Bowl of ramen. Right: Two beef patties.
The rising cost of food in Montreal doesn't have to leave you starved for cuisine from some of the city's top restaurants. Sure, going out to eat may not always be within your budget, but you can still satisfy your craving for signature dishes, like Nakamichi homemade ramen, Moishes Montecarlo potatoes and Lloydie's spicy Jamaican patties, among others.
With minimal effort, you can make some of those iconic dishes in your own kitchen. As long as you're up for reheating some frozen goodness, here are seven mouth-watering Montreal restaurant dishes that you can recreate at home:
Cachitos
Cost: $8.50/pack
Where To Find It: Online & select stores
Why You Need To Try It: You can say 'adios' to travelling downtown for Venezuelan street food. Cachitos sells two-packs of their frozen handheld pastries in grocery stores across Montreal. You just have to put the buttery tubes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, thaw them at room temperature for half an hour, moisten the rolls with water and then bake them at 400C for around 13 minutes. Just don't be too impatient, let them cool off before you chow down.
Nakamichi
Cost: $13/packet
Where To Find It: In-store & online
Why You Need To Try It: The next best thing to slurping the homemade noodles and broth from this charming spot on St-Laurent is getting them frozen to enjoy whenever you're hungry. You can get the ramen that's served in-restaurant vacuum-sealed with toppings. All you have to do is put one in a pot and heat for seven to 10 minutes. Once the soup has melted and the noodles have loosened, you wait until it boils. Then transfer it to your favorite ramen bowl and enjoy the meal in the comfort of your own home.
Joe Beef
Four boxes of Joe Beef dinners.
Courtesy of Metro.
Cost: $9.99/box
Where To Find It: Metro grocery stores
Why You Need To Try It: This renowned Little Burgundy restaurant known for its decadent home cooking also makes four frozen dinners, including mac 'n' cheese with country sausage stuffing, beef pepper with squash and mashed potatoes, Normandy pork with garlic mashed potatoes and braised apples, and Mississippi beef with pickled pepper and mashed potatoes. Each can be heated up in four minutes, providing a convenient meal with a hint of Joe Beef, minus the warm in-resto experience. People who've tried the meals give them a 10/10 for quality ingredients that are "not too processed."
Moishes
A box of frozen Montecarlo potatoes.
Cost: $12.99/box
Where To Find It: IGA & Metro grocery stores
Why You Need To Try It: The original Plateau institution that served this signature potato "a little bit baked, a little bit mashed" sadly no longer exists, but you can still heat one up in your kitchen… at least until the new location in Square Victoria opens.
Lloydie's
A selection of Lloydie's Jamaican patties at Aubut.
Cost: $6.99/box
Where To Find It: Aubut, Super C, Metro, IGA, and Sobeys, Mourelatos, Supermarché P.A., Euromarché, Adonis, Inter Marché and Esposito.
Why You Need To Try It: Each box of these traditional Jamaican pies comes with six patties in either spicy or mild beef, chicken or veggie flavours. All you have to do is reheat the flaky pastries for an easy-to-eat and flavourful on-the-go snack.
Chez Cora
Cost: $7.99
Where You Can Find It: Most grocery stores.
Reason To Try It: No need to keep trying to figure out what makes this brunch chain's crêpes so addictive when you can just whisk them up at home. This mix is a staple in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, waiting to be folded into your culinary repertoire. To make tasty crêpes, mix a 1/2 cup of the mix with a 1/2 cup of milk, then heat a lightly oiled pan, add 1/4 cup of mixture, and cook for one minute before flipping and waiting another 30 seconds. You can add toppings like ham and cheese to replicate a full Chez Cora meal.
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