Lessons are only good if you get something out of them, so now that you know all about farmers' market etiquette you're ready to tackle buying tomatillos and blueberries, to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Allison Ulan, the founder of Ashtanga Yoga Montreal was kind enough to shatter my presumptions about Ayurvedic food by inviting me to a practice dinner for an Ayurvedic Retreat she will be offering next month. The last thing I thought it would be was seven courses of bread, fish, chicken, maple syrup, peaches, rice, apples, and blueberries.

When so many farmers' market vendors all seem to be selling the same produce, choosing which one to buy your food from can be difficult. A good farmers' market sport is actually having a seat on the outskirts of the market and just watching the indecisive customers wandering back and forth between stalls. It can be kind of hilarious as long as it's not you. Some vendors offer samples, but you'll rarely be able to compare the cucumbers from three different vendors, and you probably won't be sampling the kale since that hearty green needs at least a good blanching or dousing in vinegar and oil to soften it up. All you can do sometimes to decide is rely on loyalty. You find a product or a producer you like and you stick with it.

A farmers' market is not a grocery store. You can't make it through successfully if you keep your mouth shut. It necessitates interaction, but there are unwritten rules to these interactions, such as when to start a conversation, when to not start a conversation because the salesperson is busy (and that's what he or she is, in addition to maybe being a farmer - a seller), when it's time to buy, and when it's time to leave. There's also the issue of whether or not it's okay to not buy something if you've eaten a sample, which is kind of along the same vein as, "If you get her pregnant, you have to marry her."

Tucked inside the ground floor of a bleak apartment complex at the corner of du Fort and Maisonneuve, Bonjour Supermarché could easily be overlooked by passerby. But within its bodega dimensions the vibrant market strikes a winning formula of quality and affordability that makes homemade Chinese food accessible.
Three things make this grocer stand out. First, the range of products. Despite its tiny size, Bonjour offers an impressive breadth of items imported from China, Korea, and Japan. Alongside countless noodles, sauces, and dried goods, the aisles are lined with otherwise hard to find varieties of meat, seafood, tofu and produce. Items include thinly sliced lamb (perfect for hot pots), pork knuckle, chicken feet, dried shrimp, Szechuan pepper, Chinese broccoli, several varieties of fresh and dried mushroom, kelp, homemade kimchi, and dozens of snacks and beverages that I've yet to work through. Second, the prices. Just about everything sells for significantly less than at other neighborhood grocers. Random sampling: edamame ($2.49 for a bag), soft tofu ($1.69), enoki mushrooms ($1.69 for 300 g), large bag of dried noodles (the good stuff, not the instant stuff - $3.99), udon noodles ($0.69). Third, fresh items like pork buns and tea eggs are sold ready-to-eat. They also have pre-made dim sum and dumplings that can be taken home and steamed.

Put simply, Bonjour Supermarché is a compact and comprehensive grocery store with traditional and modern items from all over Asia. It's cheap, it's inviting, and it has everything you need to make great food at home.


Bonjour Supermarché
2070, boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest
Montreal, QC H3H 1K8
(514) 904-1804

For weeks I had been hearing nothing but enthusiastic praise for Kazu, the new izakaya-style Japanese restaurant at St-Mathieu and Ste-Catherine. Not thinking too much about it, I absentmindedly put Kazu on my list of places to check out. However, when I kept seeing line-ups stretching down the street to get into this restaurant, I knew I had to see what all the hype was.

And I have to tell you, there is reason for the hype. Such satisfactory dining experiences - satisfactory in every aspect - are rare.