MTL à TABLE has arrived in Montreal! You can now sample 150+ restaurants at very fair set prices. And this particular culinary trip takes us to Peru at Mochica.
Let’s face it, November is a depressing month. The cold weather slowly sets in, the sky is grey and trees look sad and naked without leaves. You almost wish for a snowfall to cover the brown landscape. Thankfully, for the past four years now, a ray of foodie sunlight has brought warmth and joy to the month of November in Montréal, Québec. Happiness envelops Montréal when MTL à TABLE arrives.
Restaurant Mochica: fine Peruvian dining
MTL à TABLE
For 11 days, more than 150 restaurants offer a 3-course set-price menu of either $21, $31 or $41. These menus are offered at very reasonable prices when compared to the regular menu. Along with thousands of fellow Montrealers, I peruse and salivate over the set menus for hours and make a list of the establishments I would like to dine at. Then friends are contacted, groups are formed and reservations are made. The best restaurants can fill up pretty fast. To fill the high demand, brunches are available for the first time this year.
My friends and I really look forward to Montreal restaurant week. This will be my 3rd year sampling delicious culinary meals in local restaurants. Thus far, trough MTL à TABLE I have discovered the following restaurants: La Société, Restaurant Helena, Le Smoking Vallée (twice, love it here), Verses, and Chez ma Grosse Truie Chérie. This year I will visit GaZette and I just got back last night from Mochica, a Peruvian restaurant.
First service: Ceviche Duo and Parrilla Duo
Peruvian cuisine
I am very fortunate to have traveled to Peru about 10 years ago. I just adored my trip and one of the things that stays with me the most was the genuine kindness and curiosity of the Peruvian people. Food wise, most tourists will sample all kinds of various potatoes, huge corn (maize), try an authentic Ceviche, perhaps chomp on a real llama steak, nibble on a beef heart skewer, and for the courageous try the Andes specialty: guinea pig (I skipped this one). There is plenty to sip from as well: from Chicha, Pisco drinks, Inka Cola and mate de coca. This is the mini 101 crash course of Peruvian dishes.
Restaurant Mochica
Peruvian restaurants abound in Montreal and most are quite good to decent. I was looking forward to my night at Mochica as it seemed to inspire a more refined meal from the menu. That is what sets this place apart compared to the rest: a fine Peruvian dinning experience in an elegant yet authentic decor. There are nice artifact touches, even lit excavation scenes in the floor like a museum. One plate looked like a modern piece of art once we were done.
We were very well received by the staff and I like the touch that they take your coat for you. Pisco Sours were promptly served: this is the national cocktail. The meal was delicious throughout. There was definitely some spice and bite to some dishes – not something I remembered from my trip – but was informed this was indeed traditional sauces from the north, a part I had not visited. We particularly loved the ceviches, the seared scallops on a black quinoa risotto, the lamb fork-tender, and pleasantly surprised by the unusual purple Inka corn pudding. Give the Peruvian private import wine list a look too.
First service
Ceviche Duo: Corvina classico and passion fruit tiradito shrimps (sashimi), maracuyá sour foam
Parrilla Duo: Grilled veal heart, sweet potato, corn, huacatay (Peruvian black mint) pesto and Grilled octopus, arugula with Peruvian black olive pesto
Second service: MAR and ANDINO
Second service
MAR – Seared corvina (Peruvian sea bass), cod and cassava brandade and Seared scallops, black quinoa risotto
ANDINO – Seco de cordero (Braised Kamouraska’s shank lamb with coriander), tacu-tacu and Grilled tiger shrimps, mashed squash stew in yellow chili
Third Service
Mazamorra morada : purple Inka corn pudding with exotic fruits, cinnamon and cloves, quinoa sablé
Nigiri Arroz Zambito (rice cooked in ancestral sugar bread), Fruit, Honey chancaca
Third Service: Mazamorra morada and Nigiri Arroz Zambito
After the meal I had the pleasure of taking a peak into the kitchen and had a chat with Martin Oré, co-owner and chef. He was truly a delight and a great conversationalist. He told me all about where he comes from in Peru and about the food of that region … all the while seasoning and tossing a huge bowl of veal hearts with his hands. Don’t you love having a chance to peak into a restaurant’s kitchen?
If you are looking to explore a fine Peruvian restaurant you should give Mochica a try. Mochica offers a set-menu of $41 for MTL à TABLE. Keep in mind that a high end ethnic restaurant may be different than a traditional fine dining experience. You have to compare with the standard fare of a country’s cuisine. That is the key to developing a finer exotic palate!
Love the plate made to look like our mountain Mont Royal, cross on top included.
If you happen to be in Montreal from October 29th to November 8th 2015, make sure to check out #MTLaTABLE and sample some of the city’s finest dining at a great price!
So which Montreal restaurants are on your bucket list?
This post was brought to you in partnership with Tourisme Montréal. I was compensated with a complimentary dinner for 2 at the mentioned restaurant. Any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and without influence.
What a fantastic way to discover new restaurants. The Mochica restaurant sounds like a great experience, the dishes look mouthwatering and I’m surprised to hear that there are quite a good number of Peruvian restaurants in Montreal.
Must try to prepare the black quinoa risotto, it looks so interesting.
Love to read your reviews, always interesting and fun.
Thanks Daniela, so coll to read what you have to say since you live in Peru! Oh yes there are at least 5 Peruvian restos.
Great post. I will have to try this restaurant.
Highly recommend Olivier!
I always love Evelyne’s descriptive commentaries – they make everything even more inviting and exciting! The mouth watering photos are amazing too!
Thanks Cara, it was fun discovering La Société with you a couple of years back!
LOVE a good Pisco Sour. And love this concept too — it really is a great way to discover new restaurants. Fun post — thanks so much.
Well John I will make you jealous, I will be attending a Pisco cocktail night through the Peruvian consulate soon. yes great way to discover restaurants
Now that is the way to dine! Everything looks so good and so much better inside dining then outside looking at the gloomy gray sky…
So well put Bobbi! 🙂
I love this idea! I disagree about November, however. November is our May since it’s nearly summer here and the weather is perfect. 🙂 I’m still not used to Christmas in the summer – after 20 years you’d think I would be.
I agree in your case the season are different. Yeah Christmas in summer sounds weird lol.
I ADORE Peruvian!! YUMMM! Do I see Octopus up there or are my eyes playing tricks?! Cruel, cruel TRICKS!?
Very good eye Gigi, there is octopus lol!
Awesome ! can’t wait to try it !
Glad you like it Atef!
It’s great when restaurants do things like this. It really encourages people to go out. We have a light festival during Winter that gets people out.
Totally agree, and we have a lights festival too in winter!
Looks delicious!
Thank you Monique! It was.
Well let me tell you…you sure found the way to make this appealing and interesting.
Thank you JC
Ahh, looks SO delicious! Will have to try it!
Thanks Cal hope you do. Attending any MtlàTable restaurants?
I agree with you November is depressing and it is a month with nothing interesting here in Greece! I haven’t tried Peruvian kitchen but looks super tasty!
Hope you get a chance to try Peruvian food soon Katerina, or make a recipe!
A restaurant week!! I wish we have this here in Denver or may be we have it and I do not know. Such a great event and woow look at all this quality food.
Pretty amazing food Amira, I am sure you have one in Denver, check it out
We did not go to any restaurants during restaurant week this year. What a great one you chose, and so nice to get to meet the chef 🙂
Thanks Tandy it was delicious. What is the name of your restaurant week?
Don’t know much about Peruvian food, but from what you had above, I know I would love them too.
Hi Angie, I hope you get an opportunity, it is delicious 🙂