by MARK SLUTSKY

Tucked away on des Pins just east of St-Laurent, Lobby is right around the corner from Montreal's most beaten track, as far as nightlife goes, but it still feels kind of hidden away. Maybe it's the restaurant's small space (previously occupied by Café Elektra), or its understated sign, which makes it look almost like an annex to Moog Audio, right next door.

Lobby's décor is subdued and generally quite pleasing. We're talking dark tones here, velvet-covered benches with little throw pillows, green bamboo in cylindrical vases on the table and unobtrusive house music; it's a good approach for the relatively small room, which also boasts a bar.

Front and centre on the menu is a selection of Asian tapas. If you haven't had Asian tapas before, it's basically what it sounds like - a variety of small dishes meant to be shared, much like its Spanish equivalent. They come on rectangular, white ceramic plates, which interlock into a very geometrically pleasing pattern on the table. It's general practice to order two or three per person. This option is definitely more pricey than ordering straight à la carte, but it's also a lot more fun, and the dishes are more interesting besides.

One of the tastiest tapas dishes is the spicy grilled beef salad ($8), which, if you can forgive its not actually being spicy, is great. Cold strips of grilled beef mingle with greens, julienned yellow and red peppers, all tossed together with a citrusy vinaigrette. Crucially, the dish contains a generous amount of cilantro and mint, which give it a wonderfully fresh flavour. Don't miss this one. The dumplings with peanut butter sauce ($6) are also worth trying if you're a fan of the dish. Stuffed with pork, they're also tossed with greens and have a nicely firm texture.

Another star of the tapas menu is the crab claws stuffed with pork ($7). Coated in a light, tempura-like batter, these plump little guys resemble nothing so much as a pair of cartoon baby chicks. A very liberal portion of spiced, minced pork makes up the bulk of these, and when you finally eat through that to the crabmeat itself, it's a wonder. Somewhat less exciting, on the tapas tip, was the salmon maki in tempura ($8 - too much!). Four pieces of battered salmon maki, with a dollop of Japanese mayo on top, these were tasty enough, though the rice was a little mushy.

Lobby also offers other choices for dinner-goers, with a variety of noodle dishes, soups, and curries, most in the $8–$9 range.

There's also some nice eating to be had if you deign to drop in for lunch. Lunch at Lobby is served prix fixe. A very reasonable $7.50 or so gets you an appetizer and main course, and these vary daily. On a recent outing, the choice of appetizers was between imperial rolls and won ton soup. The rolls were fine, if unsurprising, but the won ton soup was really quite good - one pal of mine declared it among the best he'd ever had. On the main course front, the most interesting would probably have to have been the Vietnamese pancake, or banh xeo. Made with eggs, the pancake looks a lot like an omelette, though it's served cold and has a bit of a sour edge to it. Folded inside is a mélange of minced pork and bean sprouts; altogether it's a tasty, unusual dish. Other offerings included a hearty noodle soup and a sweet chicken stir-fry that had the unmistakable taste of… caramel corn! This was actually not a bad thing, though I could see how some might not go for it.

Lobby is especially pleasant at dinner time, when the environment and the smell of the food mingle to create a delicious atmosphere. The restaurant might not stick out, but don't sleep on this cozy, classy little place.

Lobby
ADDRESS: 24 Pins E. (between St-Laurent and St-Dominique)
PHONE: 844-2112
HOURS: SUN–MON 6–10PM, TUE–THU 11AM–2PM,
6–10PM, FRI 11AM-2PM, 6–11PM, SAT 6–11PM
BEST FEATURES: The Asian tapas dishes,
especially the grilled beef salad
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes, but the place is tiny
PRICE: $7.50 or so per person for lunch,
$8–$20 for dinner, before tax and tip
RATING: *** out of ****