Biiru Izakaya Montréal

Biiru Izakaya is a Japanese fusion izakaya restaurant in Montréal that’s inspired by Tokyo’s lively back alleyways and the vibrant energy of downtown Montréal. The restaurant serves a variety of small, meant to be shared Japanese fusion dishes as well as signature cocktails and alcohols on the menu. Step inside the restaurant and you’ll see how the inspirations are reflected in the way they decorate the space. The Japanese artworks painted on the walls, the vibrant neon lights illuminating different corners of the room and the Japanese paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling certainly reminiscence of the energy one would find while walking around the street of Tokyo. The restaurant has plenty of seatings that could accommodate everyone from solo diners to big groups, making this place a great spot for every occasion.

I went to Biiru during my trip to Montréal because my friend suggested the place. She’s been there a couple of times before and liked the food so she wanted me to try it to while we’re in town. It was a Thursday night and we tried to get a last minute reservation online but there’s no table available for 7:30 pm on the system. Since we’re not in a rush, we decided to just try our luck with walk-in. And guess luck was on our side because they actually have a table available for us at the outdoor area. The weather wasn’t too cold (it was early October and the outdoor area was covered with heater lamps on different corners of the area) so we thought sitting outside is probably okay.

Since we’re at an izakaya, we decided to just order a bunch of dishes to share between the two of us so we can try different things. What we ordered:

🍹 Onsen (C$15.95) | 8/10

Sparking Wine, Shiso, Green Tea Syrup, Grapefruit, Passionfruit

My friend ordered this one and she said it was good. She liked it and finished the whole thing.

🍵 Matcha Matcha (C$10.95) | 8/10

I ordered the Matcha Matcha mocktail. Nice matcha, not too strong, not too bitter, not too sweet. It has a nice earthy taste and definitely not something that I usually taste in an iced matcha (in a good, interesting way).

🍽️ Korn Korokke (C$11.95) | 7.5/10

Corn Croquettes, Japanese Curry, Cream, Fukunjinzuke

The croquettes were nicely fried and the curry wasn’t too strong. 

🥟 Pork Gyoza (C$10.95) | 8/10

Homemade Pork Japanese Raviolis, Gyoza Sauce

Great pork gyoza. The gyoza skin wasn’t too thick and the pork was flavorful. 

🍳 Okonomiyaki (C$12.95) | 7/10

Bonito Japanese Pancake with Mushroom & Cabbage, Truffle Oil

The okonomiyaki was just okay for me. Seasoning was a bit under for my personal taste but texture wise, it was pretty good.

🍽️ Kaisen Don (C$20.95) | 8/10

Salmon, Tuna, Emeabi, Ikura, Eel, Tamago, Kampyo, Shiso, Cucumber, Furikake, Sesame Seed, Rice

The Kaisen Don was pretty good. It tasted fresh and and light.

🍽️ Gyudon (C$14.95) | 7/10

Sliced Beef, Caramelized Onions, Beni Shoga, Rice

Honestly I was excited to try their gyudon but the beef was pretty dry for my personal preference (I like gyudon with more tender, juicier meat and a little bit of sauce). Taste was okay, it’s just the beef that we got was a bit dry.

All and all, although I liked some of the dishes better than the others, the food overall was pretty good for a modern Japanese fusion izakaya spot. Service was great and the staff who waited our table was nice. The noise level at this place was pretty high though since it is a drinking place and the acoustic of the outdoor area isn’t necessarily the best one. We were seated next to a table of ladies who were drinking quite heavily and at some point me and my friend had to shout while talking to each other because they were talking so loud. We left not long after we finished our meal because I had no energy left to shout over the noise of the room. 

But if you’re looking for a good Japanese fusion izakaya spot with great drinks menu and lively atmosphere in Montreal, Biiru is worth to try.

 

Biiru Montréal

Address: 1433 Rue City Councillors, Montréal, QC H3B 1B1, Canada
Telephone: +15149031555
Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-10pm | Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @biiru_mtl
Biiru Website

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Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral Montréal

“Nestled among office buildings in Montréal’s downtown core, lies this cathedral, the third largest church in Québec. Built at the end of the 19th century in the heart of what was then the city's Anglo-Protestant sector, this ornate Renaissance cathedral is replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, a departure from the Gothic Revival style so popular at the time. Covering nearly 4,700 square meters, the cathedral is built in the shape of a Latin cross. In 1919, Pope Benedict XV conferred the title of Minor Basilica on Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur Cathedral, renamed to Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in 1955.” —mtl.org

I ended up inside Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral purely by chance. This place wasn’t on our list of places to visit when me and my friends went to Montréal, but a couple having their engagement shoot in front of the building did make us stop to see the towering architecture they were using as their backdrop. My friend got curious and went inside the building to look around and came out a couple of minutes later saying that it’s actually a big cathedral inside. 

And so I also got curious and went in to check the place out. The view that greeted me the moment I stepped into the main hall was nothing short of amazing. The inside of the cathedral is enormous (at least bigger than what I expected it to be) and the architecture is pretty remarkable. There’s a familiarity that I couldn’t quite put my finger on but after reading that this cathedral is a replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it kind of make sense. Maybe that’s what I was reminded of when seeing this place. 

There were other tourists like me who were admiring the architecture of the cathedral and there were others who came to sit on the pews or light a candle and pray. Everybody was honoring the quiet stillness inside the cathedral which I found comforting.

Although my visit to the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral was unplanned, I’m glad that I got to see this place because this cathedral was one of the more impressive architecture I saw during my Montréal trip. 

 

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Dorchester Square Montréal

— Photo Diary —

Made an impromptu stop at Dorchester Square when me and my friends were exploring downtown Montréal because my friends had to sit down to take calls. We were there around 2:30 pm on a Friday and there were a good number of people walking and sitting around the square. Looked like people were trying to enjoy the great 20°C weather while it lasts. Also saw a couple of people feeding the birds and squirrels around the square which made a good entertainment and photo subjects for me.

 

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The Ring Montréal

The Ring is a 30-meter wide stainless steel circle installation that is sitting snugly in between two buildings and on top of a staircase, giving it the illusion as if it is floating mid air. Completed in 2022, the installation is part of the revitalization project of Esplanade Place Ville Marie, an urban gathering space in the downtown Montreal’s business district. This magnificent structure was designed by award-winning landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés and it took nearly two years to completion. 

“The Ring, commissioned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, is a customized art installation and a one-of-a-kind reflection of the symbolic importance of Place Ville Marie, an icon of Montreal’s modernity. The suspended metal ring is a site-specific installation that conveys monumentality and humility. It highlights a unique visual perspective where the McGill University campus, the architecture of the Victoria Hospital, the steep slope of Mount Royal, and the Mount Royal Cross follow one another. The Ring frames this axis of strength and contributes to the physical, symbolic, and functional articulation of Place Ville Marie pole, which marked the birth of the modern city.

This artistic installation reinforces the timeless character of the whole of Place Ville Marie through a gesture of great sobriety, of an elegance that gives a dimension of durability. The Ring is a unifying project, a new element of the Montréalité, a proof of love for Place Ville Marie, downtown Montreal and Mount Royal.” —Art Public Montréal

 

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Phillips Square Montréal

Phillips Square is a historic public square located in Downtown Montréal, Québec, Canada. Established in 1842, The Square was a gift from Alfred Phillips to the city of Montreal in what was then a wealthy residential area in the city. The first downtown stores were actually located around this Square including the famous Birks jewelry store and The Bay department store that still exist until today. 

Nestled in the middle of tall buildings, you can find greeneries and dry deck fountain at this charming square making it a nice area to walk or sit around at. I was there during early fall on a Thursday around noon and spotted a lot of people enjoying their lunch breaks at the Square. (There are a couple of restaurants around the area including Pizza Il Focolaio where I had the best pizza in recent times and probably one of the best food I had during my Montréal trip). There are plenty of seatings and a couple of tables with umbrellas that are spread out around the area which serve as an encouragement for people to spend more time at the Square. This is the perfect place to go when you want to walk around, get some fresh air or sunbathe for a bit, especially on a nice weather day.

“The square features a bronze monument of King Edward VII, who ruled from 1901 to 1910. He visited Montreal in 1860, while he was still the Prince of Wales, and opened the Victoria Bridge. The statue was designed by Louis-Philippe Hébert and was erected in 1914. The four allegorical figures at the base of the monument represent Peace, the Four Founding Nations, Abundance, and Liberty.” — Wikipedia

 

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