Ăn Chơi Plaza Vietnamese bar, recently opened in a small eatery on Plaza Saint-Hubert, aims to provide a festive place to sample lesser-known Vietnamese dishes while sipping a glass of good wine.
Posted at 11:00 am.
Co-owner Michelle Vo has been toying with the idea of opening a restaurant for some time. Known for her Instagram account Pasthyme, where she has been presenting Vietnamese gastronomy for a few years, she has teamed up with Vien Man Cao-Tran and Douglas Tan to create this new establishment.
“I just wanted a place where you can eat well and drink with friends. A place to have fun,” says Michelle Vo. “Serving Vietnamese food was a natural part of the concept,” says the one who grew up with those flavors.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Bò tái chanh, carpaccio-style beef salad with lime and herbs
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The restaurant offers a nice selection of natural wines.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Co-owners Vien Man Cao-Tran and Michelle Vo
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Boss Galaxy Duong
1/4
For Vien Man Cao-Tran, “it’s a pet project.” Already well established in the industry through his work at Bar Otto and Otto Ramen, he was waiting for the right moment to tackle a Vietnamese restaurant project. “It’s like my little baby,” he laughs.
The menu, created in collaboration with the entire team at Ăn Chơi Plaza, including Chef Galaxy Duong, offers dishes that are different from the usual Vietnamese fare. “We create recipes inspired by our families and traditional dishes,” explains Vien Man Cao-Tran, but we bring them with an interesting twist, more wine bar and street food. »
So we come to this new address to share a few dishes, whether it’s marrow bones and whelks, cơm cua (fried rice with soft-shell crab and salted egg), or bò tái chanh (beef salad carpaccio-style with lime and herbs). ), which are already very popular with customers, says co-owner Vien Man Cao-Tran.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The Ăn Chơi Plaza restaurant is located in the Plaza Saint-Hubert.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The restaurant at Chơi Plaza
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The bar is the central element of the new restaurant.
1/3
The food shouldn’t be “fancy”, he specifies. “You can come here without breaking the bank and eat and drink well. »
Many have questioned the concept of a Vietnamese refreshment bar, which you rarely see in Montreal, but the idea holds for the staff. “We have natural, offbeat wines that go really well with what we’re serving,” says Vien Man Cao-Tran. Sommelier Daphné Blondin put together the wine list – mainly natural and privately imported – and on the ground Marilou Ayotte takes care of advising customers.
The restaurant offers a selection of classic cocktails with an Asian touch. Mixologist Thomas Gauthier created them by adding some ingredients popular in Southeast Asia, such as lemongrass, pandan or passion fruit.
The term Ăn Chơi means “enjoy your meal” in English, and the entire team at Ăn Chơi Plaza pledges to live up to that commitment. As soon as La Presse passed by, families, friends and couples were happily sitting on the Rue Saint-Hubert to enjoy the offspring.
6553 Saint Hubert Street, Montreal