Dinner at Kalalu

For our final excursion, we decided on a real restaurant, where we could experience the fusion between the trendy Montreal culinary scene and traditional Haitian food. In the middle of the happening Latin quartier on St. Denis tucked away on the second story, a black iron staircase took us up to the charming restaurant Kalalu. Tastefully decorated, mahogany tables flowed from the dinning room out onto the patio, accented by vibrant Haitian paintings glowing by candlelight.
Since we saw many cod products at both Marché Méli-Mélo and La Foire Des Antilles, we decided to order cod cakes for an appetizer. They were flakey, and delicious, accompanied by a light, tangy tarter sauce. Far from greasy or fishy-tasting, the cod fish plate was fabulous. For the main course I decided to go with griot, the famous Haitian dish that the woman at Marché Méli-Mélo told me was a quintessential Haitian dish. The griot included deep-fried pork, a dish of rice and beans, plantains, and a salad. The pork was accompanied by two meat sauces, one flavorful and the other very spicy in addtion to the pikliz, which we saw at Marché Méli-Mélo. The griot was fabulous, the fried pork was very lean, the salad was flavorful, and the plantains were very fresh. The rice and beans were almost identical to those at Marché Méli-Mélo and La Foire Des Antilles.

We talked to our waiter to find out more information about the authenticity of our food. He explained how the griot is very traditional, but the pork was just much more lean than the classic griot. Since Montreal has a generally health conscience population, the fusion maintained traditional Haitian flavors, while creating a healthier dish. Additionally, all of the chefs and the owners of the restaurant are Haitian. Despite its trendy location and atmosphere, Kalalu still provided typical Haitian food, just with a slight twist of sophistication and pizzaz.




Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our look into Haitian cuisine. After finding clean, popular places to eat, I was able to explore foods and flavor that I would have otherwise never experienced. Classic Haitian food is not about being refined, trendy, or healthy, but rather using local Haitian ingredients to prepare meals that feed the soul.

Upgrade to Marché Meli Melo

A little discouraged after our first trip the Haitian neighborhood, we did more extensive research in order to find a good, authentic place to eat. Emerging from the Jarry metro line, the neighborhood was lively, filled with all sorts of ethnic stores and restaurants from, Indian to Portuguese. Tucked in a working-class neighborhood, Marché Méli-Mélo’s ethnic aroma welcomed us in. From the moment we walked into the store, everything appeared to be much cleaner, fresher, and welcoming. The store was bustling with Haitian customers of all ages, lined up for fresh fast-food to go.
As I meandered through the isles, many of the food products were similar to the first store, with the exception of the freshness and quality. The shelves were lined with products that were not typical of any American grocery store. One interesting product was plantain fufu flower which is used as a thickener for soups and gravies in addition to making dumplings. There were a multitude of spices to liven up the staple rice and beans. Cloves, garlic, pepper, bitter orange seasoning, parsley, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, and curry were nicely packaged in containers throughout the store. As almost every meal is accompanied by or is made of rice and beans, giant bags of both were found throughout the store. Other staples of the Haitian diet including fish, dried cod, capelin, and shrimp were found in the produce isle. Méli-Mélo also sold canned sardines, salmon, and tuna. There were many oils and sauces to season the fish, beans, and rice, including hot pepper sauces and African red palm oil. Pre-made sauces were also for sale. One sauce, called the "Creole assortment" consisted of garlic, parsley, pepper, vegetable oil, leeks, and cilantro. Another interesting food was called pikliz, which consisted of cabbage, carrots, salt, and vinegar.


When it comes to sweets, the Haitians use a lot of coconut, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. There were a variety of coconut products that Haitians use to cook with, including: oil, milk, cream, and grated coconut. Pure sugar cane was for sale as well. Instead of having Quebec’s famous maple syrup for sale, they sold sugar cane syrup. There was also a great selection of passion fruit, guava, and mango jams instead of the typical strawberry or raspberry jams. A popular sweet drink called Akassan is made of corn, milk, sugar, and spices.



As we were wandering through the store, a boy named James approached us to ask if we were American. Talkative and friendly, he told us how he was born and raised in Haiti, but went to Florida for a better high school education. He recently moved to Montreal with his sister, as he hopes to go to university in Canada where it is much less expensive than the US. Fluent in three languages (French, English, and Creole), James loves living in Montréal because of all the cultures surrounding him. He is really happy to be living in Montreal, but continues to eat typical Haitian food. He told us how his favorite Haitian food is anything that contains meat: chicken, pork, of beef, he loves it all. He ended up ordering the same meal that we decided on, a common chicken and rice dish. The chicken was moist, tender, and had great flavor. The rice came with a nice sauce, giving it a good kick. The dish was quite large and rang up at about six dollars. Affordable and tasty, I would definitely recommend Marché Mélio-Mélo for a good quick bite to go. Thankfully, the food sat well with my stomach this time, as the improvement in quality and taste from the Foire Des Antilles market was vast.

Despite the bustling crowd, the woman working behind the counter was more than willing to explain to us what a quintessential Haitian food meal is. She recommended “Griot” (in French) or Griyo (in Creole). Griot is marinated pork, served alongside a very spicy sauce.
The energy, people, and food at Marché Méli-Mélo made us excited about learning about the Haitian diet and culture. With bustling crowds moving in and out, great food, and friendly people, Marché Méli-Mélo is the real face of the Haitian food and people.

First day in the Haitian neighborhood

With gloomy skies overhead, we ventured into the Haitian region of Montréal. The métro took us from the heart of the city to the northern outskirts. Quickly the demographics changed, signaling that we were entering a Haitian community. Small rows of Haitian stores amongst rundown, working-class apartments surround by busy streets. The market, La Foire Des Antilles, sold hot food to-go, desserts, produce, spices, and many other food products that a convince store carries. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that this was not a typical Quebecois dépanneur or convenience store, it was uniquely Haitian. Both women working in the store were originally from Haiti and helped to explain the traditional Haitian foods. Giant bags of rice and beans lined the shelves, as the women explained how these are the staple foods of Haiti. The women working behind the counter explained how plantains, rice, beans, and chicken would be a quintessential Haitian food. Spices lined the shelves: chamomile, bay leaves, cinnamon, thyme, and cloves are used to spice up the plain flavors of the rice and beans. Other interesting food items that we encountered included coconut evaporated milk, canned sardines, guava paste, fruit sodas, dried shrimp, and pineapple jam. The most unique foods we saw were chicken feet and an entire codfish dried and packaged. On a visual aspect, both of these food items would disgust many people used to a western diet, but these are just simply normal parts of the Caribbean diet.
As we wondered through the store, the lack of cleanliness was obvious. Boxes of cookies on the shelves appeared to be there for years, as the box was faded and duck-taped shut. The produce area had a multitude of foods including: limes, hot peppers, ginger, bananas, eggplant, spinach, parsley, tomatoes, mangoes, avocadoes, and spring onions. When examining the produce, it did not appear to be very fresh, as we found mold on several food items. As a whole, the store was rundown, dirty, and it appeared that many food items had long passed their expiration date.

When it was time to sample the food, we decided on a dish called lola. We were told that lola is a traditional Haitian meal, which included plain white rice and a plantain. Lola is a mix of beef, dark greens, minced cauliflower, and spices cooked together. Unfortunately the plantain was too old and dried out to eat. The lola had a rather peculiar taste and it was a bit spicy. The rice was fabulous and cooked perfectly. It was not that the lola tasted awful, it was just a little hard to eat, after seeing how dirty the store was. We also tried to desserts, a coconut and peanut butter bar. Although dried out, the coconut bar was very tasty, reminiscent of a sugary macaroon. The peanut butter bar was very rich, as it was similar to fudge.
Following our first Haitian food experience, we all went home with stomach aches. Although the region of the Haitian neighborhood that we visited was not charming, clean, or inviting, it was real. It is a genuine urban poor area where the Haitian immigrants live, work, and eat. Hopefully on our next visit we can find a restaurant with cleaner facilities so we can truly discover all that the Haitian neighborhood has to offer.