UPDATE: SU IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY CHEF FISUN ERCAN’S FOOD AT HER FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT BIKA

Brunch at Turkish restaurant Su in the heart of Montreal’s Verdun neighbourhood is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. The restaurant’s decor is simple yet incorporates a few touches that will immediately transport you to a seaside haven somewhere along the Turkish coast. The colourful bar tiles, turquoise banquette and chairs and the big blue “eye” that welcomes you upon entering the space are all reminders of chef Fisun Ercan’s native sun-drenched country.

Making a choice among the many morning offerings proved to be difficult so we left it up to chef Ercan. She started us off with a spread of typical Turkish sweet and savoury breakfast staples: cheese & leek borek, 3 kinds of homemade breads, a cucumber, tomato and feta salad, homemade jams, a delicious hazelnut spread, olives, dried fruits and nuts, a puff pastry stuffed with tahini and honey, a grape molasses and tahini spread and kaymak with honey. If you’ve never had kaymak, I can almost guarantee  that you will fall in love with this silky and buttery spread made from the cream that rises when you boil milk. It is an absolute delight when mixed with honey.

That picture above is somewhat misleading since we were later informed by the chef that tea is the drink of choice with a Turkish breakfast and that our need for caffeine in the form of a Turkish coffee would have to wait until the end of the meal.

The generous spread was then followed by individual dishes for each one of us. The egg and vegetable cassolette cooked in a lovely intricate metal dish was exquisite but my favourite was definitely the poached eggs on a lamb meatball, chickpea and tomato stew topped with yogurt and spiced butter. The depth of flavours and heartiness makes this dish the perfect comfort meal to start off a cold winter day.

Perhaps it was the sun shining outside that day or the bright space and colourful decor or maybe it was the familiar flavours in that breakfast spread but everything about it put a smile on my face. Lebanese cuisine has some roots in the Turkish culinary culture and we share quite a few similar dishes. The grape molasses and tahini spread for example, is so simple to make and yet so delicious. It’s something that my parents have on their kitchen counter at all times. It reminded me of home, cold winter nights, fresh pita bread and how the simplest of ingredients can become a feast when shared with loved ones. This weekend, share this lovely brunch with your loved ones.

If you’re looking for a different kind of brunch, one that will transport you to the Turkish coast and make you to discover a new cuisine, then head to Su this weekend for a delightful sunny meal you won’t soon forget.

Restaurant Su
5145 Wellington Street, Verdun (Montreal)
514 362 1818

Opening Hours:
Dinner:
Tuesday – Thursdays: 5pm – 10:30pm
Friday – Saturday: 5pm – 11pm

Brunch:
Sunday: 10am – 2pm