Restaurant Jardin des Délices — Restaurant in Montreal

I've never left a bad review and I feel bad doing so but I was disappointed. :( Though I don't want to leave a bad review without explaining either;

Our server was nice and gentle, but the time it took from us to being seated and getting our food was very long. We arrived at around 6h40 ish (mind you, this is peak hour and I am aware, but not all tables were full on either/both side of the restaurant during our stay / and I am wondering if maybe they are understaffed as that could explain the long waiting times).

It took time for them at every step - from getting us seated, to getting water, to later getting our orders in. We received each dish one after the other, rather than together or all at once. My partner got served his first starter which was a a "spicy" soup with vermicelli at around 7h30 or so. I got my first starter much later (but forgot to check the time at that point) and the rest took was evenly dispersed.

For reference, he took a table d'hote; 2 spring rolls, 1x spicy curry? soup with vermicelli (can't remember name), 1x full meal (Phuket dish /chicken with veggies in sauce).

If I could critique the vermicelli soup on one thing, is that putting iceberg lettuce in soup is very strange. It didn't taste bad, but it's such a weird thing to put in a hot soup so that sort of surprised us even if we knew what we were getting since the ingredients are listed.

For me, I took 3 starters; the spring rolls, tom yum soup, dumplings with peanut butter sauce (I have a small appetite and honestly, if it wasn't for everything else, the portions were perfect for me).

The springs rolls were good though, they were hot and so crispy, I would even say perfectly cooked and golden. But the fish sauce for them was bland or watered down.

The spicy dishes were not spicy or not spicy enough. It definitely felt like they went very tame on the spice level (at least for us, we love spicy food and expected more here).

My partner thought the chicken in his main meal was overcooked and not much flavor other than it being one note and the sauce being very sweet). My chicken in the tum yum was also somehow dry (possibly overcooked or stewed too long?). The broth itself was the best thing though, tasted good but the ingredients/veggies did not soak up any of that flavor.

However, the worst for me was the dumplings with peanut sauce. This is where I was really disappointed because these are all foods that we've already had before, many times, but something was wrong with that dish.

The skin of the dumplings were overcooked (not sure if it's because they had forgotten my order, because it was the last thing to arrive), but the sauce tasted so strange I'm not even sure I can describe it. The peanut butter sauce tasted sweet and the meat filling (which there was not a lot) also did not taste great, almost funky (unsure if it was the sauce or meat here).

Overall, the experience sort of really dropped at that point. Not all terrible, but we definitely expected better. We left at around 7h50 ish, without finishing the dumplings. We didn't have deserts but that's on us (we're not fan of sweets).

We love Vietnamese dishes, but tonight was not exceptional.

Edit* I'd like to add that the 2 star review was especially because of the dumplings and quality of food. I give the benefit of the doubt that it could have been their busiest times or they were...

Stumbled upon this wonderful Asian food restaurant and had such a delightful experience. The magic here lies in the simplicity of their dishes, all of which are clearly cooked with fresh, quality ingredients. There's an authenticity to the taste that really stands out - it feels like a well-kept culinary secret of Asia brought to our tables.

The staff is a key part of what makes this place special. Despite how busy they get, they always take the time to be friendly and available for their customers.

If you're in the mood for authentic Asian cuisine, this place is a must-visit. The fresh ingredients, simple yet delicious dishes, and the welcoming staff all come together to create a truly pleasant dining experience. Can't wait to return and try more...

My husband and I stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday night after a long day. We were so impressed by every aspect of our experience here, especially the service. I ordered La Boeuf L'Orange and my husband had Poulet General Tao aux legumes. Our food was hot and delicious. We also ordered two Beignets for dessert, one banana and one apple. The ice cream was so delicious with a nice lingering aftertaste. The Beignets were hot and crispy. This was an amazing birthday treat for dinner!...