where jess ate

Mike and I were meeting our friend, Adrian, near Union station for lunch so we decided to try C’est What, located at Church and Front.  Even though I had been here before, we still walked right past it. It’s easily missed since there isn’t very much signage except for an awning you wouldn’t see if you weren’t looking up. It’s located right between Le Papillon and Harry Young.

Located in the basement, C’est What is occupies a large dark space which has a cozy and homey feel to it. They have a large selection of locally brewed beers and what they call an :ethno-clectic” menu which also contains a variety of “sans viande” (aka vegetarian) dishes.

Mike ordered a pint of Pumpkin Ale ($6.35 for a pint), the description of which read “the pumpkin pie spicing of this deep amber ale brings back memories of Thanksgiving”. I went with something a little fruitier – the St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat ($4.60 for 330ml).

Since I was in a burger mood, I decided to go with the Lamburger – A half-pound of minced Ontario spring lamb grilled to medium and topped with melted Swiss cheese on a toasted bun ($12.95).

I could definitely taste the lamb flavour in the patty, which was moist and seasoned well. A great tasting burger! Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the bun which didn’t seem very toasted to me. It was a little hard and didn’t taste very fresh. The burger also came with a side of regular or yam frites. I opted for the yam “frites” which weren’t really fries at all – they were chips. I had a few good pieces which were nice and crispy, but for the most part they were just too limp and greasy for my liking.

Mike ordered the Chicken Roti – A Caribbean-style wrap of spiced chicken, chickpeas, potatoes, vegetables, and spices served with mango chutney ($12.95).

The roti was massive and when he cut it open, my mouth began watering from its aroma. However, I found the taste to be a little underwhelming. I wouldn’t call it bland, but it just felt like something was missing. Overall, I thought this sounded better on paper than it tasted. You also have the option of getting it done up “dinner-style” on rice. Mike later mentioned that he would have preferred the filling over rice instead.

Adrian went with the Staggering Pig – Chipotle pulled-pork shoulder tossed in our coffee porter barbeque sauce served on a lightly toasted baguette ($11.95). Similar to my burger, it came with a choice of potato or yam frites. He also opted for the yam frites, so I didn’t get a chance to try their regular potato frites. I wonder if they’re also in the form of chips. Anyway, Adrian mentioned that it wasn’t a typical pulled pork sandwich – it was a little different with the coffee porter sauce, but he really enjoyed it.

Overall, I enjoyed our lunch at C’est What. A nice selection of locally brewed beer, decent food and great company!

At a glance:
• A good selection of locally brewed beers
• Reasonably priced food
• Located near St. Lawrence Market
• Dim and cozy atmosphere

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 3.5 stars
• Service: 3.5 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars