by MATHILDE RABBAT

A bustling thoroughfare like Mont-Royal sees its share of crazies, and recently welcomed another, albeit this one is only nuts in name. Le Fou d’épices opened a few months ago next to Henri-Julien, and specializes in Vietnamese fine cuisine. While on the subject of name, if the dishes I sampled are any indication, the promised “épices” belong more to the garlic or ginger category than to the tear-jearking variety. But all confusion aside, this place is good.

With its tonkinese soups, teriyaki and tempura selections, Le Fou fuses various elements to create a menu that would be best described as East Asian, rather than specifically Vietnamese. They do chicken, beef and seafood in various permutations. You can go for any one of the nine combo meals (around $12–$15), which all include a soup du jour, an imperial roll and a main dish, or opt for à la carte selections ranging from $6–$17 for the mains.

I wouldn’t change a thing in my soup of the day, which starred a little heap of veggies swimming in a light chicken broth, slightly spiked with ginger. Al dente carrot cubes, zucchini fringes, translucent, thinly sliced mushrooms, chopped celery, green onion, shredded spinach and just a few skinny ivory noodles were all confined to a little bowl. The imperial roll stuffed with cabbage and carrot, complete with tangy dipping sauce, was good, but rather uneventful. The dip, composed of vinegar, a splash of soy sauce and a dash of red chili, could use a certain extra something to give it more of a zing, as the roll was in need of a little something to wake up the taste buds.

El Nina, which sounds more like a meteorological phenom than an entrée, piqued my curiosity on the card, and boy was that a good choice ($6). This eclectic appetizer is made up of deep-fried golden pieces of battered white fish laid out over small mats of tender baby eggplant, also fried in a batter. The real hit of the dish, however, is without a doubt the relish that covers each bed of eggplant. It’s quite simple, but very effective: hot chili pepper minced with lots of garlic. A definite hit.

If you’re into seafood, you might like the shrimp, scallop and battered fish dish sautéed with veggies ($15.95 in combo). The whole concoction is perched in a nest of yummy egg noodles that manage to retain their crunch well into the meal, despite the weight and juiciness of broccoli and cauliflower bits, mushrooms, red and green pepper wedges, carrot, bok choy, zucchini and celery. The taste of onion also manifested itself, as these bigger ingredients are consumed overtop. On the whole, the veggies get full marks for their firmness and taste. The same can be said for the jumbo shrimp. The scallops, on the other hand, were not all as tender as they could have been and were also lacking in the flavour department.

If “where’s the beef?” is what you’re thinking, I suggest an impressive flame-broiled slab ($10.95) served with both salad and rice or noodles. A large piece of tenderized, lean beef is seared to perfection after having been marinated in red chilies, a ton of garlic, sesame oil and the all-important soy sauce. Teasing searing marks left by the grill on its back side beckon you to take a bite, while its beefy juices tint the plain sticky rice underneath with both colour and flavour. It’s really very tasty and it’ll fill you up nicely.

My Fou d’épices experience came with a side dish of muzak, a genre that usually brings elevators to mind, but for some reason these particular tracks were more reminiscent of Histoire d’O or the erotic Emmanuelle flicks. It’s an aesthetically soothing place, with interesting glass artwork, thick curtains and taupe in all of its variations, from the off-whites to the browns—a pleasant refuge from the pace of Mont-Royal with lots of good tastes.

Le Fou d’Épices
ADDRESS: 300 Mont-Royal E. PHONE: 288-8390
HOURS: Mon, Wed–Fri 11a.m.–3 p.m. & 5–10 p.m., Sat & Sun 3–10 p.m. (closed Tue)
BEST FEATURES: El Nina entrée with its delish relish, tenderized grilled beef, crispy fun-to-eat vermicelli, water spiked with lime wedges, friendly service
ALCOHOL: Bring your own
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, except the men’s room
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Somewhat
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $15–$20 per head before taxes & tip
RATING: *** out of ****