Original subtitles

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(Light instrumental music)

Mena: Au mon dieu, Montréal.

Tres, tres belle.

Or as we say in English, gorgeous.

From the Old Port to the Plateau,

Canada's more European French-speaking city

has an unmatched aesthetic and cultural flare.

Originally settled by the Haudenosaunee,

the Island of Montréal was colonized by the French

nearly 400 years ago,

two full centuries before Canada even became a country.

Around here, that's infinity.

And it's led to deeply held traditions in architecture,

religion, hockey, music, language, and food.

Montreal's got a reputation for its French-inspired cooking,

which in the past, usually meant meat and butter.

But there's a new gen of chefs and restaurateurs

taking big culinary risks by making vegan versions

of all that Quebecois cuisine incroyable.

And there's maple syrup everywhere.

Sure, the chefs know there's a chance it'll rattle

traditionalists, but they're pushing forward,

challenging centuries of old-school cuisine

and making it taste tres bien.

Montréal, it's fascinating, delish, magnifique!

♪

I'm Mena Massoud.

I'm travelling across the world and eating my way through

some of the coolest cities to show you how beautiful meals,

talented chefs, and restaurateurs

are making plant-based living delicious and attainable.

So join me as I show you how the world...

is evolving vegan.

♪

(Dynamic synth music)

Old Montreal, a centuries-old riverside hood

paved with cobblestones,

bursting with French architecture.

It's drenched in history and gravy.

♪

Cookbook author and food personality Caroline Huard,

aka Loounie, is set to introduce me to the local vegan scene,

and what more iconic way to explore the city

than a full-up poutine crawl?

And look, like many Canadians, I took French in grade school,

but my accent's a work in progress.

And I'm about to learn that in Montréal, pronunciation,

like everything else, must be done just right.

We don't want you to say like "poo-teen."

Right, poo-teen, yeah.

"Pou-tin."

Pou-tin? Am I saying it right?

Pou-tin?

Pou-tin.

Pou-tin. It is pou-tin.

Pou-tin. Pou-tin.

Pou-tin.

Yes, right. We're off to a great start.

I'll get it by the end of this crawl.

So we're on the hunt for the best vegan

plant-based poutine here in Quebec.

Yes.

Mena: But poutine,

it's usually, like, piping hot French fries...

Loounie: Yes.

Mena: ...with cheese curds traditionally.

Loounie: Yes, that's it.

And you pour hot gravy on top and it melts that cheese

and there's deliciousness in there.

The first poutine we're gonna try is under construction

at the Montréal vegan staple, LOV,

led by executive chef Christian Ventura.

Where did poutine come from?

Well, there are many stories, but there were, like,

very, like, casual, like, fries shacks.

Those people would serve their fries with gravy

and it was very popular in the region of Quebec

where they make cheese curds,

which we called fromage squick squick.

Have you ever heard of that?

Fromage squick squick.

Yes, because it's--

I have not heard of that.

Loounie: Yeah?

It refers to the sounds that I makes when you're chewing it.

Like, squick squick.

Mena: Squick squick.

Definitely using sound effects

to describe all foods starting now.

People from Quebec are very protective of poutine

and there are even people who are very, like, hardcore fan of

traditional poutine would probably be like,

"Oh, my god, that is not poutine."

Right.

When you change a few ingredients, but I think--

personally I like to have fun in the kitchen.

Mena: In the LOV kitchen,

Chef Christian's been cooking up a possibly sacrilegious,

but delicious turn on the classic.

Hey guys, Hi! are you?

This is our take on the poutine.

I don't say it properly either.

(French accent) Poutine.

Poutine.

Yes.

I'm Mexican, so I got a Mexican accent.

Mena: I love it.

So you have the French fries and then you have a kimchi sauce

made with almond butter and then you also have kimchi on top.

So this for me is really Montréal because we have like

a Korean-inspired version of poutine

which is served by a Mexican chef.

So we got an amalgamation of things here.

That's amazing.

Yeah, and the Montréal food scene is very diverse.

That is a good incarnation of that.

Well I hope you guys enjoy.

Thank you.

Will do.

All right, I'm excited to dig in.

So this is our first poutine of the crawl.

Get in here, look at that.

That is going to be a loaded bite.

I'm sorry, I've got to say, you can't look good eating poutine

because it's just-- how do I even put this in my mouth,

what angle do I go in at, do you know what I mean?

Yeah, I think that's part of the fun.

Like, you shouldn't care about that.

Right, exactly.

So I'm just going to go for it...

(Chuckles)

Mm-hmm. You're a pro.

Mena: That's technique.

You go from under and then above.

Remember that.

It works the muscles too so you're burning calories

while you're eating.

I got to say, the fries are perfect.

Like, the umami flavour is, like, very present.

And also a little sweet because of the almond butter...

Yep, yeah.

...there, right?

Yep.

Mena: After crushing

our first plate of poutine,

we're off to the Quartier des Spectacle.

The cultural heart of the city, it's packed with people

living their day-to-days in public spaces, esplanades

and promenades and, of course, restaurants,

including Lola Rosa, one of the best vegan spots in the city,

where we grab take-out for an urban picnic.

Yes...

second poutine of the day-- poutine.

Oh-ho-ho-ho, look at that.

Caroline: Wow, this sauce is based.

Actually it's mushroom, and red wine, and black beans.

So I would say if the other one was kind of like Korean style,

this one maybe like, more French style.

Mena: And whole button mushrooms.

Caroline: Yes, the mushroom

are supposed to be chewy, kind of like the fromage.

Ah, like the fromage squick squick

That's it.

Mena: What's the yellow sauce

on there?

Caroline: Yes, it's kind of like

a sunflower queso.

It's kind of like a cheese sauce.

All right, well should we dig in?

With the squick squick mushrooms.

With the squick squick mushrooms.

It's definitely squeaky.

Mmm.

The gravy is very rich so it's very comforting.

It gives you that, kind of, warm, earthy flavour

and the mushrooms are squeaking...

They're squeaking.

...for sure, in my mouth.

So what do you think a traditionalist would say

about this creation?

Is this a poutine?

They would say, "C'est pas la poutine."

C'est pas what?

Which means, "That's not poutine."

C'est pas what?

C'est pas la poutine.

C'est pas la poutine!

C'est pas la poutine.

C'est pas la poutine!

Caroline: Yeah.

Mena: But this is getting closer.

We've got, now, the traditional gravy in here,

we've still got the awesome fries.

It's not traditional,

but that's a very hearty, very amazing dish.

But I want the traditional poutine.

We'll get there.

How do you say, "Where is it" in French?

Ou-est que c'est?

Ou-est que c'est? Ou-est que c'est?

Where is it?

Caroline: I'm taking you there.

Calm down. I'm taking you there.

Mena: Out of the Quartier des Spectacle

and off to the Plateau,

where there's a spot with a rep for full-on traditional poutine.

So I'm hoping our final resto, Maynard,

has what I've been longing for.

Both: Whoa!

Mena: Look at this.

Now this looks like authentic poutine.

Yes, yeah, and you're getting there with the pronunciation.

Thank you.

The cheese curds look like actual cheese curds.

Not only does it look like it, but it really smells like it.

Even the cheese, yeah...

oh my god, yeah, and the fries and everything,

this smells like poutine.

You're getting excited, I can tell.

Yes.

Mena: Chef Brodie opened up

his restaurant as a love-letter

to his favourite road-side chip trucks near his hometown,

Maynard, Ontario.

Oh, hey, chef.

Thank you so much for preparing this poutine.

Tell me about this.

We've been hunting for the most traditional vegan poutine,

but what makes a poutine a poutine

are the classic cheese curds.

What is this, 'cause obviously these aren't real cheese curds,

but they look exactly like them.

They are made with soy and tapioca starch

as well as all the things that'll give it

all the same taste and almost the same texture.

Does it do the squick squick?

It doesn't do the squeak.

That's the only thing

that is impossible to do without using actual milk proteins.

Other than that, it tastes identical.

Well I'm going to try it now.

Just the...

Oh, my god.

Wow.

Yeah, it's freaky.

Wow, that tastes exactly like fromage squick squick

Enough squeaking around. Let's dig in.

So you need a perfect bite, like.

Yeah, I know.

One of everything.

Exactly, yeah.

Brodie: And the green onions

'cause you need to eat your vegetables.

That's why they're in there.

That's why they're there.

Caroline: Oh, my god.

♪

So that is poutine.

(Chuckles)

Yep.

♪

That's what I grew up with right there.

Yeah, perfect marriage.

Mena: Right?

The cheese curd is blowing my mind.

I think this is--

this is definitely the first time

that I've eaten a vegan cheese curd.

You can't really tell the difference.

You really, really can't.

Honestly it's amazing.

This is fantastic and the fries are, you know, perfectly cooked,

but you can tell they're also freshly cut, freshly made.

We use a specific variety of russet potato

and I can't change it.

If I can't get the fries, I don't even make them.

I mean, no one else is going out of their way

to get that cheese curd like that.

And why'd you open up a plant-based restaurant?

'Cause I have been mostly plant-based for 15+ years

and when I was going to open this place up, it was basically

a response to me wanting to have somewhere to eat after work

and there not being a good, delicious vegan option

besides a few fast-food veggie burgers.

I gotta say, this is definitely spot on

and it's the best poutine I've had

since I've went plant-based, I gotta say.

All right, well, Loounie, I want to thank you

for taking me on this amazing poutine crawl.

And chef, I think we found

the traditional poutine right here.

This is what I was looking for.

(Laughter)

"How do you say 'bon appetit' in French?"

That's funny.

Director: Okay, cutting.

Mena: All right, bon appetit in French.

♪

To get a sense of a city's food scene,

I love visiting the local market to see what's cooking,

and Montréal is home to one of the most beautiful markets

in North America, Le Marché Jean-Talon.

Over 90 years old, it's home to hundreds of vendors

and a wild diversity of flavours.

It's a great place to practice my French

and pick up some ultra-fresh produce.

Bonjour.

(Speaking French)

Wait.

One recent addition, Bouffe Moi!,

was created by the delightful Levasseur sisters.

Oh-ho, Julie, Rose?

Yes.

Yes.

Julie, Rose.

All right, Julie and Rose.

Mena. Nice to meet you.

Mena, so nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Mena. Very nice to meet you.

So we are here at Bouffe Moi!

Yes.

What does that mean?

It means "eat me."

It means "eat me," okay.

And "bouffe" in Québecois, in French, is "food."

So it's like a funny way to say "eat me."

Well, I want to eat a corn dog.

Of course you want!

You're at the right place.

So can I come back over there and--

Absolutely.

Yeah? All right!

Follow us.

Wow, this is a cool space.

Thank you so much.

This is very, very cool.

Welcome home.

Oh, thank you very much.

When you were growing up here,

did you ever see any other vegan,

fully vegan places here?

Are you the first?

We are the first one at the Jean-Talon Market, absolutely.

Yeah, for us, the Jean-Talon Market

is a very important place in our family.

Back in the day, we were always here doing our groceries

on Sundays together...

Yes.

...talking about food.

And when we create this idea, this project, this business,

we wanted to be at the Jean-Talon Market.

For us, when we were kids, we were four sisters,

and at home we were eating corn dogs sometimes,

and it's-- it's like emotional.

Yeah, yeah.

And it's just so fun.

If you're happy, then it's good for your health.

Mena: The Levasseur sisters

conceived of Bouffe-Moi

as a modern spin on something called a casse-croûte.

What is that? I keep hearing that.

A casse-croûte, it's like fancy fast-food shack.

Okay.

Something like that.

Okay.

It's like a trendy, fancy, high quality--

Like, you can have high quality burgers or hotdogs or corn dogs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, so this is a cool casse-croûte?

It is.

It is a very cool casse-croûte.

It is a very cool casse-croûte!

And also, I think a casse-croûte is--

There's something very, like, comforting about it.

It's like a lot of comfort food that we serve,

and also a bit nostalgic food, cozy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, they're vegan hotdogs and that's what you start with.

What's the base?

It is a tofu-based sausage. It's super good.

It's the same as the classic hotdogs that's everyone loves.

Mena: Yeah, I'm sure no one

can tell the difference.

Okay, all right, well, let's make one.

Let's make two! Let's make five!

Okay, we can make 2,000 if you want!

Show me first.

So, I'll you how to do it.

Yes, show me first.

Because there's a technique.

I'm sure there is. There is a Bouffe-Moi technique!

So first, you take the sausage.

Yes, yes.

Then you dip.

Mena: Wow, it actually absorbs a lot!

Yes, and up.

Okay, and straight in.

Straight in the oil.

Oh, there's a cute little clip.

Yeah, yeah.

Oh, wow! That's so cute.

So that's it. Quite simple.

That's it? Okay, I'm going to try.

So in?

And it's very important that all the sausage

is covered with the batter.

Yes. Is that too much?

Yeah, that's perfect.

It's never too much.

It's never too much. Okay, and in we go.

And you just...

Oh, wow, this is the hardest part.

Okay, there we go.

That's it. That's it!

Mena: How long do they fry for?

Oh, you turn on that little timer?

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Very cute.

Okay, so I don't know if you can tell--

You don't want to tell me the secret sister sauce yet?

Well, I kind of want to tell you.

Oh, please tell me.

Okay, Rose.

So what makes our corn dogs different is that we put

a touch of maple syrup in the batter.

So it's slightly sweet.

It is very French of you to put maple syrup in there, yes.

It is.

It's like a donut, really, and that's what we like.

It's really like-- In French, we say "gourmand."

How would you say that?

"Gourmet."

"Gourmet" is like fancy.

Yes, like posh.

But "Gourmand" is like...

It's like a big burger, like...

Oh, it's like the opposite of gourmet?

Okay, like dirty (Unclear).

Yeah, dirty.

Like dirty food?

Yeah, we can say that!

Gourmand, gourmand!

After just a couple of minutes in the fryer,

our gourmand masterpiece is ready for fixings.

It is ready!

Oh, ho-ho, look at this!

Perfect colour, and then with the homemade coleslaw.

Oh, I'm gonna Bouffe-moi that!

You will!

Bouffe-moi that coleslaw!

You're going to bouffe it, yes!

Mena: Wow!

And then you get to decide what you would like on it.

Holy shamoley!

Okay.

No, no, no! No, it was perfect.

Mena: Maybe this one

I'll put some...

Oh, wow. Ooh!

Mena: Okay?

Very creative.

You are!

Thank you very much. Thank you.

We like that.

Mena: I try.

Voila.

Voila!

That's a French word.

Voila. It is!

Mena: Okay.

♪

Mmm. Mmm!

Yes!

Yes?

Oui!

Rose: Oui!

Mena: Oui.

The batter, really-- like, very corn forward, which is nice.

Yeah.

I remember growing up and eating corn dogs.

I just tasted, like, bread really.

This, you can really taste the corn.

It's comfort food magnifique,

and I've got to try another dog

topped with their homemade spicy mayo.

Cheers!

Cheers, and thank you so much for being here.

♪

Yes!

Honestly, it's so hearty. It's so delicious.

It almost kind of feels like you're eating maybe, like,

a corn cake with a hotdog.

It's so, so good.

And it's so warm and comforting.

And you guys did a beautiful job.

Thank you.

And at the same time, it's simple.

A part of our mission here is just to make people happy

with something simple.

Yes.

Like, life is already so complicated.

And here you come.

You have lemonade, beers, corn dogs, that's it.

That's it! Gourmand!

Yeah, that's us!

This is the gourmand that you want!

It is. Yeah.

I understand.

Now for my last test I'm going to...

(Laughing)

Wow!

This is very gourmand.

This is very gourmand, Rose.

Bouffe-moi! Bouffe-moi!

♪

(Acoustic guitar instrumental)

♪

A couple of hours northwest of Montréal

lies a stretch of maple-dense forest

in the Laurentian Mountains,

the headwaters of Canada's sweetest export.

These colourful tracks of sugar maples

provide nearly 3/4 of the world's maple syrup.

The centuries-old custom of tapping maple trees

gave birth to another Québecois tradition,

the sugar shack, cabins that serve up

maple-covered everything to hungry visitors.

And today we're visiting

a decidedly non-traditional sugar shack run by Simon Goulet.

Wow, this place is amazing, Simon.

Simon: Thanks, thanks.

So you actually live here?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I built that place too.

You built this place?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mena: You built it?

Simon: Yeah, yeah.

It's kind of a hippie shack here.

Mena: So this flips

into the restaurant?

Yeah, it's kind of--

You're going to have to imagine it as a restaurant.

Like, there's like tables everywhere, usually,

and the bed on the second floor,

but today it's more like family style.

Like, the furniture and everything is not there

when the restaurant's open.

Right now, as we're talking,

like, I live here with my two kids and my wife.

Mena: Wow, that's incredible.

So this is your Cabane a Tuque?

Simon: Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like a cabane sucre, like a sugar shack.

Yeah, a cabane sucre?

This is a cabane tuque.

Actually, it's such a tradition in the spring,

when the maple sap get out of the maple tree,

then we make maple syrup and we have a feast.

But the sugar shack feast, it's all about meat.

I don't eat meat, so I decided to make like--

It was really a big thing because a lot of people was,

like, offended, because like, "No, no, it's all about meat."

But mine's all vegan,

and the first day I opened, it was kind of sold out,

because there was a demand to it.

♪

Mena: Simon's cooking has its roots

right outside his front door,

where he forages, farms and taps trees.

Everything he does is done with ecology in mind.

For him, being vegan's really about minimizing his footprint

and preserving the planet.

Simon: My restaurant also is local.

Like, we talk about the vegan thing,

but, like, what I'm really proud,

it's all the ingredient that we're going to use today,

except the millet and the salt,

it's all stuff that I grow.

It's been like 15 years that I didn't go to a grocery store.

'Cause I do all my stuff myself.

You haven't been to a grocery store in 15 years?

(Chuckling)

Man, that's incredible.

Wait, I go some time for chips.

Okay, that's okay, we'll make an exception for chips.

Well, all this talk is getting me hungry,

so we're going to--

I'm going to help you cook today.

Okay.

And we're going to kind of recreate

what a sugar shack meal would be.

Vegan, of course.

So, what are we going to make?

Simon: Your vegan tourtière.

A millet, vegan pie.

All right, well, I'm going to help you out, man,

so you tell me what you need to do and we'll get cooking.

♪

So, this is stuff that you forage and dehydrate, or...

All the ingredient here, yeah, it's all stuff that I made.

Like, the dehydrated peppers,

the tomato, mushroom, zucchini.

But the flour, it's a friend that grows,

like, they have a farm.

The sunflower oil, it's all friend.

Like, it's all-- 'cause I cannot grow.

You can't make everything, yeah.

Yeah, you need a community.

Mena: A community that's got him

well-stocked and ready to cook.

Simon: Pass me the onion.

Mena: Okay, onions first.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, we just need to get those onions in.

Mena: So, basically,

we're making the filling for the pie, essentially.

Tomato, half of the tomato.

Mena: All right.

Wow, these are beautiful dried tomatoes.

And one for me.

And you got stropharias and pleurotus.

Mena: So, half of these beautiful

mushrooms that you've foraged

and grown in your garden.

Two big scoop of millet.

Okay.

And millet's like a grain almost, yeah?

Simon: Yeah, yeah.

Mena: Like quinoa or rice or any other kind of grain.

Simon: And then we have the spices.

So, we got cayenne, just a quarter-spoon of cayenne.

Oh, you're going to make me in charge of the spice.

Oh man.

Maybe, like, put a full one then.

(Laughing)

Mena: Let's add the heat.

We throw the filling on the stove for a few minutes

then start stuffing the pie.

What is a tourtière traditionally?

Simon: It's a meat pie, yeah,

and it's called tourtière

and it's from Lac-Saint-Jean region in Quebec.

There's certain meal I'm forced to have,

which is like the tourtière.

I have to have it in a sugar shack.

♪

So, we can officially do a mess,

so that's kind of cool. Alright.

I bet your little girls love this part.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Like, they kind of put it everywhere.

When we do tourtière, we do, like, 100, 200 per day

and there's just, like, flour everywhere--

Wait, you're saying you do 100-200 tourtière pies?

For who? (Chuckling)

For the restaurant.

Mena: Wow.

What makes a perfect crust,

'cause this is like a beautiful, darker crust.

The only ingredient you need is just, like, spelt flour,

sunflower oil.

Mena: Alright, very nice.

So then we going to put it in the oven, 350,

an hour and a half and we're done.

♪

Mena: As it bakes, Simon's family

materialize in the kitchen

to help out with dinner, and we settle in

for an almost traditional cabane à sucre meal.

Oh, wow. Mena: Oh, wow.

Woman: Bravo.

Merci.

(Speaking French)

There we go.

(Speaking French)

The sugar shack tradition is to put maple syrup on everything.

On everything? Simon: On everything.

Even the sauerkraut?

You can, yeah.

Some people put food in the maple syrup...

Okay.

...or you can put maple syrup on your food.

Mena: Either or. Depends.

It depends how you feel.

I'm going to grab one of those crepes.

Yeah, yeah, it's Salome crepe today.

Yeah, I know, I saw her cooking them.

You did such a good job.

Woman: True restaurant family.

You can hardly beat that, I would say.

You can't be more of a restaurant family

than having the restaurant in your home.

Exactly.

With all the family involved.

And then we got the tourtière that me and your dad

cooked together.

Do you want to try it?

I want to try it.

Let's, like... Simon: Have a slice.

Mena: Oh, merci.

Merci.

Mmm.

It's super hearty.

Beautiful herb flavour to it, and of course the millet

is just so comforting.

And the crust is cooked perfectly.

Amazing.

Mmm.

Thanks to us. Thanks to us.

Exactly.

What's amazing about this place, this meal,

is that the star of the show,

the maple syrup, is harvested within

walking distance.

You tap the trees on-- that are on your property, yeah?

Yeah.

Yeah, otherwise it wouldn't be a real sugar shack.

'Cause, like, sugar shack, you have to do your maple syrup.

Mena: It tastes different, for sure.

It tastes, like, so much more almost raw and fresh.

And it's like wine too.

Like, if you go to small sugar shack,

every region got its taste.

Mena: And just when I thought

I couldn't fit any more home cooking,

Simon drops one last sugary surprise on the table.

Simon: It's not a sugar shack without maple taffy.

Alright!

I'm ready, we're ready, right?

Are we ready?

Ready?

Yeah, we're ready!

There we go.

Oh wow, the maple syrup's in there.

Yeah, maple taffy, it's maple syrup

boiled 10 degree higher.

Mena: Oh wow, okay.

So, you just...

(Groaning) Oh, (Unclear).

So that's how you do it.

You just take it and you roll it and you wait--

oh, you want to take the big one?

Mena: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

(Laughing) Go ahead.

(Child exclaiming)

Okay.

(Child speaking French)

Am I doing okay job, girls?

Child: Oui. Simon: Yeah, she said yeah.

Mena: Okay, good.

Mmm.

Wow.

It's liquid gold here.

This is the thing, you know, in Quebec.

Maple syrup, like, people remember having, like,

four or five, six of those and just play outside

in the spring

and throwing snowball at each other.

That's really, like, the main event.

Perfect end to a perfect meal, right, girls?

Mm-hmm. Mena: Oui?

Am I right?

Oui!

Oui!

(Laughing)

♪

(Light, upbeat music)

Mena: Out of the woods and back to the city

to visit the trendiest borough in town: The Plateau.

Quintessential Montréal,

its colourful buildings,

winding staircases, and sublime parks

are ground zero

for another nostalgic fav: the Montréal bagel.

And we're digging into them at a project so fresh

it just launched this past summer.

Freddie: Beagle Bagel is actually

a brand-new venture.

Yeah, you're so new and fresh...

Fresh, fresh.

...that we're showing you here first.

Freddie: That's it.

Just a little bit of-- get a little bit of that

flour off the shoulders.

Beagle Bagel, Freddie Boucher's pop-up,

is so new he's still operating

out of his friend's pizza joint.

What makes a Montréal bagel different from, like,

a New York bagel, a Brooklyn bagel?

And why are these vegan?

Aren't all bagels vegan?

No, that's the thing.

The typical Montréal bagel is made with honey and eggs,

so they're actually not vegan at all.

This is why we actually made one with

a honey alternative

and we don't put eggs because we--

with the test we did,

we felt that we didn't need it.

Yeah, who needs 'em?!

Who needs 'em in here?

Alright, let's get to cooking.

Let's get this dough going.

♪

Water, flour, yeast and sugar plus oil

get poured into the mixer.

In seconds, Freddie whips up his dough

and gets to the part of the process I love best.

Get in.

Oh yeah.

That's one of my favourite parts about baking

or making bread, is...

Very physical.

Yeah, getting in there, letting the tension out.

It's okay, Freddie, let it all out, you know?

Freddie: Going for it.

Mena: Then it's done?

Needs to proof a little bit.

Like this.

So this one is going to proof for about 45 minutes.

But lucky for you, we've got one that's already done,

already proofed, so we're going to bring that one out.

Alright, magic.

Freddie: Bad boy.

Oh wow, so it's expanded quite a bit there.

Freddie: Absolutely, yeah.

So now we get to shape it. We're going to cut it up

in about more or less 12-inch strips.

Want to try it out?

Yeah, please.

So the whole line of it?

More or less, yeah.

♪

That's it.

So what you do is you actually roll it-- everything's by hand.

Actually roll it like this, then you wrap it

around your hands like this.

Give it a good squeeze.

Get that good artisanal bagel.

Mena: It's going to be a thick guy.

Freddie: Love it. It's going to be a big one.

(Chuckles)

♪

Amazing. That's a big one.

Mena: It's a honker.

And now we gotta do all of these.

Yeah, we're going to do all of these.

All of them.

How long is that going to take?

That's going to take us more or less, what, ten minutes?

That's not bad.

I could do ten minutes. Let's go!

♪

I think that was my best one yet, right there.

It's beautiful, it is.

Yeah, thank you.

And what's the hot water for? Because I see you boiling water.

One of the things with the Montréal bagel is

that they're dipped in the water with honey.

Man, these are some lucky bagels.

Yeah, they're lucky bagels.

They get a massage, and then they get a bath.

They have honey poured on them.

Freddie: That's it.

That's the most important part.

Alright, so this is the vegan honey that you also make.

Absolutely, yeah.

It's apple berries, it's a substitute that we use to give

a little bit the same vibe and feel and taste as regular honey.

So at the same texture, more or less the same sweetness.

So it works perfectly well for the bagels.

Oh, wow.

It's pretty good?

It actually has that kind of pollen taste to it.

Truly.

So this is what makes a Montréal bagel a Montréal bagel,

really, is this honey bath.

It gives you that shine, that bite, that little sweetness.

It's super delicious and it tastes exactly

like a Montréal bagel.

Mena: The bagels-to-be are boiled, dipped in sesame seeds,

then baked in a wood oven, before being served up with

an original take on the classic cream cheese and lox combo.

Alright, I can't wait to dig into the lox

bagel with cream cheese.

Freddie: The biggie.

The "piece de renaissance."

Is that a thing? How do you say it?

(Laughs) Pièce de résistance.

Pièce de résistance.

That's how you say it.

Exactly. It's a moment to enjoy.

Wow. Here we go.

Mmm.

♪

Wow.

Wow.

Freddie: It's amazing.

Mena: Mm-hmm. Mmm.

I love this stuff.

It's cooked perfectly, the texture is right.

Crispy outside, little bit of a soft inside.

Spot on.

Freddie: Thanks, buddy.

And, the sesame seeds definitely brings it all together.

Makes a difference.

Yeah, brings it all together.

That's probably the best vegan lox I've had,

because it's got the texture of salmon.

That's good stuff.

The thing is, I was looking to get something that I was having

when I was younger, or a classic staple of Montréal or Quebec,

so I was missing that flavours, and these different texture

and crunches, and profiles.

Mena: The lox is local, organic smoked carrots,

and they are absolutely delicious.

And yes, I have tried way more smoked carrots

than you'd imagine possible.

You're right, it's something that I've definitely missed

eating, because everybody-- who doesn't love, like,

a smoked salmon, cream cheese sandwich?

Come on.

I loved it, and I wanted to recreate it.

And with Beagle Bagel, we have it now.

Whether you're vegan or not, it's bagel--

everybody knows a bagel.

So I just wanted to have something that doesn't

polarize people.

I just wanted to have a good, vegan bagel,

so it's enjoyable for everyone.

This is a terrific, terrific job there.

Come on.

♪

Mmm.

Yeah, baby.

Mm-mmm.

Mmm!

♪

(Indian-style music)

♪

Mena: Time to mix it up.

Not only does Montréal have a killer plant-based traditional

food scene, it's also got great international cuisine.

So I'm checking out Mile End, the city's de facto

multicultural hub, to hit up the city's first completely

vegan Indian Restaurant, TULA, helmed by Chef Abhishek.

Indian restaurants tend to be naturally veg-forward anyway.

I love Indian food.

So you're definitely filling a void for someone like me.

Abhishek: The thing is, Indian food at home, how we eat,

is a little different from how it's sold in restaurants.

So at home, it's very vegan-friendly.

So my intention with TULA was to bring that naturally

vegan-friendly home-style food in a restaurant setting.

And that's what I'm excited about today,

because tell us what we're making.

You're making a plant-based tikka masala

with plant-based chicken.

Mena: Chicken tikka masala is one of my all-time favourites,

but it's notoriously hard to find vegan.

♪

(Sizzling)

Chef revs up his curry-based tikka masala with garlic

to infuse the creamy tomato sauce with home-style flavour.

Smells delicious in here!

Oh yeah, you can smell that garlic.

Alright, TULA's tomato sauce, may I, chef?

I just want to give that a try right here.

♪

And the mix goes in.

Mmm!

The onion sauce.

Alright, I'm going to try some of that, there.

Mmm, yeah.

So getting some spice, getting some onion there.

Abhishek: This is a signature TULA spice mix for tikka masala.

Mena: TULA spice mix!

Ooh! Very nice.

It almost smells like a garam masala powder.

But then you add a little bit of a cooling spices too,

so you've created this blend of spices.

Mena: And what's this green here?

Is this ground parsley or something?

Abhishek: It's fenugreek.

Mena: Fenugreek. Alright.

Abhishek: That is quintessential in butter chicken

and tikka masala, for sure.

Okay, fenugreek, alright.

Chef Abhishek's chicken is made from soy fibre,

with a touch of sweet potato flour,

and looks just as chickeny as the real deal.

It's getting nice and thick!

And a dash of saffron water.

Saffron water! Wow.

You want the dish to look good and smell good and taste good,

saffron makes a big difference.

And this-- this little kind of mini-pan is usually what

you use to serve the dish, yeah?

This, you mean the bowl I'm serving in?

Mena: Yes.

Yes, absolutely.

I called it a mini-pan. But I guess it's a bowl.

♪

Nice microgreens from local farms.

♪

Mena: Flowers!

Abhishek: These are edible flowers from Quebec.

Chef, taking it to the next level here.

That's your dish, it's ready to eat.

Alright, look at that.

That is gorgeous.

Alright chef, I'm very excited to dig in here to this

chicken tikka masala, it looks so good.

Let's go ahead. Bon appétit .

Alright.

Just take a piece of this bread, and then you take it

and you scoop it right in.

Mena: I got you.

It's a lot like Egyptian food too,

we have pita bread in our cooking,

but we eat with our hands as well.

But yeah, I'm going to get some of that sauce.

You must use your hands with Indian food,

or you're not eating Indian food.

Mena: Yeah, of course. Of course.

♪

Mmm.

Mmm.

The sauce is delicious, and all those spices are coming through.

So I'm going to dig in here, get a piece of chicken as well.

All right. Here we go.

Mmm.

Mmm.

♪

Mmm.

♪

That soy chicken has absorbed-- the masala absorbed all

that flavour, so it acts as a great vehicle in my mouth.

It's like the soy chicken is the bus

and it's carrying a busload of masala

and it's driving in

and letting out all that flavour.

Seriously, it's incredible.

You come from a family of restaurateurs.

Your family owns a couple restaurants back in Toronto.

It's kind of funny because I was in the packing industry

even though my family was in the restaurant business.

Veganism had a big part to play in it.

Had it not been for veganism,

probably I wouldn't have been in the restaurant industry.

I just moved to Quebec recently for Tula.

And I chose Montréal because Montréal lacked something

in the Indian vegan restaurant with home-style recipes.

So I moved here,

and plus, the people of Quebec and Montréal are amazing.

In what way?

It's just the personality.

And they call it joie de vivre in French.

They know how to live life and enjoy life.

They just sit, savour each sauce,

each bite, each morsel.

And for us restaurateurs, it gives us great pleasure

because somebody's taking pride in eating

as much as we take pride in making.

And there's nothing more we can ask for.

How do you see Montréal evolving?

Like, you literally moved here

to open up this place right here in Montréal.

Big, big evolution.

Every year as there's more vegan businesses opening up.

I think not just vegans,

even non-vegans are trying to eat less meat now.

I want to thank you.

The food is beautiful here.

I think this is much, much needed.

I'm here for it.

So I'm gonna finish this whole plate.

And then I would like to try the butter chicken.

And then after that,

I want maybe an okra bhindi.

And then after that, maybe a chana masala.

But you forgot something.

Which one? Biryani.

Yes, the biryani, we'll throw that in there.

And then maybe for dessert, a vegan mango lassi.

And then I'll come back tomorrow

and we'll start all over.

Love it. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Chef. Thank you.

♪

Mena: Before I jet,

I gotta try the one classic in town

I haven't hit yet,

the Montréal smoked meat sandwich.

The city's iconic staple is everywhere.

But it's not easy to pull off a plant-based version

of the traditionally brisket-based deli spectacular.

So we drop by one of the best vegan diners in town

for a gourmand capper,

served up by restaurateur MJ

in her ultra hip diner

Mimi & Jones.

Look at this. This all looks so good.

Welcome to Mimi & Jones.

Thank you very much.

I'm pumped to dig into this.

We're talking about a vegan Montréal smoked meat sandwich,

which is a staple food here in Montréal.

Like, Montréal's famous.

It's so popular.

With the poutine, smoked meat would be, I think,

the second or maybe the first

most popular thing in town.

Tell me what's in here.

So, you've got Montréal smoked meat.

What's it made out of?

Seitan. It's homemade.

So, we made it from scratch here.

Rye bread, basal mustard,

wine sauerkraut with pickles,

the best pickle in town,

and that's it, with some spices.

Mena: Cheers. Shall we?

A smoked meat cheers?

Yeah, cheers to Mimi & Jones. Vegan power, yeah.

Oh yeah. Mm-hmm?

Oh yeah.

MJ: It's good, right?

Wow. Man.

That's a sandwich right there, mm.

Seriously, what I love about this,

I think the most,

is how thinly sliced it is,

adding this incredible texture

once you bite it all together.

It's so important.

And me, I'm very like,

that's my "Virgo side." I'm very--

You're a Virgo?

MJ: Are you a Virgo?

I'm a Virgo.

Details matter.

Mena: Those details add up.

Slicing and spicing seitan, a wheat-based protein,

in-house is incredibly rare.

And it pays off on the plate.

MJ: When I open here, I didn't write "vegan diner."

It was Mimi & Jones Diner.

A lot of people because they, you know,

oh, vegan is gonna taste like vegan,

but what is vegan?

You know, we're not in the '90s anymore.

So, just vegan food can be amazing.

Do I have a fry in my teeth?

No, you're good. Your teeth are great.

Me? No, you're good.

So, I've spent a little bit of time in Montréal

throughout my years

and I've noticed Quebecers

are really adamant about their traditions.

Oh my gosh, we're the worst.

So, what is that? What's that about?

It's strange.

I never saw people,

including myself before, I must say,

so protective

of the culture

defined by food, I will say.

You've made a point to put traditional

Québecois food on your menu.

You've got the Montréal smoked meat.

You've got poutine on here.

You've got a lot of other food

that I'm sure you grew up eating.

Yeah, it's important.

So, as a vegan you don't miss out

on Quebec culture.

You can have everything.

You can have the classic Montréal, Quebec, food.

Yeah, exactly, 'cause I said

you're not gonna be culturally challenged

by going vegan in Quebec or anywhere, I find.

Amazing.

Thank you.

And then obviously it's not a diner--

Seriously. --without a shake!

Exactly, shall we?

Yeah, so what do we have here?

Cookies and cream? Classic cookies and cream?

Voila.

Yeah, coconut whipped cream.

Mm.

Really, really good.

I'm sorry to do this.

What, what?

One of my camera guys,

he was telling me how much he loves

cookies and cream.

So I got to have him try this.

Johnny, come in here.

Johnny, come in here.

Alright, give it to me, man.

MJ: Yes! Here you go, is it good?

MJ: I want some more.

Mm. Oh, oh!

That is fabulous.

Johnny likes it.

It's got the Johnny stamp of approval.

Everybody likes it!

(Laughter)

Yes! You want an actual bite?

I'll take an actual bite.

Mena: I think he does.

"Feed it to me." My god, so demanding.

Here you go. Here you go.

Holy moly.

MJ: Mm-hmm?

It's good, right? Man: Yeah.

Wow!

Alright.

Cheers.

Mena: Even after the crew's had a go at it,

I can't not eat the rest of that sandwich.

It's too delicious.

Listen, for a city renowned for its classics

and raising its homegrown fare to iconic levels

with tight adherents to nostalgic standards,

I'm seeing and tasting a shift.

I mean, I'm polishing off

a signature smoked meat sandwich fantastique,

carved out of plant protein.

Montréal is a city that's increasingly welcoming,

growing, taking risks and, dare we say it,

redefining tradition.

With that, it's a bientot,

see you soon, Montréal.

♪

♪

♪

♪