Accessible Syrian with an Edge

The Pitch

Beyond the free meals and invitations, one of the perks of doing what I do is meeting industry folks and following them throughout their career.  It was around two years ago that I met an aspiring restaurateur (Talal Sabbagh), who at the time was managing a restaurant downtown.  A Syrian such as myself, he had a vision of opening his own place to showcase our homeland's cuisine in a different way.

Fast forward to now, where his project – Brocard – has been open just over six months on the fabled Boulevard Saint-Laurent. The newcomer eschews its Syrian competitors and replaces the spacious dining rooms, formal staff and large mezes they are known for with an intimate/hip space, personable approach and smaller servings; perfect for the Plateau!

Tonight would be my third time at Brocard, a spot which has garnered rave reviews and has already matured a lot in a short time span.  A first dinner with my family soon after opening scored huge points for me, which led me to throw my agency holiday dinner here last December.  Tonight would be high time I threw in my official verdict, via an eight-person dinner to celebrate Eid al-Fitr among family members.

The Mood

Brocard's small-ish space is done in a minimal way but with intent and purpose.  Exposed brick walls, painted white ceilings and wooden floors/surfaces are accented by Levantine artifacts, Lebanese wine bottles and posters of iconic Syrian movies by Duraid Lahham and the likes.

An open kitchen gives patrons a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the staff and vice versa.  The crowd on this Friday night was diverse – Arabs and others – and mostly in the 20-40 age range – the only children were on our table.  The 40/50-seater was full, with some tables flipping multiple times well into 10PM.

tagged:  BRING THE KIDS

The Food

On the menu you will find typical Levantine mezes such as hummus, fattoush and kibbeh but also less-common items typically associated with home cooking such as shish barak, kabab hindi and yalanji.  For mains, the quintessential mashawi (grillades) are complemented by fattet mozzat, freekeh and sayadiyeh – all dishes reminiscent of our childhoods back home.

The flavours are all there; this is as Syrian as it gets.  Colorful, fragrant, authentic, full of texture and variety… it shows these are passed-down family recipes.  Portion sizes are small – hence priced down – allowing diners to sample several items without the bill racking up.

The $15 hummus elsewhere becomes $8 here, the $100+ tasting menu for 2 becomes $60; yes please!  A concise wine menu features several bottles below the $50 mark, with a handful above that.  The list is evenly split between Lebanese vintages and European ones.

tagged:  GOOD FOR SHARING

The Verdict

During my earlier visits, Brocard was in the midst of finding its voice and place, and taking its final form.  Several changes have been made since; the tabbouleh and sandwiches were removed, a main was repurposed into a starter, two new mashawi dishes were added… but most importantly, they finally received their wine license!

The operation is run by Talal and his brother; the former in charge of the back of the house, the latter the front.  The two are young, ambitious and eager to show Montreal their take on what a Syrian restaurant can be.

When it comes to the "best" debate, people often single out a particular item that a spot excels at; Abu Elias has the best hummus, Mezzmiz the best toum, Beroya the best kibbeh nayyeh and Mahrousé the best halawet el-jibn (or any other dessert for that matter), etc.  Brocard may not have the best of anything, but to me it's a question of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Here you get a true taste of Syria, in a less formal, more approachable and accessible way, in an area thirsty for such options; earning it a spot on my list of "current crushes".

tagged:  FAVORITE

Price per person:  $43.60