by Genevieve Paiement

There’s no better way to get to know a neighbourhood and its history than through its food. The Plateau’s waves of immigration can be traced, from the Eastern European Jews in the early 20th century (smoked meat, bagels) to the Portuguese community of today (grills galore). In Park Extension, the vestiges of Greektown can be seen in Pakistani restaurants opened in former Greek seafood joints, where biryanis are served amidst leftover fishing nets and other nautical touches (I’m looking at you, Halal 786).

And when it comes to Montreal’s Little Italy, a peek behind all those ubiquitous red, white and green flags will reveal an equally diverse hood, where today you’re almost as likely to stumble upon a scrumptious shish taouk as a killer calzone. Case in point: on St-Laurent at the corner of Bélanger, across the street from Milano, the Italian deli and grocery institution, sits MB (it stands for Mange Boire), a Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi and grilled meats and fish.

Having opened about two years ago, the place does a swift business at lunch, attracting local businessmen with its affordable table d’hôte and generous portions of sushi. And since this city’s sushi seems to fall into one of two camps, either high-end or budget, and there’s not so much in the way of mid-range options, when we got wind of MB, we thought we’d give it a whirl.

Given that the sign outside is devoid of Japanese calligraphy and inside is all sleek lines, glass, leather and chrome, MB feels way more Italian than Asian. The menu, meanwhile, includes a number of East-meets-West creations, like “sesame Caesar salad,” with breaded chicken and wasabi croutons. On our recent visit, I opted for the Chilean sea bass table d’hôte ($38), which came with an appetizer, salad (which I traded for a more warming miso soup), main and dessert. My eating buddy, craving raw fish exclusively, stuck to sushi, ordering entirely from the sushi à la carte menu. To drink, we ordered a small carafe of hot sake ($10).

To begin with, I was served a trio of appetizers, consisting of a not-so-Japanese cigar-shaped egg roll with a miso-sesame sauce, an oyster shot and some nori and tempura-wrapped sashimi tuna. The tuna, with its deep ruby colour, melt-in-your-mouth texture and crispy exterior, was by far the leader of the pack. The miso soup’s flavour was just right, delicate and salty, the thinly sliced shitake mushrooms a welcome touch.

The grilled sea bass marinated in sake, miso, maple syrup and yuzu (an East Asian citrus fruit) came on top of a mixture of vegetables, including shitake, enoki and button mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spinach. The fish was very good—moist, flaky and, in parts, nice and crispy. However, the taste of the marinade could have been more pronounced, and the vegetables more interestingly flavoured.

The sashimi of tuna ($5) and salmon ($4), three pieces in each order, were deemed extra tender and very fresh. The Mange Boire roll ($12) of tempura, cooked salmon and asparagus, served on a plate coated in teriyaki sauce, was a satisfying meal in itself.

Then came the quasi-sacrilegious Little Italy ($13.50): prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, tomato, mascarpone, crabstick, cucumber and tobiko (flying fish roe). It sounded like fusion gone horribly wrong. Until we tried it. Somehow, strangely, it just worked. The creaminess of the mascarpone complimented the slight crunch of the tobiko, while the cucumber and tomato offset the meaty force of the prosciutto and Parmesan.

Continuing in the unexpected mélange vein, my dessert of mango tempura ice cream turned out to be a scoop of ice cream (yummy, though it tasted more orange-like than mango) wrapped in a crepe, then dusted in spots with tempura batter and lightly fried, then drizzled with a sweet chocolate sauce and, for good measure, raspberry coulis. A suitably confounding end to such a mishmash of a meal.

MB
ADDRESS: 6961 St-Laurent
PHONE: 904-0361
HOURS: Tues–Wed 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., 5:30–10 p.m.; Thurs–Fri
11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., 5:30–11 p.m.; Sat 5:30–11 p.m.;
closed Sun–Mon (except for private parties)
BEST FEATURES: Fresh, interesting sushi, good grills.
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: So-so
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $20–$40 per person, before taxes and wine
RATING: ** out of ****