I am so behind with my blog posts and I have so many great restaurants I would like to share with you. Summer has absolutely flown by in the blink of an eye! I tried Damas during a visit to Montreal during Labor Day weekend. I still remember how we all left the restaurant so full we could hardly walk: it was quite funny!
Damas is the story of a Syrian guy, Fuad Alneirabeie, who wanted to be a film director and ended up becoming a chef and the co-owner of a Syrian restaurant in the beautiful city of Montreal. It must have been his destiny because the restaurant is a huge success. The décor is charming and welcoming. Middle Eastern decorations such as the colorful glass lamps hanging from the ceiling, the tiles on the floor, and parts of the walls are mixed with modern dark brown leather chairs and solid wood tables. The choice of the color red makes the place warm and engaging.
Very often food is the connection to our roots, where we come from; sometimes it’s a dish, a flavor, or just a bite. While looking at the menu, the waiter brought a bowl of green olives: the little bitter ones, the ones from my childhood. For a second I saw myself when I was 8 years old in our apartment’s kitchen in Lebanon, eating these same green olives.
Most of the menu was made of Syrian dishes and specialties: Hummus, kibbeh nayyé, eggplant mutabbal, kebab, fattouch, it was very hard to choose! The Argentinian jumbo shrimp is maybe not the most Middle Eastern dish but it’s nice to be open-minded and bring some novelties: we must always keep pushing our horizons!
We might not use the same recipe, him and I, but the essentials were there. Fuad Alneirabeie didn’t skimp on the spices and flavors; they were all there, and it was delicious.
The presentation was beautiful; it was an absolute delight for the eyes. The plates are made of hammered copper, Syrian craft specialties.
The kibbeh Nayyé (beef tartar) was presented like cute little bird nests; the Mutabbal was covered with pomegranate grains, nuts, and herbs.
The fried cheese borek and the kibbé are presented in copper cones along with their sauce.
We ordered the mixed grilled platter for 2 people and it was more than enough for five of us: Lamb chops, beef kebab, shish taouk (marinated chicken), kafta perfectly marinated and spiced.
From the Syrian specialties section, we ordered the Bamia, braised lamb shoulder with okra served with rice. Chef Fuad brings a twist to it by adding dry prunes and apricots.
To accompany our dinner we preferred to skip the national drink: the Arak and instead stick to our beloved wine. Although they have French wine we opted for the Rioja Inédito 2016, which is a very good year for this red wine.
An oriental dinner cannot end without some baklava bites. They are very sweet and I’m not sure it helps with digestion, but it’s a nice way to finish the meal; and at Damas, they present them like petit four you can’t resist!
Damas
1201 Ave Van Horne,
Outremont, QC H2V 1K4,
Canada
📞+1 514-439-5435
Price range: $$$
Average per person: $70
