Although Chef Reactions has been to Montreal and sampled our remarkable repertoire of eateries in the past, this trip focused on Montreal restaurants he's never been to before.
Chef Reactions' TikTok journey began back in 2022 after being inspired by a viral video from a former colleague. His foray into online content quickly transformed him into one of TikTok's top food influencers, with over three million followers and nearly 100 million likes.
What does he do? While the use of the name "chef" as his official title might lead many to think he cooks on camera, that's not his game here (don't worry, he is, in fact, a chef). Chef Reactions is about stepping away from the knives and instead throwing cutting-edge commentary as he reacts to a range of culinary creations from delectable chocolate sculptures to people cooking within unconventional places like toilet bowls…yes, toilet bowls.
Rather than venturing off to the restaurants he's frequented in Montreal during past visits, including iconic Montreal eateries such as Schwartz's, Joe Beef and Au Pied Du Cochon, Chef Reactions decided to try out restaurants he hadn't been to before and he didn't hold his reactions back one single bit.
Armed with a reputation built on his poker-faced delivery, frequent and colourful swearing, and unmistakable expertise in the culinary arts, Chef Reactions hopped on a flight over to Montreal and rated eight popular Montreal restaurants. His quick wit and dry sense of humour took centre stage as he devoured dishes from spots like Nora Gray, Bossa, Olive et Gourmando and Gibeau Orange Julep.
Here's what he thought.
Orange Julep
First up…the Orange Julep. Chef Reactions had us laughing right off the bat, telling viewers that if they have a difficult time finding this Montreal restaurant, all they have to look out for is the "giant f*cking orange in the middle of the city," and he isn't wrong. The foodie started off with the Julep's staple orange beverage and two all-dressed hot dogs, which he never films himself eating.
"Both are very tasty. I'd give the Julep (drink) a 7/10 and the hotdogs an 8/10, great buns," Chef Reactions said.
Where: 7700 boul. Decarie
Orange Julep website
Garde Manger
The TikTok star paid a visit to Garde Manger on Rue Saint-Francois-Xavier in Montreal's Old Port and started off with the McChuck Croquettes ($21). "They were OK," he said. "A little dense for my liking… 7/10." Next up was the octopus ($36). Chef Reactions couldn't get enough of it. "It's one of the best I've ever had in my life if I'm being real. It is cooked to perfection and served with a delicate sauce and crispy potatoes, a solid 10/10," he remarked.
While he loved the seafood dish, Chef Reactions couldn't have cared less for the heirloom tomato salad ($23) saying it tasted "whatever." Giving it a 6.5/10, the content creator said he didn't even remember eating it, so that should tell you all you need to know about it.
Where: 408 ,rue Saint-Francois-Xavier
Garde Manger website
Olive et Gourmando
The next morning, Chef Reactions visited Olive et Gourmando for a morning bite and he was rather pleased. While he prefers a light breakfast made up of coffee and a few cigarettes, he decided to throw a pastry into the mix. He went with an almond croissant ($4.75) and the homemade sweet ricotta with brioche ($11) and was in heaven.
"This ricotta with the brioche was f*cking fantastic. The orange zest and the honey put it over the top for me," he said — giving it a 10/10. As for the croissant, Chef Reactions found it a bit too doughy, giving it a 5.5/10.
Where: 351 rue Saint-Paul O.
Olive et Gourmando website
Bossa — Time Out Market
Lunch was next and the chef ventured off to the Time Out Market in downtown Montreal's Eaton Centre and decided to go with two sandwiches from Bossa. "I was in the mood for a little meat on bread," Chef Reactions said. Selecting the porchetta sandwich ($13.95), and the chicken cutlet sandwich ($13.95), the TikTok mogul said both sandwiches were just "OK."
"They're both 7/10 and are lacking a little bit of seasoning," he said. Bossa is considered by many to be one of the best places to go for a classic sandwich in Montreal, so his ruling certainly came as a surprise. While he found the bread to be "super fresh," Chef Reactions felt as if the sandwiches simply "weren't quite there."
Where: 705, rue Sainte-Catherine O., 3136, rue Masson, and 4354, rue Wellington, Verdun
Bossa website
Montreal Plaza
Chef Reactions ended up choosing Montreal Plaza for dinner, which was recently ranked number 21 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list. He went with the tasting menu ($130 for a five-course meal). The potato foam was up first and was immediately described as "f*cking delicious," which was a giveaway considering Chef Reactions nodded incessantly after each bite, which is his form of approval.
Considering the tasting menu constantly changes at Montreal Plaza, Chef Reactions decided to rate the overall experience rather than each dish. While he enjoyed most of his meal, it seems his night was spoiled after receiving the "toughest duck he's ever had in his life." Yikes! The fig dessert also left a lacklustre impression on him. He rated the overall experience an 8/10, which was pretty generous considering the tough duck and how expensive Chef Reactions found the bill.
Where: 6230, rue Saint-Hubert
Montreal Plaza website
St Viateur Bagel
Luckily, Chef Reactions made up for his underwhelming experience at the Montreal Plaza with none other than St Viateur bagels in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough of Montreal. Deeming them his favourite bagel in the entire world, Chef Reactions rated the cinnamon bagel ($1.40) and the ricotta, figs and balsamic sesame bagel ($11) a 10/10, claiming it tasted "f*cking dynamite."
Where: Multiple locations across Montreal
St Viateur Bagel website
Bouffe Moi — Jean-Talon Market
The TikTok maven later visited Jean-Talon Market, grabbing a lemonade sweetened with maple syrup ($8) and corn dogs ($11 for two) from Bouffe-Moi. "I am a sucker for corn dogs because as I've established multiple times in these videos, I am a piece of sh*t," Chef Reactions said. "I'll even buy the shitty frozen ones from Costco and throw them in the air fryer."
Fortunately for Chef Reactions, these corn dogs are far from the frozen ones from Costco. "The corn batter is very fresh and has a nice sweetness to it. It's just like a standard hot dog, but slightly above average quality. I'd give these an 8/10."
Where: 7070, ave Henri-Julien
Bouffe Moi website
Nora Gray
Did Chef Reactions unknowingly leave the best for last, or did he have a hunch? Stopping at Nora Gary in Montreal's Griffintown, the eat-and-drink connoisseur was completely blown away. Chef Reactions was particularly excited to try this spot out because Nora Gray's chef had reached out to him prior, saying they would "f*ck his sh*t up," which is the kind of promise you can make if you ranked number 53 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants in 2023.
Chef Reactions began with focaccia and a lobster salad. "Very fresh, very tasty. 10/10… actually you know what, this whole f*cking meal was a 10/10. Let's forget about the ratings moving forward, it's all 10/10."
The TikTok star was nodding after each bite, giving his seal of approval to each and every dish. Despite the price point, it seems the Nora Gray team really did "f*ck his sh*t up!" and rightfully so.
Where: 1391, rue Saint-Jacques
Nora Gray website
Chef Reactions couldn't have been more pleased with his time in Montreal, and while certain spots were superior to others, the content creator made it clear that folks should be "going out of their way" to get a taste of what Montreal has to offer.
An illustration of the Eaton Centre restaurant published in The Journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (1931).Courtesy of Ivanhoé Cambridge.