by MARK SLUTSKY

"The ancient Egyptian God Anubis is said to have invented embalming techniques. In preparing embalming baths, choosing powerful balms to act as bases and decorating those parts of the body which were to be preserved eternally, Anubis showed a great deal of talent and concern in his application, not unlike a gifted painter, or highly skilled cook."

The above passage is printed on the placemats at Anubis, the restaurant, and, well, it's a bit of an unusual way to be introduced to an eatery, what with the whole god of death thing. (Especially weird: stating that the fearsome jackal-headed scourge of the Nile "showed a great deal of talent.") But that's Anubis for ya - it's kind of a weird place, a cozy little operation specializing in various fusion experiments, some successful and some not so much.

The restaurant itself is charming; it's a small corner place with lots of windows and plants, a big fish tank (featuring a large, ponderous silver-coloured fish, who looked like he'd be at home somewhere very deep beneath the sea, and a solitary goldfish) and a colourful mural of the Buddha on one wall. I liked the nicely designed menu, which folds out into a triangular shape.

Two pals and I visited Anubis the other week for dinner. We started off by ordering a couple of appetizers to whet our palates; they, unlike the main dishes, came fairly quickly. I had the hot goat ($6.95), the very-literal translation of chèvre chaud salad. This salad is a particular fave of mine, and I must say they got it right; a large round slice of chèvre, topped with a sweet vinaigrette, rested on a greens-and-tomato salad, with some accompanying crusty toast. Yum yum. We also went in for the spicy hot zucchini sticks ($4.50), which were good, though a bit of a misnomer. While they were certainly hot, temperature-wise, they were in no way spicy. Still, with a sweet mustard dipping sauce alongside, they did the job. One of my buddy's meals (he had the special) came with chicken dumplings (Asian-style, in peanut sauce) to start; these were tasty enough.

On to the main courses - gotta say I got lucky. I ordered the Osaka salmon spiral ($13.95), far and away the best dish of the night. With a mirin and soy sauce glaze that beautifully rode the sweet/savoury divide, the salmon was perfectly cooked and delicious. One of my friends went for the special, a chicken filet with a mango and tequila sauce, and it was not at all to his satisfaction. The sauce tasted okay to me, but my friend pronounced the chicken "mushy." One to avoid, then. My other buddy went for the Jakarta Blues beef dish, which featured cubed beef sautéed with ear cloud mushrooms, coconut milk, and bamboo shoots. This was also not a winner - actually, it tasted a bit embalmed itself. The meat was tough, and the seasoning too mild. All our dishes were served with a side of white rice and a very tasty deep-fried cauliflower beignet (which combined very nicely with the mirin/soya salmon sauce - I couldn't get enough of it).

One area in which Anubis does excel, though, is the burger area. They've got a bunch of variations on the ol' classic, ranging from $6–$8, approximately. I liked the Texas burger ($8.25), made with Monterey Jack cheese and BBQ sauce. Also good was the California burger (also $8.25), with avocado and shredded carrots topping the half-pound of fresh beef.

In general, I liked Anubis, though some of the dishes were a bit hit-and-miss. It's a pleasant place to eat, and service there is uniformly very friendly. The main courses can take their time to arrive, as the kitchen consists of one guy doing everything, but if you pick the right dish, it's worth the wait.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Whatever? E-mail eattothebeat@gmail.com

Anubis
ADDRESS: 35 Mont-Royal E.
(one block east of St-Laurent)
PHONE: 843-3391
HOURS: Mon 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Tue–Thu 10 a.m.–11 p.m.,
Sun 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: The comfortable, sunny atmosphere
(and the amazing Osaka salmon spiral)
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $7–$20 per person, before tax, tip, or booze
RATING: **1/2 out of ****