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Scratch and sniff >>
Indian flavours emanate from the kitchen At least a couple of illustrious local chefs have cut their teeth in the tiny kitchen at the back of Copacabana, one of the longstanding watering holes on the Main. In fact, nothing about the place—from the fake palm trees to the barmaid to many of the clients—seems to have changed over the years, except for the comings and goings of different culinary artists. A few years ago, the scent of simmering Malaysian food wafted out over the pool table, as kooky cook Nantha Kumar spiced things up in more ways than one, before going on to open his namesake resto nearby. (Incidentally, although Nantha’s Kitchen is defunct, rumour has it he’ll be launching another eatery soon.) Next up, a chef called Jason Nelsons worked his particular brand of fun food fusion there before manning the menu at Carmel, a snazzy eatery in Mile-End that brings considerable interest to Montreal’s food landscape.(Incidentally, it recently extended its hours to open for lunch.) And finally, we come to Scratch Kitchen, the newest venture to break out the pots and pans in the cramped space behind the bar. Offering Indian-accented dining, the menu is short and thoughtful, yet it takes a moment to decipher. Basically, you can get a light meal with rice for around $6–8, or a larger dinner plate with all the fixings for about $9–11. Right away, I liked the willingness to cater to appetites big and small, especially in a bar setting where people get the munchies but don’t necessarily want a full meal. For a starter or simply an alcohol-absorbing snack, the pakoras are a great bet. For three bucks you get four or five of these fluffy, deep-fried chickpea batter balls, with veggies like cauliflower, red bell peppers and onions cooked in. They’re served with a tangy dipping sauce loosely referred to as ketchup. On my visit, the vegetarian main courses—and there’s a nice selection to choose from—fared better than the meat. The buttered black bean dahl had a full-bodied spicing to it, a flavour with enough interest that it didn’t get boring after a few bites. Ordered as a full meal ($9), it came with a rice pilaf made with mushrooms, bulging raisins, onions and cauliflower. The other accompaniments included just-cooked julienned carrots and a couple of tender new potatoes that would have looked at home with French food but worked well as a crisp contrast to the rest of the plate. While the sauce for the chicken korma ($11 meal) was mild and creamy, the texture of the meat, I’m sorry to say, was unpleasantly chewy and spongy. It may have been a one-time mistake, but I got the feeling that maybe the poultry wasn’t prepared with as much loving care as the meatless meals. On the other hand, other dishes such as the salmon with coconut cream sauce, the calamari with “ketchup” and the shrimp corncakes all sound delightful—and they probably are, as the kitchen seems to sell out of them on a nightly basis. There’s also a special of the day (lightly breaded sole, for example) at reasonable prices. Nevertheless, I’d be inclined to order something on the veggie tip next time around. There’s paneer sag, that firm Indian cheese mixed with spinach; an aromatic vegetable curry; and a combo of chickpeas and cauliflower that’s served with a tamarind-ginger sauce. If
past trends are any indication, Copa’s newest chef will eventually
break free of the bar and hang his own Indian-inflected shingle somewhere
on the Plateau. For now, there’s enough tropical treats to make
Scratch worth a visit on a summer night. : Feedback? restoagogo@hotmail.com |