Hang Bar — Restaurant in Montreal

Good morning Vietnam to my devoted readers & eaters, let’s take a deep dive.

A restaurant like Hang Bar is a hidden gem in Montreal, Quebec. It’s one of those restaurant you would bring your date, not only to impress them, trust me, they will say YES to anything you have plan for. Hang Bar is a tonic. . . It welcomes old and unconscious habits of eating out. The decor is gorgeous, you just can’t help but stare at how stunning and spectacular the high ceiling and dimmed lights are. I am mostly impressed with the great partnership of Gumbley, Kandiah and Ms. Tran, chalk one up, décor is 5 out of 5, you’ve done very well. It really sets the bar high for its distinctive and atmospheric places I’ve seen only in a Burton movie.

Although, it’s a shame the food did not live up to the Tik-Tok hype, it was not memorable, not for a moment did I care about any of the dishes. I am not paying $30 for Pho, ‘‘Cam on Chi’’ translated, thank you aunty, I gotta look after my investment - Montana!’’ Anybody who changes recipe on an arrays of traditional staple foods, I become annoyed. For example, Vietnamese Spring rolls is traditionally pork, right? Don’t F with me wanting to expand your horizon and bring in beef?! I am apoplectic when I see Viet food abused. Traditional dishes, with new twists, I get it, I just don’t want to be your Guiney pig. Great concept Pho Wagyu, okay. . .??? Maybe less is more, otherwise it’s going to get awfully old very fast, too much beaucoup - Kubrick. I generally have one rule, don’t cube my filet mignon, relentless, trivial I know. I like my watercress to be fresh, maybe next time check your fridge inventory, storing produce for too long (see photo)? The Mandolin fries tasted flat, I don’t know if that was intentional?! Well, thin cuts, oil temperature too high, equal burnt, equal intentionally appalling . . . You’re welcome. Above all, the décor is complex enough to allow the patrons to sit in and admire. The food way too expensive to be categorically labeled as ‘‘HAUTE CUISINE’’ It’s no use comparing Hang Bar to another of version of a 5 étoile Michelin, they do not exist in comparable terms. 2 out 5, simply on point for the grind and two for the effort of offering an experience, simply failing short. The dessert, banana pandan too beaucoup caramelized… I do respect what the chef was trying to do, I admire his ambition.

Customer service is what saves the restaurant, 5 out 5. Bus boys were quick, the bartender did amazing on cocktails, didn’t wait long. . . Can I say the restrooms were impeccable, typically not what you would expect at Asian restaurants. Our waiter, Mr. Daniel Ocean was eloquent, insightful with the dishes, may I say, an asset to their establishment, ‘‘well done Daniel, you were not trapped with clichés to upsell us anything we didn’t need, you were as fancy as fancy comes!’’

Hang Bar finally hasn't quite won me over. I might need a few trips but I won’t. It tries to do too much at its leisurely pace. I don't hate it. A lot of bad restaurant are usually throbbing with life, I was just left a little too relaxed.

Thank you for your time....

So I had one of those you-only-read-about-it-on-Google-reviews kind of experiences.

My party of six arrived at Hang for our reservation at 8pm. We were wearing shorts and tshirts after a hot day around Montreal. The hostess was clearly looking down at the way we were dressed - seeming to be a bit confused by us even standing there - and was fumbling around to locate our reservation. When she spotted that we had 2 teenagers in our group, she immediately said we'd have to be seated outdoors, on the patio, because they were underage. We were never asked about the age of our group when booking, nor is this indicated anywhere on the Hang website.

We were led to the patio which was a fine space to eat, but no where as impressive as the restaurant itself (the main reason we'd booked in the first place!). And so we sat there alone, with only one other person outside, while everyone else enjoyed the ambiance of the actual restaurant.

After looking at the menu, a few of us found the most interesting dishes to be the appetisers, so planned to order those. Our waiter however had different ideas for us, and repeatedly told us "they're small, you should order an main course." We said many times we preferred the appetisers, but he really pushed back against that. Eventually, after quite a bit of back and forth, he took our orders.

While we waited for our food, we asked for some tap water. It tasted bad, so we requested some bottled water instead. The waiter then looked us dead in the eye and said "You know you have to pay for it, right?" I don't know if he took our ordering of appetisers as an indication that we wouldn't expect to pay for bottled water, but it felt weird and patronising to be told this. Of course we know we have to pay for bottled water! Anyway, again after some back-and-forth and convincing, we received our bottled water.

Finally the food arrived and it was pretty good (not great), and the server couldn't have been nicer (his was the only good service we received that evening). But the whole experience from entering just had a weird vibe about it, and not something I'd...

I recently went to Hang Bar, a Vietnamese restaurant, and I have mixed feelings about the experience. The first thing that struck me was the charming aesthetic of the place, it's beautifully designed and visually pleasing. The service was also on point, with attentive staff.

However, I did encounter a significant downside during my visit – the loud music. It was so deafening that I couldn't even hold a conversation with my friend. While the music itself was enjoyable, I felt it was a bit overbearing, especially given that it was 10 pm, and I presume they wanted to create a lively ambiance.

Moving on to the food, I had a bit of a hit-and-miss experience. We ordered the ribs hai hau, which had a generous portion for $19, but it felt like it needed something on the side to make it a complete meal. The banh mi fois gras was a disappointment; it was exceptionally small, not even 6 inches, and priced at $22, which felt overpriced for what you got. On the bright side, the Da Nang fried wings were delicious, but they proved to be a challenge to eat gracefully in a setting that seemed more suited for fine dining.

Where Hang Bar did shine was in their cocktails. The cocktails were top-notch, and if I were to return, it would likely be for the drinks.

In summary, Hang Bar is a cute spot with a great aesthetic, good service, and fantastic cocktails. However, the loud music, mixed food quality, and pricing for some dishes make me hesitate to return for a full dining experience. If I were to go back, it would be only for a...