I finally had the chance to try the Pastaga brunch last Sunday and I must say that if I had to compile a top 5 of the best brunches in Montreal, this would be among those five. The brunch at Pastaga is different from anything you will find elsewhere in the city. The menu changes often, every couple of weeks or so according to chef Martin Juneau. While some favourites remain on the menu, the kitchen staff often brainstorms after the Saturday night shift to come up with a few new creations for the next morning. The familiar brunch staples – eggs, pancakes and French toast – are all present but they have all been kicked up a notch. The French toast for example, is present in a savoury rendition with mushrooms, a poached egg and Pastaga’s delicious blood sausage. That will definitely be my choice the next time I go…

Brunch on that sunny and unusually hot March day started with complimentary homemade donuts and orange marmalade, that same marmalade that won my heart when pastry chef Isabelle Leroux had used it to accompany her Greek yogurt cheesecake. Needless to say that I had a very hard time deciding on a dish among all the delicious sounding savoury and sweet ones listed on the menu. I finally chose the eggs Benedict with beef “marmalade” and homemade English muffins. It came with lightly pickled parsnips which were just the perfect tangy addition to offset the richness of the delicious beef marmalade. I enjoyed every single morsel that was on my plate but the homemade English muffins were a bit too chewy and dry for my taste. My brunch companion’s scrambled eggs with crispy cod was just delicious! The eggs were moist and cooked to perfection while the fish was tender, juicy and just crispy enough to add a bit of texture to the dish. And again in this dish, the lightly pickled onions added a touch of freshness to the dish.

If I really had to nitpick I would say that my latte was not at par with the rest of the meal and that the coffee needs to perhaps be revised… I admit that I am a coffee snob and for me, it is an integral and most important part of any brunch.

We were planning on sharing a sweet concoction but were too full after our meal to even consider it. Not a problem though since I am planning on going back very soon!

Click here if you’d like to take a look at the menu (and the prices) that was being offered when I was there.

ADDENDUM

Since writing this post, I’ve been back to Pastaga for brunch and I just had to share photos of what I had there the second time around:

Pastaga
6389 St Laurent
+1 438 381 6389

Dinner:
Monday – Sunday 3:45pm – midnight

Lunch:
Fridays only

Brunch:
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 2:30pm