Say hello to Villeray’s newest culinary destination, Les Mômes. Chef Yoann Van Den Berg brings expertise from big-name fine dining restaurants like Europea and Pastel, but this endeavour conjures more of a dinner party vibe. It’s a BYOB, with a small, ever-changing menu driven by French influences, local ingredients, and a sustainability mindset. Cromesqui (fritters), foie gras with prunes and ginger, PEI beef with celeriac, and polenta-based gnocchi with eggplant and burrata are examples of what’s been served.

Chefs Mike Madokoro (Bar Suzanne) and Minh Phat Tu (Mui Mui), as well as sommelier Elena Raceviit Ouellette (also Mui Mui), have collaborated to revive the Mile-Ex space that previously housed Manitoba. Open since mid-November, Anemone maintains its predecessor’s seasonal, hyper-local bent with an ever-changing menu and focus on preservation techniques. Expect dishes like biang biang noodles with braised lamb and swiss chard, crudo with honeycrisp apples and leche de tigre, and gnocchi-like rice cakes with a squash XO sauce.

Montrealers have grown to love their multihyphenates. This latest one, called Super Condiments, is a cross between a grocery shop specializing in local goods, a café with a latte and jambon beurre (French ham sandwich) already raking in the raves, a caviste (wine shop), and an early-evening bar. Outremont residents will no doubt find this easygoing all-rounder a welcome addition to the scene.

Chef Massimo Piedimonte grew up in an Italian family, studied French cooking, and during a stint at Copenhagen’s Noma, developed a profound interest in fermentation and the “slow food” movement. His sleek new St-Denis Street restaurant braids these strands together with a menu that gives the local terroir its due. Though Cabaret L’enfer’s tasting menu constantly evolves, a sample version online teases house-made charcuterie and burrata, stuffed anolini pasta with squash and sage, and sweetbreads with artichokes and mushrooms.

At long last, Nomi — the Japanese restaurant and bar that A5 Hospitality has been working on launching since before the pandemic — is now open. Chefs Olivier Vigneault and Rémi Lemieux dish an izakaya-style menu featuring buttermilk karaage, a selection of sashimi, and a Japanese take on Caesar salad, while cocktail expert Daphnée Vary’s drinks menu promises to be polished. Nestled in prime-time Philips Square, the space has an eye-catching central bar, a grand staircase, and a handful of basement salons fit for small groups.

Chefs Jongwook Lee (ex-Cadet) and WonGoo Joun (formerly of Maison Boulud and Pastel) have joined forces to open this new Saint-Henri spot, which transports traditional Korean recipes into a modern bistro setting. The duo’s culinary experience is on full display, with an intricate menu poised to change seasonally and featuring weekly specials. Find oysters with citrusy gochujang and an “Asian mignonette,” lamb seasoned with gochugaru (Korean chili powder) paired with peach kimchi, and dumplings stuffed with porcini, parmesan, and chives.

Shah Kash, the owner of art gallery The Letter Bet and pandemic-sprouted pop-up Bucky Rooster’s, has just debuted a new project featuring international tapas. Eva’s serves up small plates such as salmon sashimi tacos, striploin steak shawarma, and shrimp in aguachile verde, as well as Americana-style fare like chilli con carne and brunch on weekends. Operating out of the same Saint-Henri address where you can get your Bucky’s fried chicken, the dining area is a cavernous space inspired by Star Wars drink den Mos Eisley Cantina.

Add Cambodian food counter Ketiw to your running list of restaurants for where to get a mighty fine sandwich — theirs are of the num pang kind, filled with kroeung-marinated chicken, lemongrass beef, or mushrooms. But the main draw at this cool new Verdun spot from the minds behind Les Street Monkeys is chef Tota Oung’s Phnom Penh-style kuy teav, a traditional Cambodian breakfast meal of noodles topped with ground pork and seafood — served wet or dry.