Yans Deli — Restaurant in Montreal

So the simple low down. Interior and atmosphere: clean, fresh, airy, positive and happy vibe with well thought out decor, seating and good washrooms. Service: knowledgeable, friendly, bilingual, warm, attentive and truly care. Food: everything is fresh, specially sourced suppliers to curate the best of the best and the proof is in the taste and the taste is excellent. Presentation is lovely. Price to food portion and price quality. Well the portions are not bountiful so you gorge and bring home leftovers - though I did. This is about the best quality ingredients and cooking techniques that are labour intensive and as such, it’s quality over quantity - but there is still an excellent value for what you are getting and that is…… Where the merging of some of the most well known Eastern European cuisine is created with a slightly modern twist. Slightly as still maintain the old flavours and aromas.

By the way, they smoke everything with their own smoker.

Let’s start with pastrami. The meat is unbelievably tender with a beautiful smoke ring “a la US BBQ brisket”, and the marbling is perfection with a thin layer of seasoned fat on top that just takes this to next level never ending experienced flavours before. Rich and tasty. You don’t even need the mustard or bread, just eat it alone and experience pastrami heaven.

The liver pate, also referred to as chopped liver, is incredibly smooth in texture, deep in flavour, and not whipped and fluffy so the portion you receive is actually very generous. It’s accompanied with perfectly crisped chicken skin (like crispy pork skins, but more healthy and better tasting), and nicely browned sautéed onions. This was absolute heaven. This is by far the best liver pate I have had in Montreal. The healthy multigrain like squares of toast added a perfect delivery system. Finally the karnatzle. This is usually known as a skinny and long salami like item that you snack on. This is not what this is. This is a karnatzle “inspired” flat top crisped cooked sausage - on steroids!!! This is a must must have. The perfect blend of seasoning, the juicy texture in every bite, and the perfectly cooked exterior with a nice browned crisp snappy texture makes this something to come for alone. I think this should also be available as a sausage sandwich in a homemade hotdog like bun. The amazing bonus was a homemade dipping sauce that (I think) tasted like homemade applesauce combined with a grainy mustard and is on the plate as a dipping seasoning. The think this should be sold at n small jars and also offered with the potatoe pancake.

I had a chance to speak to the owner and chef Benji. His passion for food, love of searching the earth for best quality ingredients, respect for tradition and creative interpretation on food is contagious. He lights up about his food, the staff, the ingredients, and there is more to come. As I understand, there is more to come down the road with a broader deli counter and more dishes. Note: Please leave room for deserts as all are home made. You must ask for details of each item as their description does not tell the whole story on how every item is worth the calories and cash.

I will be a regular and frequent I’ll absolutely use this establishment for catering, ready made meals to eat at home and holiday meals for family events. I can’t wait to be able to buy the pastrami by the pound.

Go with a group and share all the dishes so max out on the gastronomical experience worth your...

Yans Deli is a must dining experience! Gourmet, modern Jewish Deli. Everything about the food was terrific, and the staff were extremely pleasant. The atmosphere is causal and full of good energy. I only wish I could have eaten more food!

I started with the Yaourt Grec & Miel - Greek Yogurt & Honey. It was topped with roasted mixed nuts, white kiwi, giant gourmet grapes, and plums. I felt a bit silly ordering the yogurt, since I eat Greek Yogurt almost daily at home anyway and felt I should explore other options that sound so very appetizing. However, I heard it was fantastic so I had to try it. It turned out to be phenomenal. A yogurt to end all yogurts ;-). It was by far the smoothest, creamiest Greek yogurt with just that right amount of Greek yogurt tang. The drizzled honey along with the fruits and nuts set it over the edge. It was decadent and went well with both the espresso and cappuccino (complements to the barista). I highly encourage both to accompany these wonderful flavors!!

Next I had the Kartoffelpuffer - Large Potato Latka with Apple Sauce & Quark Cheese. Another exceptional choice. The Latka was perfectly crisp on the outer edges, holding together the finest, tiniest shreds of potato. Not sure how they do it but it looks so fluffy and pretty…like the Greek pastry Kataifi. These Latkas lack that typical excess moisture you might get when making them at home. These were nice and thick, yet not dry at all and full of flavor! The Apple Sauce was so pure and the Quark Cheese like silk. A must try, even as an appetizer to share. Oh did I mention it was finished with a perfect amount of Fleur de Sel to make your tastebuds pop!

It’s a good thing I went in hungry because the word on the street is that the Pastrami here is excellent. I agree. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the famous Katz Deli but I certainly do not recall it being as excellent as the Pastrami experience here at Yans. The marbling of the meat is robust and gives it so much flavor that mixes perfectly well with the pepper and spices. After tasting the meat solo to appreciate the amazing flavors, I could not resist loading it onto their house rye bread slathered with their special spiced mustard. Absolutely perfect! Plus, I complemented it with a signature Yans Deli Celery Soda. WOW what a treat. Super Refreshing!

I had to top off my special meal with the Yans Deli signature Black & White Cookie. With the black icing made to be vanilla flavor, the white icing was chocolate. It was a decadent surprise to the flavor pallet, covering a very large, very soft and very fresh buttery cookie. It was like a birthday cake I’ve never had! Very indulgent!

I look forward to returning to dine at Yans, as there is so much more on the...

Yesterday was one of those rainy Mondays, the kind that makes driving from place to place for work feel even heavier. It was also one of those days when I was missing my mom deeply. She passed away this summer, and rainy days like that used to be the ones where she’d call me in the middle of the day to say, “I made matzo ball soup for you, come pick it up on your way home.”

While driving, I thought maybe I’d stop somewhere for soup. Not just because I wanted something warm, but because I was craving that comforting feeling of being cared for, something that reminded me of her. I went Yan’s Deli, and although the door was unlocked and I walked in, they were actually closed.

Benji greeted me kindly and apologized, saying they were closed. I told him I had really been hoping for some soup. He paused, looked at me, and said, “I could probably do that for takeout if that’s OK.”

So on a day when it was pouring rain, and the restaurant was closed, this man stopped what he was doing, went into the kitchen, and made me soup.

While I waited, I held back tears because his kindness and generosity were exactly what I needed in that moment. It felt like a small act of love from a stranger, and somehow, a little piece of my mom’s warmth shining through.

When he handed me the bag and said, “It really is soup weather,” I smiled and thanked him. Sitting in my car, eating what was probably the best soup I’ve had in a long time, I cried missing my mom, but so grateful for the compassion of someone who didn’t even know me.

It might sound cliché to say that this place and this soup will hold a special place in my heart, but they truly will.

Thank you, Benji, for reminding me that kindness still exists in the simplest moments. I can’t wait...