaurant, which will be there from July 7 to July 27.

Editor's Choice: I Tried Downtown Montreal's New Rooftop Terrasse & It Felt Like A Mini Holiday (PHOTOS)

Tropikàl will be followed by Maquis Yasolo, an Afro-Québécoise restaurant in Saint-Henri. Later, MasterChef Canada’s Marissa Leon-John of Elle Jay’s Private Dining and Afro-Vegan chef Evy Mendes of Cantine Toca Toca will be serving up delicious eats.

La Maison Onyx is an initiative by DESTA Food, a Black youth network and non-profit business incubator for Black businesses.

According to a DESTA Food statement, La Maison Onyx will feature street food-style menus using local Quebec products, chef-led market tours at Jean-Talon Market, and on-site food demonstrations.

More chefs and Montreal restaurants will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

This article's cover photo was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Lea Sabbah
  • Lea Sabbah was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. Previously, Lea was a radio host on CJLO 1690 AM and her work has been published by Global News, the Toronto Star, Le Devoir and the National Observer. In 2019, she was part of the investigative team that uncovered lead in Montreal's drinking water — a story which won Quebec's Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin. She's a graduate of the journalism program at Concordia University.

You can now earn more money in Quebec before paying any provincial income tax

The province's basic personal amount has increased for 2026.