King of the grill

>> The simple Portuguese pleasures of Le Roi du Plateau

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

You know the conversation, probably all too well. It can take place over the phone or on a windy street corner. It goes something like this: “Okay, so where do you wanna eat?” followed by “I dunno, uh, where do you wanna eat?” and so on and so on. Lately I’ve been cutting short all the hemming and hawing by suggesting Le Roi du Plateau. More often than not, it’s turned out to be the place that just about everyone can agree on when wondering which way to turn for food.

A few steps from the Main, the atmosphere is casual, the servings are plentiful and the prices are pretty good. The décor is vaguely rustic, with soccer paraphernalia, wood panelling and red tablecloths. If it reminds you of almost-always-packed Chez Doval, there’s a good reason why. The owner—he of the mighty moustache—used to work there a few years ago. The menu is similar, basically grilled seafood and meats. It also has that charmingly uncharming Portuguese style of service, though when I visited last Sunday night things got pretty rowdy as a strolling musician belted out tunes.

I’ve eaten here several times so I’ll just give you a rundown of some of the things I’ve tried. First off, there’s a daily soup. It’s only ever been caldo verde when I’ve asked, and they like to call it “soupe de gazon” because it does kind of look like there are grass cuttings floating in it. It’s made of potato and cabbage and, despite the fact that the taste is very mild, it’s just unusual enough to be liked by some and disliked by others. For $1.50, though, you can afford to take a chance on it.

In terms of appetizers, my absolute always-have-to-have-it favourite is the camarão ao alho ($6), a handful of perfectly cooked shrimp in a tangy garlic butter sauce that’s so good you’ll want more crusty bread rolls to soak up the remnants. The squid starter is also worth a try ($6.50). It’s not the calamari rings you might expect, but the whole thing sliced into strips, rubbed with seasoning and grilled to tenderness. With a few greens on the side, it makes for a substantial plate. Also on the seafood tip, the grilled sardines are a good buy at $4 for two fish, simple and tasty with a squeeze of lemon.

The chorizo appetizer ($6) is served as a whole sausage, with a slightly smoky, spicy flavour. It’s so enormous that it definitely verges on the obscene. Unless you’re a big fan of big meat, it’s better for sharing since there’s a lot of it to work through.

As for the main courses, the grilled quarter chicken is a classic, all the more so for $9. Be sure to ask for the hot sauce to spice it up a bit. Like all the meals, it comes with rice and/or fries and a salad made up of lettuce, big thick slices of cucumber, tomato and onion with a slightly watery dressing.

For 12 bucks, you can get a steak served with a fried egg on top and thick, chunky fries on the side, or an equally good shrimp and veggie brochette for $13. Most recently, I shared an immense order of “Roi-style” mussels ($10) that were plump, piping hot and cooked just right. They were doused in a light tomato sauce that seeped into the big mound of rice below.

It’s easy to eat like a king here for well under $20. To give yourself the full-on royal treatment, order a couple of potent Super Bocks to wash it all down. :

Le Roi du Plateau
Address: 51 Rachel W.
Phone: 844-8393
Hours: 5–11pm daily
Best features: simple Portuguese grills
Alcohol: yes
Vegetarian friendly: no
Credit cards: yes
Wheelchair access: two steps up
Price: $16/person before tax, drinks or tip
Rating: HHH out of HHHH

Feedback? restoagogo@hotmail.com