Montreal: Bangokok

bang-on

:Ste. Catherine and Guy:

Things are finally starting to settle down.  I couldn't really tell you what I've learned from this life-altering experience - and I do mean that, this isn't some lame ass FML moment because someone scratched your car, or your psycho girlfriend's in town and you realize it doesn't live up to how you had it in your head - this is some real sh*t.

Although it seems some people post this real sh*t on Facebook.  You know what I think when I see that?  I'd like to punch them, and not some girly punch, like a full-on TKO .  But I'm not one to resort to violence.  So instead, I delete them off my friend list :).

Having experienced what I have, I can say that I appreciate my great friends.  It's easy to have friends when y'all having a good time.  They just fake it until someone breaks it.  Great friendships aren't perfect, they will sometimes forget your birthday (that's for Aerie), and they likely won't post on your wall (I can't remember the last time the BFF or Cracker posted), and sometimes they annoy you (tricky, tricky - I won't say who), but they never falter.  It may sound like a whole lot of touchy-feely BS, so feel free to tune me out.  But one day, should the floor beneath you give way and you find yourself freefalling, you'll be singing my song.  Because when you fall for days, weeks, or in my case, a few months, great friends add a little cushion to your landing.

So here's to freakin' great friends.  Ting, ting.  And here's to me finally eating my way to normal...chomp chomp.

I rarely like to admit that my sister is right. But holy mother of dragons, she is.

Over the decade or so she's been in Montreal she's talked about "the best padthai ever". Now, mind you, I'm not a huge Thai food lover.  That said, this was likely my last visit to Montreal for the forseeable year or two, so I had to try it.

We walked to Faubourg, it's sad. It's like the shell of something that used to be. I suppose I would characterize it as ghettofabulous, in that a long time ago they lived in harmony as a busy food(court) mecca.  But then fabulous got fed up and left ghetto.  And well we all know what happens when ghetto's left to fend for itself.  It just gets ghetto-er.

I was surprised by how many people still visit ghetto - a lot more than I expected, and almost all of them were chowing down on some Bangkok.

My sister got us the made-to-order tofu padthai for an easy $8.  Then we took a seat in the clean-ish but likely filthy seats.

Immediately I knew I was in for something special. It doesn't look like your ordinary padthai, and it doesn't taste like it either. It was spicy, fresh, savoury, complex, and all around amazing:

Blew. my. mind.

It was the best pad thai I've ever had.