So Saturday was gluttony day because after the glory of the TLJ breakfast, the husb and I were invited to deepest Laval (actually not that deep, but it's my first time in Laval) for an authentic Tamil meal, courtesy of his friend.
Happily, she hadn't started cooking at all when we arrived so we got to cook together, meaning that I now know (kinda) how to make this yummy meal. Now this is a friend's meal so there's not going to be a review going down, but I'll describe it.
The friend was rushing all around the small kitchen like a mad woman, while we tried to help as much as we could in the hurricane. After the rush, we ended up with a spiced potatoe dish made with onion, dried chilis, black seasame seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, potatoes (natch) and topped with green onion. A spinach dish with onion, cumin seeds, garlic, ghee, and creamed coconut and chopped spinach, and a dal dish with orange lentils, fresh sliced chilis, onions, cumin seed.
The meat was a chicken curry with a dozen hard boiled eggs, star anise, curry leaves, rampa, garlic, dried chilis, cardamon, cumin seeds, fennel seeds (fennel seeds are used in meat dishes, but never in fish), cloves, curry powder, cinnamon and creamed cocunut. We ate on plates with banana leaves on top and with our hands. She also made a tomatoe-onion-lemon juice-"lunu miris" (made with Maldive fish) relish, raita, and papadums. And ai - butter chilis. They are deep fried chilis which she fried again, oh my god - shove a mouthful of rice/lentils/spinach and bite one of those chilis, heaven! From a tiny basement apartment in Laval we had an amazing Tamil feast.
The rents always say that unless you're blowing your nose or sweating while you're eating, it's not hot enough. It was perfectly spiced, lots of sniffing and nose blowing. Nice heat without me needing to drink down the raita.
I asked the friend about Jolee, the only Sri Lankan resto I know here. I ate at Jolee a few times during lunch breaks at the Segal and loved it but I was curious to know what she thought of it. She said it's great, though after their extension opened, their main focus is on groups and take out (I agree - the last time we ventured up there for a meal, it was sadly a disappointment). The problem with Jolee for me is that the first time I went there, I had an awesome thali and so I have been tempted ever since to keep ordering it since it was so good. I should try the other stuff.
btw - our host lived for a few years in Beijing, and she totally agreed with me about the poor state of Chinese food here, especially the dim sum. But next week I'll be trying the dumpling place on Tupper. An actor brought some to a reading I organized and they were lovely, soft, your teeth just cuts through them, but they're not falling apart, delicate flavour, nice wrapping. Made on the spot, to order, according to the peeps at Chowhound. This place has a good word of mouth buzz about it, online and from real humans I've met. So fingers crossed it will be a good experience!
Also, if you want to buy rampa and lunu miris, the friend recommends Marché Thurga on 444 Jean Talon O.
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