If you live in Montreal, I’d be surprised if you told me you had never heard of Street Monkeys, the Verdun restaurant cooking up a storm of Cambodian-inspired cuisine. It’s one of the many spots in the city that serves as a reminder of the incredible diversity we have here, albeit not as broad as in cities like Toronto and New York. Montreal’s diversity remains enmeshed in its culture; it’s vibrant and dynamic but manges to maintain its charm, which is hard to find in the neighbouring metropoles. Street Monkeys is a representation of the essence of Montreal, a place filled with creativity, excellent food, and passionate people.

Let’s start from the very beginning. We decided to make a reservation, thankfully, because the place was packed when we arrived. There are three seating options: table, bar or chef counter. I cannot in good conscience write this article without strongly suggesting that you reserve a spot at the chef counter, where you are right in front of the kitchen, close enough to grab the ingredients straight out of the plastic bins. I am a sucker for open kitchens and watching chefs work their magic, so seeing as this was a reservation option, it was a no-brainer.

Reading through the menu was mouth watering on its own, as its the kind of menu which has just enough choice to make you question your decision ten times over before actually ordering. Our wonderful waiter tried his best to help us with skillful recommendations, but we soon realized that most of the menu was considered a crowd-favourite. Here’s what we settled on: the stir fry vegetables, which was water morning glory this time around, Prahok Ktiss (a pork belly dip), Bánh Xèo (more on that later), Kroeung Chicken Skewers and Twa Ko (fermented Khmer beef sausage), with a side of sticky rice. Let’s not forget dessert (we tried both available options) and the beautiful cocktails, pictured below.

For me, Street Monkeys was almost the equivalent of an urban legend. I remember hearing how good it was but couldn’t remember knowing anyone who actually ate there. Nonetheless, I was drawn to it and knew I had to give it a shot myself. I had never had Cambodian food before but I am an avid consumer of Asian food from many different countries, so it was time I gave Cambodia the limelight. Their website does say that they serve Cambodian-inspired cuisine, and I could tell the dishes were carefully crafted to showcase Cambodian food while also appealing to a Montrealer’s palate. Exhibit A: the twist on Bánh Xèo, a classic Vietnamese dish which is also a popular street food in Cambodia.

Rather than serving it the traditional crepe-style way, they put the batter inside of a zucchini flower and fried it - genius! It also made eating easier, eliminating the need to use chopsticks to tear apart the usual Bánh Xèo crepe and put it on a bed of lettuce. With that, they adapted a dish while also maintaining its essence, and this finesse was displayed throughout every dish we had the pleasure of consuming.

If you’ve made it this far I’m happy to know you’re as passionate about food as me, but I think I’ve said all that I needed to say on this wonderful restaurant. If this article didn’t convince you to go, I don’t know what will!

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